Cultural Island Travel - Travel To Cuba LegallyReviews of culturalislandtravel.com

Had a wonderful time in Cuba. CIT put together a comprehensive, interesting, informative and fun package for the 4 of us. We had a beautiful 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom suite with a terrace and ocean view at our b&b. It was perfect. Our tour guides Mario & Fernando were great. They were well informed, caring, accommodating and friendly. I plan on recommending CIT to friend's. Thanks for everything.

We have traveled all over the world for the past 45 years, and have not used a tour company for 99% of it. Cuba is one of the places where I would recommend it. I compared notes with others after our return, and found that our experience was so much richer because of Cultural Island Travel. I must mention, in particular, that we ate really well, usually in restaurants recommended by our guide. The six of us were our own tour group, so our activities were entirely customized. I really don't have adequate words to praise our guide Irma! She accommodated our every request and went out of her way to make our trip special. All of our specialized guides (architectural guide in Trinidad, museum guide in Havana, etc) were excellent as well. In addition, a family illness forced one of our group to stay home, but her son was able to take her place only because Teresa managed to get all the paperwork done at the last minute. Cuba itself is one of the most fascinating places we have been, unlike anywhere else in its unique culture. We were struck by the friendliness and honesty of everyone we met. We walked back to our apartment lodgings every night after dinner and never felt unsafe. No one ever tried to take advantage of us as tourists -- in fact, the fare for a taxi ride home one night was exactly the amount we had been told was fair. Quite a contrast to Bangkok or Delhi, or even Rome! And the art, music, dance! It's everywhere and just wonderful! We hope to visit Cuba again and see more of the island. We will certainly use CIT to plan our trip and request Irma as our guide.

It was already over 2 years ago when my wife began thinking about visiting Cuba. She had just begun taking and interest in photography and that’s where the idea came from after looking at the brochures with photos of the colorful buildings and old cars. I wasn’t as excited about the trip as my wife was but I decided to go regardless. She first looked into various travel companies but Cultural Island Travel was the only company that could, or was willing to organize a trip around our work schedule. Cultural Island Travel helped us with everything and pointed us in the right direction. We finally arrived in Cuba where we met our guide Irma and the driver Roberto. She had previously sent us a photo of herself so we would know who to look for among hundreds of people at the Terminal. Meeting Irma was more like being reunited with an old friend rather than meeting someone new. Roberto, our driver for the first few days, was actually a lawyer. The next few days were simply amazing! Every day was a new adventure. Besides visiting the museums, galleries, home of Ernest Hemmingway, Trinidad, tobacco farm we also had plenty of time to explore Havana on our own. The food was top notch and delicious! The music and dancing were so motivating, wishing we could dance like that too. Everyone was so nice and so helpful, everywhere we went and that was something we missed when we got home. Leaving Cuba after a week was like saying goodbye to an old friend. And, to our guide Irma from Cultural Island Travel…we still miss you!

My husband and I have traveled all over the world. We have worked with many tour agencies, but none have compared to Cultural Island Travel. They provided us with the most personalized service of any Travel Agency. Everyday I was pleasantly surprised by the professionalism and knowledge of our guides. The tours were excellent and we were given all the time we needed to experience each event or interesting thing to see. The tours were private so we were able to ask as many questions as we wanted. Irma and Laura were our tour guides and they were patient, caring and extremely knowledgeable. We were in Cuba during hurricane Irma. At their own risk our driver and Irma make sure we were completely taken care. They made sure we were safe, had food and that we were as comfortable as possible. By the end of the trip we were sad to leave our new friends. They provided us much more than just a tour of Cuba.

My husband and I had a life changing experience in Cuba thanks to Cultural Island Travel, Teresa Sanchez and our incredible guide Irma. Irma not only showed us Cuba and it's people, she told us who the people are. Irma has a wealth of knowledge that she is eager to share and never minded answering my many many questions. Our stay at the hotel was fantastic, the food there was fantastic, and the staff was more than fantastic. The people Cuba are the most friendly, and gracious you will ever meet. Visit Cuba, you will not regret it.

To anybody interested in Cuba and Cuban travel, GO NOW! Based on our experience, a small group setting (6 couples or less) like Mario Otero directed was a most rewarding travel experience. He along with guides familiar with various areas of Havana, Cienfuegos and Trinidad gave us personal and informative tours catered to our interests. Couple this with B & B's like Margarita and Maritza's and you can totally immerse yourself in Cuban culture. An understanding of what has happened to Cuba under Castro and communism is interesting, shocking and enlightening, both good and bad. But come 5PM and work is done there is no thought of politics. Cuba and the Cuban people come to life. Music, dancing, dining is abundant everywhere. Let yourself go (and GO). We were in the bright lights and dark alleys and everywhere we were greeted with a smile and an hola. This includes at some times by ourselves and never did we feel unsafe or threatened. Can't say that about some countries including the U.S. On a final note, this small group approach to visiting Cuba wasn't that expensive and we feel we made friends, helped their personal economy and promoted free enterprise. Go see our friends in Cuba and promote U.S./Cuban friendship. Ken & Teresa Hite, San Clemente, CA

This was my first travel experience with Cultural Island Travel. I worked with Krista in the USA, and Mario was our outstanding tour director on the ground in Cuba. Krista's emails were very detailed and she handled all the paperwork required on the US end, as well as the Visa. She promptly answered all my questions, although prior to travel we were sent a very detailed packet of information answering any possible questions we might have still had. Mario was the lead tour person in Cuba, he, along with the local guides were outstanding! Very professional and knowledgeable. Mario went out of his way to ensure we had suggestion for evening activities. Tour started promptly each morning, no waiting for tour director. I absolutely loved Cuba! The people were very friendly, and I enjoyed the mix of history, art, music, and education! I also loved the old cars. Recommended restaurants were great, food and atmosphere! I highly recommend traveling to Cuba with Cultural Island Travel.

I had the birthday of a lifetime in Cuba and Cultural Island Travel made it a great experience for me. Travelling alone can be a bit intimidating, especially as I was turning 60 years old on this trip, but I felt totally safe and confident in my guides. I love the Cuban people, and love the country. I will be there again soon!