Cuba & the Caribbean Islands

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TRAVELLING TO Cuba & the Caribbean Islands

Why visit? Cuba is one of the very few countries in the world that has managed to stay completely loyal to its identity. Vintage cars continue to cruise the city streets, countryside towns still use their most traditional farming practices and the Latin spirit can be felt everywhere you go. 
 
Travellers from the US usually start their Cuba tour in Havana, the island’s capital. Once the most heavily fortified city in the Americas, Havana is a highlight for many travellers visiting Cuba, due to its interesting history and colonial charm. 
 
From Havana, travellers can continue their tour to Trinidad, a perfectly preserved Spanish colonial settlement that was declared UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988 and combines everything a culture lover’s heart desires from its brightly coloured buildings, colonial-style mansions and picturesque cobblestone streets to a thriving live music scene at night. 
 
Cuba’s finest beaches can be found around the paradise surrounding Cayo Blanco in the north of Mexico, where days can be spent swimming with dolphins, relaxing on what is known to be the crème de la crème of Caribbean beaches, or cruising the coast by seafari catamaran.   
 
To get the most of their trip, many travellers decide to extend their Caribbean tour and discover some of the many postcard perfect surrounding Islands – favourites include Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and the Bahamas. 
 
How to get there? For the Caribbean, flights are available from most major international hubs, Miami in particular is a popular gateway to most ports in the Caribbean. For travellers to Cuba, please check with authorities whether you have authorisation to travel prior to booking flights. Flights are now available to different cities throughout Cuba from the mainland USA, and travelling via Cancun or Mexico is also a popular option.
 
More information: Below we have shown you just a fraction of the options available for Cuba &the Caribbean and multi-country travel. Browse to get an idea of where you want to travel.
 
Still wondering? Contact us:  You are definitely better off giving us a call or dropping us a line and letting us do the hard work for you. 
 
#Livefortoday and book your Cuba & the Caribbean tour with us today. Chimu Adventures can put together an itinerary to suit you.
 
[ Continue Reading ]
Why visit? Cuba is one of the very few countries in the world that has managed to stay completely loyal to its identity. Vintage cars continue to cruise the city streets, countryside towns still use their most traditional farming practices and the Latin spirit can be felt everywhere you go. 
 
Travellers from the US usually start their Cuba tour in Havana, the island’s capital. Once the most heavily fortified city in the Americas, Havana is a highlight for many travellers visiting Cuba, due to its interesting history and colonial charm. 
 
From Havana, travellers can continue their tour to Trinidad, a perfectly preserved Spanish colonial settlement that was declared UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988 and combines everything a culture lover’s heart desires from its brightly coloured buildings, colonial-style mansions and picturesque cobblestone streets to a thriving live music scene at night. 
 
Cuba’s finest beaches can be found around the paradise surrounding Cayo Blanco in the north of Mexico, where days can be spent swimming with dolphins, relaxing on what is known to be the crème de la crème of Caribbean beaches, or cruising the coast by seafari catamaran.   
 
To get the most of their trip, many travellers decide to extend their Caribbean tour and discover some of the many postcard perfect surrounding Islands – favourites include Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and the Bahamas. 
 
How to get there? For the Caribbean, flights are available from most major international hubs, Miami in particular is a popular gateway to most ports in the Caribbean. For travellers to Cuba, please check with authorities whether you have authorisation to travel prior to booking flights. Flights are now available to different cities throughout Cuba from the mainland USA, and travelling via Cancun or Mexico is also a popular option.
 
More information: Below we have shown you just a fraction of the options available for Cuba &the Caribbean and multi-country travel. Browse to get an idea of where you want to travel.
 
Still wondering? Contact us:  You are definitely better off giving us a call or dropping us a line and letting us do the hard work for you. 
 
#Livefortoday and book your Cuba & the Caribbean tour with us today. Chimu Adventures can put together an itinerary to suit you.
 
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WHY TRAVEL WITH CHIMU ADVENTURES

  • We offer you flexible travel options in Latin America at an affordable price.

  • You can choose from over 400 suggested itineraries or pick and choose elements to build your own unique experience; cover the areas you want to explore at a pace to suit you.

  • We know each Latin American country by heart and will work with you to determine which activities and accommodations are best suited to your needs.

  • From your initial enquiry until your trip ends, you will be assigned a personal Destination Specialist who will offer a full service for your travel needs: we can book flights, insurance and any ancillary travel required to complete your journey.

  • We have offices across South America so you can be assured that ground staff are close at hand to assist whilst you are travelling.

FEATURED Cuba & the Caribbean Islands TRIPS & DEALS

Cuba & the Caribbean Islands TOURS

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Cuba & the Caribbean Islands REVIEWS

All Chimu Adventures' clients are given the opportunity to review their trip once they return home. These reviews are administered by a third party and as such are unfiltered by Chimu Adventures.

BLOGS ON Cuba & the Caribbean Islands

Whether you are looking for advice on visas and vaccinations,when to travel, best markets or beaches to visit, wildlife guides or the top restaurants in a city, Chimu blogs are likely to have it covered. The range of topics is vast, with new and fascinating blogs being added regularly. There are airport guides, Galapagos Island guides, what to pack and what not to pack, and even a blog on the most romantic locations to propose in Latin America!

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

There are a number of currencies in use in the Caribbean, the most widespread being the East Caribbean Dollar, the US dollar and the Euro.
Here are a few examples of units of currency:
 
  • Bahamas - Bahamian Dollar (BSD)
  • Barbados - Barbadian Dollar (BBD)
  • Dominican Republic - Dominican Peso 
  • Haiti - Haitian Gourde
  • Jamaica - Jamaican Dollar 
  • Puerto Rico - US Dollar (USD)
  • Cuba - Cuban Peso (CUP)
 
Please check websites such as www.oanda.com or www.xe.com for up to date exchange rates prior to your departure.
The Cuban Peso (CUP) is one of two official currencies used in Cuba. The CUP does not have any value outside of Cuba and is used almost exclusively within the country. For many years, the United States dollar (USD) has been used by tourists. However, use of the USD is now being replaced by the CUC, or the Cuban Convertible Peso. Thus, Cuba has two parallel currencies - the CUP and CUC. Generally tourists are required to only use CUC.
 
In Cuba the standard voltage is 110/220V and standard frequency is 60Hz. Power sockets are of types A, B and C.
In Haiti, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic the standard voltage is 110V and standard frequency 60/50/60Hz respectively. Power sockets are of types A and B (Haiti and Jamaica).
In the Bahamas the standard voltage is 120V and standard frequency is 60Hz. Power sockets are of types A and B.
Please visit the below link for more information: http://electricaloutlet.org/
Spanish, English and French are the 3 main languages of the Caribbean. Spanish is the official language of Cuba and most Cubans speak it, although the Spanish spoken in Cuba is known as Cuban Spanish, a form of Caribbean Spanish. Haitian Creole is the second largest language in Cuba, spoken by Haitian immigrants and their descendants. Lucumi, a dialect of the West African language can also be heard.
 
The wildlife that you may encounter on your Caribbean travels is diverse due the varied terrains and extensive coral reefs with many endemic species. Cuba’s coral reef, Jardines de la Reina (Queen’s Garden) is often referred to as the “Galapagos of the Caribbean” due to its huge biodiversity.
 
December to April is considered to be the best time to travel to Cuba and the Caribbean as it tends to be drier, cooler and less humid at this time of year. 
 
Read all about how safe it is to travel to Cuba here: 
http://www.chimuadventures.com/blog/2016/04/cuba-safe-to-travel/
Virtually all visitors need a Cuban visa or tourist card, which allows a stay of 30 days (90 days for Canadian citizens). Visas are required by citizens of Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, EU countries and USA. Tourist Visa Cards (tarjeta de turista) cost US$25 and are valid for stays of up to 30 days (90 days for Canadian citizens). Visas must be used within 180 days of the date of issue. Extensions of 30 days are available in Cuba. Visitors need a return ticket and proof that they have booked a hotel room for at least three nights. You are not permitted entry to Cuba without an onward ticket.
 
 
Our Cuba tours and Caribbean tours include breakfast daily and many other meals may also be included in your itinerary. As a rough guide for additional spending money based on having moderately-priced lunches and dinners and buying a few souvenirs at local markets, we suggest a budget of 30-40 USD per day per person in Cuba. 
 
Although no specific vaccinations are required for Caribbean travel and no proof of any vaccination is required to enter Cuba and the Caribbean, we recommend that you visit your doctor or a traveller’s medical centre for current information specific to those places that you will be travelling through.
As a general guide we recommend the following:
 
  • Hepatitis - Both A and B (twinrix)
  • Tetanus
  • Typhoid
  • Diphtheria
  • Cholera
  • Rabies
  • Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)

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