By Beverley Causey-Smith Cuba is a tourist hot spot and travel planner, Pamela Maybury of C-Travel, knows Cuba well and can get you there with ease.

"It is a lovely place to travel as it is very relaxing and offers some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

"Anyone with a strong interest in beaches, water sports or Cuban history and culture should visit Cuba,'' said Mrs. Maybury.

The airport is state of the art, modern and receives over two and one half million tourists per year.

It is truly international with air arrivals from all over the world.

Mrs. Maybury has been to Cuba three times. The first time she went was in 1993.

" I was impressed as the people were so friendly and the resorts were very nice. The prices were good and I liked the different island culture with the Spanish influence.

"It was like Cuba was lost in time. Trinidad really made me feel like I was back in time,'' she said.

Trinidad is a small town of about 50,000 and is an UNESCO World Heritage City.

It shows magnificent examples of architecture from the 1600s.

In the Escambray mountains north of Trinidad, near Topes de Collantes, there is dense rain forest for those seeking wilderness.

Varadero Beach is a magnificent stretch of sand 12 miles long on a peninsula on the northeastern coast.

It is the best known of Cuba's resort areas and offers hotels, nightclubs, cabarets, a new golf course and restaurants.

Diving and snorkling are both good near Varadero as the best reef is a mile offshore.

"There are many big, beautiful islands and beaches, some are even more beautiful than those found in Bermuda.

"Cubans consider April and October the most pleasant months. However, November through April offers temperatures in the 70s to 80s Fahrenheit, with nights in the 60s to 70s.'' As a visitor you may never see a peso as the US dollar is king. It is accepted everywhere and many prices are marked in US dollars.

Do not take credit cards issued by US banks, as they won't be accepted.

One of the best craft markets takes place in the Plaza de la Catedral on Saturdays in Old Havana. There you can find Cuban painters, sketchers and sculptors selling their work.

Other vendors offer handmade clothing, dishes and old books, Cuban music and a varied array of interesting things.

Cuba is one of the few Communist countries in the world. Cuba's people reflect a blend of Carib Indian, African and Spanish heritage and it is the largest of the Caribbean islands - 780 miles long.

Old Havana is filled with culture and offers splendid displays of architecture.

While most of the details on the art-deco buildings are crumbling away, the Spanish colonial structures are well preserved.

For a tour of a cigar factory you can go to the Fabrica partagas in Havana where it is said that the rollers tap their knives on the table as a greeting signal.

Mrs. Maybury is planning to lead a tour to Cuba from Bermuda on August 4 through August 16.

Five days will be spent in Havana and five days will be spent in Varadero. Her tour group will overnight in Toronto going to Cuba and returning from Cuba.

All hotels will include breakfast and dinner. The total package cost, including air fare from Bermuda will be about $2,300 per person.

At Christmas there is a charter from Jamaica to Havana which costs about $288 plus about $130 to 170 per night for a hotel.

Spice up your life with a little Cuba and contact Mrs. Maybury for your travel needs at C-travel located on 12 Church Street Hamilton. Phone is: 441-292-3033. Email is: pamm yctravel.bm A view of Cayo Coco beach, an island in the archipelago off Cuba's northern coast. While Cuba is turning the King's Garden archipelago into a top draw for cash-toting tourist, it also hopes to protect the virgin sands from tourism's demanding footprints. A biodiversity protection programme, funded with $15 million from the government and $4 million from the United Nations and other donors, aims to promote growth while preserving the unusual and varied ecosystems on Cayho Coco and the archipelago's 2,516 other island. AP photo.

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