I traveled to Cuba with Altruvistas. This is not your typical tour company. Tell me how many tours take you to Pablo Mendez’s house where you can listen to the band jam in the living room and drink Cuba libres from the makeshift bar in the kitchen? Chat with Roberto Salas, famous personal photographer for Fidel and Che in his home? I look forward to more “tours” with Altruvistas! 

I went to Cuba April 2014 with Ethical Traveler. I am not much of a “tour person”. However, when I was walking the Mallecon chatting, sipping rum, singing and dancing with the locals, watching a private ballet performance, enjoying musicians jam in their casa, eating roasted pork fresh from the Bar B Que with the vacqueros (cowboys) on the ranch and meeting a Horse Whisperer in Trinidad whose wife brought their horse, Luna de Miel, into their living room I thought to myself this is not your “usual tour”. No tour buses outside these adventures! Gracias ET for sharing Cuba with me. Saludos de Mexico

I would like to express my greatest gratitude for the amazing experience my students and I had during our ecotourism trip to Costa Rica in spring 2013. The trip Altruvistas designed for my students increased their understanding and awareness of sociocultural, economic, and environmental tourism impacts faced by small communities on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica and exposed them to unique community-based development models introduced by local communities to alleviate these impacts.The guest lectures by local scientists, biologists, and historians on different issues local communities face, interaction with indigenous Bribri community, and community service learning component specifically contributed to students’ personal transformation and enhanced their understanding of global citizenship. Thank you again for the lifelong memories. I am looking forward to our future collaboration.

I’m writing to enthusiastically recommend Malia Everette  and Altruvistas as a fantastic organization to work with for an upcoming educational experience in Cuba.  As a university administrator who runs over 13 international programs a year, I know how important it is to work with a trusted organization that has a strong vision, a focus on learning outcomes, and attention to safety, risk and liability.  I can attest through my many years of working with Malia when she was the director of Reality Tours at Global Exchange that she will organize a top-notch educational experience for your students.  I traveled with Global Exchange on several journeys to Venezuela and the level of organization was great, the meetings and activities planned were always great, and the community leaders that we met were always inspirational. 

The trips that Altruvistas plans for my groups of women are filled with thoughtful events, meaningful interaction, and stellar guides. When the most stressful part of you trip is packing— you know you’re in good hands! Every trip has had amazing moments in it that were pure magic because of the local connections they have and their commitment to creating special trips where engaging with people matters.  Thank you Malia and team!

I had such an amazing adventure in Cuba!  It was the perfect combination of wonderful experiences, decompression from my day-to-day life, and educational/eye opening experience about what Cuba has to offer and what they have and continue to endure. It will be interesting to see what the next few chapters have in store for this country as tourism in all of its forms continue to grow throughout the island. I already have a list of people that I will be talking to (including my parents) about the trip as a “must do” for them!!!