As part of a larger branding endeavor at Gretel for National Geographic Expeditions, I had the great fortune of being sent to Cuba and The Galapagos Islands, back top back, to experience the country from the perspective of an adventure tourism consumer. My job was to blog about my experience via Instagram, take lots of photos, and get to know the target audience of a Nat Geo Expedition, so as to better inform our branding efforts at Gretel.

Cuba felt less like work and more like the cultural pilgrimage I had been unconsciously preparing for since I first began absorbing Latin rhythms via osmosis in the streets and nightclubs of New York City three decades ago. I went out every night to soak up as much music and rum as was humanly possible. These are some of my favorite photos. Detailed written descriptions and a lot more photos can be found on my blog post about this leg of the trip HERE.

The Galapagos is utterly incredible and near indescribable. It’s absolutely nothing like I expected. Much of it is volcanic and almost dessert-like, despite being right on the equator. Here are a few select pics. Detailed written descriptions can be found on my IG

Check out Gretel’s truly beautiful National Geographic rebrand.