Join the 35th annual Southern Cross Brigade to Cuba from 28 December 2017 to 17 January 2018! This three week trip gives Australians and New Zealanders the chance to understand Cuba’s unique, yet often misunderstood, political history and to participate in Cuba’s rich cultural heritage. As the Cuban Revolution celebrates its 58th Anniversary this coming January, there is no better time to join the brigade and to find out what life is like in socialist Cuba! This year, attendance on the brigade (which happens outside of hurricane season!) is a particularly special way to support Cuba after the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma.
The Southern Cross Brigade offers the opportunity to experience the cultural, political and social conditions in socialist Cuba firsthand through visits to hospitals, schools, urban agriculture projects, historical sites and more! Brigadistas (brigade participants) will also meet with a range of Cubans who work for national organisations, such as the unions and the Women’s Federation, as well as people working in government, including economists and foreign affairs experts. Participants will also experience agricultural life, spending five mornings alongside Cuban farmers doing agricultural activities such as fruit picking, pruning or planting.
The majority of the three week trip will be spent in a camp about an hour’s drive outside of Havana. This year’s program will also give participants an opportunity to spend time in Havana and to travel from Havana, on the west side of the island, to the city of Santa Clara in the middle of the island and also to Granma Province in eastern Cuba. The brigade program includes a visit to Bayamo, Manzanillo, Niquiero and the Commandancia de la Plata in the Sierra Maestra Mountains.
The brigade costs approximately $AU1350 in total, per person. This cost is paid in two parts.
- There is a non-refundable* registration fee of $AU250 to be paid by 31 October to secure your place on the brigade.
- On arrival at the camp in Cuba you will need to pay a further 860 CUC (Cuban Convertible Pesos) in cash, which equates to approximately $AU1100. This cost covers all accommodation, food, travel and activities for the duration of the brigade.
International flights, visas and health insurance are not included and must be arranged separately.
*Subject to usual consumer rights laws.
