Departure Nov. 04, 2014 for 10 Days / 09 Nights
Brush aside the Cuba that you “know” from history books and current events, and there is an unfiltered view of this vibrant island found only through the eyes of its people.
While traversing the countryside and sipping coffee in small cafés, IE guests encounter working-class locals eager to share, learn and ensure lives and opinions are transformed. Venture out of bustling Havana for a rare glimpse at Cuba’s lush countryside. Against a backdrop of dramatic limestone mogotes, tobacco-dotted valleys and wetlands that hug an historic coast, IE travelers join local naturalists and birding enthusiasts to seek out endemic wildlife. Along the way, we connect to the warm, generous people who inhabit Cuba’s fertile valleys.
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS:
- Immersed in the daily lives of Cuban people including musicians, artists, naturalists & local birders while discovering Cuba’s top three natural history locales.
- Explore cultural “must sees” including the Bay of Pigs & atmospheric plazas of Trinidad & Havana.
- Discuss Hemingway’s life & work with a local expert while strolling the grounds of his home, Finca Vigia.
- Meet Cuba’s new entrepreneurs at a family-run paladar, café & organic farm.
- Interact directly with Cuban people, learning about each other as you dance, play music, sample local fare, browse markets & stop by a local library.
ITINERARY
Day 1 Arrive Miami. Fly to Miami for a briefing and welcome reception before an overnight at the Marriott.
Day 2 Miami to Cienfuegos or Camaguey / Sancti spiritus. Depending on your departure day, you will fly to Cienfuegos or Camaguey. In Cienfuegos, enjoy a performance by the Cienfuegos Choir, or head to the Camaguey Ballet Company, meeting the dancers and talking to them about new productions. Interact with spirited vendors who line the atmospheric squares of these cities. Overnight in Cienfuegos or Sancti Spiritus. (D)
Day 3 Trinidad See the ruined hulls of sugar estates in the Valle De Los Ingenios, and chat with villagers while enjoying a glass of cold sugar cane or mango juice. Experience Trinidad like a local, visiting with shop owners and sampling local fare. At Casa Del Alfarero Santander learn about traditional pottery techniques. Stroll through town, with the chance to visit a music club to mingle with the locals and enjoy authentic Cuban music. Spend two nights at Hotel Ancon or similar. (B,L,D)
Day 4 Topes De Collantes / Trinidad Head into the mountains of the Topes de Collantes National Park. Join a local naturalist for a nature walk, finding endemic birdlife. Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant before stopping in at a coffee house. Visit a modern art museum before dinner in a paladar, a privately owned restaurant. Sit down with local families to discuss daily life before being invited into their homes. (B,L,D)
Day 5 Trinidad / Zapata Wetlands / Bay of pigs Join Orlando Ramirez, a local farmer,for a hike to observe the world’s smallest bird, the bee hummingbird. On the Bay of Pigs, discuss the importance of the Zapata Wetlands with a local environmentalist before visiting the Playa Giron Museum. Spend tonight at Hotel Playa Larga or similar. (B,L,D)
Days 6 & 7 Soroa & Vinalales At the Korimakao Project, meet some of Cuba’s finest musicians, dancers and artists and discuss the power of art in the lives of ordinary Cubans. During a stop at a tobacco sorting factory, chat with the women preparing tobacco to become cigars. Enjoy chances to meet families working the land while visiting an organic farm, a local tobacco farmer and the private Maria Lezcano Garden. Spend two nights at Villa Soroa, Los Jazmines or similar. (B,L,D Daily)
Day 8 Soroa & Vinales / Havana Survey an orchid garden with staff from the University of Pinar del Rio. Meet local naturalists, business owners and farmers in the planned “green” community of Las Terrazas. Stop at Cafe de Maria for a cup of locally grown coffee and chat with the family who runs the business. Pay homage to Hemingway by discussing his work with specialists at his former home Finca Vigia. Spend two nights at the Melia Cohiba or similar. (B,L,D)
Day 9 Havana In Old Havana present the children at a public library with books and share your favorite tales. At Belem Convent, discuss humanitarian programs with the volunteers. Interact with the locals as we explore an art market. (B,L,D)
Day 10 Havana / Miami Transfer to the airport for our charter flight to Miami. (B)
International Expedition (IE) is licensed (CT-2013-299822-1) by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control to conduct authorized people-to- people travel to Cuba that connects you directly with the Cuban people — and is 100% legal. Through meaning- ful daily interactions, we learn from ordinary Cubans as they learn about our lives. IE’s journey offers free-ranging discussions and local interactions touching on all aspects of Cuban life and culture, so that you return home with a genuine understanding of this fascinating destination.
DATE + PRICING:
Departure: Nov. 04, 2014 - Arrival: Nov. 13, 2014
Pricing:
$4,498.00 per person on a share basis plus $575.00 for the charter flight from Miami to Cuba.
Single room add a single supplement of $750.00
Deposit due upon reservation: $600 per person.
Final payment is due no later than 60 days prior to departure; Friday, September 5, 2014
Cancellation terms:
$175 from time of booking until 90 days prior to departure
$350 from 89 – 61 days prior to departure
Full penalty 60 – 0 days prior to departure
We recommend you get travel insurance.
Notes:
The flight from Miami to Havana typically leaves from 9:00 am – noon on Day 2 of the program. The return flight from Cuba to Miami can be as late as 6:00 pm so an overnight on the return may be a good idea. If not, then connecting flights from Miami to your final destination should be after 8:00 pm just in case the flight gets back to Miami late afternoon.
There is an additional charge of $575 for charter flights Miami/Cuba/Miami. The charter air cost is subject to change and must be purchased through International Expeditions.
For more details and reservations... call us today. send request to journeyexperienceit@gmail.com
International Expeditions. Cuba People to People
International Expeditions, Inc. is licensed (CT-2013-299822-1) by the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control to engage, organize and conduct authorized people-to-people travel to Cuba that engages participants in meaningful interactions with individuals in Cuba. Each person wishing to be considered for participation in the People-to-People Educational Program to Cuba should fill out, sign and return this form. This information will be used to obtain your visa and documentation. This is an opportunity to engage with the people of Cuba, and you must agree to participate in a variety and full-time schedule of activities within Cuba in compliance with the terms and regulations pertaining to our specific license as an organization that sponsors and organizes educational exchanges programs to promote contact with the Cuban people i.e. People-to-People groups. Anyone interested in traveling to Cuba should review the regulations. The link for full details about these regulations is
http://ietravel.com/north-america-caribbean/cuba/faq/people-to-people-travel
Should you participate in this program, then by reading the enclosed information and signing this form you acknowledge that you understand and are willing to comply with these regulations. If you are unwilling or unable to comply then you do not qualify for acceptance.
