Cuba Birthday Celebration Review: Cuisine, Classic Cars, Art, Culture, Dancing, Museums, Fusterlandia, 8 Nights

My entire trip was filled with unforgettable memories. Since I am a foodie, dining at Havana's top restaurants, like the Michelin-star establishment where the chef cooked me a 10-course meal and the venue where they gifted me my first cigar; eating a home-cooked meal (when I was supposed to be learning how to cook, but decided to watch instead); and drinking Canchanchara were major highlights.

A classic convertible car ride in my favorite color (red), cruising around Havana with the wind blowing my hair, was a dream come true.

Venturing into a dance club in Trinidad, which entailed hiking up a hill and descending into a cave, plus laughing off the temporary power outage with my guides, made for a unique and entertaining birthday night out.

My private salsa dance lesson, the live music concert, visiting the art factory and Fusterlandia, and attending mass at the Havana Cathedral allowed me to immerse myself in Cuba's vibrant art, dance, music, and religious cultures.

Relaxing on the breathtaking beach at Varadero after a long road trip made me feel refreshed. The beach was so clean and the waves were high.

Lastly, visiting the Fidel Castro Museum on my last day helped me gain a new perspective on Fidel Castro and helped better my understanding of the country.

But the road trip with my guides singing and dancing to Cuban music; learning how to play dominoes with them; the great hospitality of my homestay host and her granddog; the cooking demonstration (where I learned how to smoke my first cigar), and dancing with the Cuban people, allowed me to connect and converse with the Cuban people and made every moment in Cuba that much more special. Their personal touches elevated the trip to a whole new level of amazingness. I have made friends in Cuba for life! I will definitely be back.