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Cuba
Personally created itineraries aimed at the Independent Traveller looking to see the real Cuba.
 My account of a wonderful trip to Cuba, which has now become the template for a unique adventure for our clients..
Together with Frank, my guide in Cuba, I visited three regions of the island. Havana, Trinidad and Pinar del Rio.
The old town of Trinidad is only about 5 kms from lovely deserted sandy beaches covered in white coral! The town itself is wonderful: incredibly beautiful to wander around, and in the evenings we would stroll around following the sounds of salsa, and watch, listen and dance the nights away. The mountains are only about half an hour's drive away - glorious - and I spent my Birthday trekking and swimming in waterfalls. It is not easy to find good food/restaurants/places to eat in Cuba and most people are disappointed in the food, but Frank knows exactly where to get good, fresh local food.
 The accommodation in Trinidad is in a Casa Particular (privately owned house) where you will be very private with good facilities, two double bedrooms and bathrooms, with a lovely big terrace - all on the first floor. I chose to be in the town and therefore able to just stroll out in the evenings. Beaches and the sea are so close anyway. Breakfast is included and will be served on your terrace. It is however also possible to be nearer the beach as I have found a couple of lovely private houses almost on the sea with a short drive into town for fun in the evenings.
In the Pinar Del Rio region, I stayed at a huge guava ranch in the most fabulous location on the banks of a very large lake. About 200 horses, wildlife and lots of beautiful birds - flora and fauna. Backdrop of mountains and pine forests into which we rode on horseback and it was wonderful. The housekeeper/cook at the ranch, Maria Antonia is, in Frank's opinion one of the best cooks in Cuba and we had delicious food.  Alligator was particularly yummy ! The surroundings are spectacular - Jurassic limestone hills, caves, pine forests, palm trees (extraordinary mixture !) and rural bliss. Hardly any traffic - very few cars anywhere - lots of bullock carts and horsedrawn carts. The horses are very good, well looked after and know what they are doing - anybody would be fine on them. Saddles are great too - Cowboy Style! The house has had a face-lift this year and although simple, is comfortable and spacious. It is all about LOCATION here - really fantastic. Water pressure is low, but manageable. Breakfast and dinner are included in the price. This ranch is a 'one-off' in Cuba. About one hour's drive away are some fantastic beaches, and the drive is through the most spectacular scenery. It was also in this region that we swam in caves.
 The Air France and Iberia flights depart at about 9:30pm so on the last day there is plenty of time to drive back to Havana and the airport, with some exploring on the way. Most people do the packages to Cuba, which means staying in one of the two resorts and even if they are looking/touring around, car hire is very tricky and expensive (not many cars around !) so they are taken around with State Guides and coaches. They also normally stay in hotels, some of which are fine, but hotels are hotels. This is something completely different and I believe the only way to see the Real Cuba, eat decent food and not waste time finding your way around, which can be very difficult as there are very few road signs and other than the Highway, the roads can also be very tricky. Frank knows the ropes of course and I felt utterly safe in his hands. He saved us so much time, and can organise almost anything! I wanted shark's teeth for my sons and he and I found two in a market in Trinidad and then he had them set in silver by one of his friends in Havana for practically nothing... He also knows where to find good fish and lobster/crayfish which can be hard to find - the fishermen have been squeezed dry sadly - mostly because they were a threat to security - people trying to leave Cuba were paying them to take them across to Florida (poor misguided Cubans thinking Florida has anything to offer them !).
 The Cubans are great and Frank seems to know everyone, which is a lot of fun and expands one's experience greatly. Many are highly educated, cultured and they love foreign visitors. The hotel in Havana, Hostal Valencia is where I stayed and I loved it - very romantic, comfortable, full of character and masses of charm. In the old city with everything on your doorstep - museums, galleries, churches, shops etc. Havana is wonderful, bustling and busy, but impossibly romantic and charming. The architecture is extraordinary and you will see that there is a massive restoration programme underway. The simplest things are hard to find - like loo paper, soap and the like.
 One of the most important things to remember in Cuba is that improvisation is often the name of the game, which is why it is, in my opinion, essential to be 'looked after' by a Cuban with all the necessary experience and contacts. Someone like Frank will do his absolute best to ensure everyone gets what they want whilst in Cuba, and he is an expert. Life is so different to what we know, which is what makes it so exciting and so fascinating. Allowances have to be made in all sorts of areas, but this doesn't seem to matter in the larger scheme of things and it is a very special adventure.
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 | | Maxine Harrison |
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