Havana Times and How You Can Help

Jul 7, 2018

By Circles Robinson, editor

HAVANA TIMES – In the run up to our tenth anniversary we just began an ongoing campaign seeking reader support for our online publication, which brings you non-stop news and commentary from Cuba as well as some other Latin American coverage especially from Venezuela and Nicaragua, close allies of the Cuban government.

For a change of how we present ourselves, I’d like to ask you to watch these two short videos made with the assistance of two of our contributors with the history and reason to be of our efforts.

If you would like to help make Havana Times possible please click on the following link which has the easy to follow instructions: https://mediaoutreach.org/havana-times-donate

Where are we at in 2018

When I last wrote an About Us post in 2016 I tried to give a run down of the situation facing our writers and efforts. Little has changed since so for a summary of our objectives as a publication, the risks involved for independent media and writers, and our funding sources, please read the first article on the Related Posts list: Havana Times Reaches 8th Birthday.

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Contact Havana Times here: [email protected]

RETURN TO CUBA – 2022
As a tour leader and designer of tours throughout Cuba for the past twenty seven years I just returned from my first group tour in two years. In March of 2020 the doors to tourism in Cuba shut, but as of November 2021 they began to slowly open and I can once again show people the Cuba I have fallen in love with since my first visit in 1992…the beginning of Cuba’s ‘Special Period’

Because of the Covid – 19 pandemic Cuba has had to take drastic measures to protect its citizens and thanks to an amazing medical system has designed its own home grown vaccines which have all but eliminated the virus in Cuba. Ages two and up have had at least three doses of the Cuban vaccine and the country continues to add a booster shot to the entire country. Safety measures are still being followed everywhere we traveled, including in remote country areas. Everyone wears a face mask, hand sanitizers are required in every hotel and some take temperatures before you can enter.
In my travels we stay mostly at non-all inclusive properties and many are still closed awaiting tourists to come back, but the ones that are open are in older colonial style hotels which have been recently renovated with gorgeous interiors and lots of marble.

After two years of being dormant, life is mostly the way it was before the pandemic struck. The most noticeable difference is in the number of tourists crowding around the usual points of interest and that is refreshing, but necessary for the Cuban economy. It will return.
On my most recent tour, eleven days, seven locations, we ended in Cayo Coco/Cayo Guillermo in the northern, central part of the island and the second most important touristic location in Cuba, outside Varadero. Many of the resorts are still waiting the influx of tourists to open, but the ones that are open, offer all inclusive service as well as excursions and visits to local attractions. We stayed three nights at the Grand Muthu resort, a 4 + star property with 3 theme restaurants, upscale bars, amazing swimming pools and beach and nightly entertainment. A lovely way to finish a ‘discover Cuba tour’ and have a few days to relax and reflect and share your memories with the other guests that have become your friends.

To find out more about Tom Robertson’s Cuba tours go to – http://www.cuba1tours.com or contact tom at – [email protected]

One thought on “Havana Times and How You Can Help”

Tom Robertson

March 11, 2022 at 9:16 am

RETURN TO CUBA – 2022
As a tour leader and designer of tours throughout Cuba for the past twenty seven years I just returned from my first group tour in two years. In March of 2020 the doors to tourism in Cuba shut, but as of November 2021 they began to slowly open and I can once again show people the Cuba I have fallen in love with since my first visit in 1992…the beginning of Cuba’s ‘Special Period’

Because of the Covid – 19 pandemic Cuba has had to take drastic measures to protect its citizens and thanks to an amazing medical system has designed its own home grown vaccines which have all but eliminated the virus in Cuba. Ages two and up have had at least three doses of the Cuban vaccine and the country continues to add a booster shot to the entire country. Safety measures are still being followed everywhere we traveled, including in remote country areas. Everyone wears a face mask, hand sanitizers are required in every hotel and some take temperatures before you can enter.
In my travels we stay mostly at non-all inclusive properties and many are still closed awaiting tourists to come back, but the ones that are open are in older colonial style hotels which have been recently renovated with gorgeous interiors and lots of marble.

After two years of being dormant, life is mostly the way it was before the pandemic struck. The most noticeable difference is in the number of tourists crowding around the usual points of interest and that is refreshing, but necessary for the Cuban economy. It will return.
On my most recent tour, eleven days, seven locations, we ended in Cayo Coco/Cayo Guillermo in the northern, central part of the island and the second most important touristic location in Cuba, outside Varadero. Many of the resorts are still waiting the influx of tourists to open, but the ones that are open, offer all inclusive service as well as excursions and visits to local attractions. We stayed three nights at the Grand Muthu resort, a 4 + star property with 3 theme restaurants, upscale bars, amazing swimming pools and beach and nightly entertainment. A lovely way to finish a ‘discover Cuba tour’ and have a few days to relax and reflect and share your memories with the other guests that have become your friends.

To find out more about Tom Robertson’s Cuba tours go to – http://www.cuba1tours.com or contact tom at – [email protected]

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