When we pay our international operators for the services they provide for us, we pay either in US$ or EUROS, or sometimes in the currency of the country in which we are traveling (e.g. Australia). This becomes our FIXED CURRENCY and we guarantee the cost of the trip in this FIXED CURRENCY. The Fixed Currency cost of each tour is listed in red in the brochure.

Please Note:
1. We are a Canadian company and will gladly accept Canadian dollars for the Fixed Currency cost, at our current exchange rate at the time of payment(s).

2. Once final payment is made, the cost (with the exceptions noted in the terms and conditions click here) is guaranteed and there will be no currency exchange adjustments.

Credit Cards Accepted
When you book directly with us, we accept Visa or Mastercard for trip deposits and final payments.

Single Travellers
If you wish to have guaranteed single accommodation, the single supplement will be listed in the detailed trip itineraries. If you are traveling alone and you are willing to share, we will attempt to match you up with an appropriate roommate. For most trips, if we can’t, you’ll be guaranteed a single room at no extra cost. Please note that on certain trips we will not be able to offer this no extra cost guarantee. In such an event, this exception will be clearly outlined in the detailed trip itinerary.

Tipping Included
You have told us that tipping is a major inconvenience and aggravation. We agree! You may relax, for your Quest tour leader will take care of tips for porters, food servers, guides, drivers, etc.

Smoke-free Travel
We want your trip to be as smoke-free as possible. Since more than 90% of our tour participants are non-smokers, our smoking policy is clear. No smoking in the vehicles, at meals, or near the group. If we have placed two participants together in a room, and one is not a smoker, then the room is designated as non-smoking.

Please Note: Quest Nature Tours always requests non-smoking rooms at the hotels; however, we cannot guarantee that they will be available on arrival.

Future Travel Discounts
We appreciate your continued confidence with us. Therefore, on every third tour that you confirm with us, you will receive a 5% discount on the published cost of that tour. Our reservations staff will maintain a record of your tours booked with us and will automatically include the discount on your final invoice. In addition, past clients can still use their Worldwide Quest Explorer’s Club dollars in the value of C$100 per person until they are used up. This applies to all programs listed in the current Quest Nature Tours’ brochures with a value of C$1000 or more.

Toll Free Phone Number - 1-800-387-1483
Whether it’s to call for information, or to check on something after you have booked a trip with us, it won’t cost you a dime. Simply call us toll free from anywhere in North America or online at: www.questnaturetours.com

We are the Experts in Nature Travel

Expert Reservations Staff
We are committed to providing you with the most authoritative and up-to-date information as possible. We’ve done this by sending our staff on many Quest tours. Recently they have travelled to Antarctica, the Arctic, East Africa, Galapagos Islands, Peru, Cuba, and India. When you call our office, you will be talking to an expert in both nature travel and Quest’s many International and Canadian destinations.

Expert Trip Leaders
We have always said that our strength is our tour leaders. We choose them very carefully, not only for their natural history knowledge, but also for their ability to share it with you. They enjoy being with people, are efficient, skilled travellers and will make sure that you have a great time.

Unique, Custom Itineraries
Organizing tours to remote corners of the world is often complex, and requires local expertise and realistic planning. By doing our homework, and fully researching our trip itineraries, we travel to the best places at the times when nature is at its peak. With Quest it is possible to travel to “off-the-beaten-track” destinations while still enjoying the good life: comfortable accommodations and good food.

Our Tours Are Not Tests of Stamina
Although our tours are active, they do not normally include strenuous activities, if they do they will be fully described in the tour's detailed itinerary. If you require any additional information for yourself, or your medical doctor, to make an informed decision about your ability to fully participate, please call the Quest office. The minimal requirements would be to walk at an easy pace, with frequent stops, for up to two hours sometimes in strong sun, and over uneven and sometimes hilly trails.

You should also be able to take part in the daily bus seat rotation, climb two flights of stairs and meet the schedule as outlined in the itinerary.

If, while on tour, any personal limitations prevent you from fully participating in the advertised activities impeding the progress of the trip or the enjoyment of others, we reserve the right to have our leader make the decision to withdraw you from the tour. In this case, you will be returned to the hotel or to your home country at your own expense.

Easy:
We will be walking at a leisurely pace, with frequent stops, for two or three hours at a time on well-prepared paths.

Moderate:
We will be walking at a leisurely pace, with frequent stops, with longer days in the field, and probably some uneven and moderately inclined trails.

Difficult:
We will have strenuous hiking, with few stops, on uneven, rough or hilly ground for most of the day.

If you have any questions about your ability to participate in any of our tours, please call the Quest office.

Accommodation
On each of our international land tours we use hotels, inns and lodges that are classified as 3 and 4 star properties. At times, we may use 5 star hotels. The rooms, unless clearly stated in the detailed trip itineraries for each tour, have private bathrooms and twin beds. On most of our expedition cruises, there is a selection of cabin categories available. Please refer to the detailed trip itineraries for a full description of accommodations.

Transportation
The vehicles we use on our international tours vary according to the country and the size of our group. For example, in East Africa we use 10 passenger pop top vans with a maximum of 6 participants in each. In Cuba, we hire medium sized air conditioned buses, some with washrooms on board. In Australia and New Zealand, our operator provides comfortable 20-22 seat mini buses. Please refer to the detailed trip notes, available for each tour, for a full description of the vehicles we plan to use on the trip.

We’ll Look After You
Once you’ve sent in your deposit, we’ll take care of all the details and send you comprehensive information about your tour. Your final documents will include bag-gage tags, and a final itinerary with emergency telephone numbers.

References Are Available
We pride ourselves on the number of participants who have enjoyed our tours so much that they travel with us again and again. Many of them are also happy to talk to you about the tours they were on. If you would like to discuss a specific tour with one of our participants, please call us and we'll set it up for you.