Frequently Asked Questions
- What can I expect from your tours?
- Why should I choose for Monsoon Adventure?
- Are there any demands to my health?
- Is there a certain age limit? Is this way of travelling suited for the elderly? Can children join?
- Is it possible for me to do this on my own?
- Do the hotels where we stay have a swimming pool? What about bathroom facilities?
- What sort of transportation will we be using during the tours?
- How much money will I need for meals and possible excursions?
- Should I take a suitcase or a bag / rucksack?
- If I book a group tour, is it certain that the tour will run?
- Does the price of your tours include international flights?
- Are there any hidden extra costs?
- I travel as a single, do I have to pay more for the room?
- What language do you use during the tour?
- Can you send me a brochure of your tours?
- Can I bring pens, balloons, etc. with me to give to children on the way?
- Do I have enough free time during the tour?
Q: What can I expect from your tours?
A: A journey for the adventurous minds where you will
get to know the original or “coleur locale” character of
a certain country and its people. Our tours stand for gaining new experiences
and you will do things or find yourself in situations in which you
would usually not be. This without losing sight of the safety aspect
of our guests during the tour. We try to restrict the possible negative
impact of tourism up to an absolute minimum. Respect for the country
we visit, its people and its local traditions and customs during the
tour are essential.
Adventurous travelling is generally also quite adventurous concerning trying local food, accommodation and local transport. From time to time it’s "back to basics." We strive however within the local possibilities for good average accommodation without losing the “coleur locale” of the visited country. Our goal is to "experience" the real character of the country and to be able to taste and feel how it is to live and to travel there.
Our tours are and have to be flexible as a consequence of the fact that we also visit the not yet discovered places by the public. Therefore a good infrastructure is not yet always present. That is also an important part of our adventure. Travelling through such untouched areas!
Q: Why should I choose for Monsoon Adventure?
A: With Monsoon Adventure you will:
- discover and experience the real Asia
- have an original and unique tour with authentic experiences
- get a high-quality tour and value for your money
- have a reliable travel partner with a real passion for Asia
- travel with respect for nature and people
To discover and experience the real Asia is the most important thing with our adventurous exploration tours. You can find more information about Monsoon Adventure on the page About Us.
Q: Are there any demands to my health?
A: Yes, there are minimum requirements to both the
physical and mental health of our guests, who want take part in our
tours.
Absolutely necessary is a normal health with an active mind. Walking
and bicycling are frequently standard components of the programme and are
most of the time the best way to get to know the character of a country.
From time to time we probably have to carry our own luggage.
Flexibility and a positive and social attitude are a must and are also
expected.
Q: Is there a certain age limit? Is this
way of travelling suited for the elderly? Can children join?
A: With respect to the age of our guests, there is
not a minimum or maximum age limit. We think that your age doesn't’t
really matter, as long as you’re willing to participate, experience
new cultures, and enjoy yourself. As long as you’re fit enough
to take part in the tour, then you’re more than welcome. Therefore
for us it is more important that you are: adventurous, flexible, have
a positive attitude and enjoy travelling and you are a member of the
group. Essential is that you are open for new places and cultures with
different traditions and customs.
We don’t however take children on our tours because of the adventurous
nature of our tours. Teenagers may be allowed to join if they are accompanied
by a parent who accepts full responsibility for them.
The average traveler on our tours is between 30 and 70 years old.
Q: Is it possible for me to do this on my
own?
A: Yes, you probably could do. But you will probably
need a lot more time to arrange everything like your accommodation
and your transport. Some of the places we visit are also difficult
to reach by public transport.
We have also some extras in our programmes that you will not find in
the travel guide books.
Q: Do the hotels where we stay have a swimming
pool? What about bathroom facilities?
A: Sometimes the hotels will have swimming
pools, but often they won’t. We think that as you’re booking
an adventure tour, you’re more interested in getting out and exploring
and discovering than hanging around the pool. This discovering and experiencing
of the local atmosphere is one of the important elements in our philosophy
for our tours. We do not try however to lose our sight of "comfort".
Most of the accommodation we use do have en-suite bathrooms with toilet
plus shower or bath. But facilities can also be more basic, as are facilities
at homestays, jungle houses, rafthouses or other ethnic accommodation. You'll
probably encounter both western and squat style toilets. Standards will
vary widely depending on the region we visit.
The accommodation during our tours is utmost important to us and we aspire
to provide a good average quality.
You can find more information about accommodations on the Practical
Information page.
Q: What sort of transportation will we
be using during the tours?
A: We will use public transport and also private transport.
Trains, boats and all other possible means of public transport are
used to bring a change and new perspective in the tour. By using private
transport your personal comfort and freedom are guaranteed.
Do keep in mind that transportation in Asia can be from a very different
standard than we are used to in the West. The condition of the roads can
sometimes also be quiet "adventurous".
We give much attention to the safety, reliability and the comfort of
the different means of transport during our tours.
You can find more information about the transportation on the Practical
Information page.
Q: How much money will I need for meals
and possible excursions?
A: It is always difficult to give a clear answer on
this. Different people spend their money in different ways on food,
drinks, souvenirs, etc. Everybody has its own wishes and preferences.
A "normal" average is 20 Euro per person per day. Luckily
in many countries it is possible to get money from money-machines (ATMs)
or from changing money or traveler's cheques.
Q: Should I take a suitcase or a bag / rucksack?
A: You can take a suitcase with you but you will notice
that a bag or rucksack is a lot more practical to carry during traveling
and also onboard buses and trains. A water resistant cover is very
handy in the rainy season! Suitcases with wheels are made for nice
even pavements in developed countries. We will not find these most
of the time on our tours!
Q: If I book a group tour, is it certain
that the tour will run?
A: We need a minimum of six persons to run our group
tours. As long as we get this minimum number of guests booked, then
your tour will go ahead. The maximum number for a tour is 12
persons.
Occasionally, of course, political situations and other factors may mean
that it’s not possible to run a tour but this is very rare.
In case a tour is not possible to run due to not enough participants,
then the booked participants will be informed of this at the latest 4 weeks
before the departure date of the tour. This way you will have sufficient
time to choose another tour or holiday. If a tour does not run because of
too few participants, then the booked participants will be reimbursed their
paid advance for the full 100%.
Q: Does the price of your tours include
international flights?
A: No, the prices on our Web site are for the tour
only, from start point till finish point as mentioned in the programme
of each tour. International flights to the start point of the tour
and from the finish point of the tour are not included. Local or regional
flights which are part of the programme are included in the tour price.
More details are mentioned with each tour programme.
Q: Are there any hidden extra costs?
A: No, there are no hidden extra costs! During the
tour there are no unexplainable extra costs.
The price of the tour covers everything except meals not mentioned in
the programme, visas costs, travel insurance, airport taxes, local tips,
optional excursions and personal expenditure.
All accommodation and all transport during the tour
is included. English speaking Tour Leader
is included.
Local tips for drivers, guides, hotel staff, etc. are not included in
the tour price. Your tour leader will give you advice
on where it is appropriate to tip and how much to tip. You can also find
more information on the page Joint Kitty.
At each tour description you can read exactly what is included in the
tour price.
Q: I travel as a single, do I have to
pay more for the room?
A: Not if you don't want to. On all our tours a Single
Supplement is optional and you can pay this if you really want to have
a room for yourself alone. If you do not want to pay a Single Supplement,
then we will organize that you have a room with another group member
(of the same sex) with who you will share the room during the tour.
Q: What language do you use during the
tour?
A: Our programmes are offered worldwide. On our group
tours most of our travelers come from European countries and also from
other Western countries like Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the
US. Therefore the Tour Leader will be English speaking and the language
used during the tour will be English.
Q: Can you send me a brochure of your
tours?
A: No, we are afraid not. We do not print brochures.
You can find all information on our Web site. Every year many travel
companies print thousands and thousands of brochures, and many will
be just thrown away or have to be recycled. This is an enormous waste
of natural resources. Even if the paper comes from "sustainable" plantations.
These plantations could better be turned into natural forests or into
farms to improve the food supply of the local people.
Q: Can I bring pens, balloons, etc. with
me to give to children on the way?
A: No absolutely not, even if your intention is good.
It is our opinion that giving money, candy and other presents to children
causes more harm than good. Parents will even keep their children from
school because of this. It encourages begging. We support a few projects
who help children and other disadvantaged people. There are alternatives
to help in a useful way and for the long term to do good in a positive
spirit. See also our suggestions regarding begging and the organizations
we support on our Responsible
Travel page.
Q: Do I have enough free time during the
tour?
A: This depends on the chosen tour. We strive to create
enough personal individual freedom for our guests. By this to have
the opportunity to fill the program with activities which one likes
and wants to do. Our tours are organized in such a way that there is
a balance between your personal freedom to explore and the activities
of the group with similar minded co-explorers and a relaxed holiday.
We also believe that our travel
philosophy and our way of traveling the perfect way is to explore
the character and atmosphere of your chosen country.
On the shorter tours it is unavoidable that we have some long traveling
days. Sometimes we have also little free time as a consequence to see as
much as possible on these shorter tours. However this is limited to the
absolute minimum!
Sometimes meals and visits are included, this to guarantee a smooth progress
of the programme and to avoid unnecessary loss of time.
Other questions?
If you have other questions which are not answered here or which
you can not find on our Web site, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Experience the real Asia with the Monsoon Adventure Group Tours.
