CAMINO DE CUBA

16 days from GBP1,699 to GBP2,169 including flights
Tripcode: TAC

Countries Visited: Cuba

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Our Clients’ Reviews

Average Review Rating: from 18 reviews.

Ann Winfrey

CAMINO DE CUBA

Written January 2012
Cuba is full of contradictions & unanswered questions. Don't go if you want a 'carribbean holiday', do go if you enjoy a good walk and are curious about life under Castro & the laws of unintended consequences.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Visiting Fidal Castro's hideout in the Sierra maestra, eating a whole lobster in a private restaurent, swimming in the pool at the bottom of a waterfall and seeing all the bats fly out of the cave at sunset.
What did you think of your group leader?
Ennio was very thoughtful and able to answer all our questions.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Try to eat at the privately owned restaurents, the state owned are very montonous as it seems that the same supplies are sent to all the hotels.
Good walking boots, a head torch and a damp flannel or wet wipes are essential for the bunk house stays. There was NO water available at Aguada de Joaquin apart from that which is provided for drinking.
Pack all your stuff into waterproof bags / bin bags for the pico turquino trip, it is very humid & everything gets damp even if it doesn't rain.
Take an additional small, light waterproof bag big enough for both your fleece & sleeping bag which will be carried by the porters. My sleeping bag was wet with sweat from one of the porters, not very special!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The Pico Turquino day is tough. We had ideal conditions & it still took longer than stated. we started in the morning at 6.50, lunch at 12.15 - 13.15 , arriving at la Platica from 15.25 - 16.45. A total of 9 hours hard slog. 3 of the group decided to go straight to la platica & one did not make it to the top of Pico Turquino.
When descending from Pico Turquino, take the second sign to la platica, it is after the car park as the first path is extremely slippery, even when dry & many of the steps are missing.
Take plenty of energy bars, dried fruit, nuts from the UK. Children appreciate biros and sweets. The guides have equipment mainly donated by travellers & will appreciate anything which you can spare. Take old clothes and shoes if you have room in your case, they will be much appreciated as the state does not provide clothes & they are very expensive for the Cubans to buy.
You need to be fit for this holiday, it is probably not suitable for anyone who does not take some form of regular exercise.
The itinery is a good balance of walking & sightseeing. We drove 2,600k but because it was well paced with interesting stops it never felt like we were in the coach for too long.
Linsey Miller

CAMINO DE CUBA

Written January 2012
Cuba is a fascinating country, the landscapes are beautiful & the towns & cities are fabulous. This is a packed trip which makes the most of two weeks in a country where there is loads to see.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Difficult to pick out one place above another, but for me Trinidad was a highlight -a beautiful town, the Pico Turquino trek (tough but worth it!) & Havana.
What did you think of your group leader?
Ennio was very patient, knowledgeable and had a good sense of humour!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Take a waterproof bag for the trek to Pico Turquino, as the porters will carry sleeping bags & overnight clothes to the bunkhouse; also, take some wipes to the bunkhouses, as the first one doesn't have any running water.
It's difficult to buy any snack food in Cuba, so I'd recommend taking something along - particularly for the trekking days.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I personally found some of the trekking difficult - particularly the Pico Turquino trail, which I found very steep and tough. However, most of the group were fine with it, but they were mostly more experienced walkers than myself, so I'd recommend doing some walking (up very steep hills!) beforehand.
Sarah Dillon
CAMINO DE CUBA

Written December 2011
Fabulous trip with a good combination of city and countryside in a warm & friendly country.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Reaching the top at Pico Turquino (although not much of a view up top)
Mastering basic salsa
Live music - it's everywhere!
Trinidad nightlife - the most amazing dancing I have seen
What did you think of your group leader?
Both Ale (our Exodus guide) and Tony (our Cuban guide) were both fantastic - organised, friendly, helpful and knowledgable. Credit should also go to Tomas, our driver, for his skills in negotiating the roads many potholes.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Poles useful for Pico Turquino - stepped climb
Wet wipes needed for Pico Turquino days - unless you want a cold shower....
Clothes washing opportunities at Trinidad & Santiago
A few long days on the bus so take something to read or listen to
Drinking rum almost compulsory!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Go now before things change.......then go again after they have to see the difference.
June Egglestone

CAMINO DE CUBA

Written December 2011
Excellent tour around Cuba, time for walking, salsa and plenty of cocktails.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Reaching the summit of Pico Turquino, salsa on the steps in Trinidad.
What did you think of your group leader?
Excellent, professional, and good fun.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Err on the warm side with sleeping bag, 2/3 season definitely.
(mattresses are very comfortable in refuges and camping, so no need to worry about that)
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I would highly recommend this trip (and Cuba in general).
Debra Goodsir

CAMINO DE CUBA

Written December 2011
Cuba's a wonderful country, the people are thoughtful and interested, interesting and funny. I had a great time. Our local Cuban guide, Tony, was great and gave us a wonderful understanding of what it is to be Cuban. The Sierra de Escambray walking was lovely and swimming in the waterfall pools wonderful. I had been sick before this trip so was not at my best but the guide and leader helped me make all the walks.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Salsa lessons were very inspirational - a chubby woman in lycra, with great self-esteem, tried to teach some basically unmisical people how to dance the Salsa. It was hilarious. It helped a bit with the dancing as well.
What did you think of your group leader?
Our Cuban leader, Tony was charming and helpful and extraordinarily knowledgeable. He really loves his country and tried to help us love it too.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Don't bring everything on the Exodus packing list or your bag will be too full.
Learn some Spanish before you go, a little bit goes a long way.
Relax and enjoy.
Anne McFarlane

CAMINO DE CUBA

Written November 2011
Cuba, a dream come true, it's history, it's flowers, it's health service, it's people and more. We got it all on our trip. It was extremely busy but worth it!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
I made it to the top of Cubas highest mountain and got my picture taken with Hose Marti to prove it!
What did you think of your group leader?
Alesandro was amazing. He dealt with broken legs, bus break-ins, double bookings to national parks and more. Despite all, he managed to convey an aura of not a care in the world and was also pretty hot with the Salsa.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Take Salsa dance lessons before you go.
Richard Wallek

CAMINO DE CUBA

Written February 2011
It was a marvellous holiday, better than expected. Our guide and our leader were very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the history and culture of Cuba, together with a beautiful country and people made for a wonderful experience. It was also a very good group of people that got on well together. Probably our best Exodus holiday.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
I think it was the Cubans themselves. They may be a very poor people but they are certainly not poor in spirit. I very much enjoyed the music as well, an added bonus.
What did you think of your group leader?
Our group leader was excellent. She was full of enthusiasm for Cuba and their culture and this certainly added to our experience. We also had a very knowledgeable Cuban guide. What he didn't know about the history and culture wasn't worth knowing. They were both fantastic.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
We didn't take any clothes for going out in the evenings and we could have done with some.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
It would have been nice to have a route map of the walking days. We brought our own road map to follow our progress but when we were in the national park and in the mountains I would have liked to have known where we were going. I still can't figure out where we were exactly in the Topes Collantes and where we rejoined the road.