Setting out on their last night in Cuba, the Basecampers head out for mojitos, the distinctive Cuban cocktail made with mint, sugar and rum. Curiously, the thought of the delicious traditional beverage reminds Sarah of the Cuban song Chan Chan, made famous by the Buena Vista Social Club.

As things can only happen in Havana, Rodrigo engages a group of street musicians to sing the song with them. Ultimately the musicians set the trio on a path to the Café Taberna, home to some of the most authentic Afro-Cuban music and many of the colourful characters that dance to it nightly.

Fired up by the world’s most sensual music, the Basecampers make it back to the beautiful Meliá Varadero to greet the dawn. Over a final round of mojitos they reminisce about the highpoints of an amazing Cuban journey that took them literally from the skies above the island to the depths of its caverns and onto the streets and nightlife of a smoking Havana. It’s an experience they will never forget: one that forged bonds with the Cuban people and with each other.

Join our Basecampers as they immerse themselves in authentic Cuban music:

Just in case you may have thought the old-style cabarets went with the Revolution, take another look. Havana hosts a number of spectacular nightclubs that preserve the pre-revolutionary nightclub tradition that made Havana a destination for North American tourists back in the 1940s and 50s.

For useful travel tips, consult Basecamp’s travel guide to Havana and Varadero.

Book a trip with Air Transat to discover Havana’s nightlife.

All photo credits: Travel Basecamp

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