Cultural Island Travel - Travel To Cuba Legally Bewertungen 

My husband and I have traveled the world for many years, but we never ventured to Cuba in spite it being so near. Cultural Island made obtaining the visa easy and designed an itinerary that highlighted the many cultural and historical offerings of the country. We loved the people, the music, the art and learning Cuba’s history. It’s truly a different world and Havana is beautiful, safe and clean. Most of all, we loved our guide Irma. Her knowledge and warmth and her joy in sharing Cuba was exceptional. My only reason for not rating 5 stars is there were glitches in where we stayed, but admittedly we have high expectations. I think all Americans should visit Cuba!

Wonderful trip. Our tour leader was exemplar. We were taken to great restaurants, heard fabulous music, and our days were filled with touring with very little down time. Highly recommend this tour company.

I enjoyed every moment in Cuba,our tour Guide was wonderful and knowledgeble.AIr B and B were very nice.Food was very good.My tour company took me to nice places for lunch.Overall i had positive experience.I will recommend Cultural Island Travel to my friends and family.

This team made our few days in Havana amazing. It's not easy navigating through this city on one's own and after this trip I would recommend this company to everyone traveling there. The curated itinerary led us to amazing tours, restaurants, museums and so much more. Beyond cigars and vintage cars, they are rich in arts, architecture, music, history and most of all spirit of community. Everything was planned out perfectly to fit our interests and more...this will be a trip that we will always cherish.

My husband and I loved our experience in Havana, Cuba with Blue Note. I don't think it would have been nearly as good if we had planned the trip ourselves. Blue Note gave access to music schools, music rehersals and opportunities to meet the artists. Our guides were knowledgeable and fun to be with. Irma, our wonderful guide even got us an artist home visit which was a trip highlight. Our friends who have seen our photos all want to go to Cuba now. I hope they do and I recommend they do it through Blue Note.

Just got back from the Blue Note Tour in connection with the Havana Jazz Festival. I will echo the high praise I see in the other comments. Teresa was wonderfully responsive in the run-up. Our two guides on site, Ivan and Mauricio, were top-notch and we felt by the end that they were our friends. The best parts musically were the performances that Pacheco arranged in more intimate settings. And Pacheco himself -- what a musician and what a fine human being!

Had a wonderful time, busy but worth it, I stayed dry to enjoy all the activities, a little taste of Rum here and there, kept it casual to enjoy the full days of activities.

Really enjoyed and appreciated our Team Leader Ivette, her knowledge, charm, good manor, sense of humor and taking good care of her group, we all love her! Our driver Daniel, all of us in his hands, driving us safely to and from, also a joy to be around.

Restaurant choices were wonderful, verity of flavor, The Group had no issue sharing.

The group, wonder mix, we all enjoyed each others company, no drama, if a change in schedule, was never an issue, we all went with the flow. Not easy getting strangers together, this group came together, was a blast of energy, kind souls, hearts.

BnB was nice and clean, the staff wonderful people, loved the ladies, wonderful breakfasts. Away from any walking distance of activity to explore, but the days were filled with full day activities, to arrive back to rest a bit, then prepare for the evening Jazz events.

I came to explore Cuba even though this was for the Jazz events. Cultural Island Travel is fantastic, and working with Teresa was the icing on the cake, got back quickly to assist with any concerns, issues.

All in all a great time, wonderful experience with a Tour guide and fantastic group, like family.

Had a great experience in Havana. Everything was well organized and the travel agent was responsive and professional.

What a wonderful idea to come to Cuba for the jazz festival. But the best part was choosing Cultural Island Travel. Every person I came in contact with (Teresa before the trip) to Ivette our guide throughout the trip was intelligent, knowledgeable about the history of Cuba but created the fabulous itinerary. The Accommodations were lovely , excellent restaurants, transport was always available. Plus we were extremely lucky to have a great group of travelers.

Of course the music was extraordinary. But I would like to say that my memories of Cuba will be about Ivette our guide. She is very caring, wanting us to have the best experience possible. We were very lucky to have her. I am planning another trip with Cultural Island and will hopefully get her as my guide again.

There is no where better for travel to Cuba than Cultural Island Travel! They made our experience in Cuba the most memorable experience for my wife and I! Our guide, Mauricio, and driver Carlos are simply the best. They are kind and the most knowledgeable people you will ever meet. Ask for them for your individual tour while in Cuba! You will not be disappointed. They both went above and beyond and we are truly grateful!

We are generally not tour group people. In order to go to Cuba, we chose this company in 2017. We had such an amazing time with their personalized services and their enthusiastic informed leaders that we decided to employ them again to see Mexico City. Irma and Ivette are inspirational tour leaders and lovely people. They hired local people on the ground who were even more expert on the ancient civilizations, religions, art and cultural history of each community. We saw the pyramids (Mayan Temples,) Frieda Kahlo's home, magical towns, and floated in the only remaining canals at Xochimilco. Our lunches and dinners were exquisitely satisfying to our four foodie participants. One of our guests is blind and deaf and our hosts made sure she had a spectacular visit. Though the trip is pre-planned, any need or desire that came up was fulfilled by our hosts. If you have ever dreamed of going to Cuba or Mexico, you will be more than satisfied if you choose Cultural Island Travel. P.S. Mexico is safe, clean and fun!

Truly magnificent customer service from start to finish. My husband and I participated in the Cuban Music & Arts tour lasting 6 nights. It fulfilled all of our expectations and then some.
My first interactions with Teresa, gave me the confidence to proceed with the booking. All details were taken care of and as questions arose there was never any delay in getting answers.
Upon arrival in Havana, we were introduced to Yusi, our guide for the week. What a sweetheart – we couldn’t have asked for a better hostess. Nothing was too much trouble for her and she was so incredibly knowledgeable not only about the island and its history but also current affairs.
As for the activities that were included there were several highlights that stood out – for example, the visit to the community garden, the proper way to prepare a mojito and the music scene in Trinidad to name just a few.
And I haven’t even touched on the meals at the paladars. Just when we thought we had tasted the best, lunch the next day seemed even better. No corners were cut in the selection of these restaurants.
There is certainly more to see and experience. Cultural Island Travel and the island left us wanting to return for another visit.

We had a terrific trip, a wonderful cultural experience. The tour was scheduled very well with fun outings as well as historical and educational background. Food was great accommodations were so so. Our guide, Yusi, really made the trip. She has deep knowledge and love for her country and we had great discussions about the current state of affairs. She was also very caring and accommodating with all the people in our group. As my wife said, on a scale of one to 10 she was a 25.

Our trip to Cuba was extraordinary. From the time we reached out to Teresa to begin planning the tour through the time Laura walked us to our return flight check-in, it was the epitome of a turn-key, customized experience. Our Cuban guide, Laura, was absolutely exceptional. She is a lawyer who guides in her spare time, so her credentials were off the chart. Those traits were matched by her kindness and sincere interest in making sure our vacation was top-notch, every moment of the day. She, and the wonderful driver Leo, escorted us - literally - from the moment we left the hotel lobby, until the time we returned at night. I would recommend her, and this travel experience, to anyone.

My husband and I had never been to Cuba, so had no idea what to expect. I thought we were signing up for a small group tour. Upon our arrival, we were amazed to find that the group was indeed small - just the two of us! We had a wonderful tour guide and driver who were dedicated to us for our week in Cuba. Our experiences in Havana were deliciously varied, from private performances from world class choir and dance groups, to a cooking class with a visit to an urban garden, to walking tours of old Havana, and a nice ride in a cute pink convertible. We traveled for a couple of nights to visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Trinidad, where we enjoyed a tour and interesting discussions with our guide, as well as a visit to the Sugar Mill Valley to learn about sugar cane processing. We also took a day trip to visit the lovely Vinales Valley, with a delicious lunch at an organic farm, then a tour of a private tobacco farm. Each day and night we dined in superb restaurants. Our lodgings were superior, and in particular, our hostesses in Havana were caring and lovely. More than anything, we enjoyed meeting people and making real friends. I cannot recommend this experience more highly!

The itinerary Irma set forth was wonderful. I enjoyed every minute of the tour. The accommodations were lovely and the daily tours were great.
The highlight for me was being able to join in the celebration of the Day of the Dead. I
learned so much more of the beautiful traditions the Mexican people honor.
Irma’s attention to detail was impeccable. She was very aware of our needs and was able to adapt as needed…and always with a smile.
The restaurants she brought us to were lovely…The ambiance and food were wonderful…outstanding in fact.
We had some excitement trying to get back to Mexico City on Saturday, November 4th. … the day of the Day of the Dead Parade…. Streets were blocked and traffic at a standstill thus we had to get out of the van and navigate through the crowds with Amado! Irma stayed with the luggage. Thank goodness he was with us. He was a god send navigating through the crowds as around and around the block's we went. Never once did I feel unsafe in spite of the massive crowds. Amado was very attentive making sure we were ok as we wended through throngs of people.
Having him with us was needed. He was helpful getting us in and out of the van and navigating the crowds wherever we went.
I loved San Miguel de Allende. It was wonderful to be in a smaller town to see the sights and learn the wonderful history. A big thank you to Irma and Amado for securing a great viewing spot in a bar where we were able to see the entire parade from above. The music, costumes, and painted faces were all amazing. It was a joyous time.

I would suggest that in the future we stay another night in San Miguel and drive to the Mexico City airport directly the following morning thus avoiding the traffic and not having to move hotels.
With that said … it was truly a magical experience that I will never forget.
A big thank you to Irma and Amado for making the trip so special!
I highly recommend this tour company.
Irma. Send info on Cuba.

I recently did a Dia de los Muertes trip to Mexico City and San Miguel de Allende with Irma. It was a fabulous trip . Irma had it beautifully organized with a myriad of things to experience, both culturally and Dia de los Muertes.The local guides were great, our transportation very good and our hotels wonderful. The food events were so yummy!! I enjoyed every minute it. I would highly recommend doing this trip with Irma and Cultural Island Travel.

I just completed a ten day tour of Mexico City and San Miguel de Allende that focused on Dia de los Muertos. It was fascinating to a part of these celebrations while learning more about thr history of these areas. Irma is a well organized tour director who has a very knowledgeable team of local guides. The itinerary she developed was extremely well organized and diverse. She clearly researches every detail of the venues. She is also very flexible and quick to react to any challenges that might be faced as they always are during travel. Her selection of restaurants in these “foodie“ cities was fantastic. I always felt well taken care of and safe. The hotels selected were top notch. I highly recommend this company.

What an amazing experience! Cuba is beautiful full of beautiful people, culture, and so much history, it has been one of my best trips so far. The Tabacco Farm in the countryside of Vinales is a must I learned about cohibas, rum, honey & coffee (The HONEY is a must have) the lunch at Finca Paraiso was one of my favorites and what an amazing view! The Cuban cooking class at Cafe Ajiaco is another favorite we enjoyed cooking and learned how to make the best MOJITOS! The Havana Compas Dancers are amazing, what a beautiful performance. Thank you to Teresa at Cultural Island Travel for planning such a beautiful and smooth trip. From the welcome mojitos at Hotel National, cohibas, music, the classic car ride in Old Havanna, our accommodations at a beautiful hotel, all the way to the fishing trip, Santa Maria Beach, all the amazing daily delicious lunch and dinners at beautiful places with such beautiful ambiance were all enjoyable and beautifully planned! This trip could not have been this amazing without Ebony, our tour leader, and our driver Henry, what a great team! Ebony is simply beautiful and lovely, full of knowledge. Henry was always on time and very helpful, thank you again Teresa for choosing a great team for us. I love Cuba!

Theresa and Laura make a terrific team! Laura was always present with a smile providing factual information when available. The tours were well organized and the chance to interact with actual artists and chefs and dancers made it truly memorable. We will carry fond memories of Cuba and we hope that the two countries come closer in the future. Utmost appreciation for the Cuban people who have shown true resilience over the years. Thank you Cuba !!