Reviews of Corazón Cuba, Havana, Cuba

Very well organised. Friendly staff and teachers.

Accomodation was not great. Could be better.

I really like Havana, especially Habana Vieja. I never felt unsafe. Easy to walk around. Very friendly locals.

Loved everything about it.

The welcome, the kindness of people. The food, my teacher. Activities, visits, and dances were great.

It was difficult to communicate as I was in another building, away from the others. The first accommodation they proposed to me was on the 5th floor, inappropriate for seniors. Léo was very kind and offered me different possibilities, so I lived in another building more suitable for me but I was alone. I would have liked to live with other students. Some pieces of information are missing from the website. I didn't know before arriving there that the accommodation and meals were for 7 days, I thought I needed to organize my stay by myself for the other days. Finally, I would have liked to speak Spanish in the course and no English for a total immersion.

Great city, very interesting. I would like to explore Vedado, the more recent campus. Too bad we couldn't swim somewhere close.

My teacher was wonderful!

This was a wonderful language program and a great way to visit Cuba. I would highly recommend it!!

I liked the teacher who was funny and engaging, had great knowledge and was relaxed.

The food was bad in Cuba and in the school.

The team was young and dynamic. There was always someone there, in case if problems, or just to talk. My Spanish teacher had just the right mix of fun and seriousness to motivate the entire group to peak performance. I grew so fond of the people that the farewell was really hard.

very well organised. lovely people. very helpful.

bring long trousers for horse riding to avoid mosquito bites.

amazing. u wont regret it. salsa dancing was amazing too.

The atmosphere, the availability of teachers and coordinators.

Warm and friendly atmosphere, team always attentive and available! A fabulous experience!

The location of the school in the very center of Old Havana and a very patient teacher because I do not speak English and very little Spanish.

Lack of equipment, and very noisy classroom space near the kitchen.

well organized

One needs English skills to attend the Spanish lessons.

Staff are friendly. The activities, accommodation, and transfer service are well organized.

The skill of my language teacher, Pablito.

Do not rely on the water provided by Jakera. Take along a bottle with a built-in filter.

1. Classroom size was not proportionate to the number of students: My class contained 14 students which were too many to sit comfortably around the available tables and use the table surface. It was conducted in a room that was too small for that number and was next to a room in which another class was being conducted. All doors and windows were open which means that the sounds from the two classes continually invaded each other's space. Additionally, other students and staff regularly used the classroom as a corridor which was very distracting. 2. Water caused sickness and ultimately hospital treatment: While at Jakera, a number of other students and I became sick, apparently from drinking water from the cooler provided by the school. I remained sick for 5 days and ultimately spent time in hospital. Nobody from the school followed up to see if I needed help. I am a mature person used to self reliance and my husband later joined me in Havana. However, most of the other students are very much younger and would likely need help to navigate foreign systems. 3. Cover-up for an error?: Jakera employees/owners said that the government had announced that the water was less drinkable than usual during the time that students - I believe 5 of us - became sick. No other Cuban I spoke to, including staff at Central Hospital, was aware of such an announcement. I am inclined to believe therefore that this was a cover story and that possibly a staff member forgot to put in the requisite amount of 'disinfectant' that is usually added to the water in the cooler. 4. Excellent teacher: Despite the noisy and overcrowded conditions, my teacher, Pablito, did a very good job indeed during the time I was well enough to attend classes (3 days out of the 5 days booked).

This program was safe, adventurous and educational. I enjoyed the multicultural student body!

Better directions to the school facility would be helpful.

The is of good value!

Price. Student diversity. Fun staff. Great location.

Would've loved more time for staff to share with us re: what their lives were and are like in Cuba, culture etc....

Friendly attitude of the teaching staff. Opportunity to interact with people from so many different countries

Wear comfortable shoes on all walks especially the original orientation walk which is quite long. Get to know the other students right away-they will help you so much.

Have each student bring 1-2 Dry erase markers-they get a lot of use and dry up quickly. Distribute a decent map and include local restaurants and addresses on it. A list of close sites that are within walking distance would be great. A basic word/phrase list for all students would also be helpful. Overall a wonderful and unforgettable experience

The games in class were too basic and did not provide much, if any, educational value.

You need to control the noise at night better.

The hostel was very nice, I really liked having breakfast & lunch together with all the students. Leandro & Lionel (and the other staff) are very friendly & helpful.

The partner school in Trinidad was very nice and, concerning the quality of teaching & classroom, better organized than in Havana.

Good location. Great teachers!

Location, food provided - especially the yummy breakfast, the guys took us out to a dance club and also to the Labour Day parade. Friendly staff.

Make the most of the cultural tours and extra excursions, it's not very easy to get to the beach etc by yourself, so let the school do the organising for you. They'll also organise your wider travel for you but it will not be the cheapest way to do it as bargains on accommodation are to be found when you arrive at your destination.

A good way to experience Havana with a ready made group of friends. There are cheaper hostels but you get what you pay for. If you're not sure about dance classes or want a mix of dance and cultural tours in the afternoons just book your language classes & accommodation as you can add on dance & tours later.

Extremely friendly teachers and staff; well-organized (everyone is very prompt).

You can stay in the school dorm or ask to be placed in a private room in the neighborhood. The food (breakfast and lunch provided) was quite good.

Website needs updating as information about schedule and required clothing for salsa dancing was not accurate.

The dance lesson

the meals are very simple and ordinary, there are basic products, but the chef is really bad, sorry!

Regarding teaching: they are very poorly organized, sometimes the teacher came to class without any study plan or copies. I worked hard in my room with the french programm of Rosetta Ston . PS: J'ai appris le français en 26 mois dans une école de langue à Montréal - 12h par semaine!