Experience Cuba's Magic with Mel + Dawn

Visiting Cuba as an American tourist is prohibited. However, there are several different licenses that Americans can get approved to travel under. Our group will be traveling under the ‘Support for the Cuban People’ license.

To comply with this, we have set up the itinerary to follow all necessary regulations and filled out documentation declaring our intent to travel.

This trip is different from tourism. We will stay in casas particulares, eat at local paladares, and will visit and support community projects that benefit local artists, musicians, educators, farmers and entrepreneurs. It will be culturally immersive every step of the way and unlike any other travel experience. Think of it like adult study abroad (it’s education + travel and a whole lot of fun!).

Plus, a percentage of the trip proceeds will be used to purchase supplies that you’ll be able to donate to Cubans first-hand.

Everything about this trip will be focused on how we can use our privilege to support Cuba and its people.

This trip is non-refundable, and I am unable to accept refund requests for any reason because trip funds are prepaid to my partners in the countries we are visiting and supporting. I have unfortunately had many travelers need to cancel their trips due to unforeseen circumstances, and the ones who booked travel insurance with trip protection coverage were grateful they did.

Travel insurance is a requirement for participation in a trip offered by Laura Ericson Group Trips. While there are different types of coverage, I require guests to obtain, at minimum, post-departure coverage from your departure date from home to the day you return home, and with at least $150,000 in emergency medical expense benefits and $250,000 in emergency medical evacuation benefits.

For maximum protection, it is strongly recommended that you purchase a comprehensive plan with trip cancellation coverage.

If purchasing trip protection through my partner, Wanderwell, you will have the following options:

—Post-departure-only (travel medical) style plan, which has high primary Travel Medical coverage, Emergency Medical Evacuation benefits, and some coverage for Trip interruption and Baggage & Personal Effects as well. Recreational & Adventure Sports coverage is included. *This plan has NO Trip Cancellation benefits.

—Trip Cancellation + post-departure style plan designed to cover the most common travel perils related to trip cancellation, as well as benefits for trip interruption, trip delay, $150,000+ in Primary travel medical, emergency medical evacuation, baggage & personal effects, and more. Recreational & Adventure Sports coverage is included.

—Optional Cancellation for Any Reason (CFAR) upgrade

—Optional Extreme Sports benefit upgrade (not available to residents of NH) *appropriate for trips that involve ​​hot air ballooning, caving, paragliding, ATVing, mountaineering, any activity above 4500 meters, and more.

Timing: Whether you purchase through Wanderwell or another service provider, know that the sooner you purchase a trip protection plan, the more it can cover, as there are time-sensitive benefits that can be applied (ie coverage for pre-existing conditions, optional Cancellation for Any Reason (CFAR) upgrade). To have access to the maximum coverage available, it is generally recommended to purchase a trip protection plan within two weeks of making your initial trip payment of any kind for this trip (i.e. flights, packages, tours...whichever is made first).

I partner with Wanderwell; however, you can purchase from your preferred provider. Wanderwell is a Certified B Corp promoting sustainable, responsible travel and tourism. At least one percent of your insurance purchase costs will be given to Friends of the Koala - a 1% for the Planet environmental partner - as my organization of choice. Friends of the Koala is committed to conserving koalas and preserving and enhancing their habitat, particularly in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. After seeing the devastation of the 2019 fires in Australia first-hand, this cause has become very important to me.

Have more questions about travel insurance and why I recommend it for all of my trips? Check out Wanderwell’s Support section.

Travelers will need to purchase a tourist visa under “Support for the Cuban People” as the general license category. The approximate cost is $85, and I will walk you through the steps to get your visa as the trip gets closer (it’s a quick and easy process). Processing is typically 48 hours, and expedited shipping is available.

Yes. Regulations state that the US government technically has 5 years to intervene and request that you demonstrate that the activities you did in Cuba met the licence requirements. All you need to do for this is keep photos, receipts, the itinerary plan that I will provide, and any other records. It’s incredibly unlikely that you’ll be contacted for this, but best to be prepared just in case.

Click the booking link to register, and then select whether you want single or double occupancy.

IMPORTANT: Although travel to Cuba is legal for US citizens, using Cuba’s name on the booking page can cause problems with third-party payment processors. Therefore, no mention can be made in our banking transactions of the word “Cuba.” Because of this, you’ll see that my booking site refers to Cuba as “The Island.”

Any payments sent directly to me through Venmo, Cash App, or Paypal cannot mention the word Cuba, or your money may be seized.

Wait until you get the green light from me to purchase your flights—I typically recommend 3-6 months prior to the trip, or as soon as I’ve finalized our group.

I will be in contact with you regularly with reminders and assistance on purchasing fights, visas, insurance, packing, and more.

Cash, dollars, cash! Your bank card/credit card will NOT work. Bring enough cash in USD for your trip, and bring extra for emergencies (or for more mojitos and cigars).

I’ll give you a better idea of how much cash to bring (and lots of reminders) as the trip gets closer, but generally I recommend you bring $1,000 USD—you shouldn’t need that much, but you won’t be able to access money if you need more.

You certainly could try to navigate Cuba on your own—people certainly do, but with varied degrees of success. I have heard horror stories of people getting scammed, sick, and overall having an unpleasant experience in Cuba—mainly because they tried to do it on their own.

Ensuring you have the proper approval, an itinerary that meets the requirements of one of the approved reasons for travel, and the supporting documentation can be complicated.

Cuba is not like other countries. The lack of wifi, regular phone service, and inability to use credit and debit cards makes it more challenging to travel to than many places, and things can and do go wrong. The Cuban currency system is super difficult to deal with as a traveler, the monetary policy in Cuba changes almost every year, and its easy to be taken advantage of if you don’t know what you’re doing. Having travel experts and locals to help you navigate all of Cuba’s complexities is a true asset.

In addition, the greatest reward in visiting Cuba is the ability to integrate yourself with the Cuban people and immerse yourself in its culture. By traveling with us, you’ll have an inside look at Cuban life and connections that you can’t find when you travel on your own.