You reserve directly with us at Pete Oxford Expeditions.

Yes they are included.

For most expeditions there are no age restrictions, so long as the individuals are physically capable of staying with the group. Some expeditions are not suitable for children (such as Patagonia due to the risk of pumas). We will specify which expeditions have age restrictions in the expedition summary.

Our expeditions vary. Some of our expeditions such as the Galapagos Islands are perfect for families with children, while others are not suitable. Consult us for this information. We are happy to plan a customized family expedition for your family and friends at no additional cost. E-mail Pete at [email protected] or Renee at [email protected] for more information. We will be happy to call you back to discuss options.

Typically not unless it is arranged with us ahead of time. We do not encourage late arrivals or early departures due to difficulties with transportation and logistics. We may be able to arrange exceptions IF we are given plenty of advance notice, and if it is logistically feasible. Any additional costs associated with changes and exceptions will be the responsibility of the client.

Pete Oxford Expeditions trips are not (unless specifically requested) photographic workshops. We are happy to cater for all levels of photo enthusiasts from beginners to professional. Whatever level you may be at we consider our approach to the subject the same, i.e. to spend quality time from the best vantage point. We will invest the time on site to observe, understand and photograph the subject. Pete is a professional conservation photographer who has made his living from the sale of images. From vast experience, on all continents, specific camera questions are probably best answered by mail or phone. Feel free to contact us.

No this is not possible as we have people coming from many different parts of the world. You are responsible for booking your flights to the expedition starting point and return home. We will be happy to suggest airlines or routes.

You are more than welcome to contact us directly via email at p[email protected] or [email protected]. After that we are more than happy to phone you to continue the conversation by phone if you so wish.

You can book your expedition by visiting our website, going to the page of the expedition of your choice, and booking directly on the right hand side. However it is our preference to communicate with you directly beforehand such that the trip will be a good match for both parties. You can also reserve an expedition by contacting us by email at [email protected] or [email protected]. We receive all of the major credit cards, personal cheques and bank wire transfers.

The nature of a Pete Oxford Expedition often means that we are far indeed from the possibility of camera repair or replacement. Please bring spares where you can, especially of the more delicate pieces of equipment. Another tip might be to overlap a few items with friends or fellow travelers such as a spare camera body between two people as both photographers are unlikely to suffer similar problems. Equipment can also be rented fairly easily these days which might be a good idea if you have some suspect gear or want to try out new products.

There is a review section on our website under each respective expedition. We strongly encourage (and appreciate) reviews after the trip.

All payments can be made through www.peteoxfordexpeditions.com. We are happy to take your credit card information over the phone if you so wish. We require a 25% non-refundable deposit which may be paid using credit card, personal cheque or bank wire transfer. Another 25% of the expedition cost is due 180 days before expedition start date, and the remaining 50% is due 120 days prior to the expedition start date. You will receive an email notifying you when each installment is due. If at the time of booking you are within 180 or 120 days then we will require more than just the 25% deposit. You may also pay for the entire expedition at once using credit card or cheque.

In most locations outlets will be available in the rooms. If this is not the case we will have a generator, solar charger on hand or charging devices in our land vehicles. For the majority of our expeditions, there will be a source of power to charge camera batteries and laptops unless otherwise mentioned. In all cases, we recommend that you bring extra batteries for your cameras and keep them charged.  We also recommend that you bring an international adapter that is appropriate for the outlets in  the location of your expedition. This will be covered in the handbook that you will receive before the expedition.

Our company priority is to put you in the best location for the wildlife, culture and/or scenery. Thereafter, we will find the best possible accommodations in this area, which could be a high-end lodge, hotel, cruise ship, yacht or sometimes even a tent! We will always have a good support team on the ground to make your stay is as comfortable as possible.

It is difficult to say because some people shop or consume more alcohol than others. Consult the ‘what is not included in the expedition list’ and use it as a guideline as to how much you would need to budget for the expedition. The handbook that will be sent to you before the expedition will also give guidelines according to location.

Once the expedition is booked you are liable for the 25% non-refundable deposit. Thereafter the charges are based on how many days before your departure date we receive your cancellation notice, and will reflect a percentage of the total cost of your booking.

The 25% deposit is non refundable, except in extreme circumstances (such as death). If the second payment of 25% of expedition price has been received by the 180 day prior-to-departure date it is fully refundable until 179 days prior to departure. Thereafter it becomes nonrefundable. If the remaining 50% of expedition price has been received by the 120 day prior-to-departure date it is fully refundable until 119 days prior to departure. Thereafter it becomes nonrefundable. No refunds are given within 119 days or less of the departure date.

We will send you a statement for insurance purposes once your cancellation has been processed. If you send your cancellation notice by email, we cannot be held liable for non-receipt of email. Please ensure that you receive confirmation of cancellation from us before assuming the cancellation was successful. If you have arranged insurance with a provider other than World Nomads or goodtogoinsurance.com, please refer to your insurance provider for claims requirements.

We will do our best to find another person of the same sex to share with you. If this is not possible you will need to pay the single supplement to join the expedition.

Yes, on most of our expeditions there is a supplement for single travelers, unless there is another single traveler of the same sex available to room with you. Each expeditions will detail single supplement costs if they apply. The advertised cost of the trip is always quoted as per person sharing.

Yes, by all means, everyone is welcome on our expeditions. People from all over the world travel with us.

If you want to have fun with a small group of like-minded adventurous people, have a desire to learn in-depth about the area you are in, and not have to worry about taking care of any arrangements, then yes small group travel is for you. Always feel free to reach out to us about anything that may concern you. Contact us by email at renee@peteoxfordexpeditions.com or [email protected] for more information. We can arrange to phone you back to discuss everything in more detail.

If a client would like to smoke, smoking is allowed however we kindly request that they do so in a designated area. Please talk to your trip leader. We travel in mostly wild, pristine, remote environments. We are very strict about leaving any evidence of our presence as we do not want to leave even a footprint behind. If a client chooses to smoke, we ask that they do so responsibly in order to consider the rest of the group and the natural environment itself. We appreciate  your understanding in this matter.

In the case of certain destinations, it is mandatory to have travel insurance and we will make this clear in these instances. Otherwise no, it is not mandatory, but highly recommended as the initial deposit is non-refundable. At minimum, Pete Oxford Expeditions recommends that you have emergency medical coverage, and additional benefits like trip cancellation and interruption.

At Pete Oxford Expeditions our priority is to put you in the best location for the wildlife, culture and/or scenery. Thereafter, we will find the best possible accommodations that best serve the attraction, which could be a high-end lodge, hotel, cruise ship, yacht or sometimes even a tent or homestay! We will always have a good support team on the ground to make your stay as comfortable as possible.

US Dollar is the most accepted currency on all of our expeditions. We will specify if a destination requires a different currency.

Each expedition will have its own handbook that will be sent to you and you can print out the last page which is the checklist and mark off items as you pack. These checklists are made by our leaders, who know and have years of experience traveling in these areas. The expedition checklists cover everything you might need.

The cost of each expedition includes transportation, lodging, meals and tips from our starting point onwards, unless otherwise stated. The accompaniment of at least one local guide (depending on group size) and your leaders is also included. Cost inclusions will be listed at the bottom of each expedition.

This largely depends on the type of disability. Contact us by email [email protected] for more information. Pete or Renee, a nurse by training can phone you back to talk about any concerns you may have. Please refer to each expeditions’ Physical Rating for preliminary guidance on fitness requirements.

If you need to cancel your expedition please contact us as soon as possible. All cancellations made via email must be followed up and confirm to make sure that we received your cancellation request. Contact both Pete ([email protected]) and  Renee ([email protected])

This is expedition specific, but we design our expeditions with weather in mind, choosing the optimal time of year. Our goal is always to offer the best wildlife and photographic experiences during the best season. The local weather during our trips dictates wildlife patterns and behavior and so we plan our trips accordingly in order to maximize the intensity of our wildlife experiences. In our trip Handbook (provided prior to the trip), we will give you all the necessary details concerning weather, clothing and other information pertinent to the trip.

We specialized in small group travel to provide the most intense, educational and exciting experience. Group size is dependent on the destination, accommodations available and nature of the expedition. We generally do small expeditions between 8 and 12 travelers. We typically have groups between 12 and 16 travelers when we charter boats for our expeditions (with the exception of the Antarctic where our ships are larger). When we charter a boat or ship it will be the best suited vessel for the location no matter the number of beds and the same with safari lodges; we will generally book out an entire camp.

Most of our itineraries are designed for people with an average level of fitness, but some expeditions will involve more strenuous activities. We have a rating system from 1-5 as a general guide to help you decide if a expedition is suitable for you. If you have any doubt about a expedition’s suitability, please contact either of the trip leaders: Renee ([email protected]) or Pete ([email protected]).

• Non-tented expedition, optional walks, little elevation gain or loss.
• Lodge and/or tented-safari, optional hikes, potential for higher/ lower temperatures.
• Lodge, tented  safari and/or cruise vessel, potential for higher/ lower temperatures, possible half day hikes on uneven terrain, and/or potential snorkelling.
• Lodge, tented safari, potential for even higher/lower temperatures, potential moderate to higher elevation gains, two half-day or possible full day hikes, participant should be moderately fit to carry a day-pack with camera gear or additional layers of clothing and be prepared to spend full day outdoors.
• Camping or hiking steep terrain, high altitude (above 10,000 feet/3200 meters), potential full day hikes. Participants should have high level of physical fitness.

All trip leaders speak English and expeditions are conducted in English. Between Pete and Renee they also speak Spanish, French and Afrikaans and have facility in several other languages, such as Portuguese and Indonesian. We will be happy to translate when needed.

We are very familiar with the areas where we travel and do not assume additional risks. We keep apprised of political, environmental and health risks in each region of our expeditions.We encourage you to contact us with any concerns you might have. However, we also suggest you consult your government website to see if there are any travel advisories.

We try to take dietary restrictions into consideration, however due to the remoteness of some of our locations we may be unable to fully accommodate very specific needs. The farther in advance you let us know about your dietary restriction the better chance we have of being able to accommodate it. Contact us at [email protected] for more information.

Get Insurance

Citizens from all countries can get insurance through World Nomads here:

World Nomads

UK travelers can get insurance through goodtogoinsurance.com here:

goodtogoinsurance.com

Required and/or recommended vaccines are location specific. We provide detailed specific information for each trip in our expedition details.

Seasickness is specific to each individual.  Some are more prone to its effects and some less. It can affect any seafaring traveler but the degree may vary per trip and season. We are happy to discuss this with you and make some good suggestions that have been appreciated by our clients in the past. Contact us for more details.