Modern Cuba culture holiday, Hip Havana
Price
£999 excluding flights
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Description of Modern Cuba culture holiday, Hip Havana
Price information
£999 excluding flights
Convert currency:
Single Supplement £222
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Travel guides
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Stepping into Havana for the first time is a world of classic cars, crackling transistor radios and clacking dominoes. As you meander into the country...
Reviews
1 Reviews of Modern Cuba culture holiday, Hip Havana
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed on 19 Nov 2019 by Lin Buckland
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The opportunity to meet with Cuban artists, musicians, social entrepreneurs and to learn about their creative efforts. We really enjoyed conversations and also sharing meals with some of them and with our guides.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be open and trust the excellent knowledge of the good people at Cubania and you will be sure to have a wonderful experience. Do take the advice about bringing cash and not counting on ATMs. None of our Canadian bank cards worked.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
We do feel that our holiday benefited local people and engagement with Cuban people was really the highlight. There was less evidence of how it might have helped reduce environmental impacts or supported conservation, except perhaps for visiting and spending some money at Las Terrazas Biosphere. We did discuss with the operator ahead of time how to avoid water in plastic bottles and with their help came up with a solution to bring our own non-plastic filter bottles. We also were interested to hear about recycling and reuse and our guide was helpful on this.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Absolutely outstanding! From the flexible and responsive way the operator designed our itinerary to the actual program and activities. We were so impressed with the interesting people we met and what they are doing. We should say too that the accommodations were excellent and all the various and varied meals organized in our tours were very good. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, will be recommending to family and friends, and hope to come back.
Responsible Travel
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we've screened this (and every) holiday so that you can travel knowing we've worked to maximise the benefits of your holiday to local people and places, and minimise any negative impacts.
Planet
On our trips we strive to be environmentally-friendly in every way. In this itinerary, aside from the classic car tour of Havana any vehicle transfers, all the activities you will be taking part in are practically carbon free.During this itinerary you will visit Las Terrazas biosphere reserve, Cuba’s first ever self-sufficient community dedicated to the research and protection of the local ecosystem. Included in the price of your trip is the entrance fee to Las Terrazas, which goes directly to the community’s ongoing environmental initiatives.
On this tour you will be staying in local casas particulares (homestays), which produce far less waste than big hotels and consume much less energy. We'll also be supporting small business by eating in private paladar restaurants.
Although it is necesary to purchase bottled water, this is recycled by our staff as we distribute empty plastic bottles to people who use them for a wide range of household purposes. No plastic gets thrown away.
People
We believe that Cuba’s most attractive quality is its people, and we like to give our clients as many opportunities as possible to interact with Cubans. You will be staying in casas particulares (homestays), where you will get the chance to better understand the realities of daily life in Cuba. Not only this, but when you use a casa particular, your money goes straight into the local community, rather than into the pockets of multinational corporations. You will be eating at locally-run restaurants, paladares, where profit goes straight back into the community.During the itinerary we will visit a number of social enterprises which will allow you to gain an understanding of the creative industries that are forging Cuba’s contemporary identity. You will visit Clandestina, local graphic designers; a hip hop group called Obsesión; a music recording studio; and a second hand bookshop/creative space. We will also take some salsa lessons at a dance studio established by a group of enterprising young teachers.
Our guides are very proud of their country and will take every opportunity to further your knowledge of Cuba´s rich culture – both historical and contemporary. Highlights on this trip are the Bellas Artes museum in Old Havana and the Santeria museum in the working class neighbourhood of Regla. On the last evening we will go out to a multi-faceted arts venue that showcases Cuba’s up and coming artists and music groups. The entrance fees to these sites will support the protection and promotion of Cuban art and cultural heritage.
We discourage hand-outs to beggars and instead give our clients the opportunity to make donations to appropriate organisations during their travels. Your guide will be happy to advise.
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