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| The World Outdoors |
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"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." |
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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 Expedition 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 2004 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
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| The World Outdoors |
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