Introduction to Brazil

Brazil is the largest country in South America with a huge offer for the adventurous traveller: Rainforest and wildlife, culture and gastronomy, beach and sport, mountains and rivers.

Rio de Janeiro, to many, is the gateway to Brazil. It is a vibrant city, located in a spectacular geographical setting. This is the ultimate place to finish off a holiday, chilling on its world famous beaches, taking in the sights, sounds and sunshine.

Choose to extend your stay in the area combining Rio with Paraty, a quaint, well preserved colonial coastal village; or Buzios a charming, buzzing and fun coastal town; or Ilha Grande, an island with no roads where you can really enjoy the wonders of nature.

Further afield, the state of Bahia in the north east of the country is another strong draw. The colonial  capital, Salvador, with its colourful architecture, history and fiery culture is a great place to explore. Inland, Chapada Diamantina is ideal for trekkers, who head to with its plains, table-topped mountains, rivers, waterfalls and natural pools. Remote, with palm lined beaches lapped by turquoise waters, Praia do Forte is an idyllic place in which to to put up your feet and relax. 

The mighty Iguazu Falls on the shared border with Argentina are another massive draw.

The Pantanal – wetlands in the West of the country are an animal lover’s paradise. The World’s largest wetlands is teeming with wildlife including giant anacondas, capybaras, caimans and jaguars. 

The mighty Amazon River is another attraction and can be explored by boat or from a comfortable eco friendly lodge. 

Not only does Brazil offer stunning sights but it also has a cultural vibrancy unmatched anywhere else. Music and dance are part of the Brazilian DNA. A varied gastronomy and a warm welcome will make any visitor immediately at ease.

Brazil shares a border with every country in South America except for Ecuador and Chile – ten in total and has great transportation links so can easily be combined with one or more other countries.

Geography of Brazil

Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world. It is framed by two of the world’s largest river systems: the Amazon in the North, and the Paraná river in the South.

The Amazon basin covers some 60% of Brazil’s surface, and holds 20% of the world’s fresh water supply, being the largest hydrographical network in the world with 55.000Km2 of rivers.

It has the world’s largest rain forest but also includes savannah and wetlands.

Like the Amazon, the Paraná flows through several neighbouring countries. It drains the world’s largest swampland, the Pantanal in West-Central Brazil.

The Brazilian Highlands form the rest of the country, except for a coastal strip some 9,000km long.

Brazil contains a number of climatic zones from the Amazon region where the temperature averages 27ºC, to the dry Northeast where temperatures can exceed 40ºC, to the south near Uruguay where average temperatures are 17-19ºC. 

Brazil’s twenty-six states and the Federal District (Distrito Federal) are divided conventionally by eco-systems into five regions.

 

• North: the tropical rainforest with Pico da Neblina 2,994m (9.823ft) the country highest point (major cities: Manaus, Belém, Santarém,)

• Northeast: Atlantic Forest Zone called Mata Atlántica. (Major cities: Salvador, Recife, Fortaleza)

• Southeast: it has less than 10% of the original forest cover remained as a result of clearing for farming, ranching, and charcoal making. It has mountains, valleys and caverns. (Major cities: Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro)

• South: Rainforests along the coast (Mata Atlântica), tropical in the north and west (Araucárias) and prairie-like vegetation in the south (Pampas). Little native vegetation still remains due to deforestation. (Major cities: Curitiba and Porto Alegre)

• Centre-West: Pantanal wetlands in the west with one of the biggest swamplands in the world, and equatorial rainforests in the north. (Major cities: Brasilia, Goiânia, Campo Grande, and Cuiabá)

Weather in Brazil

Most of Brazil lies in the tropics hence a tropical climate.

However, the southern upland plains enjoy a temperate climate – it can be better to go during the hot season (Dec-March).

The rainy season in the south and south east runs from Nov-March

In the northeast of the country, the rainy season runs April-July.

Wherever you are, most showers usually last no more than one hour or two, with subsequent sun reappearing.

Visas for Brazil

Currently, no visa is required by British citizens visiting Brazil, but your passport must be valid for at least six months after the date of travel.

Citizens of the United States, Canada and Australia require a visa to enter Brazil; other passport holders should check visa requirements with the Brazilian Embassy.

When travelling to Brazil via the USA you will need a USA visa waiver which can be requested and completed in 15 minutes at.

All requirements are subject to change and should be confirmed before departure.Other passport holders should check visa requirements with the Brazilian Embassy.

Vaccinations for Brazil

We strongly suggest that everyone planning to travel to Brazil visits their local doctor/travel clinic prior to departure for the latest vaccination information.

 

Recommended vaccinations

  • Up-to-date diphtheria and polio.
  • Tetanus or tetanus booster. (These three are effective for ten years.)
  • ‘Havrix’ for Hepatitis A. The course of two injections protects you for ten years. Gamma globulin is cheaper butless effective.
  • Typhoid vaccine is recommended by some doctors although it will not provide total protection and being careful about what you eat and drink is your best defence. It is given in two shots, four weeks apart and lasts for three years. Unless at exceptional risk, people over the age of 35 who have received four or more courses of typhoid immunisation need no more.
  • A pre-exposure rabies vaccination is worth considering if you are going to be in contact with animals or morethan 24 hours away from a reliable source of vaccine. Hikers are at some risk from rural dogs, certain of which carry rabies, and those visiting coastal or rainforest areas could be exposed to rabid bats.
  • Yellow fever. Not effective until ten days after inoculation; not recommended for pregnant women. This is also effective for ten years. Recommended for almost the whole country – Rio excluded.
  • Anti-malarial protection is important. Malaria risk is high throughout the year in forested areas below 900m within the nine states of Amazonia. Transmission is highest in jungle, mining, and agricultural areas and in some peripheral urban areas of Cruzeiro do sol, Manaus and Porto Velho. Malaria also occurs in the periphery of large cities such as Boa Vista, Macapa, Maraba, Rio Branco and Santarem. Risk is high for those going on cruises up the Amazon and Manaus. Risk is low in all states outside Amazonia including the populated eastern coast from Fortazela south to Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo and Iguazu Falls. In the UK, contact the Malaria Reference Laborator. North Americans should contact the Centers for Disease Control.
  • Zika. Spread by mosquito bikes and also a risk of sexual transmission. People planning pregnancies / pregnant women are advised against all travel to areas reporting Zika. If you develop any feverish illness whilst travelling or on return medical attention must be sought quickly.
  • Dengue Fever. There is no vaccine and prevention is through avoidance of mosquito bites. The mosquito that spreads dengue bites during the day and is more common in urban areas. Symptoms include fever, headache, severe joint, bone and muscular pain – hence its other name ‘breakbone fever’.
  • Schistosomiasis. A parasitic infection, also known as bilharzia, that is transmitted to humans through contact with fresh water. The parasite enters humans through the skin. Prevention is dependant on avoidance of swimming, bathing or paddling in fresh water lakes and streams.

Quick facts about Brazil

 

Official name: Federative Republic of Brazil

Country population: 207.8m (2015)

Capital city: Brasilia

Largest cities: Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre

Languages: Brazilian Portuguese

Latitude/Longitude: 15.8º S, 47.9º W

Official currency: Brazilian Real (BRL)

Major industries: Agriculture (sugarcane, coffee, tropical fruits, soybeans, corn, cotton, cocoa, tobacco). It has the world’s largest cattle herd. Automobiles and parts, machinery and equipment, textiles, cement, computers, aircraft, steel and petrochemicals, and consumer durables; iron ore and steel
production, hydroelectric power.

Time zone: There are 3 time zones in Brazil.

Most visitors will be at BRT – Brasília (Standard) Time – GMT -3 (Oct-Feb), GMT -2 (Feb-Oct).

AMT – Amazon (Standard) Time GMT -4

FNT – Fernando de Noronha, Archipelago Time, GMT -2.

Brazil Festivals

40 days before Easter

Festival: Rio Carnaval

Brazil’s biggest festival – dance, music, street parties and fancy dress

Location: Rio de Janeiro

 

Festival: Sao Paulo Carnaval

Second biggest festival in Brazil – -dance, music, street parties and fancy dress.

Location: Sao Paulo

 

June 

Festival: Festa de São João

Brazilian country celebration with dance and musicBrazilian country celebration with dance and music

Location: North Eastern States 

 

End of June

Festival: Festa de Parintins

Local Carnival in the Amazon

Location: Manaus and Parintins, Amazonas

 

October

Festival: Festival Yawa

Celebrations of the Yawanawa peoples

Location: Acre

ATOL holiday protection

Andean Trails has 25 years of experience of putting together the best South America holidays.

We pay a fee to the CAA for every licensable passenger we book since we hold an Air Travel Organiser’s Licence granted by the Civil Aviation Authority. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking.

We also offer ATOL (Civil Aviation Authority) protected holidays to give our customers peace of mind when booking and travelling.

When you buy an ATOL protected air holiday package from Andean Trails Ltd you will receive a Confirmation Invoice from us confirming your arrangements and your protection under our Air Travel Organiser’s Licence number 6275.

You can read more about ATOL, who is covered and what protections you have if not ATOL-covered, on our ATOL page.

 

What is ATOL?

The CAA’s ATOL scheme offers protection to your money and your holiday if you book with us. Not everybody is covered (see ‘Who is covered?’ for more), as you must purchase an ‘air package holiday’ with Andean Trails to be protected.

And  ‘air package holiday’ is defined as including a flight and some ground services (hotel, transfer, trek etc). This is also known as an ‘ATOL-protected holiday’.

 

Who is covered?

To be covered by ATOL, you must book a flight and some ground services with us and be from the UK. If you are from the UK and only book ground services and no flights, you are not covered by ATOL (see below for more on how non-ATOL clients are covered).

If you are outside the UK and buy flights with us, you will be ATOL protected IF any of the flights booked with Andean Trails touches/stops in the UK at any point during your holiday package booked with us.

If you buy your flights elsewhere, please check with that agent if you are ATOL protected. Be careful with online flight purchases and make sure you know what protection you have, if any, before paying for flights.

Not all holiday or travel services offered and sold by us will be protected by the ATOL scheme. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking.

For land only holidays not involving any air travel, in accordance with “The Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992”, all UK passengers booking with Andean Trails Ltd. are fully protected for the initial deposit and subsequently the balance of all money paid to us, arising from cancellation or curtailment of travel arrangements due to the insolvency of Andean Trails.

 

I’m not ATOL covered, what protection do I have?

If you are not ATOL covered, any payments you make to us go to a Trust account.

We can only access this money once your tour has been completed, meaning that if anything happens to Andean Trails Limited while you are on holiday, then your money is secure and you can either complete the trip or be able to make it home.

If you pay for your holiday with a credit card, some offer payment protection – please check with your cardholder.

You also should have cancellation protection written into your insurance (which we recommend you have at the time of booking) in case you need to cancel.

Communication

Dialling codes

The international code for Brazil is +55.

Regions have dialling codes, as do the different phone network operators.

Not all smartphones will work in Brazil, it’s best to check with your operator before you arrive. Roaming charges may be high – again, best to check.

 

Landlines

Brazil’s landlines have 8 digits. To call landline-landline in the same city, simply dial the 8 digit code, e.g. 1234-5678.

If calling landline to another regional landline/city, start with a 0, then the code of your selected carrier, then city area code (21=Rio), e.g. 0 23 21 1234-5678.

If using your own mobile phone to call a landline, dial the country code, the regional/city code without the 0, and then the number, e.g. for Rio +55 21 1234-5678.

 

Mobiles

Mobiles have 8 digits or 9 digits. Each mobile network operator has a dialling code, too.

If you are dialling Brazilian mobile to mobile in the same city, just dial the 8 or 9 digits e.g. 1234-56789.

If you are dialling to a mobile in another region, dial a 0, then dial the network operator code, then the regional/city code, then the number e.g. 0 23 21 1234-56789.

If using your own mobile phone to call a Bolivian mobile, dial the country code, then the network operator code, then 8 or 9 digit number e.g. +55 23 1234-56789.

 

Internet

Most hotels, cafes, restaurants and airports offer free and generally good Wi-Fi.

Internet cafes are slowly disappearing, but most towns and cities will have some in the main centres.

 

Post

The state-owned Brazilian Mail and Telegraph Company, known as Correios, is responsible for Brazil’s post.

Be safe in Brazil

Crime levels are high. Violence and crime can occur anywhere and often involve firearms or other weapons. You should be vigilant, particularly before and during the festive and carnival periods.

Most visits to Rio de Janeiro are trouble free. The most common incidents are thefts or pick pocketing around Copacabana Beach, Ipanema Beach and the Lapa area.

Avoid wearing expensive jewellery, watches and clothes. Don’t carry large sums of money. Keep mobile phones and cameras out of sight and leave your passport and valuables in a safe place, though you should carry another form of photo ID like a driving licence with you at all times.

Thefts are particularly common on public beaches, especially in Rio de Janeiro. These include ‘arrastões’ where large groups of running thieves target an area of beach. Take extra care and avoid taking valuables to the beach.. Take extra care and avoid taking valuables to any public beach.

In any situation, be ready to hand over valuables if you’re threatened. Don’t attempt to resist attackers. They may be armed and under the influence of drugs.

Thefts from cars are common, and cases of carjacking occur.

Rape and other sexual offences against tourists are rare, but there have been attacks against both men and women. Some have involved ‘date rape’ drugs.

Buy your own drinks and keep them within sight at all times.

There has been an increase in robberies at ATMs. Some ATMs have been fitted with an anti theft device that applies pink coloured ink to the notes of an ATM that has been damaged or tampered with. Any pink coloured note will not be accepted and automatically loses its value. If you withdraw cash at an ATM and it has any sort of pink marks, speak to the bank straight away to get it changed. If outside bank hours or not in a bank branch you should get a bank statement from the ATM showing the withdrawal and take it with the marked note to a police station to get a police report.

Bank and credit card fraud is common, including card cloning from ATMs. Keep sight of your card at all times and do not use an ATM if you notice anything suspicious. Notify your bank in advance of your trip to avoid your card being blocked.

Mobile phone cloning occurs. Take care of your handset at all times.

 

Favelas

There are high levels of poverty and very high levels of violent crime in shanty-towns (favelas), which exist in all major Brazilian cities.

You’re still at risk even if you visit favelas with organised tours. Violence, particularly aimed at police and officials, can occur at anytime and overspill to areas close to the favelas. You should take extra care and be aware of local conditions at all times. 

Take extra care when using GPS navigation in Brazilian cities, particularly Rio de Janeiro, that the suggested route doesn’t take you into a favela. Check with your hotel or the local authorities if unsure.

Food and drink in Brazil

Starters

Pao de queijo              Cheesy bread rolls.

Acarajé                        Small, fried balls made with shrimp, onion, and black beans.

Coxinha de frango      Chicken croquette.

Rissoles                        Fried empanadas filled with chicken.

Bolinhas de queijo       Little balls made with flour, chicken broth, egg, butter, and cheese.

Bolinhas de mandioca  Croquettes made with yucca.

 

Mains

Feijoada                   Hearty stew of black beans, sausages and cuts of pork served with rice.

Moqueca                   A traditional fish stew from the North east of the country.

Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá            Salt cod with potatoes and olives.

Cuscuz Paulista           A mix of meats and vegetables, cornmeal and manioc.

Churrasco / Rodizio     A wide variety of meats served from a spit…usually as much as you can eat.

 

Desserts

Brigadeiros                  Sweet chocolate tasting balls.

Açaí na tigela               This is a thick cream from the açaí fruit.

Arroz Doce                   Rice pudding, spiced with cinnamon.

Romeu & Julieta           Goiabada (guava jelly/marmalade  with cheese.

Quindim                        Coconut baked custard.

 

Drinks

Cachaça                        The national spirit made from sugar cane.

Caipirinha                    Cachaça, lime and sugar.

Vitamina de abacate     Avocado smoothie.

Guaraná Antartica        Brazil’s most popular fizzy soft drink.

Agua de coco                 Coconut water – usually straight from the coconut.

Cafezinho                       Small strong, sweet black coffee.

Money matters

Currency & Money Exchange

Brazil’s monetary unit is the “Brasilian Real”, pronounced hay-al (singular) or hal-eyes (plural).

Nearly all of your transactions will be in Reals, and it’s best to arrive in Brazil with a few Reals bought in your home country, and then get some more at the airport from an exchange booth.

ATM debit/credit cards are now widely used in major restaurants, hotels and shops (with fees), and there are ATM (‘hole-in-the-wall’) machines widely available in towns and cities. Look for ATMs inside lobbies of banks (open 10am-4pm) rather than on the streets, especially in Rio.

When changing money, don’t change with street changers (cambistas). Use a bank or cambio (bureau de change). Count your Reals carefully before handing over your US dollars, and look out for forged notes.

A very few tourist places might accept US dollars if they are small denomination, unmarked and undamaged bills. Try to take 5s, 10s and 20s.

Exchange rate: USD 1 = 3.7 Brazilian Reals. (approx.), June 2018.

 

Eating and drinking

Brazil has a wide range of restaurants and bars.

Top-end restaurants opening in Rio and Sao Paolo can easily set you back USD 100pp on food and wine.

Prices vary greatly, below is a rough guide to what you can expect to pay in Brazil.

 

Local café/restaurant

Beer/soft drink: USD 2-3

Lunch: USD 5-13pp

Coffee: USD 1.5

 

Tourist style restaurant

Beer/soft drink: USD 3-4

Main dish: USD 15 upwards

Coffee: USD 2

Plugs and voltages

Electricity

Brazil’s electrical current is not standardised and can be anywhere between 110-220 volts (110v in some hotels), 50 Hz.

Even though most cameras, phones and computers are dual or multi voltage, it’s best to use a convertor and surge protector throughout Brazil.

If not, electrical items may short.

 

Plugs

Most of Brazil’s sockets will take plugs with both flat, Type A and the two pin, round-pronged Type C plug.

Sometimes, Type N plugs are found.

Type C plug

Type C plug

Type A plug

Type A plug

 

 

 

 

 

Useful Portuguese phrases

Learning a few words of Spanish can really ingratiate you with the locals you’ll encounter, adding to the enjoyment of your holiday.

Below are some basics to get you started.

 

Greetings:

Good morning                                         Bom dia

How are you?                                         Como está?

Good afternoon                                      Boa tarde

Good bye                                                 Adeus

 

Most frequently asked questions (theirs):

Where are you (from?                                De onde você é ?

What time is it?                                           Que horas são?

Where have you come from?                    De onde você veio?

Give me (frequent, unwelcome question)    Me dê

 

Most frequent questions (yours):

How much is it?                                      Quanto isso custa?

What is this place called?                       Como se chama esse lugar?

What’s your name?                                 Qual o seu nome?

Do you have a map?                          Você tem um mapa?

 

In the street / places:

Where can I find a currency exchange?                  Onde posso encontrar um câmbio?

Where is there a cash machine?                               Onde há um caixa eletrônico?

Where is the underground/subway station?          Onde fica a estação de metrô ?

Whre can I find a taxi?                                                Onde posso encontrar um taxi?

Where can I find a Supermarket?                             Onde posso encontrar um supermercado?

Where is the hospital?                                                 Onde fica o hospital?

Where can I find a restaurant?                                  Onde posso encontrar um restaurante?

 

In the hotel:

What floor am I on?                                  Em que andar estou?

Where are the elevators/lifts?                Onde estão os elevadores?

How do I access the Internet?                 Como faço para acessar a Internet?

How do I call for room service?              Como faço para chamar serviço de quarto?

How do I call down to the front desk?     Como faço para ligar para a recepção?

 

In the restaurant:

A table for two/four please                              Uma mesa para dois / quatro por favor

I would like to drink…                                      Eu gostaria de beber…

May I see a menu?                                             Posso ver um menu?

I would like to order…                                      Eu gostaria de pedir…

Can you bring me the check/bill please.       Você pode me trazer a conta, por favor.

 

Emergency:

I need help.                                                Eu preciso de ajuda.

I have lost my passport.                          Perdi meu passaporte.

Someone stole my money.                      Alguém roubou meu dinheiro.

I have been robbed.                                  Fui roubado.

I need to call the police.                           Preciso ligar para a polícia.

I need to call the Embassy of (country)     Preciso ligar para a embaixada da (country)

Help!                                                             Socorro!

Responsible Travel - our ethos

Andean Trails believes in Responsible Travel and actively supports several community projects.

Please see Our Advice and Our Ethos for more, and learn about the Projects We Support.

We operate the Inca Trail, our treks and tours with local firms.

We make sure that on our tours and Inca Trail we employ local staff, who are paid fair wages.

With the Inca Trail, We provide free life insurance to all of our porters. Tented accommodation and meals are provided for all trekking staff as well as foam mats, sleeping bags and rain ponchos. We have also provided the staff with trekking shoes. We ensure our porters carry a maximum of only 20kg. We offer them backpacks and they generally use back supports.

Clean burning fuel is used to cook the meals on the Inca Trail and porters carry gas stoves and butane bottles. We use biodegradable detergents when washing the cooking and eating utensils. If any part of our tour or trek is operated by another company, we try to ensure that high standards are maintained.

Our additional support helps the Huchuy Yachaq project which supports children and families in one of the poorest communities in the district of Cusco.

Responsible Travel - travel tips

Responsible Tourism – Code of Conduct:

  • Find out about your destination – take some time before you go to read about the cultural, social and political background of the place and people you are visiting.
  • Go equipped with basic words and phrases in the local language – this may open up opportunities for you to meet people who live there.
  • Buy locally-made goods and use locally-provided services wherever possible – your support is often vital to local people.
  • Pay a fair price for the goods or services you buy – if you haggle for the lowest price your bargain may be at someone else’s expense.
  • Be sensitive to the local culture – dress and act in a way that respects local beliefs and customs, particularly at religious sites.
  • Don’t undermine the local economic systems – we recommend you don’t give gifts, especially sweets as there are few dentists in the Andes. Much better to spend time chatting, playing and showing postcards of home. If you would like to donate clothes and shoes etc we are more than happy to do so through the relevant channels. Your tour leader can do this for you and some of the projects we support can be visited.
  • Ask permission before taking photographs of individuals or of people’s homes – and remember that you may be expected to pay for the privilege.
  • Avoid conspicuous displays of wealth – this can accentuate the gap between rich and poor and distance you from the cultures you came to experience.
  • Make no promises to local people that you can’t keep – be realistic about what you will do when you return home.
  • Minimise your environmental impact – keep to footpaths and marked routes, don’t remove any of the natural habitat and reduce the packaging you bring.
  • Don’t pollute local water courses- use biodegradable products, and wash basins.
  • Slow down and enjoy the differences – you’ll be back with the familiar soon enough.

Our environmental policy

All our activities are governed by our respect for the environment and the people who live in it. We aim to make a positive impact both in the UK and in the Andean countries we work in (Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina).

We agree with the principals of sustainable development and specifically promote environmentally aware tourism in the Andean countries, in order to preserve the heritage of the people who live there and to help protect their environment.

In the UK we use recycled paper where possible, recycle what we can and attempt to keep waste to an absolute minimum.

Throughout South America we work together with local people, paying them a fair price, and putting money into the local economy. We do this by using local agents, local trek staff and experienced and qualified local mountain and cultural guides who have an in-depth knowledge of their own country. Our porters on the Inca Trail are fairly paid, carry a maximum load of 20kg and are supplied with tents and food. In other areas we use donkeys or horses to carry loads.

We use locally owned services such as hotels and restaurants, wherever possible. We buy fresh local produce for all of our treks from markets in each departure town. We use public transport whenever possible and feasible.

We have ongoing contact with the teams that we work with and also with local families in the areas we trek through, developing relationships with them and donating goods such as clothes and shoes to their communities, through appropriate local agencies. We also support local Peruvian charities, specifically NIÑOS in Cusco, and CARE in the Huaraz area, plus Huchuy Yachaq.

If you have any suitable (warm) clothes and shoes that you would like to donate to Peruvian children please take them with you and give them to your tour leader, who will ensure they go to a suitable organization.

When out on tour we encourage learning about the countries we travel in, the local culture of the teams we work with and the areas we pass through. Our guides hold informal talks with groups to inform about and discuss with them all aspects of local life. This helps understanding of the area and appreciation of the people who live there.

Our group sizes are kept to a maximum of 16 people, and we encourage smaller groups where possible. This minimises the negative impact we make on the local people, the wildlife and the environment, and increases the quality time spent in contact with the local people and environment.

When trekking we adhere to a responsible tourism code of practice and are also involved in ongoing training of our trek staff.

Health and Safety

A full Health and Safety document will be sent to you at the time of booking and before you travel.

You can also read it on our website, or contact us for more information.

Travel Insurance

It is a condition of booking any of our holidays that you have comprehensive travel insurance to cover you for trip cancellation (by you), activities involved and destination. This cover should include repatriation costs, air ambulance and helicopter rescue.

We work with Travel Nomads, who offer insurance solutions to people in more than 140 countries across the world.

Should you decide not to purchase this insurance, you must provide us with details of your alternative insurance with or before your final payment.

And lastly...

Many of our tours travel through remote areas.

We believe our clients should be aware that the remoteness of some of our tours so very special could also cause certain problems.

Thus, whilst we endeavour to minimise the chances of anything unexpected happening, it has to be noted that no itinerary can or should be rigidly adhered to.

This is the very nature of adventure travel and we expect our clients to be prepared for delays and slight alterations in our programmed events.

Also, shared tours may include travellers from all over the world whose native language is not English.

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