Your journey

General information

Inspirit Welcome Meeting

Our welcome meeting takes place in the morning of Day 2 of each itinerary. You’ll have a chance to meet your fellow travelers as well as your guide. Get acquainted with an overview of the itinerary, destinations visited, the Inspirit travel style, and many more details on the experiences to come. Ask any questions you may have, and let the fun begin!

For those traveling on combination trips, you’ll have the opportunity to join the meeting each week and help welcome any new passengers that are joining the trip.

Emergency contact information

For any emergencies that cannot be immediately handled with the assistance of your trip leader, our operations staff is on call 24/7. You can call / SMS  / Whatsapp / on +506 7025 9328 (Costa Rica). For local calls within Costa Rica you do not need to add the +506 country code.

Eating/dietary preferences

The food is local and delicious! Our guides will always suggest locally owned restaurants and will take you to the best value-for-your-money places we have found. A wide variety of options are available to cater for different tastes and dietary requirements. Outside of the more developed areas, it can be a challenge to cater to very specialised diets, but the locals are friendly and accommodating and will always make sure that you find enough to eat!

Water

In most areas we visit, it is not advisable to drink water from the tap (except Costa Rica). We provide you with refillable water bottles that we use throughout the trip, refilling them along the way from purified sources -- such as at your hotel, or at restaurants we visit along the route. Our aim here is to avoid single-use plastic bottles and containers to reduce our impact on the environment.

Money

Payments are best made by major credit cards. Visa is the most widely accepted card in the region. We recommend bringing emergency cash (around $300), as sometimes ATMs can be hard to find in rural areas, or the one ATM in town could be out of service.

Tour guide

Our trip leaders are Central America locals, and all are licensed tour guides in their country of origin and experts in their field. They are fun, charismatic, highly organized, and dynamic individuals with a passion for travel. Trained in areas of safety, group dynamics, effective communication, and much more, our leaders are ready to deal with any challenges that might arise on a trip.

Fellow travelers

Inspirit travelers are probably a lot like you. No matter your age, you are young at heart and have an adventurous spirit. You are interested in discovering new places, meeting new people, and having a ton of fun along the way.

Luggage

We recommend that you pack as lightly as possible. Backpacks are better than large suitcases, as we may be carrying our bags onto public buses where space is limited. Sometimes we may need to walk for a while over uneven surfaces to get between transportation hubs to to our hotel.

Keep the weight under 44 pounds (20kg). An additional day-pack is essential for excursions and transfers. Your main backpack may get stored on the roof of the bus, or in the luggage hold underneath, so you’ll want a smaller backpack that you can carry with you to keep your essential items safe. It’s a good idea to bring a TSA approved padlock to keep your bags secure.

Packing List

Things to bring to help reduce our eco footprint:

• Refillable coffee mug (one that is easy to travel with)
• Reusable food storage container (think Tupperware) for transporting foods you may buy en route
• Towel
• Organic soap and shampoo
• Biodegradable washing detergent (if you plan to wash clothes en-route -- note: laundry services are available in most places)

Recommended:

• Toiletries
• Personal items such as prescriptions, medicine, etc.
• Sun protection (SPF 50+), sunglasses, lip balm, after-sun moisturizer
• Insect repellent and insect bite cream
• Eye mask and ear plugs
• Antibacterial gel and or hand wipes
• First-aid kit
• Just-in-case kit with aspirin, anti-diarrhea medication, etc
• Smartphone – as if you would forget!
• Electrical adapter (if your devices don't plug into North American outlets)
• Flashlight or headlamp (small rechargeable one)
• Sweater/microfleece
• Long-sleeve top
• Long trousers (zip-off trousers are very versatile)
• Jeans/trousers/shorts
• T-shirts/cotton shirts
• Good all-terrain walking shoes
• Sandals/tevas (with a strap)
• Socks/underwear
• Waterproof and windproof jacket

ATTENTION: Be sure to bring clothing that covers your knees and shoulders for visits to religious sites and during travel on public transportation (in case of chills from the AC). Avoid any kind of provocative clothing, such as military style, and shirts / jackets with slogans or images that may be offensive in the countries you visit.

Optional

• Camera equipment
• Spare batteries/chargers
• Books, etc
• Travel pillow
• Flip-flops

Safety Guidelines

Cash: Bring small bills (No larger than USDS 20s). Most activities can be paid by credit card.

Credit cards: Do not write down passwords / PINs.

Out and about: Use common sense, take a taxi back if it's late, do not accept any drinks or rides from strangers.

Travel insurance

You must have travel insurance to participate in any Inspirit trip. Insurance must cover personal injury and emergency medical expenses, with a minimum coverage to include medical, evacuation, and repatriation. Insurance must cover all dates of travel with Inspirit.

Proof of insurance must be provided prior to the start of any trip. Without proof of insurance, you will not be allowed to participate in the trip.

We strongly encourage you to purchase additional insurance that covers trip cancellation, curtailment, and loss, damage, injury, delay, or inconvenience while traveling.

Transport

Our trips use a mix of private and public transportation. We may be in minibuses, inter-city coaches, local “chicken buses,” or taxis. We may also use water taxis, ferries, and local flights.

Responsible travel

As you see in our packing list, we strive to protect the natural surroundings that make our destinations so special. Our travel style incorporates environmental responsibility to minimize our carbon footprint wherever we go. Leading by example, we also educate our local partners about how they can make small but important changes in their day-to-day activities that will benefit the environment.

You can help by bringing a reusable mug for warm drinks, small bags for market purchases, and a reusable container (Tupperware style) for food. We provide you with a durable water bottle to refill throughout your trip, and we may even try some local eco-hacks such as eating off a banana-leaf instead of a plate made from Styrofoam! Check our packing list and please do your part to help us reduce our impact on the environment.

Fair play

Inspirit retains the right to dismiss from a trip any passenger for reasons affecting their own safety, the safety, well-being, and enjoyment of fellow travelers, or the safe and effective operation of the trip. Non-compliance with local laws and regulations of the countries and regions visited, or Inspirit’s own responsible travel policies, may also warrant dismissal. Refunds for unused services or costs related to travel arrangements required as a result of trip dismissal will not be provided. 

Travelers are responsible for costs incurred by Inspirit or Inspirit’s suppliers for property damage, destruction, or theft they cause while on a trip.

Medical

Inspirit does not provide medical advice, and travelers are responsible for assessing the risks and responsibilities of each aspect of a trip to determine whether it is suitable for them. Travelers should seek their physician’s advice on all medical matters, including travel precautions and vaccinations.

Inspirit trips may visit remote regions in developing areas, where medical care may not meet the standards of those found in a traveler’s home country.

In consideration of the safety and enjoyment of all travelers and the safe operation of a trip, pre-existing medical conditions that may impact a traveler’s ability to participate in any aspect of a trip, including pregnancy, must be disclosed at the time of booking.

Inspirit reserves the right to deny permission to travel or participate in any aspect of a trip at any time where Inspirit determines that a physical or mental condition represents a danger to the traveler or to others.

Age

Travellers under the age of 18 on the date of arrival are considered minors and must be accompanied by an adult. The minimum age for travel on any trip, unless otherwise specified, is 15 years. All bookings including minors are subject to approval, and accompaniment or written consent by a parent or legal guardian is required.

There is no upper age limit for our trips.

Changes

Where reasonably required an itinerary may need to be modified either before or after departure. If a change affects at least one in three full days of the itinerary (a major change), Inspirit will provide notice as soon as reasonably possible before departure. In the event of a major change, travelers may accept the change or request a full refund of the land-only portion of their trip.

Once a trip has departed, unforeseen circumstances may present operational concerns, or concerns for the health, safety, and well-being of passengers, and may require an itinerary change. Travelers are responsible for incidental expenses during a trip, including expenses arising from a change of itinerary. Inspirit will not be liable for losses associated with itinerary changes.

Flexibility

Travelers acknowledge that any foreign travel may require a certain amount of flexibility, and some changes or adjustments to the trip itinerary, schedule, activities, modes of transport, or other may be reasonably accepted due to local circumstances.

Risk

Travelers acknowledge that trips operated and sold by Inspirit are adventurous by nature, and participation involves a significant amount of risk to their personal health and safety. In full consideration and acknowledgment of the inherent risks involved in foreign adventure travel and participation in adventurous activities, especially in a foreign country that may not have the same standards of hygiene, accommodation, transportation, medical care, and other infrastructure as a traveler’s home country, travelers assume full responsibility for all such risk and release Inspirit from any and all claims and causes of action arising from loss, damage, injury, or death resulting from these inherent risks.

Travelers acknowledge that the degree of risk depends on the specific activity booked, and activities of a physical nature, extreme sports, or other high-risk activities, whether included on an Inspirit trip, or suggested by an Inspirit trip leader or other representative of Inspirit, may add additional risk.

Travelers must take all measures to help ensure their own safety by proper use of safety devices (seatbelts, harnesses, flotation devices, helmets, etc.) and obey all health and safety warnings, either written or verbal.

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