Tucan Travel

The Adventures of Zoe and the Inca Trial Trek

2011-10-15T01:40:00.000-07:00

I have recently returned from a slightly modified version of Tucan Travel’s Ballestas 1 tour. As I work in the London head office recruiting our tour leaders and drivers whilst occasionally answering complaints, during my trip I am required to also spend a bit of time in our Cuzco office struggling with their Spanish-speaking computers. This means that I don’t conclude my tour in La Paz, in fact I don’t get any further than Cuzco on this particular itinerary. Nonetheless, my experience was definitely something to scribble home about.

Our tour starts in Lima where you could be forgiven for cowering in your hotel room surviving only on room service and take away food so as to avoid muggings, kidnappings and car jackings just to name a few of the horror stories tourists post on forums. The reality is quite different and both of our joining hotels are located in the down town area shunned by the forum scribblers. However the downtown is ideal for shopping, sightseeing, eating out and getting a real feel for the city. It’s also surprisingly picturesque. Lima is one of those unfortunate places with a great deal of cloud cover so sometimes can look a bit sad and grey but the buildings in the downtown go all out to try to rectify this boasting bright yellows and oranges with ornate gardens located in its fountained squares. Even as we stroll around, monuments are being painted and gardens primped and premed.

From Lima we head to Pisco, our base from which we visit Paracas. Here we take a motorboat excursion out to explore the Ballestas Islands, home to penguins, cormorants, boobies (childish snigger) and pelicans and of course a few thousand sea lions. I have a slight obsession with the penguinos so I’m very keen to see them. We are advised straight away that a hat or hood is required as the birds like to target the boats. They certainly don’t disappoint and we all look like we’ve been doing a spot of painting I also come away with a full memory card.

Next on our itinerary is Huacachina, an emerald green Oasis sitting in the middle of an impressive dessert. Who knew Peru had its own dessert? Not I! Here we have the option of taking a dune buggy out over the sand dunes and sand board down the big ones. After a romp around the driver stops on a suitably terrifying looking dune and starts explaining the important aspects of hurtling down a vertical sand dune face first. The driver waxes the boards, shows us the safest position to take, how to slow down and most importantly stop, and which way to go down the dune (you would be surprised that some might struggle with this). He also explains where to stand afterwards so they we don’t end up playing human ten pin bowling. Those who don’t wish to participate are free to stay with the driver and the buggy or spend time by the oasis. After a few mouthfuls of sand I feel I have mastered the dunes and crown myself princess of Peru.

We then move on to Nazca where we have the option of taking a flight over the lines. My usual sceptical self is weighing up the pro’s and cons. It seems quite pricey so in honesty I am in two minds weather I should take part. Do they even look like things or are they squiggles? Is it like magic eye where you have to squint? What if someone gets in the way of the window, how many people are in the plane? Are the planes safe didn’t one fall out of the sky? Why don’t we get breakfast today? But what if they’re amazing? When will I get the chance to do it again? In answer to anyone wondering the same things; they do look like whales and monkeys and tree’s etc (although dog and frog are slightly ropey), you get your own little map and the pilot (quite fit) tells you what you’re flying over. You get your own window, safety belt, sick bag (some, not all people can suffer from air sickness – hence no breakfast). The planes are small and only 12 passengers per ride. However you get two pilots so double safe. The companies we use are very professional (hence the price). You get weighed before boarding and no baggage is allowed on board. The plane that crashed was apparently not a professional operator. It was amazing and I got very good pictures and thoroughly enjoyed my experience (no one was sick). I thoroughly recommend it and I’m still puzzled as to how they managed it.

As our base for the Colca Canyon we stay in Arequipa, Peru’s highest city? And if not highest certainly one of the prettiest. Here if you haven’t already it’s an excellent idea to start taking your altitude preventative remedies weather they be herbal or chemical or just chewing cocoa leaves. Being a creature of very little faith I go for chemical. We join a pooled tour consisting of Irish, American, and Belgian and set off on our way to Chivay stopping along the way for pictures, a brew (Cocoa tea) and various loo and souvenir stops. We’re all also chewing on our coca leaves. The method of chewing them having just been demonstrated. I am quietly buzzing and feel like having a little dance but I am assured that overdose is not possible…

Enroute to Chivay we make friends with various bambi/sheepy looking creatures. I have taken the initiative to Google them for the purpose of this blog (vicunas and alpacas). One orphan vicuna in particular was very friendly as he appeared to live by a café and had a nice time posing for photos and chewing my belt tag.

The wilder wildlife is also amazing and we see the condors in full flight riding the trefoils over the Canyon. Chinchilla’s bouncing around looking nervous. The scenery is spectacular and we can see for miles encompassing the villages, churches, rivers and farming terraces. We also visit the hot springs and watch the sunset over the valley before ending our visit with a trip to the local markets where a gentleman randomly pulls a python out of a sports bag. Who would buy that…?

Just as I’m thinking I am invincible to altitude and feeling quite intrepid it strikes (well I think it does being greedy I will just about eat anything except pears). We are having a look around Arequipa I am feeling a bit irritated and tired and opt to have an early night rather than visit the mummy. Next thing I am woken from slumber to find myself skilfully sitting on the loo whilst being sick into the shower. I adopt this position for some time.

Usually on a Discovery tour (or disco as we affectionately call them in the office) we would travel from A to B on Tucan Travel’s trucks. However so that I get a well rounded experience I am also travelling by public bus. Sadly this is the case today and it’s a 10 hour journey to Cuzco. I am wondering what I have done in a previous life to deserve this. Someone has managed to spill a whole bottle of something that smells like bourbon and someone else has an exceedingly smelly sandwich, the loo has long since filled capacity and its very hot. As I hold on to dear life I try to appreciate the stunning scenery. I also watch the various on board movies and various sales people selling things that smell amazing but I daren’t eat. However it’s not all doom and gloom about 5 hours in I start enjoying myself I have learnt Spanish swear words from the on board movie and a nice lady has given me some sweets a gesture which I have returned. I’ve been winked at by the guy in the next seat and the child behind me is trying to touch my funny coloured hair thinking I haven’t noticed. We arrive in Cuzco by night and I meet some of the office staff for a wee drink (medicinal purposes only).

During my visit to Cuzco I am introduced to Tucan Travel’s office staff (a combination of Peruvian, British, Australian, Scandinavian and of course Focker the dog) all of whom work extremely hard to keep our Latin America product running as it should. I am shown around all of our hotels there by our destination manager Zac who I am later told couldn’t quite tell what I was saying most of the time (Derbyshire accent). I am also taken to the truck park where you will find our fleet manager, Bill, an exceedingly tall dusty looking gentleman (when at work) originally from the UK who potters around cigarette in mouth tirelessly maintaining and servicing our trucks as they pass through along with their respective drivers. I get a guided tour and inevitably quite dusty but leave slightly more familiar with our famous big yellow trucks. During my sightseeing I find myself somewhat out of breath however I am told this is normal.

From Cuzco we then fly to Puerto Maldonado for our excursion into the Amazon jungle. I’m very excited about this despite still feeling dodgy but I’m not about to let it stop me. I’ve become quite adept at running and having my own personal toilet roll about me at all times. The first thing that hits us is the heat. Due to the altitude of Cuzco its quite cool making the humidity of the jungle very apparent. We take a cooling boat ride along the river to the lodge where we are staying. En route we see macaws, capybara and cayman we also get a lunch box which I am dismayed to discover I have no appetite for. Upon arrival there is a football match starting in a clearing and our tour leader immediately runs off to get his kit on. The rest of us if not playing watch and explore our new jungle home. My jungle neighbours include a grumpy parrot that was rescued from animal traders (particularly dislikes women), howler monkeys, various multi coloured butterfly and a tarantula sitting in the roof of the football spectators area (a wooden platform thing). There are also a number of tamarins hanging around the kitchen area with the intent to nab some left over’s.

During the night I am woken by scrabbling and immediately switch on my torch to see who my visitor is excited that I might have a new pet monkey to share clothes with. It turns out to be a mouse climbing up my mesh window, slightly disappointed I leave it to scurry around. I check my shoes very carefully the next morning. Well I say morning we get up for breakfast at some ungodly hour for our first nature walk to the lake in the hope that we will see the giant otters. Our efforts are rewarded and we watch them take their morning swim across the lake.

On our return to Cuzco we prepare for the Inca Trail trek the part of the tour I have been most excited about but found slightly worrying at the same time. We have a briefing with our guide, Santi and were given our bags which must weigh less than 5kg. Once we have an idea of how things will run and the itinerary we spend the rest of the evening running up and down to and from reception weighing bags and deciding what we need and what we don’t. I’m also dismayed to once again be feeling quite rubbish. The next morning walking sticks collected and bags packed we are taken to the start of the trail. This is followed by group photos and the trek begins. Despite the number of people trekking I am surprised that the trails aren’t that busy. At certain points of interest we come across other groups but not at the volume I was expecting. We take hills at our own pace and the group walks together with plenty of stops for drinks and photos and snacks and of course lots of stories and explanations from our guide. The latter half of the day is mostly up hill and we start feeling the strain however by dusk we are settled in our first camp. We can also see Dead Woman’s Pass (so named as it’s the silhouette of a woman lying down breast included) far ahead its looks a steep long way away. I sleep through the evening meal and wake almost 10 hours later.

The next day I’m feeling revived and ready to take on the pass. We are provided with our snack packs (including chocolate) and once again we travel together as a group in stages. The weather is thankfully cool and we all motivate each other to the pass clapping and cheering when we each get to the top. It would be nice to gloss over this part of the trek however I am no mountain goat particularly on the steep bits although I am not at the back I am definitely not leading either and my stomach is being particularly uncooperative. At one particular point I find the only way I can get a decent breath is to bend down and pant (quietly regretting every cigarette I ever touched). Its feels like a huge achievement to get to the pass and after photos for mum and a few snacks etc. We begin our decent down the other side which I am very cheerful about in fact I’m practically skipping.

Throughout the trek the porters are carrying all of our 5kg bags and camping equipment resulting in load of 20kg each. We are told that all porters are provided with shoes by the Inca trail authority but most chose not to wear them preferring their own shoes. All trekkers are requested to give way to the porters and let them pass. As the trek progresses we soon learn which porters are ours and we all say hello and cheer for them each time we see them on the trail. We get little shy smile in response. They must think we are odd but the fact that these people have done the trek multiple times carrying the loads that they do makes our own accomplishments seem somewhat less significant by comparison. I hope they know how much it is appreciated.

The third day of trekking is particularly long and we arrive into camp at dusk but the scenery is stunning. We are literally walking above the clouds. We also stop at several feats of Inca architecture. It’s hard not to be impressed how advanced they were and how they adapted to surroundings many would find inhospitable.

The final day of the trek starts at 4am when we queue up at the checkpoint for the final leg of the trek towards the sun gate. The group is chilly but generally excited as we wait in line. We also know that the majority of the steep bits are over with.

I can hear a few disgruntled mumblings regarding toilets however I would feel terrible if the porters were asked to carry around loos as well. I conclude that maybe some people are aren’t dealing too well with the fatigue and would be better suited to taking the train from their hotel. I’ve also got bigger things on my mind. I’ve managed to lose the bottom of my walking trousers somewhere along the way so I am feeling particularly fresh this morning and as usual my tummy is talking to its self. I have lost all appetite and was almost sick on someone the previous night during the thanks giving ceremony for the porters. However this is the big day we’ve all been working towards and nothing not even a bodily malfunction is going to spoil it. Its starts to get light as we walk and my legs gradually begin to thaw. Tummy is still chattering away. We eventually climb up quite a steep set of stone steps and at the top is the view we have all been waiting for. We all scramble over and take a seat to make the most of the view as the sun gradually creeps over the familiar site of Machu Picchu. Photos are taken for mum and everyone is in high spirits no one or thing can ruin this moment.

The Karma Sutra of Ancient Peru

2011-06-09T08:21:00.000-07:00

Regular traveller Sunny shares this with us from on the road in South America where he is undertaking his latest Tucan Travel adventure.

After returning from my rainforest trip at Muyuna Lodge, I had a few days spare in Lima before joining up with the Tucan tour group on Saturday so I visited various attractions, the highlight of which was a visit to El Museo Larco with their collection of ceramics showing the sexual practices of pre-Columbian civilisation.

First though, a trip to Lima Zoo, called La Parque de las Leyendas, which (bizarrely) translates to Park of the Legends. However, after visiting here, it should be renamed Parque de los Ninos Diablo (Park of the Devil Children). Reviews of the zoo I had read online had mentioned the fact that the place was usually full of screaming schoolchildren later in the day and to visit as soon as it opened at 9am to avoid them. I turned up at 9.15am and was mightily disheartened to see numerous school buses and hundreds of school kids at the entrance. This wasn't good. It wouldn't have mattered so much if they were well-behaved, but they insisted on barging into anyone who got in their way, screaming at the animals, and jumping up and down every time I tried to take a picture. If the animals didn't have to suffer enough being stuck in cages and small enclosures, they also had to contend with children from hell, screaming at them all day long.

Jaguar

Surely Darwin's Theory of Evolution should dictate that in the future, monkeys will develop the ability to take the ropes provided in their enclosures for swinging on and learn to tie them into nooses to put themselves out of their misery of having to suffer these devil children day in, day out. I was sorely tempted to toss one or two into the jaguar enclosure, the low wall surely designed by the architect for such a purpose. Also, I had left my handy guide to Spanish expletives (see link at bottom of page if interested) at the hotel and the only words I had memorised so far were puta and mierda - "chinga usted" may have come in useful. If you hadn't already guessed, I don't have any children, not since I took them shark-diving and they slipped through the bars anyway.

Lima Zoo was built on the grounds of the pre-Inca city of Maranga and dotted around the place were the remains of huge pyramidal structures that served as temples and burial mounds. There was a museum related to this which I didn't have time to visit. The zoo contained a collection of Peruvian wildlife, some of which would be very difficult to see in the wild. It was interesting visiting it after spending so long in the jungle, as they had lots of monkey species at the zoo, albeit many were in glass cages (with dirty glass) or barred cages, so it was difficult to take any decent photos. Also, it was slightly sad to see them incarcerated like this after seeing many of the same species in the wild but this was a usual issue with zoos. It was particularly sad to see the majestic Condor caged and also the jaguar. Many of the big cats constantly paced their cells in circles through boredom.

Up the back passage

I then visited El Museo Larco, the highlight of which was a collection of pots showing sexual practices of the pre-Columbian empires, but rather than representing erotic images for the sake of it, in pre-Columbian art, these have different representations such as fertility or the origin of life. It is this thought-provoking use of erotic imagery as a representation of more profound understanding of life and death that drew me to the museum, or it might have just been an excuse to look at some amusing ancient tit, ass and cock on pots. There was also an amazing collection of body ornaments and decorations, particularly gold, both for the living and the dead.

On Friday, I hired a taxi to drive me to and around Pachacamac, the most renowned pre-Inca and Inca pilgrimage site of the Pacific coast, dating back to 200 AD. It was originally devoted to the worship of the god Pachacamac, whose name means Lord of Earthquakes. Over the centuries, temples for other gods of the coastal cultures were erected throughout this immense ceremonial center. When the Incas arrived, they respected the religion of the conquered peoples but, at the same time, built their Temple of the Sun at the highest point of the site. To date, several pyramids have been uncovered; archaeologists have identified at least 17 pyramids but lack of funds has meant that only about 7% of the complex has so far been excavated. Favelas (slums) back onto the site, and in some cases, have supposedly been built over unexcavated ruins.

Museo del Oro

I visited the Gold Museum of Peru (Museo de Oro) next, a quite pricey S/33 for entry, especially considering you couldn't take photos (guards followed you around in case you were tempted). The main collection comprised the clothing, ornaments and funerary offerings of the pre-Columbian elite, much of which was constructed from gold. Objects included monumental necklaces, funerary masks, sceptres, ceremonial cups, tumis (sacrificial knives), nose rings, earrings and idols, all fashioned of sumptuous gold and semi-precious stones. The religious and political leaders decorated their bodies with ornaments to transform them both physically and spiritually by adopting a different personality. There were also amazing mummies complete with original hair and teeth and weapons of all types from every continent of the world - I particularly liked the ivory-sculpted samurai sword scabbards, it could have taken years to carve each one. I could have spent all day here and not seen everything, there were that many pieces.

Fantasia Fountain

In the evening, I paid a visit to El Parque de la Reserva which contained El Circuito Mágico del Agua (The Magic Water Tour), a series of fountains combining water, light and music, in fact the largest fountain complex in the world, and only S/4 entry. The fountains were lit at night, some with continuously changing color schemes, some interactive (eg. the walk-through water tunnel, a maze), and the Fantasia Fountain, which presented a laser and picture show to music (although I didn't see the latter while I was there, they just had jets of water synchronised to the music).

On Saturday, it was time to leave the Hostal Bonbini and check-in to the Tucan tour joining hotel, La Kamana. I'd read beforehand (on TripAdvisor reviews) that the hotel was a bit shite but it turned out that it was actually pretty decent so I should have stayed there the last few days, never mind. The facade of the hotel was a bit strange though - no hotel name visible from the street, just a set of metal bars like the entrance to a bank vault. I wandered around the centre in the afternoon, including the tourist stalls where I appeared to be the only tourist and half the stall-holders were fast asleep. Peruvian Presidential elections were being held the following day. This meant an alcohol ban in the country, although thankfully tourist establishments appeared to be exempt. There were more scary-looking police on duty than normal, clutching their riot-shields and twitching uncontrollably at their machine guns. Some police were unarmed, but these were more scarier as they were probably mentally unstable and weren't allowed access to weapons in case they started randomly shooting. I considering taking a sneaky photo of them but thought better of it.

We had a Tucan pre-departure meeting in the evening where we were introduced to our Kiwi tour leader Mark. It was a pretty full group this time (16), as usual composed mainly of Aussies which was by no means a bad thing. I'm sure I will be mentioning more of the group as the days roll on. After a meal in town, we proceeded to try and empty the hotel bar of alcohol until the early hours of the morning, aided by the few other Tucan tour groups that were also staying in the hotel. We didn't have to leave Lima till lunchtime the following day which helped.

Read more: http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sranmal/7/1302470966/tpod.html#ixzz1OnBm6Byi

Celebrate 100 years of mysterious Machu Picchu

2011-05-10T06:13:00.000-07:00

As the peak season for visiting the mystical Inca ruins at Machu Picchu approaches, this year will also mark the centennial anniversary of the ‘discovery’ of the Lost City by American historian Hiram Bingham. This anniversary heralds a great opportunity to explore this latest world wonder yourself.

In 1911 Bingham had been searching the area for another Inca city when, as the story goes, a young Quechua boy led him up the slope to Macchu Picchu. Long overgrown, there were families living among the still-discernable ruins. Bingham then unveiled this city to the outside world after it had been hidden behind encroaching jungle and the stretch of time.

It will never be possible to completely recreate the sheer awe experienced by Bingham when he laid eyes on these long-lost ruins, but a trip there today remains a breath-taking, even inspiring experience. Not least if you arrive there after having slogged your way over high passes and winding paths of the magical Inca Trail Trek.

Our own global manager, Bec Whiffin, was herself a tour leader in South America for many years and has trekked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu several times and says that the sense of wonder the lost city inspires never fades.

“I have trekked to Machu Picchu six times now, and it never ceases to captivate me. The fascinating geographical elements combine with the architectural marvels to create a rather mystical place. You have this snapshot of an ancient time and culture seemingly suspended in the clouds. I still want to go back.”

While the Inca Trail Trek remains the most popular route to reach Machu Picchu, it is by no means the only way. Those looking for an adventure road less taken to reach the ruins would do well consider the Lares Trek. No less challenging, this alternative takes in some of the regions spectacular mountains and valleys as it approaches the site from a different direction.

One of the beauties of Machu Picchu is that its relative isolation has been protected by the Peruvian government and no roads have been built to carry coach loads of tourists. Of course those enjoying a slower and easier pace of life and who might be less inclined to get there by foot are by no means excluded from this journey back in time. Instead travellers can make their way to Machu Picchu in romantic style by train.

Introducing the All-New Amphibious Vehicle!

2011-04-01T06:01:00.000-07:00

Inspired by the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me, this April we announce that travellers will be able to drive up out of the water and onto the beach, just like Bond did in his seriously cool Lotus.

Amphibious automobiles have been conceived from circa 1900, however the Second World War significantly stimulated their development. Now Tucan Travel's very own Q has tinkered away to make our first fully-amphibious truck that drives over land and in any body of water. Employing our very own patented April Fools™ technology, we have created a sensation, taking adventure travel to a whole new frontier!

And what's more it will be making its first run down the Amazon later this month if you want on board! To book, just phone reservations and quote: April Fools Day.

See so much More of Morocco with Tucan Travel

2011-03-30T11:21:00.000-07:00

Travellers looking to add a bit of spice to their holiday this year need not look any further than Morocco. Few other country’s give travellers the opportunity to emerge from the Sahara on camelback to then get lost again in a maze of ancient markets. And now Tucan Travel has all-new additions to its itineraries for adventure tours to Morocco, which will offer clients the chance to see even more of this fantastically intriguing country.

We have now added the historical coastal cities of Tangier and Essaouira with its UNESCO World Heritage Medina to its Morocco adventures. Clients will now also have the opportunity to experience more of life in the desert and the hospitable Berber on an overnight camel safari in Merzouga.

Other new highlights of a tour in Morocco include visits to the spectacular Todra and Dades Gorges, where the High Atlas and the Jebel Sarhro are separated. Also new, clients will now enter the fortified city of Aid Ben Haddou, located on the old trade route between the Sahara and Marrakech.

Global general manager, Bec Whiffin, says with the additions to its Morocco itineraries, clients will experience so much more of this country’s wonderful diversity.

“This warm country, in every sense of the word, has so much to offer any adventure traveller. From the spectacular sand dunes in the Sahara to the ancient souks and medinas of the cities, Morocco’s lively culture offers so much scope for adventure,” Whiffin said.

For more details on all Tucan Travel tours to Morocco, see: www.tucantravel.com/country/overview/morocco

Get yourself to Africa and get 20% OFF!

2011-03-10T14:22:00.000-08:00

Travellers can now experience where it all began, and get an amazing 20% off all Africa tours departing between now and the end of May. Starting from Cape Town and heading north through Namibia and Botswana to Victoria Falls, there are various adventures that also extend north to Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda to see the amazing mountain gorillas.

Africa overland tours utilise specially converted overland trucks and own and operate all of their expedition vehicles and are confident that they are the best on the road in Africa today. The powerful, modern fleet of Mercedes Benz trucks have been specifically designed and professionally engineered to take on mountains, deserts and even rivers in their stride. Constructed to tough European safety standards, the vehicles are custom-built by specialist vehicle builders. The bodies are also custom-designed to provide maximum safety, comfort and accessibility.

This all means that clients spend less time in the vehicle and have more time to explore your destination. Fewer driving hours and modern, regularly maintained engines also results in fewer carbon emissions, which is better for the environment. Visit http://www.tucantravel.com/about-us/expedition-vehicles to learn about the fantastic Africa overland trucks.

Overland Expeditions Travellers camp in tents which they erect themselves and help prepare the group meals. Sitting around a camp fire with your new found friends and exploring the great sights during the day is the best way to ensure lasting memories of Africa.

Discovery Tours Offer clients a more ‘comfortable’ adventure, where the focus very much remains the experience, just with a few more of the trappings and less of the tenting.

Egypt Adventures Bring Travellers All-New Rewards

2011-03-04T12:07:00.000-08:00

As post-revolutionary Egypt starts to welcome back tourists, Tucan Travel has seen a renewed interest from travellers looking for an adventure holiday with a difference.

With no travel restrictions in place, now is a fantastic opportunity for travellers to not only witness history in the making as the sun rises on a new and hopefully more democratic Egypt, but to take advantage of smaller crowds at world-famous sites. But perhaps most importantly, new visitors will be making a valuable contribution to a recovering country that relies heavily on tourism.

Regional operations manager, Rowena Byrne says that as tourists tentatively consider returning to Egypt after the popular overthrow of Mubarak, at the front of the queue are adventure travellers, for whom a holiday can be about so much more than package deals and seaside resorts.

“Tucan Travel adventure tours to Egypt allow clients to really get to grips with this fascinating, and now rapidly changing country. We have access to some of the best inside knowledge from local tour leaders and Egyptologists, who then share that local expertise and passion for Egypt with our clients,” Byrne said.

By braving bullets to overthrow a much-hated regime, the Egyptian people are beginning a new chapter in this nation’s phenomenal history. Egypt’s economy has for a long time relied heavily on tourism. Perhaps now more than ever they need the travellers to return. But there’s more than just self-interest behind the warm welcome extended to the world; Egyptians are rightly proud of what they have achieved and are looking to share their new freedom with the rest of the world.

By doing something as rewarding as visiting this special country, people will be directly contributing to history as its being made.

Think you can take the wackiest photo yet? You’ll decide...

2011-02-23T16:33:00.000-08:00

Take on the competition and win!

Heading to the surreal Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia anytime soon? Capture the craziest image you can while you’re there.

We’re looking for the wackiest images you can take using the famed depth-of-field deception to best affect. If you’ve been there in the past we want to see your best creative efforts too, so dig out your old photos, send them in and you too are in with a chance to win a travel voucher with us to the tune of £150, USD250, CAD 250, AUD250, NZD320, CHF250 or EUR180 – depending where you live.

What’s more, this competition will be judged entirely by all of you. To enter, just upload your images to the competition tab on the Tucan Travel Facebook page. To vote, just ‘like’ your favourite and the one with the most likes wins. Simple as that.

So, get wacky and get snappy!

Adventures Through Blossoming Japan

2011-02-07T10:25:00.000-08:00

It’s nearing blooming season for the Japanese cherry blossom trees, and Tucan Travel offers a choice of several fantastic adventures to these far eastern islands and the chance to experience the many festivals that celebrate the coming season of the country’s iconic flower.

There is never a bad time for an adventure holiday in Japan. But there is no better time than during the cherry blossom season. The sight of these gorgeous trees in full bloom is such an integral part of Japanese culture that the arrival of the season is heralded with a raft of festivals the length and breadth of the country.

The transformation to the landscape as the cherry blossom flowers is so alluring that our own global general manager Bec Whiffin has herself chosen the start of this year’s season to make her first visit to Japan.

“I have always wanted to visit Japan, especially since we began operating adventure tours there. This year I have finally found the time and with the cherry blossoms beginning to bloom this is definitely the time to go on holiday there.

“Along with everything else there is to see and do in this country, being there when the cherry blossoms bloom gives a great adventure something extra special.” said Whiffin.

An adventure tour with us is a great way to see behind the veil and really get to grips with this fascinating nation, its culture and its history. From technologically-advanced Tokyo teeming with people, to fabulously preserved old towns set in a beautiful mountain landscape, Japan is a land of fascinating contrasts.

On top of the cherry blossoms, our adventure holidays in Japan offer you classic Japanese experiences; from visiting temples and shrines in Kyoto to staying in traditional ryokans or finishing a long day at a sento, a communal Japanese bath house.

To see all Tucan Travel adventure tours in Japan visit http://www.tucantravel.com/country/overview/japan

The clock’s ticking on that discounted adventure of a lifetime…

2011-01-21T08:24:00.000-08:00

Just to remind you there is still time to make the most of our New Year 5% discount to help you get up to 15% off your next big adventure.

With so many early birds among you choosing now to look at where you would love to go this year and getting yourselves an automatic 5% off all group tours in return, we’ve decided to remind the possibly less organised among you that there is still time.

But you don’t have to stop at 5%. This automatic discount can then be used in combination with any other offer in our discount scheme to get you as much as 15% off any group tour, any time in the future.

Looking to travel in the second half of the year? Book before the end of February and you’ve saved yourself 10% without breaking a sweat.

Get ready to Party in Rio!

2011-01-12T08:11:00.000-08:00

It may still be over a month away, but Rio Carnival really is the mother of all street parties and there are just a few places left to experience this extravaganza with Tucan Travel in March.

As South American adventure experts, we have been operating tours to include all the magic that Brazil’s famous street party has to offer since the company began.

Today, as adventure travel operators we have four of its six tour styles all converging on Rio de Janeiro each year in time for Carnival. And 2011 will be the biggest yet.

So big is Carnival, that we schedule all our tours that visit Rio to be in the city over that weekend. This year the we will have groups from nearly all styles of its overland adventure tours staying in a range of hotel classes, both near the location of Carnival and over by the world-renowned Copacabana Beach.

While many travellers will experience the festivities as part of a longer tour, the adventure company also offers great independent packages that allow people to take part in Carnival with us without having to be on one of the longer tours.

Because Carnival is such a popular event on our calendar, this year The global general manager, Bec Whiffin, will be flying out to Rio from London to oversee the event.

“Rio is a fabulous party for our clients. It really is like no other street party,” Whiffin said.

“For us, it’s logistically massive. Nearly all our tour styles, many of our custom-built trucks operating in South America and some 500 clients will be converging on Rio that weekend. There is a lot of work in coordinating all these tours, but what it means is that with everything taken care of, clients can concentrate on the serious business of partying – Carnival-style.”

This year Rio Carnival takes place from Friday 4 March to Tuesday 8 March. We still have independent packages available as well as a limited number of spaces on tours that include Carnival.

Along with transport and accommodation, our Rio Carnival packages include the opportunity to get up close to the action at Carnival with specially-allocated tickets available to enter the Sambadrome – where the competing samba schools perform to the judges and crowds – as well as inside information from our tour leaders about the best of the many periphery parties taking place in Rio that weekend.

Tucan Travel Announces 5% New Year Addition To Its Discount Scheme

2011-01-01T07:27:00.000-08:00

Adventure tour operator Tucan Travel has launched an automatic 5% discount on all future group adventures booked before 31 January 2011 to give a New-Year’s boost to clients looking to get up to 15% off group tours.

The new January special has been added to the adventure operator’s existing discount scheme, which allows travellers to get as much as 15% off any group tour.

Global general manager for Tucan Travel, Bec Whiffin, said the New Year discount was a good way to introduce people to the adventure company’s ongoing discount scheme.

“This special will provide a real kick-start for our clients to get the maximum 15% discount on tours. There are currently a variety of ways people can qualify for discounts when travelling with us based on different criteria. To qualify for this new discount, all clients have to do is ring up or go online and book before the end of January.

“It also gives people the chance to think about an adventure holiday in the future by giving them a real financial incentive to book now,” Whiffin said.

The New Year 5% discount begins on 24 December 2010 and is valid on all group tours that are booked by 31 January 2011.

Tucan Travel’s discount scheme allows clients to take advantage of up to three different 5% discount opportunities when meeting certain criteria.

For more information on how travellers can receive up to 15% off group tours, visit http://www.tucantravel.com/specials

Tucan Travel raises over £30,000 with its carbon offset scheme

2010-12-13T09:25:00.000-08:00

We are thrilled to announce that in the two years since we introduced our carbon offset scheme, we have raised £34,000 through clients and our own donations for the World Land Trust and its work restoring and protecting rainforests.

We also saw the percentage of clients contributing to the carbon offset scheme nearly double from 14% in the first year to 27% this year. As a result, total contributions rose 28% to a total of over £18,000 for the year.

Tucan Travel CEO Matt Gannan said he was genuinely delighted adventure travellers were showing an increased awareness about carbon omissions and contributing to the optional scheme.

“Tucan Travel is committed to a policy of responsibility on its adventure tours, and we’re very happy that this message is being picked up by more and more of our clients. We’re aware there will always be some impact from our tours, but with this scheme we can mitigate the negative effects of our tours, while maintaining the positive impact we have on both our clients and the communities we visit,” Gannan said.

As part of our policy of responsible adventure travel and to encourage clients to be aware also, it is policy at the company to donate at least 10% in addition to what clients raise for the World Land Trust. In the two years we have operated the carbon offset scheme, we haev donated an additional 16% to the amount raised by clients.

Carbon offsetting is the process of balancing carbon emissions by making an equivalent. The World Land Trust generates carbon offsets by restoring tropical rainforests and protecting imminently threatened forests from further destruction. Tropical rainforests act as carbon sinks, absorbing atmospheric carbon in to their woody tissue as they grow and locking that carbon in mature forests. Deforestation releases this carbon back in to the atmosphere, and is the source of 20% of all man-made carbon emissions. Restoring and protecting rainforests can help balance our harmful emissions and mitigate dangerous climate change.

“It’s great that nearly a third of all our clients are contributing to offset emissions from their adventure holidays with us, and we hope to see that figure rise as we encourage clients that they can help make a real difference through the important work of the World Land Trust,” Gannan added.

Tucan Travel in the Press!

2010-11-23T06:44:00.000-08:00

TNT Magazine London has just run a story about working as a tour leader in far-flung places around the world and has some quotes and real-life experiences from your very own Tucan Travel general manager and a former tour leader in Central and South America.

Click on the image above to read the story online.

Terrifying travel tales - Share your story to win!

2010-09-09T02:04:00.000-07:00

Share your most Terrifying Travel Tale with WorldNomads.com for a chance to embark on a new adventure! Whether you were scammed out of cash, fell out of a tukk-tukk or your culinary adventures landed you in the hospital – your story could win you a trip to redeem your travel cred. So what do you need to do? It's easy. Between 8 September and 30 November 30, simply logon to the WorldNomads.com Facebook fan page and submit your story. The winner will chose from 4 awesome trip options to that will help build confidence on the road, including the Turkey Trails with Tucan Travel, an authentic travel experience of AsiaMinor, mixing culture and history. Plus receive round-trip airfare to your destination and travel insurance from WorldNomads.com! Learn more… or Apply Now!

Tucan Travel launches 40 new tours to Africa

2010-09-03T04:22:00.000-07:00

Have you always wanted to go on safari in Africa but just haven't had the time? With Tucan Travel's new Africa programme you don't have to worry about having to devote weeks to tracking down the Big 5, you can do it in a matter of days during your annual break. Tucan Travel has just launched 40 new tours in Africa, 16 of which are 3 weeks or less in duration.

Africa is an awe-inspiring continent with something for everyone. We believe these tours will give more travellers like you the chance to witness the great migration, meet a gentle mountain gorilla face-to-face, climb the huge sand dunes of Namibia, relax on the beautiful beaches of Zanzibar, bungee jump over the Nile and explore Cape Town’s amazing markets, among many other amazing experiences.

The tours are designed to offer the chance to experience stunning national parks, amazing wildlife viewing opportunities and urban highlights of the popular Nairobi to Cape Town route. The new tours range from 9 to 73 days long, so there are still plenty of options for backpackers and overlanding fanatics who want to devote lots of time to exploring Africa.
The tours will operate from March 2011, but it's a good idea to book early as any bookings made 6 months before departure will qualify for a 5% early booking discount. All you need to do to secure your booking and your discount is to pay a small deposit.

Tucan Travel's Africa tours include most park entry fees, transport and accommodation. Most departures in 2011 and 2012 are guaranteed, which means they will not be cancelled for lack of participation. There are also no local payments or kitties to pay on arrival and no compulsory single supplements for solo travellers as clients are paired up with travellers of the same gender.

New Overland Expeditions will operate from March 2011, travelling in groups of 15-24 (max 34) on the most modern, comfortable vehicles in the continent and staying established campsites and hotels. Overland Expeditions offer travellers a chance to experience East and Southern Africa in comfort and security, with the peace of mind of travelling with experienced tour leaders and professional drivers.

For travellers who prefer more comfort and less camping, Discovery Tours are the perfect solution. Operating in southern Africa from June 2011, Discovery Tours stay in hotels and guesthouses, with short stays in pre-erected campsites in national parks. Discovery Tours also travel on Tucan Travel’s privately owned, professionally engineered, spacious expedition vehicles in groups of 15-24 (max 34).

For added convenience, the Serengeti National Park, Masai Mara National Reserve and gorilla trekking permits are now included in the tour price (as applicable), but can be deducted on request at the time of booking if a traveller would prefer not to take part in these excursions.

If you've got any questions about our new Africa tours or would like to make a booking, please contact our offices.

Operations Assistant position available at Tucan Travel

2010-08-24T03:28:00.000-07:00

Award winning tour operator Tucan Travel is currently recruiting for an Operations Assistant in our office in Acton, London. This is an administrative role which involves making hotel bookings for all of our worldwide destinations, confirming gorilla permits and organising Russian invitation and accompanying letters. This position will report directly to the General Operations Manager.

We require the applicant to have good written and verbal English skills, high attention to detail and clear and precise communications skills as you will be working with suppliers whose first language may not be English. The suitable applicant should have previous experience with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.
This person should have a friendly manner and be able to work successfully as part of a small team. You must also hold a valid EU passport or working permit to be employed in the UK.
Please see below the job description for this role:

- Make block bookings for all departures at all hotels in our worldwide
destinations (Europe, Russia, Trans Mongolian Railway, Morocco, Middle East & Africa)
- Make block bookings with our Egypt & Japan suppliers
- Confirm block bookings prior to cut off date for all departures
- Update availability and rooming lists
- Book pre and post tour accommodation and transfers in our worldwide
destinations
- Confirm all gorilla trekking permits
- Organise Russia invitation letters & accompanying letters
- Liaise with Destination Manager and send out annual contracts
- Load all post tour questionnaires

Risk Assessment
- Liaise with Destination Manager to maintain risk assessment documentation
- File all documentation

Applicants should send a current CV with covering letter to Rowena@tucantravel.com or via the post, ATT: Rowena Byrne, C/O Tucan Travel, 316 Uxbridge Road, Acton , W3 9QP by Friday 3 September 2010.

Vote for us in the British Travel Awards 2010

2010-08-19T05:08:00.000-07:00

Visit http://www.britishtravelawards.com/vf_rl.php to cast your vote

Tucan Travel has been shortlisted by the British Travel Awards for the Small Package Holiday Company of the Year prize, as well as 7 other categories including Best Special Interest/Adventure Tour Operator.

Tucan Travel is an independently owned tour operator which has been specialising in adventure travel since it was established in 1987. Offering 450+ group tours, expedition cruises and independent travel options to 72 countries worldwide, the operator has a great value, culturally immersive, active adventure for every traveller.

CEO and co-owner Matt Gannan was delighted with the nominations. “Our clients have championed us again this year by nominating us in 8 categories, which is really very humbling. These nominations are best kind of feedback we can get and it really means a lot to our staff as it's a real vote of confidence in their work. This is a very encouraging start and I hope that this initial positive response will translate into votes over the next couple of months. I'd like to thank all our voters in advance for their support.”

You can cast your vote at: http://www.britishtravelawards.com/vf_rl.php

Tucan Travel has been nominated for:
Small Package Holiday Company of the Year (less than 75k passengers)
Best Special Interest/Adventure Tour Operator
Best Activity/Sports Tour Operator
Best Tour Operator to Central & South America
Best Tour Operator to Southern Asia
Best Tour Operator to East & Central Asia
Best Tour Operator to North Africa
Best Tour Operator to Sub Sahara Africa
Best Tour Operator to East & South East Europe

In 2009, Tucan Travel won Best Small Tour Operator of the Year, which followed a silver prize in 2008 for Best Tour Operator to Central/South America.

About the British Travel Awards
The British Travel Awards is the largest awards programme in the UK created to reward the best companies in travel. Recognised by consumers and travel professionals throughout the UK, The British Travel Awards are widely referred to as the “Oscars” of the travel industry and are easily the most recognisable of all travel industry accolades amongst consumer and industry professionals alike. With categories spanning 100 types of holiday experience - transport, destination, cruise, customer service, holiday extras, and accommodation - The British Travel Awards is quite simply the benchmark for excellence when it comes to finding out who really is the best in the business.

Companies were nominated by travel industry professionals and a selection of the previous year’s consumer voters, and the shortlisted companies now go to the consumer voting stage. In 2009 over 100,000 votes were cast with the results scrutinized and audited by Deloitte LLP. The winners of the 2010 British Travel Awards will be announced at a glittering ceremony on 4 November at the Battersea Evolution in Battersea Park, London.

Zoe's Trans Mongolian Railway Adventure

2010-05-26T08:27:00.000-07:00

The Trans Mongolian Railway holds a certain mystique for adventure travellers. It's one of the classic overland routes like the Trans Siberian which keeps attracting curious travellers every year. Part of my job at Tucan Travel is to organise the accommodation and the trains for the clients travelling on our Trans Mongolian Railway tour, which operates from St Petersburg to Beijing or in reverse from Beijing to St Petersburg.

At times due to irregular train schedules, huge hotel prices in Moscow, the complexities of obtaining Russian visas and language barriers my job can be very challenging so I was very excited to learn that this year I would get to go out there and see the outcome of all my long hours of work, and enjoy the experience so many of our clients have raved about.

Having previously visited St Petersburg and Moscow (that’s a whole other story!) I skipped this part of the trip and flew out to Irkutsk to join the group who had been travelling since St Petersburg. After a 45 minute transfer I checked into our hotel located in the village of Listvyanka right on the shore of Lake Baikal.

Once my eyes had adjusted to the sheer brightness of my surroundings it was quite clear to see that the lake (which stretches as far as the eye can see in almost every direction)was not a lake, it was in fact frozen solid. I sulked a bit inwardly as the whole area looked a bit quiet and I had sort of hoped to take a boat ride but I was reassured when I heard a strange humming noise and saw that some resourceful soul had brought a hovercraft and was whizzing around on top of the thick ice, packed full of tourists.

I met with the rest of the group for lunch with all of them talking at once about their favourite bits of the trip (they won’t mind me saying that!). It's amazing on group tours how one small addition can change the dynamics and add a different perspective. I was particularly interested to know how the train from Moscow to Irkutsk went (I had heard various horror stories and I can only imagine the tedium of a 4 day train ride) but the group had nothing but praise, they even tipped the cabin attendant for all her hard work as the train was spotless! They had also met a lot of interesting travellers and locals taking the same journey and shared food and drinks and dodgy train window pictures (more about that later).

It also turned out that Listvyanka has plenty to do. There are two main museums, one of which houses two seals (everyone I met recommended a visit to this). There is the main souvenir market selling the mandatory fluffy seal (nerpa) and smoked fish which the group were raving about.

The hotel reception also showed us where a cable car runs up to Chersky cliff, or where we could go dog sledding or scuba diving. After exhausting many of our options we spent our evening on one of the many picnic tables dotted around the lakes shore looking out on to the lake watching the locals ride motorbikes and snowmobiles out on the ice and listening to it crack and grown ominously in the last of the sun.

We also had to make sure we had enough supplies for the train - my seasoned train experts advised me on what I would and wouldn't require. The provision of hot water and western toilets on the trains are a certainty, however food is not always available.

We collectively bought the following (not necessarily in order of importance): Loo roll (toilet paper to those not from the UK), vodka, beer, drinking water, juice, noodles in a bowl – various types, mashed potato in a bowl, soup, porridge, fruit, biscuits, chocolate (large amounts) a knife, and a small stuffed sheep to become affectionately known as ‘sheepie’.

Once the novelty of fitting into the cabin with back packs on, trying to get them off and store them and arranging our belongings into our little sleeping compartment had worn off we nursed any injuries from various kicks and elbows from flailing arms and legs. Then we started exploring the train and the group introduced me to dodgy train pictures.

The scenery cannot be denied of its uniqueness and beauty but it does begin to look very samey after several hours.

We passed very little in the way of civilisation and when we did we were compelled to take as many pictures as possible, all of which were misted by the windows and blurred by dust or movement then we showed them proudly to each other. At the next stop we decided we should maybe use a wet wipe to clean the windows.

Other than drinking and eating we mastered various train pastimes such as:

...washing our eating appliances, plucking of eye brows, putting make up on, braiding hair (girls mainly), loosing sheepie then finding her, remaking the bed, re arranging supplies and belongings, checking the toilet is still there and clean, reading the time table on the wall and guessing where we are. All of which we reported to each other and other train passengers in a kind of running commentary so there was hardly any time for reading to be honest.

The Russian/Mongolian border is what it is; trains on average take between 5 and 10 hours with the train standing on the platform. There is no point trying to find any reason or rhyme to the process, passports are checked, forms given out, cabins checked all in no particular order, even the locals on the train didn’t know what was going on. So we sat back with a few drinks from the one shop located close to the train station and observed the various officials studying us and did as were told.

We arrived in Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia’s capital and after a well deserved wash and a breakfast consisting of anything but noodles we set about sightseeing with our guide.

We visited various monasteries, monuments and markets and became familiar with the city which is friendly and easy to orientate yourself to.

That evening on our guides recommendation we go to watch a traditional dance performance which includes throat singing, a strange, almost haunting but not unpleasant phenomenon to western ears.

The next morning we jumped into the van and head out to Terelj National Park. On the way our guide chatted freely, answering all of our weird and wonderful questions on life in Mongolia. We passed a ski resort an Irish pub, a pool hall, a British pub and various pizza establishments. It turns out a lot of American and Koreans visit Mongolia and they like to have these things. Mongolia’s primary industry has become mining of coal and gold and its attracting a lot of foreign investment, particularly from America and Australia. There was also a surprising amount of dead cattle and sheep. A lot of the population are relocating into the city to work for the big mining companies rather than continuing their normal nomadic way of life.

As we drove it was clear to see that that most people have built houses but keep their ger in the back garden as well. From what I can understand from our guide's response the house with a fence is the permanent residence for the winter and then in summer they can take the ger out to good pasture with the animals and keep moving around as required.

We arrived at the winter residence of the family our guide wanted us to meet, and instantly felt were intruding but we were warmly welcomed into the main ger to sit around the main table.

There’s salty tea and dried milk sweets which aren’t sweet and difficult to describe, and bread. I don’t know what I expected but there’s a surprising amount of room inside and it’s very warm. There was a large fridge (with a London tube station magnet on) and plug sockets as well as photos of her family who live in the city.

The lady owner's husband had died so her family are taking turns to come out and stay with her and by receiving visits from tourists she is able to supplement her income. I wondered if we should have brought the lady a gift but the guide said the lady was very proud and wouldn’t want charity, nor a house full of tat, although she likes the fridge magnet we could see!

As were about to leave the lady’s son asked the guide if we wanted to see their animals so we followed him into another ger which was dark with a stove burning in the corner and much warmer than the house.

Sitting quietly are 3 calves - they are 4 days old and it’s too cold for them (the winter has been particularly bad this year, hence the dead livestock by the road). There also lambs which are a bit older wondering around a pen. Anyone would think we had never seen farm animals before, cooing and taking photos and the lambs are loving it, chewing camera cases, clothing and weeing on shoes.

We arrived at the tourist camp, met by 3 dogs and shortly behind the owners. We were all shown to our gers and couples stay together but single girls and boys must otherwise stay separately. Each ger has 4 beds around the edge, a stove (by stove I mean wood burner), a wardrobe, table and little stools, the main theme of the decor is orange with traditional decoration.

We were free to take ourselves hiking, horse riding or we could stay around the camp playing billiards or table tennis. Horse riding is an experience, I seem to have the skinniest horse yet I am not the skinniest in the group. I was assured that although the horses are small they are strong and very capable of taking our weight, but after half an hour my horse has stopped a few times and nayed a bit and Mr Mongolian horse man has smacked its bottom to make it move. Not wishing to be the fat tourist that kills the horse I got off to walk with it which made it instantly more cheerful.

We also walked extensively around the camp and the surrounding area, where we saw some pretty spectacular landscapes. I got quite obsessed with taking pictures of the amazing rocky outcrops everwhere.

No matter where we went the dogs weren’t far behind, not really wanting to be petted but just happy to loiter behind and make sure the daft tourists don’t get lost – they seem to think we're very similar to cows.

After another afternoon in Ulaan Baatar and a very large Mongolian BBQ (all you can eat), we boarded the early morning train to Beijing. We quickly reverted into our train routine of taking bad photographs and discussing the cleanliness of the toilet after each visit. We also bumped into other travellers doing the same route, some with other operators and some independently but we have been reunited on each train so far. At the Mongolian/Chinese border we were hoisted up high above the ground whilst the bogies were changed (he he) to fit the Chinese rail tracks. All the men on the train took pictures and passed comment pretending they knew what was going on, while most of the women just went to bed, or ate.

On arrival in Beijing it was quite clear we’d returned to reality, it's chaotic in comparison to Ulaan Baatar.

We were met by our guide and taken to our hotel before we went out to have a look around Tiananmen Square and Chairman Mau’s mausoleum before going out for Peking Duck and trying out our chopsticking skills.

For an uncultured northern girl such as myself this is beyond my mentality, surely the point of a food carrying utensil is to get as much into your mouth as possible. I’m dropping food everywhere into drinks, onto other peoples plates, underneath the table, no wonder Chinese people aren’t tubby!

We were up bright and early the next morning and off to the Great Wall at Jinshanling. We'd bought our supplies the previous night for our Great Wall picnic and whilst shopping for our sandwich contents I discovered a strange thing - Chinese people don’t like cheese they think it’s silly and smelly. Our guide told me so himself screwing his face up to convey his disdain. The silly and smelly bit was probably a personal comment but another thing I’ll never understand.

Focusing back on to one of the man made wonders of the world, we walked for approximately 4 hours from Jinshanling to Simitai and to be honest we hardly saw any other tourists but we did meet various local ladies selling tshirts, drinks, chocolate, hats and various wall related souvenirs.

It’s quite a tiring walk in some places and the terrain gets steep and uneven. In contrast some stretches have been renovated and are smooth.

The views are spectacular and for me it was one of those "I can’t believe I’m here" places. I loved every second but my photos really couldn’t capture its sheer magnitude so after a few shots for Mum I focused on filling up the memory chip in my head.

Unfortunately my time in Beijing was limited so I’ve promised myself I’ll return, I’m sure China has a lot more to offer (I’ll be sure to pack a fork and some cheese though!)

Learn about Zoe's Trans Mongolian Railway tour
Learn more about working for Tucan Travel

Zoe's top 3 tips for the Trans Mongolian Railway
1. Allow yourself more time in Beijing - you'll really love it there and there's heaps to see and do so make sure you book some extra accommodation for before or after your train journey
2. It would be handy to take a bottle opener for the train - the doorframe works though if you don't have one (I'm probably not supposed to say that...)
3. Learn a bit of Russian, it will be more fun to be able to speak to the locals - at the very least take a phrasebook. A picture book where you can point at things would be a great idea.

Thailand safety update

2010-05-14T01:37:00.000-07:00

Tucan Travel staff continue to monitor the situation in Bangkok. At the moment our tours are unaffected and departures are running as scheduled this weekend. Any future changes to itineraries will be advised via this latest news update and direct to clients on the ground.

We remind travellers to stay away from Ratchaparsong, Lumpini, Siam and Silom protest areas. Our hotel is located in Bamglamphu, some distance away from the Ratchaparsong area and we do not visit this area during our tours. Sightseeing in Khao San Road, Grand Palace, Wat Po, Wat Arun will go ahead as usual. For most people in Bangkok their daily lives are continuing as normal.

For further information, please see your local government safety updates:
www.safetravel.govt.nz NZ
www.smarttraveller.gov.au Australia
www.fco.gov.uk/travel United Kingdom
www.state.gov USA
www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/menu-eng.asp Canada

Thai authorities planning to take action against protesters

2010-05-13T06:20:00.000-07:00

The Thai government's Centre for the Resolution of Emergency Situations (CERS) has announced today that it is planning to increase the pressure on demonstrators holed up in the Ratchaprasong intersection in the central business district of Bangkok. From 6pm today, it is likely that access to the Ratchaprasong area will be restricted by road, pedestrian and public transport while numbers of security personnel and armoured vehicles may increase around the demonstration area.

As mentioned yesterday, there may also be disruption to utilities in the Ratchaprasong area, including water supply, electricity, mobile and fixed line telephone services. Roadblocks may be set up and protesters will be allowed to leave the area, but no new protesters will be allowed into the site.

We do not believe tourists are in any way a target of the protesters but given the tension surrounding this particular site in Bangkok, it is best to keep well away from this area, which includes Siam Square shopping area and Lumpini Park. Ratchaprasong is some distance from our hotel which is located in Banglamphu, and Tucan Travel clients should not be directly affected by this event except in that traffic may be slower in the city than usual.

Once again, the safety of our clients and staff is our top priority and our Bangkok based team is working with other local contacts to monitor the situation closely. We are in frequent contact with our groups in South East Asia and we directly and regularly update tour leaders with the latest information as it comes to hand.

For government safety updates, please see:
www.safetravel.govt.nz/ - for New Zealand citizens
www.smarttraveller.gov.au - for Australian citizens
www.fco.gov.uk/travel - for UK citizens
www.state.gov - for USA citizens
www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/menu-eng.asp - for Canadian citizens

Thai government moves to evict Bangkok protesters + heat wave on the way

2010-05-12T04:22:00.000-07:00

Thailand’s prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has issued an ultimatum to the red shirt protestors that they are expected to vacate the occupied area of Bangkok no later than today, Wednesday 12 May. Authorities have warned that they will cut off water and electricity supplies to Ratchaprasong at midnight tonight.

The move follows a week of tension between the government and protestors. Negotiations for a resolution to the standoff, which included an offer of an early election, have broken down however government representatives and protest groups have repeatedly said that they will try to end the protests peacefully.

Tourists have not been targeted at all during the protests and Bangkok city is peaceful and going about daily life as usual, except for the isolated protest area, which is some distance from the Tucan Travel joining hotels. Our local staff, representatives and contacts have advised us that authorities and protest groups are still doing their best to avoid violence; however we continue to advise travellers to Bangkok to stay well away from the known protest areas, government buildings and large gatherings of people in the city.

In other news, Thailand is expecting a heat wave, with temperatures ranging from 38 to 43˚C expected to hit the country over the next week. Normally April is Thailand’s hottest month, however Bangkok experienced a high of 39.7˚C on Monday, three degrees higher than the hottest day on 27 April and very high humidity. Health officials have warned the public to take precautions against heat exhaustion. We would suggest that you drink more water than usual (at least 2 litres plus per day), spend as much time as possible in air conditioned places, wear a hat and sun cream even in the city, and try to stay out of the sun between 11am and 3pm as much as possible. Humidity will be high and combined with the heat it may cause breathing difficulties if you’re outside too much, so try to take it easy and walk slowly when you do need to be outside.

For further safety updates, please see:

www.safetravel.govt.nz - for New Zealand citizens

www.smarttraveller.gov.au - for Australian citizens

www.fco.gov.uk/travel - for UK citizens

www.state.gov - for USA citizens

www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/menu-eng.asp - for Canadian citizens

Goodbye local payments, hello single pricing!

2010-05-06T04:21:00.000-07:00

It's time to say goodbye to local payments! In a recent customer survey, an overwhelming 81% of respondents told us that they no longer want to pay local payments, and in response to your feedback we are dropping them from Discovery Tours, Adventure Tours and Overland Expeditions from 1 July 2010.

So how will it work? Basically, we will recalculate the local payment according to bank exchange rates on 30 June and add it to the tour price as listed in the brochure and on our website. This new fixed single price will be paid upfront in advance of travel.

There will be a changeover period during which travellers who have booked prior to and including 30 June may have to pay a local payment depending on when they are due to travel - these dates are listed on our website so it's easy to work out, and our reservations staff will contact those affected. And don't worry, for those paying the new single price, we will absorb any admin costs and exchange rate variations and there will be no additional cost to you.

Travellers on Budget Expeditions tours will continue to pay a local fund to their tour leader on arrival in South America.

To learn more about how the changeover period will work and how this change affects you, please visit the special information page at: http://www.tucantravel.com/useful-information/no-more-local-payments.

Foreign Office revises travel advice for Thailand

2010-05-06T04:13:00.000-07:00

The UK Foreign Office has today lifted its warning against all but essential travel to the whole of Thailand, which will come as a relief to many travellers keen to visit this beautiful country, a gateway to South East Asia.

Media reports from Bangkok indicate that the number of protestors at the main protest sites in the city is decreasing, with many people leaving the site since the UDD leaders agreed to accept the prime minister's reconciliation proposal. However, the protestors have said they won't dismantle the barricades and abandon their posts until they receive a firm date for the dissolution of parliament. The prime minister has indicated this could happen as early as mid to late September but has not yet offered a firm date.

Bangkok airport is open and operating as normal and all Tucan Travel tours are running as scheduled.

For government safety updates, please see:
http://www.safetravel.govt.nz/ - for New Zealand citizens
http://www.smarttraveller.gov.au/ - for Australian citizens
www.fco.gov.uk/travel - for UK citizens
http://www.state.gov/ - for USA citizens
www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/menu-eng.asp - for Canadian citizens

Ash cloud blows away, UK airspace reopens

2010-05-06T04:07:00.000-07:00

Airports across the UK have reopened after winds blew the volcanic ash cloud west and out of UK airspace. Flights were grounded overnight in Northern Ireland, western Scotland and the far south-west of England.

We are continuing to monitor news reports and will update the blog if and when things change again. For further information, you may like to visit the BBC website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8663994.stm

New ash plume from Iceland volcano disrupts UK flights

2010-05-05T07:24:00.000-07:00

International flights into or out of airports in northern England, Ireland and Scotland are facing disruption after volcanic activity under a glacier in Iceland sent a new plume of ash 5.5km into the air. Planes have once again been grounded due to safety concerns relating to the eruption at Eyjafjallajokull.

All Tucan Travel tours are currently operating as scheduled. We will work with you to help you catch up with your tour if you are delayed. However, if you have been unable to fly due to cancellations which have occurred as a result of the volcanic eruption, please contact our reservations teams:

If you've booked in the UK or Europe, please call:
(+44) 020 8896 1600

If you've booked somewhere in the rest of the world, please call:
(+61) 02 9326 6633

We are monitoring this situation closely and will post updates on this Latest News post as soon as we have new information.

For further information, please visit the BBC website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8661096.stm

4 May: Bangkok update - UDD Red Shirt protestors accept PM's reconciliation proposal

2010-05-04T06:59:00.000-07:00

The following Tucan Travel blog post is a mirror of our ongoing Latest News post which has tracked the Bangkok protests since they began in March 2010.

4 May: Bangkok update - UDD Red Shirt protestors accept PM's reconciliation proposal
Leaders of the Red Shirts have agreed to accept Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajica's "roadmap for reconciliation" announced at the weekend, which we hope could soon bring an end to the political problems and protests in Bangkok.

The prime minister's "roadmap" proposes an election on 14 November, with parliament being dissolved ahead of the polls. The United front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) has stated that they will remain at the protest sites in Bangkok until the timeframe for the dissolution of parliament is set and assurances have been made about the safety of protestors.

Negotiations are underway and we at Tucan Travel hope that the situation will be resolved soon, for the sake of the Thai people and for all the travellers looking forward to an exciting, uninterrupted tour of Thailand. In the meantime, we will continue to post updates in this Latest News bulletin as events unfold.

For government safety updates, please see:
http://www.safetravel.govt.nz/- for New Zealand citizens
http://www.smarttraveller.gov.au/ - for Australian citizens
www.fco.gov.uk/travel - for UK citizens
http://www.state.gov/ - for USA citizens
www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/menu-eng.asp - for Canadian citizens

29 April: No change to itineraries, tours to run as planned this weekend
Yesterday reports emerged of clashes between protestors and soldiers on the outskirts of Bangkok, which resulted in the death of one soldier from friendly fire. The protestors had earlier left their camp in central Bangkok to drive to a rally point outside of the city, but troops were called in to turn them back and contain them in the protest area in Ratchaprasong.

Several government agencies have released travel advisories about Thailand, including the UK, Australia and New Zealand. At this stage all Tucan Travel tours will operate as scheduled and there are no disruptions expected to our itineraries. Bamglamphu, the area where our joining hotel is located, is free of protesters from any colours. We hope that this will continue to be the case.

We would like to reassure travellers that the safety of our clients and staff is our top priority and our Bangkok based team is working with other local contacts to monitor the situation closely. We are in frequent contact with our groups in South East Asia and we directly and regularly update tour leaders with the latest information as it comes to hand.

We continue to advise all our passengers to avoid any sites where protesters are gathering or are likely to gather. The areas to avoid absolutely are Ratchaprasong and Silom (Lumpini Park). This area encompasses the Erawan shrine on the corner of the Rama I/Ploenchit and Ratchadamri roads and nearby commercial areas. Red shirt demonstrators are also concentrated at the southern end of Ratchadamri road opposite the Silom road commercial and tourist district.

Although the international airport is open and routes to and from the city are clear and safe, travellers arriving in Bangkok in the next few days can expect longer than usual taxi rides from the airport into town due to the increased number of security controls in the city.

We will continue to post updates in this Latest News bulletin as events unfold.

For government safety updates, please see:
www.safetravel.govt.nz/ - for New Zealand citizens
www.smarttraveller.gov.au - for Australian citizens
www.fco.gov.uk/travel - for UK citizens
www.state.gov - for USA citizens
www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/menu-eng.asp - for Canadian citizens

28 April: Tours still running as scheduled from Bangkok
Our ground staff are continuing to monitor the situation in Bangkok closely. At the moment tours arriving or joining in Bangkok on 30 April will operate as scheduled, however contingency plans are in place in the event that itineraries need to be changed. Any changes or updates will be posted in this Latest News bulletin.

The international airport is still open and routes to and from the city are clear and safe, however traffic is slow in the central city due to certain road blocks put in place by protestors.

For government safety updates, please see:
www.safetravel.govt.nz/ - for New Zealand citizens
www.smarttraveller.gov.au - for Australian citizens
www.fco.gov.uk/travel - for UK citizens
www.state.gov - for USA citizens
www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/menu-eng.asp - for Canadian citizens

23 April: Tours to run as scheduled from Bangkok
There has been a violent escalation in the anti-Government (red shirt) protest with a series of small explosions which have reportedly killed one person and injured 75 others. The explosions were concentrated in the Bangkok city centre around the area known as Ratchaprasong, encompassing the Erawan shrine on the corner of the Rama I/Ploenchit and Ratchadamri roads and nearby commercial areas. Protestors continue to occupy Ratchadamri road opposite the Silom road commercial district. Violence has also been reported in the Sala Deang and Lumpini Park areas. Once again we would remind our clients and travellers to Bangkok to stay well away from the indicated areas and avoid any large gatherings as protests, though largely peaceful until recent weeks, have the potential to turn violent.

Violence has not been directly targeted towards tourists and no Tucan Travel clients or employees have been affected by these incidents. Apart from disruption to the areas described above, normal life continues for the majority of Bangkok residents and visitors. The affected areas are several kilometres from our joining and finishing hotels and at this stage there will be no disruptions to tours beginning or ending in Bangkok. The main international airport remains open and all the major transportation routes in and out of the city are unaffected. However due to blockades in some areas of the city, traffic may be slow and it is advisable to allow extra time to get to the airport on departure.

Our destination manager in Bangkok has been following the situation closely and is in regular contact with our ground staff, crew, local partners, as well as our offices in London and Sydney. We are also monitoring government advice recommend that anyone travelling to Bangkok in the next week or so should follow the latest news releases from the government travel advisory services. The the next date a group will join a tour in Bangkok is the 30 April 2010. If and when the situation changes, further updates will be added to this latest news bulletin.

For further security information, please visit your government advisory service:

www.safetravel.govt.nz/ - for New Zealand citizens
www.smarttraveller.gov.au - for Australian citizens
www.fco.gov.uk - for UK citizens
www.state.gov - for USA citizens
www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/menu-eng.asp - for Canadian citizens

22 April: No Tucan Travel groups in Bangkok
The British Foreign Commonwealth Office has advised today against all but essential travel to the city of Bangkok, in light of ongoing political demonstrations and violent incidents in isolated parts of the city.

Tucan Travel does not have a group in Bangkok at the moment. The the next date a group will join a tour in Bangkok is the 30 April 2010. Our destination manager based in Bangkok is liaising with our local contacts to assess the situation and further updates will be posted in this latest news item as they come to hand.

For further security information, please visit your government advisory service:

www.safetravel.govt.nz/ - for New Zealand citizens
www.smarttraveller.gov.au - for Australian citizens
www.fco.gov.uk - for UK citizens
www.state.gov - for USA citizens
www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/menu-eng.asp - for Canadian citizens

16 April 2010: Bangkok protesters move on + change of joining hotel for departures on 16, 17 and 18 April
Anti-government protesters have left the area of Ratchadamneon Rd near the democracy monument, near Khao San Road and have moved on to areas surrounding the Rajprasong intersection in Patumwan, near Siam Square and the Central World business and shopping district. Tucan Travel strongly recommends visitors to Bangkok to stay away from this area.

Tours starting in Bangkok on 16, 17 and 18 April will be joining at a new hotel - please read the messages below for details. Our Bangkok-based staff will continue to monitor the situation and advise of any further updates as things change.

15 April 2010: Change of joining hotel in Bangkok
In order to ensure the safety of our clients and crew during the red shirt protests, tours joining in Bangkok on 16, 17 and 18 April only will now join at the following hotel in Sukhumvit, away from the protest zone:

Suk11
1/33 Sukhumvit 11,
Sukhumvit Rd,
Bangkok 10110,
Tel. (+66) 022535927
www.suk11.com

The hotel is located in a very popular area of Bangkok near restaurants and bars, with ATM, internet, laundry and a 7-11 store nextdoor. The hotel is also located near Nana Train Station with access from the airport via Airport Bus AE3.

If you have booked pre tour accommodation, you will also be staying at this hotel. Please check your tour vouchers for confirmation details.

Please make contact with your travel consultant to confirm that you have received this news, so that we will know you are aware of the change. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us at our offices.

12 April 2010: Songkran Festivities begin 13 April to celebrate Thai New Year
Tomorrow is the official start of Songkran (13 – 17th April), the traditional Thai New Year. The streets of Bangkok are likely to be very quiet as many locals return to their families outside of Bangkok. Songkran is a time for families to get together, pay respects to their elders and visit temples to pray and offer food as well as receive blessings from monks. It is also party time in Thailand and many celebrate with water fights to cool off during the hottest time of the year. For travellers in Thailand it’s a great time to take part in the festivities but it is advisable to leave valuables at your hotel in a safe, or carry them in a waterproof bag to prevent damage during a soaking.

In the wake of violent clashes between red shirts and the authorities over the weekend, many shops in the area of the main protests have closed, while Khao San Road has been blocked off. However all metro train stations are open and most shopping centres near Siam Square are business as usual. It is advisable to stay away from known protest areas and do not join groups of people wearing red shirts, even during the festive Songkran period.

During Songkran, banks and embassies will be closed while many shops will remain open but will be operating with fewer staff than usual, which means services may be slower than usual. Your patience will be appreciated.

A Tourist Assistance Center has been launched by the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS) to support any visitors experiencing difficulties as a result of the protests. The centre can be reached via hotline 0-2205-7711, with over 100 lines available around the clock.

8 April 2010: Thai Prime Minister declares state of emergency
On the evening of Wednesday 7 April the Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva declared a state of emergency in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, and some districts of Samut Prakan, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom and Ayutthaya. The televised broadcast occurred as the result of thousands of 'red shirt' protesters marching on parliament.

Whilst the Red Shirt protesters were initially viewed as non violent, the Prime Minister has stated that ‘following the march on parliament the protesters could no longer be considered peaceful’. Curfews have been enforced in selected areas along with bans of public gatherings of more than 5 people. It is possible that additional security measures may also be implemented. These measures may include traffic checkpoints and searches of vehicles and/or people. By law, tourists are expected to carry their passports with them at all times in Thailand.

Tucan Travel groups will be staying in Bangkok from 16 April 2010. The following tour codes are due to stay in Bangkok around 16-18 April depending on the itinerary:

BXIC2 170410, BXAD2 170410, BXCW 170410,
BXCI2 150310, BXTL 040410, BXIC2 040410, BXSP 1604,
BXCI2 290310, BXWC 100410, BXTL 180410, BXBL 180410.

Our tour leaders have all been briefed regarding the situation. Our staff in Thailand have assured us that neither protestors nor police are targeting tourists but all travellers should exercise caution.

All Tucan Travel clients are advised to stay away from areas of the city where protests are staged or from large crowds or groups of people, refrain from wearing red and obey curfews should they be in the areas. The situation is being monitored closely and should changes need to be made to any itineraries we will endeavour to do so without any extra cost to our clients.

For further security information, please visit your government advisory service:

www.safetravel.govt.nz/ - for New Zealand citizens
www.smarttraveller.gov.au - for Australian citizens
www.fco.gov.uk - for UK citizens
www.state.gov - for USA citizens
www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/menu-eng.asp - for Canadian citizens

1 April 2010: Further protests planned Saturday 3 April
Organisers of the anti-government UDD Red Shirts have announced further protests in Bangkok this weekend.

Following the main anti-government rallies of 12-14 March, further rallies took place on 20 March and 27 March attracting tens of thousands of protestors.

We will continue to monitor the situation in order to make sure staff and clients are safe and we will post further updates as and when necessary. Even though the protests have been peaceful and are not targeting tourists, we would still advise anyone travelling to Thailand in the near future to please be careful and avoid any areas where large numbers of people are gathered as demonstrations have the potential to become violent.

18 March 2010: Bangkok protests happen peacefully
As has been widely reported in international news, an estimated 100,000 people attended protests in Bangkok 12-14 March to demand that the Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva resign, dissolve the assembly and organise a new election. The protests have been mostly peaceful and have not significantly affected any Tucan Travel clients.

11 March 2010: Suvarnabhumi Airport announces contingency plan for protests
Thailand's main international airport has announced that it has made contingency plans to prevent disruption to travel from 11-23 March, during the period when a special security law will be in place to counter protests by pro-Thaksin protestors, the Red Shirts.

Suvarnabhumi Airport’s general manager said there was also a contingency plan in case Red Shirt protesters tried to block or seize the facility, as rival anti-Thaksin Yellow Shirts did in late 2008.

Red Shirt protestors have said they are planning a peaceful protest and they will not occupy public or private buildings, including the international and domestic airports.

If you are travelling to Bangkok during the protests 12-14 March or duing the following weeks while the security law is in place, please be alert to your own security and avoid any areas where large numbers of people are gathered as demonstrations have the potential to turn violent.

9 March 2010: New security laws imposed ahead of demonstrations in Bangkok
Thailand's government has announced it is to impose strict new security laws ahead of Red Shirt demonstrations planned for this weekend.

The rules, which include banning farm vehicles carrying groups from entering the capital, are intended to reduce the numbers of protestors entering the city. Unarmed army troops will also be deployed to manage security around mass rallies, which are expected to attract 600,000 supporters of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra into the city following a court ruling that confiscated 1.4 billion dollars of his fortune.

No Tucan Travel groups will be in Bangkok during the protest period and the next group will depart on 19 March, well after the demonstrations are due to have finished.

25 February 2010: Red Shirt demonstrations postponed until March
Due to problems mobilising massive groups of people for rallies, supporters of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra have been forced to postpone their planned demonstrations for two weeks.

The UDD, otherwise known as the 'Red Shirts', has announced it will hold its first rally on 12-14 March in Bangkok. No Tucan Travel groups will be starting or finishing tours in Bangkok at this time.

The verdict on Thaksin Shinawatra's assets case is due to be decided Friday 26 February at the Supreme Court in Bangkok. If you are in the city tomorrow, please avoid any crowds, particularly near the court.

24 February 2010: Upcoming demonstrations in Bangkok
As previously noted in the latest news, media reports published in Thailand indicate that the Red Shirts are preparing for mass demonstrations following the verdict in the trial of exiled prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra which is expected on Friday 26 February. Any such demonstrations are likely to take place in Bangkok in public areas. Red Shirt leaders have indicated that the rallies may stretch from Sanam Luang to Ratchadamnern Road and the Royal Plaza near Banglamphu area and could last around 7 days beginning in early March. However, the demonstrations could potentially last until April, when the festival of Songkran begins. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to join the rallies.

Tucan Travel has been following this situation closely. Tours will operate as scheduled until further notice, however itineraries may change if rallies look likely to affect our schedule or endanger clients and staff. It is important for travellers to be alert to their own security and to avoid any areas where large numbers of people are gathered as demonstrations have the potential to turn violent. Please visit this latest news page for further information closer to your departure date for up-to-date information.

For further security information, please visit your government advisory service:

www.safetravel.govt.nz/ - for New Zealand citizens
www.smarttraveller.gov.au - for Australian citizens
www.fco.gov.uk - for UK citizens
www.state.gov - for USA citizens
www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/menu-eng.asp - for Canadian citizens

9 February 2010: Demonstrations planned in Bangkok from 15 February
Our local contacts have advised that anti-government groups in Thailand are planning mass rallies in Bangkok and areas of the north and north east of Thailand, from 15 February onwards. The 'Red Shirts', lead by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) are protesting to increase pressure on the government ahead of a key court decision on fraud charges against fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra. The court case is due to be decided on Friday 26 February.

Thai police are monitoring the political situation and Tucan Travel is also following the situation closely. At this stage all tours are expected to operate as scheduled and we do not believe itineraries will be disrupted, however if changes are required in order to safeguard clients and crew, travellers will be advised as soon as possible. In the event that demonstrations go ahead, tourists are unlikely to be targeted but visitors should exercise extreme caution and avoid any crowded areas.

Nominate your favourite companies in the Responsible Tourism Awards

2010-04-27T03:26:00.000-07:00

Nominations for the Responsible Tourism Awards are now open. If you've travelled with us recently and enjoyed the fact that your tour invests in local communities and travels on eco-friendly transport then we'd really appreciate your vote! Perhaps the best category to put us down for is the best tour operator for local economies category.

Learn about our Responsible Travel policy
Learn about our environmentally-friendly private vehicles
Learn about our relationship with World Land Trust & carbon offsetting
Learn about our travel styles

Visit the awards website to vote

New requirements for medical insurance - Cuba

2010-04-27T03:20:00.000-07:00

Cuba will require visitors to buy health insurance if they want to enter the country, according to a new government regulation which takes effect on 1 May 2010.

Under the new rule, travellers will be required to show their insurance policy and prove medical coverage on arrival. If a traveller has not yet purchased insurance, the Cuban government will requires it to be purchased on arrival. It is not yet clear what this government approved insurance would cost, which companies it would be provided by or how much coverage it would provide.

Proof of travel insurance including medical cover and repatriation is a condition of carriage with Tucan Travel. A minimum coverage of £100,000 (or equivalent) is required. Please see our website for further information about insurance and read our booking conditions.

AFTA Travel Industry Awards 2010

2010-04-22T09:02:00.001-07:00

Tucan Travel is delighted to have been nominated in the category of Best International Tour Operator in the Australian Federation of Travel Agents' National Travel Industry Awards 2010.

Bernice Hartnett, our Sales Executive for Queensland and Northern Territory has been nominated Supplier Rookie of the Year. View Bernie’s staff profile on our website at: http://www.tucantravel.com/about-us/our-staff

If you would like to place a vote in these awards, please visit http://www.afta.com.au/NTIANominationsVoting.

Update 21 April 2010: Flight ban lifted in Europe

2010-04-19T05:14:00.000-07:00

After a six-day shutdown of European airspace due to a volcanic ash cloud from an eruption in Iceland, the skies are now clear enough for authorities to allow flights to resume.

Officials lifted the ban on Tuesday night however there will be continued disruption as airlines attempt to get their schedules back on track. Passengers are being advised to contact their airlines before travelling to an airport for a flight.

For a full news update, please visit the websites listed below, or read the BBC latest news at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8633892.stm.

20 April 2010: Governments offer help for travellers stranded abroad due to ash cloud
As the disruptions to flights continues due to the volcanic ash over Europe, government advice is being frequently updated. For the latest travel advice from your foreign advisory service, please see the following links:

British travellers
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/021-Flight-disruption-help/

USA travellers
http://travel.state.gov/travel/travel_4808.html

Canadian travellers
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/issues_enjeux/article-eng.asp?id=1097

New Zealand travellers
http://www.safetravel.govt.nz/news/index.shtml#europe

Australian travellers
http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/TravelBulletins/Flight_Disruptions_in_Europe

19 April: Limited airspace open in Europe due to volcanic ash cloud
The BBC has reported a change in the airspace open in Europe today. Please see the BBC website for details at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8628323.stm

Airspace closed:
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland, UK

Partial closures:
Italy (northern airspace closed until Monday)
Norway (most airports open)
Bulgaria (Sofia and Plovdiv open)
Poland (several airports, including Warsaw, open)
Sweden (northern airports open)
France (southern airports open)

Flights operating:
Greece, Lithuania, Portugal, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, Spain.

Useful links:

Air traffic live
http://www.flightradar24.com/

Foreign Commonwealth Office Update
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/news/latest-news/?view=News&id=22078200

Volcanic ash health and travel update
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_187244

British Airports Authority
http://www.baa.com/

Air Traffic Control Service (NATS)
http://www.nats.co.uk/

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
http://www.caa.co.uk/

UK Met Office
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporate/pressoffice/2010/volcano.html

Association of European Airlines
http://www.aea.be/

Volcanic ash disrupts flights from UK & northern Europe

2010-04-16T09:22:00.000-07:00

International flights into or out of the UK and northern Europe are facing massive disruption after a volcanic eruption in Iceland spewed a cloud of ash into the air which has grounded planes due to safety concerns.

If you are currently enroute to join a Tucan Travel tour and you have been delayed by this event, please contact the emergency numbers provided below:

If you're travelling to Latin America, please call our Cuzco office:
Natalia Cohen (+51) 84 984 76 21 64 (mobile phone)

If you're travelling to Asia & Russia, please call Thailand:
Celine Fortin (+66) 89 041 3304 (mobile phone)

All Tucan Travel tours are operating as scheduled. We will work with you to help you catch up with your tour if you are delayed. However, if you have been unable to fly due to cancellations which have occurred as a result of the volcanic eruption, please contact our reservations teams:

If you've booked in the UK or Europe, please call:
(+44) 020 8896 1600

If you've booked somewhere in the rest of the world, please call:
(+61) 02 9326 6633

We are monitoring this situation closely and will post updates as soon as we have new information.

Background
Flights into and out of Heathrow, Luton, Stanstead and Gatwick airports in London have been suspended, while all airports in Scotland are closed. Airports in Manchester, Newcastle and Liverpool are also affected, with Birmingham, Leeds, East Midlands, Leeds Bradford, Cardiff, Bristol, Belfast and the Irish Republic's Dublin also hit.

The Air Traffic Control Service (Nats) imposed restrictions on air travel after the UK Met Service warned that volcanic ash could damage plane engines. Nats is working with the European air safety body, Eurocontrol, to track the ash cloud across Europe in the coming days.

Passengers intending to fly today and tomorrow are asked to contact their airline for further information and should expect further disruption in the coming hours.

Source: BBC
For more information, please visit: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8621407.stm

Update re Machu Picchu Reopening 1 April 2010

2010-03-11T03:11:00.000-08:00

30 March 2010: Update re Machu Picchu Reopening 1 April 2010

We have been advised that the reopening of Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail Trek will take place as scheduled on 1 April 2010. The train tracks between Chilca (Km82) and Aguas Calientes have been repaired however Perurail will be offering a limited number of carriages and an alternative timetable. The journey between Cuzco and Km82 will be made by road until further notice, please note that disruption and delays are to be expected on both the train and road journeys between Cuzco and Aguas Calientes.

All Tucan Travel train bookings for April have been confirmed by Perurail however many of the schedules have been altered with some groups departing Aguas Calientes for the return journey as late as 9.30pm. In addition to changing scheduled and ticketed departure times Perurail is increasing the cost of the train tickets. Tucan Travel is making every effort to absorb the additional costs, however when we receive the final notification from Perurail of the cost of the train tickets it may be necessary for us to pass on a small supplement to our clients.

Unfortunately Perurail are setting all train departure times and prices and we have little or no control over this, therefore we would like to ask you for your patience and understanding during this period and to ensure you that we are doing everything necessary to ensure as little inconvenience to our clients as possible. As soon as we have more details we will inform you

10 March 2010 - INC confirms Machu Picchu & Inca Trail will reopen 1 April

We have some great news for travellers looking forward to trekking the Inca Trail and/or visiting the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in April. Fertransa, the company responsible for repairing the railway tracks to Machu Picchu have confirmed that they will have work completed by 29 March. The INC, the Peruvian authority in charge of Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail, has in turn confirmed that Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail will reopen on 1 April.

We would strongly encourage any travellers keen to trek the Inca Trail this season to book as soon as possible because permits are selling very quickly. Inca Trail permits have nearly sold out for April with only a few available on a limited number of days. Permits are completely sold out for May and for the first few days in June. Please contact us and book ASAP if you would like to trek in the peak season of June to September when the trail is most popular and places are at an absolute premium. For further information about bookings please visit the Inca Trail & Machu Picchu page on our website.

Guaranteed departures - a win-win for everyone

2010-03-10T02:01:00.000-08:00

After taking time off work, booking your flights and arranging for your neighbour to feed the cat, the last thing you need is for your trip to be cancelled because of a lack of people on your tour. Tucan Travel’s new guaranteed departures take the guesswork out of planning your adventure and give you the peace of mind to book the tour that suits you.

What is a guaranteed departure?
A guaranteed departure means that the tour will definitely operate on the day it is scheduled and will not be cancelled for lack of participation. All guaranteed departures will run except in the event of a natural disaster or other similarly disruptive event that is beyond our control.

Why has Tucan Travel decided to offer guaranteed departures?
Travel agents and direct clients have made it very clear to us that guaranteed departures are very important to them. As a result of this feedback we have gone through our group tour schedules and nominated all the tours which are now guaranteed departures.

What benefits do guaranteed departures offer clients, agents and Tucan Travel?
Benefits to travellers
- Guaranteed departures give travellers peace of mind that they can book when they want to and the reassurance that the tour will definitely operate as scheduled.
- More people are likely to book on guaranteed departures so groups will be larger, more interesting, diverse and enjoyable than smaller groups, although we will still operate within our maximum group size policy.

Benefits to Tucan Travel
- Guaranteed departures help us to build trust with our travel agents and direct clients to encourage repeat bookings.
- Guaranteed departures are more likely to attract bookings faster and earlier, which will make it easier for us to
confirm staff rosters and hotel and transport bookings.
- If guaranteed departures fill quickly, we can make an assessment and nominate other departures as guaranteed in order to encourage further bookings.

How will Tucan Travel decide which tours are guaranteed to depart?
We have made our decisions based on historical and current sales patterns, schedules and popular periods, among other criteria. We have been careful to offer a variety of fixed date group tours across our full range of regions and travel styles. The system is flexible so that the more people who book tours which are not ‘guaranteed departures’, the more tours we can name as guaranteed departures.

Where are we offering guaranteed departures?
Hundreds of departures for group tours from destinations worldwide have been guaranteed.

How is a guaranteed departure indicated on our website?
Guaranteed departures are indicated on our availability grid and availability listings.

Dark green – This tour is guaranteed to depart and has at least 3 places remaining.
Pale green – This tour is available and has at least 3 places remaining.

Availability grid view

Availability list view

If I’ve booked a tour which has reached minimum numbers but is not a ‘guaranteed departure’, is it still guaranteed to depart?
We aim to operate every tour regardless of whether it has been guaranteed or not, so it is very unlikely that a tour which has reached minimum numbers would be cancelled. The minimum numbers required to run our tours is very low - it only takes 4 people to book onto an Adventure Tour to make it viable, while we need 10 on any Discovery Tours, Overland Expeditions or Budget Expeditions. We will be looking at tours which have reached minimum numbers on a regular basis and adding tours to the guaranteed departure list. For most regions the decision to guarantee or cancel a tour has been made up to the end of October 2010. For further information about cancellations by us, please see our booking conditions.

How likely are tours to run if they’re not guaranteed?
We are taking a flexible approach and hope that the more people who book tours which are not ‘guaranteed departures’, the more tours we can guarantee. Most of our tours have been guaranteed for departures from now until the end of October 2010. We will endeavour to make future decisions around 6 months prior to the scheduled departure date of a tour in order to give our clients and travel agents the maximum possible amount of notice. Early bookings for departures 6 months in advance will also earn the client a 5% discount, which is an added incentive for travellers to book their spot on a tour even if it’s not guaranteed, while increasing the chance it their chosen departure will run. Tours that are not guaranteed will operate on the same policy as usual, which is detailed in our booking conditions.

Can a guaranteed departure be cancelled? If so, under what circumstances?
While Tucan Travel will make every attempt to operate a tour, we do reserve the right to cancel a tour, at any time, due to reasons beyond our control that might create unsafe or undesirable travel conditions.

Will any guaranteed departures operate with lower than minimum numbers, e.g. if people cancel less than 60 days before departure?
In the unlikely event that a guaranteed departure does not reach minimum numbers, it will still run as scheduled.

Gorilla Trekking in the Rwandan Rainforest

2010-03-04T02:03:00.000-08:00

Gorilla trekking... the measure of adventure
Have you ever heard of the human travel gauge? That’s when you tell someone you’re close to like your mom, grandmother, best friend etc. about your next off the wall adventure. The more shock they register, often the better and more authentic experience you will have.
My human travel gauge is my mom and telling her that I was going to see the mountain gorillas in Rwanda got a good 8.5/10. It was great news, a sign that I was in for a real dandy. At the same time, this is to be the most expensive hour of my life. To see the gorillas, I’ve shelled out CAD650. That buys me one hour, just sixty minutes of face time with the gorillas. I had a lot of time on the overland truck to ponder this. It works out to $10.83 per minute.

Heading into Rwanda
Perhaps there’s no African country in the world that is so notorious for bad things as Rwanda. It was here that over 1,000,000 people died in 100 days. So when we cross the border from Uganda, everyone on the Tucan Travel truck looks a little apprehensive.

The first thing we notice is the landscape. It’s hilly, green and the land looks well tended. Of the countries we have seen this one is distinct. Gone are the flat plains of Kenya and Tanzania. And it doesn’t have the red soil typical of Uganda. No wonder they call this the Switzerland of Africa. I thought it was a cliché. But as the truck groans its way up and down serpentine roads, it all begins makes sense.

It also makes me realize how much we’ve seen in the past few weeks on this tour. Africa has so much diversity and taking an overland trip, like the Tucan Travel tour I’m on seems and ideal way to see it. (Click here for info about the tour I was on)

On the truck I read Romeo’s Dallaire’s “Shake hands with the Devil” a book about the UN commander who saw the country fall helplessly into chaos. So when we entered Rwanda, I expect this country was going to carry the scars of this devastation. I expect downtrodden people, with dour, listless looks in their eyes.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

As per everywhere in Africa, when we stop the truck for lunch, the first to approach are the children. They look very serious for their age. But after Matt takes some photos of them and shows them the images on his viewfinder, they break out into smiles.

Soon, younger children follow. They whisper amongst themselves and eye us cautiously. Again, after doing some pantomime, it’s not hard to get them laughing. Then, before we know it, it seems that they entire lunch spot is teeming with people. Kids, adults, everyone is standing around, mostly smiling, chatting. They do seem a bit more reserved than in Uganda but as soon as we approach, they smile brightly.

And when we pack lunch up and head back into the truck, they follow us and linger outside. Then, as the truck rolls forward, they follow. Most walk, but one young kid actually runs with the truck for at least a kilometer. I think to myself that maybe here is the reason East Africa produces so many world class long distance runners!

The lead up to the Gorilla Trek
There are only 700 wild mountain gorillas left in existence. That’s it. If these 700 individuals are poached (which is still a risk given the high prices paid for gorilla parts) a whole species will cease to exist. So, aside from the obvious costs of paying the guides and trackers, my 650 will also go to conservation efforts that will ensure these animals persist. It makes the high cost a bit easier to swallow.

Our base for the trip is a nondescript town called Rhuengeri (also known as Musanze) and we’re staying on the grounds of a pastoral centre. Here we get upgraded. Being a camping tour, an upgrade means we get to sleep in real beds, with real mattresses. It’s amazing how luxury depends on what you’ve had before - the dorm feels like a sumptuous palace.

The Gorilla Permit Centre:
Our gorilla trekking day finally arrives, and we’re up at 6:00 to head to the permit centre where we will meet our guide and learn which family we will track.

There’s a palpable excitement in the air, as this is the day we’ve all waited for. The road to the permit centre is beautiful. It seems that the parks name is apt - Parc des Volcans houses five extinct volcanoes and these loom overhead.

The land is verdant. Children meander down the road in packs on their way to school.

Finally, we arrive. After hanging around we meet our guide, and we group together. There eight permits per family and only seven of us so we are joined by Mark, a Brit living and working in Angola.

The silverback gorilla, Charles and his family:
The guide shows us a placard with gorilla faces. He points to the top right photo. “This is Charles” he says. “We’re going to meet his family”.

We learn that Gorilla life is a real patriarchy. The alpha silverback - in this case Charles - is responsible for the entire family.

Charles’ family is known as the Umubano group. The guide explains the history. “Before the genocide, in 1994, Charles was part of a different family,” he reminisces. "We stopped tracking the gorillas in Rwanda in 1994 because it was too dangerous with the war. When we started again in 2001, we found that Charles had started a new family. And because the war had ended, we called the family Umubano.” He tells us the word means peace in Kinyarwanda, the national language of Rwanda.

Turns out that Charles was a renegade gorilla who saw an opportunity to run away with two females and start a new family. And, fortunately for us, this family now has 12 individuals, four of which are infants. The guide tells us we’re lucky. Charles’ family is known to be an active, curious one, which means we’re likely to have lots of interaction.

Preparation for Gorilla Tracking
Each day, before the tourists arrive, trackers head into the mountains to try and locate the habituated families. Trackers believe the family is about a two-hour walk from the centre. We’re told that gorillas generally only move a couple kilometers per day. The hard part is the terrain, since it’s very dense and locating the family can involve bushwacking potentially treacherous terrain.

We load into a small truck and our guide jokes that we’re off to get an African massage - a euphemism for one of the most boulder strewn roads I’ve seen - even by African standards.
Finally, we arrive at the base of a towering, almost perfectly conical volcano. We’re given special sticks that have beautifully rendered gorilla carvings at the handle. And after some initial photos, we begin our walk.

We start walking through farmland. He leads us over a small ditch and says this is where the park begins. It’s immediately obvious, since after the ditch, the terrain changes. Here we’re in very dense bush. There’s a thin trail, but it’s poorly maintained. And soon we realize that mixed into the bush is stinging nettle. It’s a tough balance, because it’s hot, not the weather for long clothing. But, short sleeves can lead to a sting from the nettle.

We start ascending and the path is tough. But as we’re finding our groove, the guide starts muttering to the trackers on his walkie talkie. Apparently, we’ve gone the wrong way. We descend again back to the farmland and traverse along the base of the volcano. After another half hour on farmland, we re-enter the park and resume our ascent.

We climb for a couple hours. It’s a tough trek. We’re a relatively fit group but when I look back I can see some stragglers. The guide stops for a break, and I can see that Holly looks pretty wiped. We start again. And after another half hour the guide stops and points to some of the densest jungle I’ve ever seen.

Matt, who has a 300 zoom focuses in. “GORILLAS!!!!” We look carefully at the scene. And soon we realize there is something there. With my zoom I can finally make it out. There are, indeed, wild gorillas here.

The first thing I recall is that it all seemed absurd. Having a hauntingly human face staring back at you in jungle seems odd to say the least.

The hour begins
At our first sighting the guide sets his clock. We get exactly one hour with the gorillas. He tells us leave our bags, and only bring our cameras as we follow a steep banked trail for the last 5 minutes to Charles’ family.

The next thing I remember is looking down a steep hill. Nick, who is a few paces ahead whispers “Gorillas, oh my god, gorillas!” Below us is a female with a baby and another young male. What amazes me is that my heart is going 1000 miles a minute, while they look so peaceful, so composed. I break out my camera and start snapping madly. This first contact is one of my favorites, because I hadn’t yet figured out the rules for the next hour.

(See a video on how close you can get to the mountain gorillas!)

The guide tells us that at all times we should keep 7 meters distance. But, as the young male approaches me, I quickly learn that the seven meter rule is one imposed by humans - this gorilla family obviously hasn’t been briefed!

The guide tells us we need to move, and we struggle up the steep embankment as the male easily gains on me. Finally I reach the flat trail and, unfazed, the gorilla pushes right past me into the bush, only a couple meters from where I’m standing.

The group idles forward to a flat clearing. It’s here we get our first glimpse of Charles. He’s unmistakable, on all fours with his massive knuckles pushed against the ground. It seems that he’s posing, pushing his silver back towards us. He’s an amazing display, and everything about him exudes power and strength. Around him are his family. There must be four or five that are busying themselves. They chew branches, and graze on vegetation, while all the while Charles stays poised on the hilltop.

Cameras are snapping and we’re all trying to reconcile the fact that we’re in a jungle in Rwanda, and that in front of us is a family of wild gorillas. You’d be surprised how often over the hour I thought this must be some bizarre dream.

The infant
One of the little infant gorillas comes towards us. The guide tells us we have to move back - the little guys tend to be the most curious and he is likely to get too close. There’s a strange give-and-take here. We want as close an encounter as possible while the guide has the responsibility to keep us back. But the infant (we later learn he’s three years old) comes closer and stares at Matt in the eyes.

The guide starts making low grunts and waving a leaf. The little guy does an impish twirl, as if showing off his latest moves. He’s like a little kid who knows he’s adorable and is keen to have adults confirm it. He stares at us, with a look of curiosity, it’s not unlike what any kid does when confronted by a strange animal.

(See a video on the infant gorillas)

But as he almost touches Mat, the guide hollers again. The little gorilla does another roll and then continues down the path.

Charles
A few minutes later, we have our best encounter with Charles. He’s been on the hilltop the entire time, but he suddenly gets up and starts walking towards us. It’s now that his size becomes apparent.

Up until now, I haven’t feared for my safety, but suddenly I’m a bit nervous. I mean, what if this gorilla doesn’t want us here? This is after all his home, and we are the guests. And what does a 300 pound silver back gorilla do with unwelcome guests anyway? But the guide doesn’t urge us to move. And soon, he’s right in front of us, only a meter away. And just has he passes, he stands up, beats he chest and walks off into the bush.

(See the video of Charles’ approach)

We’re all a bit stunned.

The next half hour we stick to roughly the same area. We spot a mother with a tiny baby on her back. This is the youngest gorilla, only 4 months old. We later learn that the gorilla population in Uganda (which has a separate group) is stagnant, but Rwanda has seen 12 new gorillas in 2009 alone.

We also see a gorilla in the trees, who is swinging, tarzan style. It looks like fun, I’m almost tempted to give it a try. Then the guide tells us there are 10 minutes left. We try to argue. It seems impossible that 45 minutes went by that quickly. But, he shows us his watch. For the final ten minutes I consciously put down my camera. I’ve been so busy snapping I’ve hardly had time to appreciate what I’m seeing.

In spite of their size, these are docile, gentle creatures. They are contented to munch on the thick vegetation while the little gorillas play. Perhaps, I think, it’s ironic that it’s me who feared the gorillas. After all it’s humans that have brought them to the brink of extinction.

And then, in the fastest hour of my life, the guide tells us we’re done. All of us try to sneak a few more minutes, but he urges us on.

It’s a tough hike back, but we’re all buzzing about our experience. And there’s one thing that we all seem to agree: $650 was a bargain for the experience we had with Charles and his family.

Blog by Kevin Smith, sales rep Tucan Travel North America.

Learn more about gorilla trekking on the Tucan Travel website
Contact us for more details about gorilla trekking
Read another blog by Kevin Smith

Chile earthquake - all Tucan Travellers safe

2010-03-03T04:29:00.000-08:00

3 March 2010 - Update: Chile earthquake and its effect on Tucan Travel tours
Following discussions with our local contacts in transport and hotel services in Chile, Tucan Travel is pleased to report that all tours are able to operate as scheduled, albeit with delays due to damage to certain roads.

The road Bariloche to Pucon is the same as usual and our group will experience no delays on this section of their journey. Pucon itself is more or less back to normal and the hotel is 100% ready to accept our groups. Optional excursions are all operating once again in Pucon.

The road between Pucon to Santiago is open once again but due to damage to the road and bridges the usual 7 – 8 hours journey is taking much longer and will be around 14 hours.

Our hotel in Santiago is 100% ready to accept our groups and the downtown area is functioning as usual. We have received reports that the airport in Santiago should be fully functioning later today.

In summary, our tours will be running as usual. The group due to travel from Pucon to Santiago on 9 March will experience some delays and the tour leader will advise how and when this will affect clients. Travellers due to begin in Santiago should be able to land as usual but should contact their airline. Clients due to travel to Santiago from the north should experience little in the way of changes to their tour.

If you have any questions regarding this news update, please don't hesitate to contact us at:
http://www.tucantravel.com/contact-us/our-offices

2 March 2010 - Update: Santiago International Airport services
Turismo Chile released an update regarding operations at Santiago International Airport provided by the airport authority, SCL Aeropuerto de Santiago, following a meeting with Chile’s National Civil Aviation Authority and airlines operating at the airport. Flight operations will resume in two phases:

Phase 1 – March 2 to 5, 2010 - Domestic flights will gradually resume operations with a limited schedule between 8 am and 8 pm and international flights also with a limited schedule will be operating between 8 pm and 8 am. A temporary makeshift terminal has been set up in tents in order to process departing passengers. All arriving international flights during this period will stopover in another Chilean city prior to landing in Santiago in order for passengers to clear Chilean customs and immigration formalities.

Phase 2 – March 5 2010 onward - Domestic and international flights will be operating 24 hours. All domestic flight arrivals and departures will be operating out of a makeshift terminal set up in tents located to the east of the airport’s old terminal. International flight departures will move to the domestic flights sector of the current terminal. International arriving passengers will clear Chilean customs and immigration formalities in a makeshift facility set up in tents to the west of the current terminal.

All Tucan Travellers should contact their airline for updated information on flight schedules and changes.

29 February 2010 - Post-earthquake update from Turismo Chile
Turismo Chile, the country’s tourism promotion organisation, issued a statement to the tourism industry addressing the effect of the 8.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Chile in the early morning hours of Saturday 27 February. According to the report, the cities closest to the epicentre of the quake - including Concepcion, Talcahuano and Temuco, and a number of small towns along Chile’s central coast - were most affected by the quake.

The northern part of Chile’s Lakes and Volcanoes region, around the city of Concepcion and the Bio Bio River, was most affected by the quake. Authorities are still working on assessing the full damage. Basic essential services including water, electricity and telecommunications are gradually being restored. The southern part of the Lakes and Volcanoes region was not affected by the quake. Operations in popular tourist towns including Pucon, Puerto Varas and Puerto Montt are reported to be normal.

In Santiago and Chile’s Central Region, the Santiago airport suffered structural damage to the passenger terminal, however no damage was reported to the runways and the airport is expected to reopen later this week. Electricity and phone lines have been restored in Santiago and the city’s public transportation including its metro is fully operational. Valparaiso and Viña del Mar have also reported damage.

The desert region in the north of Chile and the Patagonia region in the far south were not affected by the quake and have not reported any damage. Easter Island, which lies 2,300 miles off the cost of mainland Chile, a 5.5-hour flight from Santiago, was not affected by the quake. Initial tsunami warnings have been lifted and all operations are normal.

Chile is a country with a history of seismic activity. The country’s preparedness, including its strict anti-seismic building codes, the rapid emergency response from the government as well as the help from a number of organisations can be credited for managing the situation and help minimise the damage. The country’s tourism infrastructure has, overall, fared well, reporting little damage. “Our thoughts and sentiments go out to the families who have lost loved ones,” said Pablo Moll, executive director of Turismo Chile. “Chileans are a resilient people and we are hard at work to get the country back on its feet quickly. We look forward to continuing to welcome travelers and are making every effort to making them feel safe and secure.”

27 February 2010 - ORIGINAL NEWS: No Tucan Travel Clients Affected by Chile Earthquake
At 06.34 GMT on 27 Feb 2010 an earthquake struck 91km northeast of Concepcion and 317km southwest of Santiago, Chile. The extent of the damage caused by the earthquake measuring 8.8 on the richter scale has yet to be fully determined.

Tucan Travel currently has no clients in the immediate area however there is a group in Pucon, Chile. All members of the group are safe and well.

The road between Pucon and Santiago and the airport in Santiago are currently closed. Affected clients have been advised to contact their travel agents or airlines to confirm or rearrange their onward travel arrangements.

The Tucan Travel vehicle will travel from Pucon to Bariloche in Argentina on 01 March, where there is better access to other Argentine towns.

The next clients are not due to arrive in Santiago until later next week at which time we hope to have more information on the situation in order to make alternative arrangements if necessary.

Machu Picchu expected to reopen 1 April

2010-02-18T04:21:00.000-08:00

Good news for travellers wanting to visit Peru's iconic 'lost city' of the Incas in the coming months. Peruvian Minister of Tourism Martín Pérez announced this week that Machu Picchu is likely to be reopened for visitors from 1 April. The minister emphasised that the reopening of the site depended on the progress of the repairs to the tracks and said he expected to be able to announce a firm date in a few days.

Mr Pérez told Peruvian media: “Esperamos que a partir del 1 de abril empecemos a recibir a los millones de turistas que siempre han venido.” English translation: “We hope that from 1 April we will be able to receive the millions of tourists who have always come.”

Fetransa, the company in charge of rail routes to Machu Picchu, released an additional statement yesterday outlining progress made on the restoration of the railway along the traditional route that connects Cuzco or the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu (Aguas Calientes train station). Fetransa expects to have the railway ready between the town of Piscacucho (Km.82) and Machu Picchu (Km.110) by early April. This would allow visitors access Machu Picchu on a bus-train combination consisting of a road journey from Cuzco to the Sacred Valley followed by a 50 minute bus ride from Sacred Valley (Ollantaytambo station) up to Piscacucho (Km.82) followed by a 80 minute train ride to Machu Picchu. This work is expected to be completed by 1 April but a specific target date of completion will be announced in a few days. Please note that Km 82 is the starting point for the 4 day Inca Trail Trek which culminates in a guided tour of Machu Picchu.

Although the citadel itself was not damaged by the heavy rains which blocked access to the site in January, Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail have been officially closed by the Peruvian INC (National Institute of Culture) until safety checks can be carried out. The attractions are expected to remain closed during March and reopen around the same time as the repaired rail access route in early April.

In the event that the traditional route to Machu Picchu is not opened by 1 April as expected, various companies may offer trips to Machu Picchu via alternative rail and road routes. However, having considered the options available, we will not be offering or recommending alternative routes to our clients due to the very lengthy, uncomfortable and potentially unsafe nature of the journey. A round trip to Machu Picchu from Cuzco by alternative road and ‘back door’ rail routes would consist of at least a 24 hour round trip. Please see our previous news update on our website for further information about alternative excursions we are offering at the moment.

We would like to remind all travellers to Peru that the Inca capital of Cuzco and Inca sites in the Sacred Valley have not been damaged by the floods and remain open to visitors. The weather in the area has improved considerably and access is open to all areas. There are several intriguing attractions to explore in Cuzco including Koricancha, Cathedral, Pre Columbian Art Museum, San Blas artisan district, La Almudena cemetery, San Pedro market, San Francisco church, La Merced church and the Inca Museum. There are also several fascinating Inca ruins near Cuzco, including Sacsayhuaman, Kenko, Puca-Pucara and Tambomachay.

Background
Heavy rains in the Cuzco and Sacred Valley area in late January caused mudslides and flooding which blocked access to Machu Picchu and surrounding areas. Perurail suspended all train services to Aguas Calientes, the village nearest Machu Picchu until further notice due to general damage, mudslides and water on the rails.

Authorities called a state of emergency in southern Peru and thousands of local people were evacuated from their homes. Around 2,000 tourists were stranded at Aguas Calientes. Peruvian authorities began an airlift rescue operation to take elderly and ill tourists back to Cuzco and completed the evacuation by the end of January. All Tucan Travel clients who were affected by the access issues to Aguas Calientes have safely made it back to Cuzco to continue their travels.

Due to safety concerns, INC, the governing body of the Inca Trail announced that it would not allow travellers to hike the Inca Trail Trek, which normally concludes with a visit to Machu Picchu, until further notice. Machu Picchu was also closed to day visits although the site has not been damaged by the rains. The Inca Trail is officially closed in February for an annual clean up and it is hoped that the necessary repairs will take place during this period.

For further details and information about changed itineraries, please visit our website.

Travel tips, special offers & celebrate tour leaders

2010-02-16T07:50:00.000-08:00

Travelling solo? Have we got some tips for you!

Are you really excited about travelling but just a bit scared of going solo? It may amaze you to know that around 50% of our clients are solo travellers who started out just like you. With 23 years experience in adventure travel, we know that whether you're joining a group tour or taking an Expedition Cruise, leaving real life behind and heading out on your first solo adventure can be both an exhilarating and daunting experience. On the one hand, you can look forward to the excitement of meeting new people and experiencing new places without having to worry about keeping a companion happy. But on the other hand, you may have worries about your personal safety, language barriers and loneliness. To help get past these challenges and to give you a bit of added confidence, we’ve come up with a list of helpful hints for solo travel in our previous blog post. We hope you enjoy it and feel free to add your own tips and ideas!

Special offers available now

If you're one of the lucky ones who have the freedom to travel in the next month or two, you can pick up a real bargain! Conditions apply please, visit our specials page for full details.

Late space on group tours – conditions apply, visit our specials page for full details.

15% off the tour price of all Overland Expeditions in East & Southern Africa departing before the end of 2010.

15% off the tour price of selected group tours to India and Nepal, China, South East Asia, Egypt, Cuba, Central America and South America.

Great deals on Expedition Cruises – visit our specials page for full details.

Classic Antarctica -11 days - Book one place full price and bring a friend for half price. Applies to 28 February and 30 March departures. You'll be totally mesmerized by sightings of large penguin colonies, magnificent whales, and breathtaking icebergs and glaciers during this amazing adventure from Ushuaia to the Antarctic peninsula.

Patagonia Australis 5 day - Selected departures in March and April are reduced by a season rate. Enjoy encounters with diverse wildlife including penguins, elephant seals and sea lions and enjoy spectacular views of glaciers during this voyage through the Strait of Magellan to the Beagle Channel.

Amazon Tucano 9 day - 20% off all cabins on 7 May departure. This voyage delves deep into the heart of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest, travelling up the Rio Negro to the Amazon River. You'll see diverse plant and animal life, trek in the jungle, swim off deserted beaches and visit the homes of deep forest settlers to learn about their way of life.

Antarctica - 10% off all cabins

Polar Circle & Antarctic Peninsula 12 day - 15 March departure

Antarctic Peninsula Including Shetland Islands 11 Day - 5 March departure
Enormous numbers of penguins, whales, seals and seabirds congregate in the food-rich waters along the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic shores. This voyage offers you opportunities for zodiac cruising between icebergs and landings on the Antarctic continent.

And in other news…

Job opportunities with Tucan Travel

Do you love Central America as much as we do? Why not join Tucan Travel as a tour leader and share your passion for adventure with other travellers. We're also looking for an experienced tour leader with a Russian visa to be based in Russia and lead our Transmongolian Railway tours. Interested? Apply now!

A small triumph in Wanderlust Magazine Travel AwardsWe were very pleased to accept a Highly Commended award in the Top Tour Operator category in the Wanderlust Magazine Travel Awards last month. We achieved 4th place against some much bigger tour operators and we’d sincerely like to thank all the Wanderlust Magazine readers who voted for us. Click here to read more about the awards.

It’s time to celebrate tour leaders and guides!If you have been led by an inspirational Tucan Travel local guide or tour leader over the last year then please nominate them in the Wanderlust World Guide Awards 2010 and reward the unsung heroes of the travel industry. Vote by 25 February.

Events Diary
If you're looking for personal travel advice, inspiration and great deals, you'll find all of this and more at various upcoming travel events. Come and meet our friendly, helpful representatives at shows in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne and Perth (Australia), London (UK) and Waterloo (Canada). Get full event diary details here.

Have a read through some testimonials

One of the most satisfying things about being a travel company is to hear the positive stories in the post-travel reports and emails from our customers. Interested? Why not read a collection of happy thoughts and get that feel-good feeling.

Travel News
Click the links in the news headlines below to learn more.

Machu Picchu should be accessible by rail again at the end of March.

Demonstrations are expected soon in parts of Thailand – take care in Chiang Mai & Bangkok.

Nepal is experiencing power cuts which particularly affect and services hotels in Kathmandu.

Egypt is back to normal following January storms which caused temporary disruption to services.

Entry rules have changed for Namibia – please check the rules before you travel.

Tips for travellers going solo

2010-02-11T01:28:00.000-08:00

Leaving real life behind and heading out on your first solo adventure can be both an exhilarating and daunting experience. You have the freedom to take in new landscapes, meet new people and enjoy new experiences at your own pace. You can indulge in all the activities you want to do and rest when you want to, without having to worry about anyone else’s needs. You can be as ambitious or as relaxed about your travels as you like – take those 36 hour bus trips across South America or slow it down on a bicycle tour in Vietnam. But with all of these freedoms there are some hazards too, like the potential for lonely days, security worries and extra costs like single supplements at hotels. All of this can be overcome by a little preparation and a lot of common sense. Here are a few solo travel tips to get you on your way...

Top tips for solo travellers
1. Safety first! If you’re going away on a day trip or just for a wander to explore a new city, let your hotel know where you’re off to, who you’re travelling with and when you’re likely to be back. If you’re on a group tour, let the tour leader know. Saves everyone panicking later! Take a small card with the address of the hotel on it when you go.

2. If you’re flexible and ready to go whenever it suits you, you can benefit from some amazing last minute offers. Try www.tucantravel.com/specials for the most up-to-date late-space specials.

3. Bring a pack of cards, photos of family and friends, and a phrase book. All of these are great conversation starters!

4. Be prepared to be open and trust people, because most people are genuine and honest. But more importantly, trust your instincts. If the little voice in the back of your head tells you a person isn’t quite what they’re cracked up to be, steer well clear.

5. Easy does it. Give yourself the chance to make new friends and potential onward travel buddies on a group tour for part of your journey. You don’t have to be courageously travelling alone all of the time. You’ll also find fellow English-speaking adventurers at hostels and of course the ubiquitous Irish pub - you'll find them everywhere from Marrakech to Cuzco.

6. Make sure you’re well armed with street maps and know the general cost of the distance you’re going to travel before you get into a taxi so you can’t be ‘taken for a ride’.

7. It’s unlikely that you’ll be the first or last person to travel to your destination, so you can learn a lot from previous travellers. Go online and read a blog or two, join some forums, and read guidebooks and travelogues by travellers who have gone solo like you. Ask your local library or bookshop for some recommendations.

8. Try not to look too much like a tourist. Ditch the bling, the ‘I love this destination’ t-shirt and keep your camera out of sight as much as possible.

9. Eating on your own doesn’t have to be lonely. Bring a book or a diary and enjoy your space. Eat al fresco or find yourself a cosy private booth to keep away from it all. If you’re feeling lonely grab a spot at the bar. Don’t forget to chat to the restaurant workers, they’re a great source of local information and friendship.

10. If you’re travelling in Latin America, take some language classes when you’re there. Tucan Travel offers week-long language schools in 5 cities to help you build your confidence in a new language. You’ll pick up the rest as you go.

11. Pack lightly and carefully – remember you’re going to have to carry it and you need to make room for those all important souvenirs. Make sure you bring everything you need to take care of yourself if you get ill.

12. Get comprehensive travel insurance – there is no excuse for leaving this off your pre-travel to-do list.

Tips for solo travellers to survive group tours
1. Shared accommodation helps to keep costs down for the tour company and you, so you can expect to be sharing a room with a stranger – otherwise known as a friend you haven’t met yet! Tour leaders will do their best to match your personalities and will if possible make changes in the unlikely event that you don’t get on.

2. About half the people on our tours are solo travellers who choose us because they know they’ll meet friendly, like-minded people along the way. Most of our clients are aged between 25-45 years-old but people of all ages are welcome as long as they are willing to integrate with the group and are enthusiastic about adventure travel. If you’re not sure what kind of group tour would suit you best, visit the travel styles page on our website.

3. You have the chance to find a travel buddy on your trip ahead of time on Facebook or our forums.

4. You can get a general idea of who will be on your group tour or Expedition Cruise by calling our reservations team. We can’t give you contact details or names of people on your tour, but we can tell you age ranges, countries of origin and gender balance of the group you’ll be joining.

5. Single supplements are not compulsory on our tours. Tucan Travel offers optional solo supplements on Discovery Tours but they’re not offered on other travel styles. You’ll be matched with someone of your gender and you’ll have a new friend in no time.

6. Remember that other people start out just as nervous as you. Dare yourself to speak first and break the ice!

7. Extroverts will be delighted by their opportunities to make new friends and influence people. Just don’t go too nuts. Take it easy or you could end up just as bored if the group gets tired of listening to the squeaky wheel.

8. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to do your own thing. Take those opportunities! If you reach a place where you’d like to explore more on your own, you can sign a voluntary leave disclaimer form and rejoin the tour later. You won’t be compensated for unused services but you’ll have the opportunity to do something you want to do without the company of others.

9. Tour leaders will organise group dinners as and when the group wants to spend time together, but they’re not compulsory and you’re free to do your own thing if you want to.

10. When you arrive in a new city, your tour leader will check you into your accommodation and give you an orientation walk and make suggestions about optional excursions. It’s up to you whether you’d like to join group members on this excursion or follow your own itinerary, there's no obligation to follow the crowd.

Epic adventures in the new year

2010-01-12T07:57:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year one and all! January is the well-intentioned time of year when many of us set... and almost immediately break... our New Year's resolutions. Twelve days into the new year and let's be honest, that diet's already out the window and that month off drinking was promptly wrecked on the first weekend! Why not set some more realistic goals, like travel plans? We all need something to look forward to in the months ahead which isn't related to personal deprivation! Personally, I'm going to make 2010 a year of adventure and follow my itchy feet to somewhere new and exciting... and the possibilities are almost endless.

Perhaps you’re planning to use your annual leave to experience something wild, exotic and off-the-beaten-track? Or you may be contemplating a big change, like abandoning work or study in favour of a long adventure-filled break. If you fall into the latter category, we have some fantastic epic adventure ideas in our latest newsletter, one in each of the 5 world regions that we cover - Europe, the Middle East & North Africa, Asia & Russia, East & Southern Africa, and Latin America & Antarctica.

With more than 450 group tours, Expedition Cruises and Independent Travel options on our website there is bound to be an adventure to suit your taste and budget. If you need any help at all, don't hesitate to contact us at our offices in London or Sydney. You can also view or order a free brochure on our website. Happy travels everyone!

Coming events
During January and February we're going to be very busy at the weekends, attending the Adventure Travel Show, Destinations Show London, TNT Travel Show, Flight Centre Expos throughout Australia and the Melbourne Backpackers and Adventure Show. If you're looking for free travel tips and advice from well-travelled adventurers, come along to a show and pump us for information! We'll also have some great show-only offers to tempt you with. Visit the events diary on our website for details.

A new year... a new job?
We're currently looking for a very organised, proactive, friendly person to fill the role of Sales Executive for Tucan Travel in Queensland and Northern Territory, Australia. Based in Brisbane and reporting to the Sales and Marketing Manager, your key responsibility will be the development of new business and increasing revenue from retail and online travel agencies.

We're also on the lookout for new drivers for our private-vehicle tours in Latin America and Africa. If you are, or know, a qualified, experienced truck driver with a passion for travel, please get in touch. For further details of these jobs please visit the employment page of our website.

Special offers for January
If you have some time up your sleeve and you need to get away, we've got some fantastic bargains on the specials page of our website, including:

20% off the tour price of all Overland Expeditions to East & Southern Africa departing prior to 28 February 2010
20% off the tour price of all Overland Expeditions to South America departing prior to 28 February 2010
20% off the tour price of all Budget Expeditions to South America departing prior to 18 February 2010
15% off the tour price of selected Adventure Tours to South East Asia, India, Nepal, Egypt, Cuba, Mexico, Central America and South America
10% off selected Expedition Cruises to Antarctica

Conditions apply - see www.tucantravel.com/specials for full details.

Oaxaca Radish Festival

2009-12-22T03:56:00.000-08:00

One of the world's more bizarre festivals takes place on 23rd December in Oaxaca, Mexico. The Night of the radishes or Noche de rabanos is a folk art festival where artists carve freshly dug radishes into representations of small animals and human figures to grand dioramas of the Nativity.

Find out more about Mexico at Tucan Travel

Last Minute Christmas Ideas

2009-12-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

Season's Greetings!

We all know what a nightmare Christmas can be... too many gifts to buy, too little time... and hitting the shops at this time of year is a special kind of torture! To help alleviate the pain, we've got an idea or two for you.

1 - Give the gift of travel to the one you love. Travel vouchers can be in any value in any of our booking currencies and make an ideal gift for the travel-bug in your life. Visit our specials page for more information.

2 - Help to save the rainforest with international conservation charity World Land Trust. Make a donation of £25 or more (or equivalent) and your chosen recipient will receive a WLT gift pack, certificate and information on the work being done to secure acres of rainforest. Your donation will be used to secure real land for wildlife in the WLT's priority project areas. For more information, visit the World Land Trust website.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us in the Tucan Travel offices worldwide!

Travel discounts for over 55's

2009-12-11T02:09:00.000-08:00

Tucan Travel offers travellers over 55 a 5% discount on group tours read more here

Study dispels myths of older travellers
by David Wilkening from Travel Mole

If your image of older people is that they cluster together in tour groups and dislike venturing off the beaten path, think again.

Wrong. Wrong.

Other myths are that they fear and loathe technology, says Claude Péloquin of UQÀM's tourism department in a study published this year.

"The 50-year-old (and up) senior (traveler) is much more likely to be highly educated, completely independent, experiencing a sort of personal awakening, living a fast-paced lifestyle, able to enjoy life on their own terms, eager to make choices (and) excited to learn" he said.

For travel agents, hotels, tour operators, airlines, cruise lines, passenger train operators, even aircraft makers, the army of spry boomers expected to flood the travel and tourism industry in the next decade(s), it all means a huge opportunity, but also a challenge, suggests the Montreal Gazette.

The newspaper continues:

Many of the new "seniors" - who loathe that term - will want to do things differently than previous generations. The cliché about 60 being the new 50 - or 40, or whatever - has truth to it. This is, after all, the generation that proudly coined the phrase ‘this ain't your grandfather's (fill in the blank),’ denoting just how special and unique they are.

So what are travel and tourism players doing to cater to that segment?

There are new offerings such as cyclo-tourism in Quebec, a wine-touring trip in California - or Ontario - a whale-watching cruise in the Saguenay, a château or cheese-tasting tour in France, or "urban staycations" which take place in a travelers own backyard.

By David Wilkening

Video - small operator of the year 2009 at British Travel Awards

2009-11-20T04:38:00.001-08:00

Tour Leader in East & Southern Africa - Immediate start

2009-11-20T04:18:00.000-08:00

We are currently looking for a tour leader on our exciting Overland Expeditions in Africa starting as soon as possible. This is a great opportunity for experienced tour leaders / travel professionals to work in and experience Africa, the cradle of humanity, travelling the 70 day route between Nairobi and Cape Town.

Please visit the employment page of our website for application forms and contact details.

2009-11-19T07:24:00.000-08:00

Celebrating Tết Nguyên Đán - Vietnamese New Year
The event is also known as Hội xuân (spring festival)

What isTết?
Tết (short for Tết Nguyên Đán) is the ‘Festival of the First Day’ and marks the end of the lunar calendar and the beginning of spring in Vietnam.

Where can I experience Tết?
Celebrations are particularly festive in Ho Chi Minh City, although it is observed all over Vietnam.

Dates
Although the Vietnamese calendar is the same as our Gregorian calendar, some Vietnamese holidays are based on the lunar calendar. The festival begins on the 23rd day of the 12th month of the year, according to the lunar calendar, i.e. depending on the position of the moon. Officially festivities are supposed to go on for 3 days (the day before New Year, New Year's Day, and the day after) but in practice the festivities continue for much longer and locals tend to take at least a week off.

In 2010 the festival will happen around 8 Feb 2010 to 22 Feb 2010

What happens during Tết?
Public festivities such as processions, dragon dances, fireworks and flower parades are organised, but it is mainly a family celebration and is not marketed as a tourist event. Many families save up for the entire year leading up to the official holiday to pay for the purchases they need to celebrate and often spend large amounts of money on food, flowers and firecrackers. They buy new clothes for new beginnings, clean their houses thoroughly and decorate them with peach blossom, flowers, bonsai and bamboo trees. They also visit their ancestors’ graves to spruce them up. People travel throughout the country to visit family members and eat festive meals.

Tết is the time to forgive, cancel debts and put last year’s problems behind you, all in an effort for the coming year to be prosperous and free from bad luck. Tết is also a time for contemplation and worship. Hundreds of worshippers gather in prayer at the Buddhist pagodas carrying large votive candles to ensure good luck. Others go to meet fortune tellers, and for travellers it's a great time to observe the Mahayana Buddhist and Confuscious rituals that are an important part of Vietnamese life.

What will it be like travelling in Vietnam during the Tết Festival?
The entire country stops to mark the event and the main cities will be largely deserted as residents head to the countryside to visit their relatives. This means that most businesses will close during the three official days of the celebrations, including restaurants and tailors, and a lot of the usual daily activites will be suspended. Trains will be full or cancelled and Tucan Travel will use replacement coaches during this period.

Despite the inconvenience this can cause to travel, Tết is a wonderful time of year to be in Vietam as it offers a fascinating insight to Vietnamese culture. Most decorations on display during the festival will be in the colours red and yellow, which are lucky in Vietnam, as they are in China. You may have the chance to try Banh Trung, a glutinous rice cake boiled for hours in a banana leaf is the most popular food eaten during Tết. If you meet someone during Tết, you should wish theme "chúc mừng năm mới" or "cung chúc tân xuân" - Happy New Year.

British Youth Travel Awards - cast your vote!

2009-11-18T09:06:00.000-08:00

We are delighted to have been shortlisted for Best Youth Product of the Year in the British Youth Travel Awards.

Cast your vote and you could win a pair of tickets to a fantastic West End musical in London from the award organisers, the British Educational Travel Association (BETA). BETA is a not-for-profit trade association founded by some of Britain's biggest and best-known travel and educational organisations.

Click here to cast your vote. Thanks for your support! Voting closes Friday 20 November.

Tucan Travel Voted Best Small Tour Operator of the Year in British Travel Awards

2009-11-10T04:53:00.000-08:00

Tucan Travel was very proud to be awarded the Small Tour Operator of the Year Award at the prestigious British Travel Awards in London last week. We would like thank all of our clients, travel agents and industry partners who voted for us. Managing director Matt Gannan was absolutely thrilled to take the stage at the glittering ceremony to pick up the award on behalf of the company on 5 November.

"What a night, to be nominated for 7 travel awards and pick up the grandest prize of all, Small Tour Operator of the Year, is just wonderful. It shows what a great dedicated team we have at Tucan Travel and how well we are perceived and appreciated by our clients and industry partners, the voters have spoken. It’s also great news that the importance of the adventure travel industry is recognised and we are extremely proud to receive this award against very stiff competition for the top slot. And of course the biggest thank you must go to all of our staff, this award is for all of them, on the road and in our offices worldwide," Mr Gannan said.

Click here to view the full list of winners in the British Travel Awards

Tucan Travel was nominated in 7 categories for the prestigious British Travel Awards for 2009. Last year we were awarded silver in the Best Tour Operator to South and Central America category. Nominations and votes for the awards were put forward by thousands of British travel consumers, travel agents and other travel industry professionals, so we'd like to thank all of you for your support.

Click the mini screen below to open a short video about the event, with an interview of CEO Matt Gannan.