If all you know about Cuba is cigars and Castro, then it's time to do some revision. And if you take part in a Natural Habitat Adventures’ Undiscovered Cuba tour, you might also get to meet this friendly local. Or someone else just as welcoming.

Guests will experience the vibrant cultural centers of Havana and Trinidad as well as virtually unknown national parks, rare botanical gardens, lush tropical ecosystems and fabulous birdlife while interacting with Cuban scientists, naturalists, park managers, academics, organic farmers, community activists, artists, business owners and others eager to share their stories.

In addition to Cuban culture and history, this one-of-a-kind trip also showcases Cuba's natural side. Through one-on-one visits with Cuban hosts, guests understand how contemporary Cubans respect and manage the country’s natural resources and diversity. Highlights include World Heritage Sites and UNESCO Biosphere Reserves and hosted visits to organic farms and community-run ecotourism projects.

Among them is Zapata National Park situated on Cuba's southern coast. This UNESCO Biosphere Reserve covers 1.5 million acres harboring some 1,000 plant species, of which 130 are endemic to Cuba, and showcasing a great diversity of habitats such as grasslands, mangroves, varied types of forest, coastal lagoons and coral reefs. 

“As far as we know, we are the only current People-to-People tour operator including it in their itinerary,” says Ben Bressler, Natural Habitat’s founder and president. 

Then there's Viñales National Park & the Viñales Valley that embrace dramatic 250-million-year-old loaf-shaped limestone mountains laced with caves. These karst formations have been worn away by hundreds of years of erosion, becoming small islands that are self-contained ecosystems. The trip visits Cuevo del Indio (Cave of the Indians), the largest system of underground caves in Latin America. 

Las Terrazas is an ecotourism center in which a sustainable rural economy has been developed based on the use of local natural resources and a strong focus on public environmental education. 

Accommodations are always the best available and extend an understanding of culture and history through their locations. The Grand Hotel Trinidad transports guests to the elegance of 16th-century Cuba under Spanish influence, with gracious archways and wrought-iron balconies. The colonial-style Hotel La Ermita offers magnificent views of the Viñales Valley, and in the heart of Havana the luxurious Parque Central is a mix of colonial and modern elements. Sunswept Playa Larga Beach on the southern coast along the Bay of Pigs is home to the Hotel Playa Larga, which offers basic accommodations with easy access to Zapata National Park.

For the complete itinerary.....