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| Explore — Worldwide 2008/09 |
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Page Text Content
THE AMERICAS
CUBA
NEW! Revolutionary Trails
TREKKING GRADE B/C
Ref CU
JFMAMJJASOND JFMA
15 DAYS HOTELS/REFUGIOS/CABIN IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF CHE GUEVARA
Ferry to Cayo Levisa White sandy beach & optional snorkeling
HAVANA
City tour
Revolutionary Trails Ref CU
A T L A N T I C O C E A N
VINALES
Walk in Valle de Vinales
LAS TERRAZAS
Rainforest walk to stilt cabins
C U B A
HOLGUIN
C A R I B B E A N
km 0 200
S E A
Sierra SANTIAGO Walking on La Plata' Maestra City tour Pico Turquino 1972m 3-day trek from LOS GALEONES Alto de Naranjo Golden beaches to the sea
VILLA SANTO DOMINGO
CUBA
Flower sellers/Valerie Walker
NEW!
Classic Cuba
Ref DCL
JFMAMJJASOND JFMA
16 DAYS HOTELS BEST OF CUBA, PAST AND PRESENT
HAVANA
Las Terrazas Walk & swim City tour
Classic Cuba Ref DCL
Santa Clara
Follow in the footsteps of Fidel, Che, Raul and others who, from their base in the remote Sierra Maestra launched one of the world's most famous revolutions. Join us on a 3 day trek up Cuba's highest peak and then descend to the glittering Caribbean sea below. From here we fly west to walk amongst the rainforests of Las Terrazas, the mogotes' of Vinales and relax on the beach before taking in the highlights of Havana.
3-day Trek up Pico Turquino From our base at Santo Domingo we spend several days acclimatising with walks up into the hills covered in cloud-forest, the highlight of which will undoubtedly be the hike to the painstakingly restored and revered La Plata' where Fidel's rebel army' was based. Then begins our trek up Cuba's highest peak, Pico Turquino (1,972m), staying overnight in simple refugios we will get a taste for what life must have been like for Fidel and his followers. Jungle & Mogotes' From the bustling city of Santiago we fly west to the tranquillity of the tropical forests at Las Terrazas. Here we walk up to little-visited stilt cabins, with breaks en route to swim in jungle falls and to admire the colourful birds in the canopy above. Continuing on to Vinales we discover one of Cuba's most charming towns and venture out on foot amongst a picturesque landscape of limestone mogotes'. Caribbean Beach & Havana We have a day relaxing on the white sands at Cayo Levisa before heading to Havana for the final nights of the tour. Having followed in Fidel's footsteps from the earliest days of the revolution in the Sierra Maestra, it is fitting that our journey ends in Havana which Castro entered, triumphant, on 8th January 1959. We have a guided tour of the old town and there's the chance to try out your samba skills in the evening.
VINALES
Walk in Mogotes landscape
Soroa Waterfalls Orchids
Playa Giron Museum
CAYO ENSENACHOS
Coral reefs Camuguey
A T L A N T I C O C E A N
Bay of Pigs
CIENFUEGOS TRINIDAD
Visit Cathedral & tobacco factory
C A R I B B E A N
km 0 200
C U B A
S E A
BAYAMO
Santo Domingo Sierra Walking on Comandancia Maestra de la Plata' Pico Turquino 1972m
SANTIAGO
City tour
Walk to La Plata/Jason Beevis'
Explore Cuba with us to the gentle rhythms of this laid-back Caribbean island and from the comfort of our quite extraordinary collection of hotels. In Havana we stay at the city's most recognisable landmark, Hotel Nacional, where echoes of Winston Churchill and Frank Sinatra still reverberate through the wide neoclassical corridors. From our balconies in Vinales we enjoy one of the best views in the Americas and at the end of our tour we stay at the breathtaking Royal Hideaway, an exclusive coastal retreat.
Havana to Vinales After exploring old Havana with our guide, we take the short drive to the rolling hills of Las Terrazas and discover lush tropical forest reclaiming the land from the old coffee plantations and jungle falls that make ideal Vinales, view from hotel balcony
bathing spots. Continuing to Vinales, we walk through a landscape of picturesque limestone Mogotes' and fertile tobacco plains. Santiago & Sierra Maestra Flying south east, we discover the colonial charm of Santiago from our hotel, and one of Graham Greene's favourite haunts in the 1950s, Casa Grande. The Sierra Maestra mountains not only dominate the physical landscape but also the political one; acting as the base from where Castro launched his revolution. We head into these hills to visit his command post at La Plata'. Trinidad & Offshore Cayes Often described as the quintessential Cuba, Trinidad is one of the most charming towns on our journey. Here cobbled streets meet exquisitely restored colonial houses framed by hills on one side and the Caribbean on the other. After visiting the culturally iconic Bay of Pigs and Che's Mausoleum at Santa Clara our last days are spent unwinding on the whitesand beaches and coral reefs of Cayo Ensenachos.
FACTFILE
Itinerary Day 1 Fly London/Holguin. 2 Drive Santo Domingo; walk to finca (4-5hrs). 3 In Santo Domingo; walking at La Plata (4hrs). 4 Start 3-day trek; trek to cabin Joaquin (6hrs). 5 Trek via Pico Turquino to cabin Majagua (7-8hrs). 6 Walk to Las Cuevas (2hrs); drive to Los Galeones. 7 Drive to Santiago; orientation tour. 8 Free morning in Santiago; drive Holguin; fly Havana; drive Las Terrazas. 9 Free morning; walk to stilt cabins (3-4hrs). 10 Walk back to Las Terrazas (3-4hrs); drive Vinales. 11 Walking amongst mogotes' (4-5hrs). 12 Drive and ferry to Cayo Levisa; relax on island; drive Havana. 13 In Havana; tour of old town. 14 Fly London. 15 Arrive London. Accommodation & Meals: 10nts hotel, 3nts refugios, 1nt cabin; 13 breakfasts, 7 lunches & 4 dinners included. See insert p2. Mode of Travel: On Foot/Charter Bus/Ferry/Flights as itinerary. Comment: A superb walking tour with a strong sense of history combined with the highlights of Cuba. The walking is mainly moderate with one strenuous day ascending Pico Turquino. Although walking distances are not particularly far, heat is a factor to consider. Tour Staff & Support: Explore Tour Leader plus driver(s), boatmen and some local guides. Luggage transported by mules and porters. Group Size: Approx. 12 to 16.
FACTFILE
Itinerary Day 1 Fly London/Havana. 2 In Havana; city tour. 3 Drive Vinales via Las Terrazas. 4 In Vinales; visit Mogotes'. 5 Drive and fly to Santiago. 6 In Santiago; city tour. 7 AM free in Santiago; drive Bayamo. 8 Drive and walk to La Plata', return Bayomo. 9 Drive to Trinidad via Camuguey. 10 In Trinidad; city tour; free afternoon. 11 Drive to Cienfuegos via Bay of Pigs. 12 Drive via Santa Clara to Cayo Ensenachos; free afternoon for swimming/ snorkelling. 13 On Cayo Ensenachos; free day. 14 Drive Havana. 15 Fly London. 16 Arrive London. Accommodation & Meals: 14nts hotel; 14 breakfasts, 1 lunch & 2 dinners included. See insert p2. Mode of Travel: Charter bus/On foot/Flights as itinerary. Comment: The highlights of Cuba in style and comfort. Please refer to the tour dossier for more details about the hotels we have chosen. Walks are graded as easy and are all optional. Tour Staff & Support: Explore Tour Leader plus driver(s) and some local guides. Group Size: Approx. 12 to 16.
Essential information, departure dates & prices see Pricing & Information Supplement
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