Volunteer Vacations Blog

Cuba

Different New Year’s Traditions Around the World

26 December 2023
Globe Aware
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Categories: Globe Aware news

Fireworks and champagne might be common worldwide, but have our Globe Aware volunteers heard of these other New Year’s traditions?

14 Different New Year’s Traditions Around the World

By Chris Ciolli, Jessie Beck
December 15, 2023
AFAR

Although much of the world festively rings in the new year each December 31, we don’t all celebrate the same way. In the United States, we all know the traditions: the ball drop at Times Square, sharing a kiss with a loved one at the stroke of midnight, and countless amounts of fireworks. But elsewhere around the globe, traditions can include everything from giving your house a thorough cleaning to cracking open a fresh pomegranate.

From Spain to Japan, read on to learn about 14 different New Year’s Eve celebrations around the globe.

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Traveling to Cuba for U.S. Travelers is Easier Than You Think

18 December 2023
Globe Aware
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Categories: Globe Aware news

Cuba’s “off-limits” feel has long made it a perpetually popular destination for intrepid travelers. Globe Aware offers one-week volunteer vacations that allow our volunteers to explore and enjoy Cuba without the stress of planning once they land.

I Travel to Cuba All The Time — For U.S. Travelers, It’s Much Easier Than You Think

December 14, 2023
By Associated Press
By Carley Rojas Avila

The desire to travel to Cuba is a classic case of wanting what you think you can’t have. Cuba’s “off-limits” feel has long made it a perpetually popular destination for intrepid travelers.

Cuba has been named TripAdvisor’s number-one trending destination worldwide and is one of the top 10 most desirable tropical destinations for American travelers.

As an American citizen married to a Cuban, I’ve traveled to Cuba numerous times and know that travel to Cuba is far from off-limits. In fact, it’s easier to travel from the United States to Cuba than it has been in decades. U.S. travelers don’t even need family on the island or rigid group travel plans to do it. Your long-awaited vacation to Cuba might be closer than you think.

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20 Popular Filipino Foods You Have To Try At Least Once

27 November 2023
Globe Aware
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Categories: Globe Aware news

Long overlooked, Filipino food is finally recognized for its diversity and ingenuity. Here are some essential Filipino foods you must try at least once on your Globe Aware volunteer vacation in the Philippines!

BY ANDREW COLETTI AND CRAWFORD SMITH
OCT. 17, 2023
TastingTable

The first food in the Philippines was shaped by the environment. Early human inhabitants of these mountainous islands had a diet rich in tropical produce and seafood, adopting rice as a staple once it was introduced around 3400 B.C.E. Subsequent centuries of interaction with foreign cultures, including long periods of colonization by Spain and the U.S., introduced new dishes and ingredients. Further innovations were born out of scarcity and hardship, as resourceful chefs found ways to make use of limited resources. These many factors have created a modern cuisine like no other in the world: One in which unlikely flavor combinations and diverse international influences come together in delicious harmony.

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Best rice dishes: 20 delicious specialties from around the world

23 October 2023
Globe Aware
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Categories: Globe Aware news

Globe Aware volunteers have the chance to try many of these delicious dishes on an international volunteer vacation! Which ones have you tried or want to dig into!?

Best rice dishes: 20 delicious specialties from around the world

Terry Ward
CNN
May 4, 2023

With thousands of varieties of rice in the world – jasmine, basmati, arborio and Carolina Gold, to name just a few – is it any surprise the grain defines iconic meals everywhere from Singapore to South Carolina?

Plus, half the world’s population relies on rice as a staple, so there have been plenty of culinary innovators over its long history.

And while famous rice dishes such as sushi, fried rice and paella are among the most prominent in the global spotlight, there are so many more rice recipes out there to put on your radar – and seek out on your travels.

Here are 20 dishes from international crowd-pleasers to some that you may not have tasted – yet:

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Flights from US to Cuba

8 August 2023
Globe Aware
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Categories: Globe Aware news

At the beginning of each month, Cuban airport officials confirm the flight schedules of all companies flying. Globe Aware volunteers looking to still visit Cuba before summer ends can check out these flight options!

Flights from US to Cuba? Here you have all the options for August

August 6, 2023
Nation World News Desk

At the beginning of each month, Cuban airport officials confirm the flight schedules of all companies flying, as of this month of August 2023. As for the connections from the United States, specifically from Miami to Cuba, for defendants, we leave here the flight schedules.

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Incredible Hidden Travel Gems To Not Miss In Cuba In 2023

15 May 2023
Globe Aware
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Categories: Globe Aware news

The island of Cuba is full of surprises and bucket-list-worthy secret places, ranging from picturesque colonial towns to breathtaking natural attractions. Here’s a list of the best-hidden gems, many of which are included on our Globe Aware volunteers’ itinerary!

Incredible Hidden Travel Gems To Not Miss In Cuba In 2023

BY QUINTER AUMA
May 13, 2023
The Travel

There are many things to do in Cuba, but many spots can see crowds. Instead, explore these secret places in Cuba during your next visit.

Cuba is one of the most unique destinations in the Caribbean and will charm every traveler with its incredible blend of African, Spanish, and Caribbean cultures. Cuba was a popular vacation destination for Americans in the 1930s, and visiting the island takes tourists back in the day. The gorgeous colonial buildings, vintage cars, and antique shops and bars adorn the towns. The island is full of surprises and bucket-list-worthy secret places, ranging from picturesque colonial towns to breathtaking natural attractions. Want to experience the magic that comes with exploring the Caribbean Islands? Here are the best hidden gems in Cuba to add to the itinerary.

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Things you REALLY need to know getting to Cuba

9 March 2023
Globe Aware
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Categories: Globe Aware news, Orientation

Lots of people are finding all the forms and paperwork required to enter Cuba extremely challenging to understand and get through. This is a mini audio blog intended to walk through the essentials. Which pieces of paperwork will be checked and when? Why you need to go straight to the boarding gate if on layover en route to Cuba? How the dining and restaurant scene has been changing. What about which currency you should be bringing now? Donations? Gifts of friendship? How to manage. What little amenities are at the Havana airport, why you need to be prepared to have everything you need there. What about your phone and data plan? Why wifi is so much more difficult. We hope this helps you prepare for your Cuban people to people program, doing the work of our private foundation supporting the Cuban people.

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Preparing for Globe Aware’s People to People program in Cuba

9 March 2023
Globe Aware
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Categories: Globe Aware news, Orientation

Lots of people are finding all the forms and paperwork required to enter Cuba extremely challenging to understand and get through.

This is a mini audio blog intended to walk through the essentials. Which pieces of paperwork will be checked and when? Why you need to go straight to the boarding gate if on layover enroute to Cuba? How the dining and restaurant scene has been changing. What about which currency you should be bringing now? Donations? Gifts of friendship? How to manage.

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Dallas-Based GlobeAware Organizes ‘Voluntourism’ Trips of a Lifetime

7 March 2023
Globe Aware
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Categories: Globe Aware news

March 5, 2023
By Joy Donovan
Candy’sDirt

Landmines — the explosive leftovers from the Vietnam War and other conflicts — are about the size of a toy and sometimes colorful, making them attractive to children. Two decades of war made these weapons of destruction plentiful in the forested landscape of Southeast Asia. Consequently, many children in Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam are living as amputees.

The memory of one of those injured children receiving a wheelchair is seared into Kimberly Haley-Coleman’s mind.

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Preparing for your Cuban Adventure in Service helping Cubans via a private foundation on humanitarian projects

25 January 2023
Globe Aware
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Categories: Globe Aware news, Orientation

How will the embargo impact my experience in Cuba? What do I do about currency and money, do they still have two currencies? Is the food any good? What are the people like? What will I be doing? What paperwork do I need to bring? How do I get my Cuba visa tourist card? Can I travel to Cuba as an independent traveler? What happens if I speak badly about the government while I am there? What about donations? Cuban cigars?

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