Ride & Seek adventure cycling company has introduced the first two stages of The Marco Polo Expedition, cycling 1900 km from Venice to Athens.
(Provence, France) —
Ride & Seek, an adventure cycling company offering itineraries that follow
in the footsteps of historical figures, is thrilled to announce its most
ambitious project to date: The Marco Polo Expedition. The goal of this newly
created tour is to cycle from Venice, Italy to Beijing, China in seven distinct
stages. The first two stages are scheduled to run in September 17 – October 14,
2020, leading riders 1,900 km from Venice to Athens, Greece over 26 days.
Guests will bike down the coast from Italy through Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania and Greece, riding from harbor to harbor. Accommodations range from charming Soviet-style hotels to agriturismos and modern boutique hotels. Fine wine and gourmet food will be featured throughout the trip. This epic excursion ranges from $5,260 USD to $11,248 USD per person.
“Our Epic Adventures are all created with a sense of discovery at their core, and this tour fulfills that in abundance,” said Ride & Seek Founder Dylan Reynolds. “Marco Polo is one of the great travelers in history and in many ways, he embodies the spirit of the tours we run.”
Polo was a Venetian merchant who journeyed across Asia at the height of the Mongol Empire. He first set out at age 17 with his father and uncle, travelling overland along what later became known as the Silk Road. Upon reaching China, Marco Polo entered the court of powerful Mongol ruler Kublai Khan, who dispatched him on trips to help administer the realm. Marco Polo remained abroad for 24 years.
STAGE 1 – Venice to Dubrovnik Leaving Venice by boat, the first stage of The Marco Polo Expedition embraces the essence of island-hopping, which lies at the heart of this tour. We negotiate our way down the stunning Dalmatian coast via Marco Polo’s alleged birthplace of Korcula and take in such jewels as Hvar and Split on our way to the enchanting city of Dubrovnik. 12-days/11-nights, 738 km, September 17-29 2020
STAGE 2 – Dubrovnik to Athens Leaving Dubrovnik, riders quickly enter the beguiling country of Montenegro before jumping on to the road-less-traveled through fascinating Albania, a true tour highlight and phenomenal cycling destination. The final week take guests first to Corfu, before heading inland towards Athens. 16-days/15-nights, 1,050 km, September 29 – October 14, 2020
Ride & Seek is a worldwide adventure cycling company offering unique
historical itineraries with quality lodging, fine gastronomy, and cultural
immersion. Cyclists can not only ride some of the greatest roads in Europe but
also visit some of the most spectacular sites as well. Providing a cultural
insight into the areas visited both historically and gastronomically is central.
Historical journeys and cultural adventures are the company’s specialties. https://rideandseek.com
A trek to Everest Base Camp is the adventure of a lifetime. Follow in the footsteps of some of the greatest and most famous trekkers and climbers. Embark on a mind-blowing trek to base camp of the world’s highest mountain.
When you land in Lukla, the gateway to Mount Everest, you’ll be greeted by fresh mountain air, smiling Sherpa faces, and the wonderful absence of sound. For the next 14+ days, you will not encounter even one motorized vehicle! There are no roads to Everest, just gorgeous trails. And this is just the beginning.
You will see countless carved Mani stones and prayer wheels, stunning Buddhist mountain monasteries, breath-taking views of the Himalayas at every turn, and will immerse yourself in the Sherpa culture as you walk through village settlements and over suspension bridges. Each night you will stay in a rustic and charming tea house. Gather around the stove in the main dining room, meet travelers from around the world as you enjoy an authentic and delicious Nepali dinner. Every day of the EBC trek is new discovery for your senses. Hike through Rhododendron forests, over raging rivers, inside gorgeous valleys, and along stunning mountain ridges. You will never regret taking this life-changing adventure!
“At Hope Treks, we believe in doing the right thing and passing on the good karma to you, our client. In addition to funding medical research for the world’s most devastating and terminal childhood disease, we also practice responsible and green tourism through treading very lightly in the mountains and the countryside of Nepal. We make every effort to minimize negative social, economic and environmental impacts on the places we travel. We are committed to paying a living wage to our Nepalese guides and porters who, in the past, have often worked for as little as $10 a day. We ensure that they have proper, safe clothing and gear, as well as insurance.
“Isn’t it time for your ultimate, altruistic adventure?”
Tour Name: Everest Base Camp Trek Tour Dates: Flexible Tour Rate: $2200 USD per person Rate Includes:
Accommodation with breakfast at deluxe hotel in Kathmandu.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner each day while trekking
Tea House accommodation during the trek.
Experienced, English-speaking guide and porters (1 porter between 2 people). Also included is their food, accommodation, salary, and insurance.
Trekkers Information Management System (TIMS Card).
Company Profile: Hope Treks offers Treks in Nepal, including
Everest Base Camp, and profits go to the Hope for Gus Foundation, which funds
medical research for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Mountain Kick, a Kathmandu-based trip operator, is offering a Mount Everest Base Camp Trek at discounted rates for the rest of its 2019 departures and for early bookings for 2020.
Mountain Kick, a Kathmandu-based trip operator, is offering a Mount
Everest Base Camp Trek at
discounted rates for the rest of its 2019 departures and for early bookings for
2020.
Beginning from Lukla, you will walk through all the Sherpa villages on the way
to the Everest and back. Stand on the foot of Mount Everest and gaze at the
majestic giant all you can. The Everest Base Camp is where all mountaineers
begin their summit of the highest peak in the world. But the journey begins
quite before that. You have to walk through gorges, valleys, rivers, forests
and villages to reach the base camp itself. Although you will not attempt to
scale the Everest, you will set foot on it nevertheless. It is not the same but
it comes quite close. Maximum altitude is from 4,600 feet at Kathmandu to
18,519 feet at Kala Patthar.
About Mountain Kick: Mountain Kick is a Kathmandu-based trip operator and
we organize adventure sports, trekking and sightseeing trips all over Nepal. We
believe that a true Himalayan adventure is a blend of endurance in general and
a healthy dose of thrill in particular. We attempt at making your holiday just
that. We are a team of travelling enthusiasts ourselves and after years of
exploring the Himalayas we like to believe that we know our way around the
mountains and can share the “kick” that enthralled us with you. Although
Mountain Kick is just a startup, all of us have done this for long enough to
see what the Himalayas had to offer beyond commercial holiday packages to carve
a niche for ourselves. The Himalayas never fail to inspire.
Duration: 15 days
Rate: $2,250 USD, All inclusive
INCLUDED IN COST
·Receive
you from and drop you to the airport or hotel in our company vehicle.
·Stay at a
three-star hotel in Kathmandu on a twin-sharing basis. Breakfast is on us.
·Sightseeing
around Kathmandu in a private vehicle with our guide. All entrance fees will be
paid.
·Stay at
guesthouses during the trek on a twin-sharing basis. Breakfasts, lunches and
dinners will also be taken care of.
·Local
government-licensed guides.
·Porters
(one each for a pair of travellers) and local support staff to help you trek.
·Fees for
Sagarmatha National Park entering permit and Trekkers’ Information Management
System card
·We will
lend you a down jacket and a sleeping bag for throughout the trek.
·Fully
paid round-trip tickets for Kathmandu-Lukla flight and back. Rides in private
vehicles included in the itinerary.
·A duffel
bag, a sun hat and a t-shirt as a souvenir from us.
·A
traditional Nepali feast with cultural shows as a farewell dinner.
·All
tourist fees, government charges and other official expenses throughout the
trip.
Killarney Castle, Ireland. Women Traveling the World is featuring an Ireland Emerald Island Tour, August 30-September 7, 2019.
Women Traveling the World is offering an Ireland Emerald Island Tour that includes seven days (Aug 30 – Sept 7, 2019) experiencing first-hand this beautiful country known as the Emerald Isle. (Emerald Isle is the poetic name for Ireland due to its green countryside, first referred to in print by William Drennan in his poem “When Erin first rose”).
The tour starts in Dublin, a city offering many pubs, live music, historic cathedrals, Trinity College, The Guinness Storehouse, St Stephens Green and so much more. Then, head off to the Wicklow country side and explore the breathtaking mountains and Powerscourt Estate. Traveling to Killarney you will pass through some quaint Irish villages.
You will get to stay in two different Castle Hotels and truly experience Ireland and all its heritage, Celtic history, and natural beauty.
The trip
features beautiful landscapes and lush green colors set against the Atlantic
Ocean – the cliff sides are worth the visit alone. The shorelines are trimmed
by golden sands and rocky cliffs. Inland lakes and rural idylls are varied and
tranquil. The Irish are some of friendliest people and enjoy sharing in myths
and tales of this magical place. Home, too, of many great music artists such as
U2, this is truly a gem worth exploring and taking in local Irish fare and
music.
Tour Dates: Aug 30 – Sept 7, 2019 Cost: $1841 based on double occupancy (roommates can be provided);
single supplement $750
Included:
7 nights’ hotel in 4* hotel with taxes
Daily breakfast
5 Dinners Including 1 Irish show
1 lunch
Entrance fees to all sites visited as per itinerary
Tour Leader with 6 or more clients
Private transfers to all included sites and cities visited
Shannon car ferry
Local Tour Guide/Private driver
Arrival transfers in Dublin if traveling on tour dates and at the same times as
other travelers. TBA
Departure transfers in Shannon if traveling with the group.
Grasshopper Adventures, a leader in Asia
bike tours, launches three bike & boat
adventures for 2019 and 2020 on the Mekong in Cambodia/Vietnam, the Brahmaputra
in India and the River Kwai in Thailand.
Grasshopper Adventures is partnering up with colonial and intimate
river vessels on Asia’s great rivers. Cycling off-the-beaten-path, cruising
along storied rivers, meeting villagers at the river banks and enjoying some
scenic pedalling mixed with culture and delicious local food.
With these new itineraries unpacking is only needed once. The ships
are under private charter to Grasshopper Adventures and are escorted by a
Grasshopper tour leader.
Single travelers are welcome. Grasshopper Adventures is matching guest with another same sex single traveler or guest can decide to pay the single supplement for a private cabin.
“With these new, exciting and unique tours we are able to welcome non-cycling partners or friends and will have special activities planned for them each day while the riders are out on the bikes,” Adam Platt-Hepworth, Grasshopper Adventures’ founder, said. “ It’s like having a portable hotel!”
Mekong Bike & Boat Adventure, from Vietnam to Cambodia, 9 days / 8 nights (from $4,990 per person sharing) This epic journey on the Mekong starts at colonial Saigon in Vietnam and finishes at breath-taking Angkor in Cambodia’s Siem Reap. The RV Toum Tiou with its shallow draft can reach river arms inaccessible to other cruise lines. Guests will be cycling through Vietnam’s scenic and busy Mekong delta and exploring Cambodia’s remote and rural corners before reaching the bustling capital Phnom Penh with its colonial and Art Deco architecture. The trip ends in Siem Reap with off-the-beaten-track cycling excursions to the Angkorian temples.
6 nights on board RV Toum Tiou
2 nights at Jaya House River Park, Siem Reap
India: Bike & Boat Brahmaputra, 9 days / 8 nights (from $4,900 per person sharing)
The Brahmaputra, one of the world’s most storied rivers, flows through Assam, India’s most north-eastern region. Guests will start exploring charming and colonial Kolkata before flying to Jorhat to embark the elegant Grand Dame of the river, the RV Charaidew. The polished brass engine room, telegraph and enormous ship’s wheel bear witness to her heritage. We cycle on the world’s largest river island, Majuli and explore rural villages which have not often see foreigners. There will be national parks with plenty of wildlife from rhinos, to elephants and birds – with a bit of luck maybe a tiger spotting.
1 night at the Oberoi Grand, Kolkata 7 nights on the RV Charaidew
Thailand Bike, Boat & Beach, 8 days / 7 nights (from $3,950 per person sharing)
Guests
will be cruising the scenic River Kwai and immerse into the history of the
infamous Death Railway, built during
WWII. The colonial RV River Kwai will take passengers on a trip back in
time. This tour combines cycling Bangkok by night, with a river cruise and the
extension to the paradise in Southern Thailand, Koh Yao. Guests can take part
on our included cycling, kayaking or hiking activities down south, or enjoy the
stunning beach and island resort.
1 night at the Riva Surya Hotel, Bangkok
3 nights on the RV River Kwai
3 nights at Paradise Koh Yao Resort, Island of Koh Yao
Grasshopper Adventures is approaching its 15-year anniversary. Grasshopper multi day tours across Asia feature great guides and bikes, off-the-beaten-track itineraries, unique escapes and genuine experiences and fine-tuned details. Grasshopper Adventures operates tours in Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Japan, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. Choose from scheduled group departures, bike & boat, private tours, family tours or self-guided trips.
Grasshopper Adventures is introducing a cycling tour exploring the back roads of Rajasthan, India’s quintessential land of maharajas, majestic forts, lavish palaces and tigers.
(Bangkok, Thailand) — Grasshopper Adventures is introducing a cycling tour exploring the back roads of Rajasthan, India’s quintessential land of maharajas, majestic forts, lavish palaces and tigers. Starting in Delhi and finishing in Udaipur, guests will ride through rural farmlands, deserts, and mountains, while exploring the “Land of Kings”. The eight-day trip starts at $3,300 USD per person double and is scheduled for October 26-November 2, 2019.
The remnants of a rich and romantic past have earned Rajasthan a place on most travelers’ bucket lists. It is a land of deserts, jungle, camel trains, tigers, jewels, art and vibrant culture. The festivals and cuisine are nothing short of spectacular. It is the must-see state of India, brimming with history and unique attractions.
“We will pedal 230 km through fascinating towns, ancient desert hamlets, and an oasis of Rajasthani forts,” said Grasshopper Adventures CEO Adam Platt-Hepworth. “Rajasthan is one of India’s most captivating states, famed for its historic forts and palaces, desert villages, spice markets, and the warmth of its people. This tour definitely discovers the real Rajasthan.”
The cycling follows predominantly flat, country roads and lanes with little traffic. There is some hill riding, but it is broadly achievable at a moderate level of fitness. A support vehicle is always on hand throughout the entire trip to give guests a lift if they need a break from the riding. Distances covered are between 40 km and 60 km a day.
“Rather than the popular tourist sites, guests may well find that the highlight of this bike tour is a chance encounter with a pink-turbaned man in the middle of nowhere, or maybe a shared Rajasthani family meal,” said Platt-Hepworth. “That is the beauty of this trip!”
Highlights:
Touring the 15th century Mehrangarh fortress
Riding through the desert to Rohet
Taking a Jeep tour to visit the Bishnoi tribes
Visiting a traditional haveli for a tasty lunch
Boarding a train for a scenic ride from Khambli Ghat to
Phulad
Overnighting in the lush, wooded valley of Ranakpur
Touring Kumbhalgarh and the world’s second largest
man-made wall
Bellevue, WA —Imagine a trip that combines the exotic and colorful country of India with the Himalayan nation of Nepal to the north. All for only $135 a day—including includes deluxe hotels like Marriott, Hilton and Crowne Plaza and air fare. World Spree Travel makes that happen with its Exotic India and Kathmandu Tour in the fall, when the 14-day trip costs $1,899.
That price includes not only round-trip international airfare from San Francisco, Los Angeles or New York, but also 5-star hotel accommodations, daily buffet breakfasts, three lunches, four dinners, all transportation in India and Nepal, comprehensive sightseeing tours with entrance fees, wonderful English-speaking tour guides, baggage handling and audio earphones. A mind-blowing flight to Mount Everest for a close-up view is optional and extra.
The tour starts in the capital, Delhi, with (cycle rickshaw) sightseeing in Mughal Old Delhi’s narrow alleys, mosques and bazaars, and monumental New Delhi’s colonial architecture reminiscent of the British Raj. There’s also a visit to Mahatma Gandhi’s former residence. Then it’s on to Agra, the second city of India’s famed Golden Triangle, and that legendary symbol of love, the beautiful white marble Taj Mahal, considered the finest monument of Mughal architecture.
On the way to Jaipur, the 10th-century Chand Baori (Stepwell), merits a stop. (This incredible well, with 13 floors and 3,500 steps, inspired the centerpiece sculpture in New York City’s new Hudson Yards.) Jaipur, the third city in the Golden Triangle, is the capital of Rajastan, the “pink city” that starred in “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.” Here there’s a tuk-tuk ride to see historic mansions, palaces and temples, as well as a jeep ride up to the famous Amber Fort, and a visit to a home for underprivileged children. Then it’s back to Delhi for an overnight and the flight to Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, which is surrounded by the high peaks of the Himalayas..
In Kathmandu, sightseeing includes the array of temples and Nepali royal palaces in Durbar Square, and the “Monkey Temple” with its impressive stupa. Other UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley include Bhaktapur, the nation’s cultural gem with its appealing crafts, ornate palaces, temples galore and 19 Buddhist monasteries, and Patan, full of old charm, traditional brick houses. temples and monuments. Then there’s Pashupatinath, Nepal’s most important Hindu temple on the holy Bagmati River. And, of course, that thrilling flight to Mount Everest, which is optional and costs $220. After a short flight to Delhi, there’s a farewell dinner and then the flight back home.
For additional information about the Exotic India and Kathmandu Tour visit www.worldspree.com, and click India, or call toll-free 1-800-652-5656.
Wild Women Expeditions is hosting multiple departures of two new, distinct itineraries that embrace the blue waters and high-altitude wilderness of Croatia.
CORNER BROOK, NL, Canada– Across the Adriatic Sea from Italy is a sun-splashed shoreline that marks Croatia, sometimes known as Dalmatia. Here in 2019, Wild Women Expeditions will host multiple departures of two new, distinct itineraries that embrace the blue waters and high-altitude wilderness of this secret Riviera.
Kaleidoscopic Croatian Multisport is a 13-day active immersion in nature and culture that promises up to six hours of hiking or four hours each of paddling and cycling most days. Departures in 2019 are May 23, Sept. 1, Sept 22 and Oct.13. The per person (double occupancy) rate of $4,695 includes:
12 nights shared accommodations in locally owned hotels and guesthouses
All breakfasts and lunches and some dinners
Ground transportation from Zagreb to Dubrovnik
Airport transfers on Day 13
All equipment required for activities outlined in the itinerary
All national park or entrance fees required to deliver the activities
English-speaking female lead guide plus support staff
This itinerary begins in Croatia’s capital city, Zagreb, before departing for Kopački Rit Nature Park on the Croatian-Serbian border. During a homestay, guests will prepare dinner and perhaps hear stories about the history of what life was like in Tito’s Yugoslavia before the Balkan states erupted into being in the early 1990s.
Croatia’s pride and joy are its national and nature parks. Kopački Rit Nature Park on the Danube floodplain is dubbed the European Amazon for its rich biodiversity and abundance of bird and wildlife. After exploring this wildest side of Croatia, the itinerary weaves through the mountains, tracing vestiges of Celtic and Roman civilizations en route to Dubrovnik. After hiking in Papuk Nature Park, guests will finish the day by arriving in Samobor to enjoy dinner and kremsnite, a puff pastry with custard cream unique to these high altitudes. Guests will further explore the Sambor Highlands before embarking on a hiking tour the following day through Plitvice Lakes National Park, home to over 16 lakes that cascade from one to the next.
Leaving mountains behind, guests arrive in Split, a 1700-year-old city with the palace of a Roman emperor, Diocletian, dating from 4th century AD. Guests roll up their sleeves to play with clay, making souvenirs with natural elements and tools. Swimming, snorkeling and kayaking follow an overnight on Hvar, one of the countless islands in this region. Guests will then sail to Vis, an island that until 25 years ago housed the largest military base in the former Yugoslavia alongside traditional Dalmatian stone villages, many abandoned.
Before touring Dubrovnik comes a day on bicycles past vineyards, farms and dwellings scarred by war from 1991-1995. A local family hosts a dinner with homemade bread and cheeses, local wines and prosek. They’ll probably embroider stories of the war for independence in the conversation, embroidery that replaces the colorful hand-stitched garments once worn here and that underscores the fragile cultures and customs. Dubrovnik residents in the early 1990s survived for six months on just bread and water as houses and shops were shelled inside 14th-century walls. Today’s Dubrovnik is a high-energy destination. For more details on this itinerary please see https://wildwomenexpeditions.com/trips/kaleidoscopic-croatian-multisport/
Kornati Islands Kayak Adventure is a 10-night itinerary offered in 2019 on June 12 and Sept.12 departures. The per person rate is $4,495 USD for:
10-night accommodations in small hotels, fisherman guest houses, self-catering apartment and on sailboats
All meals
Single or double sea kayaks, the use of skirts, paddles PFD’s, paddling jackets, dry bags and all safety gear
The adventure begins in Zadar on the Dalmatian coast between Split (north) and Dubrovnik (south). This ancient center combines 8th-century religious art with Roman artifacts and Sea Organ, an installation that captures the music of the waves.
One of the least accessible places in Croatia is Kornati National Park that exposes a jagged coastline with a rich submarine eco-system, natural beauty and interesting geomorphology. Guests paddle by bottlenose dolphins and slow-but-lovable loggerhead sea turtles through a labyrinth of small islands, reefs and islets that make up 12 percent of all the islands in the Croatian Adriatic. Cliffs drop steeply to the sea that supports families of fisherfolk who offer hospitality over home-made meals. Written documents from the 10th century confirm one island’s fishing tradition of 1000 years.
In the Šibenik archipelago, a sailboat lends support for an open-sea crossing to a community of 249 islands, of which only six are inhabited. An undiscovered jewel on this archipelago is Zlarin, where, since the 14th century, islanders have been diving for colorful sea corals. A sea paddle to Krka National Park reveals a karst phenomenon with seven travertine waterfalls, numerous endemic endangered species, and over 1000 plant and 225 bird species. Speleology lovers are drawn to some 40 grottoes and pits; others to medieval fortresses, harbingers of the bustle of civilization that lies ahead in the farewell city of Split. For details please see https://wildwomenexpeditions.com/trips/kornati-islands-kayak-adventure/.
Founded in 1991, Wild Women Expeditions is the world’s largest women-only travel company. Its initial focus was on canoeing on remote Ontario waters. Through an unwavering focus on Canada, one of the wildest, most pristine countries in the world, Wild Women Expeditions became experts in a pioneering niche that introduced small groups of women into wilderness settings. The company now hosts guests all over the world, offering more trips and more women-only, backcountry camping, hiking, paddling and horseback adventures than any other women’s travel company in the world.
Tourico Vacations, an online booking engine, is in position to assist in booking trips to the most popular destinations for 2019. Haven’t decided? From European excursions to African and Asian adventures, here are some favorites:
If you’re interested in exploring vast rural landscapes and relaxing in beautifully remote areas, The Isle of Skye in Scotland, and Namibia, Africa, are two of 2019’s top contenders. Namibia’s stunning deserts, massive dunes, shipwrecked coastline, and plethora of diverse wildlife (including desert-adapted lions and elephants) make it an extraordinarily unique area. On the other hand, The Isle of Skye’s lush yet rugged countryside, medieval castles, quaint fishing villages, and relentless historical charm make it equally stunning.
If lounging on empty beaches and uninterruptedly soaking up sun sound like better ways to spend your 2019, choosing between the Andaman Islands in India, and Krabi, Thailand, will be tough. Phulay Bay is a phenomenal luxury resort on the white beaches of Krabi, and the entire area is known for being “still under the radar, uncrowded and peaceful.” The Andaman Islands, however, are known to be “among the world’s top diving destinations,” boasting nearly 600 mostly-uninhabited isles to explore.
If you’re looking for vibrant colorful communities, spectacular food, and special cultural experiences to kick off your 2019, it’s hard to choose between Chengdu, China, and Moscow, Russia. Moscow definitely has the impressive architecture and exchange rates to make the newly revived capital a must-see city. However, Chengdu’s infamous teahouses, colorful wet markets, fashion, culture, and food makes it unmatchable – plus, they have pandas.
Tourico Vacations is an online booking engine designed to provide customers with insider prices on more than 16,000 hotels, 2,000 cruise itineraries, flights, car rentals, vacation packages, and attractions worldwide. In addition to travel services, Tourico Vacations recently introduced Condos, European and American homes, a service offering accommodations at over 4,500 luxury vacation condos worldwide by the week.
Tour operators welcomed the US State Department’s reclassification of its Cuba’s travel advisory to a Level 2.
The U.S. State Department updated its travel advisory rating for Cuba from “Level 3: Reconsider Travel” to “Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution.” The move, which took place in August, was welcomed by a coalition of U.S. tour operators and organizations that have seen educational exchanges between the U.S. and Cuba deeply hurt by the State Department’s level 3 classification. However, other measures are still in place, including a warning in the travel advisory to “avoid” the popular Hotel Nacional and Hotel Capri. The updated rating came as part of the Department’s mandatory six-month review of the Cuba travel advisory, which was last evaluated on March 2, 2018.
“We are pleased that the State Department has made this common-sense decision,” said Martha Honey, Executive Director of the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), which has coordinated the coalition’s advocacy work. “Cuba is one of the safest countries in the world, and people-to-people exchanges, which began to flourish under the Obama administration, ground almost to a halt when the travel restrictions were imposed last year.”
Ahead of the State Department’s review, the coalition sent a letter to the State Department advocating for this change to Cuba’s travel advisory. The group argued that the “Level 3: Reconsider Travel” rating was unwarranted given the realities of travel to Cuba and explained the travel advisory’s far-reaching negative impacts for the Cuban people as well as for U.S. travelers and travel businesses. For the first half of 2018, U.S. travel to Cuba – not including travel by Cuban Americans – declined by 23.6% compared to the same period in 2018. In a survey conducted by CREST in early 2018, 84% of U.S. tour operators cited the State Department’s travel advisory as the main reason for this drop in U.S. travel to Cuba.
“As travel professionals, we have seen firsthand the benefits of people-to-people travel to Cuba, which puts revenue directly into the hands of Cuban households while providing U.S. travelers with outstanding cultural and educational experiences…We are concerned about how the decline in U.S. travel to Cuba is hurting Cuban entrepreneurs and curtailing invaluable exchanges between American travelers and the Cuban people,” the coalition said in their letter to the State Department.
Cuba’s travel advisory rating was designated at “Level 3: Reconsider Travel” after U.S. embassy personnel in Havana were stricken with unexplained health ailments. However, as the coalition’s letter explains, there have been no confirmed cases of similar ailments among visitors to Cuba.
The update to the Cuba travel advisory rating is a critical step forward for the Cuban people and recognizes the importance of educational and people-to-people travel. Kate Simpson, President of Academic Travel Abroad in Washington, DC notes, “This move on the part of the State Department, placing Cuba in the same category as most of Europe, should reassure American citizens that it is legal and safe to travel to this unique and compelling destination.”
The Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) is a policy-oriented research organization dedicated to increasing the positive global impact of responsible tourism. CREST assists governments, policy makers, tourism businesses, nonprofit organizations, and international agencies with finding solutions to critical issues confronting tourism, the world’s largest service industry (responsibletravel.org).
Wilderness Voyageurs Cuba Cycling Tours
Meanwhile, Wilderness Voyageurs has announced new tour dates for its popular Cuba Clasico Bike Tour, a fully supported and legally licensed tour that starts and finishes in Havana. Along the way, the tour visits 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Havana Vieja, Trinidad and Zapata National Park); Old Town Havana; Museo de Ernesto Hemingway; and sea kayaking on the coast. The dates are December 1, 2018 and March 30, 2019.
The company also is offering Quintessential West Cuba Bike Tour, starting March 23, 2019.
