Do you want to give someone special a rare and precious gift this holiday?  What about a trip to Cuba, as it is, right now?   With all its blight, poverty and estrangement from the U.S., it is still on my list of “best trips” for the traveler, the historian, the photographer or the beach lover.

Havana is a city rich in culture, but lacking even a pretense of urban renewal.  So the question you may ask, is, why visit now?  Because change is inevitable, and when that change happens, this rare opportunity to see it as it is, with all its blemishes, will be lost forever.

The blight and poverty are real, but Cuba’s beauty will haunt you:

And the beaches, on both the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean, stretch on and on and on.  Miles and miles of some of the most beautiful beaches you will ever see, on the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean.

My recommendation to any world travelers who read our blog: travel to Cuba now.  It is only miles from our shores.  The people are friendly, the climate is perfect, and despite occasional reminders that we are “the imperialists”, the Cuban people and the Cuban government seem to welcome us with open arms.

If you’ve run out of ideas for holiday gifts, what about a visit to the most exotic destination within a one hour flight from our shores?  Cuba!