Phone:

1-479-271-9898 (Toll Free (US) 1-800-758-2042)

Location:

1308 E Central Ave
Bentonville, AR 72712 USA
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Cuba Agriculture Tour

Sustainable Farming - Classic American Cars - Ingenuity

 

 

Although only 90 miles off the coast of Florida, Cuba will remind you of a simpler time that is a distant memory to American culture.
• A welcoming, unique culture comprised of friendly people with remarkable ingenuity
• Thriving farm-to-table practices and sustainable agriculture including tobacco, fruits and vegetables.
• Simple accommodations with heartfelt service
• Extraordinary history and landscapes
• The staple of Cuban transportation: an astounding number of US-made classic cars circa, 40s and 50s, and the creativity that has kept them running!
Cuba is one of the safest countries in the world, as everything is monitored tightly. Be prepared for slower service due to restrictions on tourist services, different ways of thinking, other standards of time, and digital connection constraints. As in any trip to a foreign country, be refreshed by the differences and surprised by the resourcefulness of this unique culture. This tour is fully escorted by professionals.
Cuba’s agriculture has suffered since the early 90s. The fall of the Soviet Union and other communist countries led to a shortage of seed, fertilizer and other chemicals. By necessity, the development of organic and sustainable agriculture followed. Today, state run operations continue to be secretive, but one gains a good insight of the operations just by driving past them. The farms visited on this tour are small, privately owned farms that provide food and jobs to local people. It is not uncommon to meet a doctor or engineer running or working on a local farm.

Package can be booked with 6-12 passengers



Registration Form



Cuba Agriculture Tour Itinerary


Notice: Travel to Cuba requires a visa / tourist card. Trump Tours will assist with this process. At the moment, cost is US $75-100. Immunizations: Check with your local health professional and / or www.cdc.gov.
Depart US on flight to Havana. Cuba has been closed off to the non-communist world since 1961. In 2016, the first scheduled commercial flight between the US and Havana was an American Airlines flight that landed on November 28, just a few days after Fidel Castro died. Be sure to pack some patience in your bag, because the Havana airport is not yet outfitted for multiple airplane arrivals. After exiting baggage claim, you will be transferred, to our Havana hotel. You will be joined by a Cuban tour manager as well as a Trump Tours tour manager. Walking tour of Old Havana, a UNESCO world heritage site, located within the old city walls. Havana was founded in 1519 by the Spanish who preferred a protected natural harbor to anchor their galleons between the Olde and New World. Havana—and the rest of Cuba—is still caught in that juxtaposition. See the San Cristobal Cathedral, built in 1748, stroll along the narrow, cobblestoned streets passing from plaza to plaza. Even though the area is from colonial times, you will see that many people (said to be about 60,000) live in this area, and there are even some housing projects for the elderly. Welcome dinner at nearby restaurant. Havana hotel. (D)

People to people focus: Learn about school system and elderly care. After breakfast, visit a local organoponico, similar to a CSA in the States. This was an answer to the food shortage during the “Difficult Period in the Time of Peace”. It is now a thriving free enterprise that supplies fruits and vegetables to tourist restaurants and the locals. Depart southwards through the island with a stop for lunch. Visit a large-scale (Cuban standards) dairy with 160 cows and other livestock. They also have crops for animal feed. Trinidad, over 500 years old, known as one of the best preserved colonial towns in the Caribbean. The town’s wealthiest times were in the mid-1800s when Europe had a sweet tooth and the rich soils produced sugar cane for export. Large cobblestones used to weigh down ships during the triangle trade period were left in Trinidad and subsequently used for building streets and structures. Trinidad is also UNESCO world heritage protected; this designation along with investment monies have preserved the 200 year old buildings. The Caribbean whitewash colors of pinks, turquoises, corals, limes and yellows add to the charm and history. Check into your casa particulares (within ten minutes – an uphill walk from the central square) where you will spend the next three nights. A casa particulares is a unique result of home owners being allowed to transform their dwellings into bed and breakfast accommodations. The law limits up to four rooms, so the group might be split amongst several casas. Each bedroom has its own bathroom and the hostess serves breakfast each morning. This evening’s dinner will be served at the casa and will give everyone a chance to interact, meet local people and learn about the local culture. Casa particulares accommodation. (B, L, D)

People to people focus: Learn about the entrepreneurial spirit “free enterprise” businesses (transportation, paladars, casas particulars, fishermen, classic car repair) and the limits, compared to state provided services. You will come to understand “A Day in the Life” of the Cuban people. For early risers, travel 15 minutes to a local fishermen’s village to see them return with their catch and then market and sell it directly. A fascinating scene indeed, especially to see the rustic, motorless boats used by the locals. Return to casa for breakfast. After breakfast, depart in local bike taxis to visit a local produce market. See a peso store and bodega, consumable shopping for local Cubans. Continue past a local school where you will learn about the school system. Walking tour of Trinidad city center. See the colorful buildings of the charming cobblestoned town. Enjoy incredible views of the Sierra del Escambray mountains and the Val de los Ingenios, the valley of the 19th Century sugar mills, traveling by bus to Manaca Iznaga, a sugar estate established in 1750. The building, now housing a restaurant, will give you a taste of how the lords of the estates lived during those times. Also see a sugar press and, for those who wish, a tower to climb for incredible views. Meet local artisans who produce intricate lace tablecloths. Continue to the Mill Valley museum to see equipment used for sugar production in the mid 19th Century. Return to casa to relax and refresh. Lunch and Dinner on own. Overnight Trinidad casa particular (B)

People to people focus: Learn about transportation and distribution. Learn about culture houses, dancing and music provided by the state. Happy Valentine’s Day! This morning visit a local fruit producer who sells directly to the state—tropical fruits like guava, guanabana, anones, avocado, mango, mamey apples. Continue to visit a research center for plant health and pest control. Most of this is done using natural methods. Return to Trinidad for rest of afternoon free and dinner on own. Other options include beach transfer, salsa lessons and live music. Lunch and dinner on own. Overnight Trinidad casa particular (B)

People to people focus: Learn about distribution of land (usufrucht) and the strictly limited utilization of it, especially after the so-called Periodo Especial. This “Special Period” was an era of economic crisis after the fall of other communist countries thus eliminating trading partners in the early 90s. Observe state run farms along the highway while passing by. Depart northward. Lunch and farm visit to a progressive, young farmer with a vision for making small and sustainable farming widespread in Cuba. His thriving business employs 12 to 15 people producing honey and vegetables for restaurants in Havana. Participate in stimulating discussions to learn about usufrucht and markets available for small farms. He envisions copying his model to other local farmers to spread the happiness. Continue to Vinales, an idyllic village perched in the quilted landscape of fertile, oxen ploughed fields, rich tobacco plantations and incredible karst landscapes. Basic hotel accommodations with private toilets. (B, L)

People to people focus: Learn about organic and sustainable small scale farming and how they contribute to the state economy. Visit the state owned large scale beef cattle farm with 20,000 head and 1,500 worers. Lunch at a peaceful lakeside family run restaurant. Return to the valley to visit small scale farms to learn about the agriculture in the Vinales Valley including tobacco, some sugar cane, coffee, pineapple, taro root and other crops. For those with energy, hike through the incredible Vinales Valley ending at the hotel. Free afternoon and time to roam the streets of Vinales to meet locals. Dinner on own to discover local parador restaurants. Basic hotel accommodations with private toilets. (B, L)

People to people focus: Learn about tobacco production and its importance to the Cuban economy. Visit a local tobacco farm. See one of the most Hotimportant export commodities produced in Cuba. The process will show the growing, drying process and rolling process. Lunch on the tobacco farm. Continue to Havana. Early evening enjoy a cruise in the classic cars through Havana. Hotel in Havana (B, L)

Breakfast at leisure. Morning meeting at hotel to wrap up and have discussions on the impressions of Cuba, what the future looks like and whether they could develop a market economy such as Vietnam and China and still maintain the same government, and how the US can develop a healthy relationship with Cuba. Transfer to airport for flight back to US. (B)

 

What's Included


Accommodations

7 nights in superior tourist class accommodations.

Meals

13 Meals: 7 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches, 2 Dinners

Transportation

Transportation provided in air-conditioned minicoach.


Included

Sightseeing/technical visits as outlined in itinerary.

Services of full time professional tour manager with agricultural background.

All taxes and fees.

Not Included

Not included in price are museum entrances, local guide ($3-5 per day) and driver tips ($3-5 per day), passport fees, visa fees (ca. $75), public transportation, personal items, beverages at meals, travel insurance. Itinerary subject to change. Based on minimum number of registrants.

Price

$xxx per person, based on double occupancy.

Add $xxx to guarantee single room. Visa Fee - $75-100 per person.

Package can be booked with 6-12 passengers


Registration Form


Trump Tours has been welcoming farm groups to the US since 1999. Have your group’s tour organized by professional tour operators with agricultural expertise!

OUTSTANDING AGRICULTURAL TOURS WORLDWIDE

Agricultural tours, conferences, ag study tours, fact finding missions, technical programs, agritravel professionally organized worldwide. Trump Tours, based in the United States, is a creative and engaged company that focuses on the unique and specialized needs for Agricultural group tours.