Why should I travel with Travel The Unknown?
What makes us different?
Are you bonded?
Are your tours environmentally friendly?
Do I need special travel insurance for your trips?
Are your tours suitable for solo travellers?
On your group trips, what is the maximum group size?
What do I need to bring with me?
How far in advance do I need to book my trip?
How fit do I need to be to join a Travel The Unknown tour?
What happens if I fall sick?
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises against travel to the place I want to go to. Should I be worried about security?
What if the FCO advice changes after I have booked my trip?
What is included in the price of our tour?
Is it possible to extend my trip?
What standard of accommodation do you generally use?
I have generally travelled independently, so why should I join a group?
I live outside of the UK, can I still join a Travel The Unknown tour?
I want to travel, but none of the dates/trips you run coincide with my holiday dates.
Do you do any tours outside of India?

Why should I travel with Travel The Unknown?
While most travel companies focus on well-worn paths to places that are now overcrowded, at Travel The Unknown we offer truly off the beaten track tours and unique experiences. We have personally crafted each tour taking into consideration that all travellers are different. We believe that the diversity of our tours is unrivalled – from Himalayan treks, ancient Buddhist monasteries, tribal villages, wild safaris and plenty of time for relaxation.
We are both passionate travellers and have travelled extensively. We bring an intimate knowledge of travel to each of our tours. Our focus is on providing awe-inspiring trips and ensuring that our tours benefit the local communities directly, hence we plough back some of our profits into local projects. ^

What makes us different?
We have gone out of our way to find truly off the beaten track places, unlike the hundreds of tour companies out there who simply offer the same or similar tours in standard places. We have a genuine passion for travel and believe that our tours offer everything a traveller could possibly want in a package tour. They have also been designed in a way which benefits the local communities, keeping alive ancient traditions, and investing in local development projects. ^

We prefer to keep group sizes to a maximum of 12 for the main purpose of reducing the environmental and cultural impact of our tours. For example, when visiting tribal villages we split the group between different villages ensuring that they don’t become overwhelmed by photographers and that they equally benefit from our tours.

Our guides are professional, experienced and friendly, and they will ensure your tour runs smoothly. We personally review all of our tours ensuring that our high standards are always maintained.

Are you bonded?
We are currently awaiting our ATOL licence, ensuring that your money will be fully protected if you book with us. We will only start to sell tours once the ATOL licence has been granted. ^

Are your tours environmentally friendly?
Responsible travel and the ‘carbon footprint’ have always been important to us, even before they hit the headlines. We ensure that all of our tours are 100% carbon neutral, by offsetting carbon emissions using the highly acclaimed Gold Standard. Furthermore, we educate our clients on the importance of responsible travel and our guides follow strict ethical guidelines, so that future generations can benefit from tourism. ^

Do I need special travel insurance for your trips?
All clients must have the relevant personal travel insurance suitable for the region they are travelling to. We even offer very competitive insurance through our own insurance providers, making it even easier for you to organise your trip. ^

Are your tours suitable for solo travellers?
We expect our clients to be a mixture of couples and single travellers. In fact, many single travellers join tours as a way of meeting other like-minded travellers wanting to get off the beaten track. We are also happy to accommodate single travellers with other same sex single travellers, thus avoiding any single supplements. ^

On your group trips, what is the maximum group size?
We believe in keeping our group sizes to no more than 12 people. The simple reason being we don’t want our tours to leave a big footprint on the regions and communities we will be visiting. It is also easier for travellers in the group to get to know each other better, and gives us extra flexibility on our tours. ^

What do I need to bring with me?
The very nature that our tours are off the beaten track means that climates and terrains can vary. After booking you will be sent a checklist of essentials to bring with you on the trip. What’s most important is you bring an open mind and sense of adventure! ^

How far in advance do I need to book my trip?
It is best to book your spot as soon as possible to ensure your place on a tour, since we do not take more than 12 people in a group. It also helps us to arrange your flight booking in advance. We would generally advise that a deposit is paid at the time of booking, with the balance paid 8 weeks before the tour start date. This should also give you sufficient time to obtain visas and vaccinations where necessary. ^

How fit do I need to be to join a Travel The Unknown tour?
You don’t have to be an endurance athlete to participate in our tours. However, since our tours will involve some element of physical exercise and often staying at high altitude, it is advisable that you should have some degree of general fitness. However, should you not be able to do any particular trek or activity, we can often arrange an alternative activity ensuring you can still enjoy your trip. ^

What happens if I fall sick?
Our tour guides are well trained in basic first aid and they carry a supply of essential medicine at all times. In the worst case, we will always rush you to the nearest hospital if required. It is mandatory that all clients have adequate personal travel insurance in the case of any unforeseen medical or other related expenses. ^

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises against travel to the place I want to go to. Should I be worried about security?
Travel The Unknown takes safety and security very seriously. We constantly consult the FCO and our contacts on the ground, so are up to date with the latest situation in the places we are visiting. We will always ensure that our clients and ourselves are not put to any risk. It should be noted that for certain areas, the FCO advises against travel “except when travelling as part of an organised group”. ^

What if the FCO advice changes after I have booked my trip?
We constantly consult the FCO and our contacts on the ground so are always up to date with the latest security situation wherever we are touring. However, we will amend the itinerary if there is any risk to the safety and security of the group. In the unlikely event that we are forced to cancel a trip due to a major incident, refunds will be applicable as per the terms and conditions of booking. However, it does not necessarily mean we will cancel trips simply because the FCO advice changes. ^

What is included in the price of our tour?
We firmly believe in being upfront with our clients, and avoid hidden extras like ‘local payments’. The prices quoted are inclusive of airfares, ground transportation, accommodation, meals, government passes, permits and entrance fees to museums and national parks, where applicable.
However, we understand that some clients may already have arranged their own international airfare, hence our tour prices also include a non-flight option as well. ^

Is it possible to extend my trip?
Travel The Unknown aims to be the premier travel company of choice, and we have designed our tours to be as flexible as possible. We understand that if you are visiting India for the first time, you may also want to take in some of the more conventional sites, such as the Taj Mahal, after your trip. We can arrange ‘bolt-ons’ to your trip providing we have sufficient notice. In fact, we recommend our clients to book ‘bolt-ons’ when possible, as it enhances the travel experience by providing a fascinating contrast to our main off the beaten track tours. However, it should be noted that since our focus is on off the beaten track tours, we do not sell bolt-ons separately. ^

What standard of accommodation do you generally use?
Accommodation is an integral part of the travel experience. We aim to provide you with accommodation which best represents the diversity of our tours. You will be sleeping in traditional bamboo houses, gazing at the stars in delightful eco-camps, sleeping amongst Buddhist monks and in guesthouses overlooking the mighty Himalayas. We have spent a lot of time researching accommodation with the best character. ^

I have generally travelled independently, so why should I join a group?
We have also travelled independently, which has its pros and cons. However, our tours have been designed in such a way that you will often be free to do as much or as little as you want. In fact our tours include relaxation time, where you can wander around alone and do your own thing. By keeping our group size down to 12, we are offering the best of both worlds – the camaraderie of a group and the flexibility for you to have some ‘me-time’ too. ^

I live outside of the UK, can I still join a Travel The Unknown tour?
Yes. In fact we welcome travellers from outside the UK. It adds to the diversity of the group and makes our tours all the more enjoyable. We can also arrange flights from your home country, or you can organise this yourself and just pay the land price. ^

I want to travel, but none of the dates/trips you run coincide with my holiday dates.
No problem! If we have other clients who are looking to travel around the same date as you, we will happily accommodate you together. If you have your own group of 4-12 people, we can arrange the same tours on a date which suits you! In fact if your group is big enough you may qualify for a discount. Ask us a question. ^

Do you do any tours outside of India?
Soon. We are always scouting the world looking for the best off the beaten track locations we can find. We will shortly be introducing more off the beaten track tours to Colombia and countries within Africa and the Middle East. ^

Watch this space!