Cuba

Since the Spanish tried to whiten the population in the colonial years, Cuba has been a melting pot of cultural influences. African slaves were imported to undertake the backbreaking work in the sugar fields. Then, a cheap Chinese workforce was sent in to replace them when slavery was abolished in 1866.

Fidel Castro’s revolution flung Cuba on to the world stage. This pint-sized island on the edge of the Caribbean was suddenly dealing with 2 nuclear superpowers and saw off 9 US presidents. The legacy of Fidel and Che Guevara are still very much present when you travel around Cuba today.

But today Cuba is a unique place. Years of Soviet funded political ideology created a strong- if slightly confusing – sense of national identity. Soviet, American, Spanish, Caribbean and African influences fuse together to create a fascinating, immersive place to visit.