From our local on-the-ground expertise, our solid connections and our profound knowledge of the island´s depth and breadth. Experiencing Cuba with Cuba Private Travel is like taking a full immersion in Cuban life, culture, history, nature (even economics!) with all the added comforts of a luxury escape. Our tours masterfully combine local, real and raw experiences with stays in boutique casas particulares. Dinners at fine private restaurants and drinks at hip bars. Plus, they all comply with U.S. Treasury Department rules for American travellers!
Why Cuba Private Travel? Why should you pick us over the many other travel companies and agencies offering Cuba holidays and selling pre-packaged Cuba tours? In one hand, we don’t do pre-made, all our itineraries are bespoke and tailormade to fit each traveller’s unique needs and wants. On the other hand, all the Cuba experiences we offer are not only authentic, real, raw and culture-full of. But they’re also 100% compliant with Cuba travel rules for American travellers. Want to know more about what makes us and our Cuba tours different? Keep reading on.
More than ten reasons to travel to Cuba with us
We’ve grouped our greatness into ten reasons you should plan your Cuba trip with us. These are the ten ways in which Cuba Private Travel is unique and ten reasons why travelling with us and experiencing Cuba through our expert lens can prove so rewarding.
1. Unparalleled Cuba knowledge
Cuba Private Travel’s founder and managing director, Johnny Considine has lived in Havana for a long time. And continues to have a home base in the Cuban capital as an on and off resident. Dividing his time between London, Miami and Havana, Irish-born Johnny has had plenty of time to match his knowledge of Cuba to what European and American travellers seek to get out of a Cuban experience. If that wasn’t enough, Cuba Private Travel’s onsite team in Cuba is made up of local experts that accompany our visitors every step of the way. Therefore, they will not just point you to the best bars, clubs and art galleries. If you were to have any incident of any kind while on the island, they’ll personally be on hand to help and assist all the way through.
2. Cuba-based (no middleman involved!)
Our physical presence in Cuba means we have no need for middlemen at all. You won’t find them at any stage in the booking process and nowhere in our tours. We do everything ourselves, which means having an on-the-ground team of locals. Always ready to meet you, greet you and assist you every step of the way. This not only means making the most of our local team’s hands-on approach and insider tips. It also means that should anything unfortunate happen during your Cuba trip (like suddenly falling ill, having an incident with the police, facing a traffic fine, etc.) one of our local experts will be there to guide you through any needed transactions. Helping you navigate local protocols and deal with any issue or local peculiarity.
3. Legally licensed for American visitors
For your peace of mind, if you’re an American resident or citizen planning a Cuba trip, with Cuba Private Travel you’re in safe hands. As all our tailormade and pre-arranged tours fully comply with the and U.S. Treasury Department rules on Cuba travel. This means we’ve already taken care of all the paperwork and handpicked U.S.-approved accommodation. So that you don’t even have to give it a thought!
4. Tailormade, bespoke itineraries ONLY
Even when we have some itinerary suggestions and package holiday ideas to get our travellers’ wanderlust juices flowing. Every Cuba holiday or Cuba tour with Cuba Private Travel is tailored to each customer’ needs and wants. Guaranteing every travel experience is truly unique. We’re makers of one-off adventures! Our personalized tours include guides, access to interpreters, insider’s know-how and tips as well as 24-hour concierge service.
5. Unbeatable! – No one has arranged more VIP Cuba travel than us
Where we excel and truly differentiate ourselves from the rest is in offering VIP Cuba travel experiences. The thing is, we only deal with Cuba, it’s our only destination. And thanks to the time and dedication we invest here, we can offer truly VIP experiences. We work with small groups only, meaning that our customers never feel like tourist herds and more like VIP guests with Cuban connections.
6. More than 20 years of experience combined
Our in-house team of Cuba experts around the globe combine more than 20 years’ first-hand experience in Cuba. Between our local team in Havana (made up of experts who’ve lived most of their life in the island) to the teams in our European and U.S.-based offices (many of whom are Cuban themselves). We’re true specialists with unsurpassed knowledge of our one and only destination. Cuba is in our name and Cuba is our game.
7. Featured in the world’s most prestigious travel publications
Don’t just take it from us. We’ve been featured countless times in prestigious travel publications, both online and offline. Our name appears in some of the most revered travel magazines and newspapers’ travel sections. From National Geographic Traveller (Santiago de Cuba: discover the raw magic of Cuba’s second city) to Conde Nast Traveler (Hot in Havana – Where to Stay). The Guardian (Cuba Libre: exploring the island by campervan), Gourmet Traveller (Rivers run through it, Baracoa). The Telegraph (Cuba, but not as you know it), The Times (Cool Cuba: the insider’s guide), Thrive Global (4 Reasons This Magical Place Should be on Your Wellness Travel List). Family Traveller (A mother-daughter road trip through Cuba), The Australian (Keep palm and carry on), Stark Insider (Exploring Cuba: Cool Captivating and Challenging). Escapism (Taste Makers), Civilian Travel Intelligence & Irreverence (Cruise control, Behind the wheel in Cuba).
Heck, we’ve even been featured in the Financial Times with an article about Cuba´s travel revolution!Despite the long name dropping we haven’t covered all the publications that feature us. For a full list of all the travel articles that credit us or have been possible thanks to our involvement, check our Media section.
8. Recommended by top travel experts and Cubaphiles
Some of our past travellers are also top travel experts and self-confessed Cubaphiles. Not only do they know Cuba inside out, they also highly recommend experiencing Cuba with us. Such is the case of Claire Boobbyer, Lydia Bell, Emma Thomson and Courtney Cannon-Booth. Together they combine several years of invaluable travel knowledge and riveting Cuba expertise. So, you can rest assured that we’re among the very best if we’re recommended by the best!
9. Partnered with Cuba’s top hotels and casas particulares
Thanks to our long-established, rock-solid relations in Cuba, our trusted network and our knowledgeable onsite team. The accommodation we offer has not only been carefully handpicked to ensure it meets the highest standards. Our expert team personally goes and inspects every hotel and casa particular featured in our itineraries. We give the seal approval to only the best accommodation in Cuba, sparing you the extra hassle of having to find out for yourself.
10. Pioneers in LGBT travel to Cuba
Cuban society has significantly evolved over the last decade when it comes to how people (and the government) view homosexuality and embrace sexual diversity. The government itself has taken a series of steps towards encouraging the acceptance of the LGBT community and safeguarding their rights. And such moves have definitely had a positive rippling effect in society. Gone are the days of the “Fresa y Chocolate” attitude (the first Cuban film to have been nominated at the Oscars). Depicting a time when homosexuals were mocked and rejected. Cuba Private Travel were among the first to offer openly gay-friendly Cuba holidays. Additionally our local guides have insider’s knowledge to let you in on the most happening bars, clubs and shows in Cuba with an LGBT atmosphere.
Bonus Round
Now that you’ve seen the ten ways in which we’re extraordinary and a cut above the rest (no one can match our dedication, our destination expertise and our onsite Cuba presence). We’ve got one more reason to throw into our bucket of amazingness!
11. Global presence in 4 countries across two continents
Cuba Private Travel has offices in London, New York, Switzerland and Havana. So, when we say we’re local, we truly mean it – at all levels! Our office in Switzerland takes care of our clients from all over Europe, while our fixed posts in the U.S. and UK mean we can offer local knowledge of the travel market and handle everything locally. From the perspective of American and British travellers and with the kind of Cuba experiences that UK and U.S. holidaymakers are after. Needless to say, our office in Havana is manned by experienced locals with a team that includes some of the most knowledgeable guides, drivers and travel reps. We’re not just another online travel agency with middlemen taking care of the very important details remotely. We have physical roots, we’re hands-on and it shows!
