CENTRAL HOLIDAYS - CUBA

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DAY 1 I MON I CIENFUEGOS This morning depart on your flight to
Cienfuegos, Cuba. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your
hotel. After check-in there will be a briefing by your local English-
speaking guide about your L’Chaim Cuba experience. This afternoon
after lunch, there is a walking tour of Cienfuegos where you will have
the opportunity to meet with community residents as well as small
business owners. Tonight, a flavorful dinner awaits at Los Laureles,
featuring authentic Cuban dishes. (L,D)
DAY 2 I TUE I CIENFUEGOS Start your day with breakfast at your hotel,
then embark on a full-day excursion to the colonial city of Trinidad. Your
first stop is at the Cienfuegos Botanical Gardens, teeming with towering
palm trees, bamboo plants, flowers and lush tropical greenery. Next, an
urban planner from the Office of the City Historian leads you on an
insightful walking tour of colorful Trinidad, a well preserved UNESCO
World Heritage Site founded in 1514. The day’s activities and
experiences continue with lunch at Sol Ananda Paladar, a locally owned
restaurant serving homemade Cuban fare. Later, visit the
Canchanchara Bar where you can relax in wooden armchairs and listen
to live music while sipping a mojito or the bar’s namesake cocktail
served in a small earthenware bowl and made with rum, lime, and
honey. Return to Cienfuegos for dinner at your hotel this evening and
the opportunity to take in the Trazos Libres art project in Cienfuegos
featuring murals on the neighborhood homes surrounding the
community center. (B,L,D)
DAY 3 I WED I HAVANA After breakfast your adventure continues with
a visit to the Benny More Art School where you will have a chance to
interact with the students and teachers before enjoying a concert by
the Cienfuegos Choir. Next you will join the members of the small
Jewish community of Cienfuegos for lunch and an in-depth discussion
about Jewish life in Cuba. (There are fewer than 1,500 Jews in Cuba, 85
percent of who live in Havana. At its peak, there were 15,000 Jews, and
Havana boasted five synagogues and six or seven Jewish day schools.)
After the introduction, depart for Havana and check in to the Hotel
Melia Cohiba overlooking the iconic Malecón and vast azure sea.
Authentic Cuban dishes are on the menu for dinner this evening at the
local paladar La Moraleja. (B,L,D)
DAY 4 I THUI HAVANA After a buffet breakfast at your hotel, embark on
a guided walking tour of the pedestrian streets of Old Havana, a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. See the area’s famous four plazas,
engage with artists at the Graphic Arts Workshop, and enjoy the
insights of a local architect as he discusses Old Havana’s preservation
and continuous restoration processes. Next, visit the Maqueta Vieja
Habana Museum that houses the scale model of the City of Havana.
Then it’s on to the Orthodox Adath Israel Synagogue, the only
synagogue that houses a mikvah in Cuba, before venturing along to
Cuba’s only kosher butcher shop. Next it’s time to take a break and
sample some typical Jewish-Cuban cuisine for lunch in the Garden of
Eden restaurant at the Hotel Raquel. Take note, the hotel’s interior
poignantly references Jewish culture through its biblically themed
paintings by contemporary Cuban artists. After, you will continue the
walking tour of Old Havana. The evening is yours to enjoy as you wish,
whether it’s discovering the local culture at a paladar or at a bar, club
or foot-tapping live jazz performance or the world-famous Tropicana
cabaret. (B,L)
DAY 5 I FRI I HAVANA Have breakfast at your hotel and then it’s off to
explore! Your morning adventure takes you to experience the area’s
local talent with a visit to a working cigar factory to see firsthand how
they grow, dry and prepare the tobacco before hand-rolling the famous
Cuban cigars. Today you will also discover the Sephardic Community
Center and Synagogue where you will participate in a cultural exchange
with members of the Sephardic community. Then, it’s lunch at La
Guarida, a local paladar, before a moving visit to the Jewish Cemetery
and Holocaust Memorial to the east of Havana. This evening you will
attend Friday night services at Temple Beth Shalom and take part in a
Friday night Kiddush and Shabbat dinner with members of the local
Jewish community. (B,L,D)
DAY 6 I SAT I HAVANA After breakfast, head off on a tour of the
magnificent Fine Arts Museum. As the day continues, you will visit the
Hemingway Museum which was Ernest Hemingway’s winter home from
1939 to 1960. You will see the authors 9,000 volume library as well as
his yacht, Pilar and the actual typewriter on which he wrote some of his
greatest works. We then savor lunch at Il Divino Paladar. After is a visit
ACCOMMODATIONS
City Nights Hotel
Cienfuegos 2 Jagua or Faro Luna or Cayenes
Havana 5 Melia Cohiba
DEPARTURE DATES
2017 - Dec. 11 & 25
2018 - Jan. 8 & 22; Feb. 5 & 19; Mar. 5 & 26; Apr. 9 & 23;
May 7 & 21; Jun. 4 & 18; Jul. 2 & 30; Aug. 13; Sep. 24;
Oct. 8 & 22; Nov. 5 & 19; Dec. 24
(*)Prices are per person, based on double occupancy and a minimum of 18 full
paying passengers. Single supplements available on request.
Note: Price does not include round trip air fare to Havana. Scheduled round trip
flights are now available from your hometown to Havana. Call for further
information.
A family lighting the Hanukkah Menorah
to Finca Yoandra to take part in a cultural and educational exchange
about their sustainable agriculture outreach project. Late afternoon
return to your hotel and get ready for an evening of excitement and
entertainment featuring dinner and a Buena Vista Social Club show at
Habana Café. (B,L,D)
DAY 7 I SUN I HAVANA Following a buffet breakfast at the hotel, you will
be guided through El Patronato Jewish Community Center (Temple Beth
Shalom). Here you will have the opportunity to meet with the center’s
president, Adele Dworin, the Hadassah leadership and other members.
Take part in a tour of the library, pharmacy and Sunday school (Cuban
Jewish kids are as lively as Americans and Sunday morning is a very
active time at the Center).* You will then enjoy lunch at the colorfully
decorated California Paladar and meet members of their community
project. Take your time to discover the unique finds at Almacenes de
San Jose, an open-air artisans’ crafts market. You will have time for a
quick rest at the hotel before our memorable farewell dinner at Café
Del Oriente. (B,L,D)
DAY 8 I MON I HAVANA TO USA After breakfast, say “hasta pronto” or
“until soon” to Cuba before departing on your flight back home with a
lifetime of memories to share of your L’Chaim Cuba cultural travel
experience. (B)
*The Jewish community in Cuba would appreciate your help. All kinds of donations are
gladly welcome, clothes, toys and crayons, etc. for the children, supplies for the Jewish
Pharmacy, etc…
(B) Breakfast - (L) Lunch - (D) Dinner
The included features for this program can be found on page 5. Tour
includes 20 meals: Breakfast daily, 7 lunches and 6 dinners with a
cocktail and wine.