Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

The trip far exceeded my expectations so its difficult to pick one inspirational moment but I think the mountain day takes the biscuit!  Bob had just taken a nose dive off his bike (moral of the story always wear a helmet!!), it was hot, hot, hot (somewhere around 38 degrees) and we were flagging a bit when out of nowhere came the hotel - nestled in the middle of a jungle down the bumpiest road you ever did see! Never have I been so pleased to see a waiter with a cool drink and the natural swimming pool was stunning... even if we didn't find it til too late to use and just sat in the green pools out the front to cool down!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jose lead the group and Tuna and Alberto were the mechanics come bus drivers. Loads of local knowledge, plenty of dance steps to teach, lots of patience when we kept finding the nearest bar for drinks and ice creams to cool down... and many a catch phrase learnt to keep us chuckling... Well done "my children"!

Advice for Potential Travellers

There were a few things that I think would have helped me:Take old clothes to leave behind for locals - apparently shoes are very expensiveIf taking gifts school kids want pencils not pens, these are better given to the office workersLearn to use your gears on the bike properly - using granny gears is not a failure! (It was very windy and sometimes harder on the flat into the wind than the hills!)Take sudacream for any er... delicate bike sores... or even just sun burnI wish I'd taken 'thank you' pressies for the guides as well as the tip - they definately deserved themNo matter how tired your legs are or if you're at the back of the group, if you see something you want to take a photo of stop and take it, you only get one chance!Do take a 'good' camera, mine was a few years old and just really slow to take pictures and quite often what i wanted to snap had long gone before my camera fired into action!

Suggestions

I have more photos of old cars than any girl can possibly ever need - in fact I have more photos than anyone could possibly want to see (900 in total, but I did stay an extra week in Havana!) and its proving really hard to edit them down as they all hold such great memories! I would recommend this holiday to everyone - the food was fantastic (no need for chili sauce or the like), the people were great, the support out there and whilst booking was amazing and the scenery when cycling was just stunning (and if you can't make the daily miles just jump on the bus if you get tired!) Where's next!?!

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many , but sitting alone on the beach at the bay of pigs with a crystal beer watching the sun go down was special

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jose was a star, his enthusiasm was infectious.

Advice for Potential Travellers

dont miss Cuba

Suggestions

Viva Cuba Libre

Most Inspirational Moment

There were quite a few: Arriving at our hotel in the mountains of the Sierra Maestra after a gruelling morning cyclingGetting back on my bike after a minor collision (after being patched up by Juan Carlos)Drinking more rum than I ever have before and salsaing the night away in Trinidad/Santiago de Cuba/Camaguey....   

Thoughts on Group Leader

Juan Carlos was organised and worked really hard to make sure that we were all having a good time.  He clearly enjoyed his job and joined in with the childish banter that the rest of the group were having.   Lazaro and Jose Luis (our 2 support drivers) were also a vital part of the team, and very willing dancing partners, who didn't let the language barrier get in the way of the fun we were having.  

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is an amazing trip which is within the capabilities of an only occasional cyclist who is reasonable fit otherwise.  Remember your dancing shoes for the evenings!    

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many special moments and enough inspiration to keep me going for a lifetime that I couldn’t possibly single out one of them. So here goes with just a few of the things that dreams are made of: Swimming beneath the waterfall at the hotel in the Sierra Maestra after our hardest day’s cycling. Hearing the excited squeals of delight and seeing the smiling faces of the children on the road side as we cycled past, tapping their outstretched hands and shouting ‘Hola’ to them. The electric atmosphere at the Casa de la Trova in Santiago de Cuba as one of the many live bands blasted out those classic la música Cubana tunes and my two left feet, lubricated by gallons of mojitos, attempted to salsa. The warmth and friendship that the Cuban people showed us, with the brave faces they were putting on despite the hardship that they lived in. A lesson to us all, I would say.  The taxi ride along el Malecon Habanero (Havana’s seafront) in a 1953 Cadillac on a warm night with the windows wound down, the city lights twinkling in our eyes and those exotic smells of a tropical city after dark permeating through our nostrils, as music from the Buena Vista Social Club played on the radio.Just a few of the special times but there were dozens more.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Juan Carlos Junco was an absolute star of a man.  The trip was incredibly good but exhausting yet this man did everything that the group did plus all the organisational stuff too. He managed to do this without ever showing any sign of fatigue or impatience with us despite the fact that we must have behaved more like naughty children on a school trip than the elite athletes that we professed to be.  He knew the history and culture of his country inside out, he had an answer for all our questions, he ensured that we enjoyed every moment of our trip and he brought much more humour to it than I would ever have expected.  If this man does not succeed the Castro Dynasty as the next president of Cuba then I will eat my Che Guevara revolutionary beret. I would add that our two drivers, Jose Luis Garcia Gutierrez and Lazaro Rojas Garcia, also enhanced our enjoyment of the trip. Despite their limited English vocabulary they never ceased to entertain us with their singing, dancing, huge friendly smiles and their laughter.

Advice for Potential Travellers

On the coach journey from the airport to the hotel on the first night, our group leader told us to remember that Cuba is a very small and very poor Third World country that is trying to do its best for its visitors. If we could accept that then we would enjoy our holiday. I took his advice and it meant that when things weren’t quite right (which wasn’t all that often) they weren’t quite right in beautiful Cuban style to be treasured and if everything had been perfect I’d have been disappointed.  So my advice is to do the same, to embrace and take the time to appreciate the people of Cuba and every aspect of their culture, especially their music. If you do this you won’t want to go home again.

Suggestions

I’d like to add another two weeks to the trip. We didn’t spend enough time in some of the places that we visited but there was nothing that we did that I would have wanted to spend less time doing. And I’d like to add my thanks to everyone I met in Cuba, to all my wonderful and inspirational travelling companions from Britain and New Zealand and to Exodus. Without you my holiday wouldn’t have been quite so perfect.

Most Inspirational Moment

Not being funny, but watching someone from your trip unknowingly pull 9 people in three taxi-bikes has got to inspire you! ;-)

Thoughts on Group Leader

Extremely well organised, very informative, took great care in making sure everyone was ok and enjoying themselves...most of all he was a lot of fun!Let's not forget the coach driver and support bus driver...they were also extremely amusing and very caring...jokes and banter were shared despite the obvious language barrier!  It was the people who made the holiday just that much more special.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go on this trip, without a doubt!I didn't even cycle before going to Cuba so I was a bit concerned I wouldn't be able to keep up, but the group tended to split off into capabilty levels (depending on how many mojitos were drank the night before) and no one was really competitive and no one got left behind.  You do need a good level of fitness before going and the cycling is sometimes quite challenging (against the wind), but it was all worth it and you can always reward yourself with a well deserved mojito or two..

Most Inspirational Moment

Meeting the locals.  They have few material possessions, which we take for granted in the UK, and yet they are incredibly generous.  We were invited into homes, and offered food and drink, which families could ill afford to give away.  It reminded me of what is truly important in life - family, friends and a sense of community.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Superb.  Knowledgeable, friendly, thoughtful and attentive.  Two members of the group celebrated birthdays while we were away and Laz arranged cakes, American cars and entry to salsa clubs!  The drivers, Tuna and Alberto, were also very friendly and did a brilliant job.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go to Cuba!

Most Inspirational Moment

Making it all the way to the top of the hills on the day in the mountains without getting off to walk, finally arriving at that amazing hotel in the middle of nowhere, and then swimming under the waterfalls at sunset.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Laz was, quite simply, the best Exodus leader I've met. You could tell instantly that he's passionate about his country, his job and cycling (and, like any Cuban, baseball!). He was very well organised, his local and historical knowledge were first class, he never tired of answering questions about Cuba, the trip itself, and his personal life, and he was sociable and friendly without being overbearing. He also understood very well the different personalities in the group and was always ready to listen and help when issues arose.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take plenty of Imodium (most of our group needed it at some stage) and keep some loo roll with you at all times. Try to keep hold of small change for toilets and tips - you may also find it difficult to get rid of large bank notes in some places. Take an MP3 player if you want a bit of inspiration to get you up the big hills or for some of the long stretches when you find yourself on your own, and also for some of the longer bus transfers. Take enough money in UK sterling to see you through the trip (and a bit extra in case) - it's much easier and cheaper to change bank notes than to use a debit or credit card to get money, though it's possible in the larger places. If you're not a fan of plain food, take a bottle of hot sauce with you to liven up some of the dishes, especially if you're vegetarian. Take plenty of high factor suncream and SPF lipbalm - several of us managed to lose our lipbalms along the way and ended up with very sunburnt lips! We never found a shop that sold lipbalm although you can get suncream in the bigger hotels. I found it useful to have a thin long-sleeved top to cycle in one day when I had sunburnt arms. Above all, go on this trip with a very open mind - be prepared for the unexpected (random power cuts, lack of hot water or indeed any water, last minute changes to plan). There'll be a few pleasant surprises along the way as well. Brush up on your salsa skills as there'll be plenty of opportunity to try them out - knowing just a few steps will really help!

Suggestions

The local guides (and their families) will be very grateful for any donations of cycling kit (water bottles, helmets, cycle shorts, gloves), other clothing, toiletries etc at the end of the trip, whatever condition it's in (even if filthy after your cycling) - so when packing, you might want to consider if there's anything you want to use on the trip and then give away at the end. Also I'd recommend older clothing for cycling in rather than your shiny new stuff - if it rains you'll probably never get the mud and gunk out afterwards! Also I wish I had packed a couple of nice outfits for the evenings when we went dancing and so on, I just had shorts and a boring skirt, and my trekking sandals, and felt a bit frumpy compared to all the locals! Be prepared for a fair bit of time spent on the bus as there are quite a lot of transfers - miore cycling and fewer transfers would have been nice but they are more or less unavoidable. Also be prepared to cycle in a lot of headwind (although it's never cold) - you do get used to it pretty quickly and if you're lucky you may get a couple of days of tailwind too!

Most Inspirational Moment

Truly enjoyed cycling throughout the countryside, no better way to experience the country than being on the ground, observing the locals in their day to day activities. As for your question as to the inspirational part, it was all inspirational from the first day to last day, so many beautiful sights words or pictures do not justify the total experience, but memories do.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was fantastic, always there for us, very patient, informative, and even on off days was willing to take us to a special restaurant or someone"s home to enjoy a meal. Our group leader and other support staff were very professional at all times making sure our needs were met to near perfection.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Before leaving on my holiday when reviewing the Exodus lounge site the question of money seemed to be a big issue and rightly so. When you arrive at the Airport in Havana there is money exchange facility on the premise , also in all the major centres. with all the concerns about the money issue I had before leaving it was no issue at all.If your someone who likes a wash cloth when you shower as I do bring your own , hotels do not provide , they look at you funny if you ask for one.

Suggestions

Have an open mind, go with the flow and leave your inhibitions behind.

Most Inspirational Moment

The People, Ride, Route, Food, Rum, Scenery, Music, History, Mountains, Beaches, Countryside, Cars, Wildlife & Weather were all fantastic. Too many moments to decide!But probably the sense of achievement riding into the Sierra Maestra mountains, descending into Santiago or the final ride into the lakeside hotel at Mayajigua.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide Laz was simply brilliant! Went the extra mile all of the time, very knowledgeable and passionate about his country, but informed and educated us in an interesting way. Support drivers Tuna and Alberto were great and were always friendly and helpful. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

A couple of days extra to see a bit more of Havana at the end would be ideal, but you cant do everything in 2 weeks!

Suggestions

You don't have to be an olympic athlete to do this trip, but if you are a keen cyclist and interested in seeing a very interesting country, experiencing the culture, history, people and scenery in detail, this is the trip for you!

Most Inspirational Moment

Wouldn't say there was a"moment"  it was all enjoyable.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Carlos was good, well organised and flexible to the needs of the group.  I think he did a good job.

Advice for Potential Travellers

no not really,  all our needs were catered for