Cuban Revolution Ride - Art For Cure

Level of Difficulty

The Cuban Revolution cycle is graded as Challenging. This is the perfect challenge for participants who are of an adventurous spirit and an open mind, but perhaps haven’t taken on a strenuous challenge event before and are hoping to push themselves out of their comfort zone. You can tell your supporters that on your Cuban Revolution Cycle, you will be:

• Cycling under very hot and humid conditions with temperatures of up to 30 degrees centigrade
• Covering distances of up to 85km in a day
• Cycling for up to 8 hours on the longest days
• Taking on some undulating hils on a mixture of rocky paths and main roads

Typical Day

You will rise early each day and pack your bags after breakfast, loading the support vehicle. You will ride each day for approximately 6-8 hours, with water stops and a long lunch stop to avoid the heat of the day. On arrival in the afternoon into your accommodation, you will have time to relax and enjoy the (hopefully) sunny evening. Dinner and the day’s debriefing are generally after sundown. Specific hours of activity for each day are given in the itinerary.

Safety

Charity Challenge considers the safety of all of our participants and staff to be a top priority, and as such we have set up Challenge Safe, a thorough safety management system. Challenge Safe formalises our ethos when it comes to safety, and brings together the procedures and risk management strategies that we use to audit all aspects of our challenges, from vehicles to accommodation to the challenge activity itself. Your welfare is absolutely paramount!

In terms of your Cuban Revolution Cycle, there are some important things you should be aware of:

• Smoke alarms are not compulsory in Cuba, and as such very few accommodation will include them. Your challenge leader will explain the emergency procedures.
• You will be riding on the right-hand side of the road, through occasionally busy areas. Make sure that you are paying attention at all times.
• The brakes on the bikes may be on the opposite side to what you are used to in the UK. Take the first morning slow and steady until you get used to this.

Responsible Tourism

At Charity Challenge we are committed to sustainable and responsible tourism, and aim to ensure that our challenges benefit the local environments and communities in which they take place. We ensure that all rubbish is disposed of responsibly, and following local guidelines on cultural and environmental protection and respect, we aim to limit our impact on the natural environment. In addition to taking these practical steps to ensure that our challenges are sustainable, we also make a contribution each year to a number of local community projects, so as to give something back directly to the communities that we visit. Since 2000 we have donated almost £200,000 to such projects, supporting a range of initiatives, including schooling for children in Africa, shelter for street children in Brazil, and Orang-utan conservation in Indonesia. We recommend that any gifts brought over for children are given to the UK challenge leader and distributed where needed by them and our local team. If you wish to do more, you should consider buying drinks, postcards and souvenirs from the local vendors. For many, it is their sole source of income. For more information, please visit our Responsible Tourism section.

Flights

You will be flying from London to Havana (possibly via Madrid) and returning via the same route. You will either fly from Gatwick or Heathrow, and this will be confirmed in your members’ area as soon as the flight details are confirmed. The flight will take approx. 10hrs without any connection times. Your flight tickets will be e-mailed to you before departure.  If you choose to book your own flights you must confirm this via email with the Charity Challenge office at the time of your initial challenge booking, otherwise you may be liable for your included group flights (please contact flights@charitychallenge.com for further assistance). Please be aware if your flight is routed via Madrid you will not be able to bring back any duty free alcohol or liquids from Cuba, due to restrictions in place in Madrid. For more general flights questions, please refer to our main FAQs page.

Extending your stay in Cuba

If you would like to extend your trip and stay-on in Cuba, you should email flights@charitychallenge.com with your preferred date of return to London.

Please note: Timings of the group flights are subject to change so please take this into consideration when booking domestic travel arrangements to reach your departure airport i.e. book flexible tickets where possible. We are unable to take responsibility for the consequences of missed international flights due to delayed travel arrangements to the airport. We therefore advise you, when booking transport and making any arrangements, to plan to get to the airport in plenty of time allowing for any possible delays which may occur on the day (bad weather, break down, cancellations etc). If you book a domestic flight, in order to get to your international departure airport, please do consider that this flight ticket cannot be linked to the ticket we are organising for you; you will need to collect your luggage, possibly change terminal and check-in again as normal.

Extending your stay in Cuba

If you would like to extend your trip and stay-on in Cuba, you should email flights@charitychallenge.com with your preferred date of return to London. The airline will permit a change in the return date subject to the airline's availability and terms and conditions. Where we are able to change your return date there will be a flat non-refundable fee of £60.00. If the change of date results in a more expensive ticket, we will be required to pass on the difference. 

You can return immediately after the challenge (arriving back in London on 09 Feb 2025), or we have made some suggested return date options that we will collate and send over to the airline once the flights are available to book. Extend by three days (arriving back in London on 12 Feb 2025), or by seven days (arriving back in London on 16 Feb 2025). Any other return date can be requested but maybe harder for us to accommodate. 

* Please note you will arrive in London the day after you depart from Havana due to international time zones.

Please do request any alternative return dates ASAP. The Extension will be flight only and you will be responsible of organising your own ground services once the main Cycle Challenge itinearry has ended.

Visa (Cuban Tourist Card)

A full passport valid for a further 6 months is required and also a tourist card. This allows a stay of up to 30 days and one entry only. Charity Challenge will supply your tourist card. Please ensure your name is as per passport and your passport details are valid and correct no later than 2 months prior to departure. Please also ensure your address is up to date as this will be mailed to your home address. We will notify you once the Tourist Cards have been mailed to you. Please double check all details upon recieving them. 

If you have concerns about travelling to the United States of America after your visit to Cuba, please see the statements raised from the British Ambassador in Cuba and the Cuban Consulate:

British Ambassador in Cuba:
“As long as they don’t fly in and out via the US and ensure they don’t get their passports stamped they are very unlikely to have any future trouble." 

A note from the Cuban Consulate: 
“Dear partner, As previously reported. The United States government, as part of its policy of pressure on Cuba, has made the decision that foreign citizens who want to travel to the United States will have to request an entry visa if they have previously traveled to Cuba after January 12, 2021. The visitor's passport will not be stamped when entering or leaving Cuba unless the visitor requests that it be stamped. 

If you have further concerns and want to discuss please email challenges@charitychallenge.com    

Insurance

Your safety when travelling with Charity Challenges is our main concern which is why it is a booking condition that you have a suitable travel insurance policy that will cover you for the adventurous nature of your challenge. We have chosen to partner with specialist travel insurance providers Campbell Irvine, who offer cover for an extensive number of adventurous activities. Cover is available directly from Campbell Irvine for most European residents and includes cover for emergency medical and repatriation and for your cancellation or curtailment of the challenge. Full details including costs may be found by clicking here.

For more general travel insurance questions, please refer to our main FAQs page.

Vaccinations & Medication

Vaccinations
For up to date vaccination information please check the Travel Health Pro website: https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries
Charity Challenge team are not medical experts and we would encourage you to visit your GP or travel nurse to discuss vaccination requirements. Your GP may ask questions about the specific locations that you are visiting so it may be useful to take a copy of your itinerary with you.

Medication

• Carry medicines (including those bought over the counter) in their correctly labelled container, as issued by the pharmacist, in hand luggage
• Consider packing a spare supply of medication in the hold luggage in case of loss of hand luggage
• A letter from the prescriber detailing the medicines with the generic names for the medications can be helpful for border control checks, and in case medicines have to be replaced or medical help is required
• Carry a note from the prescribing physician on letterhead stationery for controlled substances and injection medications
• Take out an appropriate level of travel health insurance including repatriation and specific cover for any pre-existing illnesses

N.B.  Some medications are banned abroad so please check you can find further information at https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/factsheet/43/medicines-abroad

Climate & Terrain

Climate - Cuba is generally hot and sunny. But it is a tropical climate and you may therefore experience tropical rain and very occasionally storms. During the wet season it may be very humid. The hurricane season generally runs from May through to October. The weather is changeable, and these are rough guidelines.

Terrain - The terrain is undulating, with some short uphill sections. Some roads are in poor condition with potholes and gravel. On some days you will be cycling on main roads.

Training

Training and fitness are definitely required. Anyone who leads a fairly active and moderately healthy lifestyle should be OK ‘as long as they train regularly over a period of at least three months’ leading up to the challenge. While strength is important, endurance training should be your primary focus. Cycling up hills is a good way to condition your lower body. Take a long cycle (6-8 hours) several times, includng some hills.

Luggage Allowance & Valuables

The luggage allowance will depend on the airline we are using for your challenge, but in general it will be one piece of checked baggage at around 23kg. Carry any valuables with you at all times, but if you don’t need it, don’t bring it. There is a safety deposit box at the hotel in Trinidad, where you can place your valuables. Carry your passport with you and make sure you have a photocopy of your documents (travel insurance etc.) in case they get lost or damaged.

Leadership

There will be an English-speaking challenge leader who will be responsible for the logistics and co-ordination of your challenge. There will also be numerous local support staff to assist them. The challenge leader will be ultimately responsible for the running of the itinerary and the safety of your group.

Group Size

Each group is intended to be a minimum of 25 people in order to run and a maximum of approximately 45 people. We wil be able to run this challenge with 20-24 people, by charging a small group supplement of £95 per person which will be added to your final balance invoie, if required. 

Clothing & Equipment

Good quality, durable kit could mean the difference between a fantastic challenge experience and an uncomfortable one. For your cycle challenge, padded cycling shorts and comfortable footwear are essential, and helmets are compulsory throughout. Training with your cycling shorts is definitely advised! You can bring equipment like clip-in pedals or a gel seat, if desired, in order to adapt your bike in country, and we would also recommend technical/wicking t-shirts rather than cotton shirts. A full kit list for this challenge can be found here, once you book you will have access to kit discounts with our partners Cycle Surgery, Outdoorhire and Cotswold Outdoor.

Water Bottles: You should bring your own water bottle which fits into a standard water bottle cage. Mineral Water in Cuba is proving to be incredibly difficult to source currently. We will be providing water on your challenge of course but we are also recommending that if you can you bring your own filtration system so that you have access to safe drinking water everywhere you go. 

We are recommending water to go bottles :
Water-to-Go
Water-to-Go is a water filter bottle that eliminates up to 99.9999% of all microbiological contaminants including viruses, bacteria, chemicals, and heavy metals from any non-saltwater source in the world, providing safe drinking water wherever you are. The filters used in the BPA free water bottles are created based on technology originally developed for the NASA space programme.Responsible travel has always underpinned the mission at Charity Challenge, but now we want to go further to reduce our impact on the environment and, among other initiatives, by reducing single-use plastic pollution. Charity Challenge customers can help with this by taking a Water-to-Go filter bottle with them.

Bikes

Our partners in Cuba have a fleet of over 200 bikes in Havana, including all sizes spanning from XS to XXL. All are Trek branded and our most commonly used model is the 8.3 DS.

All bikes come fitted with standard saddles and platform pedals. Feel free to bring your own saddle or padded cover (to fit a universal seat post) and your clip-in pedals should you wish.

Every cycling tour involves a bike fitting and safety briefing before the first ride. Please indicate your height beforehand so we can assign you the correct sized bike. Mechanics will be on hand to help you get comfortable. There is no need to bring any of your own tools – just your helmet and water bottle.

Accommodation & Toilets

Accommodation - You will be staying in hotels throughout the challenge. The hotels, apart from in Havana and Trinidad, will be quite basic. You will be sharing in rooms of two with en-suite bathrooms. Please let Charity Challenge know if you are travelling with a friend or relative who you wish to share with.

If you would like a single room, we can organise this for you, subject to availability (so please request ASAP) and the cost is £235. Please email challenges@charitychallenge.com if you want to request a single room.

Toilets - During your challenge, you will be staying at hotels throughout with private toilet facilities. During the ride days these facilities will be limited to the great outdoors!

Food & Drink

Cuba has suffered from the American embargo, and there are shortages in most sectors of the economy. Often food is repetitive, with a heavy reliance on eggs and chicken. Rice or beans usually accompany the main meat dish, along with a green salad and fried banana chips. Please let Charity Challenge know (when booking) if you have any dietary requirements or allergies.

Money

Currency: The currency in Cuba is Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC).  1 Cuban Convertible Peso = 100 centavos. For up to date currency exchange, go to www.xe.com. The Convertible Peso is a closed currency, which means it cannot be purchased outside of Cuba. You can change GBP or Euros at the Cadeca (Money Exchange Bureau) at the Airport on landing in Cuba or at your hotel.

Credit Cards: MasterCard and Visa Credit Cards are accepted locally. Credit card transactions are subject to local commission charges of between 11% -13%.

ATMs: ATMs are not accessible outside of Havana, so ensure that you take enough cash for the ride and your stay in Trinidad – although the beach hotel in Trinidad is all inclusive, you may choose to go into the city by taxi and spend money there on food etc. 

How much to bring: All accommodation, activities and meals are included in the cost of your challenge. We recommend that you take a sufficient amount of cash (around £250), and try to request small denominations. This amount should allow enough money to get you by with the purchase of additional soft drinks and snacks, however if you wish to purchase additional items or souvenirs or any additional beverages then we would recommend organising more currency accordingly.

Tipping: Tipping is at your sole discretion and all staff is paid a fair wage. However, tourism has a tipping culture, and Cuban guides will generally receive a tip at the end of a job well done. If you choose to tip, we would suggest an amount of £10-15 per participant per challenge day. You leader will divide this amongst the local staff.

Phone & WiFi

Throughout the challenge, at the hotels you will be able to find a good telephone and internet reception. WIFI and internet is notoriously slow in Cuba so do not rely on this as a good form of communication.

Emergencies

The event is not run as a race and there is always a large discrepancy in people’s cycling abilities. This is allowed for. There will be a staff member at the back of the group at all times to ensure that you are not left behind and can take things at your own pace.

Pre-Existing Medical Conditions

We do not professionally vet your medical details. Please assess for yourself whether you are fit and able to take on the challenge. Please review the detailed Trip Notes and itinerary to get a better idea of what is involved. Please speak to your doctor or specialist if you have any concerns about taking part. If you think that there are things we can do to make the challenge more accessible/comfortable for you, it is your responsibility to let us know, and we will then let you know if we can accommodate your request.

Medical Support

First Aid qualified staff will be provided with the medical details that you give on your booking form but please note that they are on the challenge to support with medical matters related to the challenge environment and terrain itself, i.e. heat/cold, high altitude and so on. They will deal with any incidents and accidents (cuts, sprains, breaks and so on). They are not intended to continue any ongoing specialist medical care that you receive in the UK for pre-exiting medical conditions, and should not be assumed to have any professional experience of your specific medical condition.

If you have any specific needs around pre-existing medical conditions, you should discuss with your family doctor or specialist in advance and can discuss any advice given by them with the challenge leader or doctor.