Globe Drifters, Inc. (hereafter referred to as “GDI”, “we”, “us”, “ourselves”) accepts bookings subject to the following conditions. Except where expressly stated, these conditions only apply to tour arrangements booked by the client with GDI and which GDI agrees to make, provide, or perform (as applicable) as part of their contract with the client. All references in these conditions to “tour”, “booking”, “contract”, or “arrangements” refer to such tour arrangements unless otherwise stated. Please note, the information appearing on the website, in our brochure or any comparable sections, and any other relevant information on our website also form part of the client’s contract with GDI. References in these conditions to such sections include comparable sections or information on our website.

1. Your tour contract: The contract is between GDI and the client (“the client”, “you”, and “they” hereafter), being any person traveling or intending to travel on a tour operated by GDI including any person who is added or substituted after booking. Both contract parties agree that American (U.S.A.) law (and no other) will apply to your contract and to any dispute, claim, or other matter of any description, which arises between GDI and the client (except as set out below). Both parties also agree that any dispute, claim, or other matter of any description (and whether or not involving any personal injury), which arises between us, must be dealt with by the Courts of America. No employee of GDI other than a director has the authority to vary or omit any of these terms. No promise of a discount or refund will be binding on us unless confirmed by us in writing.

2. To secure your booking: (Please refer to Clause 17 “Late Bookings”) To secure a booking, GDI or their authorized travel agent must receive payment of the minimum deposit of 50% of the total deposit unless otherwise stated in writing by GDI, per person, (or full payment if booking within 75 days of the start of your tour or at an earlier stage for some tours). A higher deposit will be payable if any supplier(s) requires additional payment at the time of booking / prior to the balance due date. On occasions, full payment for a service such as extension tours may be required at the time of booking. The applicable deposit will be confirmed at the time of booking. All clients (including anyone who is added or substituted at a later date), whether booking in person, by telephone, via our website, by e-mail or facsimile, or by any other means, will be deemed to have agreed to the following four conditions:

a) they have read and accepted our booking conditions and general information pages. b) they appreciate and accept the risks involved in adventure travel. c) they do not suffer from any pre-existing medical condition or disability which may prevent them from actively participating in the tour – if you suffer from any medical condition or disability which will or may affect your tour arrangements, please contact us before making your booking as referred to in clause 9 below so that we can advise. d) the person making the booking warrants that he/she is at least 18 years old and has full authority to enter into a contract on the basis of these conditions on behalf of all persons named on the booking and confirms that all such persons are fully aware of and accept these conditions.

A booking is accepted and becomes definite only from the date when GDI issues a written confirmation to the client who makes the booking or their authorized travel agent. It is at this point that a contract between GDI and the client comes into existence.

For bookings made via our website, any acknowledgment of your booking request we send to you in the meantime is not a confirmation of your booking. Before your booking is confirmed and a contract comes into force, GDI reserves the right to increase or decrease prices.

If you book via our website, we will communicate with you by e-mail. You must accordingly check your e-mails on a regular basis. We may also contact you by telephone and/or post if we cannot, for whatever reason, contact you by e-mail. Certain documents may need to be sent by post. References in these conditions to “send” and “in writing” or similar include communication by e-mail. You should contact us by e-mail if you need to do so for any of the reasons mentioned in these booking conditions (for example, to request an amendment).

3. Payment for your tour: The balance of all monies due, including any surcharges applicable at that time, must be received by GDI or their authorized travel agent not later than 60 days before the start of your tour. For certain tours, full payment must be received at an earlier stage before the start of your tour. You will be advised at the time of booking when this is the case. In the case of non-payment of the balance by the due date, GDI reserves the right to treat your booking as cancelled and cancellation charges will apply. For flight inclusive bookings, all monies paid to any authorized travel agent of ours for your vacation with us will be held on behalf of and for the benefit of the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust subject to the travel agent’s obligation to pay such monies to us in accordance with our trading terms unless we fail. You can pay the deposit and full amount by check, credit or debit card. A credit card fee is not payable for the deposit payment. We reserve the right to increase this charge if the card issuer’s charges to us increase. We will advise you if this happens before taking any payment by credit card.

For any tour, including but not limited to a chartered cruise or boat accommodation of more than 3 nights, the final payment shall be due 110 days before the tour start date.

4. If you change your bookings: If you change your bookings, an administration fee of $300 per booking plus any additional costs or charges incurred by us or incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers will be charged if a confirmed booking is changed or transferred to a different departure date or tour, up to 120 days prior to tour departure. Thereafter all changes will be treated as cancellations and subject to the charges below. Changes are subject to availability. For an administration fee of $300 per booking, you can request a credit voucher for the amount paid with respect to any canceled booking. This must be redeemed within 6 months of issue against a new booking. The voucher is not transferable, can only be redeemed against one booking, and cannot be exchanged for cash. No refund or further credit voucher will be provided if the cost of the new booking is less than the value of the credit voucher. b) If a client is unable to travel, in circumstances which GDI considers reasonable, the booking or that client’s place on the booking may be transferred to another suitable person (introduced by you). However, the tour arrangements must remain the same as originally booked. If a transfer can be made, an administration charge of $50 per person transferring his/her place if GDI is advised up to your balance due date or $100 per person if advised after your balance due date, together with any costs or charges incurred by us or incurred or imposed by any supplier(s) in making the transfer must be paid before the transfer can be made. Any overdue balance payment must also be received. For flight-inclusive bookings, you must pay the charges levied by the airline concerned. As most airlines do not permit name changes after tickets have been issued for any reason, these charges are likely to be the full cost of the flight / an alternative flight.

5. Cancellation: Should the client wish to cancel, cancellation charges will be imposed. These are calculated from the day of written or verbal notification is received by GDI or their authorized travel agent. The cancellation charges shown below are those which will apply to all tours without exception.

a) 120 and more days before the tour start date – Refund of all money paid to GDI or switch to another tour minus a $300 non-refundable deposit. b) Less than 120 days before the tour start date – No refunds or changes.

Amendment charges are not refundable in the event of cancellation. In the event of the cancellation of a booking where the client is liable to pay GDI cancellation charges in excess of the amount already paid to GDI at the time of cancellation, the client cannot transfer or add these charges to another booking or use any amounts paid to us in relation to the canceled booking by way of part payment for another booking. Partial cancellation of a booking may result in additional costs being payable by the remaining clients. Please also see clause 4b)

For any tour, including but not limited to a chartered cruise or boat accommodation of more than 3 nights, there shall be no refunds once the tour is confirmed. The tour is considered confirmed once the required minimum number of bookings has been made. GDI shall inform the client in writing once the minimum number of bookings has been reached and the tour is confirmed. After the tour is confirmed, no refunds, credits, or changes shall be issued by GDI.

6. If you have a complaint: Should the client have a complaint about any of their tour arrangements, the client must tell both the relevant supplier and the GDI’s representative at the time. It is only if GDI and the relevant supplier are informed about problems that there will be the opportunity to come to a solution. Failure to complain on the spot may result in the client’s ability to claim compensation, if applicable, from GDI being extinguished or at least reduced. If the client’s complaint cannot be resolved on tour, they should notify GDI in writing within 28 days of their return from the tour. If the client has a dispute with GDI which we are unable to resolve, the client may call upon the low-cost AITO Independent Dispute Settlement Service (details on request). Claims which exceed $2,500 per person or $10,000 per booking or claims which apply principally or exclusively in respect of (or as a consequence of) illness or physical injury are not admissible for settlement under the service.

7. Passports, visas, and vaccinations: Clients are responsible for arranging, and must be in possession of, a valid, acceptable passport with 6 months validity from the tour start date and any visas and vaccination certificates required for the whole of their journey and tour. Information about these matters or related items (climate, clothing, baggage, personal gear, etc.) is given in good faith but without responsibility on the part of GDI. We regret that we cannot accept any liability if you are refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure on your part to carry all required documentation. If failure to have any necessary travel or other documents results in fines, surcharges, or other financial penalties being imposed on us, you will be responsible for reimbursing us accordingly.

8. Travel and cancellation insurance: Travel insurance is recommended for all clients whilst on a tour organized by GDI. Clients together with their personal property including baggage are at all times solely at their own risk. Clients are wholly responsible for arranging their own insurance. Clients are responsible for ensuring if they choose that they have alternative personal travel insurance with protection for the full duration of the tour in respect of medical expenses, injury, death, repatriation, cancellation, and curtailment, with adequate and appropriate cover. Clients making their own arrangements are responsible for ensuring that there are no exclusion clauses limiting or excluding protection for the type of activities included in their tour. Clients should satisfy themselves that all travel insurance purchased meets their particular requirements and should arrange supplementary insurance if needed.

Travel insurance is compulsory for certain tours due to the nature of the trip and the increased, inherent risk involved in that trip. GDI will inform the client if a tour requires travel insurance prior to and/or at the time of booking.  

For tours where travel insurance is compulsory, you will not be permitted to join the tour until evidence of travel insurance has been submitted to GDI within 30 days of the tour start date.

9. Tour participation and client responsibility: Clients agree to accept the authority and decisions of GDI’s employees, tour leaders, fixers, and agents whilst on tour with GDI. If in the opinion of any such person(s) or any other person in a position of authority (such as, for example, an airline pilot or hotel manager), the health, level of fitness, or conduct of a client at any time before or during a tour is endangering or appears likely to endanger the health or well-being of the client or any third party (including any other clients of GDI) or the safe, comfortable, happy progress of the tour, the client may be excluded from all or part of the tour without refund or recompense. Where a client is excluded, GDI will have no further responsibility towards the client (including any return travel arrangements) and will not reimburse any expenses or costs incurred as a result of the exclusion. In the case of ill health, GDI may make such arrangements as it sees fit and recover the costs thereof from the client. If a client commits an illegal act (including, for example, causing any damage), the client may be excluded from the tour and GDI shall cease to have any responsibility to/for them as above. No refund will be given for any unused services. When you book with us, you accept responsibility for any damage or loss caused by you or any member of your party. Full payment for any such damage or loss (reasonably estimated if not precisely known) must be made direct to the accommodation owner or manager or other supplier or to us as soon as possible. If the actual cost of the loss or damage exceeds the amount paid where estimated, you must pay the difference once known. If the actual cost is less than the amount paid, the difference will be refunded. You will also be responsible for meeting any claims subsequently made against us and all costs incurred by us (including our own and the other party’s full legal costs) as a result of your actions.

If you have any medical condition or disability which may affect your active participation in your tour or the tour arrangements of any other person or have any special requirements as a result of any medical condition or disability (including any which affect the booking process), please tell us before you confirm your booking so that we can assist you in considering the suitability of the proposed tour and/or making the booking. In any event, you must give us full details at the time of booking and whenever any change in the condition or disability occurs. You must also promptly advise us if any medical condition or disability which may affect your active participation in your tour or the tour arrangements of any other person develops after your booking has been confirmed.

10. If we change your tour: While GDI will do its best to operate all tours as advertised, it reserves the right to change and correct errors in any of the facilities, services, prices, or itineraries described in any brochures and/or on our the website at any time before or after your booking is confirmed.
Most changes are minor. Occasionally, we have to make a significant change. If a significant change has to be made, GDI will inform the client as soon as reasonably possible, if there is time before departure.

11. If we cancel your tour: GDI reserves the right to cancel a tour in any circumstances but will not cancel a tour less than 6 weeks before the start of the tour except for force majeure (see clause 13), or the client’s failure to make all payments (including the final balance and any surcharge) when due. If any tour does not have the minimum number of participants required to make it commercially viable, we are entitled to cancel it.

If we have to cancel, we will tell you as soon as possible. If there is time to do so before departure and the cancellation does not result from your failure to pay, we will offer you the choice of purchasing an alternative tour offered as a result of consolidation or another available tour from GDI (in either case, paying or receiving a refund in respect of any difference in price) or receiving a full refund of all monies paid to us. We regret that we cannot meet any visa, vaccination, or similar costs in the event of any change or cancellation by us. Similarly, as you are advised only to book fully flexible transport and other arrangements which can be canceled or changed without charge, we cannot pay any cancellation, amendment, or other charges you may incur in relation to any transport or other arrangements which you have to change or cancel as a result of the cancellation of your tour.

In addition, we will as a minimum, where compensation is due, pay you the compensation set out in clause 11 above depending on the circumstances and when the cancellation is notified to you or your travel agent subject to the following exceptions.

Compensation will not be payable and no liability beyond offering the above-mentioned choices can be accepted where (1) we are forced to cancel as a result of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which we could not have avoided even with all due care (such circumstances are likely to include those listed in clause 13 “Force Majeure”) or (2) we have to cancel because the minimum number of participants necessary for us to operate your tour has not been reached (see above). No compensation will be payable and the above options will not be available if we cancel as a result of your failure to comply with any requirement of these booking conditions entitling us to cancel (such as paying on time).

13. Force majeure: Except where otherwise expressly stated in these conditions, we regret that we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance or prompt performance of our obligations under our contract with you is prevented or affected by or you otherwise suffer any injury, damage, loss, or expense of any nature as a result of “force majeure”. In these conditions, “force majeure” means any event that we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events may include actual or threatened war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, disease, fire, and all similar events outside our control.

14. Our responsibility for your tour: Bookings are accepted with the understanding that clients appreciate and accept the possible risks inherent in adventure travel and that they undertake the tours, treks, or expeditions featured in our program of their own volition.

(1) We promise to make sure that the tour arrangements we have agreed to make, perform or provide, as applicable, as part of our contract with you are made, performed, or provided with reasonable skill and care. This means that, subject to these conditions and the other information which forms part of your contract with us, we will accept responsibility if, for example, you suffer death or personal injury or your contracted tour arrangements are not provided as promised or prove deficient as a result of the failure of ourselves, our employees, agents or suppliers to use reasonable skill and care in making, performing or providing, as applicable, your contracted tour arrangements. Please note, it is your responsibility to show that reasonable skill and care have not been used if you wish to make a claim against us. In addition, we will only be responsible for what our employees, agents, and suppliers do or do not do if they were at the time acting within the course of their employment (for employees) or carrying out work we asked them to do (for agents and suppliers). (2) We will not be responsible for any injury, illness, death, loss (including loss of possessions and loss of enjoyment), damage, expense, cost, or other sum or claim of any description whatsoever that results from any of the following: the act(s) and/or omission(s) of the client(s) affected or any member(s) of their party -or the act(s) and/or omission(s) of a third party not connected with the provision of your tour and which were unforeseeable or unavoidable or ‘force majeure’ as defined in clause 13 above (3) Please note, we cannot accept responsibility for any services which do not form part of our contract. This includes, for example, any additional services or facilities which any supplier agrees to provide for you where the services or facilities are not advertised by us and we have not agreed to arrange them as part of our contract. Any optional excursions or activities booked during your holiday do not form part of our contract as these are all arranged for you directly by the suppliers concerned – please see clause 15 Optional excursions and activities below. In addition, regardless of any wording used by us on our website, in any advertising material, or elsewhere, we only promise to use reasonable skill and care as set out above and we do not have any greater or different liability to you. (4) The promises we make to you about the services we have agreed to provide or arrange as part of our contract – and the laws and regulations of the country in which your claim or complaint occurred – will be used as the basis for deciding whether the services in question had been properly provided. Please bear in mind that standards of, for example, safety, hygiene, and quality may vary throughout the destinations, services and transport your tour involves and may be lower than or different from those applicable in the USA. If the particular services which gave rise to the claim or complaint complied with the local laws and regulations applicable to those services at the time, the services will be treated as having been properly provided. This will be the case even if the services did not comply with the laws and regulations of America which would have applied had those services been provided in America. The exception to this is where the claim or complaint concerns the absence of a safety feature which might lead a reasonable holiday maker to refuse to take the tour in question. (5) As set out in these conditions, we limit the maximum amount we may have to pay you for any claims you may make against us. We do not, however, limit or exclude our liability for death or personal injury caused by the negligence of ourselves or our employees (providing they were at the time acting within the course of their employment).

Where we are found liable for loss of and/or damage to any luggage or personal possessions (including money), the maximum amount we will have to pay you is $500 per person affected unless a different limitation applies to your claim under clause 14(6) below.

For all other claims which do not involve death or personal injury, if we are found liable to you on any basis, the maximum amount we will have to pay you is twice the price (excluding insurance premiums and amendment charges) paid by or on behalf of the person(s) affected in total unless a lower limitation applies to your claim under clause 14 (6) below. This maximum amount will only be payable where everything has gone wrong and you have not received any benefit at all from your tour. (6) Where any claim or part of a claim (including those involving death or personal injury) concerns or is based on any travel arrangements (including the process of getting on and/or off the transport concerned) provided by any air, sea, rail, or road carrier, the maximum amount of compensation we will have to pay you will be limited. The most we will have to pay you for that claim or that part of a claim if we are found liable to you on any basis is the most the carrier concerned would have to pay under the international convention or regulation which applies to the travel arrangements in question were that claim made against it. Please note: Where a carrier would not be obliged to make any payment to you under the applicable international convention or regulation in respect of a claim or part of a claim, we similarly are not obliged to make a payment to you for that claim or part of the claim. When making any payment, we are entitled to deduct any money which you have received or are entitled to receive from the carrier or hotelier for the complaint or claim in question. (7) Please note, we cannot accept any liability for any damage, loss, expense, or other sum(s) of any description (1) which on the basis of the information given to us by you concerning your booking prior to our accepting it, we could not have foreseen you would suffer or incur if we breached our contract with you or (2) which did not result from any breach of contract or other faults by ourselves or our employees or, where we are responsible for them, our suppliers. Additionally, we cannot accept liability for any expenses or losses incurred by or relating to any business including self-employed loss of earnings. (8) You must provide us and our insurers with all assistance that we may reasonably require. You must also tell us and the supplier concerned about your claim or complaint as set out in clause 6 if you have a complaint. If asked to do so, you must transfer to us or our insurers any rights you have against the supplier or whoever else is responsible for your claim or complaint (if the person concerned is under 18, their parent or guardian must do so). You must also agree to cooperate fully with us and our insurers if we or our insurers want to enforce any rights which are transferred.

15. Optional excursions and activities: We and our tour leaders and fixers may provide you with information (before departure and/or when you are on the tour) about optional activities and excursions which are available in the area you are visiting. We have no involvement in any such activities or excursions which are not run, supervised, or controlled in any way by us. They are provided by local operators or other providers who are entirely independent of us and they may or may not have their own public liability insurance. They do not form any part of your contract with us even where we suggest particular operators/providers and/or assist you in booking such activities or excursions in any way. Where a tour leader collects payment for or otherwise assists in booking any such activity or excursion for you, we and the tour leader act solely as booking agents for the local operator/provider of the activity or excursion with whom you will have a contract. The local operator/provider’s terms and conditions will apply. We cannot accept any liability on any basis in relation to such activities or excursions and the acceptance of liability contained in clause 14(1) of our booking conditions will not apply to them. We do not, however, exclude liability for the negligence of ourselves or our employees resulting in your death or personal injury.

We do not guarantee that any optional activity or excursion mentioned in our brochure, on our website, or elsewhere will be available to book during your holiday and/or will operate as advertised as these services do not form part of our contract and are not under our control. They may not be available for various reasons. Any prices given in advance are indicative only. We will not be liable if you cannot, for whatever reason, book any such activity or excursion or if the activity or excursion does not operate as advertised.

16. Flights/Transport/Delays: The timings of air, sea, road, or rail departures are estimates only. Subject to clause 11 “If we Change your Tour”, we cannot accept any liability for any change, cancellation, or delay in your transportation from or to the USA or during your tour whether any change, cancellation, or delay is caused by adverse weather conditions, rescheduling by a transport supplier, airline or airport authority, action by air traffic controllers, mechanical breakdown, industrial action or any other event or circumstance outside our control. Where long flight delays result in lost tour time, no refunds are given by hotels or suppliers. Similarly, except where the Denied Boarding Regulations apply, airlines do not offer compensation for flight delays. However, at their discretion, your carrier will endeavor to reduce the inconvenience of any delay by providing meals and accommodation, as appropriate for the time of day or night (dependent on local availability), if you are delayed for more than 12 hours. If you incur payments for any services in the event of a delay, GDI will not accept responsibility for payment unless we have given our prior consent.

If your flight is canceled or delayed, your flight ticket is downgraded or boarding is denied by your airline, depending on the circumstance, the airline may be required to pay you compensation, refund the cost of your flight and/or provide you with accommodation and/or refreshments under the EC Regulations No 261/2004 – the Denied Building Regulations 2004 where applicable you must peruse the airline for the compensation or other payments due to you. All sums you receive or are entitled to receive from the airline concerned by virtue of these Regulations represent the full amount of your entitlement to compensation or any other payment arising from such cancellation, delay, downgrading, or denied boarding. This includes any disappointment, distress, inconvenience, or effect on any other arrangements. The fact a delay may entitle you to cancel your flight does not automatically entitle you to cancel any other arrangements even where those arrangements have been made in conjunction with your flight. We have no liability to make any payment to you in relation to the Denied Boarding Regulations or in respect of any flight cancellation or delay, downgrading of any flight ticket, or denial of any boarding as the full amount of your entitlement to any compensation or other payment (as dealt with above) is covered by the airline’s obligations under the Denied Boarding Regulations. If for any reason, we make any payment to you or a third party that the airline is responsible for in accordance with the Denied Boarding Regulations, you must, when requested, assign to us the rights you have or had to claim the payment in question from the airline.

17. Late bookings: We emphasize the importance of making a booking at the earliest opportunity because of the small group nature of our tours.

For bookings received within 6 weeks of the start of your tour (or at an earlier stage for certain tours), we reserve the right to pass on any extra costs incurred.

For bookings received within 6 weeks of your tour (or at an earlier stage for certain tours), the contract between GDI and the client comes into existence as soon as full payment has been received by GDI or our authorized travel agent.

18. Brochure / Website / Advertising material accuracy: The information contained in our brochure, on our website, and in our other advertising material is believed correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of printing or publication. However, errors may occasionally occur and information may subsequently change. You must therefore ensure you check all details of your chosen tour (including the price) with us or your travel agent at the time of booking.

19. Data protection and privacy statement: For the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998, we, Globe Drifters Inc., are a data controller. In order to process your booking, brochure, and tour note requests, provide your tour, and help us give you a more personal service, we need to collect certain personal details from you. These details will include, where applicable, the names and contact details of party members, credit or debit card or other payment details, and special requirements such as those relating to any disability or medical condition which may affect the chosen tour arrangements and any dietary restrictions which may disclose your religious beliefs. If we need any other personal details, we will request them from you before we obtain them from you.

We need to pass on your personal details to the companies and organizations who need to know them so that your tour can be provided (for example your airline, hotel, other suppliers, credit/debit card companies, or banks). Such companies and organizations in America if your tour is to take place (or involves suppliers) outside these countries.

We would also like to store and use your personal details for future marketing purposes (for example, sending you a brochure or details of new features, tours, or special offers which we think may be of interest to you, including by email). All details you give us in connection with your booking (including those relating to any disability or medical condition or your religious beliefs) will be kept but we will use only names and contact details for marketing purposes (unless you have indicated that you do not wish us to do so. We respect your privacy and do not sell, rent, trade, or give away any of your personal information for any purpose.

Occasionally, we hire other companies to provide services on our behalf, for example to mail information to you.  We only provide those companies with the personal details relating to you that they require in order to deliver the service we ask them to deliver. They are prohibited from using that information for any other purpose. We will ensure that anyone to whom we pass your details, for this reason, agrees to treat it with the same level of protection we are obliged to provide.

If you do not want us to do any or all of these things, please let us know as soon as possible.
We will only deal with the personal details you give us as set out above unless you agree otherwise. We have appropriate security measures in place to protect this information.

You are generally entitled to ask us (by letter or e-mail) what details of yours are being held or processed, for what purpose, and to whom they may be or have been disclosed. We will charge a fee to respond to such a request. We promise to respond to your request within 40 days of receiving your written request and fee. In certain limited circumstances, we are entitled to refuse your request. If you believe that any of your personal details which we are processing are inaccurate or incorrect please contact us immediately.
As our privacy statement may change due to developments in the law, we would encourage you to reread our privacy statement from time to time so that you are aware of any changes in how we gather and use personal information.

Please note calls may be recorded for training and monitoring purposes.

20. Responsible Travel Policy: Globe Drifters, Inc.’s objective is to help people see new places semi-independently and affordably all while experiencing authentic travel. While traveling independently to any place can be great, there is almost always at least one experience during which the traveler wishes he or she had someone with whom to share it. We try to offer the best of both worlds, the chance for travelers to be with a group when they are feeling lonely, but also free time during which they can explore the area at their own pace. It is also our policy to offer quality optional activities and/or excursions during the aforementioned free time that we have personally vetted and approved. We believe that this type of almost independent travel gives people more chances to “live like a local” and experience the actual country’s culture rather than their own group culture. We feel that this creates a positive impact on the travelers themselves as well as the locals.