Accommodation
We generally offer a choice of first class and comfortable tourist class accommodation, which assumes en suite or private bathroom or toilet facilities. Where this is not possible, which can be the case in some remote areas, we draw attention to the fact in the tour description. Accommodation is based on a standard twin or double-bedded room unless otherwise stated. Triple or higher category rooms can be secured at many of the hotels for a supplement. Please note that check-in at most hotels is not until midday and you will be expected to vacate your room usually between 1000 and 1200 hours. If the hotel is not full it may be possible for early check-in or late check-out arrangements to be made, and a charge is usually applicable. Please note that hotels in some countries charge local room taxes of US$1 or 2, which must be paid locally.



Aircraft Seating
Although we are pleased to make requests for seats in specific positions, under no circumstances are we able to guarantee such seats; airlines can change their configuration and programmed aircraft for operational reasons, sometimes at very short notice.



Air Tickets
All air travel included in our tour rates is in economy class. Please ask us if you would prefer to travel in business or first class. You will normally be travelling on inclusive tour air tickets, which cannot be changed. Under exceptional circumstances it may be possible to alter the return date of your ticket, but this can only be done with the agreement of the local airline office and usually at an additional cost to the traveller. In case of extreme emergencies (e.g. illness) new tickets may have to be obtained, and the extra costs involved then claimed on insurance. If you are travelling on PEX or APEX fare tickets any changes will result in substantial cancellation and rebooking fees



Airport Taxes
In all Latin American countries an airport tax is payable on departure. UK departure tax is included in those tour itineraries that include transatlantic flights.



Air Travel within the UK
All transatlantic flights departing the UK that are shown in our tour itineraries leave from London Gatwick or Heathrow Airports. Special add-on fares are available from many British airports. Certain airlines make no extra charge from certain domestic airports. Please enquire for details.



Baggage
Generally, the free baggage allowance is as follows: economy class 20 kgs or 44 lbs (or in some cases the two-piece concept, whereby two items not exceeding certain dimensions can be transported), business class 30 kgs or 66 lbs, first class 40 kgs or 88 lbs. In Latin America some operators of excursions have smaller baggage allowances, letting you take one piece of luggage and storing the rest for you until your return. We will make every effort to advise you of such situations in your documentation.



Car Hire
In Latin America car hire is considerably more expensive than in Europe or the USA, and is not always advisable. Please contact us for details



Children
Many airlines and hotels in Latin America offer favourable rates for children travelling with their parents. These rates differ greatly from one hotel to another, and are available on request



Climate
Please see the individual country sections and our separate climate tables.



Clothing
Generally, lightweight casual cotton clothing is the most suitable during the day and for touring. In case of cool evenings, a light jacket or sweater is advisable. As for evening wear, a tie and jacket are preferred for gentlemen, and dresses for ladies, in many first class hotels and restaurants. For tours to the far south of Argentina and Chile we recommend warm clothing, even during the summer months



Electricity
Where we show details of the electrical current for each country, please note that this refers to main towns and hotels. In more remote areas electricity is produced by a generator and is only provided for a certain number of hours per day



Extras
Not included in our prices are visa fees, airport departure taxes (except in the UK) or porterage; any incidental costs that you may incur during your stay - such as drinks, laundry or telephone calls - must be paid directly to the hotel on your departure. Local hotel taxes and National Park entrance fees, especially in Costa Rica and in the Galapagos Islands, must be paid locally.



Foreign Currency, Travellers' Cheques and Credit Cards
You are advised to carry American Express US$ travellers cheques and US dollars to all Latin American countries. In some instances it is actually very difficult to obtain the relevant currencies in advance, and dollars are often regarded as an unofficial second national currency. Most major credit cards are accepted in better hotels, restaurants, shops and car hire companies in Latin America. Their use is becoming more widespread amongst travellers as they can be used in cash dispensers in most cities; exchange rates are often more favourable, too, and charges lower than those on cash and travellers cheque transactions. We suggest you ask our local agents and tour guides for the latest advice on how and where to change money.



Guides
Latin America Travel clients are met and accompanied by local English speaking guides for their airport transfers and excursions, with transport usually in a private car or minibus. When we refer to shared services, clients will usually be accompanied by other travellers



Health
No compulsory health requirement is currently in force if travelling to the countries mentioned on this website, although many countries require passengers to hold valid Yellow Fever certificates if you are arriving from either Peru or Bolivia. However, the Department of Health recommends protection against yellow fever, tetanus, polio, Hepatitis A and typhoid, and produces a useful booklet entitled "Health Advice For Travellers" (T5), which is available free  of charge from your doctor, ABTA travel agent or our offices; further advice can also be found at their website www.doh.gov.uk/traveladvice/.

We must emphasise that as requirements may change at short notice, you are responsible for ensuring that you take advice from your GP, Practice Nurse, a travel health clinic or appropriate medical authority, whom we believe are better placed to guide you on these matters as each person may have different and specific requirements in line with their health. Whenever possible, t his should be done at least eight weeks before you are due to travel. Health information can also be found through www.abta.com/healthy.html Please remember that travel health advice often changes. In our 'Useful Links' section there is a list of sites that you may find of interest and are provided as an informative tool only



Hotel Information & Tourist Literature
Unfortunately, we cannot illustrate every hotel that we are featuring, but we do have some individual brochures that we would be pleased to send on request. Please note, however, that we cannot take responsibility for the accuracy of descriptions contained within such publications



Hotel Reservations in London
In certain cases departure from London will be early in the morning and we will therefore be pleased to offer a hotel reservation service for overnight stays in London or airport hotels at competitive prices



Jungle and Eco Tours
Whilst every precaution is taken by rainforest lodges and other eco-tour organisers to ensure high levels of comfort for their guests, it must be remembered that some accommodation and transport in remote areas is rustic, and infrastructure is not on a par with that of more developed nations.



Languages
The major language in all countries featured in this brochure is Spanish, with the exception of Brazil, where Portuguese is spoken. English is generally only spoken or understood in better hotels, restaurants and some shops in the major cities and resorts.



Meals
With few exceptions, breakfast - usually in buffet style - is included in our room rates. Where meals are included in our programme, these are on a table d'hote basis and are invariably full and varied; if preference is for an a la carte service such meals have to be paid for in full and we regret that there will be no allowance on the costs of the table d'hote meal not taken. If you have special dietary needs, e.g. vegetarian, then please inform us at the time of booking. When eating in restaurants it is generally better to avoid uncooked foods, including salads and unpeeled fruit. Do not drink tap water, only filtered or bottled mineral water.



Overseas Agents
In all of the countries featured in this programme, Latin America Travel has its own agents, who are also there to assist in case of emergencies. Full details, including addresses and telephone numbers will be provided with your final travel documents.



Passports and Visas

A full and valid passport is essential and must he valid at least 6 months beyond the intended stay. At the present moment there are no visa requirements for UK nationals staying for a period of up to one month in the countries featured in this brochure, except Venezuela, where a Tourist Card is required (available from your airline before departure). Please note this information could change, and that you are responsible for ensuring that your travel documents (i.e. passport and vaccinations etc) are in order.

Some travel arrangements may involve flight connections via the USA.  Please note the following: US REQUIREMENT FOR BIOMETRICS. The US Senate has passed a bill delaying the requirement for all new passports to contain biometric identifiers until 26 October 2005, following extensive trade lobbying. This does not change the 26 October 2004 requirement for all passengers to have individual machine-readable passports, failing which they must obtain a visa. Members should consider passing this information on to clients to ensure that those clients are fully aware of current entry requirements. There is passport and visa information on the US Embassy website ( www.usembassy.org.uk ) but please note that at the time of writing  (29th July 2004) this had not been updated to show the new date agreed by the US Senate.

US VISA PERSONAL INTERVIEWS. Effective 9 August 2004, virtually all people requiring visas to travel to the USA will be required to attend a personal interview in London or Belfast. The exceptions are as follows: applicants under 14; applicants aged 80 and over if they are a UK or EU passport holder, providing they do not have a criminal conviction; and diplomats and government officials travelling on official business. This means that persons under 16 and over 59, who formerly could apply for a visa by post, plus those renewing visas, must all attend a personal interview. For details, please see www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_web/aug92004.htm



Political Situation
Some Latin American countries have in the past experienced instability, but it is fair to say that the countries we feature all now enjoy a settled political climate. Substantially increased foreign investment and closer association with the European Community indicate a consolidation of this stability.



Personal Service
We have local agents in Latin America who have been appointed to assist wherever necessary.



Personal Security
Your holiday will be one to remember for all the right reasons providing common sense is exercised throughout and normal caution is taken. All over the world, and not only in our featured countries, poverty and urban development lead to social problems. Tourists are rarely affected, but when they are an element of predictability was usually involved; jewellery and unnecessary luxury items should be left at home, and if you must take them, try not to flaunt them in a manner that could be regarded as provocative. Hotel safety deposit boxes are nearly always available and should be used. The Foreign Travel Advice Unit may have issued information about your destination. You are advised to check on BBC2 (Ceefax), page 470 onwards, or on the Internet under http://www.fco gov.uk/. Alternatively you can contact the ABTA information department on 0901 2015050 (calls charged at 50p/minute).



National or regional Public Holidays and Feasts, in addition to Christmas, New Year and Easter

Single Room Supplements
Hotel rooms in Latin America invariably have two beds and rates are per room, not per person. The single room supplements refer to clients staying in a single room but who are booking our tour arrangements with at least one other person, that is to say they are not travelling alone. In this way they are sharing the cost of transfers and tours with their friends or family, but paying a single room supplement to stay in their own room.



Single Travellers
Many of our tours can be booked by one person travelling alone. The considerably higher tour rates in such cases take into account not only the single room supplement but also the guided transfers and tours that are being organised for one person only. In many cases these high costs can be reduced by sharing such services, if they are organised on a group basis. This is often possible depending on the day and destination. Please ask us for details.



Special Requests
Any special request that you may have, such as ground floor bedroom, or assistance at the airport, must be advised at the time of booking. If you require such requests to be a condition of your acceptance of this holiday and in variation to this contract, this will only be accepted if you receive written confirmation from us that such requests have been confirmed by the carrier or hotel.



A Final Word
Whilst every endeavour is made to ensure that your travel plans run smoothly there can be times, thankfully infrequent, when arrangements can go askew due to local circumstances of which we are unaware and over which we have no control. Such unforeseen problems must be communicated to us or our local agencies immediately, so that every effort can be made by the company and its local agents to minimise any damage and to resolve the situation speedily.