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

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!

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        

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.

If 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

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

My 2016 Mother's Day greeting....

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