Captivating Cuba Bessemer Drive, Stevenage SG1 2DX

"Captivating Cuba were great at planning our holiday and creating all the connections between the places we wanted to visit. It was however a shame that they allowed us to book Cayo Levisa when the pier to get to the island was still damaged from a hurricane from 4/5 months ago. We weren't told it was a risk until 2-3 weeks before we travelled when it still hadn't opened back up and we had to replan 2 nights elsewhere. They recommended 2 more nights in Vinales and have a driver take us to Cayo Jutias both days however it was a 1.5 hour journey as there's no hotels there, so 6 hours travelling in total across both days and compared to an all inclusive private beach island in Cayo Levisa, it didn't feel too appealing. We did visit Cayo Jutias on 1 day, it is a beautiful beach paradise but the roads are very bad and with the long journey there and back I wouldn't recommend anyone do this 2 days in a row. They also quoted us £80pp for the journey per day which we declined and arranged ourselves for £80 in total. After we arrived in Cuba we realised they could've been better at recommending hotels, perhaps providing a little more information. You really need to do your own research on locations and hotel facilities if you don't want to be let down on arrival. The casa's they recommended in both Vinales and Trinidad were amazing though. They didn't push any excursions on us which was nice but we enquired on a few. After arriving in Cuba and going on the free walking tours, it's evident that the excursions we reviewed and considered are real tourist traps. The locals didn't recommend them, especially the Buena Vista Social Club, avoid at all costs, you can find better experiences in Cuba! There's also no need to pre-book restaurants, there's lots of availability at the moment and we found the descriptions from Captivating Cuba are now quite outdated following the pandemic. Overall, great for booking locations, car's and hotels however don't rely on them for local knowledge. We'd highly recommend going on the free walking tours and take a guide's recommendation on live music, restaurants and experiences for a more authentic experience of Cuba."

"basic transport - audi 100 - one hotel had no water for days and rude staff. Taxi didn't turn up for club tropicana so we missed the begining. Looks great on paper but reality is different."

"We had a private tour for 8 people for 8 nights.We we’re the first tour group after the pandemic. I cannot praise the local staff in Cuba enough. Our guide Shaula was the best ever guide we have had. She was complemented so well by our driver Harlem. We covered 1446 km during that period and felt very safe with Harlem’s driving .Nothing was too much trouble for them. They were happy to accommodate our wishes and even took us to a beach which was not in the itinerary. We learnt such a lot about this fascinating country from Shoula. The people are so friendly and welcoming and we had the opportunity to taste some authentic Cuban food, learn about Cuban history and visit some important historical sites and breath taking places. It is amazing that how people are so happy inspite of hardship from American ‘Blockade ‘-as they call the American embargo . This is a small tour company but with highly organised and efficient local staff- we were warned to expect delays and disappointments but Shoula and Harlem’s dedication and passion about their job made it a memorable holiday for us with no mishaps whatsoever."

"A very well organised private tour. From the beginning, Nikki understood what we wanted. We travelled January 2022. With the Covid problems and going to a country we knew very little about, to say we were nervous is an understatement. The Captivating Cuba staff were fantastic, We were well looked after every step of the way. The local staff and the guides and drivers they organised were a pleasure to be around. The Casas were friendly, clean and modern. The hotel in Varadero was great too. Cannot recommend them highly. Cuba is a complicated but fascinating country and the Captivating Cuba team show the country and the people at their best,"

"EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING!! THEY ADD NO VALUE!! I can't begin to tell you how disappointing this travel company is. It is shocking. They have no real regard for their clients nor do they add any value. They simply are trying to exploit the travellers lack of knowledge of Cuba for a profit. Being a solo traveler going to Cuba for the first time, I mistakingly thought using a travel agency that claimed to be an expert in Cuba would be a good idea. Big mistake. The itinerary they cooked up for me was ridiculous. It had me traveling for 8 hours on a bus to a city for 1 day then traveling another 7 hours on a bus to get to another city the next. When I caught this and decided to rearrange my trip, I cancelled a number of transports and stays at Casa Particulares and a 3 night stay at the Blau in exchange for more time in Havana. They then made me pay more money! They then withheld all my new vouchers until they received the extra money. They never informed me of travel/medical insurance requirements. When asked, they said they did not deal with this but in the final package, of course, they were selling their ability to help you with it if you needed. They never warned me of any of the necessary vaccinations nor if I should even look into it. They are by no means proactive. They are only reactive and you will have to chase them for every little thing. Some of the staff there are particularly rude when trying to get some answers from them. Why they think arguing with a client is a good idea, I have no idea. All the flights they arrange for you are the cheapest possible so the times will be terrible. You will then have no control over changing anything. You will have to go through them. They refuse to provide any transparency in pricing so you will have no idea what or how much you are paying for any individual item. I also thought having a representative on the ground would be helpful given I was traveling alone. Sonia, their rep in Havana, was nowhere to be found. They claim she is in the hotel lobby every morning but neither I nor the hotel workers ever saw her. I was not even informed when my transport from my hotel to the airport would be on my last day. I had to have the concierge hunt down someone else at Captivating Cuba to find out. By the way, please pass on buying anything from them such as excursions or tickets to shows. Everything is easily priced at double the rate you can get in Havana. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY! Finally, be careful if you stay in one of their Casa Particulares. The one I stayed at in Vinales told the tour operator I had booked that I never arrived so they could replace them with their own and get a kick-back. Do yourself a favour and PASS on this tour operator!!!! There are others out there or, truth be told, you can do it yourself. Enjoy Cuba!"