BESPOKE

Bespoke Cuba Travel; Cuba as seen by few

Bespoke [bəˈspōk] Custom-made product or tailored service; couture, exclusive, singular edition; a one-off

Cuba [kyo͞obə] The Antilles’ largest island is actually an archipelago of 4,000-plus islands, islets and cays traced by hundreds of miles of white powder beaches uniquely surrounded by Caribbean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Cuba’s impressive ecosystem includes natural biosphere reserves, fauna refuges, crystal clear lagoons, rolling mountains and rainforests additionally to the world’s second pristine coral reef. Nevertheless, the island nation tops two of the travel industry’s most disparate lists; the shrinking list of Emerging Destinations and the list of Endangered Destinations at risk of losing their rich cultural heritage in the face of rapidly increasing tourism.

Cuba plays a complex role in the cultural and political lexicon of the United States. Americans relate to her classic American automobiles, baseball, boxing, Hemingway, the Cuban missile crisis and of course Fidel Castro. The island nation’s superlative education system, UNESCO sites and exemplary achievements in medicine are internationally renowned.

Believing he discovered a new route to India, Christopher Columbus arrived at Cuba’s Guarda La Vaca (hide the cow) beach in 1492 and purportedly remarked, “the most beautiful land human eyes have ever seen.” Remarkably, he was some 10,000 miles off-course.

Full of romance and magic, an intriguing history of smugglers and slavery, buccaneers, sugar barons, conquistadors and communism, few islands in the world can boast such a profound yet enigmatic identity.

Travel [travəl] a trip, voyage, pilgrimage or expedition; to find

About Us

For nearly 20 years the virtuoso team of Cuba travel designers at Bespoke Cuba Travel have created unparalleled encounters with Cuba, one of the world’s remaining travel frontiers. Our petite-sized semi-guided group journeys, maximum 8 travelers, provide guests opportunities to tailor their own voyage away from their group. For explorers accustomed to a more resplendent style of travel, Bespoke Cuba Travel also crafts breathtaking one-off Private Designer Expeditions.

We ardently listen to our guests, meticulously plan and rehearse the logistics of your voyage and tend to details overlooked by most luxury travel providers. We are prepared to anticipate your needs and realize your wishes, no matter how rare or challenging,in order to redefine your notion of what is possible on a holiday.

Our ethos is to improve the lives of the Cuban people. The adventures we offer provide you a multitude of opportunities to share your professional skills and knowledge to empower them with the necessary tools so they may improve their own standard of living.

If your wanderlust yearns for a Cuba far beyond the reach of other travel companies, where the Cuban people welcome you instead of entertain you, we invite you to join us and discover a Cuba, as seen by few.

Image of a black man covering his eyes with one of his fingers having a blue ring

René Peña

Our Motto

More Cubans; Fewer tourists

We are committed to distance you from other tourists

and the traps they fall into and ensure your unique

venture is fashioned predominantly alongside Cubans

from all walks of life.

Black and whilte picture of an old Cuban baseball team

What BCT Offers You

Traveling on a prepackaged motor coach tour of Cuba alongside 25 other strangers will result in an insulated cartoon-like perspective of this precious island. Independent guidebook-in-hand seasoned travelers will face a dispiriting path of price gouging, cumbersome communist red tape and an antagonistic infrastructure when venturing outside of Havana alone. BCT offers you a better way to savor Cuba.

Our uniquely designed semi-guided Petite Group Journeys (maximum of 8 guests) and stunningly tailored Private Designer Expeditions offer you a remarkable opportunity to live the complex tapestry of Cuban life among its unique people. Realize unimaginable moments and exceptional memories as you gain firsthand insight into their mastery of hope, resiliency, daily obstacles and curiosities. Be welcomed at local birthday parties and , weddings, and perhaps become their defacto photographer. Join them as they collect their food rations, walk their children to school, visit them at work, and cook meals together.

Chelsea London Phillips

Petite Group Journeys

Petite Group Journeys are premium theme-based excursions. Guests are social, tend to travel often and range from millennials and retirees to honeymooners and solo travelers.

A maximum of 8 travelers per journey provides an intimate environment that affords each guest ample personal attention and keeps the group under the radar providing it access to locations and events inaccessible to traditional tour groups. All BCT journeys are semi-guided providing guests unique opportunities to break off from the group and realize Cuba in their own special, bespoke way.

Art deco painting showing waves hitting the Malecon

Private Designer Expeditions

There are those who enjoy bespoke travel and those who look ahead to once-in-a-lifetime extravaganzas. When it comes to delivering the voyage without equal, the paramount factor is turning your dream into a reality. Whether it’s To’ak chocolate and veuve clicquot marshmallow smores while glamping on one of Cuba’s 3000+ uninhabited islands and cays, or calling on Cuba’s 8 ports on a chartered mega yacht; the opportunities are endless. Share your curiosities, imagination and travel requirements with us and we will create a one-off Cuba encounter that will amaze.

What Sets Us Apart?

We are native Cuban and Cuban Americans and for nearly 20 years we have married our Cuban culture, incomparable relationships on the ground (some are family members) and voyager ingenuity to blaze new trails with each journey.

A truly Bespoke Journey

Your itinerary will not be a sequence of timed activities. Our journeys are semi guided allowing us to help you personalize your experience based on your interests and curiosities. This flexibility affords you opportunities to branch away from the group so you can go off and do your own thing.

Private tailored travel

For those travelers who opt for exploring custom tailored experiences while enjoying ultimate concierge service and amenities. We are ready to realize the most unique private Cuba expedition you can dream of. Private Jet charter available.

Our Motto

Fewer tourists. More Cubans. While in Cuba you will be distanced from other tourists. Most of your time will be in the company of Cubans from all walks of life

Our promise

Every tailor-made experience we create is unique as the person we create it for; your very own once-in-a-lifetime Cuban adventure.

Reasonable Pricing

(All) Airfare Included

When comparing prices with other companies consider that BCT is the only Cuba travel provider that includes the cost of the round trip airfare between your home and Cuba as part of your tour price.

No Single Traveler Supplement

We rebuke the industry practice of gouging solo travelers; any person traveling solo should enjoy the same advantages and pricing as those traveling together.

Price Matching

If you find another Cuba travel company that offers a less expensive and similar package, BCT will match their offer plus give you a $500 discount.

Generous Discounts

We offer generous discounts to AARP members, young ‘explorers’ under the age of 12, small groups, AAA members, cherished members of the U.S. Military & their families, public school teachers. Full and partial scholarships are available to select students. Kindly inquire with your Travel Designer to see if you qualify for a price reduction consideration; you never know.

Price Markdowns

If before your journey begins you find on our website that the price you paid for your journey has been reduced, we will refund you the difference.

The Personal difference

Courteous Service

Enjoy concierge-style service from the moment you call with your inquiry to long after you’ve returned home. We take care of all the logistics and details before, during and after your trip.

Personal Attention

Along with your trip designer are the handpicked native and well-educated travel assistants, translators, drivers, culinary managers, and expert specialty guides ready to offer you gracious service. Our 1:1.5 crew member to guest ratio guarantees you a premium comfort journey.

The best all inclusive policy available in the Caribbean

Unlike our peers all your meals are included, unlimited Breakfast, Lunch, nightly Cocktail hour, and Dinner, not just 2 meals a day. And you have daily choices of where you can dine. Read about a museum you would like to visit or a Jazz club a friend recommended? It’s included. Your voyage is All-inclusive…even once weekly laundry service.

We do Good

At every turn we work independent of hotel chains, airlines and attractions owned by Cuba’s communist government and contract instead directly with entrepreneurs, owners of casas particulares, drivers, chefs, farmers, etc.

Positive Footprints

Beginning October 15, 2018 BCT’s organic traveling program and support for various nature preservation organizations will permit us to offset approximately 25% of each guests CO2 emissions. We strive to leave behind a better Cuba for its people.

Meaningful integration

Other Tour companies take tourists to Cuba’s most popular cities. BCT also takes you into small villages where you get to know the Cuban people on a more conscientious level. You will not engage a popular journalist over lunch. Rather, you can spend the day with him on his chores around town, meet his fellow blogger friends, visit him at the radio station he works at, get to know his family and cook dinner together.

Conscious Giving

The tenor of our business is focused on sharing our guests’ skills, tools and knowledge with the most under-resourced Cubans so they may improve their own standard of living.

Cuban lady selling guarapo to client for 1 Cuban peso

Giving Back

In 1996 BCT guests provided 400 children suffering from Celiac-disease with multivitamins. By 2003 they distributed over 3500 musical instruments, children’s books and emergency medical kits.

Seeking to do more than filling shipping containers, Guests wanted to experience first-hand the outcome of their goodwill. In 2001 voluntourism was incorporated into our itineraries. Subsequent hurricanes Charley, Dennis and Gustav guests joined relief missions to Cuba. They helped rebuild clinics, re-planted crops and installed lighting fixtures and ceiling fans in schools and hospitals.

By 2015 the Cuban government expanded the number of private sector licenses permitting Cubans to own and operate their own small business.

We subsequently pivoted to giving consciously back to the Cuban people; whereby guests share their professional skills, tools and knowledge in order to empower the most marginalized Cuban people with the necessary resources so they may improve their own standard of living. You can enhance economic vitality by teaching Quickbooks to entrepreneurs, help professional translators broaden their vocabulary, share baking recipes with the owner of a bakery or teach hydroponic gardening. Regardless of age and capacity you can provide pivotal and prolific impact on the lives of the Cuban people while working side by side them.

Black man dressed as spirit during Cuba carnival

Testimonials

We rarely opened our wallets during the trip (to buy Cigars and trinkets only). Everything was included and the food was delicious. Jackson White recommended us: Jake March

Everyone is very nice and they go out of the way to make you feel special and comfortable. Many surprises throughout. Two big thumbs up. Lana & Joseph Carry

They noticed our 10 year old was losing interest in the trip so they paired him up with a mime who taught him the art and arranged for him to help feed a couple of animals after the zoo closed. We were impressed. Naomi

The best part was an outdoor movie dinner night with the actual filmmakers. The films were projected onto a big rock with “Cuban smores.” We highly recommend them. Jackie and David Meyer My husband is a pilot and Im a retired flight attendant. We have traveled extensively. This tour was one of the best we have ever joined. Nirka

The Minister of agriculture was our guide at a tobacco farm and a sugar cane cooperative. He then invited the whole group to his house for dinner (and great cigars!). Charles Defazio

Thank you both for showing us such a great time. Arry, we want to particularly thank you for planning an itinerary that allowed us to go salsa dancing evernight. Again, thanks a bunch! Andrés & Sylvia Sebastián

The Cuban lamb pastries and the paella were delicious and Ben & Jerry should get their hands on these folk’s recipe for candied mamey fruit ice cream. There was so much delicious food, off the beaten path experiences and a great group of other travelers to share it with. August and Melissa Pitt

The professors and specialty guides were first-rate. Music & food also were terrific. Toni Novembre

It’s cool there was no fixed schedule, there’s a schedule but its flexible depending on what interests you. We indulged in their delish menu experience. Jason Carbonell

The evening meals were spectacular, we still keep in touch with a few of the Cuban friends we made on the tour. Émlie Truffaut

I enjoy trekking alone and I chose them because they do not charge solo travelers a supplement. It was a fun trip & the food was on point! Kyle Paez

We experienced Cuba in a way that was more authentic than the one our Lonely Planet guide presented. Amber

They pampered us lots! And we helped Cuban teachers improve their English. A Great trip! Gabe

I’m a professional photographer and a vegetarian. When I arrived they had 2 Whole Foods bags for me with everything from vacuumed tofu to veggie jerky. I spent 3 days teaching photographer how to fix cameras. I loved this trip. Tynto Carson

We have triplets & celebrated their 13th bday with our family members. For years i’ve been organizing the annual family vacation A hair pulling chore. I can’t deal with my husband family. We were recommended to Arrie and Xiomara and I just dumped the whole thing on their lap. but they pulled it off. They had Cuban rappers performing for the boys and astronomers with big telescopes and the boys learned about the solar system. My husband and his brothers went hunting & learned how to cook a wild boar. We wanted something big for our boys and these folks delivered something even bigger. Jessica MacIness

We spent 3 days at rosa’s house in Havana learned how to make frijol colorado+paella. Debbie Cohn

Man talking on cell phone while riding a brown horse

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21 May

Cuban coffee beans from the Valley of the Sugar Mills in Trinidad Cuba.
#Coffee #Cubatravel #Cuba

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21 Apr

¿Sabes qué país te encontrarías si tu vista alcanzase a ver la costa situada frente a Iberostar Selection Fuerteventura Palace? @boywithbagagge ya conoce la respuesta.
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