El Malecon Boardwalk in Havana Cuba

Until recently, it has been illegal for U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba since the 1962 trade embargo put into place by President John F. Kennedy

The only travel allowed between the two countries was primarily limited to Cuban-Americans, research trips for professional and academic research, and humanitarian or religious mission trips.

While travel to Cuba is still not legal for the average American tourist, last year President Obama made it possible for limited numbers of people to legally travel to Cuba through “people-to-people” educational travel programs.

In that spirit, professional photographers Tod O’Driscoll and Otto von Munchow invite you to join them on an intimate 8 Day Cuban Photographic Journey on April 16-23, 2012 (travel provided by Insight Cuba).

Join an 8-Day Cuban Photographic Journey!

As part of this people-to-people exchange, group participants will meet and get to know Cubans from all different walks of life.  Participants, through an English speaking Cuban guide,  will learn about Cuban history, culture, and the joys, triumphs, and every day struggles of the Cuban people.

From Tod and Otto:

“Get acquainted with the romantic city of Havana and its people through interactions with the residents, visiting communities, sharing stories and experiences.

After falling in love with Havana, it’s on to Cienfuegos, commonly referred to as “The Pearl of the South”, before settling in to soak up Trinidad’s colonial charm. While here, you’ll walk the cobblestoned streets, mingling with the residents while absorbing the history of this wondrous region. Set amongst the Sierra del Escambray Mountains to the north, where coffee plantations dominate, and the turquoise blue Caribbean Sea to the south, you’ll take in the beauty of the area, and won’t want to leave!

Each day on the tour, you will go out with your camera to meet Cubans from various walks of life, and you will be able to hear their stories about their lives, their customs, and their country. You will also see the beautiful architecture, be seduced by the infectious Cuban music, and take in the stunning landscapes.”

Highlights of the tour include:

• A walking tour of Old Havana’s colonial streets and squares
• Visiting a Cuban cigar factory
• Meeting Cuban photographers
• Touring Cienfuegos (the “Paris of Cuba) and visiting a Cuban artist colony
• Meeting Cuban musicians
• Touring the Miramar neighborhood of Havana
• Meeting Cuban artists
• Exploring colonial Trinidad
• Visiting the Sugar Mills Valley

What’s included:

• 4 or 5-star accommodations in Havana
• All meals (as outlined in the itinerary)
• Days full of guided activities
• U.S. Treasury Department License and Letter of Authorization
• A Cuban host (travel guide)
• All entrance fees to scheduled activities and events
• All in-country ground transportation and transfers
• Travel health insurance, emergency medical evacuation, and trip cancellation coverage (up to $1,000)
• Insight Cuba Travel Handbook
• 24-hour emergency service

What’s not included:

• Flights to and from Miami, and international flights to and from Havana are not included in cost of the program (prices to Havana vary depending on the season, but can range from $400 up to $600+)
• $50 visa charge
• $20 Fed Ex charge
• $50 Administration fee
• This cost also does not include any fees to be paid to Fototecha (the Cuban Photographers group we will be meeting with).
• $25 Cuban departure tax
• Tips for your guide, driver, chambermaids, bell hops and waiters are not included in the program fee.
• Any optional event that requires an admission fee such as museums, night clubs, a baseball game, etc.
• Beverages or snacks which are not part of a meal (i.e., a beverage or snack purchased between meals).
• Individual transportation within Cuba for optional activities.
• All expenses of a personal nature such as room service, phone, mini-bar, laundry, internet access, etc.
• Any excess baggage charges.
• Cost of obtaining a passport.
• Any additional cost(s) not included in the itinerary.

Instructors: Tod O’Driscoll and Otto von Munchow

Tod O’Driscoll is an award winning photographer with twenty two years experience. He has an M.A. in Photography, and his work has taken him all over the U.S., as well as to Mexico, Europe and Africa. His fine art, documentary, and event photography have all been awarded top honors in various regional, national and international competitions over the years, and his work has been published by corporations, universities and print and web publications.

Otto von Munchow is a documentary photographer based in Bergen, Norway. In 1989, he studied at the International Center of Photography in New York City, where he assisted acclaimed documentary photographer Mary Ellen Mark. Since then, he has photographed in Africa, the Ukraine, Thailand, Norway, Cuba, and all over Europe. His work has been published in many print and web publications. He first visited Cuba in 1991, and has returned many times since then, as he loves Cuba and the Cuban people.

Cost of the trip is $3,695 (double occupancy). A single supplement is an additional $300 per each single room request. A deposit of $600 is required to reserve your place on the trip.

For more info. on the trip (including pricing details, etc.), please visit: www.phototourscuba.com.  To reserve your place, please call: (206) 948-9481 or (480) 313-8121, or email: [email protected]

This program is organized and operated by Insight Cuba. Insight Cuba has been issued a specific license by The Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control, which authorizes registered guests of their programs to visit Cuba legally.

This trip sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.  As a photographer, and a lover of unique travel experiences, this trip would definitely merit our personal consideration if we weren’t already committed to other travel during the time of this excursion.

Disclosure:  this information is brought to you as a sponsored post paid for by World Photo Tours.

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