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5 most frequently asked questions about Salsa holidays in Cuba

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With almost twenty years experience of running salsa holidays in Cuba, we have had hundreds of people travelling with us over the years to learn how to dance salsa and other Cuban dance styles.   Based on the questions we most get asked by people enquiring about our Salsa holidays in Cuba, we thought the following might be useful!

Q1: I am travelling on my own so can I come on your group holiday?

People dancing in a salsa class in Santiago de Cuba

Salsa class, Santiago de Cuba

Yes, you can. The majority of people on our group salsa holidays in Cuba are also travelling solo, so you will be in very good company. In fact, this is a perfect holiday for someone coming to Cuba on their own as you  have group dance lessons and accompanied nights out to live music venues, and a number of guided visits and tours, but your accommodation is in a single room (no single supplement) and there is plenty of time to relax and do your own thing too, so you are not over-organised.    Couples and groups of friends or family are welcome too, of course!

Q2: How many people are on each holiday?

We tend to have small groups of up to about 15 persons maximum to keep the group dynamic as personal as possible. It helps people get to know each other better, both Cubans and participants, but also makes arrangements more manageable from a practical point of view. Going out at night to some of the smaller live music venues in Santiago de Cuba with 15 visitors + 15 Cubans is already quite a large number of people, and we prefer to keep the numbers small to enable local cultural integration.

dance teacher giving instruction in dance

Afro-Cuban class, Santiago de Cuba

Q3. I am a beginner salsa dancer so is this holiday suitable for me?

Yes, it is! We cater for all levels of dance ability, from absolute beginner to advanced and everyone is very welcome on our salsa holidays.  The group is divided into different levels for each dance class, and each person has their own professional Cuban dance partner for the lessons to help them really learn from an expert. The levels are split into total beginner/elementary; intermediate; advanced.  If you find that you do not fit into any of these categories, then your teacher will take you aside and you will have a 1:1 private lesson for that hour instead.  in addition to salsa, we also have daily Son lessons and some Afro-Cuban rumba, merengue and other genres.  We also include dance styling workshops where the tuition will focus on body movement, balance, poise and projection so that you can really learn how to dance like a Cuban!

Q4. What is the average age of people on the holiday?

On our most recent salsa holidays, ages have ranged from early 30s to late 50s, although we always have younger and older participants too. Your age is not really so important, as dance holiday participants always bond together really well irrespective of their ages.  A desire to go to Cuba, to learn Cuban style dancing and to be on holiday with like minded people are factors that make our dance trips work really well.

Q5. Can you help me to book my flights to Cuba?

Yes, as we have an ATOL licence (6387), we can book flights for you  which provide cover for anyone departing from any British airport. Click here for more details on ATOL protection. All we need to know is which dates you intend to travel and from which airport. We charge exactly the same return fare as you will find online, plus a small booking fee of £35 + VAT (£42 total) per booking (not per person).   For anyone planning on flying direct from the US to Cuba, you must comply with the current US travel restrictions and one of the 12 authorised categories of travel to Cuba whether you are a US citizen or not.

 

About the Author
Kath Bateman founded Caledonia in 1996 and still has a very active role in the company. As a linguist and avid traveller, Caledonia brings together many strands of Kath’s personal and professional interests. She is a Modern Languages and Tourism graduate and has worked as a tour leader and trilingual guide, ski rep and salsa teacher, cultural events organiser, salsa club promoter and English language teacher. She lived and studied in France and Austria and has travelled widely elsewhere in Europe, Latin America and particularly in Cuba. Kath is still very much involved in the business and is as motivated by what Caledonia does as when she first set up the company in the spare room at home all those years ago.