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Cuba All-Lesbian Adventure Tour 2017
May 20 – 29, 2017
Miami, Havana, Varadero, and more!
Join us for an incredible all-lesbian journey to Cuba. There is no better time to visit Cuba than right now. The country is poised for major change. It is rooted firmly in the past as evidenced by the crumbling colonial architecture and the vintage cars, and it is reaching for the future with newfound freedoms such as privately operated restaurants and new avenues for commerce and personal expression. As the country mourns the death of their long-time leader, Fidel Castro, they look to the future with a hunger and an energy that is palpable.
With just 28 women, you’ll explore the Cuba you’ve seen in movies – classic car rides on the Malecón, cocktails at Hotel Nacional, Hemingway’s home, Finca Vigìa, a special Buena Vista Social Club performance, and a walking tour of Old Havana. All a photographer's dream! You’ll also see the Cuba of today with tours to family farms, cooking demonstrations, a visit to a local community center, a cigar and rum tasting, and an outing to the national LGBT center. As a highlight, you’ll learn about Cuba’s economic past, present, and future from a local professor’s vantage point. Join us as we explore the sights, sounds, tastes, and culture of Cuba – connecting with people only as Olivia can.
PLEASE NOTE: While we will do our best to adhere to the itinerary listed here, traveling in Cuba requires flexibility, and changes to hotels and activities may be necessary.
Day 1 - Saturday, May 20, 2017
Our adventure begins at our host hotel tonight at 6 PM. We will meet to receive our visa document packets, review and fill out all remaining forms, and have a briefing about what to expect on tomorrow morning’s charter flight to Havana.
Included: One night at Miami host hotel, special briefing and visa document completion.
Day 2 - Sunday, May 21, 2017
 Transfer to the Miami International Airport and check in for our short charter flight to Havana’s José Martí International Airport. After completing immigration and customs formalities, we will meet our local Cuban guide and driver for the week. We will have a short drive into the center of Havana, and then get an overview of the city with a panoramic bus tour of Havana including Revolution Square, University of Havana and the Malecón. We will enjoy our first lunch in Old Havana, followed by a Salsa dance lesson and cocktail demo. In the late afternoon, we check in to the Hotel Meliá Cohíba, After a brief refresh, we’ll enjoy a delicious welcome dinner at a local paladar.
Included: Charter flight to Havana, Havana bus tour, lunch, Salsa dance lesson, cocktail demonstration, dinner, 5 nights at Hotel Melia Cohiba.
Meals: Lunch & Dinner
Hotel: Melia Cohiba Hotel, Havana, 5*
Day 3 - Monday, May 22, 2017
 After a buffet breakfast at the hotel, we will meet a local historian for an educational walk through Old Havana’s historic center. A UNESCO world heritage site, Habana Vieja is a pedestrian zone rich in history and extraordinary architecture. We’ll visit all the major squares, admiring major landmarks but also the hidden little corners and local characters. We will have some time to explore on our own or just sit and enjoy the local rhythms. Today, lunch is in a popular paladar, built inside one of Old Havana’s most well-known communal apartment buildings.
After lunch, meet the instructors and students of Casa del Niño y la Niña, an after-school program that serves primary school students living in a lower-income community in central Havana. Afterwards, we will cross under the bay to visit El Morro, the fort overlooking Havana. Here, we’ll enjoy a fantastic view of the city, and will visit a cigar shop for a private cigar demonstration and tasting. We will return to the hotel before heading out again for dinner. Tonight’s special treat is a drag show performance at a weekly LGBT late-night party.
Included: Old Havana walking tour, lunch, visit Casa del Niño y la Niña; visit to El Morro, cigar demonstration and tasting, dinner, visit to local bar for special performance.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Hotel: Melia Cohiba Hotel, Havana, 5*
Day 4 - Tuesday, May 23, 2017
 This morning we will host a local professor at our hotel to discuss the Cuban economy. Learn about the recent changes, past difficulties, and what’s to come. With all our economic questions answered, we will visit the Revolution Museum to learn about that pivotal event from a Cuban perspective. This evening, we will step back in time with a visit to the famous and storied Hotel Nacional. We will enjoy a cocktail on the grounds before departing the hotel in classic vintage cars for a joy ride along the Prado and the Malecón. Dinner at a local paladar.
Included: Cuban economy discussion, Hotel Nacional tour, classic car ride, cocktail at National Hotel, dinner
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Hotel: Melia Cohiba Hotel, Havana, 5*
Day 5 - Wednesday, May 24, 2017
 This morning we will visit CENESEX, The National Center for the Education of Sexual Behavior, to learn about the country’s current LGBT initiatives. We will lunch at a local paladar and then head to the northwestern part of the city to visit Fusterlandia, a neighborhood that has been transformed by resident artist José Fuster into a community art project inspired by Gaudí and Picasso. Tonight, we will enjoy another fabulous dinner followed by a performance of the Buena Vista Social Club.
Included: Visit to CENESEX, lunch, visit to Fusterlandia, dinner, Buena Vista Social Club performance.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Hotel: Melia Cohiba Hotel, Havana, 5*
Day 6 - Thursday, May 25, 2017
 We will start our day in the Marianao region to attend a rehearsal of the Habana Compas Dance Group. A highlight of our last trip, this community group blends percussion, ballet and Afro-Cuban styles. Next, we’ll visit Ernest Hemingway’s winter home, Finca Vigia. This country home still houses some of Hemingway’s favorite possessions including his library, typewriter, and his yacht, Pilar. As we walk the grounds, we will learn about his life and strong connections to Cuba and its people. Our lunch today will feature a cooking demonstration of one of Cuba’s typical dishes. On this, our last night in Havana, enjoy some free time to explore dinner on your own. We will provide you with a list of approved paladars and hotel restaurants so that you can choose to either enjoy a more intimate dinner out or dine at the hotel on your own.
Included: Visit to Habana Compas Dance Group, Hemingway’s Finca Vigia, lunch, cooking demo.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Hotel: Melia Cohiba Hotel, Havana, 5*
Day 7 - Friday, May 26, 2017
 After breakfast, we will say goodbye to Havana and head east along the north coast of Cuba to Matanzas, a colonial town with a rich literary and cultural history. We will visit the Triolet Pharmacy, which has been faithfully preserved in its original condition since the 19th century. We will enjoy lunch and a visit with local artists before continuing on to our all-inclusive beach resort in Varadero, the Iberostar Varadero.
Included: Visit to Triolet Pharmacy, lunch, local art encounter, three nights at Iberostar Varadero.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Hotel: Iberostar Varadero Hotel, Varadero, 5*
Day 8 - Saturday, May 27, 2017
 After breakfast at the hotel, we will head to nearby Cardenas to learn about the role of sugar in Cuba’s economy. We will tour an old sugar mill and museum, and visit a sugar cane field that is still harvested by hand. Next, we will visit “La Coincidencia,” a nearby organic family farm. We will have lunch at the farm while interacting with the family and getting an inside look into their lives. In the afternoon, we will return to our Varadero resort for a cooking demonstration and dinner.
Included: Visit to sugar factory and museum, farm visit, lunch, cooking demo.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Hotel: Iberostar Varadero Hotel, Varadero, 5*
Day 9 - Sunday, May 28, 2017
 On our last full day in Cuba, we will visit one of the local craft markets to pick up souvenirs and learn about the new possibilities for private stores and markets. We return to the resort for lunch and this afternoon, enjoy a Cigars & Rum Tasting with a local expert. This evening we visit Xanadu, the former estate of millionaire Irene DuPont, which was taken over by the government in 1960. Here we will enjoy local musicians and our farewell dinner.
Included: Local craft market visit, cigar and rum tasting, Xanadu tour, farewell dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Hotel: Iberostar Varadero Hotel, Varadero, 5*
Day 10 - Monday, May 29, 2017
We depart early this morning from our Varadero resort to Havana’s José Martí International Airport for the included return charter flight to Miami. Please book flights from Miami to your final destination no earlier than 5 PM, or consider an extra night on your own in Miami.
Included: Transfer to airport, charter flight to Miami.
Meals: Box Breakfast
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Melia Cohiba Hotel, Havana
 The Hotel Melia Cohiba just may be Havana's finest hotel. Luxury and good taste go hand in hand at the Melia Cohiba. The Melia Cohiba is located near the Malecon about 6 km form Old Havana, 10 km from the Convention Center and about 16 km from the Jose Marti International Airport.
It is located right on the Malecon facing the Gulf of Mexico. The top feature of the Melia Cohiba is the outstanding service. Staff is very efficient and helpful. Rooms are very modern and well equipped, with comfortable furniture and all the modern conveniences. They have satellite TV and direct-dial international telephones. The hotel has a number of restaurants and the Italian Pizzeria is great. Shopping is in the lobby and the cigar store is well stocked with cigars you can't find in most places.
 "El Cedrano" buffet restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner with international specialties, theme nights and live music. "El Abanico" gourmet restaurant specializing in rice dishes and Spanish cuisine. Baseball themed Italian restaurant "La Piazza". "El Cotilo" poolside snack bar. "Habana Cafe" restaurant, show and dance hall. "El Relicarto" bar for conaisseurs of Cuban coffee and cigars. "Cocktail Blue" piano bar. "El Gran Anejo" lobby bar is open 24 hours. Meeting and banqueting room for up to 1,000 guests. Business center. Shopping center, international press and jewelery. Beauty and hair dressing salon. Gymnasium with sauna and message. Squash, outdoor pool with jacuzzi and solarium. 24 hour medical service.
Iberostar Varadero Hotel, Varadero
 The IBEROSTAR Varadero hotel is a luxurious 5-star All-Inclusive accommodation located on the sea, opposite the expansive Varadero beach in Cuba. The quality of its services, its spacious rooms and the wide range of leisure activities make this luxury hotel a perfect choice for an incredible holiday in Varadero. In addition, those staying at this hotel can experience the essence of Cuba through its gastronomy and music. Vacations at Varadero beach can be unforgettable.
At the top IBEROSTAR Varadero hotel, vacations are a complete and satisfying experience. It has a team of professionals which provide the best spa services in Varadero, for both body and mind.
 The IBEROSTAR Varadero hotel was inspired by the colonial style, a beautiful reflection of Cuban architecture. In addition, located on the stunning Varadero beach, the hotel is surrounded by lush native vegetation and Cuban waters. Furthermore, the hotel is very attentive to Cuban gastronomy and the traditions and folklore of the country: guests can sample the best of the island’s cuisine, smoke one of the famous Cuban cigars and dance to the rhythms of its best music. All this invites you to discover the charms of Cuba and enjoy a very authentic holiday.
 
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