Inca Trail 4 day trek
Entrance to Machu Picchu, including Guide
Boat tour + overnight stay on Lake Titicaca
Atacama Desert - Valley of the Moon
Torres del Paine National Park + Los Glaciares
Pucon
Bariloche
Tierra del Fuego
Puerto Madryn
Pantanal Region
Bonito
Iguazu Falls
Cooking and camping equipment
All accommodation while on tour - 50% camping & 50% hostels/hotels
Services of professional crew x 2
All listed Included Highlights
Food – meals prepared by the group. Approx 50%
International flight transfers and taxes
Pre and Post tour Accommodation
Meals whilst in hotels
Items listed in ‘Optional activities’ section
Items of a personal nature & spending money
Travel Insurance and Visas
Local Payment is part of your overall tour investment and is the easiest and most economical way to get hard currency to South America to help run your trip. It goes toward a variety of day to day local costs which cannot be pre-paid from elsewhere. This is payable to your tour leader on departure and needs to be in US Dollars cash only.
Please note: US Dollar Travelers Cheques cannot be changed into US$ cash in most countries we visit, they can only be changed into local currency (banks will often tell you different, this is incorrect). In the few places where you can sometimes buy US$ cash, you will pay excessive charges.
There are MANY optional activities and side trips available on this tours. Please refer to the OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES PAGE for a comprehensive list.
There are times when you will have some long drives, be prepared to cover large distances. Most evenings we will stop and find a bush camp and you and your tent partner will put up your tent, and then give a hand with the duty you will be rostered for, getting out the tables and stools or maybe the cook tent and water containers. Some may help collect firewood or take the stored firewood from the truck. The fire grates or gas stove need to be taken out, and lit and someone can fill the kettle and put it on for some hot drinks while the cooks prepare the evening meal. We usually cook in groups of 2 to 4 in a rota system and you can expect to cook about once every 10 to 20 days, depending on group size. At breakfast everyone helps themselves. Usually cereal, toast and coffee (occasionally we may have a fried breakfast). When we stay in a hotel, breakfast is sometimes provided. Lunch is cold and the cooking crew will put out bread, tinned food and maybe make a salad. In the evening the cooks come into their own and this is your chance to impress or flop! Don't worry your tour leader and other members of the group will always help and advise. We also have some quite long breaks (2 to 6 days at a time) where we are in one place, with no driving. At these places most people prefer to eat out, so we often don't cook all meals - this enables you to get out and try the local cuisine! You will get a chance to shower most nights on the trip, but not all campsites on the trip will have hot showers.
Camping / Accommodation
You use
2 person tents which are specially made to meet the tougher conditions
of a trip of this nature. All tents have a
sewn in floor and mosquito netting in the doors. You spend around approx 50% of the
nights camping and the rest of the time in simple hotels/guesthouses. Some are
well equipped and managed and others very basic. You will need to bring along a
sleeping bag, sleep sheet & roll-mat.
Participation
Participation is essential. A successful and smooth tour depends very
much on everyone taking part in the duties that arise i.e. cooking,
vehicle cleaning and food shopping. With this in mind your crew will
organize groups on a rotating roster. The most successful tours are
those where everyone becomes involved as much as possible. These are
not luxury tours, so join in! In the end the more you put in the more
you get out.
Spending Money
About US$150 to $200 a week is a reasonable budget. However, if
you wish to budget on optional side trips separately then we recommend about US
$15 - 20 per day for personal spending.
If you plan on buying a lot of crafts and souvenirs along the way you
may need a bit more.
Group Size
The maxumim group size is 23 in South America
Your Crew
There are usually two crew whose duties are
extensive
and quite demanding, with challenges
ranging from driving and maintaining the expedition vehicle to a very
high standard, to organising visas and border crossings, accommodation,
pre-booking some excursions and guides, helping with shopping and
cooking as
well as finding the best deals, keeping up with the party animals and
making
sure everything runs as smoothly as possible. Adventure travel - is not
an exact science. The very unpredictability, which makes it
such a rewarding experience, means occasionally we must amend our
itineraries
to take into account changing local circumstances. In such situations
we’ll always try to
minimise any disruption, but you need to bear in mind that from time to
time
events occur outside our control. While
our crew are experienced and knowledgeable of the countries through
which we
travel they are not tour guides as such.
In some places we visit, experienced local guides will be available.
We can book pre tour accommodation at our departure hotel/hostel for you if you provide us with your arrival details. You will need to pay for your room upon arrival. Post tour accommodation can be booked en-route with the help of your crew.
You depart from the Hotel Bonbini in Lima.
Hotel Bonbini
Jr. Cailloma No 209, Lima 1,
Peru,
Lima
Ph: (0051) (1) 4276477
Fax: 4260790
www.bonbini.tripod.com.pre
Single Room - GBP18.00 per room
Double / Twin - GBP10.00 per person
Triple - GBP10.00 per person
Dorm - GBP10.00 per person
A friendly small family run hostal in the centre of Lima. Rooms vary in size, but most are dorm rooms. We have a flat rate for accommodation here. Couples and people traveling together we will try to room together, but please note as a small hostal that any bookings may be on a dorm basis where other rooms are not available.
The Tour departs from: The Art Hotel in Rio.
The Art Hotel:
Rua Silveira Martins 135
Catete
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Email: bookings@arthostelrio.com
PH: +55 21 2205.1983
Web: www.arthostelrio.com
**There is a 5 night minimum stay during Carnival and a 4 night minimum stay during New Year at this hotel.
The Hotel is situated just over the road from the gardens of Catete Palace, and only a 15 minute walk from Lapa, known for its street party, bars, live music and clubs; Flamengo beach and park, with its spectacular views of Sugarloaf Mountain and Christ the Redeemer; and 4 Metro stops away from Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon beaches. The hostel boasts a large, sunny roof terrace with guest kitchen and delicious buffet breakfast including home-made cakes and jams, fresh fruits, cheeses and cold cuts. With 24 hour reception and English-speaking receptionists, they can help you with information, tours and events. As the name implies, the Art Hostel Rio frequently has students, artists, and musicians staying here, and the walls and rooms show off some of their works. The hostel offers dorm rooms, singles, twins and doubles, with either air-conditioning or fans, all with private bathroom. All bedlinen, towels and breakfast are included in the price. There is free Wifi and cable TV in public areas, and we have 4 computers for guest use. They also hire out bikes for the best way to get around Rio.
LIMA: If you stay at the Hotel Bonbini (see above) you can be met at Lima Airport and transferred by a Hostal Bonbini representative. The cost is approximately GBP100.00. he driver will have your name on a sign. Many flights into Lima arrive around midnight. If your flight arrives more than 2 hours late, or if for any reason (eg. problem with immigration or lost baggage) you are delayed by more than 2 hours before getting through to the arrivals hall, you may need to call the Hostal to rearrange the transfer.
RIO: Pre-pay for your taxi in the airport (approx. US$20-30) and take the ticket outside to an official taxi. DO NOT use the bus, as these are targeted by pickpockets and are not safe after dark.
Please bring 2 photocopies of your passport details page to give to your tour leader. You'll need at least six blank pages in your passport, which must be valid for at least 9 months from your departure date. If you have dual nationality you can only use one passport. Visas are not included in the tour price or recommended daily spending money.
Visas - Please note it is your responsibility to ensure that you have all the relevant visas that you require. If you have any doubts regarding visa requirements, please contact us or your Travel Agent. Most visas must be used within three months from their date of issue. At present, nationalities of UK, Ireland, USA, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada do not require visas for Ecuador, Peru, Argentina or Chile.
Bolivia - At present nationalities of UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand and Canada do not require a visa. South Africans do require one – we recommend obtaining this before you start the trip, see the website of the Bolivian Embassy in London: www.embassyofbolivia.co.uk.
N.B: On arrival at Lima airport, you will be given a white ‘Immigration card’. It is important that you keep this with your passport during your entire stay in Peru as it is needed for departure from Peru.
For information on the location of your nearest embassy or consulate we recommend the following website: yahoo.com/Government/Embassies_and_Consulates/ . For current updates on visa information you can try the website www.visaproject.com