GRANDE 15 Days Small Group Tour - Escorted Program

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1 Cuba is not a holiday, it s an Experience! GRANDE 15 Days Small Group Tour - Escorted Program Your Experts in Tailor Made Cuba Tours experiencecubatours.com.au info@experiencecubatours.com.au Travel as part of a small group of up to 7 PAX maximum. Come and experience Cuba; a place where time appears to have stood still. Enjoy not just the old American cars in the streets or the colonial architecture in Old Havana, feel the sense that the world of modern tourism has somehow largely bypassed the Caribbean s largest island. Cuba is one of the few remaining communist countries in the world. Its isolation from the modern world has perhaps helped to conserve the Cuban society s personality where you can feel like the pulsating heart of what it means to be Latino, with music, dance, and the fiesta being core. Come and Experience Cuba: an undeniably fascinating and unique destination. Starting Days: Saturdays End Days: Fridays Inclusions: o Personalised welcome and greeting at Havana airport by ECT representative. Transfers from Havana airport on arrival. Transfers from Havana airport on arrival. o Domestic flight from Santiago de Cuba to Havana. * o Comfort accommodation in "casas particulares" (guesthouses or home-stays) with private bathrooms/ensuites and air-conditioning. ** o Daily breakfasts. o Transfers as specified below. *** o Same private local Cuban guide throughout. o Activities/excursions as specified below. o Travelers Information Package with lots of practical advice (PDF). o Cuba Tourist Map, advised by MINTUR, Minister of Tourism in Cuba. **** o All ECT personnel tips. 1

2 Included Activities: o Old Havana walking tour. o Classic Convertible Car tour of Modern Havana. o Viñales Valley orientation tour. o Bay of Pigs, Playa Giron museum visit (entry fee included). o Panoramic and cultural tour of Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Camaguey, Bayamo and Santiago de Cuba. Not included: o Transfers to the airport on departure. o International flights. o Travel insurances (required to participate in our tours). o Visas and passport fees. ***** o Meals (except daily breakfasts). o Drinks. o Additional optional activities not specified in the tour below. o Tips (except ECT personnel). Itinerary Highlights: (All times are approximate and subject to change) Day 1: Havana. Arrival. Greeted and welcome at airport by our Experience Cuba Tours representatives. Look for our logo and your group leader name, which is usually the person that made the booking. Transfer to your accommodation. Day 2: Havana. Old and Modern Havana Tour: Enjoy a walking tour of the colonial district Havana Vieja (Old Havana) accompanied by your private local guide. Learn about the city s nearly 500-year-old heart, now a pedestrian-only UNESCO World Heritage Site and discuss the city s architecture and historic restoration efforts. a genuine living museum. This colonial and historic centre is a museum at open air of architecture, art and culture. Bask in a beautiful Classic Convertible Car, while you take in the highlights of modern Havana. Visit Central Havana, Cerro and Vedado neighbourhoods, making stops at diverse points of interest. Today s tour is a real treat for history and culture enthusiasts. Tips: Due to its preservation degree and architectural richness of its monuments and buildings, Old Havana was acknowledged in 1982 by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Dress appropriately for the weather, wear sunscreen, and good walking shoes. Start 09:00. Duration: Walking tour 3 hours. Classic Convertible ride 1 hour. 2

3 Day 3: Pinar del Rio. Viñales Valley Tour. Today you travel with your local guide to the Western province of Pinar del Rio. An area of great importance, though it may not have the large cities and infrastructure that you would normally associate with importance, to Cuba as it is an area that produces some of the world s finest tobacco. Still stereotyped as a simple area with pure country folk it has withstood the temptation to adopt the big tourist developments and remains an area of simple houses and homes in basic small villages and towns. Viñales in the Viñales valley where you will be based has an almost prehistoric feel to it thanks to the Mogotes, or flat-topped mountains. The Valle de Viñales is a fabulous national park abundant in fertile red soil, incrusted in green fields of tobacco plantations. Viñales offers Cuba s best hiking, mounting, caving and landscapes views, based around the serene farming town on the edge of the park. This is Cuba at its most attractive. Refer to our Optional Services for activities ideas. Overnight in Viñales. Start 09:00. Transfer 3.5 hours. Day 4: Pinar del Rio. Viñales Valley. Free day. Refer to our Optional Services for activities ideas. Day 5: Pinar del Rio Playa Giron (Bay of Pigs) Cienfuegos. Departing from Viñales Valley, travel with the local guide to Playa Giron in Bay of Pigs and learn about the 1961`s fight between Cuban militias and U.S. hired mercenaries (Playa Giron museum entry fee included). The Bay of Pigs Invasion was a failed military invasion of Cuba undertaken by the CIA-sponsored paramilitary group Brigade 2506 on 17 April It was trained and funded by the United States Government s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Brigade 2506 fronted the armed wing of the Democratic Revolutionary Front (DRF) and intended to overthrow the increasingly communist government of Fidel Castro. Launched from Guatemala and Nicaragua, the invading force was defeated within three days by the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, under the direct command of Fidel Castro. Continue to Cienfuegos, and enjoy a Cultural panoramic tour of Cienfuegos City, known as well as the Pearl of the South. Cienfuegos is an UNESCO World Heritage Site, founded in 1819 by French settlers from Bordeaux and Louisiana. Wander along the avenue to visit Beny Moré s monument, one of Cuba s most treasured musicians. Visits to the Cathedral as well as one of Cuba s oldest and most beautiful theatres: Thomas Terry. Overnight in Cienfuegos. Start 9:00 am. Transfer to Playa Girón 5 hours, stop for lunch around 13:00, transfer to Cienfuegos 2.5 hours, panoramic tour of Cienfuegos 2 hours. 3

4 Day 6: Cienfuegos Trinidad. Departing from Cienfuegos continue to the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Trinidad. Cultural panoramic tour of Trinidad city. The Villa de la Santisima Trinidad was the third village founded by the Spanish Crown in Cuba in early The conservation and restoration work undertaken by specialists has made Trinidad one of the best-preserved colonial cities not only in Cuba but also of South America. Trinidad is known for its colonial old town and cobblestone streets. Its neo-baroque main square, Plaza Mayor, is surrounded by grand colonial buildings. Various buildings display relics from the town s sugar-producing era. Beautiful historical centre with red roofs and streets of little bricks. The old historical centre of Trinidad is the best to see on foot. Thousands of slaves got trade from this city to other islands of the Caribbean. Nowadays, Trinidad's main industry is tobacco processing. Overnight in Trinidad. Start 9:00 am. Transfer to Trinidad 1.5 hours, panoramic tour of Trinidad 2 hours. Day 7: Trinidad: Free day. Refer to our Optional Services for activities ideas. Day 8: Trinidad Camaguey. Departing from Trinidad travel to Camaguey. Cultural panoramic tour of Camaguey: Enjoy a stroll along the UNESCO heritage and rich in colonial-style Camaguey city centre. Learn from the guide and the local community to uncover its asymmetrical and complex street web while admiring the architectural attractiveness of San Juan de Dios Square, Ignacio Agramonte Park and the Worker s Square among other local attractions. Camagüey s historic centre considered the largest as well as the best preserved on the island has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our guide will help you to delight in the city s many lavish churches and the twisted maze of streets, formerly designed to confound marauding pirates. Camagüey is the birthplace of former National Poet of Cuba Nicolás Guillén and the home of the world-renowned Ballet de Camagüey. It is full of charming cobblestone plazas, historic statues and intriguing museums. You ll find plenty of tinajones [earthenware jars] decorating the streets. The people of Camagüey originally produced the jars to collect rainwater during a drought. Today, they are one of the city s decorative hallmarks. Overnight in Camaguey. Overnight in Camaguey. Start 9:00 am. Transfer to Camagüey 4 hours, panoramic tour of Camagüey 2.5 hours. Day 9: Camaguey Bayamo. Cultural panoramic tour of Bayamo. Learn about the rebellious spirit of Bayamo on a walking tour offering the city s highlights. Accompanied by your local guide, stroll around the metropolis centre to learn about fascinating chapters in the history of Cuba. Regular everyday life in Bayamo rotates around Céspedes Park, the Hymn Square and Céspedes birthplace. The city has a rich tradition of Cuban national pride and is often referred to as "the Birthplace of Cuban Nationality" and "the Cradle of Cuban Revolution." Additionally, Bayamo has always been a centre of philosophy and maintains a rich intellectual and artistic tradition. Gain exposure to its strong base of Afro-Cuban. It was an early stronghold of revolutionary Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, who freed his slaves and declared war against 4

5 colonialist Spain. During the ensuing battles, Bayamo exchanged hands several times and was once burned to the ground by Cuban rebels as the city was being sacked by the Spanish. Overnight in Bayamo. Start 9:00 am. Transfer to Bayamo 3 hours, panoramic tour of Bayamo 1 hour Day 10: Bayamo Santiago de Cuba. Discover Santiago de Cuba and their genuine and welcoming people in a cultural panoramic tour of the city. Visit Céspedes Square, a lively park named for Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, a Cuban planter who freed his slaves and declared Cuban independence in Parque Céspedes is the spiritual centre of Santiago. On the south side of Parque Céspedes is the handsome Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción. The first cathedral in Santiago was built on this site in 1522, but repeated run-ins with earthquakes and pirates in 1606 English privateer Christopher Myngs even stole the church bells after blowing the roof off made their mark, and Santiagueros started work on a second cathedral on the site in 1674, only to see the building demolished by an earthquake just three years later. A third cathedral was erected in 1690 but was wiped out by another earthquake in Overnight in Santiago de Cuba. Start 9:00 am, transfer to Santiago de Cuba 2.5 hours, panoramic tour of Santiago 3 hours Day 11 and 12: Santiago de Cuba. Free days. Refer to our Optional Services for activities ideas. Day 13: Santiago de Cuba Havana. Domestic flight to Havana transfers. Day 14: Havana. Free day. Refer to our Optional Services for activities ideas. Day 15: Havana. Departure. 5

6 Travel Times Summary (approximate): Havana to Viñales: 3.30 hours. Viñales to Playa Giron (Bay of Pigs): 5.20 hours. Playa Giron (Bay of Pigs) to Cienfuegos: 2.25 hours. Cienfuegos to Trinidad: 1.30 hours. Trinidad to Camaguey: 4.25 hours. Camaguey to Bayamo: 3.20 hours. Bayamo to Santiago de Cuba: 2.50 hours. Santiago de Cuba to Havana flight: 2 hours. Prices (per person) in AUD As shown on our website * 20 Kg checked baggage allowance & 7kg carry on hand luggage allowance. ** Inquire for an upgrade of accommodation to Select casas, private apartments, luxury villas or hotels. *** Transport/transfers are provided in cars or minivans as specified. A mix of classic old cars, more modern cars and minivans may be used. **** Map is provided as a hard-copy and on arrival in Cuba. ***** Experience Cuba Tours can arrange yours visas for additional costs. You must be eligible for this service, please refer to our T&Cs for details or ask your ECT travel consultant. 6

7 Additional Itinerary Notes It is an exciting time in Cuba with rapidly changing legislation and local conditions. Cuba has seen a massive increase in tourism, which has put a strain on local tourist infrastructure. While we will strive to operate our tours as closely to published itineraries as possible, conditions often change from one day to the next, and minor tour modifications may be necessary with no advance notice. Casa Particulares (homestays, B&B s or guesthouses) are family run businesses that are legal and formalised to provide accommodation to foreigners in Cuba. Though much nicer than general Cuban homes they can seem quite rustic and bare compared to what most international travellers are used to back home. Experience Cuba Tours utilises Comfort accommodations as their entry level in these tours. All of our comfort bedrooms have air conditioning and a private bathroom. Cuba as a developing country is subject to power outages and it is common to have low water pressures in the showers and sinks. It is also common for the shower to be electric. If understanding and expectations are kept in check staying at Casa Particulares is a very personal and pleasurable way to accommodate yourself in Cuba. The transport system in Cuba is in many ways different to anywhere else in the world. Experience Cuba Tours, as other tour operators in the island, are restricted in a large way by the local transport laws. We use privately owned transport with approved licences to provide taxi services to tourists and the state-owned transport services of TRANSTUR, the only inter-provincial taxi provider in Cuba. The privately-owned transports vary between classic vintage cars (hardtop and convertible) and more modern models of cars, all in good condition. It is not law in Cuba for cars to be fitted with seat belts and neither is it against the law to use a mobile phone while driving. This is not condoned or encouraged by Experience Cuba Tours but when travelling to other countries it is customary to abide by the local laws. Should you have any issues or concerns regarding your tour or services provided to you by Experience Cuba Tours, Tailored Journeys Pty Ltd while on your tour, you should contact the company s representative Laynet Luna immediately. We will attempt in good faith to resolve the issue. Failure to notify the company at the time may limits Experience Cuba Tour s ability to resolve the matter at a later date. While it is hard to know what every individual's expectations might be, we do remind travellers that Cuba is in most respects a third world country and as such considerations should be made and understood. Tailored Journeys Pty Ltd, trading as Experience Cuba Tours. ABN: ACN: , info@experiencecubatours.com.au. 9/20 Kearns Cres, Ardross, WA, Australia. Please refer to our Terms and conditions: ATAS Travel Accredited No. A