Hotel Melia San Carlos

Highlights: Meeting the local guides and owners of casas particolares, who were unfailingly helpful, friendly and genuinely keen to welcome us to their country. On of the highlights of the trip was probably the transfer in a wonderful red and cream American classic car with a skilful driver (you have to be on Cuban roads!)

RP, London

Highlights “We really liked Cuba overall. There is not just one thing but the best were 1.The private tour in Havana was excellent as the guide was first rate. The town of Trinidad which we just loved. We thought it was really good to stay at a Casa and would recommend that experience for at least one section of a holiday” 

PD, Dublin

Hiking in Topas de Collante - swimming in a natural pool and bar hopping in Old Havana. 

RS, Twickenham

Highlights? Everything! The casas for showing us how Cubans live, the guides and their information, the sunset from the Palacio at Punta Gorda (Cienfuegos), the casa at Punta Gorda, the music everywhere, the food, the cocktails, the nice and hospitable people.

EV, Enfield

Most Memorable Aspect: "our visit in Havana, our visit to Playa Giron, to Trinidad and finally at the Royalton resort. We enjoyed a mixture of luxury, culture, history and natural beauty."

MH

Many happy memories but loved the guided tour of Havana in the vintage car (huge 1953 Ford pink and cream convertible). Also enjoyed walking in the beautiful Vinales valley, it was like travelling back in the past with oxen ploughing and tobacco drying in huge thatched barns....It exceeded my expectations. Great organisation, informative guides, careful and punctual drivers and accommodation in convenient yet quiet locations, near to tourist attractions and restaurants.

JR, Cambridge

Highlight? Driving across Cuba and the fact that having a car allowed you to go off the beaten trip and experience life there at our own pace. Walking round Havana - spent hours walking round both the old town, Centro and Vedado, which was totally fascinating. Groups of horsemen riding the wrong way down the Autopista!
 

RF, Henley on Thames

Most memorable experiences: Visiting Las Terrazas, exploring Havana, brief stop in Santa Clara, and contact with Cubans along the way

HP, King's lynn

Las Terrazas - the hotel, zipwire and natural pools. Also meeting locals during the trip, including picking up hitchhikers. The caribbean sea and beach at Playa Ancon were wonderful.

PR, Brentwood

Highlight?: Time in Trinidad: - enjoyed the town and also did a tour to the mountains to see coffee plants, drink good coffee and see waterfalls and a lovely pool for a refreshing swim. 

FW, Cardiff

Highlights: Our lovely hosts in all the homestays  and especially being looked after by Mirtha in Trinidad.

BG, Bristol

Loads of music. Watching sax player at sunset, Hotel Melia Buenavista, Cayo Santa Maria Buenavista, Cafe Taberna, Christmas Day.

JP, Bedford

Really enjoyed all of it, especially Havana and Trinidad. Loved the music, the atmosphere and the people. Very good walks.

GG, Diss

Most Memorable Moment?: The perfect travel arrangements, staying int he homestays, seeing how much things have changed The refurbished Alicia Alonso theatre is amazing and not to be missed.

AW, Watford

Havana music, Vinales cigar plantation & Luis the guide in Cienfuegos

AB, Dollar

Overall a great holiday and a fantastic introduction to Cuba, while travelling in comfort.

ER, Richmond

Wonderful holiday

We found Cuba utterly seductive. It is rare to find anywhere still as distinctive. But it is a country for travellers; to go just to the beach is a waste. But if you find beauty in dilapidation and warm to extrovert people; if you have a grain of curiosity in your soul and a twitch of rhythm in your toes, this is a wonderful holiday.

PH, Pimlico

Food is, of course, difficult in Cuba and we had low expectations.

JG, Isle of Colonsay

Most memorable experiences: "The PEOPLE - lovely and warm, friendly, positive. The music and the dancing - in streets, in clubs, in bars. Wonderful!"

MF, London

The food was better than we had feared (but they routinely overcook seafood, so stick with chicken) and there was more English spoken than we had expected. Weather was great. The state of the buildings generally was better than we had been led to expect - although there is a lot of work outstanding in the southern parts of the Old Town in Havana. People are helpful. The country is clearly at an interesting stage of its development - which is why we wanted to go - and might go in many directions from here; not all of them favourable. Roads, particularly outside towns, were empty.

PR, Edinburgh

Highlight?: Santa Clara - fantastic accommodation and very memorable tour of city, Che mausoleum etc. The tour of Cienfuegos thanks to a wonderful guide (Sara(h?)).

JM, Dorking

Most Memorable Moment: Seeing so much of Havana and the amazing countryside around Vinales.

GF, London

Every part of the trip on Cuba.  It is an amazing destination.  If we had to pick out one part it would be the amazing unspoint scenery.

ES, Brackley

Most Memorable Moment?: Hard to say - I love driving in Cuba - and Havana is a great city.

AH, London

Most memorable experience: "Difficult to choose one! Sunrise boat trip on the Laguna del Tesoro with mist coming off the water and variety of bird life, watching the sun go down behind mogotes in Vinales with a mojito or humming birds flying around while having breakfast in Trinidad. Or even dancing the conga with the rest of the audience at the Buenvista Social Club!...The holiday was fantastic - every place we went to has its own unique character and feel so we felt that we had experienced at least something of what Cuba is about. The contrasts between the way of life in the cities and the countryside were extraordinary - mobile phones, brand name clothes, immaculately manicured and painted nails to a single ox drawn plough. Stunning landscapes and views through to urban decay and piles of rubbish in the streets. It's an experience that we thoroughly enjoyed and won't forget."

AW, High Wycombe

Highlights? The wonderful beautiful Cuban people. The stunning landscape the memorable architecture. The wild weather. Just the sense of being propelled back in time but also to a possible future of less empty consumerism, less intensive agriculture, mores social connection and less social media allowing for more actual sociality

DM, Brighton

Driving was fascinating & not too stressful due to lack of traffic . We felt we saw bits of CUBA not seen by many tourists.

DM, Falmouth

Most memorable experience: “the vibe and architecture of Havana; driving on the roads of Cuba - empty motorways, gigantic potholes, no signs, picking up random people who flagged us down; cigar rolling and smoking on a tobacco farm in Vinales; daily daiquiris and mojitos, especially those in Hotel Nacional garden; gorgeous peaceful countryside; noisy people and music everywhere; but also extreme poverty and areas that had barely moved from early 20th century; every Cuban we spoke with said how hard living was and that no one could survive on one job. We had such an interesting and wonderful time and will definitely return.”

SB, Lewisham

JLA did a first rate job arranging our holiday which was quite complicated over five locations in Cuba.  It all went faultlessly.

SV, Little Hamton

The hiking tour above Topes de Collantes lead by Valentine was fantastic. Wonderful sights and sounds lead by an experienced guide with a good sense of humour.

DM, Edinburgh