Espíritu Travel Recensioni 204

Our CUBA Experience.... absolutely "Culturally" shocking!
And most of this depends on how interested are you in the many layers that shape & form their Legendary Historic Society.
We were very fortunate in finding and taking a chance with Espiritu Travel.
Karin Eckhard(President/Owner) was/is simply the real deal. Many communication attempts with travel agencies to plan a trip. Ms. Eckhard was on me within minutes, versus 4 days and more for others, and with continued oversight through-out.
Right to our arrival gate in CUBA...waiting -
Sr. Carlos Enrique Gonzalez-Pintado (our guide and new family member).
Well studied, very educated, knowledgeable, loving, tough, and a family man, "and he is known everywhere". He lives in the center of it all, and I DO MEAN CENTER. Carlos lead us us through the imaginable and unimaginable in CUBA. I coud share some shockers, but I think I'll leave the rest up to your interest in the hard beauty of CUBA.
We love Carlos!
Thank you Karin.
Thank you Carlos (your American Brother)

Increible, simplemente perfecto. Son los mejores. Soy viajero frecuente y sin duda es la mejor agencia que he contratado en vida. Volvería 100 veces a Colombia solo para poder sentirme tan bien tratado y acompañado. La mejor organización, equipo, guias y propuesta de actividades culturales y de ocio que he tenido nunca de lejos. Los mejores de verdad

Eiser was our guide to Cuba and he was excellent in his knowledge of the country and his awareness of our needs. His driving on the trip to Trinidad was excellent and navigated the many pot holes with extreme expertise and diligence. He made the trip fantastic with his calmness and willingness to go the extra mile for whoever needed it. The highlight for me was Trinidad and our hosts couldn't have been more warm and inclusive as if we were members of their own family. Osi and Miguel. We met her mother, daughter and grandchild, so 4 generations and even an adorable puppy! Our tour guide for the day was also excellent and it was great to have a chance to meet a wide-range of Cuban people. I consulted the recommendations on the itinerary many times and although I didn't get to try most of them, it was comforting to have. I did manage to get to a great Jazz club the last night and that was a highlight.

Our experience in Cuba was phenomenal. When we first arrived, Santy was there waiting for us at the airport. He was the most friendly and humble person we have ever met. He treated us like we were part of his family, lots of love and respect. We arrived at Ydalmis house (Casa Particular), and her husband Don Julio were waiting for us. Again, they also gave us lots of love and what can I say, like we were part of their family. In just 6 days we made long time friends and now they are family. Santy has lots of knowledge in history and knows the historical places to go. Omg, the Cuban food is DELICIOUS. What ever my husband ate I ate because they serve so much food that two people eat out of one plate.
After our experience in Habana, we head to Viñales. Unfortunately my husband got sick when we started Viñales and was not able to enjoy the rest of our tour in that city. We did enjoy a huarapo (sugar cane) juice and learned the cultivation of the Tabacco and the process of a cigar (puro). Beautiful experience. I definitely recommend Espíritu Travels to anyone that wants to experience Cuba as it really is. LOVE IT😍😍😍!!! Don't think about, just book it, go and enjoy the wonders of Cuba.

Our “Long Weekend” itinerary was EXCELLENT. It fulfilled our desire to visit Havana, meet with Cuban people and show support (spent money at local businesses and brought crayons, pencils, pens, rubber bands,etc for kids)...and see the cars of my youth. Karin was very helpful pre-trip in answering all of our questions and the itinerary provided was accurate and diversified. Our guide, Adriana, was the perfect “hostess”, showing, explaining, answering questions, preparing us for what’s next, etc...she made the experience informative and enjoyable. We drove and walked through many neighborhoods of Havana and Old Havana that reflected the daily life of the Cuban people-streets and avenues, marketplaces, churches, a synagogue, public squares, local paladares (restaurants), etc. Our driver, Francisco, was polite and attentive and, although he spoke very little English, was always there when we needed him and his air conditioned car was always cool and a blessing in the summer heat. Our bedroom and private bathroom in the casa particular was very basic but extraordinarily clean and air conditioned ( unlike the rest of the house) and it had a hairdryer (thrilled my wife). Breakfast was basic and good. If there was one disappointment, and only one, it was that the owner spoke very little english so we really couldn’t converse with her but she was very very nice. My wife had a medical need mid-trip and Adriana took us to an International clinic where she was seen quickly and meds provided. All very professional and very reasonably priced. Riding or walking, the sight of the cars from the 50’s and 60’s was very nostalgic, brought back memories and wonder as to how they keep them running. But you’ll just have to visit yourselves to find out! From being met on arrival by Adriana to leaving Cuba four days later, everything worked like clockwork. We highly recommend Espiritu Travel if you want an authentic Cuban experience, and Adriana as your guide.

It has now been several months since my beautiful custom trip to Eastern Cuba organized through Espiritu Travel. My experiences on my trip reside deep in my heart and mind. Their main person in that region, Anley, is one of the most professional, positive, supportive and knowledgeable travel organizers. I was meeting a family member in Cuba, whose travel plans were subverted by a canceled flight and could not get another flight until 2 days later. Karen of Espiritu spent a lot of time, as did Anley in Cuba, rearranging our itinerary very substantially (and with quite a bit of inconvenience to them) so that my sister and I could meet up at another location after 2 days. Anley personally escorted her many hours to get to me in the mountains. And all this with never an indication this was a problem for them. I feel so grateful I had such professional, kind and open Cubans directing my trip on the ground. I will never forget my guide Miguel who guided my trip in the Sierra Maestra. I'd say he's one of the great souls on this earth. Laida was a fun, open, and kind tour guide for part of the trip- making a lot of effort to prepare our outings and communicate what we needed to know. There's so much more I could say, but for now I'll just say it was a trip of a lifetime with my sister, learning about Cuba, enjoying the natural beauty, eating good food and talking with lovely Cuban people. They made and saved that trip, when other companies might have said "too bad" when my sister's flight was cancelled and she arrived 2 days late. I highly recommend Espiritu!

Dear Karin,

I want to thank you for arranging to have Carlos be our "Ambassador" while in Cuba. I found him to be an extraordinary fellow and an outstanding representative for Espiritu Travel!

Selecting a tour company from the Internet was a scary proposition. After all, we were booking a trip that would require extensive direct contact with our guide and mentor for a full week. My extensive initial conversations with you (yes, I can go on and on) followed by the online reviews helped build confidence that we had the right agents to show us this wonderful country.

That said, when we met Carlos (soon renamed "Ambassador Charlie") I was impressed by his; depth of knowledge, perfect English, courtesy, professionalism, confidence, and understanding of our needs. But, most of all, Carlos is an open hearted, colorful, warm, honest, proud Cuban man and a clear credit to your organization as well as his beloved home!

Carlos knew everybody! People of all types and in all locations walked up to him and greeted him warmly with a hug! That in and of itself says it all about a man! We even visited Carlos' home and met his family.

Now, following our week long journey, I am proud and honored, with love and gratitude, to call Carlos a friend! I would recommend his services to my family, friends, and (for that matter) anyone. Thanks again!

To celebrate my 60th birthday, I asked my husband to take me to Cuba. It has always been my dream to go there and WHAT A DREAM IT WAS!! This trip met my expectations and more. Besides the constant rain, and waiting for our luggage (it took over 1 1/2 hrs), I don't have any other complaints! We had the best time of our life! Our guide Oscar and our driver Abadelio were the BEST and took care of us 24/7. They went above and beyond to show us Cuba and their culture, which are very proud of. Oscar was extremely knowledgeable, funny and very professional. Abadelio was the best driver you could have. He was helpful, attentive and he took us through parts of Cuba that few people get to see. You could see they are extremely proud of whom they are and what they are doing.

The best part was staying on private homes. The "casas" we stayed were very clean and comfortable. The people were very gracious, hospitable and accommodating. I am glad that we spent time in knowing them and talking to them.

We also had the pleasure to meet Carlos. What a character, you have to love him!! We spent a wonderful afternoon with him and his wife. I will always treasure the opportunity and the time I spent with them. They are genuinely warm, welcoming and proud of their country.

I have fallen in love with the island and their people. When I left, a piece of my heart was left behind. I feel I made new friends and I can't say enough about the trip and the people we met. I just know that I want to go back! I have been telling my friends about our experience and have been recommending them to go and visit Cuba and their wonderful people!

We had a wonderful time in Cuba! Our guide was a wonderful person who became more of a friend to us than a guide. The accommodations were charming and it was the perfect way to immerse oneself into local life. The itinerary was jam packed with interesting and enlightening tours but it was also flexible and they were able to accommodate us during logistically challenging times. I especially enjoyed learning the music traditions at a local music school. It was a blast and I would love to come again because our time was so short. Thank you for everything Espiritu Travel!

If you haven't been to Cuba yet, you are missing out!! Karin was very responsive when we first inquired about the tour and was very thorough to prepare us in the weeks prior to our trip. When we arrived in Havana, I felt like i could sit back and experience Cuba without worrying about any of the details. Santy was an amazing tour guide - knowledgeable and thorough. I knew what to expect and really got a great cultural tour with a ton of history - in just 3 days.
Our trip was really well organized and we did not have any issues. Highly recommended tour and Santy was the best tour guide. Ask for him!

After three months of self-guided travel through seven Latin American countries, we had Espiritu Travel organize our final two weeks in Cuba. That was the best possible decision. Cuba is unique. None of the usual expectations apply. Every day, across the length of the island, we stayed in the homes of gracious, personable families. Each morning our driver, guide and translator picked us up on time for the next amazing day. Espiritu incorporated our own plans into the schedule, but on our own we never could have made sense of the realities in Cuba. Our conversations were refreshingly honest, and informative, but not romanticized. We could not have been happier with this unbelievably high quality experience with all the staff and the itinerary.

Thank you!

Roger and Claire Dewey

Shore Excursions from RCCL DON'T compare
We used Espiritu Travel for our 1.5 days in Havana. Worked with Karin who tailored their itinerary to meet our needs.
Our guide, Fernando was there as anticipated and provided an excellent Cuban experience for us. We enjoyed the visit so much we are returning in August on NCL and using the services of Espiritu again.
Jack and Donna Haughn
The Villages, FL

Wow, what can I say, Karin did an incredible job getting us to Cuba. To be honest, I feared the worst, especially with the recent travel restrictions reinstated by the Trump administration, but our trip went off without a hitch.

Karin was very low key and low pressure throughout the entire process, and she knows the island well. That was especially important given where we were traveling, a very remote region on the island's southern tip.

If you are planning a trip to Cuba, especially one far off the normal tourist trails, I honestly do not think you could do better than Espíritu Travel. Seriously, I am not sure you would even want to try. Karin makes everything easy.

Wonderful trip. Santi, our Cuban tour guide was so accommodating and full of information about Cuba's past and present day. He went out of our way to make sure every experience and meal was memorable. This was such a life changing trip and I'm so grateful to Karin, Santi and the team at Espiritu for allowing us to see Cuba this way.

I don't know where to begin! We had a really wonderful experience on our long weekend in Havana.

I traveled with my sister and two friends and it was our first time in Cuba. From our communications with Karin prior to the trip, we felt that we were in really good hands and that held true throughout. Karin went out of her way to accommodate the things we wanted to experience while there - she even found a percussion lesson for my sister which turned out to be a highlight for her.

I imagine that the tour guide "makes or breaks" the experience. We absolutely LOVED our tour guide Santy. Santy went above and beyond to make us feel welcome to Cuba and made us laugh the entire time. We were really impressed with his knowledge of Cuban history and he gave us a really eye-opening and honest perspective of what it's like to be Cuban. He is incredibly bright, has the perfect personality for a tour guide and speaks English very well. He helped us adapt our itinerary on the fly given some unexpected rainy weather so that we had the best experience possible.

My sister was traveling to meet us separately and ran into issues with her passport that made her 24 hours late to the trip. (FYI: She had spilled coffee on her passport 5 years prior and the Atlanta airport told her Cuba would potentially give her problems entering the country, so she had to get a new emergency passport that day and fly out the next day). Karin helped her on the US side and Santy helped us in Cuba to make sure we were there to pick her up when she arrived the following day.

Casa accommodations were certainly not for the high-maintenance traveler, as they make very clear. As someone who otherwise is used to traveling to Starwood properties, the standards of living are no where near that. Our basics needs were certainly met. Our hosts were incredibly welcoming and truly wonderful people. They did everything they could to make us feel comfortable. Our casa was Sra. Odalys and I would definitely recommend this home.

If you end up booking this trip, you MUST request Santy as your guide!

When my son asked to go to Cuba for vacation, I wasn't sure what I was getting into. All of my reservations were proven wrong, however! We booked the Long Weekend In Havana trip and we had a blast! The travel agency rep (Eiser was the absolute BEST!!) met us at the airport and he handled every single detail of our trip so we were able to relax and thoroughly enjoy ourselves. The weather was fantastic the entire time we were there too. Our hosts, Julio & Ydalmi, could not have been more accommodating or kind. We definitely made a connection with them during our stay. For anyone considering taking a trip down to Cuba I would say "do it!". The Cuban people are very warm and welcoming and really want to show off their country. I would not hesitate to book another trip. Every call I made or email I sent prior to our departure was answered promptly.

We're back after a very great trip to Havana. We loved everything about the trip, everything went so smoothly, from the pickup at the airport through the photography session. Our family was very happy with all of the plans, dinner, sightseeing and especially with our Espiritu guide, Adriana. She was so knowledgeable, so very personable, and so fun to be with, she felt like part of our family. The dinner reservation you obtained for us at La Guarida was helpful, it was our favorite restaurant. Great building, views and delicious food. The next night Adriana arranged our vintage car ride for a sunset up by the fortress, after a drive on the Malecon.
The Buena Vista Social Club was so fun, my son videotaped us up on the stage with the dancers, great music! Travel to Cuba was much easier than we had thought, the visa was simple to obtain at JFK, and the flight is only 2 1/2 hours. We have already passed your name along to friends that have asked about travel to Cuba, we're so glad we decided to take the family for our son's 30th b day. We hope to return to Cuba to see more of the country in the future, the people are very warm, we felt safe and secure during our stay and the photographs are wonderful.
Thanks to Karin, for your fast responses to all of my questions.
Julie, Darien CT/NYC

The trip to Cuba exceeded our expectations. Our guide Eiser and our driver Yordi were wonderful. Their positive, happy, fun loving attitude was infectious and made us feel so cared for. The people of Cuba were so welcoming and gracious. I felt like I was leaving family when we left. They took such good care of us from the time we arrived in Havana airport to the moment they dropped us off to leave. Thank you for making this one of the best trips I have had.

We had an amazing time in Cuba! Our guide, Mario was extremely knowledgeable and accommodating to our needs! He often went the extra mile so we wouldn't miss something interesting or important. The "casas" where a pleasant surprise and the casa owners were friendly and also very accommodating.
Cuba, is a beautiful country with wonderful people! We had the opportunity to explore major cities as well as its natural wonders! Until we meet again Cuba.....and Espiritu Travel!

My wife and I recently returned from a tour in Cuba with Espiritu, and I cannot say strongly enough: if you want to see Cuba, this is the outfit to go with. One reason is the quality of the tour itself. Karin was thoroughly professional, prompt, and efficient in planning the trip. Once we were there, the itinerary went like clockwork. We are not normally "tour" travelers, but we didn't know Cuba, and thought it made sense to leave the arrangements, bookings, and transport to folks who did know the place. Espiritu's approach--small groups, staying in private homes, emphasizing contact with ordinary people, to the extent possible--was an ideal compromise with our typical independent-traveler preferences.

The second reason--a sad one, but important--is that a few days before the scheduled end of our trip, my wife got word that her mother in the States was unexpectedly near death. Contact between Cuba and the USA is still difficult, but we managed to reach Karin, and she moved heaven and earth in the wee hours at long distance, on short notice, to arrange an abrupt departure so that my wife could rejoin her mom before she passed. We will always be grateful for that help in need, and for that reason alone I would recommend Espiritu to anyone and everyone. But, apart from that, the quality of the tour itself should make it your first choice.