Independent Travel

Introduction and suitability

If you want the flexibility and freedom to design your own personalised itinerary, Independent Travel is the perfect travel style for you. Whether you’re travelling solo, as a family, or with a group of friends, our stopovers and packages give you the chance to experience your destination at a pace that suits you, with the added benefit of having pre-booked arrangements. There are no upper or lower age restrictions (recommended max 70 years old) so if you are travelling with children this travel style is ideal.

Degree of difficulty/fitness

The degree of difficulty of your stopover or package will depend on your itinerary. For example, most city tours will only require a moderate amount of walking, however other excursions may be considerably more physical.

The Gorilla Trek in the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda is set in rainforest and can be steep and slippery underfoot. Depending on where the gorillas are nesting, the trek can be a short uphill climb or several hours of more challenging hiking.

Annapurna Base Camp is a high altitude trek over several days which can be quite physically demanding and is suited to people with at least a moderate level of fitness.

The Chiang Mai hill tribe trek includes a few hours of moderate walking and accommodation will be quite basic.

The Inca Trail Trek and Lares Trek are at relatively high altitude (highest point 4,200 metres and 4,560 metres above sea level respectively) and can be quite demanding on the knees. People suffering from vertigo may find the passes challenging.

The Amazon Jungle is a hot and humid rainforest environment and conditions are often wet and slippery underfoot.

The salt flats excursion in Uyuni, Bolivia is at quite high altitude (3,656 metres above sea level) and travels in a 4WD vehicle.

Accommodation

Independent Travel stopovers and packages offer you the choice of a wide range of hotels offering various standards of comfort. To assist you with your hotel selection and to enable you to judge the various
accommodations by western criteria, we have classed our hotels as Pleasant, Comfort and Superior. When booking please advise what type of room you require. Two single beds are classed as a twin or one double bed is known as a matrimonial room.

Pleasant hotel

Pleasant hotels are generally the equivalent of a two-star hotel. They are clean and comfortable with ensuite facilities and usually provide hot water. Pleasant hotels are chosen for their security, friendly staff and character. They are usually centrally located close to local attractions, restaurants and bars. A Pleasant hotel may also take the form of a mountain hut, rustic cabin, lodge, chalet or tented accommodation
which offers the same amenities you would expect from this standard of hotel. Pleasant plus hotels offer a slightly higher level of comfort.

Comfort hotel

Comfort hotels are generally the equivalent of a three-star hotel. They offer all the attributes of our Pleasant hotels with an added level of comfort. Comfort hotels may include amenities such as cable television,
swimming pools, restaurants, lifts, internet access, room service, hair dryers and English-speaking reception staff. A Comfort hotel may also take the form of a lodge, chalet or tented accommodation, which will be at the same standard as hotels. Comfort plus hotels offer a slightly higher level of comfort.

Superior hotel

Superior hotels are generally the equivalent of a four-star hotel. They offer amenities such as cable television, swimming pools, restaurants, elevators, internet access, room service, hair dryers and English speaking
reception staff. Additionally, hotel rooms and facilities will have a more luxurious ambience and modern feel. A Superior hotel may also take the form of a lodge, chalet or tented accommodation, which offers
the same amenities you would expect from this standard of hotel.

Prices

The prices shown on each Independent Travel tour page are per person and start from the amount shown on the prices section of the tour page. At peak season or during local festivals many service providers increase their prices. We will endeavour to keep prices as advertised but if prices change we will inform you when you request the service. If our advertised hotels are unavailable, an alternative hotel of the same star rating will be arranged and you will be notified of any changes.

Pre and post tour accommodation

Our Independent Travel packages and stopovers start and finish in some of the world’s most fascinating cities. If you would like to take advantage of all the interesting attractions on offer we can book extra hotel nights for you. Pre and post hotels must be booked to coincide with the arrival and/or departure dates for your stopover or package.  It is best to book your pre and post tour accommodation at the same time you book your stopover or package. All rooms are on a bed only basis unless otherwise indicated.

There is an extra charge if you change your hotel or transfer reservations once booked or if you add a hotel / transfer reservation to your booking within one month of the stopover or package departure date - pease refer to the booking conditions for more information. Pre and post hotel prices will be above the actual local rates as they include booking and administration fees, plus allowances for currency fluctuations.

Meals

Meals are generally not included unless stated in the itinerary. This gives you the opportunity to explore local restaurants according to your own tastes and budget.

Excursions

Excursions included in stopovers and packages allow you to see the highlights of your chosen destination in a short period of time. Some excursions operate on a pooled service in order to offer more competitive prices. This means travellers are collected from several hotels around the city and travel as one group for the duration of the excursion.

Groups will vary in size and can sometimes have mixed nationalities so it may be possible that your guide will commentate in more than one language. For all excursions, please refer to your voucher for full details of pick up points. Entrance fees are included unless otherwise indicated.

Transport

Our aim is to offer you safe, comfortable and reliable transport. We use a variety of transport including minivans, taxis, coach, economy class flights and trains. Jungle lodges are accessed by motorised canoe and boat journeys are taken when visiting the Ballestas and Uros Islands. Some of the transport used will be private, however a pooled service will be used on some excursions. If you have prepaid for an arrival transfer, or if an arrival transfer is included in your stopover or package, please look for your name to be displayed on a welcome board held by our local driver in the arrival area at the airport.

Transfers

You can choose either an arrival or departure transfer for your stopover or package. You can also add another transfer at an additional cost however they must coincide with the arrival and/or departure dates for your stopover or package. Transfers are per car for a maximum of two people. Please refer to the prices section on your tour page for more information. Please inform us or your travel agent of your flight details at the time of booking and notify us or your travel agent of any subsequent changes.

Group size

The size of your group usually depends on the size of the party you book for, however some excursions may be pooled.

Staff

You will find details of the specific staff available during your holiday in the tour dossier of the appropriate tour on this site. Some packages will include the services of a local rep who will usually visit the hotel reception in the morning and evening, but it must be remembered that they are not personal tour leaders. Local guides will provide detailed commentary during excursions, sharing their extensive local knowledge with you to help you to understand more about the place you’re visiting. Other information can be obtained from a variety of sources, including hotel reception staff. Please note that some hotel reception staff and local drivers may not speak English. If you have any serious problems, emergency contact details can be found in your tour dossier and on our website.