Tourism in Cuba: an unforgettable experience.

What can you expect when you travel to Cuba? Sun, white sand
beaches, salsa music all around? Well, yes, but fortunately,
there is much more than that. Cuba is a paradox of experiences,
where your senses collide with one another in an explosion of
significant magnitude. Here is a place where you can truly find
everything and anything, from the most demanding to the most
basic and raw. It is up to the individual to discover what he
seeks, but in the meantime, we can try to give you some insight
and maybe make your decision a little bit easier.

For the Canadian traveler, Cuba must seem like another planet
altogether. Things that you have taken for granted all your life
will be nowhere in sight, and situations that you cant even
imagine appear as if by magic. Whether you are a single traveler
or a family of 10, a young child or a elderly person, the
wonders of this country will seduce you and will make want to
come back again and again.

Here in Cuba, you will find all types of hotel accommodation,
from the most luxurious 5 star resorts to the basic yet adequate
\casa particular\, private houses whose owners pay monthly fees
to be able to rent rooms for tourists. These are better suited
for single travelers spending a longer time since it will be
much cheaper. On the other hand, for a nice family vacation, you
have all types of hotels and fancy resorts, from the most
luxurious city places to the very comfortable and
family-oriented all inclusive beach resorts. These cater to the
entire family, where children will be looked after and will be
absolutely safe, with activities ranging anywhere from all types
of water sports to dancing lessons. Here you find different
restaurants, from traditional Cuban fare to the most demanding
of international cuisine. Everyone will have something that they
enjoy, so there will be no need to worry about what to eat. Cuba
is a very senior friendly society, and this transcends into its
tourism industry. There will be activities for everyone in the
family, like walks along beautiful paths with breathtaking
views, leisurely strolls on the beach, in short, something for
everyone to do, even for the most elderly of visitors. Also
everything has been organized so that handicapped people can
enjoy their holiday to the most of their capabilities, and every
effort is being made to improve on this most important part of
our industry. Our country should be enjoyed equally by everyone,
no matter how young or old they are, or no matter the handicap.
We are truly doing our best in this respect.

Now lets talk a bit about city tourism. Havana is a bustling
city of around 2 million people, with blacks and whites and
every race in between. Whether is music you are looking for,
museums of every sorts, any other type of cultural manifestation
or just simply relax watching the sunset on the Malecon ( the
seaside avenue that goes from Old Havana to Miramar), here you
will find it. From Jazz music to live Salsa bands, from Ballet
performances to the most typical street conga, culture as a
whole will leap at you from every corner. If you are an antiques
enthusiast, you will fall in love with the fleet of old cars
that line Havana streets, some being used as regular taxi cabs,
a testament to Cuban ingenuity, because its truly a miracle to
keep these cars rolling after more than fifty years on the road.

If you like the beach, theres a beautiful white sand beach 30
minutes from downtown Havana, so you could actually have the
best of two worlds, sun and sand one day, museums and tobacco
factories the next. Havana is truly an amazing experience, and
you will need at least a week to appreciate all it has to offer,
and you will still be short on time.

But the best thing about Cuba is its people. Whether its the
staff that will look after you at the resorts, or the people you
will meet on the streets if you come to the city, the people is
Cubas greatest jewel. Fun loving, open hearted, they will make
you feel right at home, often inviting you into their own houses
for a traditional dish of rice, beans and pork, and of course,
the ever present Cuban rum. Experiences like these is what makes
a trip to Cuba unforgettable, a trip to be remembered for a long
time.

But Cuba its not only Havana and the beaches. There are several
in country places worth very much seeing. There is the beautiful
Viales Valley, a place with hills called \mogotes\ found
nowhere else in the world, with captivating caves and underwater
rivers which can be visited and enjoyed. There is also Trinidad,
a quaint little village preserved much as it was 300 years ago,
with its sugarcane mills and history all around it. Further east
you have Santiago de Cuba, cradle of the Cuban revolution, but
also filled with every conceivable luxury expected by a foreign
traveler.

If you decide to choose Cuba as the place you want to spend your
holiday in, you should take into account the time of the year
you want to travel. In the slow season, that is, from April to
November, its absolutely too hot, so unless you want to bake in
30 degree weather and 90 percent humidity, you should choose the
other season, that is, from November to March, when its still
warm enough without the smoldering heat and stifling humidity.
In this case, you have to book well in advance, because people
from all over the world choose Cuba as its winter paradise,
especially Canadians. Everything from all-inclusive to city
hotels, car rentals, anything that you want to have secured,
should be reserved weeks in advance. This will ensure a happy
and carefree holiday, without any problems related to shortages
of anything. Reservation is the name of the game when you travel
to Cuba, thus making it possible to enjoy your stay without any
worries.

If you are a person who likes to drive through the countryside,
there are several car rental agencies with many price ranges,
from the smallest compact car to the biggest Mercedes or Audi.
Roads are quite safe, something you will rapidly discover by the
amount of people hitchhiking at the side of the road. Thats
another of Cubas greatest assets, its safety. Like everywhere,
you have your petty thieves, pickpockets and what not, and even
these are rare. Serious crimes are almost unheard-of in the
island, which makes it a haven for people who like to mingle
with the locals. Of course, you have to be prudent, but as a
rule, you can drive or walk through any Havana street at anytime
of day or night and you will be absolutely safe.

In the Caribbean there might be more luxurious places To go, but
as far as friendliness and safety are concerned, none can
compare to Cuba, and all of this with rapidly increasing levels
of service all around. As of now, we have one of the major hotel
chains in the world with approximately 15 resorts in Cuba, with
plans to keep increasing its capacities in the future. This is
mostly due to the reasons stated before, which makes Cuba a
unique vacation destination, combining state of the art
facilities with down to earth homeliness and safety, and every
effort made to make this vacation the best time of your life,
without distinction of age or physical ability. If you give it a
chance, you will not be disappointed. This can truly be called
an earthly paradise, but not only because of the beauty of the
land, but also and probably more important, the beauty of its
people. We hope you come and share all of this with us. You will
not forget it.