What is Cuba like for a holiday? I often get asked this. I’ve spent a month in Cuba, over two visits, and had a wonderful time, but it’s not all smiling, cigar smoking locals, drinking mojitos. Here’s an insight into what to expect from a holiday in Cuba.

I feel like Cuba is the most mysterious of all the Caribbean islands, yet, still, it draws people in. As tourists we’re given one version of the country, but I wanted to settle the question of what Cuba is really like, and whether you’ll enjoy it for a holiday.

Before I went to Cuba I imagined I’d arrive in a land filled with colour.

From the old cars, to the different hues of houses, to the local people – a mix of Asian, African and Spanish descent. I pictured my days filled with wandering the streets and taking photos of happy crazy locals and their ad hoc dancing.

Imagining I’d drink Mojitos, sup on daiquiris and substitute water for Cuba Libres.

I fantasised about walking down the Malecon before being intercepted by a laughing Cuban surrounded by friends playing trombones, tubas and trumpets to the beat of a drum. He would take my hand and show me a few salsa moves before spinning me out into the arms of my boyfriend.

It’d be hot and I’d lay on the beaches, cooling off on the sand with yet another daiquiri.

On the negative side I’d been told repeatedly the food in Cuba was rubbish, to be careful in some neighbourhoods and that the locals were not allowed to fraternise unnecessarily with the tourists. That included restaurants, buses and on the streets.

It turned out my assumptions were approximately 80% correct.

I spent two weeks in Cuba in May – exploring Havana, Trinidad and Cienfeugos. In those two weeks, I got a good idea of what Cuba is actually like for us tourists to visit.

First impressions of Cuba

On arrival at 10pm on a Friday, the roar of people from the Malecon was overwhelming.

Our hotel was one block back in one of the poorer districts of Havana and when you opened the balcony doors it was as if they were in the room with us. We stayed in and slept.

– Getting into the spirit in Cienfuegos

The next day we wandered around our neighbourhood. We were invited to parties, pleaded with to buy milk for starving babies and asked where we were from a little over 15 times. All we wanted to do was explore in peace, but the locals wouldn’t leave us alone.

I was there with my boyfriend at the time. He originally from Sudan, and me from England – this alone caused more attention from the locals than either of us had wanted.

We found solace in The Nacional Hotel, isolated above the neighbourhood and sat back from the Malecon. It was obvious I was out of practice travelling. We felt like we were accosted at every turn and were unsure who was just friendly and who wanted something out of us.

It took a few days to settle in and get used to the harassment on the streets and the Cuban way. After meeting the group for the Havana Club Gap Year project I was working on for my work at gapyear.com, I was assured that the people here were generally good.

I was told I should just relax and understand that people just wanted to talk, or be our guides and show us around the city for a fews CUCs (the tourist currency). Apparently I could just say a firm ‘no’ and they’d leave us alone – but I wasn’t so sure it would work that way.

– A true look at what Cuba is really like