13 Good Reasons to choose Key2Cuba!
Travelling on your own without speaking Spanish can be very challenging. Visiting Cuba independently can attract the wrong attention in the streets and clubs which you may find a hassle. You may also wish to compare and contrast what different Salsa holiday companies are offering. My advice is to seek word of mouth. Ask around and talk to people who have been before, and choose the holiday that will suit you most. Cuba is such a special place it would be shame not to enjoy it to the full.
1. Who is leading the trip? How many trips have they led? And what experience do they have? What is their reputation, especially in Cuba?
Kerry Ribchester, the Director of Key2Cuba, has led more than 40 trips to Cuba over the past 10 years. She won the 2003 award for best teacher in the U.K. and has studied with three top academies in Cuba.
2. Will you be taught by a professional and established dance company? How many dancers will work with you?
Key2Cuba works with a professional team of up to 17 dancers from the leading Cuban dance company Raices Profundas led by founding director Juan De Dios. Kerry has been leading programmes with Raices Profundas dancers for nine years, and their experience is second to none. We do not use dancers that are from the hotel animation team.
3. How many levels of dance will be catered for?
Key2Cuba supplies 4 levels from beginner to professional. Clients are advised on the first day as to which level they will receive the most benefit from.
4. How detailed will the dance tuition be? Will it cover a full range of Cuban dance?
On a two week holiday Key2Cuba offers a world class 21 hour dance course or 15 hour course on a 10 day holiday covering Salsa, Rueda, Son, Rumba, Reggaeton, Afro-Cuban dance and Body Movement Technique. When Kerry is leading the group, you will also receive coaching in Body Movement from a qualified Hellerwork practitioner. You can choose from focusing on ‘moves’, developing your body movement or both! We also have the renowned Rohan Brown from Salsa Fever on some of our trips who bridges the gap between advanced LA and New York dances and the Cuban style. As part of the dance course, you will receive personal feedback on what's working with your salsa and where and how you can improve.
5. Is your hotel close to the Salsa clubs?
With Key2Cuba you will be staying in a colonial hotel in the heart of Old Havana. We will be within walking distance from two top Salsa clubs with live bands, hundreds of bars and restaurants, museums and 5 minutes walk from the Cathedral square. The sea front is two minutes away. After class you can wander the streets of Old Havana and take in all the live music and atmosphere. Being in Old Havana gives you greater access to the Salsa scene. Staying in Centro Habana, Vedado, or even further out in Miramar could cost a fortune in taxis!
6. Where will your dance classes be taking place and in what venues? Will you have air conditioning or a breeze?
With Key2Cuba all your classes are within your hotel. You just fall out of bed and into your class. Because our dancers are legally contracted they have access into our hotels. In Cienfuegos our classes take place on a shaded platform over the sea, so you are fanned by sea breezes. In Havana we have fans, air conditioning and a very private space to enjoy your classes in. We also have our own sound technician / DJ Damian taking care of the music.
7. How will you know which Salsa clubs to go to?
Key2Cuba has a production manager who visits the Salsa clubs every morning to check which bands are playing where and for the best price. Kerry Ribchester spends five months a year in Cuba keeping abreast of all the latest developments so you can be sure you will be in the right place at the right time! There is no ‘Time out ‘guide in Cuba and you can often end up in a Salsa club that has a comedy night or a Reggaeton party happening. Kerry, and / or Rohan also go out to Cuba a week before you arrive to create an up-to-date and fresh programme of events that will make the most of the latest bands playing that week.
8. Safety and fun! Will you know which clubs to go to and how hassle free will it be for you?
We go everywhere with our Cuban dancers. They delight us on the dance floor and keep us hassle -free in the clubs. This also means that we get to dance with Cuba’s top dancers wherever we go, and along with our production manager and our translator, we are advised on everything from the real price of the drinks to the safety of our valuables. Thanks to our production team, we avoid queuing out side the clubs, and have reservations at the best tables. Going to a club with only a small group of friends can limit your number of dances when fellow Cubans are not available. Queuing up for ages to get into a club with all the pushing and shoving can be tiring.
9. Where to eat?
Eating out in Cuba can be a real hit or miss situation. Why waste time? Kerry has personally sourced the best places to eat, for a fraction of the price normally charged to tourists. For an evening meal the prices range from $8- $15. You will be surprised how amazing some of the food is!
10. Beyond the tourist track?
Do you want to experience the real Cuba? The Key2Cuba programme is unique because of the special relationships Kerry and her team have with Cuba’s key artists. We have direct access to the worlds’ top musicians. Experience the world’s No1 Rumba clave, with 14 singers and musicians playing for you in a private party. When the leading Salsa band (Los Van Van) play we have a personal invitation to be in the VIP area, and we always meet artists such as Salvador Gonzalez in his own home. This is the beauty of going with someone who can introduce you to the heart of the Cuban scene.
11.Getting around Cuba?
With Key2Cuba you will be travelling in luxury air conditioned coaches at a fraction of the price of taxis around Havana. Flying internally in Cuba takes too long, and is not for the faint hearted. Depending on your trip, we travel by coach to Cienfuegos, so we get to see the countryside and as it only takes 3 and a half hours door to door, we don’t lose a day travelling. We also travel by coach to our beach location, just 20 minutes outside of Havana.
12. Your second location? Does your second week include a stay in a tourist hotel, miles away from the Salsa clubs? Will you lose your contact with Cuban dancers and teachers? Do you want to enjoy the beach and Salsa?
With Key2Cuba, you can have everything! We will normally stay at a fabulous all inclusive hotel at the beach, just 20 minutes from Havana, so beach lovers can enjoy the beach in the day, have outrageous beach parties with a live band and all the Cuban dancers, and still go salsaring in Havana at night. There is also a Salsa club in the local village which is wild. This hotel is situated on the most beautiful part of Santa Maria, with white sand, Palm trees, turquoise sea and fantastic Italian cuisine. All drinks and food included! And you can escape to some decent night life!
13. Making Friends?
With Key2Cuba we ensure that you feel like part of the family, whether you come on your own, with a friend or a partner. Everyone is included and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. We have clients who come from all over the world including India, Jamaica, and all over Europe. We have already had two marriages from clients who met on the plane going out. Our age limit is 21 and above and the dinner conversations can be enlightening. Experiencing the whole Cuban adventure with like-minded world travellers is really stimulating.
