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 Travellers 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.
**Please refer to the OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES page for a more comprehensive list of activities.
There
are times when we 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
We use 2 person tents which are specially made for us to
meet the tougher conditions of an trip of this nature. All our tents have a sewn in floor and mosquito netting in the doors.
We spend around 60% 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
It is a maximum of 23 passengers 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.
We depart from: Hotel Kamana in Lima and the La Casa Roja in Santiago.
Hotel Kamana:
Jiron Camana 547
PH: (51-1) 4267204
Fax: (51-1) 4260790
reservas@hotelkamana.com
www. hotelkamana.com
Single Room = USD32.00 - USD43.00
Double / Twin Room = USD40.00 - 58.00
Triple Room = USD52.00 - 70.00
American Breakfast included. Visa, Mastercard and American
Express are accepted.
La Casa Roja:
Agustinas
2113
Tel: (562) 6964241
Email: info@lacasaroja.tie.cl
www.lacasaroja.cl
Dorm Room = GBP9.00
Double / Twin Room = GBP20.00 per room
Triple Room = GBP30.00 per room
Room with private bathroom = GBP25.00 per room
*Prices are subject to change
If
you stay at the Hotel Kamana in Lima, you can use their airport transfer service. Let us know your flight details when you
request a room and we can book it for you. The cost is US$10 which you pay directly to the hotel. There is also an official taxi booth at the
airport and a taxi should cost you about US $15-20. If you do take a private taxi without a meter
you will have to settle on a price before you enter the cab. The hotel is about
20 minutes from the airport.
It
is about 30 mins to the centre of Santiago.
A taxi should cost you about US $20.
Black and yellow taxis are abundant and have meters. Most other cabs are
private without meters so you will have to settle on a price before you enter
the cab. You can ask at the airport
information desk about taxis. Alternatively you can take a Shuttle bus direct to La Casa Roja (see below)
that cost US $8 per person. The hostel
only recommends "Turtrans" or "Trans Vip" and you can book
these at the desk before customs, mentioning La Casa Roja – they take you right
to the hostel door.
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 - 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