THINGS TO KNOW

Frequently Asked Questions

We always recommend packing as light as possible however the specific requirements for your tour will vary widely depending on where and when you are traveling. We will make recommendations based on your destination in your final departure documents.

Requirements for travel visas vary widely depending on your nationality and your destination. Although we are unable to arrange visas on your behalf we can provide links to websites that will help you determine if visas are required. If you do require a visa you can arrange them or visa processing company (who usually charge a fee).

Our company protects your money and holiday through our Travel Trust Account with PTS, which also includes supplier failure insurance. For more about the account, and how it works to protect you, your holiday and our suppliers please click on this link. If purchasing flights through us as part of a package then you will also have ATOL protection through our ATOL licence.

Yes! Our speciality is creating bespoke tailor-made tours. However, we also provide some small group scheduled tours, which are less flexible. The choice is yours!

Trip deposits are non-refundable, so we suggest that you have travel insurance in place should you need to cancel. Rescheduling trips will be subject to an amendment fee of £50, plus any supplier costs which cannot be recovered. This will be determined by individual circumstances and whether any upfront costs have been incurred which cannot be recovered, and we will try to help where we can. From our part supplier failure insurance is included and you money will be protected in the independent PTS Trust until after you travel.

Yes, although we can request guides in other languages if available .

This depends on the destination and how popular it is, and how much choice of accommodation you wish for. For example, a historical tour outside holiday periods can be fairly easy to organise at short notice, but a bespoke safari to see the wildebeest migration in the Serengeti during the dry season should be booked a year or more in advance to ensure the best locations and lodges. As a general rule of thumb if accommodation is limited then you should book early, especially during busy holiday periods.

We can book flights if you prefer us to do so, or you are welcome to book your own. We can make suggestions for best routes and prices etc. All packages which include flights are fully protected by our ATOL membership (details in the footer below).

As vaccination advice is medical advice, you need to ask a qualified professional like your family physician or a specialist from a Travel Health clinic. You can find a number of websites that contain excellent background information related to travel health issues, but they are no substitute for a personal consultation with a qualified medical professional. As some vaccines need several doses or a period of time to work then we suggest making inquiries at the time of booking. We will also offer general advice in our individual country notes which you will receive shortly after booking.

Yes, definitely!

We require that you have a travel insurance policy in place prior to travel. This is to cover you for any accident, illness, hospitalisation or repatriation while you are abroad, plus many other eventualities.

You should ensure that you have the policy in place at the time of booking since although we have our own financial protection in place (see above), you will need cover should you need to cancel yourself due to illness or other reasons.

Please check that your policy covers for you for major eventuality’s including being unable to travel due to covid (most major insurers have caught up and have policies dealing with covid now in the same way as they deal with other illnesses).

While most people never need their insurance, it will save you huge amounts in terms of emotional and financial cost if you do have cover.

Note: some insurers will refuse to insure for travel to certain destinations (eg Sahara Desert or Arctic regions). Although there are specialist insurers who may insure, you need to question your own abilities and the risks if travelling to a very remote destination – particularly if you have a prior health conditions.  Travellers with pre-existing medical conditions are required to complete a medical questionnaire for more active trips or tours, and should always consult with a medical specialist if travelling to somewhere remote, where medical facilities are poor or non-existent.

Our policy is laid out in our terms and conditions in relation to a destination being unsafe and foreign office advice or the country in question advising against travel. But basically we would offer a refund, postponement or alternative destination.

However see our t’s and c’s for more details. Insurance cover should be in place to cover you against illness – whether Covid or any other kind of medical issues.

To travel independently you must be at least 18 years of age. There are no upper age limits for most of our small group tours and for tailor-made trips. Acquiring insurance should be taken into account as there are more limited options for over 70 years.

Most destinations are open to and suitable for families. If not we would advise at the time of enquiry based on the ages of the travellers.

If travelling with children or young adults then consider their enjoyment of the trip. For example – a fly-in safari might be less boring than a long road transfer. And an upmarket lodge which attracts honeymooners and older couples might not be a fun place for kids.

In contrast – there are plenty of safari lodges and hotels which are run and owned by families where they will create wonderful experiences for old ages from learning how to hunt with a Masai spear to hands on cookery courses or surfing in Sri Lanka.

We can tailor the experience to your family, and ensure that on multi-generational trips everyone has a great time.

We will include airport transfers in all our private tours – unless you specifically ask us not to. If booking onto a small group tour then we will ensure that a transfer to and from the airport is included on the first and final day of the tour.

Small Group Tours – most of our trips do not have a single supplement if you are happy to share a room with someone of the same sex. If you wish for a private room then please ask for a quotation on the cost of having your own room.

On tailor-made tours there will be a single supplement payable for your own room if travelling with others, unless you are happy to share a triple room (where available).

On solo trips then it will depend on the trip itself, but as a general rule the cost will generally be about 50 to 75% of the twin share price – the reason being that you will be paying for the whole room, vehicle etc as opposed to two or more people sharing it between them. Unfortunately very few hotels now have dedicated single rooms.

However, every trip is different, and we are sympathetic and understanding of the frustrations of extra costs when travelling on your own. We will try and help to make savings for you where we can.

A suitcase is generally fine for tours which stay in hotels and lodges. However, for more adventurous tours, safaris, or trips which involve light aircraft we recommend bringing a soft sided backpack or duffel bag, as suitcases can be cumbersome and difficult to store in mini buses, under seats, etc.

Keep in mind that unless the tour includes porterage you will normally have to carry your own luggage on and off buses and trains and up and down hotel staircases. Suitcases with wheels may not work well on dirt or cobblestone roads.

For privacy reasons we cannot usually provide you with advance details on your traveling companions. However, tours appeal to a wide range of travellers, most of whom share an adventurous spirit and a desire to experience these destinations at a grass-roots level.

Tips are not usually included in the tour price (unless stated in the inclusions section) and tipping is entirely at your discretion, based on service given. Many guides and local employees rely on tips to supplement wages and no matter how you feel about this, it is how things are often done.

In lodges or smaller hotels there will often be a ‘tip box’ which gets distributed among all staff – seen and unseen. However, we would suggest that for specialist guides and leader, and those who have given especially good service, that you account for them separately and budget on this prior to travel.  Our final documentation will give suggested tipping amounts for each location.