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FAQs The answers to some common questions

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Questions about bookings

  • How do I know if a trip is right for me?

    Each of our adventures has a difficulty rating from 1 to 5. Level 1 trips are accessible to most people and level 5 trips require a very high level of fitness and experience.  You can click here to get a summary of what is normally involved at each level.  If you have looked at the level information and feel you are comfortable with Levels 3 and 4 , you can then filter the website to show you only adventures at that level. 

    In addition to the difficulty rating, there is also a section called "difficulty" in the trip information.  In this section we provide more detail about what you can expect on the specific trip you are considering. If you have read all the information but still feel unsure about an adventure, please pick up the phone and give us a call. Kandoo staff regularly travel the world and complete these trips so when you contact us, we can give you first hand insight and guidance. 

  • What is the deposit amount and payment terms?

    To confirm your booking we take a 20% deposit and final payment is not due until 60 days before departure. From time to time we may offer a low deposit so you can secure your place on a big bucket list trip with the minimum financial commitment.  If you would like to pay in installments this is no problem, we happy to provide a payments plan that suits you. You can read our full terms and conditions here. 

  • What is a lifetime deposit?

    When things go wrong and you need to change your plans, Kandoo Adventures can help with our Lifetime Deposit service. Basically, if you book and pay a deposit then find that you need to change or cancel your trip, any deposit you have paid is good for any adventure you book in your lifetime. It doesn't have to be the same trip, you can choose to book onto any of our adventures and the Lifetime Deposit applies.  No lost deposits, no hassle, no questions asked.


    And it's even better than that. If you don't think you are going to be able to use the deposit in the foreseeable future we are also happy for you to transfer the deposit to a friend (what a great Christmas present!) or even ask us to use it in one of our charitable projects. It's your deposit and you get to choose what you want to do with it.


    There is some small print and to be transparent here it is...


    1. One Lifetime Deposit can be issued per cancelled tour per person confirmed on the tour up to the value of the deposit paid by the person cancelling
    2. If a tour has to be cancelled because of force majeure no Lifetime Deposit is available
    3. You can get more than one Lifetime Deposit if you cancel more than one trip (seriously bad luck) but they cannot be combined on a single new booking
    4. If your Lifetime Deposit is more than the price of any new tour you book you can't rollover any balance or get a refund - it is strictly one time use
    5. If the new tour you want to book needs a bigger deposit than the one you originally paid then you have to pay the difference
    6. Private Groups, Open Groups & Customized trips may be exempt from Lifetime Deposits where we have had to pay to buy permits or to reserve accommodation and can't get  the payment back.
    7. The one thing you aren't able to do with your Lifetime Deposit is get your cash back sorry.
    8. Lifetime Deposits, and any portion of them, are not refundable in cash - but you can use your Lifetime Deposit to confirm your next tour booking with us with no cash 

    So that's it. Hope you don't have to use it but it's there to help when you need it most.

  • Is my booking Flexible?

    Yes it certainly is - up to 60 days before departure, you can change the date, change the trip you can even change to a completely different country all free of charge. Although we will not charge any admin fees, if you delay your trip by a year or more, you will need to pay the most up to date rate. At 60 days before you go, we are already making preperations for your arrival so cancellation fees will apply beyond that point. 

  • Do you charge extra for solo travellers?

    No! There are no mandatory single supplements at Kandoo Adventures. All our prices are based on twin share accommodation. We will ask you to share with another member of your group of the same sex. If there is nobody for you to share with, you will get single rooms / tents by default free of charge. If you would prefer to guarantee single occupancy for the duration of your trip, you are welcome to pay a supplement for this. Please ask for details. 

  • Why is your price higher than some other operators?

    At Kandoo Adventures, we're committed to providing great value. Our trips are not the cheapest on the market and we don't want them to be either! Our open group prices are set as low as we can make them without compromising the quality of the service we provide or the well being of our local staff.

    We look to provide our guests with great value for money and an all-round amazing adventure. With this in mind you'll often find we have more meals included than our competitors, or we've taken care of little extras such as hotels before and after a climb, airport transfers, or small luxuries like a private toilet on Kilimanjaro. These little extras might seem tiny but often make a big difference to your experience.

    We continually tweak, add to and improve our programmes to ensure this value for money stays at the heart of everything we do. We are not a luxury operator but we certainly recognise the importance of looking after you where we can so you can relax, enjoy and focus on having the trip of a lifetime.

Questions about safety

  • Are all your destinations safe to visit?

    Your safety and well-being is always the number one priority at Kandoo Adventures. We operate all our travel destinations in accordance with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advice, which publishes travel advisory notices for British nationals. We also closely follow the advice of ABTA (The Association of British Travel Agents) which provides support to UK tour operators.  

    In addition to this, our extensive, directly-managed operations in each of our destinations, provide us with detailed knowledge and up-to-date information, which enables us to make informed decisions and operate our trips safely.

    We always recommend that you regularly check the FCDO's travel advice, in order to keep up to date about the country you are planning to visit.


    If you are not a UK resident, we would recommend that you visit your government's travel advisory website for further information:


    Alternatively, you may have a look at our Travel Updates section on this page or seek further information from the World Health Organisation.

  • How do you ensure the safety of your travellers?

    Your safety is our highest priority at all times and there is a number of ways that we ensure it. 

    Safety Management Systems
    Each tour that we operate anywhere in the world has been through an exhaustive risk assessment process. We have considered every eventuality, no matter how unlikely, and considered how we can minimise that risk.  In the unlikely event something does go wrong, we have well established evacuation procedures in place for every day of every adventure.  

    Certified Wilderness First Responder trained guides

    All of our guides are certified as Wilderness First Responders. This means they have the skills necessary to handle medical emergencies in the outdoors in a way that reduces the risk of serious outcomes.

     
    Daily health checks at altitude

    On all of our high altitude adventures, at the start and end of each day our guide will check your health and carefully record important information so that we can see if anything is starting to go wrong.

     
    Daily oxygen saturation tests at altitude

    One of the key indicators of deteriorating health at altitude is a decline in your blood oxygen levels. At sea level this should be close to 100% but at altitude will safely drop to about 90%. If you go below this we take it as a warning sign to monitor you very closely for further symptoms of altitude sickness.

     
    Emergency oxygen

    Where necessary our  guides carry an emergency oxygen supply. This is only ever used to during an emergency descent. It can never be used to assist climbing.




  • How do you minimise the risk of altitude related illness?

    Before you even arrive at your destination, this begins with planning routes that prioritise good acclimatisation. We will never reduce the length of a trek or climb simply to lower the cost or fit in with your schedule. Our first priority is your safety and enjoyment, sometimes this means not compromising.


    We recruit and train the very best guides and we use world class equipment.Once you are on your adventure  we do everything possible to ensure you remain healthy. We monitor your heart rate and oxygen levels  closely to spot the early warning signs of problems.

    As a company we run a full Safety Management System. This begins with establishing clear safety objectives then looks at detailed risk assessments. We then design our procedures to minimise those risks. We listen to feedback to ensure that our safety protocols are continually improving. We maintain £10m of Public Liability Insurance and, in order to obtain this, our safety protocols and risk assessments are reviewed annually.