Booking Information

There are a number of different ways you can book your place on one of our small group tours of tailor-made holidays.

• You can call us on +44 (0)191 296 2674 and speak to one of our highly experienced travel consultants. Check our Office Hours.
• You can book online 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
• You can contact us via the Enquiry Page.

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Payment Methods
Please make cheques payable to Undiscovered Destinations Ltd and write your booking reference on the back. All cheques must be in pounds sterling. Kindly note that we are unable to accept cheque payment for tour bookings made within 10 weeks of departure. Furthermore we are unable to accept cheque payment at any time for flight bookings.

For Visa/MasterCard/American Express payments please call our office between 08:30 – 17:30 Monday to Friday or on Saturdays between 09:00 and 17:00 (UK Time) with your card details to hand.

If you wish to pay by bank transfer, please contact us for the correct information.

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Currency

In addition to advertising our prices in pounds sterling, we are pleased to provide prices in US Dollars, Euros and Australian Dollars. Tour prices other than those shown in pound sterling, are subject to change due to fluctuating exchange rates.

Once your booking has been confirmed with Undiscovered Destinations against payment of a deposit or the full cost of the group tour or tailor-made holiday, no changes will be made and the price of your tour will be fixed in your chosen currency.

We are unable to change the currency of an invoice once this has been issued.

Payments in US Dollars, Euros and Australian Dollars can only be made by debit/credit card (Visa and MasterCard).

At present, we are unable to accept bank transfers unless the payment is received in pound sterling.

Whether you enjoy travelling as a part of a small group with other like-minded adventurous travellers, or perhaps you are looking for your very own private journey on a tailor-made holiday, then we have the right option for you.

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Small Group Adventure Holidays

These are Undiscovered Destinations’ quality and often very pioneering scheduled small group tours with a maximum of 12 travellers (with the exception of our Congo River Expedition trip, our tours in Sudan and some of our West African tours which operate with a maximum of 16 travellers).

Our small group sizes mean that we can really get off the beaten track and discover corners of the world and people totally untouched by tourism. These are experiences often denied when you travel in a larger group.

You can book all of our small group tours online or call our office.

With Undiscovered Destinations you join an elite group of travellers. You are not just another tourist. Our small group tours are conducted with the utmost sensitivity towards the places that we are travelling through, ensuring that our environmental and cultural footprint is as small as possible.

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Private Journeys

If you prefer not to travel in a group, Undiscovered Destinations also offers a range of private journeys, perfect for the discerning traveller. Containing the same unique elements as our small group tours they are ideal for couples and for free-spirited travellers looking for their own taste of adventure.

Prices are based on a minimum of 2 travellers but tours are also available to solo travellers on request.

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Tailormade Travel

If you don’t see quite what you’re looking for in our group tours, then we are happy to create unique itineraries to suit your individual needs.

Unlike other operators we have done it ourselves, spending years out on the road. This means that we really do ‘know our stuff’. We have stayed at the hotels, travelled with the guides, eaten the food, hiked the volcanoes and discovered cultures untouched by the outside world. Our team have the perfect insight into what makes the difference between a good tour and an amazing travel experience.

Our wealth of experience and invaluable contacts mean that we are ideally placed to create a truly amazing tailor-made holiday adventure for you.

Our group tours will have the availability shown as either ‘Available‘ or ‘Guaranteed’.

‘Available’ means that the tour is available for you to book but that this departure date is not yet guaranteed to depart. It often means that we have not yet met the minimum number of travellers that are required to run the group tour.

Even if a tour is shown as ‘Available‘ it may well be that with your reservation we can guarantee the departure. Please call us to check.

‘Guaranteed‘ means that this group tour departure date will be departing as scheduled. It will have enough people booked on to operate and is definately going ahead.

Group Tour Ratings

To help you choose the perfect adventure holiday we have given each of our group tours a trip rating.

Our trips include the highlights of the destinations that we’re visiting, but these are often combined with some lesser known but equally fascinating sites. Our itineraries sometimes include an active element, maybe a walk or some trekking, as this can be the best way to experience some of the most fascinating areas of a country, far from where motorised transport can reach and where local culture is often at its most engaging.

Our itineraries have all been carefully selected and researched as we understand that often it’s the little and unexpected elements that can turn a good trip into an amazing trip. Where possible we allow flexibility to modify itineraries to fit in with local circumstances, for instance a visit to a nearby festival or or a local school.

All of Undiscovered Destinations itineraries have been given careful attention to in order to ensure that the niggles that are often associated with travel in out of the way places are ironed out as much as possible before you arrive.

We understand that although you want value for money this should not translate into a loss of quality. We aim to provide you with a quality experience rather than offer you the cheapest trip around. This doesn’t just relate to the itinerary but to the accommodation, inclusions, local guides and level of back up support.

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Tour Classifications

Our group tours and private trips are graded as either Pioneer or Traveller.

In addition, each itinerary is individually graded on fitness, off the beaten track, culture, history and wildlife, allowing you to see how each tour would suit your needs and interests.

Pioneer

On one of our Pioneer tours, you will be amongst an elite group of intrepid travellers and some of the first to explore a country that few have been privileged enough to discover. Of course, reaching such remote areas of the world will come with its challenges; it may mean several nights camping, long journeys by 4WD and the need to maintain a degree of flexibility for when carefully laid plans change. These are challenging tours in countries and areas that may have poor infrastructure, high levels of poverty and illiteracy. This can translate in to low standards in hotels, bad roads and poor driving standards among other issues. We try and smooth out as much of these issues as we can but you should be prepared to experience the bad with the good.

Traveller

Our Traveller itineraries are at the core of our programme. These journeys are designed for travellers who still want to discover a land far away from the tourist crowds but expect minimum standards. Accommodation will be primarily hotel based, although you could still find yourself camping, or the guest of a local family. Depending on the destination and itinerary, you’ll likely be travelling in a private vehicle, with occasional use of public transport.

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Individual Group Tour Ratings

Each of our tours is given an individual tour rating depending on the following five aspects.

Fitness – How physical is the tour? This is rated from 1-5 with 5 being the most physically challenging. If this is a concern, give us a call and we can talk through why the tour has a certain fitness level rating. All of our tours are suitable for any reasonably fit adult.

Off the beaten track – Can be an overused term. On many of our tours, the areas are remote and events far less predictable than on a conventional holiday. A higher off the beaten track rating can reflect the standards of health, safety and operational standards, particularly of hotels and transport, which often are not up to levels we have come to expect. We require that all the properties and transport we use comply fully with local regulations, but we do not guarantee the same standards as in your home country. Also a high off the beaten track rating can be reflected in the relative number of tourists that visit the country. So for example if  the off the beaten track rating is a 5 then it is likely that you are visiting a country with low relative tourism numbers. The lower the rating the more tourists you are likely to encounter.

Culture – Is there a lot of cultural activity on this tour? Rated 1-5 with 5 being the most cultural. The higher the rating the more the tours focuses on arts, festivals, beliefs and all other products of human work and thought.

History – Does the tour visit many historical sights? We have again rated this from 1-5 with 5 being the most historical. These will include UNESCO heritage as well as local archaeological sights, castles and forts and places of historical significance.

Wildlife – Is there a wildlife focus to this tour? The more that the tour focuses on wildlife, the higher the rating from 1-5 with 5 having the greatest wildlife focus. This can be trekking in a rainforest looking for Lemur in Madagascar, spotting the Ethiopian wolf or spending time with gorillas in Uganda.

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Each of our tours has a detailed dossier that you can request with a full day to day itinerary.

To help you choose the perfect adventure holiday we have given each of our tours a pace rating. These ratings are a description of the overall pace of the tour and should be considered along with the detailed daily tour itinerary.

Relaxed          

Relaxed tours are easy paced with plenty of leisure time built in. Although the tour will in all probability still be off the beaten track, in general on a relaxed pace tour you can enjoy mostly easy-going activities and experiences with opportunities to absorb the sights and immerse yourself in the local surroundings. On a relaxed paced tour you will have opportunities to do your own thing, whether that be walking or resting on the beach, wandering around a local market at your own pace, or taking time out to chat to locals.

Moderate

Moderate pace tours are ideal if you want a tour experience that combines exciting activities and experiences with some time to relax. Typically you will be active and busy for part of the day but then also have time to rest and recharge your batteries. On some tours the split between activity and relaxation may be more extreme. For example on some tours you could be doing some hiking in a national park in the morning and then have leisure time in the afternoon where you can relax by a pool or spend time on a beach or perhaps visit a local market at your own pace. On other tours you may be visiting historical sites for part of the day and then have some leisure time later in the day. In general on a moderate paced tour there may be some long journeys involved but the tour is not an expedition or a road trip.  On a moderate paced tour it may still be necessary to have some early starts.

Busy

If you like to be busy on holiday, with many days full of inspiring experiences and activities, then a busy paced tour will be for you. A busy paced tour means that you can expect to be doing, seeing or experiencing something new almost every day, and moving on from place to place to pack in as much as possible. There may be early starts, long journeys and tiring days along the way, but you’ll return home feeling you’ve really experienced as much as you possibly could. Even on busy paced tours there may be some time to relax but in general leisure time is limited. On a busy paced tour you may return home feeling as though you need a rest but knowing that you have packed as much in as possible in your time in the country or region that you have visited.

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Please note that these ratings are just a guide to assist in choosing a suitable tour. If you are in any doubt about the tour pace, we encourage you to get in touch with us at the office before booking your tour  where we will be happy to discuss the day to day programme so you can be sure that the tour meets your requirements. 

Financial protection and Quality Charter

We provide full financial protection for our package holidays.

Many of the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. But ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed on this website. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected.

Please see our booking conditions for information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: https://www.caa.co.uk/ATOL-protection/Consumers/ATOL-certificate/

When you buy a package holiday that doesn’t include a flight, protection is provided by way of a bond held by Undiscovered Destinations with ABTA.

Undiscovered Destinations is a member of the Association of Independent Tour Operators. The Association represents Britain’s leading independent tour operators and encourages high standards of quality and service. Undiscovered Destinations abides by the Association’s Code of Business Practice and adheres to the AITO Quality Charter which can be viewed on www.aito.com. Visit the website to find out more about the Association or call 020 8744 9280.

Passports

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are in possession of a full passport, valid for at least six months after the date of return to the UK.

We strongly advise that your passport contains a minimum of two blank pages, as this may be a requirement of the local immigration authorities. In addition certain countries will stipulate that the two blank pages are opposite each other. If you are unable to meet these requirements you may be refused boarding by your airline or denied entry by the immigration authorities.

For specific information about the requirements for your destination please check with the country’s embassy or consulate. Alternatively UK citizens can visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.

Visas

Many of our destinations have a visa requirement. It is essential you familiarise yourself with the requirements and when necessary allow sufficient time to obtain your visa in advance of travel.

At the time of booking we recommend that you contact the applicable embassy or consulate in your country of residence and check the latest requirements. If the destination concerned has no diplomatic representation in your home country then you should contact the closest embassy which covers the consular affairs for your country.

Some travellers may prefer to use a visa agency to handle their application and this can be beneficial when the destination concerned does not have an embassy or consulate in their home country.

In some cases a visa may be obtained on arrival. However, when possible we would recommend that the visa is obtained in advance as this will avoid unnecessary delays upon arrival, and possible complications in boarding your flight. It should be noted that airlines can be cautious about allowing passengers to travel unless they have obtained a visa in advance. This particularly applies when travelling from a country that has diplomatic representation.

The above advice applies in all cases except where there is confirmation from your own country’s foreign ministry that a visa can be routinely obtained upon arrival. In particular British travellers should refer to the information provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice). Travellers from the United States should refer to the information provided by the State Department (http://travel.state.gov/) and travellers from Australia should refer to the Department of Foreign Affairs (http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/).

Where visa support is required, i.e. a letter of invitation, this will be provided by Undiscovered Destinations once you have made your balance payment, due 10 weeks before travel. If you have not received the required support within 6 weeks of your departure date please contact us for further assistance.

Undiscovered Destinations can not assist in the actual application of visas, but you can do this through the embassy or with the support of an agent.

We do not recommend applying for any visa more than two months before travel, as the validity may be limited, and if you apply too early the visa may have expired before your date of entry.

Some countries refuse admission to travellers not meeting their accepted standards of dress or appearance (even if they hold a visa). Entry may also be refused to certain countries if your passport bears stamps or visas (valid or expired) for Israel.

Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct, current information in good time before departure and that you act on it.

At Undiscovered Destinations we insist that all of our passengers have travel insurance in place before they travel with us.  We do not sell this cover ourselves and leave the choice of policy and insurer up to you.  The advice below is from the Citizens Advice Bureau in the United Kingdom and applies specifically to UK residents, but is relevant to all nationalities.

Why take out travel insurance?

Travel insurance can protect you against the following things going wrong:

• cancelling or cutting short your trip for reasons beyond your control
• missed transport or delayed departure for reasons beyond your control
• medical and other emergencies
• personal injury and death
• lost, stolen or damaged items, including baggage, passports and money
• accidental damage or injury caused by you.

If you don’t have travel insurance you will have to pay out of your own pocket to deal with a problem while you’re away. Or you may lose money if you have to cancel a trip and can’t get your money back. This could cost you thousands of pounds.

Where can you buy travel insurance?

Travel insurance is widely available. You can buy it in the UK from:

• insurance companies
• banks
• retailers and supermarkets
• travel agents
• online comparison websites
• holiday companies.

Sometimes, travel insurance might be included as an extra service offered through your bank account or credit card. You should check how much you’re paying for this and what kind of cover it offers. For example, cover may be limited for your spouse or partner. It might be better to buy a stand alone policy.

Your travel agent may offer you travel insurance as part of a package holiday. You can opt for this if you want to  but you don’t have to buy this insurance. The travel agent is breaking the law if they try to make you take it out or charge you more for your holiday because you refuse to accept it. If this happens, you should get advice.

Undiscovered Destinations DOES NOT sell travel insurance or have any reciprocal agreements with travel insurance companies.

Before you buy holiday insurance

It’s important to get the right type of cover for your needs. Think about:

• where you’re travelling to. For example, if you’re travelling to or via the United States you will need extra medical cover
• how old you are. Travel insurance can cost more if you’re over 65. There are special policies for older travellers which may be worth looking at
• how often you travel. If you go away several times a year, it may be better to buy an annual travel policy rather than several single-trip policies
• what you’ll be doing while you’re away. You may need extra cover if you’re taking part in dangerous sports, such as skiing or scuba diving
• whether you’re travelling independently or on a package holiday. Package holidays usually offer you greater protection if things go wrong with transport or accommodation so you may not need to make a claim on your travel insurance
• how you’re travelling. Cruises and budget airline flights may not be covered by some insurance policies.

What cover should travel insurance include?

Your travel insurance should always include the following cover:

• medical expenses and cover for getting you home if you’re injured or fall ill abroad
• personal injury and cover for accidents or damage caused by you
• cover for lost or damaged items
• cover for lost or delayed baggage
• cover for cancellation or missed departure.

How much you pay for your insurance depends on the amount of cover you’re likely to need. You should never under-insure yourself just to save money. However, you may be able to keep costs down.

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

If you’re travelling in Europe, the EHIC allows you to get free treatment in public hospitals in many European countries. However, it won’t cover getting you home if you need medical help to return to the UK, so you shouldn’t rely on it as your only form of medical insurance.

More about the EHIC

Choosing the right insurer

The cheapest policy may not offer best value for money, so it’s important to check what the policy includes as well as how much it costs.

You can check what different policies offer and how much they cost by using an online comparison website. However, comparison websites usually only offer general cover. If you have particular needs, it may be better to find an insurer that offers specialist cover.

Other useful information

Free medical treatment in other countries https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health-and-social-care

Travel insurance for families with disabled and seriously ill children or young people through the Family Fund at www.familyfund.org.uk

Information on travel insurance for people with pre-existing medical conditions from Tourismforall at www.tourismforall.org.uk

Getting travel insurance if you have cancer from Macmillan Cancer Support at www.macmillan.org.uk

At Undiscovered Destinations, the safety of our passengers, staff and local operators is our major priority. With this in mind we monitor world events very closely. Undiscovered Destinations makes operational decisions based on informed advice from a number of different sources.

We have a duty to monitor the advice issued for each country by the British Foreign Office (FCO) and are aware that some of our destinations are subject to FCO warnings.

Many experienced travellers and those working in the industry take the view that the FCO tends to go on the side of caution, which is perfectly understandable given that the advice is aimed at all tourists. Rather than depend solely on this advice we prefer to also work closely with our local partners and plan our tours based on their sound experience and up-to-date firsthand knowledge.

For further information, visit the FCO website – Foreign travel advice

In most cases, Undiscovered Destinations will not operate a trip if the FCO ‘Advise against all travel’ to a particular country or area within a country. We will will always be willing to arrange an alternative holiday and/or date, should a warning ever be issued, after booking, advising against all travel to areas of the country which we feature in our programmes.

We also strongly recommend taking out travel insurance at the time of booking, which may offer some protection against such Government travel warnings.

Undiscovered Destinations believe that adventure travel does not mean taking unnecessary risks. The safety of our clients and of our local colleagues is paramount and non-negotiable.

Below we have listed other Government travel advisories that you may wish to consider depending on your nationality.

Australia

Canada

New Zealand

United States

World Health Organisation

 

You can find all of Undiscovered Destinations Covid-19 Travel Policies here – Covid-19 Travel Information

Flights for Group Tours and Tailor-made Holidays

Since we have passengers joining our group tours from different parts of the world, we do not include the cost of international flights in any of our tour prices.

All of our tours are priced on a ‘land only’ basis andUndiscovered Destinations is an ATOL bonded tour operator. If you would like us to arrange your international flights we can do this and we give an indication of flight prices alongside our tour prices. Give us a call to see what we can do.

Any flight prices specified in our brochure, in other promotional material and on our website relate to specific carriers and specific ‘booking classes’. This is a quota system used by airlines worldwide to determine the fare paid by the passenger. In common with many specialist operators, owing to the nature of our small group sizes we are unable to block book seats with the airlines and are dependent upon availability of the particular booking class at the time of booking. Therefore flights may cost more or less than the amount shown.

For this reason we strongly recommend early booking, as fares tend to rise nearer to the departure date. Furthermore, it is likely full payment of the fare will be required at the time of booking, after which cancellation conditions will apply. It is essential that you have valid travel insurance in place to cover possible unexpected cancellation.

It should be noted that airlines frequently change their prices and apply fuel surcharges, which are beyond our control.

If you are arranging your own flights, please do not book these until we have advised you to do so and your group tour is guaranteed to depart. As many flights are non-refundable and non-changeable, please take care when arranging your flights, to ensure your arrival and departure dates/times correctly correspond with your chosen trip.

At Undiscovered Destinations we are able to book most types of rail travel. Whether you want to travel by rail to get to your holiday or you want to include rail travel in your tailor-made holiday, then we would be happy to arrange this for you.

Have a look at our range of travel by rail holidays and get in touch.

I’m a single traveller – will I feel out of place?

In a word, no. We get a good mix of single travellers and couples on our group tours.

What sort of luggage should I bring?

Generally speaking a soft bag is better than one with rigid sides – they’re easier to fit into vehicles when you’re travelling. We generally don’t recommend hard sided suitcases or anything too big. We ask that you keep your luggage to a maximum of 20kg, and remember that there will be instances when you’ll need to carry it yourself.

What sort of people travel with UD?

There are no hard and fast rules about what type of people travel on Undiscovered Destinations’ group tours – we attract people from all ages, nationalities and walks of life. What you are likely to find though is that travellers share a similar outlook about travel. We tend to attract people with a curiosity about the lesser visited corners of our planet, people who are keen to really get away from the well trodden tourist trail and are seeking new and unique experiences.

Do I need travel insurance?

Yes, you do. We ask that all of our travellers are suitably insured, so that in the unlikely event that a problem arises, you’re covered. If you need help in obtaining insurance for some of the regions that we visit, please contact us and we’ll be happy to assist.

Is my money safe when I travel with you?

Yes it is 100% as we have financial protection through our ATOL and bonding in place with ABTA. Undiscovered Destinations hold an Air Travel Organiser’s Licence granted by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is ATOL 7232. Undiscovered Destinations are members of ABTA – The Association of British Travel Agents. You can be assured that we are committed to high standards and practices. See our Financial Protection page for further details.

Are you members of any other travel trade organisation?

Undiscovered Destinations are members of The Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) with membership number 5168. All AITO members are required to provide the highest level of customer satisfaction by concentrating on three main pillars: Choice, Quality and Service – as enshrined in the AITO Quality Charter.

Do I need to be fit?

For most of our group tours and tailor made holidays you do not need to be especially fit, but you’ll enjoy the tour more if you have a moderate level of fitness. If there are any special requirements we mention these in the country notes. Each tour has a fitnes rating from 1 to 5, with 5 being the most physically demanding.

What’s the accommodation like?

Our accommodation is carefully selected to add to your overall experience, and where possible is very comfortable. However, we believe that often the best option may not be a four star hotel in town but a small guesthouse overlooking a spectacular ravine, a traditional longhouse or a tented camp set amongst exquisite desert surroundings where the shadows of the campfire dance on the rocks behind.

There may be occasions where the accommodation for the group is very basic, perhaps without electricity or running water – this is often the reality of travelling in remote locations, but we believe it is a small price to pay for the rewards that such travel entails. We also, where practical, use hotels with a sense of history and connection with the destination.

What is the difference between ‘Available’ and ‘Guaranteed’ when showing availability?

Most of our small group adventure tours have the availability shown as either ‘available’, meaning the tour is available but not yet guaranteed to depart, or ‘Guaranteed’ meaning that the group has enough people booked on to operate and is definately going ahead. Even if a tour is shown as ‘Available’ it may well be that we can guarantee it with just your reservation. Call us to check.

Can I alter the tour?

On our scheduled departures this isn’t possible, simply due to the fact that you’ll be travelling with other people. However if you like the look of one of our advertised trips but want to tweak it slightly, then we can offer tailor made itineraries just for you, to accommodate your specific requirements.

What’s the transport like?

It varies according to the destination. We mostly use private 4wd vehicles or minibuses depending on the size of the group. The standard of these vehicles is not always what we would expect in the UK, however we do not compromise on safety and we typically use air-conditioned, well-maintained vehicles.There will be occasions when travelling by 4WD or minibus is not possible. In these instances we might make use of local trains (although this is fairly rare), or domestic flights. You should be aware that domestic airlines in some of the countries that we operate in, e.g. Democratic Republic of Congo, do not meet European safety standards – although we try to avoid these where possible sometimes there is simply no alternative. We also use a variety of other forms of transport, such as motor boats, canoes and on occasion the odd camel. We prefer to use private rather than public transport as this offers far more flexibility and results in a more enjoyable tour.

Couldn’t I do this on my own?

In some cases yes, you could. In others, for example our group trips in the Congo or Eritrea it would be extremely difficult if not impossible. Undiscovered Destinations specialises in more challenging countries and regions that are generally well off the tourist track – as a result of this the infrastructure is often lacking, making it very difficult for the independent traveller. Using our expertise and valuable regional contacts we can put together trips which get you to some very unique and exciting places, without you having to spend hours trying to contact hotels or arrange transport. In addition to this, our local guides are experts in the regions that they work in meaning that you’ll get far more insights into a country or culture travelling with Undiscovered Destinations than you would do by going it alone.

When do I need to book by?

This is a difficult question to answer – it’s hard to say how soon the trips will get booked up but we would certainly advise you to book your trip as early as possible to avoid possible disappointment. Some of the countries that we operate in have fairly lengthy visa application processes so you need to take this into account as well. In addition to this, the longer you leave it, the more expensive the international flights tend to be.

Can I provisionally hold a place on a tour?

If you need to check whether you can get the time off work or need to check something before committing to a tour, we can usually hold a place for you without a deposit for a maximum of 48 hours unless otherwise advised.

Can I transfer my deposit?

Fully transferable group tour deposits (excluding any flight payments which are always non-refundable). You can cancel your group tour booking up to 10 weeks before departure and not lose your deposit – we will put your deposit towards any new group booking as long as you travel within 2 years of the original departure date.

What staff accompany theses trips?

We use mostly local staff to lead and guide our trips – these people were born in the country that they work in and can offer excellent insights into local culture and traditions that many western leaders simply don’t have access to. However on occasion it may be necessary to send a western group leader, who will be highly experienced and knowledgeable about the destination. Any trips that involve camping are also accompanied by a cook to prepare meals, and some might include a camp crew to set up the camp itself. At certain places we may also use a local guide who is an expert in the particular site you are visiting. Check the tour dossier for each tour.

Is there an age limit?

No. As long as you are fit enough to do the trip then we’re more than happy to host you. If you have any specific concerns then please don’t hesitate to contact us and we’ll be happy to talk you through them. On our group tours you must be over 18 years of age. If you are aged over 80 at the time of travel we will require a medical form to be completed.

When on the first day should I arrive?

We recognise that people might be arriving on different flights from different parts of the world, and so we generally don’t schedule any activities on the first day. The guide will be on hand to meet you in the evening, and will leave a message to let you know when and where to meet.

I prefer not to travel in groups – can I still travel with UD?

Absolutely. If you’d like to travel privately then please contact us and we’ll be happy to arrange a tailor-made trip to your specifications.

Maximum group size?

To really keep our footprint small, our small group adventure holidays generally operate with a maximum size of just twelve people. Not only does this ensure that when we visit remote areas, we don’t overwhelm them with a sudden influx of many tourists, it also allows us to give each of you more attention and help in getting the absolute most out of your trip. It also means that we can use smaller, more authentic accommodation where appropriate and stay in many out of the way and unique places that simply cannot cater to larger groups. We also offer a wide range of private departures, giving our travellers excellent opportunities to meet and interact with local people. There are a small number of tours where the maximum group size is sixteen people, when you may be joined by travellers from companies other than Undiscovered Destinations.

What happens if my tour doesn’t reach the minimum group size?

Our group trips with some exceptions operate on the basis of a minimum of four confirmed clients. However, as we are a small operator, dedicated to working with and supporting our locally based teams, 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. Therefore, for a reasonable supplement we can normally operate the tour on a private basis, with just two clients. We believe that for tours of this type, given our high standards and the remoteness of the destination, they represent excellent value for money

What’s included?

We try to include as much as possible on our tours and don’t want to mislead our clients with low prices and then ask you to fork out for everything when you get there.

We include entrance fees and excursions as standard, although there might be the odd occasion where there are optional excursions which might not suit everyone – we leave you free to join or do your own thing in this case.

We also include more meals than most other tour companies. Typically breakfast and lunch are included most days, apart from when this isn’t practical, and if you’re staying at a lodge or somewhere which doesn’t offer much choice in the way of restaurants, then we usually include dinner as well. However where there are options for the evening meal, then we might leave this free – we recognize that some people might need ‘time out’ from the group to do their own thing in the evenings.

We always include transfers at the beginning and at the end of your group tour, on the arrival and departure dates of the tour. If you are arriving or departing outside the dates of the tour an additional charge for the transfer may apply.

At Undiscovered Destinations we are very happy to work with professional bona fide agents (members of ABTA, ASTA, AFTA etc.) both in the UK and overseas. If you believe that one or more of our exciting destinations may be of interest to your clients, please contact us to complete our travel agency agreement. We can supply brochures and you will always receive sound advice from our well-travelled team.

For those agents who deliver us new business we will be pleased to pay commission. Our commission structure is tiered. Levels increase depending on the number of bookings made with us. Our top performing agents receive the highest commission. We are unable to pay commission in respect of those bookings where the client has already been in contact with Undiscovered Destinations or who has previously been referred to us via an affiliate partner.

For those agents who have already done business with us we will be pleased to offer a discount for personal travel. Otherwise we do not offer discounts or commission in respect of personal travel.

Useful travel links

Are you looking at one of our small group adventure holidays but want to know what the weather will be like? Do you want to know how to offset your carbon footprint? or are you concerned about how many Haitian gourde there are to the pound? The links below may help…

www.bradtguides.com – Excellent guide book series

www.roughguides.com – In depth guide books

www.weatherbase.com – What weather to expect

www.fco.gov..uk – Latest travel advice from the Foreign Office

www.iatatravelcentre.com – a range of useful travel advice

www.travcour.com – Visa agency

www.visaswift.com – Visa agency

www.thetravelfoundation.org.uk– The Travel Foundation is an independent charity working with the travel industry towards a sustainable future.

www.climatecare.org– use the calculator to understand your carbon footprint and offset your business or personal carbon emissions.

www.xe.com/ucc – Useful converter for every currency in the world

www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk – UK Health Service travellers advice

www.abta.com – ABTA is the UK’s leading travel association

www.aito.com – the Association of Independent Tour Operators

www.caa.co.uk – We hold Air Travel Organiser’s Licence number 7232

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External links are selected and reviewed when the page is published. However, Undiscovered Destinations is not responsible for the content of external websites. This is because:

• Undiscovered Destinations does not produce them or maintain/update them
• Undiscovered Destinations cannot change them
• they can be changed without Undiscovered Destinations knowledge or agreement

Some of our external links may be to websites which also offer commercial services, such as online purchases. The inclusion of a link to an external website from Undiscovered Destinations should not be understood to be an endorsement of that website or the site’s owners (or their products/services).