DISCOVER. The True Spirit of Cuba. THE VIEQUES CONSERVATION AND HISTORICAL TRUST February 21 28, 2015 WITH

Transcription

1 DISCOVER The True Spirit of Cuba WITH THE VIEQUES CONSERVATION AND HISTORICAL TRUST February 21 28, 2015

2 COME TO CUBA WITH Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust The Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust (VCHT) is committed to supporting the people, the archaeology and the physical environment of Vieques, Puerto Rico with activities that honor its history, culture, and ecology. The islands of Puerto Rico and Cuba have a great deal in common. As near-neighbors in the Greater Antilles island chain, both share Spanish origins, and both islands have played key roles in the history of the Americas. Mark Martin, VCHT'S Director of Community Relations, will be accompanying our group to Cuba. We ll see how our neighbors preserve their cultural heritage through ecotourism, historic preservation, and their many UNESCO World Heritage sites. Join us for this exciting opportunity to learn about Cuba through its history, natural beauty, and culture.

3 DISCOVER CUBA With the Experts InsightCuba is the proven leader in legal people-to-people travel. InsightCuba specializes in this once-in-a-lifetime destination for Americans. It s the only destination they offer, and the only thing they do. Simply said, they do Cuba better than anyone else. InsightCuba has in-country experience that s unmatched in the industry. As pioneers in people-to-people travel to Cuba, they ve successfully brought more than 10,000 Americans to this fascinating island country making them the largest and most highly esteemed organization specializing in people-to-people travel to Cuba. The exceptional travel experience they provide is built on more than a decade of detailed research, comprehensive knowledge of Cuba, and long-established relationships there. InsightCuba has explored Cuba extensively. Their connections and friendships in the country allow them to create unforgettable travel experiences and lifelong memories for each guest. insightcuba.com

4 the vcht tour HAVANA PINAR DEL RÍO LAS TERRAZAS VIÑALES VALLEY THE VCHT TOUR 8 DAYS 7 NIGHTS FEBRUARY 21 28, 2015 CUBA IS A COUNTRY THAT CAN T BE EASILY DEFINED. Just when you think you have the raw energy and hustle of Havana figured out, the country s softer side rustling tobacco fields, mountain vistas, and farms tended by ox-driven plows beckons to be explored. Experience both worlds with our eight-day Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust Tour through authentic connections with local residents. First, your Cuban guide will help you explore city life in the capital of Havana before voyaging afield to the western province of Pinar del Río, known for its quiet, red-earth pastures and breathtaking national park, Viñales. While these two destinations hit your senses in wildly different ways, the warmth and spirit of their people is steadfast. Lifelong residents reveal the real Cuba to you in ways never before possible. TOUR HIGHLIGHTS Visit Las Terrazas, a small community and nature preserve Meet the director and area musicians from a local theater group Meet students at a culinary school as they prepare a fresh meal for you Step onto a tobacco field and visit a hand-rolled tobacco factory See Viñales Valley known as Cuba s Yosemite

5 VIÑALES VALLEY PINAR DEL RÍO SAMPLE ITINERARY* DAY 1 HAVANA After clearing immigration and customs at José Martí International Airport, you ll visit famed artist Jose Fuster. Enjoy an intimate chat about community project Fusterlandia. Your Cuban host and insightcuba tour leader will accompany you to your hotel in the heart of the capital. Check in to your hotel and get acquainted with your Cuban guide and insightcuba tour leader. Later, celebrate your arrival with a welcome dinner in Havana. Meals Lunch,* Dinner (*for early arrivals) DAY 2 HAVANA After breakfast at the hotel, visit a women s organization that preserves traditional sewing techniques through continued youth-education initiatives. Explore self-sustaining urban agriculture at Vivero Organopónico farm. After lunch on the farm, join the artists at a community project where old facades are now colorful murals, dump yards are public parks, and rubbish has been recycled into an Arc de Triomphe! Later, meet Englishspeaking students from the University of Havana to discuss the daily lives of Cubans and the opportunities available to graduates (insightcuba exclusive). Enjoy dinner at a paladar of your choice. HAVANA LAS TERRAZAS DAY 3 HAVANA After breakfast, enjoy a walking tour of Old Havana before meeting with students and professors from an architectural restoration school. Enjoy lunch at Palacio de la Artesanía, followed by an exclusive rum-and-cigar tasting. You ll also visit a staple of most Cuban neighborhoods: a casa de la cultura, where community members participate in all kinds of artistic activities. Meet students and teachers at Casa del Niño y la Niña, an after-school program for at-risk youth. Dinner is in Havana at a carefully selected paladar. DAY 4 HAVANA After breakfast, engage in a thought-provoking discussion with a local expert about social issues in modern Cuba. Explore the colors and aromas of a local farmer s market and discuss the Cuban rationing system. Participate in a cooking lesson at a top culinary institute. Enjoy lunch alongside the chefs. Later, meet with the children, administrators and staff of a local orphanage to learn how Cuba attends to the medical, social and psychological needs of children waiting for placement. Enjoy dinner at a paladar of your choice. DAY 5 HAVANA PINAR DEL RÍO After breakfast you ll set out for the western province of Pinar del Río, known for red-earth pastures and the remarkable formations of the Viñales Valley. En route, visit a community hub for residents of the Puerta del Golpe neighborhood. After checking in to your hotel in Pinar del Río, you ll tour a horsebreeding center, then dine in Pinar del Río. DAY 6 PINAR DEL RÍO VIÑALES VALLEY After breakfast, head to Puerta Esperanza to meet with the directors and children of a community project that aims to revitalize artistic and literary traditions. Enjoy lunch amid the dramatic limestone karsts known as mogotes. Next, make your way to Viñales, where you ll stop at a local pharmacy and a moneda nacional for a look at Cuba s dual-currency system. Enjoy coffee with farmers from a local organic garden overlooking the red-earth pastures and mountain vistas of the Viñales Valley. Afterwards, get your hands dirty, starting with an exchange with local residents and tobacco farmers. Learn about the crop s history, cultivation, and current role in Cuba s economy. Dinner is at El Mesón paladar DAY 7 PINAR DEL RÍO LAS TERRAZAS HAVANA After breakfast and check-out, visit the studio of a renowned artist and Pinar del Río native. Before returning to Havana, meet residents and leaders from Las Terrazas, a small sustainable mountain community and nature reserve in Sierra del Rosario. Enjoy an authentic lunch at Las Terrazas. Check in to your hotel in Havana, and depart for a farewell dinner in the capital. DAY 8 HAVANA MIAMI Adios Cuba! After breakfast, bid farewell to Cuba as you board your flight home. Meals Breakfast * We will make every effort to operate all programs as disclosed in this agreement. However, circumstances beyond our control may arise which would require an adjustment to the program. We will do everything possible to avoid such changes, but must reserve the right to make such modifications. Normal cancellation penalties still apply to a program that has been changed. **Each guest will be provided a list of insightcuba staff s favorite paladars, restaurants, and night spots, to explore at your leisure. These meals are not included in the tour fee.

6 THE VIEQUES CONSERVATION AND HISTORICAL TRUST Incredible Value TOUR INCLUDES: Superior accommodations at the Meliá Cohiba while in Havana Standard accommodations in Pinar del Río Flight package including: Round-trip air from Miami to Havana Priority check-in at Miami International Airport Cuban visa Baggage fee for first checked bag Expert local Cuban guide and insightcuba tour leader insightcuba exclusive guided programming, including: Unique handpicked people-to-people activities Insider access to Cuba s famous places, and those rarely seen Private visits and lectures with Cuba s renowned experts All meals while in Cuba Small group size of 24 or less U.S. Department of the Treasury license and insightcuba letter of authorization All entrance fees to scheduled activities and events All in-country ground transportation and airport transfers Gratuities for luggage handling, restaurant service, and programmed activities throughout tour* Fresh bottled water while touring Travel health insurance, emergency medical evacuation, and trip cancellation coverage (up to $1,000 included) insightcuba travel guidebook 24-Hour emergency customer-service hotline Not included: Cuban airport departure tax ($25 CUC), baggage fees for additional checked bag, and domestic flight to Miami. *Customary end-of-tour gratuities for the Cuban guide, driver, and tour leader are left to the guest s discretion and should be based on the guest s satisfaction with the level of service received. February 21-28, 2015 THE VCHT TOUR $6,190 Per person double-occupancy. For single-occupancy, add $500. CONTACT INSIGHTCUBA FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO BOOK YOUR TRIP insightcuba.com/custom-group-travel

7 TRAVEL WITH CONFIDENCE Accolades in the Press For half a century, the vast majority of Americans have been barred from traveling to Cuba With insightcuba, visitors interact with ordinary Cubans and get a taste of the forbidden fruit. shasta darlington, cnn, august 11, 2011 ALSO SEEN IN InsightCuba has received high praise from over 150 news outlets including: Within minutes of our arrival in the living-room-turned-museum, we re comrades in arms picking up the finer points of swing, boogieing to vinyl recordings of Sonny Rollins and Dizzy Gillespie, and discovering the true meaning of people to people. laura bly, usa today, june 22, 2012 TRAVEL WITH CONFIDENCE Flights & Accommodations ABOUT FLIGHTS TO CUBA InsightCuba books your international flights to Cuba from Miami using a licensed charter company authorized to provide U.S. citizens with legal flights direct to Cuba. This is why you won t find these flights available online or through a commercial U.S. airline. All guests are responsible for domestic airfare to Miami International Airport, and we usually recommend that our guests arrive in Miami the night before, as many departures and check-in times are early in the morning. The flight from Miami to Havana takes approximately 45 minutes. ACCOMMODATIONS Since 2000, insightcuba has carefully sought out accommodations that are centrally located and provide the best rooms and service available. In Havana, we'll be staying at the Melia Cohiba. In the provinces, hotel selections are limited and are more representative of the region. While the hotels we ve selected are safe, clean, and often charming, hotel standards in Cuba differ from those elsewhere around the world. So it s important to keep in mind that traveling there isn t about your hotel stay; it s about the unforgettable experiences you will discover. insightcuba.com

8 insightcuba 2 Clinton Place New Rochelle, NY insightcuba.com