CUBA DISCOVERY - Meredith College

world—like nothing you have seen before. Interact with
members of the neighborhood to discuss the project’s
impact on the surrounding area. This afternoon’s highlight
includes a workshop at the ANGELES DEL FUTURO
Community Project, where you’ll meet young children
learning acrobatics and circus skills. You’ll be amazed
at their talents and impressed with the skills they have
mastered at such a young age—definitely a trip highlight!
Before dinner this evening, meet members of the local Old
Styler Car Club. Hear why Havana’s streets are filled with
vintage American automobiles, and converse about how
these cars are obtained and what it takes to keep them
running. Ride in an OLD STYLER CAR to your farewell
dinner, the perfect ending to your time in Cuba. (B,L,D)
CUBA DISCOVERY
TURNING TRAV E L DREAMS INTO REALITY
SM
Tour 8700—9 days from Miami to Miami
Day 9 HAVANA–MIAMI, USA. After breakfast, depart for
the airport and your return flight to Miami. Please schedule
connecting flights after 6:50 pm. (B)
Meredith College
March 11 - 19, 2017
Per person price based on double occupancy:$3278.00
Single: $3603.00
CUBAN FLAGS
this part of the world home. Spend the next two nights at
a Casa Particular (a privately owned bed & breakfast). Here
is the unique opportunity to interact with a local family and
immerse yourself in the Cuban culture. Before you know
it, you’ll be part of the family and will be made to feel very
special. (B,L,D)
Day 7 VIÑALES. Since we are in the heart of Cuba’s tobacco
region, we’ll visit a CIGAR FACTORY and interact with
tobacco rollers. Learn about the importance of tobacco, both
culturally and commercially, for Cuba. Afterward, we visit a
local COMMUNITY ART PROJECT and have a discussion about
their program that helps children with Down Syndrome.
Lunch will be served at a local farm, where you will have
the opportunity to chat with the staff and owners. This
afternoon, meet a local farmer and his family at a TOBACCO
FARM. Learn about the process of growing, drying, and
rolling tobacco. You can even try rolling a cigar yourself! Take
some time to get acquainted with the owner and his family
over coffee. (B,L)
Day 8 VIÑALES–HAVANA. Return to bustling Havana and
visit artist JOSÉ FUSTER’S STUDIO, cleverly nicknamed the
“Picasso of the Caribbean.” Here, you’ll discover a surreal
Price includes: land program, excursions, meals and
accommodations as specified in the itinerary, charter flights
between Miami and Cuba and taxes, Cuban visa fees, prepaid gratuities, and the services of a Cuban National
.�
Program Director.
Journey's Club members save $150 per person!
Travel Protection Plus is available for an additional
$209.00 per person
Please refer to Travel Protection Plus policy for more information
Please make checks payable to Cosmos
Deposit Due: $1000 per person
With Travel Protection: $1209 per person
Travel Protection must be purchased at time of deposit
Group Voyagers Inc.† is an organization licensed by the United States Department of the Treasury, Office of
Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), CFR 515.565(b) and authorized to provide those who register as participants in
our programs to visit Cuba legally for educational People-to-People interactions. Our itineraries provide a fulltime schedule of People-to-People educational exchange activities designed to result in meaningful interactions
between our travelers and individuals in Cuba. United States law requires that all participants in our programs
adhere to the full-time schedule of People-to-People activities.
Group Voyagers, Inc. is the company that markets and sells the Globus family of brands.
†
OLD HAVANA
Shrouded in mystery for the past 50 years, the island nation of Cuba is waiting to be rediscovered.
Be among the first American travelers in five decades to visit Cuba, as Cosmos presents this rare
opportunity to experience the colorful history and lively culture of this captivating country. Join us
on this special People-to-People program designed around daily interactions with local residents
that deliver insight into the past, present, and future of this fascinating place.
GF061564_8700
Day 1 ARRIVE IN MIAMI. Arrive in Miami and transfer to
your hotel. Tonight, meet your Cosmos Group Leader for a 6
pm welcome meeting. This is a good time to meet your fellow
program participants and get last-minute questions answered.
Meredith College
Denise Parker
dpparker@meredith.edu
(919) 760-8051
Day 2 MIAMI–HAVANA, CUBA–VARADERO. A short
flight brings you to Havana, where you’ll meet your Cuban
National Tour Director. Travel through Cuba’s countryside,
stopping at Bacunayagua Bridge, the tallest bridge in
Cuba. Enjoy incredible views and time for pictures at this
spectacular lookout point. Arrive at your beautiful waterside
resort for a 2-night stay. Enjoy an interactive DANCE LESSON
before dinner tonight. (L,D)
Day 3 VARADERO. EXCURSION TO MATANZAS &
CÁRDENAS. This morning, visit Matanzas, known as the
LEISURELY
ON THE GO
LEISURELY
ON THE GO
CIGAR ROLLERS
LEISURELY
CUBAN SPECIALTIES
ON THE GO
FLORIDA
1 Miami
ON THE GO
LEISURELY
Gulf of Mexico
Havana
2 Varadero
3
Viñales 2
LOCAL MUSICIANS
Matanzas
Cárdenas
CUBA
Caribbean Sea
Overnights
Start City
End City
Your Travel Package Includes:
Inside visits and special features: Shown in UPPERCASE in the tour
description including admission charges where applicable.
Scenic Highlights: Bacunayagua Bridge, Varadero, Viñales Valley
Guides: Services of a professional Cosmos Group Leader and Englishspeaking Cuban Tour Director
Transportation: Airport transfer in Miami; touring by private, firstclass air-conditioned motorcoach
Hotels: Listed below or equivalent; includes rooms with private bath
or shower, hotel taxes, porterage, tips, and service charges
“Athens of Cuba” for the many renowned artists and
intellectuals it has produced. Visit TRIOLET PHARMACY,
which dates back to 1879 and is preserved in its entirety.
Then, interact with workers at EDICIONES VIGIA, a print
and binding shop, and learn about the traditional craft that
is still done by hand. This afternoon brings us to Cárdenas,
where we’ll visit with several ARTISTS and learn about their
works and inspirations. Before returning to your hotel, stop
at CASA DUPONT, built in 1926 by American millionaire
Irénée du Pont. See the lavish grounds, and admire the
detailed architecture of this former mansion, nicknamed
“Xanadu” by its owner. (B,L,D)
Day 4 VARADERO–HAVANA. This morning, travel to
Havana, the bustling capital of Cuba and your home for the
next two nights. Start your time in Havana with a visit to a
local ORGANIC FARM, where you’ll join a discussion with
the workers. Enjoy lunch at the farm’s paladar (a special,
privately owned restaurant). Over dessert, discuss with the
owner and staff their farm-to-table process and the free
enterprise system in Cuba. Then, visit a DAYCARE CENTER
to interact with the children and the nuns who run the
program. The children may even delight you with a song or
two. Next, visit FINCA VIGIA, Ernest Hemingway’s beloved
home. Hemingway lived in Cuba for 30 years and is well
respected by the Cuban people. Also see his fishing boat,
El Pilar, used to patrol for German U-boats during WWII.
Tonight, enjoy dinner at El Aljibe Restaurant, famous for its
open-air ambiance and special slow-roasted chicken. (B,L,D)
MIAMI Courtyard Miami Airport (F), VARADERO Memories Varadero
Beach Resort (MF), HAVANA Memories Miramar Havana Hotel (MF),
VIÑALES Casa Particular (BA)
Meals: 7 breakfast (B), 7 lunches (L), 5 dinners (D), including a
farewell dinner in Havana
NOTES: The “Cuba Discovery” program requires walking on cobblestone streets and
uneven pathways, climbing stairs, and participating in a full-time schedule of peopleto-people activities.
Due to special requirements to visit Cuba, participants will be required to complete visa
application ($80 visa fee is included in vacation price) and travel reservation forms, and sign
an affidavit confirming that they are traveling under a people-to-people license and are aware
of the travel rules. Participants are also required to send a copy of their passport photo page.
These items must be sent to Globus within 7 days of making a reservation.
In Cuba, activities that have been scheduled far in advance can sometimes become
unavailable for a number of different reasons. The purpose of the trip is to have
meaningful interactions with the locals and if the planned people-to-people
educational exchange isn’t available, rest assured that another will be substituted
that will be just as enriching.
DANCERS
THE BEAUTIFUL VIÑALES VALLEY
Day 5 HAVANA. Start the day with a panoramic tour
around Havana that includes REVOLUTION SQUARE, the
University of Havana, the Capitol Building, and Prado.
Next, join a local ARCHITECT for a walk in Old Havana,
a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discuss the different
types of architecture found throughout the city, the
progress of restoration projects, and how they receive
their supplies and funding. Afterward, visit the SANTO
ANGEL NEIGHBORHOOD to interact with local community
members. You’ll learn how their project was founded to
better the neighborhood by offering services such as a
beauty school, cafeteria for the elderly, and art galleries.
We’ll end the day with a stop at the FERIA DE ARTESANIA
to meet local artists and see the wares sold at this area
market. (B,L)
Day 6 HAVANA–VIÑALES. Today we travel to the western
end of the island to the province of Pinar del Río. With
some of the country’s most beautiful scenery, you’ll see
lush emerald-green tobacco fields and dramatic limestone
formations, called mogotes, which are the height of
skyscrapers and tower over the Viñales Valley floor. Visit
a COFFEE PLANTATION and learn about the traditional
techniques still used today. Interact with the plantation
staff as well as local community members to learn more
about their daily lives. Enjoy a guided NATURE WALK to
learn about and discuss some of the unique flora and
fauna found in this region of Cuba. Upon arrival in Viñales,
your Tour Director will take you on a walk through the
handsome square and along the wide main street lined with
turn-of-the-century cottages with red-tiled roofs. During
your walk, share in a discussion with the people who call
TRADITIONAL COLOR