Eastern Cuba Tour

14 Nights

Feb 20 – Mar 5, 2012
Tour Prices

The Undiscovered Cuba

Because tourism hasn't overwhelmed this region you can still enjoy a Cuba Libre in a traditional nightclub where the locals outnumber the tourists. We visit a ranch, Cuba's only rainforest area, a school of music, the sites of famous battles, and stay on an island where exotic animals were imported for hunting. This one-of-a-kind tour is packed with the unexpected and truly "off the beaten track"!

Eastern Cuba Tour

Holguin

El Bosque or Pernik

(3 nights)

Day 1

You will be met at Holguin airport and transferred to the hotel.

Day 2

We become acquainted with the city on a walking tour of the downtown area including a stop at the local boxing school where the director will meet us.

Day 3

Today visits include a cigar factory, the workshop of a family that has produced mechanical organs for generations, and the only doll factory in Cuba. We will have the privilege of attending a concert performed by students at the School of Music.

Bayamo

Hotel Royalton or Hotel Sierra Maestra (2 nights)

Children enjoy a "goat" ride around the main square of Bayamo

Local Transportation in Eastern Cuba

Day 4

Two nights are spent in this colonial town founded in 1513. We tour the birth-home of Céspedes, known as the "Father of our Country", then stop at the church to see the original Cuban flag sewn by his wife. You will be one of the few tourists to visit Cuba's only wax museum. Although small, the workmanship is admirable.

Day 5

We travel to the nearby town of Jiguani to meet a group involved in a special project whose goal is to improve the lives of children and teenagers by involving them in programs such as drawing workshops, dancing, sports and concerts.

Tonight's dinner is at a "paladar" – a privately owned restaurant located in a private residence. Later you may want to go to the nearby Casa de la Trova where local musicians play traditional music.

Santiago de Cuba

Hotel Las Americas (3 nights)

Cathedral on the main square in Santiago

Changing of the Guards at the tomb of Jose Marti - Day 8

Visit to a Cooperative Ranch in the Sierra Maestra - Day 8

Day 8

Children perform for us at a local nursery school.

Day 6

En-route to Santiago we stop at the El Cobre, Cuba's only basilica.

Santiago de Cuba is the home of rum and revolution. A ferry takes us to Granma Key, located within in the harbour, for lunch followed by a visit to the enormous El Morro Fort.

Day 7

Today we tour the oldest house in Cuba – the Casa de Don Diego Velázquez, as well as the Museum of Emilio Bacardí (the rum baron) which includes an eclectic collection of artefacts and paintings from his own collection.

The Moncada Barracks was the site of the failed attack by Fidel Castro in 1953. After 1959 many police stations and military compounds, including this one, were transformed into schools. We will see an area of the school dedicated to the attack which reviews it in graphic detail. The afternoon is free.

Day 8

The Santa Ifigenia Cemetery is the resting place of many of Cuba's heroes and famous people. We will see the changing of the guards at the tomb of the hero, José Martí.

Plans to attack the Moncada Barracks, which took months, were made at a small farm called the "Siboney" located outside of the city. Here we will see the well where weapons were hidden and replicas of the "chicken coops" built to hide the cars used to travel into the city on that fateful day.

We will be welcomed by ranchers at a cooperative ranch where the directors will explain the advantages of belonging to a cooperative, tell us what they raise and grow, followed by a Q & A session and a walk around some of the operation.

Baracoa

Hotel Porto Santo (3 nights)

Day 9

Travelling over a mountain range on the winding "Farola Highway" we reach the rainforest area of Baracoa. This part of the island is as far "off of the "beaten track" as you can get, and due this remoteness it retains a unique ambiance.

Day 10

In the back of a former Russian Army "Safari Truck" we travel to the lush Duaba Park for a walk through cocoa plantations and coconut tree groves. As we are in Cuba's only rainforest area some of the plants we will see grow only in this region. Enjoy fresh fruit picked for us while a local farmer explains the many uses of different plants growing there.

Day 11

This morning the community has some very special events planned just for us.

In the afternoon we travel into the countryside for lunch in a beautiful outdoor setting, and take a short boat trip down the Rio Toa to the ocean.

Cayo Saetía

(2 nights)

Day 12 and 13

Cayo Saetía was once the hunting grounds for the Soviet and Cuban commanders. Imported animals such as zebra and antelope still roam about, and a jeep safari is included to get a closer look. Enjoy a free day on this peaceful key.

Holguin

Hotel Pernik (1 night)

Day 14

Fidel Castro came from a wealthy, capitalist family, which is evident during a visit to the farm where he was born. We then continue to Holguin for a discussion with a Cuban lawyer regarding Cuba's penal system and laws. Our tour ends with a farewell dinner.

Day 15

Transfer to the airport

HAVANA: Click here for information about our optional 3 night package in Havana prior to the tour.

2012 Eastern Cuba Discovery Tour Dates & Prices

One 2 week departure: February 20 - March 5, 2012. In order to make each tour a special experience, space is limited to 21 people per tour. Book early to avoid disappointment.

Price is for tour only in Canadian dollars:
Per Person based on double occupancy	$2290 CAD
Single supplement	$350 CAD
Book 4 months prior to departure and save $50.00 per person on escorted tours.

Call for flight and air fare information from your closest airport.

Price includes:

14 nights accommodation based on double occupancy
Meals: all breakfasts, 3 lunches, 12 dinners
All admissions and cultural visits listed in itinerary
Air conditioned motor coach transportation
Fully escorted by Canadian and Cuban guides

Not included: Taxes, optional cancellation and medical insurance.

Singles wishing to share: We often get requests for single travellers wishing to share accommodation. If you are interested in traveling with a companion please let us know and we can try to match you up with a suitable traveling partner.

Insurance: Medical insurance is mandatory in order to enter Cuba. Cancellation and trip interruption insurance is optional. Premiums depend on your age, the length of time away and the cost of your tour. Insurance will be discussed and quoted at the time of booking.

Payment Schedule:

Deposit: $250.00 on tour portion plus an additional air fare deposit which will be advised at time of booking.

Balance: 65 days prior to departure

Forms of Payment: Cheque, Visa and MasterCard.

Final payments made by credit cards will be subject to a $65.00 per person processing fee.
There is no processing free for deposits made by credit card.

Cancellation Policy In the event that you have to cancel you must notify Cuba Discovery Tours immediately. The following scale of charges will apply according to the date that notice is received. Air fare penalties may differ and will be discussed at the time of ticket purchase.

Notification:	Penalty:
65 days or more	Deposit Only
64 to 30 days	50% of Tour cost
29 days or less	100%

For more information contact:
Cuba Discovery Tours
K-435 Rosser Avenue
Brandon, MB. R7A 6S2
PHONE 204-727-2305, FAX 204-726-5856
1-800-417-0250 Toll free from Canada and the USA
info@cubadiscoverytours.com

To Book a Cuba Tour book here