TOUR TO CUBA 25 TH FEBRUARY 8 TH MARCH 2019

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1 TOUR TO CUBA 25 TH FEBRUARY 8 TH MARCH 2019 Cuba is the island where time has stood still. It has been a closed country since 1961, when it was ostracised by the USA and under the great Fidel Castro, went its own way. Cuba is known as one of the safest countries in the world, as everything is monitored and controlled by the government and its local departments. Life is slower and bureaucracy takes longer, but that brings with it a more sedate and relaxing lifestyle affording the tourist the chance to enjoy the country and its people. Cuba s agriculture has suffered since the 90 s, when the fall of the old Soviet Union led to a shortage of seed, fertiliser and other chemicals. As a result, they have been forced to go organic and a sustainable agricultural economy has developed. We will see small farms, owned by the farmer providing food and jobs to the local people. It is not unusual to find a doctor or engineer running or working on a local farm. There are large state owned operations, but the secretive nature of the communist government makes access for visitors difficult. Nevertheless, our proximity to the farm land will show the nature and type of farming that is being developed and you will be able to determine for yourself whether they are successful or not. The tour is being run in conjunction with our US colleagues so the tour may be a mix of UK and US farmers. It is led by an experienced US Farm Tour leader who is from a large farming family with an extensive operation in the corn belt of the mid west. The maximum group size will be 12 people so early booking is essential to be sure of your place on this tour.

2 The Country Cuba Country Information Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island located in the northern Caribbean where the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic Ocean meet. It is south of the USA (just 90 miles from Miami) and the Bahamas. Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean with over 11 million residents. Havana, the capital, is the largest city. The native American-Indian population of Cuba began to decline after the European discovery of the island. In the late 15th century the Spanish colonized and it remained a colony of Spain until the Spanish-American War of Intervention from the US during the war assisted Cuba in overthrowing Spanish rule, leading to the country's nominal independence in The Agriculture Prior to the Cuban Revolution in 1959, the agricultural sector in Cuba was biased towards and controlled by the US economy. After the revolution, the government nationalised farmland. The Soviet Union supported Cuban agriculture by paying premium prices for Cuba's key agricultural product, sugarcane, and by delivering fertilisers. Sugar was bought by the Soviets at more than five times the market price. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the Cuban agricultural sector faced a very difficult period. Cuba had to rely on sustainable farming methods due to lack of agriculture chemicals and access to modern equipment. Between 1989 and 1994, agricultural production dropped by 54%. In 1994, the government permitted small scale farmers to sell their leftover produce directly to the population. This was the first move to lift the state's monopoly on food supply. Due to the scarcity in artificial fertilisers and pesticides, Cuba's agricultural sector largely turned organic. In Havana, 90% of the city's fresh produce comes from local urban farms and gardens. The Weather The weather in Cuba is influenced heavily by the local trade winds, which is due to its location between the Gulf of Mexico and the North Atlantic Ocean. This can cause temperatures to fall, but the weather usually remains very warm and sunny despite the frequent sea breezes. Like many islands in the Caribbean Sea, Cuba enjoys a tropical climate with two seasons. The dry season is the best time to go to Cuba because there s less rainfall, comfortable humidity levels and temperatures reach into the mid to high-twenties. Torrential downpours are frequent from May through to October. Temperatures are in the low-thirties, so make sure to pack enough sun protection as well as your raincoat. The Politics Cuba political system is based on the "one state one party" principle. Cuba is constitutionally defined as a Marxist Leninist "socialist state guided by the political ideas of Marx, Engels and Lenin". Legislative power is exercised through the National Assembly of People's Power. In April 2018 the country made Miguel Diaz-Canel the President of the Council of Ministers, the first time the country has not been led by a Castro for 60 years. However, Fidel Castro s brother Raul continues to hold the honorary position of First Secretary of the Communist Party and Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Armed Forces. Time Cuba is 4 hours behind GMT

3 TOUR ITINERARY Day 1 Monday 25th February 2019 (Meals in flight, D) Depart on the lunchtime flight from London Gatwick airport for an early evening arrival in Havana, Cuba. Private transfer to one of the hotel resorts on the wonderful Varadero coast to enjoy a relaxing recovery from your flight. Dinner in the hotel. You will arrive 2 days earlier than the any US participants so this is a chance to get over your journey and relax into Cuba. Day 2 Tuesday 26th February 2019 Enjoy the day relaxing at the resort with breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Day 3 Wednesday 27th February 2019 (B-D) Breakfast followed by a private transfer to the Memories Miramar Hotel, Havana to meet up with your tour Tour Leader and any US participants. Check in for a 1 night stay. Lunch under own arrangements. Rest of the day at leisure before enjoying a welcome buffet dinner with the rest of the group. Day 4 Thursday 28th February 2019 Breakfast and check out. Start the day with a walking tour of old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage site, located within the old city walls. Visit the San Cristobal Cathedral and stroll along the cobbled streets, passing through the old colonial plaza s. Depart by coach to visit a typical rural town and a small cooperative farm, where you will enjoy a traditional lunch. The farm produces a variety of fruits and vegetables, keeps livestock including fish, goats and cattle for meat, which they supply to local schools and a nursing home. Continue to Trinidad, where you will see the Caribbean coloured whitewash buildings dating back 200 years. Check in to your Casas Particulares for a 3 night stay. This is a type of B&B accommodation authorised by the government, where you will be treated to the personal touch of the host. Dinner is included. Day 5 Friday 1st March 2019 (B-D) Breakfast served by your host. The group will depart by local bike taxi to the local produce market. The region was once a flourishing sugar production area and the trappings remain in place long unused. See the old steam railway used for its transportation, the sugar press and mills as you travel along the valley and up into the Manaca Iznaga, where you will see spectacular views of the area. Return to the Casa for some relaxation before taking a walking tour of the town and enjoy dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight. Day 6 Saturday 2nd March 2019 (BL-) For those interested in getting up early, travel by horse drawn carriage to the local fishermen's village, see the fresh catch and the direct selling in the local market. Return to the Casa for breakfast. Depart to visit some local enterprises that will include small agricultural businesses, repairing of classic cars and charcoal production. Enjoy a lobster lunch in a private restaurant and then embark on a classic car cruise, where you will travel in cars from the 40s and 50s, enjoying a photo opportunity along the way. Return to Trinidad for some free time and dinner under own arrangements.

4 Day 7 Sunday 3rd March 2019 Breakfast and check out. Depart northwards to visit a farm operation that employs 15 local people and produces honey and vegetables that they are contracted to sell to restaurants in Havana. The owner is keen to develop his vision by encouraging other local farmers to copy his methods to grow farming activity and employment opportunities for the local people. Continue to Vinales, an idyllic village perched in the quilted landscape of fertile oxen ploughed fields, rich tobacco plantations and incredible landscapes. Check in to your hotel in Vinales for a 2 night stay. Dinner in the hotel. Day 8 Monday 4th March 2019 (BL-) Breakfast. Visit a small scale sugarcane farm and learn about agriculture in the Vinales Valley. Visit a coffee plantation and then enjoy lunch at a vegetable farm located on a spectacular mountainside with remarkable views over the valley. Return to Vinales for free time in the afternoon with evening at leisure to find your own dinner. Day 9 Tuesday 5th March 2019 Breakfast and check out. Depart to a tobacco farm where you will enjoy lunch. See the whole production system from growing in the fields, through to drying and rolling. The owner will explain how the government manages the commodity and its distribution to control prices. Continue to Havana to check in to your hotel. Enjoy a group farewell dinner in a private restaurant as the US contingent depart following morning. Day 10 Wednesday 6th March 2019 Breakfast. Enjoy a private organised excursion to discover the world of Ernest Hemingway. Depart to Finca La Vigia where he lived from 1939 until Everything is exactly as he left it, including his typewriter, his paintings, stuffed safari animals and fishing boat. Continue to the seaside bar, La Terraza, where Hemingway would stop for a sundowner after a day at sea. Depart to the centre of Havana and La Bodeguita del Medio, one of the famous restaurant bars he used on a regular basis. Return to the hotel and enjoy dinner and overnight. Day 11 Thursday 7th March 2019 (B-meals in flight) Breakfast and check out by noon. Private transfer to Havana airport to take the early evening overnight flight back to London Gatwick Airport. Day 12 Friday 8th March Arrive London Gatwick Airport. End of Tour Arrangements. (Meal basis: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner)

5 Tour Cost: Based on minimum group size of 6 travellers (US/UK mix) per person (sharing a twin/double room) Plus Airport Taxes per person (subject to change) Single Supplement Tour Includes: 10 nights in quality hotels and private accommodation Return flights London Gatwick to Havana Meals as indicated B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner Private coach transportation Cuban Tour guide with agricultural background Technical & touristic visits as stated, subject to local conditions at the time of travel (weather, crops etc) US Tour Manager. Tour Excludes: Airport Taxes Travel to/from airport Upgrade flights. Meals other than stated Travel Insurance - you need to be insured to travel with Field Farm Tours Ltd. Gratuities Drinks / Personal items Other Info: Tourist visa required for Cuba per person. Application in advance of travel from Cuban Embassy, London. No compulsory health requirements, but do consult your doctor or health centre for professional advice Passports need to be valid for the duration of the tour, but we recommend a longer period in case of delays To secure a place on this tour, please complete a booking form enclosed and return with your deposit of per person. Notes: The itinerary is subject to change without notice (local conditions, availability of visits at the time of travel, etc) and to terms and conditions as per the Company s booking conditions. The air holiday package in this brochure is ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is ATOL Please see our booking conditions for more information.

6 OTHER FORTHCOMING TOURS MAURITIUS - 17TH FEB-3RD MARCH 2019 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - 8TH-19TH MARCH 2019 TURKEY - 2ND-9APRIL 2019 BULGARIA - 14TH-21ST MAY 2019 SOUTH AFRICA - 8TH-25TH MAY 2019 JAPAN - 21ST MAY-5TH JUNE 2019 SHETLAND ISLANDS - OCTOBER 2019 AUTUMN GATHERING, DUMFRIES - 6TH-10TH OCTOBER 2019 FIELD FARM TOURS LTD FIELD HOUSE, 3 STEPHENSON COURT, STEPHENSON WAY, NEWARK, NOTTS, NG24 2TQ Tel no: Fax no: info@fieldfarmtours.co.uk The air holiday package in this brochure is ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is ATOL Please see our booking conditions for more information.