Friend Of Habanos Week- OLH Cuba Group Trip- Nov. 13th-18th 2017

[Ninja]

Friends of Partagas Week: Havana, Cuba

Travel Dates: Nov. 13th-18th (Optional arrival date of 12th available)

Included:
-All travel arrangements done. Arrive and start to smoke, drink and learn.
-Higher end casa particulares (BnB’s). All normally with private bathrooms and located in the better areas of Havana. 24 hour security on property. Safe normally in rooms. Depending on house, may have full time attendant. These are not your $30 casas that are there.
-Breakfast
-Transportation
-Airport transfers
-Cigars
-Vintage Car tour around city
-Tours of Old Havana, Centro, Vedado, and Miramar
-Admission to attractions
-Rum tasting at the Cohiba Atmosphere VIP lounge
-Cigar Factory Tour
-Pinar del Rio and tobacco company trip.
-Private face to face time with farmers in the cradle of tobacco
-Lobster Lunch at Salvador’s farm in San Juan y Martinez
-Dinner at Papo’s in San Luis
-Cigar samples at the farms
-Tours of the farms and aging houses
-Beach day in Playas de Este (for those not wanting to go to Santiago for the rum factory tour)
-Dinner guest Alex depending on work schedule
-Cigar store visits and intros to the more famous rollers
-Historic and educational locations
-Places with great food and good prices, and lesser known locales to see
-Assistance in exchanging money
-Full itinerary of educational and people to people exchange activities

Not Included:
-Cost for Friends of Partagas events. These are optional. You can attend none, one, or more.
-Airfare and visa. This will vary based on where you are. I can work with you to find the best route. I can book myself charters at $200 r/t plus visa from Miami. Other airlines will vary. Current commercial carriers are American, Southwest, Delta and United.
-Most meals and alcohol


Package Price (Land)- $1,100 usd / Single Occupancy
    $900 usd/ Double Occupancy (shared bed)

Details on how to go legally and on the company can be found at [url=http://www.cubalegally.com]www.cubalegally.com[/url].

Email me with questions or interest to [email protected]

Friends of Partagas Program can be seen here. Prices are not yet given. [url=https://www.facebook.com/tiendascaracolcuba/photos/a.1594844597411619.1073741830.1590358927860186/2025861057643302/?type=3&theater]https://www.facebook.com/tiendascaracolcuba/photos/a.1594844597411619.1073741830.1590358927860186/2025861057643302/?type=3&theater[/url]

Sample Itinerary:

Day 1

-Arrival and check in at private houses
-Reception at Partagas Casa del Habanos for Amigos de Partagas Week
-Classic car tour of Havana and many historic sites
-Dinner at an authentic Cuban restaurant on the water front. Rarely see foreigner inside.
-Cigar and cocktails at the historic Hotel Nacional
-The remainder of the evening will be on your own to rest and interact with the Cuban locals.

Day 2

-Breakfast at the casa.
-Partagas or La Corona cigar factory tour
-Lunch at a trendy new private restaurant
-Private Rum Tasting at the Cohiba Experience in the VIP section, one of the best new smoke lounges in Havana.
-Walking tour Old Havana (Habana Vieja) an UNESCO World Heritage site.
-Hotel Ambos Mundos which still preserves a room and typewriter Hemingway used and rooftop view of Old Havana.
-Conde de Villanueva and the Casa del Habanos (CdH) there and meet renowned Reynaldo and other Cubans to discuss the Havana cigar tradition and the cultural impact of the industry.
-Visit the El Comodoro Hotel cigar store and meet Alex.

-The Welcome Partagas Dinner is this night and for those that chose to go, the dinner will include a full dinner, show, and selection of habanos cigars.

-The remainder of the evening will be on your own to rest and interact with the Cuban locals.

Day 3

- Day in the Cradle of Tobacco
-Breakfast at the Casa
-Travel to Pinar del Rio provience to the farms in San Luis, Corojo, and San Juan y Martinez
-Farm of Salvador Carbajal for an authentic crillo style Cuban lunch of lobster and chicken, vegetables and fruit. Private band. Salvador has maybe the biggest ranchon in the area with a terrace overlooking his farm from up high with a table to eat drink and smoke, as well as the massive dining area below. We will have a tour of the farm, aging house, and cigar rolling demonstration.
-Farm of Hector Luis for another tour and drink smoke.
-Driving tour though farm country of Corojo and San Luis. Many photo ops.
-Farm of Hirochi Robina for a tour of there location.
- l Veguero, owned by Papo (and also a small farm), for a light snack and smoke and cocktail for the night, before heading back to Havana.
-Depending on time, we may be able to stop by the Run Factory in Pinar City.

Day 4- 2 Options

-Breakfast at the casa,

Option 1: Santiago de Cuba
-Board a chartered plane from Havana to Santiago de Cuba with the Friends of Partagas Group
-Run Factory Tour
-Return to Havana on Charter flight that evening

Option 2:

-Visit to the fort of El Morro and San Carlos de la Cabana and learn about Havana's maritime history. After visit the CdH and meet the world famous torcedor Cueto and discuss his experiences with the cigar culture.
-Afternoon will be a beach day at Playas del Este in Santa Maria with the Cuban locals.
-Return to Havana and visit a couple of the notable and historic cigar stores and lounges, and discuss the cultural influence of this industry on the island.
-Dinner is will be in an artistic and unique restaurant that was converted from an old cooking oil factory . The evening is own your own to continue your interaction and share experiences with the local Cuban people
-Cocktail and cigar at Casa Abel Cigar Bar and Restaurant. This is owned by the former manager of the Partagas Casa del Habanos and has an incredible lounge and cigar selection, as well as a beautiful terrace to enjoy your cigars.


Day 5

- Breakfast at the casa, then we will visit Callejon del Hamel. This alley has been completely decorated by a Cuban artist using only recycled items.
-Next a stop by the Hotel National and for a smoke on the top of a 10 story building by the sea, which has a bar build outside next to and over a pool.
- Casa de Habanos at Melia Cohiba, home of the torcedor Juanita.
- Stop for a visit at the 5th ave CdH, and meet Carlos, father of Hirochi Robiana.
- Lunch will be at 7 Dias, a restaurant located on the edge of the ocean that grills all of their food.
- CdH at Melia Habana for a conversation with the torcedor Yolanda.
- Club Habana, and the famed CdH there, to meet Jorge and hear stories and have discussions about some of the historical occurrences surrounding the culture of cigars.

-Dinner will be the closing Gala Dinner of the Week of Friend’s of Partagas. If attending this event, dinner will be a full dinner with entertainment and a selection of habanos cigars.

-The remainder of the evening will be on your own to rest and interact with the Cuban locals.


Day 6

- Breakfast at the casa
- Board transportation to Havana airport to return home.
- Ciao Cuba. Gracias por todos.



The activities for the Partagas Dinner are not mandatory, and all can be purchased separately. If you don’t want to do any dinners, that’s fine. Both dinners, great. One dinner…cool. The spots for the dinners should be around $100 for the opening dinner and $180 for the Gala Dinner, per person. Exact prices will not be announced until a few weeks before the event.


Although this is a broad outline, there will be stops and activities to complete a full day each day of education and cultural exchange activities. Also a few lesser known spots that are great for a cigar and experience.

The schedule can be modified, depending on the final group, to include things not listed, or change when we do thing in Havana to better match other activities or special events that may arise but are not listed yet. Alex, Juanita and Jorge work every other day, so we may change time to visit these shop based on when they work.

Alex has agree to have dinner with us one night, but which night will depend on his work schedule.

[mk05]

If you are planning to buy a ticket NOW, what would you put down the Permitted Reason as? Individual People-to-People option no longer exists.

[url=https://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/travel/destination/international/cuba.aspx]https://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/travel/destination/international/cuba.aspx[/url]

[Ninja]

The individual people to people education travel option still does exist if you are going solo.

[AlohaStyle]

[quote author=Ninja link=topic=42955.msg175296#msg175296 date=1510096686]
The individual people to people education travel option still does exist if you are going solo.
[/quote]

Now it doesn't...

[url=http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/359354-trumps-cuba-policy-allows-airbnb-stays-for-americans]http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/359354-trumps-cuba-policy-allows-airbnb-stays-for-americans[/url]

[Ninja]

Lol, damn isn't that timing?

Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk

[mk05]

The original concern for me was the disappearance of the "individual people-to-people" option. However, as long as you stay in casa particulares/AirBnB, eat at paladares, and do some humanitarian work, you can check off the box for "Support for the Cuban people" now.

[Ninja]

[quote author=mk05 link=topic=42955.msg175324#msg175324 date=1510165253]
The original concern for me was the disappearance of the "individual people-to-people" option. However, as long as you stay in casa particulares/AirBnB, eat at paladares, and do some humanitarian work, you can check off the box for "Support for the Cuban people" now.
[/quote]

I saw that on the summary too. I'll know more later today. But be very careful with this one because almost everyone seems to be confused or misinformed as to what Support of the Cuban People is to the US Government, and you must have these activities, even if you do the casa particulares and paladares, to qualify for a full time schedule of support. There is documentation that can ask you for on this also.

[AlohaStyle]

I'll go as a Freelance Journalist.  Fingers crossed Cigar Aficionado publishes my article.  ;D

[mk05]

Well, according to the doc I saw, if you have gone for individual people to people, then you will be exempt for future trips. :)

[reflex]

Dallas
Are you putting together a trip this year? Please keep us informed I for one would like to go
Thanks,
Gary