Midcentury Modern Cuba Tour
April 10-18, 2016
Enjoy a rare and special opportunity to join Modernism Week on an exciting and informative trip to Cuba to explore the extensive midcentury architectural and cultural fabric on the island. Participants will explore structures by master architects in the capital city of Havana. You will also visit the Matanzas region of Cuba, including the seaside city of Varadero and its extensive midcentury architectural marvels. This is your opportunity to experience the rich architectural diversity of this magic island and meet dedicated Cuban preservationists who are maintaining the integrity of the country's many historically important buildings.
The month of April is an excellent time to visit the tropical island. The days are mild and the Caribbean trade winds roll in during the evenings, making for delightful evening activities.
This eight-night/nine day program focuses on meeting everyday Cuban people, learning about historic preservation and urban issues from Cuban experts in the fields of preservation policy and implementation, and seeing architectural preservation projects on the island. See architectural preservation projects on the island and visit a variety of artists' studios, museums and galleries.
Architecture, art, music, food and the people of Cuba!
Cuba offers a wealth of architectural diversity. Participants will visit buildings in a multitude of styles, including Colonial, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, with a special emphasis on Midcentury Modern architecture. Cuba's glorious architecture and the preservation narrative behind it will be the main focus of this trip. And Cuba's iconic music, art and culture will be part of the conversation.
Most importantly, making substantive connections with the Cuban people will complete the picture of Cuba that you will experience. You'll participate in discussions about Cuban art, urbanism and culture with some of the island’s most articulate cultural thinkers, and experience the country’s lively music and deep roots.
Havana is becoming a city obsessed with dining, demonstrated by the advent of many new and exceptional paladares (home restaurants) opening recently. Get ready to sample a wide variety of interesting traditional and creative new food.
It's now easier to visit Cuba!
On January 16, 2015 President Barack Obama liberalized People to People educational travel, which now allows Americans to travel to Cuba without all of the paperwork previously needed. This makes travel to Cuba infinitely easier. People to People travel is not tourist oriented or self-directed but it is both rewarding and unique. It allows participants to visit a wide scope of organizations, institutions, and community projects that provide a deeper understanding of Cuba, its people and its culture. Our trip includes a full time schedule of educational exchange activities designed to promote meaningful interactions between Americans and the people of Cuba.
Program Price
Land $ 4,295.00 Per passenger.
Air $ 600.00 Mia-Hav- Mia
Total $ 4,895.00 Per passenger.
The price quoted is for double occupancy, If you would like a single room please add $795.00 to the price.
Trip Details
Your trip begins with a night in Miami's Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel, followed by a chartered flight to Havana. Your accommodations, where you will stay for three nights, is the fully restored Hotel Telegrafo located in the very center of historic Habana Vieja, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy several daysof exploration and discovery in the Cuban capital, then travel by luxury, air-conditioned private motor coach to the extraordinary city of Matanzas with an overnight at the seaside resort of Varadero, a city that was developed in the 1950s and is full of Midcentury modern jewels, large and small. You will spend two days and nights at the beachfront luxury Hotel Meila Varadero exploring the city next to the sea. You will then return to Havana for two more nights of exploration.
The tour will be accompanied by a fully bilingual Cuban guide and will feature writer, art conservator, and experienced Cuba cultural travel leader Rosa Lowinger.
The trip includes 18 meals: daily breakfasts at the hotels, and a variety of
lunches and dinners. There will be time for dining and exploring on your
own.
PROGRAM INCLUDES
* Meet and greet at the Miami International Airport
* Round trip air Mia-Hav -Mia.
* Miami airport departure tax.
* Arrival assistance at Jose Marti Airport HAV
* Cuban Visa
* Transfers arrival/departure between the airport and the hotel
* Gratuities for baggage handling at Havana airport and hotels
* Gratuities for restaurant service for included meals.
* Medical Insurance in Cuba
* Accommodations for 1 night at Miami Airport Hotel Crowne Plaza Hotel in Miami
* Accommodations for 5 nights Hotel Telegrafo Havana
* Accommodations for 2 night Hotel Melia Varadero
* 18 Meals (7 Breakfasts, 6 Lunches, 5 Dinners)
* Many visits to Museums and organizations
* Luxury motor coach &/or van transportation for the whole program
* Program management in Cuba
* Full translation by professional Cuban based guide
* A special U.S. based expert study leader for the trip, Rosa Lowinger
* Cuban specialists to provide expertise in various subjects
* Artist studio visits as required in Itinerary
* A copy per room of the book The Havana Guide by Eduardo Luis Rodriguez
* A copy per room of the book Tropicana Nights by Rosa Lowinger
* Our Cuba Travel Tips publication and other traveler guidance
* Licensing paperwork for People to People or Professional Research travelers.
PROGRAM PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE:
* Passports
* Trip Interruption Insurance
* Round trip airfare from Home City to Miami
* $28 Havana Airport departure tax paid at Miami airport
* Drinks, wine or meals that are not listed in itinerary
* Items of a personal nature
* All other items not listed in “PROGRAM PRICE INCLUDES”
PASSENGER DEPOSITS:
Passenger deposits are $750 per person. Passenger deposits are non- refundable, and Cancellation/Baggage/Trip Interruption Insurance strongly recommended in order to protect passengers against cancellation fees.
FINAL PAYMENTS
Final payments are due at 60 days prior to departure. Reservations
received after this date will be on a request basis and must be
accompanied by payment in full. All passenger payments are subject to
the following cancellation schedule. Cancellation of reservations must
be made in writing (fax, email or postal mail) and are subject to the
following charges:
CANCELLATION CHARGES
Up to 60 days prior to departure $500
60 days or less to departure No Refund
RESERVE EARLY!
Departure is a few short months away. This is the perfect time to book this special visit to Cuba. Sign up now to ensure your place; reservations are accepted on a first come first served basis.
Meet Rosa Lowinger!
Rosa Lowinger is a Cuban-American art conservator and writer with a specialty in art, architecture, and Cuban culture. The author of Tropicana Nights: the Life and Times of the Legendary Cuban Nightclub (Harcourt, 2005), a memoir and history of 1950s Havana, Rosa is a respected scholar and lecturer on Cuban art, architecture and modern heritage. She specializes in high-end, in-depth art and architecture programming and has designed and spearheaded Cuba travel programs for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Museum of Arts and Design in NY, the Menil Museum, the Bronx Museum, Art in General, the Association for Preservation Technology, the Santa Monica Museum, and the American Institute for Conservation. Rosa guest curated the 2013 exhibit Concrete Paradise: Miami Marine Stadium at the Coral Gables Museum, and is presently guest curator for an exhibit on Cuba that will open in 2016 at the Wolfsonian Museum in Miami Beach, FL. She is a Fellow of the American Institute for Conservation and was the 2008-2009 Rome Prize winner in conservation.
Modernism Week
The mission of Modernism Week is to celebrate and foster appreciation of midcentury architecture and design, as well as contemporary thinking in these fields, by encouraging education, preservation and sustainable modern living as represented in Palm Springs.
Modernism Week is a California 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization.
Modernism Week’s signature February Event is an annual celebration of midcentury modern design, architecture, art, fashion and culture. This exciting festival takes place in February in the Palm Springs area of Southern California. Modernism Week features more than 250 events including the Modernism Show & Sale, Signature Home Tours, films, lectures, Premier Double Decker Architectural Bus Tours, nightly parties and live music, walking and bike tours, tours of Sunnylands, fashion, classic cars, modern garden tours, a vintage travel trailer exhibition, and more.
In addition to the events in February, Modernism Week hosts the “Fall Preview” over Columbus Day weekend in mid-October. Partner organizations collaborate to produce a “mini-Modernism Week” to kick-off the active social and recreational season in Palm Springs.
Modernism Week is also charitable organization, providing scholarships to local students pursuing college educations in the fields of architecture and design; as well as supporting local and state preservation organizations and neighborhood groups in their efforts to preserve modernist architecture throughout the state of California.
Cuba Tours and Travel
Cuba Tours and Travel has over fifteen years of experience offering expert-driven cultural travel to Cuba. Our management and program-design team, working together with a team of superb Cuban travel associates in both Havana and Miami, are uniquely suited to offer you the finest in-depth travel program to the island. We are licensed by the US Treasury Department and are fully insured. Most importantly, we have an abiding love for Cuban art and culture and have strong connections to the cultural institutions on the island.
Cuba Tours and Travel is a full-service agency licensed by the U.S. Government
TSP# CU-077926-b. CST number 2073790-40
We are located at
320 Pine Avenue, Suite 503
Long Beach, CA 90802
For more information please write to customerservice@cubatoursandtravel.com
or call us at 888 225-6439
For more information on OFAC licensing please visit the following document:
http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/pages/cuba.aspx
Infrastructure in Cuba may not be maintained as well as participants are used to, resulting in potential challenges and risks. Participants must be careful walking, and aware of their surroundings at all times. Participants will be required to sign a waiver releasing Modernism Week from liability. Cuba does not have accessibility laws and some sites may not be accessible to travelers with limited mobility. Please contact us with any questions.