Deborah

Parent, Boise, ID

May, 2023

Elizabeth

UNF professor & mom. Florida

March, 2023

Tony

Medical doctor & dad, Florida

Kenia

Cuban Guide

Our recent journey with a school group to Belize was an extraordinary and deeply meaningful experience. The opportunity for our school children to gather and provide essential school materials to Hope Haven brought immense joy to both the giving and receiving children, leaving an indelible mark on our hearts. Witnessing their faces light up with happiness added profound purpose to our trip. Having this shared experience as a group, developed comradery and closer connections. Many thanks to Create Connections for making this possible.

Create Connections provided us with detailed step by step instructions helping us to prepare for the trip and everything was flawless! She set us up with friends from the local community which made us all feel like we were a part of everything! Our children brought school supplies and were able to deliver them directly to the local school children. They even had an opportunity to lead an English lesson in the school! I highly recommend Dr. Hale and her company Create Connections Consulting!

We had an incredible family vacation in Trinidad, Cuba. We did horseback riding and hiking excursions to waterfalls; biked to the beach; and snorkeled the coral reef. The best part of our trip was befriending the Cuban people - so warm, engaging, happy and fun. We practiced Spanish with them, while exploring the beautiful untouched nature of their country.

Thanks to Create Connections, I was able to offer my services as a local guide in Trinidad, Cuba. This allowed me to expand my business, as an entrepreneur. I was able to meet a very nice and loving family from the United States. We shared ideas, knowledge and experiences about our countries. I loved showing them different places in Trinidad, including touring through the alleyways to learn some history, and riding bikes to nearby beaches. Our main excursion was spending a day as a Cuban "guajiro", where we took a horseback ride, milked cows and learned to make artisan cheese with the milk obtained. We also enjoyed swimming in a natural pool and a tasty Creole lunch. I loved the experience of being able to show the beauty of my city to new friends and helping them get to know a little more about Cuba. I think that Travel with Purpose is the best option to travel to Cuba, enjoy and share the history and traditions with local people.

Lexi

Senior High School student, PV High, FL

March, 2023

I really enjoyed meeting the amazing people in Cuba! They were so kind and welcoming! I loved practicing speaking Spanish with everyone! The beaches were beautiful and the mountains were breath taking! I loved riding the horses up the mountain to that delicious farm restaurant where we all learned how to milk a cow! They even taught us how to make cheese from the milk! I can’t wait to return to Cuba for our next visit!

Ellie

Graduate Tufts University

2015, 2016

Participating in a service-learning program in Belize when I was in high school was truly one of the best experiences of my life! It led me to study International Relations at Tufts University and intern with the U.N. My passion for this work truly began in Belize. I wholeheartedly recommend this trip!