Photo by David Cogswell
The Pulse: Abercrombie & Kent has announced five additional departures to Cuba.
Why it Rates: Interest in Cuba was raging before President Obama's announcement of restoring diplomatic relations and easing travel regulations last December. Now demand has soared to almost unimaginable intensity. Cuba travel news is everywhere, seemingly bursting out of all quarters at the same time. Abercrombie & Kent responded by adding five more departures to its 10-day introductory trip. It appears that there is no end in sight to this upward trend, which is already straining the island's capacity to receive visitors. The story of Cuba tourism is going to be a big one for a long time and it's impossible to project what its dimensions will be or when demand could possibly ever level off. - David Cogswell, TravelPulse Cuba editor
Interest in travel to Cuba is growing so quickly that Abercrombie & Kent has just announced five additional departures to the company's 10-day introduction to the island nation, Cuba: People to People. Although restrictions are in the process of being eased, travelers recognize their most rewarding option during the transition period is likely to be an established People-to-People exchange program with a company experienced in coordinating travel to Cuba.
Highlights at a Glance
• Explore beyond Havana on this carefully curated itinerary that includes meaningful interactions that reveal the spirit of this fascinating, culturally-rich island nation long off-limits to American travelers.
• Enjoy a performance at the Neon Puppet Theater in Holguin, meeting the artists and its director to learn more about the art form
• Take a boat ride to Cayo Granma to meet with local fishermen and children, discussing the Children of the Dreams and Fantasies Project, which creates art from objects that have washed ashore
• Try your hand at making traditional tinajones (earthenware pots) at Casanova Pottery Studio in Camaguey, learning about the precision, skills and knowledge required to create these pieces
• Experience Cuba's culinary diversity during a cooking demonstration at a paladar (family-run restaurant), talking with the owners about this privately owned Cuban enterprise
• Engage with locals at the King Ranch, where you watch a rodeo and go horseback or buggy riding into the small town; visit the local school; and interact with residents, including a farmer and his family
• Discover our great shared passion of baseball with a game where you meet local players - and have the chance to play a few innings with them
• Meet the members of Madelin Perez Noa's Proyecto de Arte Por la Costa, who are artistically enriching their community
• Engage in a stimulating discussion of the history of U.S.-Cuba relations with a former Cuban Foreign Services Scholar in Havana
• Join a local architect for an educational walk through Havana, discussing its historic styles, ongoing restoration efforts and their impact on the community
• Partake in a one-on-one talk with a Cuban salsa instructor regarding the role of dance in Cuban life, and take a short lesson
• Explore the Las Terrazas eco-community, and learn about Cuba's environmental commitments at this unique UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
•Meet with local musicians during a private Buena Vista Social Club-style concert and cultural discussion
• Watch a local farmer prepare a cassava specialty before sampling farmstead cheese and guava jam
New Departure Dates
April 28 - May 7, 2015
May 19 - May 28, 2015
October 6 - October 15, 2015
November 10 - November 19, 2015
December 1-December 10, 2015
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