7 Dec 2016

Want to escape to Cuba in April?


I was able to get some great prices for a trip to Marea del Portillo, Cuba, on April 26! Please contact me immediately, if you are interested in being part of this group. 

There will also be a biking component available for an additional $250, similar to what we did last year with Randy Pielsticker & Gord Baker. This biking package will include a bike to use for the week and three half-day guided excursions. At the end of the week, the bike will be given to a Cuban family.

As well, there's space available in a group going the preceding week (April 19-26). The prices are a bit more for the earlier week because it is still technically "high season" at this resort, but there will be more activities and options since the Farallón Hotel will be open until April 26.

After the larger hotel (the Farallón) closes, the resort becomes a little quieter, which I like. But, don't worry - there will still be plenty of fun to be had!

If you are interested in joining either of the April groups, or signing up for the Feb. 11-24 bus tour of the island (YES, there's still room!), please complete my booking form and return it to me by email (jennicacuba@gmail.com) or give me a call and I can take the requisite information by phone (647-216-1791). You can also find me on Facebook!





20 Nov 2016

Let's explore lovely Cuba in February!

Hola mis amigos!

I've just returned from leading my inaugural bus tour of Cuba and it went very well. We had a great group of people and I very much enjoyed hanging out with all of them!

My next Cuban road trip is scheduled for Feb. 11-24, 2017, and I'm looking forward to it. At present, the group is relatively small, which has some advantages (shorter baño lines, for example), but I hope to have a few more people sign up ~ please spread the word.

The itinerary for the February group is similar to the Nov. 5-17, 2016, bus tour but we will be flying into Havana and returning from Holguín, which gives us an extra day in Cuba ~ woohoo! This means we'll be able to visit the Viñales Valley, west of Havana, and spend our last night in the picturesque fishing village of Gibara. Also, we'll be staying in casas particulares (Cuban B&Bs) while in Havana, as well as Trinidad.

Viñales, in the Pinar del Río region, is known for its interesting limestone mogotes, tobacco farms and lush landscape. Quaint Gibara, in the province of Holguín, is where Christopher Columbus initially landed in 1492 and declared the island the most beautiful he'd ever seen, then promptly claimed it for Spain. I invite you to "discover" incomparable Cuba with me!

This package includes a two-week tour of the island, one night in a hotel near the Toronto airport preceding the trip, Cuban health/emergency medical care insurance while in the country (a requirement for all visitors), travel visas, all accommodation, breakfasts and some other meals. We'll have a professional Cuban guide to show us the key sites noted on the itinerary and I will be pleased to assist you in seeking out other interesting spots. The flight from Toronto and back will be priced according to what is available at the time of booking.

Hasta pronto,
Jenny

15 Aug 2016

A trio of trips to Cuba - triple the fun









JennicaCuba has three trips coming up!


Hola mis amigos (Hello my friends), 

I'm very excited that I will be leading a trio of trips to Cuba in the coming months. The first one is a group going to Club Amigo Marea del Portillo, in southern Cuba, on Oct. 19. The deadline for booking & full payment is Aug. 19. Just to remind you, the prices for cabaña accommodation are: Oct. 19-26 (one week), $685 double occupancy or $765 single; Oct. 19-Nov. 2 (two weeks), $1025 double or $1265 single. After Aug. 19, it may still be possible to join this group, as long as seats are available on the plane, but prices could increase. 

The second trip is a bus tour of the island, Nov. 5-17. That one filled up so fast, I've added another similar group trip, scheduled for Feb. 11-24, 2017. I have a feeling it will fill up quickly too! The maximum for the bus tours is 24 people and the poster below gives you the basic details about the February trip. It's similar to the November tour, starting in the north and ending in the south, but we've added an excursion to the scenic Viñales Valley, while we're staying in Havana, and an extra night at the end in a charming fishing village called Gibara. 

For the Feb. 11-24 trip, we'll be flying into Varadero and out of Holguín, departing from and returning to Toronto. Although there are airlines vying for the chance to fly groups directly to Cuba from the U.S., nothing is yet set in stone and, at present, the main carriers are charters. So, it's safer to book our group on a reliable Canadian flight, even if participants are American. For that reason, we're offering accommodation in a Toronto hotel near the airport the night before departure as part of this package. The pricing is in USD but either Americans or Canadians are welcome to join me for this top-to-bottom island tour, "Incomparable Cuba #2." 

Hasta luego (See you later),
Jenny Cressman
a.k.a. JennicaCuba
 

P.S. I'm also planning to lead my usual post-Easter group to Marea del Portillo. I'll send out information on that when I have exact dates and prices!


30 Jun 2016

Want to "Do-Little" for 2 weeks?

Come on, you know you want to hang out in Cuba....


I now have prices for two-week stays at Club Amigo Marea del Portillo, for the "Do-Little" Trip, beginning Oct. 19. For doubles, (sharing a cabana room), it is $1,025 per person. If you want a cabana all to yourself (single), it will cost $1,265.  

These are great prices for cabana accommodation! You can add the VIP package, if you wish, in advance or at the resort.

And, since this is the "Do-Little" trip, I will offer one free lesson on how to speak in the international language of cats!
Meow for now!   
Jenny        


22 Jun 2016

Oct. 19 is the "Do-Little" Trip to Cuba

I think this trip is just what the doctor would recommend!

Just relax ... no excursions necessary!

Hey folks, I hope you'll join me for the most relaxing trip to Cuba that I've ever planned. The theme is "do little," so I'm not including any excursions or activities with this trip, other than our private group welcome dinner, with music by Robertico and friends, of course.

That's part of the reason why the price is so low - we're doing very little! As well, I got a great rate on cabana accommodation without the usual VIP upgrade, but the seats are truly limited for this deal. If you want the VIP package, I can add it when you book, or you can book it yourself when you get to the resort. Alternatively, you can pay per use for any activities you want to do, such as taking the Sunset Cruise or going to Cayo Blanco and having a lobster lunch. Here's a photo showing the resort's VIP fee and prices for these and other excursions; you can do the math yourself. This was taken in April 2016, so the prices should be pretty much the same.


I
f you want to stay longer than one week, I can arrange that too. I have to warn you, though, that the prices are higher for Oct. 26 and the weeks following. That's why I chose Oct. 19 for the group week this year. I hope you'll be able to join me for a lovely, relaxing stay in Cuba, at a very good price!
~ Jenny

30 May 2016

Let's take a tour of Cuba – Havana, Trinidad, Marea del Portillo & Santiago

Road trip! Want to come along? We're going to have a great time...



For a more detailed agenda, please contact me and I will email a PDF to you. 

Thanks,
Jenny
jennicacuba@gmail.com

21 Mar 2016

Cuban Easter flowers & a travel update


History is being made in Havana this week


As I write this, Barack Obama and Raul Castro are probably having lunch. Judging by the photos and videos I've seen this morning, it's a drizzly day in Havana. Here in Muskoka, it's snowy. I'd rather be in Cuba, even if it's rainy! 

One of my American pals called me this morning to chat about her upcoming trip to Cuba. She's flying to Havana from Miami on Thursday, just in time for the Rolling Stones concert! I am undeniably jealous. In a few weeks, though, I'll be flying to Cuba too, fleeing the dregs of winter. (Snow is in the forecast here right through the end of March, and there are still mounds of it in the yard.) 

If you want to join my April 20-27 group, you can still do so up until April 11... as long as there are still seats on the plane, that is! Obama and the Stones won't be hanging out in Cuba by that time but we will meet other interesting people and hear some great music. And, we'll be in one of the most beautiful parts of the island, where the Cuban Revolution has its deepest roots. 

However, if the April trip doesn't work for you, maybe another one will. I plan to continue taking groups to my favorite little resort, Club Amigo Marea del Portillo, twice annually - usually after Easter and in late October. As well, I am working on bus tours that will begin in Havana and travel throughout Cuba. I'll let you know more details as they evolve. 

Meanwhile, have a lovely Easter and, if you use Facebook, please check out (and join) my "JennicaCuba" group, where I'll post some selected images, videos and stories about this incredible time in Cuba's evolution. 

Hasta luego,
Jenny

29 Feb 2016

Let's go to sunny, warm Cuba in April!

I don't know about you but I'm getting a bit tired of winter. I'm already mentally packing for this April sojourn to lovely, warm Marea del Portillo, Cuba, where there is 0% chance of snow. There's still room to join this group but seats are very limited at this point.

If you're not sure you want to bike every day, or even at all, it's not a problem – it's an option! If you decide to bike with Randy Pielsticker, an internationally experienced bike tour leader, and our local Cuban guide, I'm sure you'll have fun. But, if you get tired along the way, I'll be nearby with a car to give you and your bike a lift back to the resort.

As well, if you're not taking part in the bike excursions, there will be plenty of other options available to you on any given day. Please go to the "Activities" tab at the top of this page to have a look at our tentative agenda for the week. 

See you in Cuba?
~ Jenny

20 Feb 2016

You can still join the April 20 group!

It is still possible to join the April 20-27 group going to Marea del Portillo, Cuba. Whether you want to bike or not, we'll have a great time! Contact me for current prices or other information. 
~ Jenny


28 Jan 2016

New prices for April 20 Cuba group!

Good news! We've been able to get better prices, which will be valid until Feb. 18. You can sign up after that, if space is still available, but the rates may go up. Don't delay; sign up today.... as they say. 

If you can't go, please help spread the word. One of the goals of this trip is to provide bikes for families in Cuba. Group participants make this possible. If you want to support this endeavor, you can also sponsor a bike; contact me to find out how.


Gracias,
Jenny































21 Jan 2016

New bikes now available for April trip!

Hey folks, I have awesome news!

My April 20-27 Bike/Not Bike trip partner, Randy Pielsticker, has been able to arrange a special bikes-for-Cubans deal through Algonquin Outfitters ~ $300 + tax for a KHS mountain bike! You can now purchase a new bike to take along on this trip or sponsor one for someone else to transport via the JennicaCuba "Bike Shepherd" project. 

These bikes will be going to families in need who live near Club Amigo Marea del Portillo, Cuba, where we will be staying during this trip. So far, my groups and I have taken about 60 donated bikes to this area and they are being well used. Our goal is to take 10 new bikes to Cuba as part of the April group trip. But, we still need a few more people to sign up by Jan. 25...

Give me a call!
Jenny
647-216-1791 or 705-788-1791

Here are some samples of the bikes we've taken in the past...








14 Jan 2016

We need 10 people by Jan. 25...

Want to join Randy Pielsticker and Jenny Cressman in Cuba? The upcoming trip to Marea del Portillo is a great opportunity to do some biking... or not. The April 20-27 group trip is designed to suit adventurous bikers as well as people who just want to chill out on a warm beach, so to speak, and those in between. But, whether you opt in or out for the daily bike excursions, you will still get a free massage as part of the package! Prices on the flyer (page 2) will be valid until Feb. 18, if at least 10 people sign up by Jan. 25. After that, prices may go up. Contact Jenny for more info or to sign up for this exclusive trip!