2020 GeoEx Catalog

JON ARNOLD / DANITADELIMONT.COM

ABOVE  The Viñales Valley, looking right out of a fairy tale.  BELOW  Salsa dancers in Old Havana.

Cuba Insider EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM · TOURING | 5–10 DAYS · CUSTOM

A s Cuba continues to transform (more about this on the previous page), it seems only fitting to open ourselves to its full breadth of beauty, intrigue, and adven- ture—as we do on this private, tailor-made trip. Explora- tions range from Havana to Trinidad and beyond, with introductions along the way to such informed folks as economists, architects, journalists, diplomats, authors, and conservationists and entrée to private galleries, eateries, and other nooks and crannies not found in any guidebook. Art aficionados delight in exploring Havana’s explod- ing contemporary art scene. Special visits can be arranged to stellar museums and recently launched collectives in the company of curators and art creators, such as Yamilis Brito

at Taller de Gráfica Experimental, a workshop/institution that preserves and develops the sophisticated art of print- making. Music and dance are at the soul of Cuba’s character, and it’s a thrill to get acquainted with the history of Cuban music with professor Alberto Faya, to try the tango (or simply watch professionals in action), to witness rehearsals of ProDanza Ballet Academy (led by acclaimed Laura Alonso), and to study the unique merging of Spanish dances with Afro-Cuban rhythms and contem­ porary dance. Curiosity about agriculture and nature leads to the UNESCO-acclaimed Viñales Valley, dotted with dramatic limestone outcroppings, for conversations with tobacco farmers about the cigar industry and campesino life. There and beyond, mountain biking, caving, and Caribbean sea kayak adventures can be had, as well as bird-watching and hiking—the Topes de Collantes nature reserve con- tains waterfalls, caverns, canyons, and a vast array of flora and fauna, including butterflies, 40 indigenous species of orchids, 100 fern species, hummingbirds, and woodpeckers.

offered nov.–may from $6300

Wandering re-established the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe.

anatole france

DMITRI ALEXANDER / NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC IMAGE COLLECTION

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CUBA

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