Cuba: La Isla Grande

Our Clients’ Reviews

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It's the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you're interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers. Any feedback collected (Good or bad) from Exodus clients is posted straight onto our website - totally unedited. Read more...

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  Cindy Molenaar

  CUBA: LA ISLA GRANDE

  

  Written April 2012

  This is a great trip which gives you a very good insight into an amazing country.  It offers a good mixture nature, culture, history, sunbathing and mojito time! 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  There were many different moments that made this a great trip for me:  

   

  • watching the lightning and fireflies from our verandah in the middle of a storm in the Sierra Maestra whilst sipping cocktails
  • having lunch in someone's front yard, surrounded by puppies and chickens whilst the tropical rain hits the roof of our shelter
  • walking through the Sierra Maestra to Fidel's camp, beautiful scenery and exotic birds
  • being shown back to our hotel in Baracoa by a ballet dancing little girl and her grandfather after a fantastic evening at their paladare
  • swimming at a waterfall and into a cave with bats
  • eating lunch and enjoying the sunshine on a Caribbean island in the company of iguanas and other wildlife
  • just wandering around the streets of any of the towns with their incredible colonial architecture
  • and of course, listening to all the fantastic music and enjoying watching the dancers!

   

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Manuel is an excellent leader who has time for everyone, even with a large group like ours. He is very knowledgeable about his country and is keen to share this knowledge.  All the organisation ran like clockwork, we were never late and we never had to wait anywhere.  Manuel is also very sociable and is English is virtually fluent; he has even nearly mastered the English sense of humour!

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  As others have already said, pack some snackfood, especially if like me you are always hungry!  Although food at breakfast, lunch and dinner is always plentyful there are some days when the time between one of these meals is quite long.  Cuban public toilets tend not to have any toiletpaper, so do take some with you, although you should be able to collect some from your hotel room as well.  Hotel rooms don't have basin plugs so if you want to wash your essentials, bring one of these.  

  Oh, and if you have a free night in Baracoa and you fancy dinner in a small local restaurant, visit La Roca on 1ro de Abril (by the beach). It can seat up to 12 people and the food is good, the owners lovely and the entertainment very special.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  The many guidebooks warn you about the lack of good food, but although the type food on offer was much the same in most places, I thought the quality was always good.  The choices tend to be chicken, pork, beef, prawns and sometimes lobster, but always with rice, beans and salad.

  You do spend quite a bit of time on a bus, but this is really the only way to see the whole country in two weeks and you get to see lots of the scenery.  There are regular stops for toilets and coffee and the bus we had was very comfortable so it really wasn't that bad, especially if you're in a chatty group like we were! Our driver, Ernesto, was one of the best and safest drivers I have come across.

  And finally, embrace the culture of history, music, dance and cocktails and have a great time!

   

   
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  Sheena Gilby

  CUBA: LA ISLA GRANDE

  

  Written April 2012

  A fantastic trip taking in many of the beautiful places and learning about the history of this fascinating Island.  

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Having such a knowlegeable guide who talked to us and showed us the most amazing places. Being invited into the homes of some of the local people was a priviledge.

  Hearing all about the Cuban Revolution and seeing some of the iconic places such as Castros hideaway in the Sierra Maestre was fantastic.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  We all loved him. He was knowlegeable, kind and very funny. He took us to great eating and dancing places. He made the trip very special.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  This is a full on trip. You are on the go the whole time. I would advise you add on a couple of extra days either at the beginning or end so you can get to know Havana better. I felt I didn't have enough opportunity to see Havana properly.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  I wouldn't have missed this for the world. It was a great trip, excellently organised.

   
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  karen doyle

  CUBA: LA ISLA GRANDE

  

  Written March 2012

  This holiday gives you a great overall view of Cuba, travelling from virtually one end of the island to the other, just staying in Havana would not give you the same holiday at all. I think that the way Exodus run the trip is excellent, making sure most of the long driving days are at the beginning of the trip. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  I personally enjoyed the walk through the jungle and the rowboat trip, along the way swimming in the river and visiting a local family who provided fresh coconuts straight from the tree for us to drink. I also really enjoyed the walk to Fidel's mountain camp, and the swim down the river into the cave.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Freddy was extremely knowledgeable about Cuba, good sense of humour. He made lots of stops on the busy driving days, mainly to buy supplies of freshly squeezed sugar cane juice, chocolate, bananas etc. He made extra effort to organise dinner in the evening, without putting pressure on people to stay with the group.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Don't worry too much about the travelling distances, there are two long days at the beginning but plenty of stops, the bus is comfortable and airconditioned. The food is a little samey but having said that it's plentiful and far better than I was led to believe, the ice cream is delightful (home made in some restaurants). Some of the hotel rooms are small but always clean. The people are very friendly and the cocktails amazing.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  This is our third Exodus trip and although I travelled with my husband to Cuba I would not hestitate in booking a trip on my own, the groups are always small, ours was 15, they are always a good mixture of ages and backgrounds and it makes for a wonderful holiday, and out of the 15 there were only 2 couples.  

   
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  Gayle Bryant

  CUBA: LA ISLA GRANDE

  

  Written March 2012

  Brilliant! 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Too many to choose from....

  • Dinner of fresh sea food on the beach by the light of a bonfire
  • Dancing with the locals in Trinidad
  • Swimming at a waterfall and seeing bats in the cave
  • Enjoying the carnival atmosphere of Bayamo on a saturday night

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Freddy was an absolute star! He is very knowledgeable about his country from the history, to contemporary life, flora and fauna and a few nifty dance moves.

  He always managed to add a little extra touch or surprise to the day and was always willing to go the extra mile to organise some thing special. He was sure to let us know if there was some thing we should be aware of in terms of eco tourism (such as not buying snail necklaces or saving bottles for use on the farms) and also identifed the things that the Cubans are doing to protect their environment and manage their resources.

  Freddy has a great sense of humour and is always ready to crack a joke. It's the way he tells em! 

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Cuba is a very beautiful and colourful country. It is very safe, clean and has a relaxed atmosphere. The people we met were always friendly and helpful.

  A couple of the days at the start of the trip were long days in the coach but it was very worth the effort. But do be prepared to move hotels nearly every night.

  Watch out! The rum comes in very large measures!

  Chivalry is alive and kicking in Cuba!

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  This is the second time I've been to Cuba but the first time I have travelled with Exodus. I am planning to try both again soon.

   
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  Martha Hilland

  CUBA: LA ISLA GRANDE

  

  Written March 2012

  I thoroughly enjoyed my holiday in Cuba. It is a beautiful country, with an interesting history and warm friendly people. I loved the faded pastel chic architecture and the brilliantly coloured classic cars. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  There were so many highlights on this trip! I enjoyed swimming to a waterfall, and at the Playa Maguana. Dinner on the beach with bonfires was very memorable. Hiking to Fidel's hideout was very interesting too. Dancing salsa with the locals in the Casa de la Trovas in the evenings was brilliant fun.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Freddie was a fantastic guide, so knowledgeable, kind and thoughtful. He was amusing and great fun. Without his expertise I doubt it would have been such a memorable holiday. I can't recommend him highly enough!

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  This was one of the best holidays I have been on- so go for it!

   
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  Janice Holmes

  CUBA: LA ISLA GRANDE

  

  Written March 2012

  In doing this trip it showed me many aspects of this amazing country.  I didn't realise how rich & abundant they were in architecture, fabulous cars, history, politics, education, music & art.   

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  There were so many inspirational moments.  Having a meal on a beach.  Drinking out of coconuts. Nearly everywhere we went there was live music being played, Cuban music is so varied.  Dancing with the locals.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Freddy our leader was fab!  He was friendly, enthusiastic, knowledgeable, funny & his knowledge of the English language was excellent.  Rather that supply a load of dull facts, he was very informative by sharing his personal experieces & bringing to life the recent history of the country.  He was always very keen to answer any questions.  He was also very keen for us to experience all of what Cuba could offer & took us to some amazing resturants, arranged meals in some local homes & on a beach!

  He also looked after us very well. 

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  If you are a veggie, you may not have a varied diet while you are in Cuba.  Apart from rice & beans and some salad which accompanies most meals, the other choices are chicken, pork, shredded beef, fish, lobster & prawns.  

  Don't come armed with goodies.  Some Cubans may live simply but I would say they are not as poor as in Africa or India.

  Bring a supply of toilet paper!! 

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  I must say that there was a lot of travelling on the coach, espcially the first couple of days.   If the holiday was extended by 2 days this would mean there could be more breaks and the chance to see more of Santa Clara & Holguin. 

  It would be great if in the first day there could be a salsa lesson!  This would then help the travellers to feel more confident to join in with the dancing sooner.

  It appeared as we were travelling around that there was a problem with the booking of accomodation.  I thought that if Exodus were using a hotel on a regular basis, there shouldn't be any problem but on a few occations we had to stay somewhere else.  I don't understand the reason for this and I beleive this caused Freddy a headache & a lot of telephone calls.

   
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  George Pratley

  CUBA: LA ISLA GRANDE

  

  Written March 2012

  Probably the most touristy Exodus holiday we've had, but a very good way to see a lot of Cuba and start to understand what's happening there 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  The "best" bit of  a lot of good bits was the night spent in the national park and the trip up to Castro's hide-out, if only for the views!

  What did you think of your group leader?

  He was very experienced, energetic, and keen we should see Cuba warts and all. As an ex-teacher he was perhaps sometimes rather inclined to treat us like a school group, but he certainly gave us an education in all things Cuban. He went out of his way to give us add-ons as the opportunity arose

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Take your guide books with a pinch of salt - things are changing fast. Take your own medicines, but the Cubans are not short of the basics. You'll be asked for soap (from your hotels) and t-shirts, but kids don't need pens - they get them provided at school. Ordinary writing paper and envelopes are luxuries. The girls are pleased to have face-creams and new make-up.

  We confirm that this is a trip with a LOT of riding in the bus - and if your guide is as informative as ours, he's on the microphone most of the time, so you won't be reading, but you might be topping up your intake of Cuba Libre (look it up!)

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  Learn the words to "Guantanamera" - you'll be singing it a lot! Practice your salsa if you've got two left feet, but there are plenty of people ready to supervise your practice. Leave room in your bags to bring home the pile of CDs you'll accumulate from the musicians you hear - they are all talented.

   

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