- Joined
- Mar 9, 2010
- Messages
- 212
It's time again, folks! Time for a BOTL Cigar Safari. If you're unfamiliar with Cigar Safari, it's a 4 day, 3 night trip to Nicaragua where you'll visit our factory, along with a handful of other factories (Joya de Nicaragua, My Father, Padron), relax, smoke cigars, and hang out with your fellow BOTL members. This years trip is March 11-14, which is only a few weeks away. The trip is $650 per person plus airfare, and that's all inclusive. We will pick you up from the airport, chauffeur the group around Nicaragua, provide all food, drinks, and cigars, and cover all lodging. You won't have to spend a dime in Nicaragua unless you're interested in souvenirs.
Jonathan Drew, Eric [BOTL], and myself (John Brooke) will all be on the trip. After attending the first BOTL Cigar Safari trip, I can't wait to be in Nica again with you guys. Also, we are giving away two spots on the trip to two very deserving BOTL members. First, one spot will go to CraigMac, who definitely deserves a bit of relief during these trying times. The second spot will go to a member of the military, to be decided by Eric.
This year's trip has a limited number of spots, 6 currently available. If you are interested in registering, click here to book your spot. The password for the trip is cigars. These spots will go very quickly and, once they are filled, we will not open up more spots. Your spot will be paid through EventBrite, an online ticketing system that uses Pay Pal as a payment processor. It's a very secure system that we've been using for a few years now without problems. After you've registered, we prefer that you book your airfare through our travel agent, Jeff Lewis. He helps keep everything organized and makes sure everyone arrives and departs at the same time.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in this thread or email me at jbrooke (at) drewestate [dot] com. Also, feel free to speak with any of the members who attended last year (Skipper, Scott, Jerome, to name a few). I'm sure they can give you an idea of what the trip is like.
EDIT: A few questions have been asked by some of you, I figured I'd add them here to help give you guys some more info.
Q: Is there a CRA Discount?
A: Yes, the discount is $100 off. Please let me know if you are a CRA member and I will refund you $100 off your ticket when you pay.
Q: Do we need a visa/passport?
A: You will receive a travel visa upon landing in Nicaragua, they cost $10 [cash only] and they will provide you with all necessary paperwork. You have to have a valid passport, and it cannot expire within 6 months of the trip. This is very important, as you will not be able to enter the country if your passport expires within 6 months of the trip date. There is still time to renew if you start now.
Q: Which flights do we need to be on arriving in and departing from Managua?
A: We prefer that you book through our travel agent, as he keeps everything well organized, but if you would like quotes or would like to book your own tickets, the flight numbers are AA 947 on the way down and AA 952 on the way back.
Q: Do we need to bring any cigars?
A: Not unless you would like to bring some HTFs/ISOMs to trade around. Also, you will be coming home with at least 12 cigars (your own blend), and will most likely be coming home with something in the neighborhood of 20-30 cigars. Plan accordingly. Most guys bring an empty Cigar Caddy or at least some empty bags.
Q: What are these boots I keep hearing about?
Well, there is a stellar boot maker in Esteli who has been making boots for people for the past few months. The boots are handmade, custom fit, and generally run around $100. Bring cash if you're interested.
Q: What about t-shirts/jackets/etc?
If you bring your own blank shirts, jackets, guayaberas, etc., Jessi can get them screenprinted with some custom DE logos.
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