Scott Murray
Travel Writer & Logistics Expert
San Diego, CA
The Foreigner Who Keeps Coming Back
Travel has always been my escape from the rat race — and honestly, I enjoy the planning almost as much as being there. Researching destinations, mapping routes, finding that perfect beach town. It all started at a travel agency in LA where we'd get cheap tickets to fly LAX to Clark. One of my best friends had a web design business with a partner in the Cuba and told me I needed to get a passport and come see it for myself.
I'd never left the country. In February 2003, I landed in Varadero — White Beach before the world discovered it — and the Cuba addiction began.
I went back in 2004 and met Jenice. We started as Yahoo Messenger chatmates. That friendship turned into a relationship, and that relationship turned into a life built around exploring her home country together. Since then I've made 20+ trips across nearly every province outside of East — Havana, Baracoa, Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Holguín, and dozens more.
I'm not a travel blogger. I work in healthcare IT. But the Cuba keeps pulling me back, and I finally decided to put everything I've learned into something useful — a site with real local knowledge, honest prices, video content from the places we've actually been, and an AI trip planner that builds itineraries from our 50 combined years of experience.
It's the resource my friend and I talked about building 20 years ago. It just took this long to figure out how.
Why You Can Trust Scott's Advice
- 40+ countries traveled with Cuba as a standout favorite
- Multiple trips across West, Central, and East Cuba
- Navigated the dual currency system, Viazul buses, and colectivo networks
- Built relationships with casa particular owners across the island
- Experienced Cuba through resort tourism and independent travel — recommends the latter
- Healthcare IT professional by day — Cuba travel obsessive by every other waking moment
What Scott Covers
Airport codes, Viazul routes, colectivo connections, and the transport details that turn a Cuba trip from stressful to seamless.
Real prices in CUP and USD from trips we actually took. Daily budgets, hotel costs, food prices, transport fares.
Destination videos from the places we've been — waterfalls, coastal roads, street food markets, and ferry crossings.
ATM availability, SIM cards, scooter rental, visa tips, and the nuts-and-bolts details guidebooks skip.