Iconic sides to the country will be featured on the tour
IAN STALKER
Tauck Tours is preparing for a return to Cuba, with those who book its itineraries to the Latin country able to participate in some cigar rolling 101.
The company has announced that after a four-year absence its planned fall trips to Cuba have already sold out. The tour operator will continue sending people there next year as well, where Tauck’s Diane Salvo notes that they will learn how to create an iconic staple on the island. Among other activities, Salvo notes, is a cigar-rolling lesson in the heart of Cuba’s tobacco country. The cigar-rolling demonstration takes place in Viñales, and is led by Benito Camejo, a colourful fifth-generation tobacco farmer.
“It’s not so much of a class as a demonstration lasting an hour or so in which Benito discusses tobacco farming, rolls the cigars and shares stories while an interpreter translates and explains what Benito is doing,” says Salvo, operations manager for the Cuba itinerary. “We do think there is considerable interest in this, because cigars are an iconic image of Cuba and Cuban cigars are indeed in a league of their own – they’re widely regarded as the finest in the world. Also, the cigar rolling demonstration was a popular component on our earlier Cuba trips.”
Guests will learn about the different kinds of tobacco leaves, and how they are sorted for different uses. For example, some are used as wrappers and some are used as filler.
“Guests also visit the despalillo, where the thick stems are removed from the tobacco leaves,” she says. “We don’t expect that guests will go home and roll their own cigars; it’s more akin to a winery visit in Italy, France or Napa. Guests enjoy an authentic experience and gain insights into the production of a local agricultural product that’s deeply rooted in the region’s culture. And yes, guests who would like to partake have the opportunity to sample a Cuban cigar, although it’s not one they’ve rolled themselves.”
Tauck’s seven-day “Cuba: A Cultural Odyssey” is priced from US$6,490 per person, double occupancy, plus airfare. The itinerary begins with an included overnight at the Hyatt Regency Coral Gables in Coral Gables, Florida, before guests fly the following morning from Miami to Havana’s José Martí International Airport.
A subsequent five-night stay at the Grand Aston La Habana in Havana serves as a base for exploring Havana and outlying areas, with Tauck guests immersed in Cuba’s history, culture and cuisine. Among other experiences, Tauck guests will explore the city’s Old Havana neighborhood (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) during a walking tour. They’ll also travel to a vintage American car club to learn about the country’s iconic automobiles, and tour the home of author Ernest Hemingway who spent much of his life in Cuba between 1939 and 1960. And throughout their journey, Tauck guests will meet and interact with a host of locals, including artists, musicians and dancers, farmers and a former baseball star.
Tauck’s initial six departures of “Cuba: A Cultural Odyssey” will all operate next fall and they have already sold out. 2025 departures will operate from January through April, and from October through December. Included in the price are all accommodations (including the initial overnight in Coral Gables), on-tour flights between Miami and Havana, airport transfers, all sightseeing, excursions and entertainment, all meals (with the exception of one night when guests are able to dine at their leisure), most gratuities, luggage handling and more.
“Regarding the vintage car experience, our guests will travel to a club of vintage car aficionados who restore the classic automobiles, and who have been featured on the TV show “Cuba Chrome,” Salvo says. “Our guests will enjoy personal interaction with the club members, and guests will see examples of restored cars up close. It’s impossible to say exactly which cars any particular Tauck group will see, because it depends on who from the club might be available on the specific day of our group’s visit. The cars are typically American-made models from the 1950s that came into the country prior to Castro’s takeover in 1959. Our guests are indeed interested in the cars — again, this was a popular component in our earlier tours, because they are such an iconic image of Cuba, and they call to mind Cuba’s heyday as a glamorous American vacation destination prior to the Cuban Revolution and subsequent American embargo.”
Those interested in more information can visit the company’s website at www.tauck.com.
