Information About Our Tours
Please read carefully through the following information about booking an Explore Walking and Trekking holiday. When you book (whether by phone or online), you will be asked if you have read and understood these pages, as well as our Booking Conditions. All the tours featured in this brochure are walking and trekking group tours, with fi xed departure dates (these are outlined on the individual tour pages).
Before You Book Tour Prices
The prices shown in this brochure are for guidance only. They represent the basic per-person cost of the tour at the time of publication of this brochure. The price at the time of booking may be different. The latest guide prices for each tour departure can be found on our website:
www.explore.co.uk
Brochure and website accuracy
The information contained in our brochure, website and other advertising material is believed to be correct at the time of printing or publication. However, this information may subsequently change. Please ensure that you check all the details of your chosen holiday (including the price) with us at the time of booking.
Our price guarantee Once we have confi rmed your booking we guarantee the price won’t change: we will not pass on surcharges of any kind. Unlike most other tour operators we will not pass on unexpected ad- ditional costs like fuel surcharges and tax increases.
What’s included in our tour prices? ✓ Transport, meals and accommodation: all details are outlined in the individual tour itinerary. ✓ Tour Leader: the services of a Tour Leader are included on nearly all tours. In most cases the Tour Leader will accompany you for the full duration of the tour. On some tours a local representative may be provided instead (this will be outlined in the individual Tour Notes)
✓ Local crew: as well as drivers and local guides, interpreters, cooks, helpers and porters may be provided on some tours (details will be outlined in the individual Tour Notes.)
✓ Activities, equipment, sightseeing and visits: please see individual Tour Notes for details. Are fl ights included?
Flights are included if you book on a ‘Flight or International Train Inclusive basis.’ They are not included if you book on a ‘Tour Only’ basis. Flight or International Train Inclusive guide prices are shown in this brochure and on our website. Please remember that these prices are a guide only. We will be able to give you an exact price as soon as you have told us where you would like to travel from, your travel dates and times and route preference.
Are transfers included? We are pleased to be able to include airport transfers for customers booking a fl ight inclusive tour where the fl ight arrives on the same day the tour starts and departs on the day the tour ends.
What’s not included in tour price?
The price of the tour does not include: visa fees, vaccinations, passport costs, international departure taxes, insurance premiums of any kind, excess baggage charges, optional tours and ex- cursions, hotel porterage or meals (other than those we list as included). We also do not include items of a personal nature; such as laundry, room service charges, drinks or phone calls. Tips for personal service are not included and are usually expected. If you book on a ‘Tour Only’ basis we do not include fl ights or trains from the UK, departure taxes or transfers.
On your tour Your travel companions come from a wide range of locations and backgrounds. However, because we only offer English-speaking tours, the majority will be from the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US. Everyone will share your passion for adventure travel.
Group size
Group size usually ranges from between 10 to 24 people, depending on the type of tour, the transport and accommodation used and activities included. We rarely have groups that are smaller than six or seven people and the average group size is 12 people.
Age limits
The minimum age on all tours featured in this brochure is 14. A parent or adult must accompany people under the age of 18. The maximum age is usually 79 (at the time of travel) unless you are travelling with a companion who is younger than 79 years of age. Most of our travellers are aged between 25 and 55
Explore Tour Leaders The Tour Leader’s main responsibility is to make sure that all members of the group are well looked after and return home having had a wonderful holiday with some fantastic memories. It is the Tour Leader’s responsibility to ensure that the tour runs smoothly and that all the logistics are in place; also to oversee the health and safety aspects of the tour.
Our Tour Leaders will be as fl exible as possible - within the confi nes of the itinerary. For example, they can arrange group meals for those that would like to eat with their travel companions. Alternatively, if you would prefer to make your own plans they may offer suggestions for local restaurants. They will also try to make sure that everyone has as much free time during the tour as they wish. In order to keep the tours running effectively, Tour Leaders give regular briefi ngs to talk about what is happening in the next few days, to remind you of timings and what you need to bring for excursions, sightseeing and activities. Often this will be reiterated on notices put up in hotel receptions or other appropriate places. Tour Leaders will also brief the group on safety and general health issues.
All Tour Leaders are carefully selected and have undergone thorough training in the UK and/ or overseas – this is generally accepted to be some of the best in the industry. Tour Leaders are chosen for their travel experience, their people skills and their experience of working with groups. Please note that a small number of tours are accompanied by local representatives. This will not affect the enjoyment of your holiday and will be outlined clearly in the individual Tour Notes.
Itineraries
Explore itineraries offer a wide variety of experiences and activities which allow you to really get to know an area and to see beyond the normal tourist facade. Of course we include the better known sights but we understand that you should have the fl exibility to do your own thing so we build in free time for you to either take part in an optional excursion or to explore independently - an important part of any tour.
Accommodation Wherever possible, we try to include accommodation which best refl ects the local area in which we are travelling. Where we use hotels, we aim for mid-range accommodation, with the key requirements being cleanliness, safety, comfort and a good location. (The type of room provided and the level of facilities may vary from place to place.) In exceptional circumstances, we may use simple hotels with more basic amenities. Please see the individual tour Tour Notes for details. All our accommodation is given a rating to describe standards and facilities. You can fi nd this in the individual tour Tour Notes.
Rooming and Single room option
Most tours are based on customers sharing twin-bedded rooms. If you book as an individual, you will share a room with someone of the same sex. However, on many tours we offer the opportu- nity to pay a supplement to pre-book a single room. On some of these tours a single room will be provided every night, on others it will be provided on some nights, but for logistical reasons not all. Individual Tour Notes clarify this.
Meals
Most tours include breakfast, but other meals are often not included. This allows you to try the cuisine in local restaurants and also to choose what and where to eat and how much to spend. We try to keep all-inclusive accommodation to a minimum. Where there is no option, such as when camping, on safari or on some boat-based tours, meals tend to be included. We try to cater for you if you have special dietary requirements but we do ask you to have realistic expectations. In some countries there is a limited choice of food and it may be diffi cult to cater for all special meal requirements. Please check the Tour Notes carefully before booking if you have any specifi c requirements.
Transport
The variety of transport used is another important aspect of any Explore Adventure. We use everything from buses, boats and trains to camels and donkeys. You may even fi nd all these on the same tour.
Protection and Suitability
Travel Insurance You must have valid travel insurance. You will need to confi rm to your Tour Leader that you are covered by a travel insurance policy at the start of the tour.
If you have arranged your own insurance please ensure that your documentation shows you as the named policyholder and that the cover is valid for the entire period of travel. It must also indicate that you have cover for (at least) Medical Expenses and Emergency Repatriation in the event of illness or injury. Please ensure that a 24 hour contact telephone number for your Insurance Company is written on your documentation in case of an emergency. If you are unable to provide this information at the start of the trip you will not be able to continue with us unless you purchase a suitable Insurance Policy. If you have purchased Explore Insurance you should carry the policy document and a copy of your Confi rmation Invoice (For more information and to purchase, go online at
www.explore.co.uk) with you. Please see page 259 for details
Pre-existing medical conditions
If you, your travelling companions, or anyone upon whom your travel depends (such as a friend or family member whose illness or death would result in you wishing to cancel or curtail your tour) have a pre-existing medical condition you must inform your travel insurance company of this when you purchase your policy. Please ensure that you receive written confi rmation from them that the condition is covered. You must take this written confi rmation with you on tour, in addition to the insurance policy itself. If you don’t, you may not have appropriate cover.
Your fi tness and ability to participate All Explore tours require some level of active participation. This could be on a cultural tour, trek, safari, expedition or voyage. It is in the interests of all members of the group that everyone should be capable of fully participating in the activities of their chosen tour. With this in mind, please be aware that (as detailed in our Booking Conditions) if it is felt that any customer is not able to participate in a tour without endangering the health or safety of themselves or any other person (including other group members), or that the presence of the customer on the tour means we will be unable to provide the tour, in whole or part, to other members of the group as advertised and contracted, the Tour Leader at any stage has the right to require them to leave the tour. To ensure that this is never necessary, please make sure that you have fully understood the level of fi tness and ability required to complete the tour on which you are booking. It is your responsibility to let us know if you have any concerns related to this subject. If you have any medical condition or disability which may affect your tour arrangements in any way, you must provide us with full details at the time of booking – please see booking condition 10 on p257.
High altitude
Several tours reach elevations of 2500 metres or more. We allow time for acclimatisation and usually the body acclimatises well to spending extended periods of time above this altitude. It is diffi cult to predict who is at risk from altitude sickness but if you have a heart or respiratory problem we advise you not to risk extended travel or trekking at high altitudes.
Proof of fi tness In certain circumstances, usually on more strenuous tours, we may require you to provide proof of medical fi tness before travelling.
Bear in mind
Tour changes From time to time, some elements of our tours may change from those that have been published. This could be the result of inclement weather, a change in the local political situation or in fl ight or train schedules or other circumstances beyond our control. Signifi cant changes to your holiday will be notifi ed as soon as we feasibly can. Minor amendments to your tour will be detailed on your fi nal tour documentation, although our website will be constantly updated should you wish to check the information at any time.
Will my tour operate? We reserve the right to cancel departures that (in our opinion) are not commercially viable (except for “Guaranteed Departures” which are described below). Typically this happens when less than
252 For more information and to book, go online at
www.explore.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212 |
Page 213 |
Page 214 |
Page 215 |
Page 216 |
Page 217 |
Page 218 |
Page 219 |
Page 220 |
Page 221 |
Page 222 |
Page 223 |
Page 224 |
Page 225 |
Page 226 |
Page 227 |
Page 228 |
Page 229 |
Page 230 |
Page 231 |
Page 232 |
Page 233 |
Page 234 |
Page 235 |
Page 236 |
Page 237 |
Page 238 |
Page 239 |
Page 240 |
Page 241 |
Page 242 |
Page 243 |
Page 244 |
Page 245 |
Page 246 |
Page 247 |
Page 248 |
Page 249 |
Page 250 |
Page 251 |
Page 252 |
Page 253 |
Page 254 |
Page 255 |
Page 256 |
Page 257 |
Page 258 |
Page 259 |
Page 260