Simon Calder, also known as The Man Who Pays His Way, is co-author, with Emily Hatchwell, of Traveller’s Survival Kit: Cuba. He has also been writing about travel for The Independent since 1994.

If you make a purchase from our site, we may earn a commission. This does not affect the quality or independence of our editorial content.

Since President Barack Obama announced that the U.S. would ease diplomatic relations with Cuba, the number of people looking to travel to the largest country in the Caribbean has steeply risen.