Travel with Confidence

When travelling with Explore, you can rest assured we’re doing everything possible to keep you safe. The nature of adventure travel, and some of the destinations we visit, can present some inherent risks, but here’s what we do – and what you can do – to make sure you have a safe and memorable trip.

Here at Explore, we closely monitor the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advice, making sure we only visit permitted safe travel areas.  We have a highly experienced Product team who ensure our strict safety guidelines and procedures are met before a trip is put on sale. We conduct thorough assessments of potential risks associated with our destinations and our trips, including transport, accommodation and activities, and require our suppliers to go through thorough stringent safety checks and sign offs.

In-country, we have excellent local partners and tour leaders who provide essential local insights for safe travel in their destinations. Our expert tour leaders will be with you for the duration of your trip and are fully trained in safety and emergency procedures; your safety is their priority.

A few safety tips

Before you travel

Read your Trip Notes carefully as these contain important information to help you prepare for your tour, including any entry requirements, a packing list that includes necessary equipment, and weather advice.
Check that your passport is up to date and has the correct validity for your destination. Make sure you’ve completed the emergency contact page in your passport. 
Take photocopies of your documents and keep them separate from the originals. 
Check all the entry requirements for your destination, including entry, health, and visa regulations, and ensure you have all the recommended vaccinations and medication. 
Carry any medication in your hand luggage. If there are any issues with your luggage en-route, medication can be difficult to replace or obtain in certain locations. 
If you have any pre-existing medical conditions or allergies, please advise our sales team at the time of booking so we can inform our local team to ensure they are prepared.
Read through the relevant destination pages on your government travel advice websites, which provide advice on safety and security including local laws and customs, entry requirements, and health, as well as general information.

Here are some of the main websites –
British Foreign Office Travel Advice
Canadian Consular Affairs Bureau 
The U.S. Bureau of Consular Affairs 
Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade  
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Other nationalities should consult their own government webpages.

While on holiday

Your tour leader will brief you on potential risks and local customs. 
Your accommodation – We recommend you keep your doors locked, close your windows, use the safety deposit box, check the evacuation routes and your nearest fire exit, use shower mats and follow the swimming pool rules.
Your transport – Please wear your seat belt at all times, place your hand luggage in a safe place and don’t walk around vehicles when in motion.
Your itinerary – We ask you to follow all instructions given by your leader or specialist guide, use safety equipment provided, consider how strenuous the activity is and whether you are physically prepared enough to safely participate.
Your belongings – Don’t leave them unattended at any time, this includes in your room, on a bus or next to a pool; don’t flaunt expensive belongings and be cautious around ATMs and money exchanges. 
Your free time – Your tour leader will provide recommendations of what to do in your free time and will outline any areas to avoid. If taking taxis, we recommend you only use authorised taxis, preferably from an official taxi rank. We have safety checked all the included and optional activities that are listed in your Trip Notes; however if you’d like to participate in any activities that are not advertised in our Trip Notes, please be aware that these will be at your own risk and your tour leader isn’t able to assist with bookings. 
Our tour leaders are trained in basic first aid, carry emergency contact details with them and are aware of local medical care facilities in each region.
In the rare case of something not going to plan, our tour leaders and local partners are trained to support and assist you.
We have a dedicated 24-hour emergency team in the UK ready to step in and assist if needed.   '

Your safety and enjoyment on tour

We want everyone to have a safe and enjoyable holiday, so we ask you to confirm when booking this trip that you are fit and able to fully participate in all elements of the itinerary. If you have any concerns about your fitness or ability to complete any of the activities, please get in touch with our Customer Relations team at cr@explore.co.uk as soon as possible. Our tour leaders are trained and experienced in managing differing abilities within a group, but if they have concerns about a group member’s ability to safely participate in any element of the itinerary, or believe someone’s presence could affect the safety or enjoyment of the holiday for others in accordance with our Booking Conditions, our tour leaders have the authority to ask an individual to miss an activity or activities. This decision would never be taken lightly, but in the rare event a tour leader asks a traveller to sit out part of the tour, no refunds will be issued, and individuals may be liable for additional costs incurred.   

Travel insurance

It’s a condition of booking with Explore that you have adequate valid travel insurance. It’s your responsibility to arrange appropriate travel insurance and ensure you’ve read and understood the full terms and conditions of your travel insurance policy to ensure that you’re covered for all activities you intend to undertake whilst on the tour, including all optional activities.

Your policy must fully cover you for medical expenses and emergency repatriation to your home country. Please ensure your policy includes medical emergency helicopter repatriation in the event of illness or injury and covers the entire duration of your holiday. If you are trekking at altitude, please ensure that there is no upper altitude limit which may limit or exclude cover for your trip.

The cost of many of our Polar Voyages will exceed the capped amount covered by standard insurance premiums and you will be required to pay an additional premium to cover the full value of your trip. Please ensure that you are covered for the full amount of your holiday cost, as insufficient cover could invalidate a claim under the policy.

Medical and repatriation insurance cover is not mandatory for UK residents who are travelling on trips within the United Kingdom.

Looking for insurance?
If you have not already arranged cover, the following providers offer travel insurance policies specifically designed for small group adventure travel -

For UK citizens - Campbell Irvine. Get a quote online  or call on 020 7938 1734. 
For Australian citizens – Cover-More.
For US citizens - Travelex Insurance Services. Choose the Travel Select plan online or call Travelex Insurance at 1-800-228-9792 and reference location number 05-1777. 
For Canadian citizens – World Nomads