Practical Information

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Tour guide

The trek/tour guide is the most important person on the trek/trip. Mentioned below are the trek/tour guide’s main tasks, which do not always correspond to what is expected of a regular trek/tour guide.

The trek/tour guide’s main duties

• Be the trip’s leader and decision-maker regarding any changes to the details in the itinerary
• Provide information about places you visit and general information about the region
• Responsible for all practical arrangements during the trip
• Hold regular meetings with the group
• Treat all trekkers/travellers equally and with respect
• Assist the group’s trekkers/travellers with questions and give tips on their own activities
• Make trekkers/travellers interested, active and positive towards the area.
• Help trekkers/travellers in case of illness or accident
• Contact the base camp, office in Dehradun, Chandigarh & Mumbai in case of any problems

Accommodation

On our trips, we choose to use locally owned facilities as much as possible. We strive to use clean and well-maintained camp owned by us as well as local facilities. Sometimes the accommodation during our trips can be relatively simple, especially during village stays.

The trip includes part of a homestay, camping double on double sharing basis. Under special circumstances, and only in exceptional cases, more people can share a tent/room. Our trekkers/travellers share a tent/room with someone of the same sex, and the trek/tour leader often uses a rotation principle, where everyone trekking/traveling alone has the chance to change roommates. It is important that you show consideration for your roommate. If you know that you tend to snore, it can be good to prepare yourself with preventive means such as a nasal clip, spray medicine or similar that can be bought at the chemist. If you have special habits that may disturb the peace of others, you are asked to consider single tent/rooms. A trekker/traveller who disturbs a roommate may be referred to a single tent/room for an additional payment during the trip.

If you travel with a spouse, partner, or friend, you share a tent/room with them. If you live at the same address, we plan for a shared tent/room on the trip. If you do not live at the same address, it is good if you let us know so we can plan for a shared tent/room.

It is possible to book single tent/rooms on each trip for an extra cost which is shown on the booking page. In connection with village accommodation, overnight stays on boats or trains, single rooms cannot usually be offered. Single rooms should be booked at the same time as the trip and are offered subject to availability. The single room supplement must be specified on your final invoice or on a separate supplementary invoice for the booking to apply.

Equipment

Below you will find some general equipment tips on what you may need in addition to your usual pack:

• Backpack or a smaller case. A softer duffel bag is perfect for most destinations
• Small backpack to use as a daypack and hand luggage
• Travel pharmacy and a small extra towel
• Flashlight
• Value belt containing:
• Bank card (Visa or Mastercard), preferably two
• Copies of passport size of photograph, Aadhar card, Driving license, Declaration form, medical form, and proof of insurance from your insurance company
• Camera, extra memory card, extra battery
• Power adapter for chargers for your electronic equipment (phone, camera, etc.)

Do not forget to also pack sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat/cap/cap for protection from the sun, as well as rain gear for destinations with a risk of rain. It can also be nice to bring sandals as a complement to your regular shoes.

Also keep in mind that the most common mistake when it comes to packing is bringing too many things. Therefore, pack with common sense!

Health advice and physical requirements

Contact a vaccination clinic well in advance of your departure to discuss your need for vaccination.

Note! Vaccination against Covid-19 is currently required at several of our destinations and that you as a traveller can prove this through, for example, a special Covid certificate. Make sure to arrange this well in advance of the trip.

Otherwise, no special vaccinations are normally needed on our trips if you already have the normal basic protection:
Below you will find a suggestion for a travel pharmacy to take with you on your trip:

• First aid
• Disinfectant
• Surgical tape and/or plasters
• Abrasion tape/plaster
• Painkillers
• Earplugs
• Mosquito repellent
• Sun protection cream
• Fluid replacement to restore the body’s salt and fluid balance in e.g. diarrhoea and vomiting.

When it comes to food and drink, there are some general guidelines to help you prevent stomach ailments: Eat freshly cooked food, peel all fruit and be careful with raw vegetables and ice cream sold on the street. Use common sense in your choice of places to eat, small local restaurants with many visitors can for example be good as they often have a high turnover. Drink only bottled or boiled beverages. Avoid ice cubes in drinks as the ice may be made from unhygienic water. Remember to drink plenty of fluids when staying in hot climates.

Tips and information

Respectful behaviour

Remember that you are a guest in the region you are visiting. It is therefore important to take local customs and traditions into account. You must be particularly careful in strictly religious areas, places with ongoing conflicts and ecologically sensitive environments. A good rule of thumb is to observe and learn from how the locals do things. Please consult your guide.

One of the charms of traveling is that it is not like home. It is important to keep this in mind during the journey and to face what is different with an open mind. A portion of patience and curiosity is also good to have.

Take pictures during the trip

Our trips offer fantastic opportunities for photography. The camera is an excellent way to take memories and impressions from the trip with you. Many will want you to talk about the trip or give a talk at the workplace, the library or for some association. If you need help with this, please contact us.

As a photographer, you also have a responsibility. Remember that the people you meet are subjects and not objects, i.e. that they have feelings, a will of their own and the right to decide over their body and images of it. Therefore, it is important that you ask if you can photograph them, their children and sometimes their possessions. How would you react if a foreign tourist came and started taking pictures of your children, your laundry, or your house without knowing what the pictures would be used for? In many cultures, photography is perceived as a violation of people’s privacy. Be especially careful and considerate when in rural areas or among indigenous people. Do not let the language barrier stop you. A gesture, a smile and pointing at the camera are universal codes understood by everyone. And do not forget to say thank you afterwards! Feel free to ask the guide if you feel unsure about what to do.

Did you take any good pictures during the trip?

We need good, interesting pictures for our catalogue and website. We would like to receive pictures of Nature, Meetings and People. For us to be able to use the image, it is good if you have asked the person in the image if they allow the image to end up on the internet and/or in a directory.

For a picture in the catalogue, we pay Rs. 200 (it is then also published on the website). A picture on the website gives Rs.500, which is deducted on the next trip. Select some of your best photos and send them to us. Digital images need to be at least 4.0 MB.

Insurances

You are responsible for ensuring that you have sufficient insurance cover during the trip. The insurance must at least include full cost coverage for medical care, accidents, transport home and legal protection. Such insurance is a prerequisite for participation in the trip. Check the extent of the travel cover in your home insurance. Cancellation protection is not included in the price of the trip and normally not in home insurance. Note! Take a soft copy of your insurance certificate with you on the trip.

The Cloudline is not financially responsible for additional costs arising in connection with any illness or accident. Costs for medical care, extra transport, medicines, possibly an extra guide for personal help, etc., must be paid for by the trekker/traveller himself, who can claim compensation from his/her insurance company after returning home. If a trekker/traveller is forced to stay at a place, the tour leader must always accompany the group and can then hire someone to help the one left behind. The cost is borne by the trekker/traveller. But we always help you until you have received adequate care or help, whatever the problem consists of.

If you experience something for which you will require compensation from the insurance company, you must remember to request a medical certificate from the attending physician. Such certificates are impossible to obtain afterwards. It is best if the certificate is in Hindi or English, but a medical certificate in the Hindi or English language is better than nothing at all. Also, do not forget to save all receipts for costs you want the insurance company to cover. The same applies to compensation for theft or loss of property; report to the police and save the report.