Cuba is like no other. A ravishing island jewel basking in the languid tropics. However Cuba is a maverick, a non-conformist, a rebel ticking to its own beat with a style and charm all of its own.
Any Cuban journey must start in Havana. Once fortified against the threat of pirates and colonial rivals, the seductive but crumbling city has over the last decade risen from the ashes with the injection of much needed funding.
The vast Zapata Peninsula juts out into pristine azure Caribbean waters on Cuba’s southern central coast. This untouched natural haven of uninhabited mangroves, lagoons, rivers and deserted beaches is a huge draw for birdwatchers, fishermen, scuba divers and lovers of the...
Set perfectly between the verdant Escambray Mountains and the Caribbean coastline just six kilometres away, pretty as a picture postcard with its pan tiled roofs, colonial mansions and cobbled streets and basking in a languid tropical torpor, it’s really hard not...
The long western finger of land that stretches down from the capital Havana takes you out of the bustle of the city into the somewhat more tranquil beautiful and rural region of Pinar del Rio province, which feels rather like the...
Eating a freshly made breakfast from antique porcelain plates while being treated like an old family friend in an old colonial house may seem extravagant just about anywhere else, however in Cuba it’s far from the exception.
As you move east along Cuba’s southern coast, you reach Cienfuegos – a pretty little colonial gem of a city on a splendid bay where dolphins frolic and where you can take a magical sunset stroll along the largest seafront promenade...
It's far greater size and fifty year Communist project are just two of the more obvious differentiators from its more diminutive neighbours. The sheer physical beauty of the island, the warmth of the Cubans themselves, the throbbing beat of salsa, the complex plot of tropical communism all make for a heady cocktail. But a word of warning - Cuba's seductiveness is hard to resist and rarely is one visit quite enough.
Cuba and her story is familiar to us all through Che Guevara and Fidel, the Bay of Pigs, cigars, vintage cars, mohitos, Buena Vista Social Club and Ernest Hemingway. Yet as enduring as these stereotypes are they miss the real Cuban story.
A country in transition - a 50 year old communist dictatorship tentatively loosening the country's bindings and even re-engaging with its old adversary just across the water, who sought to assassinate Fidel Castro over 600 times. Cuba still doesn’t have the Internet, but a country at long last encouraging individual free enterprise and whose well of artistic talent is being given full rein.
It's heady times for Cuba and Cubans alike, who have been patiently waiting literally decades for this opportunity, and are now firmly grasping it with both hands. Go now.
Client testimonials
Our trip to Belize was wonderful! Thank you very much for the effort and thought that you put into it which made it such a pleasure and relaxing trip.
Family Holiday to Belize
The Explorations Company provides the kind of service that I simply didn't know still existed!!
A holiday to Ecuador
Once again, Nicola, your guides were wonderful. So kind, fun, knowledgeable – he made the tour fun for all of us – especially the kids. Finch Bay is BEAUTIFUL.
A holiday to The Galapagos Islands
We really had an amazing time, thank you for organizing such a nice trip. We look forward to our next one!
Family Holiday to Peru
It was a great surprise to find wine chilling in our room which we drank with our friends as we watched the sunset over the ocean, what a great way to spend a birthday!
A birthday treat in Costa Rica
From touches like staying in some incredible places that we would have never know about with help from Louise, to a fun packed day for our daughter’s 11th birthday (zip lining, horse riding & white water rafting).
A fantastic 2-week family adventure in Costa Rica
Thank you so much for organising everything – you have been incredible and I will certainly recommend your company to anyone who will listen!
Family Holiday to Costa Rica
Please accept our sincere thanks for all the work and planning that went into making our trip pleasant & memorable. The organisation and planning was very well done and its execution flawless.
Grand Tour of Chile, Argentina & Ecuador
I wanted to take a moment to say thank you for an absolutely fabulous vacation to Ecuador and Galapagos islands.
Family holiday to Ecuador & Galapagos
Take the first step on your extraordinary journey into Latin America
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour and catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore – Dream – Discover - Mark Twain - You can view clips of some of our own favourite discoveries here.
100% Tailor Made
- Utterly designed and tailored around you and your requirements
- Totally unique every time you travel with us
- The very best hand picked guides which can make the difference between a good and an outstanding holiday
Priceless Knowledge
- Established over 30 years ago we have been around longer than most
- Our specialists come from, have lived in or travelled extensively in the regions we cover
- Unparalleled knowledge provides you with the best possible experience
Making a difference
- Philanthropy is our philosophy
- Our founding principle is to always ‘put something back’
- An amount from each holiday is donated to our selected conservation and humanitarian charities
Nicola Shepherd, founder and CEO of The Exploration Company, organises unusual trips for HNW and UHNW clients ranging from birthday parties at an Indian Maharajah's palace to reliving Sir Vivian Fuchs's 1950s expedition to the South Pole. Citywealth caught ...