How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Very good indeed.  He worked very hard to make sure that we didn't have to.

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

"Prepare for long journeys on the coach - as expected.
The walk in the Sierra Maestra is much much hillier than suggested by the profile.  Who would expect 8km would take 4 hours?"

Do you have anything else to add?

"The trek profile for the walk up to the camp at Aquada de Joaquin is wrong and thus very misleading.  The altitude at the camp is in fact about 1350m, and not 1650m as shown on profile.  Furthermore, it is very much not a straight climb as shown, but very very undulating.  I would suggest that we did a good 800m of ascent and not 400m as the difference in altitudes might suggest.  The 8km walk took me just under 4 hours, and I was first into the camp by over 30 minutes.
But all still very enjoyable."

For me the long days travelling by coach were more than compensated by the variety of the places we visited. From Caribbean beaches to bustling cities and onto mountain retreats, each was special in its own way. The people we met everywhere were warm and friendly. The wildlife was amazing, although coming face to face with a snake in a waterfall pool was a little close for comfort.  I would thoroughly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to get to know Cuba better before the inevitable changes as the revolutionary generation reaches an age where they can no longer govern the country. (CU - 17th December 2010)