You can see that the trip prices are shown in two parts: TRIP PRICE + KITTY. The trip price is payable fully in advance, and the kitty you pay in cash to the tour leader at the departure city the day before we leave. There are many systems for organising food and accommodation costs each with their own pros and cons. We feel it’s most fair to run a kitty system for paying for accommodation, camping food, entrance to most national parks and a few activities. The kitty is payable in American dollars to the trip leader, and they then use it to pay for food, accommodation, some excursions etc. The reason for giving us this part of the trip payment in cash is to avoid higher costs for importing too much cash into a country. This in turn keeps the overall trip prices low. The total kitty amount we ask for is an estimate based on previous years’ experience, and it’s obvious that the final bill will depend on individual use, exchange rates, etc. Each person has a separate kitty account, which can be viewed at any time so you know where the money is going. It is important that we keep exact records of the amount that has been spent as the amount left in your kitty will be refunded to you at the end of the trip. Conversely it may be necessary for you to put in some more should your kitty run out - but this is unlikely, and you will receive plenty of notice beforehand.
There are MANY optional activities and side trips available on this tour.
Camping / Accommodation
Our overland trips are about staying in as many great places as possible, and
therefore we will be camping about half of the time. This is an amazing way to
enjoy the stunning countryside in South America and with years of experience, we
know we have many choices of location – some known and some new for our camps.
Camping in remote places means we really do have some incredible beauty spots to
ourselves, far away from the roads and noise, with a campfire, a couple of beers
and friendly chat under the stars. This is what many call free camping or bush
camping. Our truck makes this easy and comfortable as we are fully equipped with
food, water, lighting and all that we need to be self-sufficient for many
days. The other half of our accommodation will be in comfortable hotels/hostels or
campsites with all amenities (e.g. showers, bathrooms). We have chosen our hotels from experience and all are clean, safe and
friendly and in the budget hotel/hostel end of the market. We book shared rooms
for 2-4 people, some with ensuites. We try to cater for couples but cannot
guarantee to cater for people wanting single rooms so you must be prepared to
share. Also, owing to the adventurous nature of our trips, things will occasionally
not go exactly to plan and we may find ourselves in an unexpected place, making
the best of what’s available, so some flexibility will help you make the best of
these times.
TENTS
- Many different people come on our expeditions and each have differing
requirements for their tents. Because of this we find that people prefer to
provide their own tents for their camping adventure – so you must bring your own
tent We recommend a good quality, 3 season tent – remember you’ll be spending
half of the trip sleeping in it. If you would like any advice on choosing your
tent then please contact us for a chat so you can be confident you’re getting
the right equipment. For more information on what you need look at the ‘What to
Bring’ page. Whatever you choose make sure it is easy to erect, and not too heavy to carry
in case you want to spend time hiking with it. Your tent will be stored in a
secure locker during the trip so it’s not vital that it fits in your
backpack. If you have not been camping much before then don’t worry. Our leaders can
show you the ropes and pretty soon you’ll be proficient – it’s not tricky to put
up a tent once you know how. Most people prefer to have a tent to themselves, giving them more space and
privacy. But this also means you have no-one to share the putting-up and
taking-down with, which can be a consideration. If you are traveling alone and
would prefer to share a tent ,let us know before we leave and we’ll put you in
touch with other group members with the same idea so you can organise sharing
with them.
Food and Hygiene
Good food is an important aspect of the culture of travel. We therefore
always attempt to incorporate local food and restaurants into our trips
and
encourage people to try as many new flavours and culinary experiences
possible. When we are camping or stopping on a driving day for lunch,
we usually make
food for ourselves using the truck kitchen. When eating from the truck
we
encourage a healthy and balanced diet, and you can expect to be well
fed! For truck meals, our party will be divided into small teams of 3
or 4 people
who will take it in turn to shop and cook. A party of 20 would be
divided into
about 7 groups so you can expect to cook and shop for food roughly once
a
week. We are happy to, and usually do provide options for vegetarians
and most
special dietary requirements. Cooking for 20 or more people on overland
tours can seem a little daunting at
first but don’t worry – we have a cookbook with tasty, easy recipes
with
measures for different group sizes, a well equipped kitchen with gas
cookers (or
over fires when it’s BBQ time) and a leader on hand who has had plenty
of
practice. It is vital for everyone’s health and peace of mind that we
keep a good
standard of hygiene and your leader will provide strict instruction so
you can
be confident your food is always clean and safe to eat. When staying in
hotels and cities it is generally easier to eat out, so we do
not provide meals at these times. Dinner or lunch in a restaurant can
cost from
US$2 for a simple 2 two course ‘menu of the day’ up to whatever you’re
prepared
to pay for fine dining. Most of the hotels we use provide a simple
breakfast
included with the room or for a small fee. South America has a huge
variety of tastes and foods which we can enjoy as we
travel the continent - either by buying and cooking it ourselves (fresh
fish
bought from the fisherman on the beach we’re camping on, is great on
the BBQ) or
from the many wonderful restaurants we will find
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
It's impossible to tell you how you'll spend your money, but if you
start with
about US $20 a day just for living: eating snacks, laundry, a little
beer,
taxis, etc and then add money for optional extras, shopping, etc you'll
be able
to make a fair estimate for yourself. Then add more for all the stuff
you
haven't thought of yet to get a comfortable limit. To make sure you can
always access money we recommend you bring a combination of
cash US dollars and cash/credit cards to withdraw cash along the way,
maybe with
some emergency travelers cheques (these are time-consuming and
expensive to use
in South America, but replaceable if lost). ATM's are available in most
big
towns and cities. If you can have two cards, one Visa and one
Mastercard, you'll
have the best chance of finding cash. A good alternative to travelers
cheques
is a prepaid travel money card. A good place to start looking for
travel money
options is: www.moneysupermarket.com/travel-money/
Exchange rates to keep informed on current exchange rates we use: www.xe.com
Group Size
The maxumim group size is 25 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.
Weather
During our trip will encounter just about everything from sunny, hot and dry
in the Western deserts, to steamy tropical rainforests, but most of the time it
will be fairly warm. Summer in Patagonia is much like a British summer ?
changeable from sunny to rain. Andean nights are normally cool to cold, with
strong sunshine in the day. For more information you could try the following
websites:
Insurance
It is compulsory for everyone on the trip to provide their own personal travel
insurance and to provide us with a copy of your policy for use should an
emergency arise. The amount of cover you want and how much you pay is up to you,
but make sure you are covered for all activities you intend to do, eg: white
water rafting, horse riding, hiking.. We don?t impose an age limit on our
travellers, but please be aware that people over retirement age may find the
appropriate level of cover very expensive and/or difficult to obtain.
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 Plaza Internacional
Hotel Plaza Internacional:
Leonidas Plaza 150 y 18 de Septiembre
Quito, Ecudaor
Tel: 593 2 2505075 / 2524530
hplaza@uio.satnet.net
www.hotelplazainternacional.com
Single Room - USD$30
Double / Twin Room - USD$40
Triple Room - USD$58
*Rates are subject to change
These requirements can and do change so it is impossible to keep page up to date for all nationalities - but we do have the latest information on visa requirements for the countries you will visit. Once you have booked your tour with us we will advise you on the latest news and where to obtain the visas you need. For most nationalities South America is not much of a problem when it comes to visa requirements – most countries will issue most nationalities a free visa immediately at the border, and of those who don’t qualify for this you can usually obtain your visa from that county’s embassy in the preceding country. We advise that you also check with the embassy of each country well in advance of your departure to find out if you need a visa. When crossing a land border in the truck authorities usually don’t bother to ask for proof of onward travel – they can see how you’re going to leave! When arriving by air, on the other hand it is very wise to make sure you have proof of onward travel to make sure you make it through passport control at the airport (entry failure at a land border can usually be sorted with a few phone calls, extra forms, and a little waiting, but at the airport you’ll end up on the next plane home, usually at your expense!). For this reason it is wise, but not essential, to have an onward flight ticket to somewhere outside South America. We recommend to everyone to keep about US $100 in cash and four passport photos just in case you need to pay for an unforeseen visa application. The following website is a good place for some basic information: http://projectvisa.com/
This can be a worry for many people but with a little preparation and common sense you?ll find the health issues in South America much less of a problem than many other parts of the world. For up-to-date advice you might find the following websites helpful, as well as your GP of course:
If you have any questions about the practicalities of staying healthy in
South America, please contact us ? after many years living and running tours
here we have plenty of experience and knowledge you can benefit from.