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.
 
[ Read Less ]

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.

Cuba & the Caribbean Islands TOURS

Classic Cars & Cigars
9 NIGHTS From USD 3,775

Experience the best of Cuba! This tour combines Havana, the picturesque tobacco region of Vinnales, ...

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Cuba Motorcycle Club - 7 Day
6 NIGHTS From USD 3,250

Explore Cuba on this 6 day guided motorcycle tour and enjoy the exquisiteness, precision and luxury ...

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Discover Havana
3 NIGHTS From USD 740

This stopover embraces the best of Havana, the largest city of Cuba. Explore the cultural centre of ...

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Highlights of Haiti
7 NIGHTS From USD 2,699

Haiti, a place of bold flavours, intoxicating music and colourful art. Explore the country's waterfa...

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Best of Jamaica
7 NIGHTS From USD 2,025

Explore beautiful, colourful and vibrant Jamaica on this 8-day tour that takes you beyond the must-s...

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The Best of Central America and Cuba
22 NIGHTS From USD 6,720

Wildlife

Explore the best of Central America visiting Panama, Cuba, Guatemala, Belize and Mexico on this 22-d...

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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!

Chimu presents ‘Sustainable feature of the month.’

Wednesday 7th August 2019. August – Tierra Atacama, Chile. Latin America and Polar specialists, Chimu Adventures, a...

Press release: Chimu and PONANT Launch Arctic 2021 Cruises with Exclusive Offers

Arctic 2021: Exclusive €300 per person onboard credit per person on all PONANT voyages, some discounted by up to 30...

Antarctica Travel Guide – ALL you need to know

One magnificent destination + all you need to know to plan a visit = the most comprehensive Antarctica Travel Guide y...

Retirement Bucket-list Journeys # 7 – The Arctic

Arctic expeditions may well be the hottest trend in travel right now yet the fact is they’ve been the ideal retirem...

Retirement Bucket-list Journeys # 6 – Amazon Jungle

Waited your whole life to visit one of the most important natural wonders on earth? Read on to discover how luxurious...

Retirement Bucket-list Journeys # 5 – Galapagos Islands

Take your retirement bucket-list journey to a whole other level when you experience the most spellbinding, wildlife-e...

15 lessons in 15 years: Entrepreneurs Greg Carter and Chad Carey reflect on what they have learnt on their Chimu journey.

June 2003, London. The sun is shining and there is that air of freedom and potential which rides on the (sometimes) s...

Retirement Bucket-list Journeys # 4 – Chiloé Island

One of the remotest corners in the remotest region in all of South America – Patagonia’s Chiloé Islands are a wo...

Retirement Bucket-list Journeys #3 – Belmond Explorer Train Journey Through Peru

Take an unforgettable luxury train ride through the cloud-shrouded Andean peaks of Peru – a most fitting inclusion ...

Retirement Bucket-list Journeys # 2 – Patagonia Outdoor Activities

The true land of fire and ice, Patagonia is the wild southern region of South America, an area so extensive and brimm...

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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.

Rated 5 out of 5 by from Cuba - a unique wonderful country We did a 12 day trip through Cuba travelling from Havana down to Baracoa. It was a fantastic trip and Cuba was an amazing country to travel to. The only thing we would say people need to be made aware of is that when we went to Trinidad, we stayed at one of the Cuban state-run all inclusive resorts which was not near the central town of Trinidad, which is where we would have preferred to have stayed. If we had known, we would have changed this part of the accommodation on the trip. While it was lovely to see the ocean, the resort was packed with big bus-loads of tourists and the food was pretty awful - have to say the only time on the trip where the food wasn't good. The food through the rest of Cuba was great! Otherwise the rest of the trip was excellent.
Date published: 2015-01-16
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Better than I expected,amazing,interesting. Plenty of opportunity to meet locals.very safe for two older ladies,walked at night without incident.educated informed guides .very personalised itenary which could be adjusted to clients interests and needs. travelled everywhere very comfortably by taxi eg 5 hour ride from Trinidad to havana.lots of "things" may not meet international standards but as they say TIC(this is cuba) and it's part of its charm and interest.we had a fantastic time and all went to plan.
Date published: 2014-09-25
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Amazing trip! We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Cuba. It was perfectly well organised by Chimu and its Cuba branch. We were met at the airport when we arrived and taken to our first hostal. We were given the programme for the duration of the journey and everything ran smoothly. Our guides were friendly, fun and very knowledgeable. The taxi drivers picked us up on time firm each location. We loved getting an insight into Cuba a communist country on the change. Music everywhere, amazing scenery whether the mountains in Vinales , shabby but grand buildings in cities or the magnificent coast line and islands with white sand and coco palm trees. Staying in a casa particular in Trinidad was great too.Thank you to all concerned.
Date published: 2017-01-23
Rated 4 out of 5 by from A trip which was so different Chimu put us a good tailor made tour together meeting our needs perfectly starting in Mexico City and ending at the Caribbean resort of Varedero for some rest and relaxation. We found this an amazing trip , it was full of contrasts, the country was vibrant , beautiful and so interesting . We loved the fact that as a small group of 4 we were guided and informed around this country which has dimensions you wouldn't normally pick up as an independent traveller . The tour of Havanna was great ,we especially liked the afternoon tour in the open top American cars, lots of fun . The trip wasn't without the odd glitch on the ground ,which you would probably expect . Simon from Chimu was excellent in ironing out problems immediately with the local provider and keeping us informed . We were really pleased to visit Cuba before it changes too much,
Date published: 2015-07-21
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Cuba - see it before it's too late! We experienced the Colonial Cuba tour in December 2016 and were very pleased with all aspects of the tour - we had an excellent local guide (Pedro), nice travelling companions, a variety of accommodations, learned a lot, experienced a lot and enjoyed ourselves a lot! Our only complaint is that it should have been a bit longer so that we could have experienced the countryside west of Havana as this bit of the island was not included in the itinerary.
Date published: 2017-02-16
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Cuban Highlights - A great experience! We travelled from Havana to Cienfuegos, Trinidad and back to Havana via Santa Clara. We enjoyed all aspects of the trip, The accommodation was generally as expected and of the standard described by Chimu except at the Conde De Villanueva in Havana where there was no hot water and the staff seemed somewhat indifferent to our concerns.This hotel's location in old Havana is ideal. The other hotels were ranged from good to very good. All transportation was timely and our guides were informative and proud to show us their country. The guides were Liuba in Havana from Cuba Select, Odalis in Trinidad and Vladimir from Trinidad to Santa Clara. It was a real experience that to some extent that dipped us back in time with the old cars, rustic lifestyle and access to internet being an adventure in itself! Cuba Select was great when we had to recover some lost paperwork. The contact was, I believe, Yenni or Johanna who organised for their contractor Ronald to pick it up in Cienfuegos and return it to Havana.We were very grateful for this.
Date published: 2017-01-15
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Great week in Cuba, customized to our requests. A fascinating insight into life in 2015 Cuba as the country awaits new leadership after the Castros and prepares to open its doors to millions of US tourists. Go now!
Date published: 2015-12-01
Rated 3 out of 5 by from Mixed bag. 2 guides great. Dissapointed For a private tour..first Hotel moved as overbooked we believe. Room in Havana first stay no windows. 2 guides great. Guide from Havana to Trinadad spoke no more than 2 words over 300 km? No tour visits on the way..Very disappointed for the money we paid. Vans used very small as pac over 6ft tall.
Date published: 2015-09-07
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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)
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/
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.
 
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.