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

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!

I traveled to Cuba in February 2017 and had the most amazing experience, due to the service and guidance received from Cultural Island Travel. A last minute change in plans caused me to scurry through many on-line searches to find a tour company that would allow me to join in on one of their tours. CIT was so informative, flexible and accommodating to my needs. Teresa, Shabi and Donna all helped me plan a perfect itinerary. As a single, female traveler, I had no idea what to expect when I arrived there. Was I going to be safe? Was I going to be able to go out at night and enjoy the music and nightlife that I had planned originally? I was treated like a princess and the answer is YES! Through some very good pre-planning questions with the staff of CIT, I arrived in Cuba and made it to my hotel on my own (with the help of a very friendly taxi driver). My first night in Havana was on my own, however I went on a restaurant recommendation by CIT for my first night in Havana and it was amazing! My tour began the next morning and I was greeted promptly by my lovely Tour Guide, Irma. Irma was extremely knowledgeable and accommodating. She took the time to explain who we were meeting with, what we would be seeing and some history about each excursion. All of the sightseeing was very timely and it gave a perfect and thorough history of each place we visited. Irma and the other guides answered questions with poise and without hesitation. Our small tour group consisted of men and women ranging from 21 to 81 years old and all of the people in our group were very impressed with the services provided. The restaurants that we dined at as a group were very tasty and the service was excellent. CIT offered a nice variety of different restaurants during our tour. I took some recommendations for dinner reservations from CIT and also did some of my own research once I arrived in Havana. I was pleasantly pleased with all of my dining and entertainment selections. Although I traveled alone, I met people every evening I went out and had so much fun! The drivers on tour were extremely safe, courteous, fun and engaging. One of the gentlemen on our tour left his bag in the restroom of the museum. He realized it as we got settled into our restaurant for lunch. The driver, without hesitation, went to the museum with him to retrieve the bag and all of his contents were safe and untouched. On my classic car tour, Abraham was so cool! As we were driving along El Malecon. listening to Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" blast on the radio...we drove past the brand new United States Embassy, with our flag flying high. It was a very special moment and I was able to video tape it and note it as one of the highlights of my trip. All in all, this was a fantastic experience and I feel lucky to have found CIT. I am a travel agent and will be using CIT to book all of my future Cuba trips for my clients. I cannot wait to return to Cuba again and explore all of it's beauty...people, sights and culture. Thank you Shabi, Teresa, Irma, Donna and everyone else involved with CIT in Cuba for all that you do to make travel to Cuba so easy, fun and memorable. Paula Z. Hillsborough, NJ

Cuba is very safe, in fact, safer than some cities in the USA,i.e. small and big. Since we wanted to 'soak up' the culture, we went many places during the ten days we were there. The Cuban people were courteous, friendly, and helpful at all times. If we wanted to know something, i.e. directions to a particular store while shopping, they ensured we knew the way. One time, the person helping us, was headed that way and we had a great time discussing Cuba vis-a-vis USA. As a former Chief on a Police department, as well as education and experience in Criminal Justice, i believe my credibility in this arena is a backbone to my comments. PLease visit CUBA and you will be very pleased with the experince. Jim and Cindy Hendricks

Jamie Unger answered my call requesting traveling to Cuba,a place that was, until recently forbidden, by the powers that be, since I was a young boy and I told her I wanted to go...in less than a week! In less than a week I was in Cuba. The whole thing was a" bust your backside success" on her part ! While I had to get a travel partner, she was cutting through "Red Tape" to make it happen. Every single thing that she told me- came about much better than advertised. We were greeted like old friends by our tour guide's husband, Ares, at the airport and it was like that from start to finish. While I am an explorer by nature with no use for such as a travel guide,I soon realized these people are" past masters" at doing what they do. After few days I realized these people(Cultural Island Travel) know how to make what you hoped would happen...happen! Ebony, our guide, was the perfect hostess and tour guide, that took care of more than I expected. The accommodations ,food and travel could not be handled better by the U.S. State Department. Being a first timer to Cuba...Well, Cultural Island Travel-saved me more than the price by 2X! While I am a "find it on my own" type -These folks are the "ticket". Not one single complaint except it ended too soon. Cultural Island Travel may mark me up as one more satisfied customer... This is the first time I have ever written a recommendation for anything...that's how well they did it! Reid Woodward Colorado