|
   
|
The most beautiful country human eyes have ever seen.
Christopher Columbus |
|
The name conjures so many images and is instantaneously recognized the world over. Cuba has a long history of conflict, peace and hope.
Print registration form to complete and send in with your full payment. Travel Insurance can be booked separately below.
Ubiquity International is extremely proud to offer this opportunity to visit the country that lies so close to the US border but is so removed. We have teamed up with some of the best in travel to make this a reality. Recently, travel restrictions to Cuba have been loosened--though many still remain--and we are able to take advantage of this to bring this opportunity of a lifetime on a people-to-people license.
Some of the great experiences will include:
- Flores district to visit the Casa-Estudio de Fuster, the studio-home of José Fuster, commonly called the ‘Picasso of the Caribbean.’
- Private finca of the late and legendary tobacco farmer and Cuban cigar ‘ambassador,’ Alejandro Robaina
- Che Guevara’s headquarters during the Cuban Missile Crisis
- Lunch at Hacienda Iznaga, a former slave plantation where we learn about the roles of sugar and slavery in Cuba’s history
Read more about destinations and hotels on this tour. |
Cuba Itinerary
Highlights* (Updated-Click to open)
THE REAL CUBA WITH CHRISTOPHER P BAKER
A special offering from Ubiquity International and Austin-Lehman.
As of 1/19/12
Day 1: Miami
Our adventure begins in Miami where you will be picked up at
the airport by shuttle and transferred 7
minutes to the Miami Airport Hilton Hotel • Get a good rest
tonight before your big day of Cuba introduction
101 tomorrow! • Overnight Miami Airport Hilton Hotel (No
meals)
Day 2: Miami / Havana
This afternoon we arrive in Havana after a short charter flight
from Miami (it’s only an hour!) and transfer to
the highly regarded Melia Cohiba Hotel • Dinner tonight
is at Los Nardos, known for such dishes as lobster
in a Catalan sauce, garlic prawns with sautéed vegetables
and an authentic Spanish paella • Overnight
Melia Cohiba Hotel (B, L, D)
Day 3: Havana
This morning we meet with Eusebio Leal, Official Historian of
Havana, or one of his senior staff, for a
walking tour of Habana Vieja (Old Havana), including the Plaza
de la Catedral and Plaza Vieja • We’ll learn
about the two decades-old restoration project that Señor
Leal leads; how the effort is self-financed, and how
the strength of the local community is maintained in this heavily
touristed region • Lunch today at El Patio
restaurant • This afternoon we visit the Plaza Vieja primary
school in the Old City and learn from its director,
Angela Landa, about their educational need • Our visits
today also include a rehabilitation center and an atrisk
maternity center • A private visit to a Cuban home to see
the conditions under which ordinary Cubans
live is also a highlight • Dinner tonight at Melia Hotel’s
Mediterranean restaurant • Overnight Melia Cohiba
Hotel (B, L, D)
Day 4: Pinar del Rio / Viñales / Havana
Today we will drive east through the stunning province of Pinar
del Rio to Finca Pinar San Luis, the private
finca of the late, legendary tobacco farmer and Cuban cigar ambassador
Alejandro Ronbaina • Here, we will
meet his son and work to learn about tobacco growing, cigar production,
and daily life of tobacco farmers •
Enjoy a nice lunch at the finca • Afterwards, we will explore
the Viñales Valley, arguably the greenest and
most beautiful region in all of Cuba • This afternoon, visit
a primary school and experience a unique
opportunity to visit an organic farm and enjoy an educational
tour by its lead farmer • Dinner tonight at the
well regarded Café de Oriente at the entrance of the Old
City in Havana • Overnight Melia Cohiba Hotel (B,
L, D)
Day 5: Havana
Today, after breakfast, we engage in learning about “Life
in Cuba today” including rent, buying property, how
Cubans make ends meet, how the elderly are cared for, marriage,
divorce, living with the in-laws, and the
important role of women in Cuba society • The Latin American
Medical School will be the focus of this
morning’s visit, where we meet American, Cuban and foreign
born students, and talk to them about their
schooling • After lunch, we will visit the National Aquarium
to speak to marine biologists about wildlife
conservation, and then watch two talented, ballet-style divers
swim inside a huge indoor aquarium with two
dolphins (cameras recommended) • Later this afternoon, we
will learn how to bargain from our tour guide before we visit
the Feria de Artesania, a huge indoor arts and crafts site in
the middle of Havana • Dinner
tonight at Cochin de Lilliam, one of the finest paladars in all
Cuba • Our host, Lilliam Dominguez, will speak
to us about how the private enterprise system works in Cuba • Overnight
Melia Cohiba Hotel (B, L, D)
Day 6: Havana / Mantanzas/ Havana
This morning we will travel west to Mantanzas, known as the” Venice
of Cuba” for its nice bridges • We will
have a treat today with a private, specially arranged visit to
the 1879 Troillet Pharmacy, now a museum in
perfect order • A member of the Troillet family will engage
us in the history of this remarkable, very large
museum, with plenty of time for questions and answers after • Lunch
today at the famous DuPont House •
This afternoon, join youth in a pottery making class at the well
equipped pottery workshop Taller de
Ceramica Artistica in Mantanzas • Roll up your sleeves as
the staff teaches us how to create pottery in this
large, well respected pottery house • Tonight we dine at
La Torre, and then meet some traditional bolero
musicians at Gato Tuerto, a 1950’s style nightclub • Overnight
Melia Cohiba Hotel (B, L, D)
Day 7: Havana
Today we continue with touring Havana, taking in the under-construction
Capitol building, the Malecón on
the sea, and the Colon Cemetery with its colorful guides and
huge mausoleums • We will continue to the
Flores district to visit Casa-Estudio de Fuster, the studio-home
of Jose Fuster, commonly called the ‘Picasso
of the Caribbean’ • Señor Fuster or his son,
Alex will do a tour of the unique studio and property, including
a
visit with his neighbors whose homes are adorned with Fuster’s
ceramics • After lunch at El Aljibe, continue
with a walking tour of the former upper middle class Vedado region,
including the Hotel Nacional, the Hotel
Habana Libre, and the University of Havana • We will meet
with some residents who will inform us about its
rich history • Dinner tonight at La Barraca at the Nacional
Hotel’s outside music-filled restaurant • Overnight
Melia Cohiba Hotel (B, L, D)
Day 8: Havana
This morning we meet with Eduardo Monsejo, Director of the Museo
de Automoviles (the Car Museum) and
members of the Club de Autos Classicos de Cuba • Señor
Monsejo will teach us about how Cubans keep
their cars in great condition despite a shortage of car parts • Together,
we will journey to the Hemingway
Museum in the club members’ classic pre-revolutionary cars • When
we arrive at Finca Vigia, Hemingway’s
former home, Ada Rosa, the Director of the Museo Hemingway, will
educate us about the Cuban
perspective on Hemingway, his associations with the isle, and
the difficulties of restoring and maintaining his
stunning former home • We will lunch in the seaside village
of Cojimar at Las Terrazas, a seafood restaurant
popularized by Hemingway • Local fishermen will inform us
about this beautiful village and making a living by
fishing in Cuba • Next, we will travel to Alamar, where
Lourdes Mulen Duarte will show us around his
massive apartment complex, built since the revolution, and teach
us about how people live inside the units •
Tonight, we will enjoy a festive farewell dinner at La Divina
Pastora, one of Havana’s leading restaurants •
Afterwards, we continue to nearby El Morro Castle for a tour
and the nightly Cannon shooting overlooking
the sea • Overnight Melia Cohiba Hotel (B, L, D)
Day 9: Havana
This Afternoon we say goodbye to Cuba, departing Havana on our
charter flight en route to Miami, Florida •
(B,L)
*Trip itineraries are subject to change without notice
due to road, weather and other factors outside of our
control, for the safety and enjoyment of our guests, as deemed
necessary and appropriate by the supplier and partners.
Feb 11-20*
Feb 25-Mar 5*
Mar 17-26* (sold out)
Apr 28-May 7*
May 26-Jun 4*
Jun 9-18*
Price: $5448
Includes Charter Flight from Miami
Double Occupancy (single supplement: $1500)
Payment is due in full via check or money order upon booking.
* Please read complete details: Cuba deposit, refund and cancellation information.
Facts about Cuba (source: US Department of State):
- 44,200 sq. mi. (110,860 sq. km.--about the size of Pennyslvania)
- Population and people: 11.2 million, multiracial society with a population of mainly Spanish and African origins
- Government: Totalitarian communist state
- Natural resources, industry and agriculture: Nickel, cobalt, salt, timber, oil, natural gas; sugar and fuel refining, pharamaceutical and biotech; sugar, citrus and tropical fruits, tobacco, coffee, rice, meat, vegetables
- Religion: Roman Catholic, Evangelical Protestant, Afro-Cuban including Santería, Jewish, Muslim, Baha'i and Mormons
- Economy: GDP $51 bln, average monthly salary $20, peso (CUP) and convertible peso (CUC), tied to USD
- Human rights: Freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly are suppressed in order to build a “socialist society”
|
This incredible journey includes:
- Accompaniment by world-renowned National Geographic expert, Christopher P. Baker (confirmed for the June dates)
- Round-trip charter flight to Havana from Miami
- Assistance with obtaining visas
- Breakfast, 8 lunches, 7 dinners
- 5* accommodation in Havana
Not included:
- Transportation to/from Miami costs associated with staying in
Miami except first night of tour
- Travel Insurance (highly recommended--see on the right for purchase)
- Expenditures of a personal nature
- Meals and beverages not indicated on itinerary
- Gratuities (info)
|
IMPORTANT: Payment in full is required upon booking, please indicate when checking out your top three date choices. Special rules apply. If you book after a certain date, additional rules apply. Please read complete details: Cuba deposit, refund and cancellation information.
Print registration form to complete and send in with your full payment. Travel Insurance can be booked separately below.
Purchase Travel Insurance
|
|
This is a special trip, permitted by a people-to-people license from the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. The itinerary was designed to provide many opportunities for meaningful interaction. Certain restrictions related to travel to Cuba, such as limits on how much one may spend and what may be purchased, apply. More information will will be provided in your pre-departure materials.
|
About Christopher P. Baker
Travel writer and photographer Christopher P. Baker—the Lowell Thomas Award 2008 ‘Travel Journalist of the Year’—is one of the world's foremost authorities on travel and tourism to Cuba and Costa Rica. He has also written for more than 200 publications, from National Geographic Traveler to Newsweek, and has given talks about Cuba at National Geographic headquarters, the National Press Club, and the World Affairs Council, among other prestigious organizations. Christopher has been profiled in USA Today and featured on the National Geographic Channel, NPR, and dozens of other radio and TV outlets. |
To travel to Cuba you are required to have medical insurance that will cover you in Cuba. Purchase here, call us 1.866.984.8687 or email us: insurance@ubiquityinternational.com. |
| |
|
Cuba Itinerary
Highlights* (Updated-Click to open)
THE REAL CUBA WITH CHRISTOPHER P BAKER
A special offering from Ubiquity International and Austin-Lehman.
As of 1/19/12
Day 1: Miami
Our adventure begins in Miami where you will be picked up at
the airport by shuttle and transferred 7
minutes to the Miami Airport Hilton Hotel • Get a good rest
tonight before your big day of Cuba introduction
101 tomorrow! • Overnight Miami Airport Hilton Hotel (No
meals)
Day 2: Miami / Havana
This afternoon we arrive in Havana after a short charter flight
from Miami (it’s only an hour!) and transfer to
the highly regarded Melia Cohiba Hotel • Dinner tonight
is at Los Nardos, known for such dishes as lobster
in a Catalan sauce, garlic prawns with sautéed vegetables
and an authentic Spanish paella • Overnight
Melia Cohiba Hotel (B, L, D)
Day 3: Havana
This morning we meet with Eusebio Leal, Official Historian of
Havana, or one of his senior staff, for a
walking tour of Habana Vieja (Old Havana), including the Plaza
de la Catedral and Plaza Vieja • We’ll learn
about the two decades-old restoration project that Señor
Leal leads; how the effort is self-financed, and how
the strength of the local community is maintained in this heavily
touristed region • Lunch today at El Patio
restaurant • This afternoon we visit the Plaza Vieja primary
school in the Old City and learn from its director,
Angela Landa, about their educational need • Our visits
today also include a rehabilitation center and an atrisk
maternity center • A private visit to a Cuban home to see
the conditions under which ordinary Cubans
live is also a highlight • Dinner tonight at Melia Hotel’s
Mediterranean restaurant • Overnight Melia Cohiba
Hotel (B, L, D)
Day 4: Pinar del Rio / Viñales / Havana
Today we will drive east through the stunning province of Pinar
del Rio to Finca Pinar San Luis, the private
finca of the late, legendary tobacco farmer and Cuban cigar ambassador
Alejandro Ronbaina • Here, we will
meet his son and work to learn about tobacco growing, cigar production,
and daily life of tobacco farmers •
Enjoy a nice lunch at the finca • Afterwards, we will explore
the Viñales Valley, arguably the greenest and
most beautiful region in all of Cuba • This afternoon, visit
a primary school and experience a unique
opportunity to visit an organic farm and enjoy an educational
tour by its lead farmer • Dinner tonight at the
well regarded Café de Oriente at the entrance of the Old
City in Havana • Overnight Melia Cohiba Hotel (B,
L, D)
Day 5: Havana
Today, after breakfast, we engage in learning about “Life
in Cuba today” including rent, buying property, how
Cubans make ends meet, how the elderly are cared for, marriage,
divorce, living with the in-laws, and the
important role of women in Cuba society • The Latin American
Medical School will be the focus of this
morning’s visit, where we meet American, Cuban and foreign
born students, and talk to them about their
schooling • After lunch, we will visit the National Aquarium
to speak to marine biologists about wildlife
conservation, and then watch two talented, ballet-style divers
swim inside a huge indoor aquarium with two
dolphins (cameras recommended) • Later this afternoon, we
will learn how to bargain from our tour guide before we visit
the Feria de Artesania, a huge indoor arts and crafts site in
the middle of Havana • Dinner
tonight at Cochin de Lilliam, one of the finest paladars in all
Cuba • Our host, Lilliam Dominguez, will speak
to us about how the private enterprise system works in Cuba • Overnight
Melia Cohiba Hotel (B, L, D)
Day 6: Havana / Mantanzas/ Havana
This morning we will travel west to Mantanzas, known as the” Venice
of Cuba” for its nice bridges • We will
have a treat today with a private, specially arranged visit to
the 1879 Troillet Pharmacy, now a museum in
perfect order • A member of the Troillet family will engage
us in the history of this remarkable, very large
museum, with plenty of time for questions and answers after • Lunch
today at the famous DuPont House •
This afternoon, join youth in a pottery making class at the well
equipped pottery workshop Taller de
Ceramica Artistica in Mantanzas • Roll up your sleeves as
the staff teaches us how to create pottery in this
large, well respected pottery house • Tonight we dine at
La Torre, and then meet some traditional bolero
musicians at Gato Tuerto, a 1950’s style nightclub • Overnight
Melia Cohiba Hotel (B, L, D)
Day 7: Havana
Today we continue with touring Havana, taking in the under-construction
Capitol building, the Malecón on
the sea, and the Colon Cemetery with its colorful guides and
huge mausoleums • We will continue to the
Flores district to visit Casa-Estudio de Fuster, the studio-home
of Jose Fuster, commonly called the ‘Picasso
of the Caribbean’ • Señor Fuster or his son,
Alex will do a tour of the unique studio and property, including
a
visit with his neighbors whose homes are adorned with Fuster’s
ceramics • After lunch at El Aljibe, continue
with a walking tour of the former upper middle class Vedado region,
including the Hotel Nacional, the Hotel
Habana Libre, and the University of Havana • We will meet
with some residents who will inform us about its
rich history • Dinner tonight at La Barraca at the Nacional
Hotel’s outside music-filled restaurant • Overnight
Melia Cohiba Hotel (B, L, D)
Day 8: Havana
This morning we meet with Eduardo Monsejo, Director of the Museo
de Automoviles (the Car Museum) and
members of the Club de Autos Classicos de Cuba • Señor
Monsejo will teach us about how Cubans keep
their cars in great condition despite a shortage of car parts • Together,
we will journey to the Hemingway
Museum in the club members’ classic pre-revolutionary cars • When
we arrive at Finca Vigia, Hemingway’s
former home, Ada Rosa, the Director of the Museo Hemingway, will
educate us about the Cuban
perspective on Hemingway, his associations with the isle, and
the difficulties of restoring and maintaining his
stunning former home • We will lunch in the seaside village
of Cojimar at Las Terrazas, a seafood restaurant
popularized by Hemingway • Local fishermen will inform us
about this beautiful village and making a living by
fishing in Cuba • Next, we will travel to Alamar, where
Lourdes Mulen Duarte will show us around his
massive apartment complex, built since the revolution, and teach
us about how people live inside the units •
Tonight, we will enjoy a festive farewell dinner at La Divina
Pastora, one of Havana’s leading restaurants •
Afterwards, we continue to nearby El Morro Castle for a tour
and the nightly Cannon shooting overlooking
the sea • Overnight Melia Cohiba Hotel (B, L, D)
Day 9: Havana
This Afternoon we say goodbye to Cuba, departing Havana on our
charter flight en route to Miami, Florida •
(B,L)
*Trip itineraries are subject to change without notice due to
road, weather and other factors outside of our
control, for the safety and enjoyment of our guests, as deemed
necessary and appropriate by the supplier and partners.
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
