In Touch Travel Offers Trip To Cuba To Participate In Activities With Pope Francis

Two Historic Travel Opportunities in One: Visit Cuba the Same Time as Pope Francis

Pope Francis has been instrumental in helping restore relations between Cuba and the US, receiving praise and thanks from both President Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro. As a result, since December 2014, not only have American travel restrictions been lifted but commercial and diplomatic relations have eased, with a US Embassy in Havana scheduled to open this July.
 

Now, through In Touch Travel Services, which organizes cultural and educational exchange trips to Cuba under the U.S. Department of the Treasury's people-to-people program, you can experience firsthand Cuba's cultural and educational activities, along with the thrill of a Papal visit.
 

The excursion, which runs from September 19-26, is offered during the days Pope Francis will be visiting Santiago de Cuba and Holguin - and includes a stop at the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity, considered to be the "mother of the Cuban people." Along with events related to the Pope's visit, participants will explore Baracoa, the first village founded in Cuba in 1512. At Guantanamo, they will stop at the border of the US Naval base and meet members of Danza Libre, a dance company founded by Elfriede Mahler, the famous US choreographer.

They will also get the rare opportunity to meet and mingle with local artists, dancers, painters and entrepreneurs, including the Classic Car Club members, and ride in pre-Fidel Castro era Chevys and Chryslers. Lodging in Santiago is at the premier Melia Hotel, part of the famous Spanish hotel chain. The tour also includes two nights at the El Castillo hotel in Baracoa. Travelers can extend their stay with a colonial heritage exploration of Trinidad and Havana. The complete itinerary and registration information can be found online at www.popefrancisincuba.com

Elme Castillo, tour director and owner of In Touch Travel, will be leading the group which is limited to 15 people. A native of Cuba, he has an in-depth knowledge of its people, background and economics. "This is a great opportunity for those who want to meet the Cuban people and learn more about the  history and culture of the island," he observes.

Watch the YouTube presentation video at https://youtu.be/LQ4sONyAoCE

About In Touch Travel:  Founded in September 2012, In Touch Travel Services LLC organizes cultural and educational exchange trips to Cuba under the people-to-people program authorized by a general license from the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Tours include visits to Havana, Viñales, Trinidad, Santiago and Guantanamo. They also promote exchanges between American and Cuban artists, organizing exhibitions and performances involving US universities and cultural institutions.

For more information please contact info@intouchwithcuba.com or visit www.intouchwithcuba.com.

Americans Can Now Take Shorter Cruises To Cuba

Changes in regulations now allow Americans to take shorter cruises to CubaCredit Cuba Cruise

Under newly relaxed regulations governing travel to Cuba, Cuba Cruise is offering Americans seven-night trips that circumnavigate the island.

In the past, American passengers had to book lengthier land-and-sea itineraries with a sanctioned American tour operator. Now securing passage aboard the 1,200-passenger Louis Cristal involves reserving the trip with Cuba Cruise, a Canadian company, andregistering for a People-to-People Program with the Fund for Reconciliation and Development, an American nonprofit. The organization then issues a participant letter authorizing travel.

Sailors can embark in Montego Bay, Jamaica, or in Havana for trips that include visits to six Unesco World Heritage Sites in and around Santiago de Cuba, Cienfuegos and the capital. Americans are limited to educational shore excursions, all of which are optional, including visits to Fidel Castro’s birthplace, the mountains of Baconao Park, the Spanish colonial city of Trinidad and Havana via a vintage auto.

The cruises run through March and will resume in December. They start at 782 Canadian dollars a person, or $637.50 at 1.22 Canadian to the U.S. dollar, plus port fees (178 Canadian dollars) and the cost of registration ($75), excluding airfare.

Contributed by ELAine GLUSAC

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Natural Habitat Adventures Unveils “Undiscovered Cuba” Showcasing Culture And Nature, A Legal Way For U.S. Citizens To Visit Cuba

 Natural Habitat Adventures (Nat Hab), the world’s premier nature travel company, lifts the veil on Cuba and introduces a new way to experience this captivating island that has long been inaccessible to American travelers. The 12-Day itinerary will explore Cuba’s intriguing culture and stunning tropical ecosystems on an educational exchange designed to provide a human perspective on the natural side of this Caribbean island nation.

On Natural Habitat Adventures’ “Undiscovered Cuba,” guests will experience the vibrant cultural centers of Havana and Trinidad as well as virtually unknown national parks, rare botanical gardens, lush tropical ecosystems and fabulous birdlife while interacting with Cuban scientists, naturalists, park managers, academics, organic farmers, community activists, artists, business owners and others eager to share their stories.

“This is a rare opportunity to embrace the daily lives of citizens here. Cuba has been off-limits to American tourists for decades. We are among a select few companies to secure a special U.S. government permit through the newly established People-to-People program, allowing us to offer this exclusive travel opportunity to our privileged guests,” said Ben Bressler, Natural Habitat’s founder and president (http://www.nathab.com/).

2015 departures, each for a maximum of 15 guests, are: Feb. 10, Feb. 27, and Apr. 18. The per-person double occupancy rate is $7,695, based on a group size of 10 or more. Both international and internal flight costs are in addition to the trip fee. Internal air is $550 (subject to change). Nat Hab books the international flight from Miami to Cienfuegos, Cuba, and the return from Havana to Miami. These flights are organized through a licensed charter company authorized to provide direct flights to Cuba. Please seehttp://www.nathab.com/central-america/undiscovered-cuba

In addition to Cuban culture and history, this one-of-a-kind trip also showcases Cuba's natural side. Through one-on-one visits with Cuban hosts, guests understand how contemporary Cubans respect and manage the country’s natural resources and diversity. Highlights include World Heritage Sites and UNESCO Biosphere Reserves and hosted visits to organic farms and community-run ecotourism projects. Among them are: 

• Zapata National Park: “As far as we know, we are the only current People-to-People tour operator including it in their itinerary,” said Bressler. Situated on Cuba's southern coast, this UNESCO Biosphere Reserve covers 1.5 million acres harboring some 1,000 plant species, of which 130 are endemic to Cuba, and showcasing a great diversity of habitats such as grasslands, mangroves, varied types of forest, coastal lagoons and coral reefs. 
• Viñales National Park & the Viñales Valley embrace dramatic 250-million-year-old loaf-shaped limestone mountains laced with caves. These karst formations have been worn away by hundreds of years of erosion, becoming small islands that are self-contained ecosystems. The trip visits Cuevo del Indio (Cave of the Indians), the largest system of underground caves in Latin America. 
• Las Terrazas is an ecotourism center in which a sustainable rural economy has been developed based on the use of local natural resources and a strong focus on public environmental education. 

Accommodations are always the best available and extend an understanding of culture and history through their locations. The Grand Hotel Trinidad transports guests to the elegance of 16th-century Cuba under Spanish influence, with gracious archways and wrought-iron balconies. The colonial-style Hotel La Ermita offers magnificent views of the Viñales Valley, and in the heart of Havana the luxurious Parque Central is a mix of colonial and modern elements. Sunswept Playa Larga Beach on the southern coast along the Bay of Pigs is home to the Hotel Playa Larga, which offers basic accommodations with easy access to Zapata National Park.

Participants meet in Miami for an orientation and an overnight at Sofitel Miami Hotel. A chartered flight the next day makes the short hop to Cienfuegos where the group is joined by its local Cuban guide. The program includes a myriad of planned yet unscripted people-to-people exchanges enhanced by an exclusive immersion into Cuba’s rarely visited natural world.  Spend the first afternoon in Cienfuegos, which is recognized as an outstanding early example of urban planning in Latin America. At the Cienfuegos Botanical Garden, enjoy identifying tropical flora and fauna accompanied by botanist Roger Pazos.

Driving on to Trinidad, there will be opportunities to meet the local people through music and the arts, including dining at the city’s best private restaurant where guests chat with owner Lazaro Orellana who talks about operating a small private business in Cuba. There’s a visit to a community library where the director discusses how books are selected and the role of government censorship, a invitation to a traditional pig roast, and a visit to a late 18^th-century plantation house, the Trinidadian residence of Julio and Rosa Munoz (Julio is a photographer, business owner and esteemed horse trainer).

On ensuing days the route moves west to the Zapata Peninsula where there will be ample opportunities to discover the rich endemic plant and bird life – look for the Fernandina's flicker, one of the rarest woodpeckers in the world. Cruise down the Rio Hatiguanico hoping to sight rarely seen crocodiles.

En route to Viñales, stop at Las Terrazas and sit down to lunch with restaurant owner Tito Ramos as he explains the business opportunities of private restaurants called paladares.Explore Viñales National Park accompanied by Emma Palacios Lemagne, who has worked in the park for 25+ years. She is the leading gastropoda biologist and conservationist in Cuba.

Four full days in Cuba’s vibrant capital of Havana conclude the journey, with highlights including a traditional Cuban lunch at the Hotel Nacional, a stroll through Old Havana with a prominent architectural historian and an invitation to the National Theater to watch a dance class at the Danza Contemporánea de Cuba.

For the complete itinerary see: http://www.nathab.com/central-america/undiscovered-cuba/itinerary/

About Natural Habitat Adventures
Natural Habitat Adventures has been a world leader in responsible adventure travel and nature-based ecotourism since 1985. Inspired and created from years of scouring the planet for the singular and extraordinary, Nat Hab’s trips appeal to travelers who seek more than the standard, done-before tour commonly found in today’s marketplace.  Itineraries are artfully crafted, one-of-a-kind experiences that are far from “typical.” Natural Habitat Adventures enjoys the reputation for employing the finest collection of naturalist Expedition Leaders on the planet. Conservation is at the forefront of everything the company does, and its philosophy about environmentally responsible travel is simple: tourism must work with and benefit local communities, which will in turn find value in protecting precious natural resources. NHA is proud to be the travel partner of WWF. Together, they share a commitment to travel as a means of helping to protect the planet’s wondrous natural places.

For trip information, descriptive itineraries, date availability and reservations call 800.543.8917 or visit http://www.nathab.com/. Click HERE to order a copy of the 2015 catalog.