Over 50s holiday to Cuba
| country: | Cuba |
| departures: | 2008: 3 Dec |
| price: | From £1499 - £1599 (16 days) including flights from the UK, from £1049 excluding flights |
| offers: | If you organise a group of 6 – 9 people onto one of our adventures we will give you £50 off per person. If you organise a group of 10 or more people onto one of our adventures one person will go FREE. Offer can not be combined with any other promotion. The booking must comprise of a minimum of 6 people, with 1 lead passenger who all the booking correspondence will be sent to. Adult prices must be more than £900 per passenger. Valid on all trips departing before 30 Sept 2009. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
read 1 travellers review
"The first thing that strikes me about Cuba is the explosion of vibrancy and colour in its architecture, vintage American cars, people and music. With this trip, I like the idea that you get to experience the more rural side of Cuba too."
- Lisa, responsibletravel.com
- Lisa, responsibletravel.com
the amazing things you'll be doing
The intrigue of Cuba is easy to understand with the historic past of colonial Spain, Che Guevara, Castro and Hemingway mixed with classic American cars and the hypnotic rhythm of salsa music. It’s difficult not to fall in love with Havana’s old streets which reflect a decayed elegance of former glories. Music floods out from many doorways and classic 50s automobiles ply the roads. By contrast Vinales offers a backdrop of stunning landscapes and the chance to experience rural Cuba. You’ll walk through tobacco fields and perhaps stop for coffee at a local campesino’s house.
The town of Santa Clara was the location of the last battle of the Cuban revolution. Che Guevara has become a world icon and you’ll visit his mausoleum which is also the final resting place of the famous beret. Then you’ll wander the cobblestone streets of colonial Trinidad before heading east to walk to Fidel’s secret revolutionary mountain hideout. Finally the coast beckons with time in Santiago, Cuba’s soulful second city and the chance to unwind on a Caribbean beach. Near Trinidad you’ll go walking in the Codina Park. This is a great opportunity to experience Cuba’s flora and fauna and offers a great contrast to the neatly cultivated tobacco fields of Vinales.
Your accommodation is in hotels (14 nights). You’ll stay in relaxing, friendly, comfortable en suite hotels. Many will have swimming pools. Trip price includes: 14 breakfasts, 2 lunches & 3 dinners. You will be able to savour locally cooked seafood and to eat in local ‘paladars’, family-run local restaurants with a maximum of four tables (16 covers) – perfect for our small groups. For the majority of the trip, you’ll use a comfortable private bus. However a couple of the places visited are more off the beaten track so we make these short journeys like the locals - by truck. Optional walks are guided by your expert local group leader and a variety of knowledgeable guides.
The town of Santa Clara was the location of the last battle of the Cuban revolution. Che Guevara has become a world icon and you’ll visit his mausoleum which is also the final resting place of the famous beret. Then you’ll wander the cobblestone streets of colonial Trinidad before heading east to walk to Fidel’s secret revolutionary mountain hideout. Finally the coast beckons with time in Santiago, Cuba’s soulful second city and the chance to unwind on a Caribbean beach. Near Trinidad you’ll go walking in the Codina Park. This is a great opportunity to experience Cuba’s flora and fauna and offers a great contrast to the neatly cultivated tobacco fields of Vinales.
Your accommodation is in hotels (14 nights). You’ll stay in relaxing, friendly, comfortable en suite hotels. Many will have swimming pools. Trip price includes: 14 breakfasts, 2 lunches & 3 dinners. You will be able to savour locally cooked seafood and to eat in local ‘paladars’, family-run local restaurants with a maximum of four tables (16 covers) – perfect for our small groups. For the majority of the trip, you’ll use a comfortable private bus. However a couple of the places visited are more off the beaten track so we make these short journeys like the locals - by truck. Optional walks are guided by your expert local group leader and a variety of knowledgeable guides.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly to Havana |
| Day 2: | Havana city tour |
| Day 3-4: | Drive to Vinales; walk among mogotes |
| Day 5: | Drive to Cienfuegos via Bay of Pigs |
| Day 6: | Santa Clara, Che Guevara Mausoleum; Trinidad |
| Day 7: | Walks in Parque el Codina; explore Trinidad |
| Day 8: | Drive via Camaguey to Bayamo |
| Day 9: | Sierra Maestre; walk to Comandancia de la Plata |
| Day 10-11: | Santiago de Cuba |
| Day 12-13: | Chivirico beach stay |
| Day 14: | Fly to Havana |
| Day 15-16: | Overnight flight to London |
travellers' tales
We loved the way the trip was structured so that we got to meet the ordinary people, to sit and eat their meals, to visit and talk to school teachers, the local doctor, those who make local products.
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over 50s holidays
This trip has been specially designed for, and is exclusive to, travellers over 50. On these trips, the typical group size is just 12, and we never exceed 16. This means better service for you, the chance to use smaller hotels, more freedom to reach out of the way places and more of a sense of camaraderie and fun. Over half of our travellers book independently and we do not charge an additional single supplement. Most travellers are aged between 50 and 70 and there is no upper age limit. It’s attitude and a love of travel that counts!how this holiday makes a difference
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Due to our small group sizes you have minimum impact on areas visited. The Vinales valley, which has been on UNESCO’s world heritage list since 1999, is a cultural landscape enriched by traditional farm and village architecture. Taking a socio-economic walk through the valley you see the old fashioned farming methods used to grow tobacco, illustrating the cultural development of the people. Clients who travel with us will automatically receive a copy of our Responsible Travel leaflet. This contains details and advice on how you can make a positive difference when you travel.
We work in partnership with Plan International. Plan works with some of the world’s poorest communities where three out of four children die before the age of five. We also support Friends of Conservation – an international charity committed to working with local people to develop a balance between their needs and the wildlife with which they share the natural habitat and ecosystems. Global warming is a real issue and is a direct result of your travel. We have teamed up with Climate Care to give you the opportunity to offset the carbon emissions from your flight. You’ll be asked upon booking if you want to donate – with set amounts from £5. As a company we offset the carbon emissions from all staff travel in full. We’ve highlighted a few of the ways in which we offer our support, financially or otherwise, and now you can, too. We have set up our own foundation, which will administer funds donated by you. A small donation of £1 per person will be taken when booking a holiday and that money will be put to good use by one of our carefully selected projects. If you don’t want to make the donation, just tell us when you call. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |