The Wendy Perrin team scores again. Needing expert advice on travel to Cuba, I reached out and they connected me with Rob Fielding and Ana Maria Fielding, who planned a wonderful trip! I am researching a book that involves Santiago de Cuba, the island’s second-largest city, and a less-visited destination than Havana. Ana understood instinctively what I needed, first steering me to an on-the-ground researcher, Alicia Howland, who did much advance work that narrowed my itinerary, and then putting me in the kind and extremely capable hands of Tania Vivar, a peerless guide during my four-day stay. I could not have asked for a better experience, from the first pickup at the Santiago airport to my last poignant goodbye.

Rob and Ana’s team booked me into a lovely private casa in a leafy suburban neighborhood, near the sites I most wanted to see, where the on-site garden provided daily fresh produce in a place where basic foodstuffs are in short supply. My spacious, air-conditioned room with ensuite bath was the perfect refuge at day’s end. Alicia and Tania’s knowledge of the city, and of Cuban history, made my stay so much richer, and Tania’s perfect English made communication a breeze. Economic conditions in Cuba are grim indeed — especially in the eastern part of the island — but the resilience and fortitude of the Cuban people is inspiring, and so is the country’s rich cultural and social history. I simply could not have asked for more caring or capable shepherds to a destination that can be challenging, especially for a non-Spanish-speaking American. I am everlastingly grateful and cannot recommend Rob and Ana highly enough!

Rob and Ana planned a spectacular Thanksgiving week adventure to Cuba for my husband, our three young children (8, 5, and 2), and me. They thoughtfully integrated our interests while taking meticulous care to ensure we fulfilled the terms of our “support for the Cuban people” visa. Every paladar at which we ate was delicious and unique. They were accommodating in numerous ways, from being flexible with dining arrangements, to working quickly to move the entire trip last-minute due to a death in the family. Our guide, Raquel, was kind, knowledgeable, and quickly became part of our family. Rob and Ana’s connections in Cuba also provided priceless experiences, such as dinner at their friend’s house, which was my personal favorite. We truly got a genuine sense of the culture and of life in Cuba. We can’t wait to return, and we will absolutely ask Rob and Ana to plan our next adventure!

We recently returned from our trip to Cuba, planned by Ana and Rob. It is difficult to lavish too much praise on this team! First, Rob called me within a day or so of my inquiry and spent at least 45 minutes on the phone with me, digging hard during our conversation to really understand our interests and how we should spend our time in their jam-packed itinerary. It was clear from the trip, that Rob and Ana heard every word and truly tailored our immersive Cuban visit to ensure that our time was focused on these personal interests. In fact, they included some visits to locations that I would not have thought to be interesting to me, but because of the exceptional experts they managed to have as our guides, we did indeed find them of great interest.

Our main guide throughout the trip was Raquel, and she was a wonderful and caring person, with an extraordinary knowledge of her country’s history, challenges and successes. She gave us an unflinching view of the challenges which the Cuban people have endured since the revolution, along with a taste of the tenacity and ability of her people to enjoy life whenever they can.

This tour was unlike any I have ever taken before (and there have been many). Instead, it felt like driving from place to place to visit with unique and gracious hosts that were anxious to share their specialties and skills with us. It was more like visiting a series of friends, than being on a tour of a foreign country. This was true from the dinner we had at the home of a former journalist, to the tour of the Cuban Art Musuem with the head of their educational unit. There are too many to spell out, but each was truly a unique experience which added to the puzzle which makes up Cuba. I wouldn’t hesitate to use Rob and Ana’s services again, or highly recommend them to a friend.