14 independent reviews for Cuba cultural tour, 9 days
Reviews for Cuba cultural tour, 9 days
Amy Bernhard review 6 Jun 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Most memorable of our visit to Cuba was getting to see the big picture of life there -- it's a combination of a time warp with the old, crumbling buildings and 1950s American cars but with the warmest people who seem to be very current and no different from people everywhere. They just deserve an easier life than they have!2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
The briefing document we received from the tour operator was extremely detailed and covered everything we needed to know. We brought lots of American cash dollars (gave out tons of it in tips, to help these wonderful people who can barely get by), brought more medicines than usual for traveling (since we knew it would be impossible to obtain in Cuba), and found a headlamp/flashlight essential (the power went out every night except in Havana). In hindsight, I would choose a cooler time of year than late May, as it was excessively hot.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes! As mentioned above, we tipped excessively to help the wonderful, warm, highly educated guides, drivers, casa particular owners, etc. We felt good that our tourism helped these people with jobs and income, and our guide made clear that UNESCO has recognized much of untouched Cuba and there's a sensitivity to keeping those parts pristine.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Excellent! Cuba is not for all travelers, because there is no level of luxury at all, and many things that are hard for American mentalities -- the crumbling building facades, the inability to flush any toilet paper and instead use a trash receptacle, the power outages, etc. Nonetheless, the culture is fascinating and the people are as warm as could be. We felt safe everywhere, we enjoyed the never-ending cocktails, we loved seeing three (out of 600!) cultural projects, and it was a terrific experience. My grandparents honeymooned in Havana in 1924, my mother and her aunt stayed at the Hotel Nacional in 1947, and now I'm the third generation to visit this Caribbean jewel. Here's hoping the Cuban people have a chance at a decent level of economic security!Anne Waldron review 24 Feb 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Meeting Cuban’s at the Casa’s and all the varied activities. My awesome tour guide Adrian, so nice to have a knowledgeable and upbeat leader.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Be prepared for no phone or internet connectivity, Not by T-Mobile, AT&T or Verizon. You will need less clothes than you think, pack light. If you are able to leave behind some of the clothes you are planning on wearing the Cuban people would be delighted.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
All local people were benefited, and there were so many people from different walks of life4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
I had a terrific time and my fellow travelers were enjoyableCatherine Makepeace review 13 Mar 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Soaking up the music and meeting the people.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Exchange to local money at homestays3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Benefit to local people4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
A wonderful trip.Jody Strickler review 4 Mar 2020
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Contact with the Cuban people2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Get in shape— some of the events were arduous3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Very much so. Loved staying in the casas.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Very interestingLinda Roots review 12 Aug 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Actually landing in Havana and being easily and promptly identified by our greeter/driver. Our exhilaration at being in Cuba and lack of anxiety about the “next step” after getting luggage put us in an immediate mode of relaxation and safe-being.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Make it longer than the 8 day tour or extend time on either the arrival or departure end to do some independent exploration and maybe even repeating a part of the tour.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I think it benefited the locals to whom money for our room and board, meals and purchases went. It was easy to follow conservation by simply doing what our hosts did, except for one slip up and leaving on the aircon when we left the casa. That NEVER happened twice.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
I’d rate it “”Let’s do it again” high!Ashley Brown review 29 Mar 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
It was great to experience more activities and learn more from Cubans that would one could do with just a guide book. We had a lot of free time and flexibility to still do what we wanted but was able to accomplish seeing and experiencing the country from a unique view for outsiders. I loved going to the tobacco fields in Vinales, meeting the farmers and their families, AND seeing how cigars are made. The food was great too.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Learn about Cuba and its history before your trip- it will help you understand even more from the people and guide. Although the trip does a great job of discussing all parts of the history of the island it was more interesting to have a basic understanding before too.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
100%4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
I would highly recommend this tour.JoJean Jones review 23 Mar 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The activities in the Viñales region.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Wear old, comfortable shoes.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
It definitely benefited the local people.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
This was a very educational trip.Stephanie Oviedo review 6 Jun 2017
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The most memorable part was visiting the organic farm and getting to eat a delicious and huge farm to table meal overlooking the beautiful mogotes.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Bring sunscreen,a hat, and water bottle. Forget wearing jeans, only pack easily washable lightweight clothing. The humidity is killer.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I definitely feel like we supported local people.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Not the most relaxing vacation but a wonderful learning experience!!! Really got to experience the culture :)Bettie Bullard review 27 Jan 2017
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The most memorable was getting to meet people and learning more about the history of Cuba. The most exciting experience was hiking to the waterfall.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Come with high expectations and comfortable walking shoes, ready for unique experiences.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, I felt that our being there helped local people and was cognizant of environmental impacts, although I feel that a deluge of tourists may cause a negative impact in the future.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Fabulous! Our guide was very informed on any topic we mentioned. I really appreciated the fact that our guide not only knew historical facts but was able to share insights on the underlying meaning.Rita Rega review 2 Apr 2016
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Everything from the incredible music clubs to the food to the beautiful beach.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Let the vacation company do everything for you.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Our home stays benefited the local people.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
5 stars for a great Cuban tour guide with cool and fun fellow travelers.Patricia Swiney review 28 Aug 2016
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
It is hard to pick just one moment of the trip but I highly rate the tour through Havana's historical district. Daniel the guide was so informative on the restoration and history of the area I wished we had more time with him.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
The biggest tip would be to dress comfortably. There is a lot of walking and some of the terrain on excursions are very rocky and muddy.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I felt the vacation did benefit some of the local people we encountered.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
I highly recommend this tour. Our tour guide was friendly and informative. She always welcomed us to join her by telling us where she will be when it was our time to go off and explore the area on our own. The day trip guides that we had were humorous as well as knowledgeable which made the long walks more enjoyable.Scott Rubel review 16 May 2016
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Many highlights to the trip, but three that stood out were the tour of Fusterlandia in Havana, learning about the Yoruba religion, and the profusion of art and music everywhere.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
If you are fluent in Spanish and comfortable just winging it, this may not be the right trip for you. For us however it was perfect: we felt like we saw and learned a lot thanks to our guide, which otherwise we would have completely missed. The pre-trip info sent out by the vacation provider was extremely helpful, so questions about tipping, toilets, line-standing etiquette, etc. were addressed in advance. Read it before you go--it's worth your time! Also, remember that Cuba is not as wealthy as the US. Our casas were invariably squeaky clean, with good food, and run by extremely nice people--but in some cases they were very basic accommodations. As one of our fellow tourists said "this is a trip, not a vacation," so just be ready to roll with it and you'll do fine. You will be kept pretty busy every day seeing things and going places. There was reasonable time to relax (it wasn't a crazy pace), but if you're looking to just flop on a beach for a week then you picked the wrong tour. Embrace all the cool stuff you'll see, enjoy meeting as many people as you can (especially if you speak Spanish), and run with it!3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Tourist income is clearly a huge benefit to the economy (at least those who work in the industry). You always wonder where your money ends up, but we felt that staying in casas and eating in local restaurants got the most into the pockets of the small business owners running these places, which was very satisfying.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
We loved it, and were very happy to have gone. Our guide Camilo was a great guy, and we were all very sad to see him go when the trip was over. He did a great job keeping things on schedule, scoping out good places to eat and other off-schedule activities, and just generally hanging out with us. Especially in the US, news about Cuba is tangled up in politics, so it was nice to actually talk to some Cubans to hear their thoughts. We felt like we got a much better appreciation of Cuban culture than we had, and would absolutely recommend this operator to anyone who was interested in a this sort of trip.Andrew Cassel review 16 Dec 2016
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Seeing the Cuban landscape -- both natural and human -- and interacting with people.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Be patient, be flexible and plan ahead.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, to the extent we contributed to the local economy and added to people's exposure to the outside world.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Enjoyable, interesting and worthwhile.Joe Kelleher review 10 Apr 2016
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The beautiful plazas of Old Havana.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Allow yourself to be changed.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
The homestays allowed for a deeper association with the Cuban people.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Great opportunity to explore several aspects of Cuba: geography, culture, history, politics, struggles, etc.Holiday Reviews
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