We are asked a lot of questions regarding our tours, below are some of the most common questions (click on the question to view the answer), if your question does not appear below please do not hesitate to contact us on +44 (0)191 206 4038.
How do I book?
Give us a call so we can check availability. Our advice is to book as early as possible. Alternatively you may contact us by e-mail, info@easttimor-undiscovered.com.
If you are booking eight weeks or more before departure we will ask for a deposit of £100.00 per person. Booking within this period, full payment will be required. Any balance payment will also be due at this time. Irrespective of when you book, once the tour is confirmed, if applicable, we will also ask you to pay in full for the domestic flight.
Can I Hold an Option?
Generally we can advise you of availability right away and will be pleased to hold an option for up to five days. However, for the domestic flight used as part of the itinerary, the airline does not allow us to hold seats and this can only be confirmed against full payment.
Is a booking form required?
We will always require a signed booking form. It is important that you read and understand our terms and conditions. The booking form can be found in our downloadable PDF brochure. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any queries.
Do you accept Credt/Debit Cards?
We are happy to accept payment by Visa, Mastercard or Switch
Are your small group tours guaranteed departures?
Unlike some operators we do not hide the fact that our trips operate on the basis of a minimum of four booked clients. However, as we are a small operator, dedicated to working with just a small number of destinations, we believe in running the tour whenever possible. As the destinations we feature currently receive little tourism business, we will work very hard to accommodate smaller group sizes. Our overseas colleagues count heavily on the custom. Therefore, for a supplement, starting at £190.00 per person, we can normally operate the tour on a private basis, with just two clients. We believe that for tours of this type, given the standard and the remoteness of the destination, this represents excellent value for money and is almost certainly unique amongst other operators.
Is it a safe country?
On the whole Bangladesh is a safe country. By and large it is overwhelmingly friendly and hospitable. Nonetheless we have all seen news reports of flooding and accidents involving ferries. We believe that such instances must be taken into context, and that it is important to remember that the ferry network is the main form of transport for millions of people each year. On our tour we use the ‘Rocket’ paddle steamer, which has been in continuous service for more than 80 years, as far as we are aware, without major incident. We also avoid travel during the peak of the monsoon, when delays can occur.
We constantly monitor the advice posted by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). In particular we will always advise clients of any travel warnings. At the time of writing (May 2005) the Foreign Office does advise against all but ‘essential’ travel to the Chittagong Hill Tracks, which is an area covered by our tour.
However, we are in constant contact with our local representatives in the area, who have advised us that there has been no security situation involving foreign nationals since 2002. This is confirmed by advice posted on the British High Commission Dhaka website (www.ukinbangladesh.org/btadvice.html).
The website does however, recommend using an organised tour such as that offered by Undiscovered Destinations. It also makes reference to the need, that the local authorities are informed of any intended visit, which is something we routinely do on behalf of all our clients. We have always been most impressed with the security measures in place. We believe that these are often more stringent, than those in force in some higher profile countries, where similar FCO advice has been issued.
Please feel free to contact us should you have any specific concerns or would like to know in detail what measures are being taken to ensure visits remain trouble free and without incident.
Can credit cards be used in Bangladesh?
Our advice is not to rely on the use of credit cards. Some of the larger hotels and more expensive restaurants do however accept visa and mastercard. The US dollar is probably the best currency to take and can easily be exchanged to the Bangladesh taka
There is also a limited network of international ATM’s machines, found in the major cities at branches of Standard Chartered Bank, where local currency can be withdrawn using a visa card. See www.visa.com/atm for a complete list. Generally the machines are fairly reliable. In the event of the machine not being in service, a cash advance can be made over the counter during banking hours. If this is necessary be prepared for a long wait – 3hrs is not uncommon! .
Why dont you sell international flights?
We know from past experience working in the flight market, how competitive the business is. Most airlines are no longer giving smaller travel agents and tour operators their best deals. Increasingly the best fares are to be found on the airlines own websites.
There are some exceptions. Some operators will offer ‘group flights’ at competitive rates, usually based on a minimum of ten clients travelling together on each leg of the trip. Many will feel that this is somewhat restrictive, as not all clients may want to travel from London for example. Some may not want to return the same date, or by the same route.
Therefore, we recommend that you contact a specialist such as Trailfinders (www.trailfinders.com), who will always offer the widest range of options, at the most competitive fares. They can also look at interesting multi-stop or round-the-world fares, as part of a wider itinerary. It is possible to visit Bangladesh by using one of the large airline alliances, One World (www.oneworld.com) and Star Alliance (www.staralliance.com), who both offer excellent round-the-world fares.
Of course, we can hold an option on one off tours, to give you an opportunity to ‘shop around’ for the best deal.
Please feel free to give us a call for further information and suggestions about routes.
Can I book pre or post tour accommodation?
Yes, generally for stays in Dhaka, we use the popular and very friendly, Center Point hotel, conveniently located in the Gulshan area of the city. Give us a call for rates.
What is the standard of accommodation going to be like?
We can honestly say that great effort has gone into finding the best available accommodation that Bangladesh has to offer. The only exception to this rule is for Dhaka, which has the country’s only international 5 star hotels, the Sheraton and Pan Pacific. Generally we believe these hotels will not appeal to most of our adventure minded clients and at over $150.00 per night, do not represent great value for money. They are very much business-oriented, with little local character. Nonetheless, do not hesitate to contact us about upgrades if you feel like a few days enjoying the superb range of facilities, including swimming pools and a choice of restaurants. Even for the most experienced of travellers this could be quite an appeal at the end of your trip!
Our general choice of hotel in Dhaka is the friendly and consistently popular Center Point hotel. Rooms are more than adequate with air-conditioning; running hot water, satellite TV, and a fridge. Outside of Dhaka standards are equally as high and the facilities similar .
Will you be expanding your choice of destinations?
We would welcome suggestions for any other ‘undiscovered destinations’ you think may be of interest to fellow travellers. We are happy to do the research, when we think the destination is not widely marketed by other operators. Should we go on to offer a successful programme, we will be happy to offer you and one travelling companion a 30% discount on any of our tours, to any of our destinations. Give Jim a call on 0191 206 4038 with your suggestions and tell us why you think it will be a success!.
Do you offer repeat client discounts?
We hope to expand our range of destinations. We will be happy to apply a discount of 5% if you would like to travel on one of these tours following your trip to Bangladesh. You may be interested in one of our future destinations, keep an eye on website www.undiscovered-destinations.com for updates.
Can you recommend a guide book?
We highly recommend the Lonely Planet guide to Bangladesh, now in its 5 th edition (www.lonelyplanet.com) .
