9 independent reviews for Biking vacation in Cuba, 7 days
Reviews for Biking vacation in Cuba, 7 days
Georgia Popplewell review 19 Dec 2022
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Experiencing the Cuban countryside in the intimate way a bicycle allows, along with a great group of new friends.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Be flexible and open-minded—I myself am from the Caribbean and was pleased to discover that the others on the group (from the US and Canada) were adventurous about trying foods they were unfamiliar with and were flexible about schedules, etc. Try to brush up on your Spanish (if you have any), and don't be shy about using it to connect with Cubans.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Absolutely. The tour company seems to have put a great deal of thought into reducing waste and selecting services and experiences that involved and benefited local people.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Five stars.Barbara Arnold review 30 Jan 2020
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Hard to say. Cuba is mind blowing!2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Bring good wrap-around sun glasses. The roads are often dusty and I got grit in my eye which was painful. Accommodation is simple, beds are a bit hard but the welcome and breakfasts are great.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, we brought business to local people by staying in their homes.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
A fantastic trip, eye-opening, challenging and thought provoking. Very well organised and Maurice was a super guide. Safety was paramount, we were kept well informed of the road conditions, length and difficulty of each ride . Excellent back up service with air conditioned coach which was welcome in the heat. Great way to see the country and I'd like to do the east side next time.Gil Cruz review 21 Dec 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Cycling 65km in 4 hours & being rewarded with a beautiful beach :)2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Bring padded shorts! You spend a lot of time on that bike!3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes. We ate (& drank) at local establishments, as well as buying souvenirs & staying in local guest houses. Cycling is environmentally-friendly & we were encouraged to not use plastic strawers.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Amazing! Our tour guide Alejandro, mechanic & driver were so nice & caring, the sights you see cycling in West Cuba are fantastic & everywhere we stayed were great!Peter Gale review 17 Jul 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The whole vacation was amazing. I particularly enjoyed visiting a mixture of locations, both the locations where tourist normally visit and some 'off the beaten track' authentic Cuban locations.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Listen to the guide and enjoy!3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
As much as any travel involving air journeys could do! On the first part of the question, I think it was exceptionally well organised to achieve that end.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Not sure it's the best vacation ever, but it's definitely in the top one. :)Juliet Campling review 4 Jun 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Cycling the Cuban countryside2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
It is a great way to see Cuba- cycling is hard and hilly at times but we were always looked after by the mechanic cycling at the back of the group and the bus following with water and snacks.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
People loved to see us and we stayed in small casas.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Really goodGraham Thom review 12 Mar 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
A very interesting country and fantastic people2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Take Loperamide. Keep both hands on the handlebars3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes the operator were very good at disseminating wealth to local Cubans through their use of Casa Accommodation4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
A great experience. The second week traveling east of Havana is a new trip and needs some adjustments to the itinerary to make it even better.Jane Dutton review 14 Mar 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Cycling through the Cuban countryside and having lunch at Mama Luigi's.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Be aware that you will have very limited Internet access and facilities are at a different level to what is normal in the UK.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Definitely benefitted local people.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Excellent, extremely well organised, informative and enjoyable. Great group of people and fantastic local tour leader. Felt safe throughout the vacation.Marc de Souza review 4 Mar 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Cycling through the Cuban countryside surrounded by beautiful landscapes.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Definitely need to do some training if you aren't cycling on a regular basis.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes. We stayed in Casa Particulares throughout the trip rather than hotels. The guide and support team worked in a way to keep our environmental impact to a minimum.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Excellent. The trip was very well organised and provided a great mixture of cycling and culture. The guide and support team were also brilliant. I will definitely be recommending this trip to friends and family.Jelena Gayk review 19 Dec 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Getting to know Cuba by bike and to have good conversations with our tour guide.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Bring saddle protection.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I felt we supported local people but that's all. We didnt learn much about responsible traveling. We produced a lot of plastic waste! Everyone could bring their own cup or lunch box and use it more often. We could have learned more spanish phrases in order to ask for less plastic in restaurants. The bus was so huge and went all the way with us. It didn't make a difference if I ride the hole way on my bike or if I sat in the bus, because it was nearly the same gas mileage. Before I booked the trip I decided to spend more money on the operator, because it said it was a responsible travel vacation. This more money I spent in comparison to other trips wasn't worth it.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
I enjoyed riding the bike, spending time with my group and the people who worked for us. I learnt a lot about Cuba and had great fun. But I didn't feel like I travelled responsibly.Read the operator's response here:
Firstly thanks for bringing this to our attention, and being so passionate about the world we live in. It is a passion we share! It is feedback like this that gives us a true insight into where we are being successful, and where we need to work harder to protect our planet and the cultures we travel through.
For us the most important part of traveling responsibly is to ensure you have meaningful contact with local people, especially in a country as frequently misunderstood as Cuba, and we’re glad to hear that you were able to do that.
Conversely, due to a mixture of tourist regulations and the existing infrastructure in the country, traveling in Cuba is a challenge for any company wanting to travel responsibly. We absolutely recognise that certain aspects such as pollution and recycling are a ‘work in progress’ and, while we alone cannot change the laws and restrictions in the country, we are actively working with our local Cuban-owned supplier to make the lowest impact on the environment we can.
On the issue of plastic the challenge is significant. While recycling has been part of Cuban law since 1975, and everyday Cubans are truly amazing in their ability to reutilise any number of common items such as soft drink cans and plastic bottles, there is no formal recycling infrastructure in Cuba.
The use of single-use plastic is an issue we take very seriously, and it is something we are working on with our local team to try and ensure we keep this use to an absolute minimum. As part of their training we teach our local leaders about the importance of minimising our impact where possible. We also try and work with the local home owners and businesses we use along the way to help educate them, while respecting their culture and opinions – it is admittedly a delicate balance but not one we shy away from. We will certainly be following up to get a better understanding of why this did not appear to happen on your trip.
On the specific issue around the size of the support vehicle we wholeheartedly agree that – by Western standards – it is simply too large. Like many things in Cuba, the vehicles we use are controlled by the Cuban tourist authorities. For small groups we try to use a smaller ‘minibus’ type support vehicle to minimise the impact, but also ensuring we have vehicle that is suitable for our travelers’ needs (i.e. fits all travelers and crew, their bikes and their luggage. It’s a recognised problem and one we are actively working towards trying to resolve going forwards.
In short traveling responsibly in Cuba presents a huge challenge but we honestly believe that tourism is part of the long term solution if done correctly. We accept that we are unlikely to change the government’s policy or indeed the current infrastructure but through continuing education of our local staff and suppliers, and likeminded people such as yourself, we can help change the views of the people we encounter along the way.
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