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Cuba - Cultural and Eco Tour
"Please
be advised that we are a Cancun, Mexico based international
travel consultant and not a tour provider. Our company's goal
is to assist you in planning a safe, memorable and rewarding
trip to the country of your choosing. Much like a travel guide
book, we are there to help you in your travel plans. We
welcome any and all tour inquiries."
Hello friends and fellow travelers:
Last Frontier Expeditions
is pleased to announce that we are offering more of what
can be truly be called "the finest and most exciting Eco Tour to the
Republic of Cuba!" On this excursion you will see many of the unspoiled
wonders of Cuba's environment and meet some of the most friendly people on
earth. Our first Eco Tour (May 2002) was a great success
and sold out in two weeks!
Cuba is a land of rainforest-covered mountains, breathtakingly beautiful
beaches, exotic flora and fauna, and a vibrant culture of thoroughly warm,
hospitable people. Take a step back in time and discover this land of great
variety on our new Cuba Eco-Adventure, an all-inclusive program which satisfies
all US-Cuba travel requirements and combines pristine coastline, coral cayes,
karst caves, and cloud forests with hiking, biking, horseback riding, and
snorkeling.
Last Frontier Expeditions will introduce you to their
favorite haunts and hideaways in a country that is distinctively different from
all of its neighbors. Witnessing the rich artistic heritage, festive
atmosphere and vibrant nightlife are all aspects of any visit to Cuba, and with
free time in Cuba's colonial cities, you'll have the opportunity to immerse
yourself in the local culture.
This opportunity is very, very limited so please respond
as soon as possible. Please email us directly for cost of the tour, deposit
information and additional questions.
Tour Program
Day 1. Arrive in Havana, Hotel Nacional De Cuba
(private baths) Welcome to Havana, Cuba! Arriving no later than 7:50 p.m.,
a The World Outdoors' representative will meet you at the Jose Marti
International Airport just outside of Havana. We then take a private transfer
into Havana to the classic, five star Hotel Nacional De Cuba. Here, we enjoy a
welcome cocktail and cigar reception and meet to discuss our upcoming Eco-Tour.
Day 2. Tour Havana
Vieja, Hotel Nacional De Cuba Old Havana, our cultural playground for the day,
was recently declared a World Heritage Site. With its flower-covered
balconies, cobbled plazas and elegant churches, we will take time to thoroughly
explore the excitement of the city and discover why Ernest Hemingway chose to
make Havana his home. Old Havana is by far the most densely packed sightseeing
area in the city, and we'll take time to visit landmark UNESCO sites with Dr.
Giraldo Alayon Garcia from Havana's Museum of Natural History.
After dinner at a locally owned restaurant, enjoy a free evening to visit old
Havana's open-air plazas or catch one of the excellent salsa or jazz groups that
regularly frequent the areas best known clubs.
Day 3. Ecotourism Efforts and
Biking Cuba's Countryside. Los Jazmines (private baths)
We then transfer into Pinar Del Rio, the rainbow of Cuba, a region famed for its
natural beauty -- rocky knolls rise from misty valleys amid magnificent
waterfalls, extensive forests, rare orchids and ferns.
Upon arrival in Vinales, we'll meet with local naturalists, ecology guides, and
Biosphere Director to finalize and discuss logistics for our educational and
cultural program. We'll also engage in workshops with Cuba's leading ornithology
expert, Orlando Garrido. And we'll work with local officials to protect
fragile ecosystems through maintenance,
construction, and cleanup of scenic pathways.
Time permitting in the afternoon, we'll embark on a bicycle ride through the
rural countryside, forests, farmlands and plantations of the Sierra de Vinales.
Although the landscape climbs and rolls, the back roads which wind through the
hills maintain a gentle gradient. Traveling at an easy pace, we'll share the
road with people doubling with loved ones on bicycles, caballeros on horses and
Brahma bulls on leads.
We overnight at the Hotel Los Jazmines. Magnificently nestled atop the
southern scarp of the valley, this gracious contemporary colonial hotel is the
perfect place from which to explore our extraordinary surroundings. Here, we are
able to relax on deck, in the pool or at the bar and enjoy striking views of
brilliant sunsets.
Day 4. Ecotourism Efforts,
Horseback Riding and Hiking in Vinales National Park. Hotel Los Jazmines. We
begin our day by taking a step back in time and escaping to the
countryside on horseback with our hosts from the Guabina Ranch. Here, we
take in a view of rural life in Cuba: lush green tobacco fields dot the
landscape as farmers harvest the crop with oxen and cart.
We then observe and learn about local agricultural farming in Vinales Valley
from local farmers and further explore Vinales Valley and its namesake National
Park, featuring some of Cuba's most spectacular scenery. The National
Park, referred to as the miniature Yosemite, is composed of myriad precipitous
bluffs the height of skyscrapers towering over a plain of deep green receding
into distant mountains. Marked with
numerous caverns, these cone-shaped mounds are part of the oldest geological
formation in Cuba. We hike to Los Acuaticos, before enjoying dinner at one of
Vinales' fine locally owned restaurants. This evening we will visit with a local
citizens community group.
Days 5-6. Ecotourism Efforts
and Hiking in the Sierra Del Rosarios Biosphere Reserve, La Moka (private baths)
We wake early and visit Sierra Del Rosarios, Cuba's first UN sanctioned
Biosphere Reserve. Covered with thick semi-deciduous forests, the reserve
hosts almost 800 endemic plant species, 90 species of birds and a variety of
wildlife.
En route to Sierra Del Rosarios, we will visit the remote mountain school of Las
Terrazas. Offering a healthy, calm, and uplifting communal spirit, Las Terrazas
is one of Cuba's prime ecotourism sites. Here, we will make a donation of
educational supplies. Upon arrival at Sierra Del Rosarios Biosphere
Reserve, we will work with local Cuban Birding Foundation experts, assisting in
identifying and documenting local bird species in a tropical forest. We
will also work with local officials to protect fragile ecosystems through
maintenance, construction, and cleanup of scenic pathways. And we'll explore a
selection of the area's hiking trails.
Our hikes are especially rewarding as they ascend into the surrounding mountains
along thickly forested ancient river valleys. Along the trails, we will
pass ruins of old plantations, thermal bathing pools and waterfalls. The
breathtaking scenery is the perfect setting to immerse yourself in the splendor
of Cuba's back country.
For the next two evenings, we overnight and dine at La Moka. This unique
eco-lodge is surrounded by lush grounds and tucked into forested slopes. The
complex also features a swimming pool and bar.
Day 7. City Tour of Trinidad.
Trinidad del Mar Hotel (private baths) We wake with the sun and transfer to
eastern Cuba and Trinidad, a welcoming little town steeped in history. With its
marvelous unspoiled architecture, maze-like cobblestone streets and the natural
beauty of its surroundings, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the
island's foremost attractions. We have a full afternoon to visit and shop in the
workshops
and studios of local residents and artisans, explore its open-air plazas and
colonial mansions, and intermingle with the friendly locals.
We overnight at the Trinidad del Mar Hotel for the next two evenings, a new
accommodation located on the Peninsula de Ancon, a long white sand beach set on
the transparent waters of the Caribbean. This evening we will enjoy a
presentation and educational lecture by the
Cuban Marine Studies Foundation.
Day 8. Ecotourism Efforts and
Snorkeling. Trinidad del Mar Hotel. This morning, we board a catamaran to Cayo
Macho de Afuera. Set in the Caribbean, Cayo Macho de Afuera is perfectly suited
for a day of snorkeling, swimming and sampling seafood amid pristine,
sugar-white beaches, thick mangroves alive with seabirds, and pristine
"forests" of many-branched coral. Here, we will work with the
Cuban Marine Studies Foundation and local marine experts to study reef and
mangrove ecology.
After a full day on the Caribbean, we transfer to the precipitous Escambray
Mountains and Topes de Collantes National Park. Featuring towering peaks,
cascading waterfalls, extensive cave systems and 100 species of endemic plants,
this is the most important mountain massif in central Cuba. For the next
two evenings, we overnight at Hotel Los Helechos which hides in a cool valley
below and features a swimming pool, restaurant and a spectacular setting. This
evening we will visit with a local citizens community group.
Days 9-10. Ecotourism Efforts
and Hiking in Topes de Collantes National Park. Hotel Los Helechos (Topes de
Collantes, private baths), Hotel Telegrapho (Havana, private baths)
Up early, we'll work with local World Wildlife Federation representatives to
assist in identifying and documenting local endemic bird species as part of
their scientific
research project. We will also work with local officials to protect
fragile ecosystems through maintenance, construction, and cleanup of scenic
pathways. And we'll explore a selection of the park's hiking trails in
this extraordinary mountain paradise.
Fantastically situated waterfalls and serene swimming holes surround themselves
with lush forests of Caribbean pines, ancient tree ferns, bamboo, and
eucalyptus. Stunning varieties of plant species combine with bamboo and orchid
gardens along lofty ridges with far-reaching views. Our days in Topes de
Collantes will be memorable.
We then transfer back to Havana and the Hotel Telegrapho before enjoying a
farewell dinner in the old city, meeting to analyze project results, and a free
evening to indulge in the Afro-Cuban music scene or go to a live theatre,
cabaret or to the acclaimed Apostles and Canon play.
Day 11. Transfer to Jose
Marti International Airport and the US. We continue on to Jose Marti
International Airport for flights back to home. Once in the airport, we say
"hasta luego" to this true Caribbean paradise, and until we meet again
on another Last
Frontier Expeditions tropical adventure! Remember that we will be
arriving approximately two hours
before our international flight's scheduled departure time.
Tour Details
Inn Trip: 11 days/10 nights
2003 Departure Dates: Jan 30-Feb 9, Feb 13-23 (singles), Mar 13-23, Apr 3-13
Trip Level: Easy to Moderately Easy
Activities: hike (4 days), bike (1 day), snorkel (1 day), horseback (1/2
day), tour historic sites (1 1/2 days), people-to-people interaction (daily)
Gateway City / Meeting Place: Havana, Cuba
Meeting Place and Time: Jose Marti International Airport upon arrival in
Havana, Cuba at 7:50 p.m.
Trip Conclusion: At Jose Marti International Airport in Havana, at
7:00 a.m. on the last day.
Program will include:
Trip Fees Include:
Accommodations in itinerary, all
meals and tips for meals (from the Reception Dinner on Day 1 - Dinner on
Day 10), one drink per meal (alcoholic beverage, soda or juice), purified
water will be supplied at all times on the trip, Cuba health insurance, one
bilingual Cuba guide and one guide from Last Frontier Expeditions (to share one
double occupancy room), all ground transfers as stated in itinerary, all
activities and necessary equipment listed in itinerary, bike rental, and
entrance fees to parks and attractions detailed in itinerary.
Trip Fees Exclude: Airfares
to/from Cuba, airport departure taxes
(approximately US$ 20 international per person), some beverages (sealed
water bottles, sodas and alcoholic beverages), miscellaneous hotel expenses
(phone, fax, laundry, etc.), additional optional tours, services not
specified in the tour itinerary, and gratuities to guides as deemed
appropriate.
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