27 Sep 2017
Following Hurricane Irma, there has been a lot of speculation around whether areas of the Caribbean, such as Cuba, are safe to visit. Meaningful travel specialists Rickshaw Travel offer their tips for those planning to visit the island.
Hurricane Irma hit the Caribbean on 8 September, causing a destructive path along the northern coast.
It had been predicted that the islands would miss the worst of the storm, but a last-minute change of direction and increased strength meant that it became the most powerful hurricane to hit the Caribbean in nearly 100 years, causing widespread damage in its path.
In Cuba, however, Hurricane Irma was the latest in a long line of superstorms to hit the island over its history and was just another hurdle to overcome. Cuba has a proud track record of looking after its people and travellers during times like this and acted quickly to evacuate locals and tourists from the worst affected areas, saving lives in the process.
As the storm passed and the rough winds subsided, the damage was assessed. While the streets near the Havana seafront were flooded, pictures emerged of kids surfing the floodwater on doors and a part-submerged game of dominoes in the street – saying a lot about the Cuban spirit and attitude.
Within days, Rickshaw was informed by local partners thatcasas were welcoming visitors, roads were open, day-trips were operating as normal, and some electricity had been restored in most places.
Cubans had already set about clearing the debris, and repairing their homes, vehicles and businesses using whatever was available to them.
While popular beach destinations like Cayo Santa Maria had been heavily damaged, the majority of Cuba's towns and cities were open for as usual.
Rickshaw colleague Edith was travelling through Cuba with her boyfriend when the hurricane hit. She followed news updates and was surprised by the severity of the reports and strong government advice not to travel.
She said: “Everyone was helping each other out to clear up, it's just the way it is in Cuba. People who had nothing to do would be clearing the roads of debris, and then the government trucks would come and collect it soon after. We had to cancel our stay in Remedios since the casa's lounge was flooded, but within a couple of days many things were operating almost as normal, and towards the west of the country you would struggle to tell that there had been a hurricane at all. Even in Havana, just 3 days after the storm hit we were sitting in cafes in the old part of town, watching plenty of other tourists enjoying the city, and the water had gone completely”.
Cuba wants tourists to visit now even more than ever, since tourism is vital to help rebuild the lives and businesses of the Cuban people. In most cases, owners of casas particulares, as well as small restaurants, rely upon guests to support themselves and their families.
With repairs to carry out and belongings to replace, this is even more important than ever. Cuba took a big hit, but it's standing tall, as vibrant and welcoming as ever.
Ready to give Cube a hand? Let Rickshaw Travel's friendly Cuba specialists organise your perfect adventure and ensure a truly meaningful and responsible experience. Visit https://www.rickshawtravel.co.uk/central-america/cuba/.
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For further press information, please contact:
Melissa Hobson/Natalie Garland
Rooster PR
T: +44 (0)20 3440 8927
E: RickshawTravel@rooster.co.uk
About Rickshaw Travel:
Rickshaw Travel is an independent tour operator based in Brighton. They are committed to providing enriching, immersive travel experiences that take holidaymakers off the beaten path and into the heart of local communities.
Meaningful travel – or travelling in a way that everybody benefits from – is the core ethos of Rickshaw: the traveller benefits from enriching experiences where they learn something new (about the destination, culture, a skill or about themselves) and at the same time the local people, animals and/or environment benefit too.
Rickshaw Travel's individual approach to independent exploration enables adventurous holidaymakers to visit the heart of a destination and experience the real spirit of a local culture. Rickshaw specialises in offering small-scale, authentic accommodation that truly reflects the character of each destination.
Rickshaw are proud to have built up a team of passionate Travel Specialists who each have extensive travel experience in their own dedicated destinations. They pride themselves on being open and honest about the places they have visited and are on hand to inspire and support travellers. The company's style of travel is unique – Rickshaw's dedicated Product Team has worked alongside the company's in-destination partners to create a choice of carefully selected bite-size trips, typically 2-4 days long, which can be combined to create the perfect itinerary. Rickshaw's bite-size trips include a range of local excursions, charming authentic accommodation and some transfers to ensure a hassle-free holiday.
Protecting nature and wildlife – and encouraging travellers to do the same – is also key for the Rickshaw team. The company has partnered with World Animal Protection to develop an Animal Welfare Policy, has committed to supporting the end of elephant riding by signing World Animal Protection's elephant-friendly pledge, and is in the process of auditing trips involving any type of wild animal interaction.
Rickshaw Travel now offers trips in 25 destinations across Asia, Central and South America, and Africa, including Cuba, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, India, Costa Rica, Peru, Borneo, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Chile and Brazil and is launching Japan by September 2017. The company's turnover and passengers carried increased by 50% from 2015 to 2017 and the company is aiming for a further 30% increase by 2019.
For more information, visit https://www.rickshawtravel.co.uk/, https://www.facebook.com/rickshawtravel/, https://twitter.com/Rickshaw_Travel or https://www.instagram.com/rickshaw_travel/ or call 01273 934 823.
