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What to Expect
Frequently Asked Questions (and Answers)

Selecting and booking the holiday of a lifetime is an adventure in itself and we know that you will want to be absolutely sure of all the details. You will find the answers to most of your questions under the “Facts About the Trip” section within the details of individual tours and also in our “Terms & General Conditions” section. Finally, your Cascada Expediciones travel consultant has wide experience and is there to help you; do not hesitate to contact us!

Why should I travel with Cascada Expediciones?
What will it be like?
Who travels with Cascada Expediciones?
Solo Travelers - Will I have to share?
What's really included in the price?
Can you organize the international and domestic flights in Chile?
How many others will be on the trip?
Who will be leading the trips?
How fit do I have to be?
What happens if I fall ill or injure myself?
How are meals? Are you able to cater for special diets?
Do you cater for children and families?
Will weather cause problems?
Do you offer customized itineraries?
Where may I find more infomation on Chile and Argentina?
Is it possible to have references of your operation?

Why should I travel with Cascada Expediciones?
Besides the good reasons given here, you should also consider that: we live and work in Chile, so we have the experience and in-depth knowledge of the region and its people, hence the ability to design and operate great trips for you; we are passionate adventure travelers ourselves: we have traveled extensively in remote places of Chile, Argentina and the world and we’d like to show you how the adventure of a lifetime can be.

What will it be like?
Adventure holidays are precisely that, and you will be journeying off the beaten track and generally seeing nature at close quarters in some of the most remote, beautiful and memorable parts of this region.
Adventure holidays are not for everyone though, and you should be clear that if you are after 5 Star luxury, rest and pampering, then this is probably not the type of holiday for you!

Who travels with Cascada Expediciones?
People who love wilderness and cultural experiences. They are mostly professionals coming from all over the world. The average age ranges from 25 to 60, although we do get younger and older travelers as well. Our trips are very popular with individuals and couples.

Solo Travelers - Will I have to share?
We twin individuals with those of the same gender and, where that is not possible, we still don't charge a supplement. Our tours attract like-minded people so you will meet people and make friends from all over the world. If you actually want a single room, then a single supplement will be charged.

What's really included in the price?
Your total holiday payment is made up of the land cost, which you pay before you go. Some tours don't include all meals, but we always state clearly, in the “Facts about the trip”, what extras you can expect. Tips, and personal items like drinks and souvenirs are not included.

Can you organize the international and domestic flights in Chile?
For your international flight into Santiago de Chile or Buenos Aires Argentina it will be easier and cheaper to do it directly with your local travel agency or through the following links:
Lan Chile: it is an excellent airline with departure gates in Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Madrid and Frankfurt.
Air France:
British Airways:
Lufthansa:
We can help with your domestic flights in Chile. When you book those flights through us, it is easier to coordinate them with the land arrangements. Let us know the soonest so we can reserve spaces early and avoid the problems and higher rates of last minute reservations. If you ask us to make your local airline reservations, we need to make it using your legal name (the name that appears on your passport), not the nickname or preferred surname you might have used on your trip application, so let us know if it is different.

How many others will be on the trip?
It will depend on the tour you are booking. The maximum size of the group is specified on every tour detail (Facts about the trip). We operate small groups, equally comprised men and women.

Who will be leading the trips?
Expert leadership is the key to an exciting, unforgettable experience. Our trips feature gifted leaders for whom leading trips is a true vocation: seasoned, mature, responsible, experts in their fields and knowledgeable about all aspects of your trip. Your safety and enjoyment are their primary concerns. Meet the guides here.

How fit do I have to be?
It depends on the type of trip you want to take. To give you an indication of the difficulty of our trips we have graded into five categories. Some trips are classified as strenuous and should only be undertaken by those with plenty of experience and an above average level of fitness. However, the vast majority of our tours are well within the capability of any healthy individual leading a normal, active life. Our “Nature Tours” –usually classified as 1 or 2- need very little or none physical effort and might be undertaken by anyone. Indeed, on most tours, an open mind and a natural curiosity for people and places is more important than a high degree of physical fitness.

What happens if I fall ill or injure myself?
Most traveling incidents are relatively trivial, involving nothing more than cuts and bruises, or a brief case of traveler's tummy; our leaders are trained to cope with these. In more serious (and rare) cases, we will seek medical assistance locally. This is why we insist that medical insurance is mandatory for all our trips. We also strongly suggest you to take cancellation and curtailment insurance. If you do not have your own plan, here are several companies that sell insurance online. These companies offer different plans depending on your citizenship and/or residence:

How are meals? Are you able to cater for special diets?
We consider our meals to be an essential ingredient to the success of our trips. When camping and at the Ecocamp in Patagonia, we have put a lot of effort into developing hearty and fresh meals and are proud of the results. Each trip will have its own particular menus depending on the local food and typical dishes prepared in the area. In some trips, many meals will be enjoyed in restaurants so you will have the opportunity to savor a wide variety of local cuisine.
Vegetarian and special diets are welcomed. Just let us know well in advance!

Do you cater for children and families?
Our regular trips are designed for adventurous adults and do not generally cater for under 15s. However we do operate some private family adventures, which are specifically aimed at younger explorers traveling with their parents or parent. These have proved to be very popular and successful. Contact us to arrange a tour for your family.

Will weather cause problems?
You will notice that our tours are planned to avoid times when the weather is less favorable to travel. However it is sometimes inevitable to encounter a range of conditions in areas as Patagonia and the Lake District. Patagonia is well known for its unpredictable weather: if you ask a local “baqueano” (cowboy) his weather’s forecast for the next day, he will probably answer “I don’t know how it’s going to be in 15 minutes… so don’t ask me about tomorrow”.
If weather turns things really complicated, the trip leader will probably make some adjustments to the itinerary for the best interest and well being of the group.

Do you offer customized itineraries?
Yes we do: many of our travelers book more than one of our trips (for example Patagonia + Atacama desert or Lake District + Easter Island + Day activities while in Santiago) and we take care of all the land and air details so all arrangements are well coordinated; also, if you have a special request for your honeymoon, group of friends or employees, we will tailor an itinerary to match your specifications. Just contact us with your ideas and we will work together on an outstanding itinerary!

Where may I find more infomation on Chile and Argentina?
We have developed here a very extensive and complete page with books and links related to the region, the people and the activities we operate. Enjoy it!

Is it possible to have references of your operation?
We will be happy to provide you with references of satisfied past travelers that would love to share their Cascada Expediciones’ trip experiences with you. Contact us and we will provide you with a list of references.