In some countries (eg: Chile) the price of domestic return flights can vary in price depending on the airline used and on the time of booking. Generally, the sooner we can book these flights, the lower the ticket cost.

To allow us to pay for these flights as soon as the trip is guaranteed, we will take an additional payment from you at the time of booking. When we pay for them, we will add the cost of these flights to your trip invoice. Any savings will be credited to your trip balance.

We usually only offer the Flight Inclusive (With Flights) package to our clients who live in the UK. If you are travelling from outside the UK, it will make better sense for you to book a Land Only package and arrange your own flights either directly with the airline or via a local travel agent. We are happy to give advice on which flight schedules fit best with our trip itineraries and information on suitable flights is available in all of our trip dossiers.

Flight Inclusive (With Flights) Package: The majority of our UK clients choose to book a Flight Inclusive Package letting KE take care of both their holiday and flight arrangements, and thereby taking advantage of the full financial protection offered by the ATOL bonding scheme administered by the Civil Aviation Authority. For most of our holidays, we select a preferred flight and use the estimated cost of this to calculate our flight inclusive prices. (The estimated cost of this flight is based on fare information available at the time of printing). Up to date prices and flight timings for your chosen trip can be obtained via the website or by contacting the KE office. Please be aware that there are often only a limited number of seats available at the advertised price. To avoid paying flight supplements, we recommend that you book as early as possible, especially during peak times. If we are unable to secure seats at the price shown, or you have requested regional departures or flights with an alternative carrier, we will contact you with an alternative quote.

ADT stands for adult and is a code used by airlines to denote the status of the person travelling and in some cases the basis on which the airfare has been calculated.

Most airlines require your full name as displayed on your passport, including middle names. You will therefore be prompted to enter your first, middle and last name at the time of booking so that we have this recorded correctly in your account for any international or internal flights that we may be booking for you.

Please note that if you are normally referred to by your middle name, you still need to enter your name as on your passport.

Each individual traveller is responsible for ensuring that they have a valid passport and all the relevant visas required for their holiday.

It is important to remember that for any KE Adventure holiday you will need a passport (normally with 6 months remaining validity at the completion of the trip). If you don't have a passport, apply for one in good time.

If you do have a passport, check the expiry date.

British Citizens can find more about passport applications at ips.gov.uk

US Citizens can find more about passport applications at travel.state.gov

To secure your booking and avoid incurring additional charges, you must provide information on your booking form precisely as it is shown on your passport.

For many of our holidays you will also need one or more visas. This can include visas needed for transit stops on your flights to or from your final destination; for instance through Delhi or through the United States.

Visa requirements vary between countries and for different nationalities. Some countries either don't require visas or will allow you to purchase a visa on arrival. Other countries have complex, time-consuming and expensive visa requirements.

The specific trip pages give information about the visas needed and about the visa application process. We can provide further details (together with one or more visa application forms - if appropriate) with the confirmation of your booking.

Although we make every effort to keep this information up to date, we ask you to double check the requirements, either with the relevant consulate or Embassy, or by using a visa agency such as Travcour.

For more specific information on the Passport and Visas requirements for your chosen destination please read the holiday information on the trip pages and download a copy of the trip notes.

If your baggage has been checked all the way through to Kathmandu then you do not need an Indian visa. However if you are collecting baggage and do not have a through flight then you will need an India Visa, even if you are not leaving the airport.

Please refer to the Holiday Information on individual trips for visa information specific to the country, for example Everest Base Camp trek.

You do need to have your travel through the US authorised. The US Visa Waiver Programme allows most visitors to take advantage of an online electronic travel authorisation process that must be completed before boarding a US bound aircraft.

Go to the website of the US Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) at www.estauk-applications.co.uk for further details. If your nationality makes you ineligible to use the US Visa Waiver programm, you will need a visa. Please contact your nearest US consulate for full details regarding the visa application process.

Although every KE trip carries a medical kit, it is advisable to bring a supply of first aid items for your own personal use. Base this on the following list, plus any special medications you may require. Please note that this list is appropriate for a long trip in a remote location and at high altitude. For a week's trek in Europe, the first seven items should be sufficient.

Insect repellent

Antiseptic cream

Suncream and total bloc

Throat lozenges or hard sweets

Painkillers

Aspirin

Paracetamol etc.

Anti-diarrhoea (Diocalm or Immodium)

Plasters (band-aids) and 'Second Skin' for blisters

Antibiotics - A broad-spectrum antibiotic (such as Ciproxin) suitable for a variety of infections. Please consult with your doctor.

Re-hydration salts (Dioralite)

Dextrose glucose tablets

Multi-vitamin tablets

Useful medical links for travellers

Fitfortravel

NHS Choices

Travelhealth.co.uk

CIWEC Clinic - Travel Medicine Center, Kathmandu. Nepal

CDC - (US Center for Disease Control and Prevention)

You may need specific vaccinations when visiting some countries and this is explained in the information that we send to you when you book. For recommended and compulsory health requirements for each country, please see the DoH leaflet Advice on Health for Travellers, or talk to your doctor.

A very good online resource is the National Health Travellers website at www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk. If you are a UK citizen travelling in Europe you should apply for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) www.ehic.org, from your Post Office. This allows you to take advantage of free medical care in many European countries, but you should not use this as a substitute for travel insurance.

If you have a severe allergy please inform the KE office before you travel. We will do all we can to help, but we cannot guarantee an allergen free environment on KE trips.

You will need to carry your own treatment for the allergy with you, as 'adrenaline auto-injectors' are not carried as standard by KE leaders and staff. You should inform your leader on arrival of your allergy, and let them know where you keep your adrenaline pen.

Ultimately it is your responsibility to ensure that you are fit enough to join a KE adventure holiday. In line with this, please complete the relevant section of our booking form fully and honestly. You should also have a thorough medical and dental check up before the holiday.

There are a number of untested herbal remedies which claim to prevent mountain sickness. However, only one drug is currently known to have a useful role in preventing AMS and to be safe for this purpose: acetazolamide (Diamox).

We recommend that you carry Diamox in your first aid kit for treks where you spend an extended period above 4000m. Diamox can only be obtained from a medical professional on prescription and it is important that you first consult your own doctor so that you know there are no contra indications with other medicines you may be taking and that you do not have an allergy to acetazolamide.

Diamox commonly causes some minor side effects, such as tingling fingers and toes, or a metallic taste in the mouth, but more severe reactions are rare. On trek, the decision whether or not and when, you should take Diamox as with any drug, will rest solely with you. If you intend to take Diamox, you must familiarise yourself with the appropriate dosage and regime prior to coming on the trip. The links at the bottom of this page will provide further information on the use of Diamox as an aid to acclimatisation.

You should take 2 items of luggage.

The first of these will be your single item of check in luggage on all flights (unless you have a bike or skis). For KE treks, which involve your baggage being carried by porters or pack animals, we would recommend taking a soft, tough, waterproof duffle bag.

Secondly, you should take a daysack or small rucksack, large enough to carry your camera, water-bottles, waterproof jacket and fleece jacket. For most trekking trips, a 30 litre daysack is large enough. You will carry this as hand luggage on all flights.

We would advise that you read the Equipment List for your trip (in the Holiday Information section of the trip page) or download a copy of the trip notes for more information on baggage and equipment required for your chosen trip.

The B0, B1, B2, B3 boot grading system was introduced as a way of categorising outdoor footwear especially according to its suitability for use with crampons. It works as follows:

B0 (Walking Boots) These boots are unsuitable for use with crampons.

B1 (Hillwalking Boots) Suitable for the easiest winter conditions. Flexible walking crampons with a strap attachment (Crampon Grade C1) can be used for limited periods or in emergencies, for example when crossing a patch of snow or ice, rather than for a full day's walk using crampons.

B2 (Mountaineering Boots) All boots within this range are compatible with articulated 'strap-on' crampons and some of them will also work with 'semi-step-in' crampons (with a combination of strapped front and step-in heel). These boots are intended for winter mountain walking or glacier traverses and their corresponding crampon grade is C2.

B3 (Climbing and Mountaineering Boots) These boots have fully stiffened soles and can almost always be fitted with 'step-in' crampons (Crampon Grade C3). Including plastic double mountaineering boots, they are intended for high and cold climbs.

We give advice on mountaineering equipment in all of our Trip Notes, and publish an equipment list for each of our trips with further information. If you are unsure of which footwear is required for your trip, we would suggest you call or email our office. One of our sales staff will be pleased to give advice on suitable footwear.

Travelling with a bike is usually as straightforward as travelling with any other type of baggage - providing you have packed it adequately. We have many years experience of travelling with our bikes, and nowadays we think that the best way to travel and fly with a bike is to partially dismantle it and put it into a purpose made soft bike bag.

Although more expensive than a cardboard bike box, they are smaller in size to transport and are considerably easier to handle. PLEASE DO NOT USE a purpose-made rigid bike box - these are heavy (which can put you over your baggage allowance) and are also too bulky to be easily stored or transported on the group's support vehicle.

To pack your bike you simply remove both wheels and pedals and prepare it for travel as follows. Obviously, extra care when packing your bike can minimise the chances of accidental damage occurring in transit. Ask your local bike store for plastic wheel hub protectors (which will prevent damage to your bike bag) and plastic fork and frame spacers, insert the spacers into the dropouts, tape them in place and then put extra padding over this area.

Use pipe insulation lagging (from your local DIY store) to cover frame tubes, forks and seat post. If required, remove your bars from the stem and attach them carefully to your frame/forks using plastic ties or pvc tape - ensure that your Ergo/Sti levers are well padded to minimise the chance of damage.

You may also wish to remove your rear gear mech, pad it with foam and tape it to the chainstay out of harms way. Finally partly deflate your tyres, leaving some air in them to help absorb any impact on the wheels. Don't forget to pack wheel skewers, pedals and any bolts you have removed, these are the items that tend to get left behind. Finally, find an old cardboard bike box and cut out panels to fit inside your soft bike bag for extra protection.

You may also wish to wrap and tape pipe insulation material over your frame's tubes. Don't forget to bring enough packing materials to pack your bike on the way home.

Trekking to high altitude (generally this means above 2500 metres) involves additional risk not normally associated with lower level treks.

This is not something that should prevent you from undertaking a trek in the Himalaya or Andes or any of the world's greater ranges. However, before embarking on such a holiday, it makes sense to learn about the dangers inherent in trekking at high altitude and also the ‘golden rules' to prevent Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS).

There is a correlation between daily fluid intake and successful acclimatisation and you must pay particular attention to hydration during trekking at high altitudes.

On treks to 3000 metres and above most people will need to drink between 5 and 6 litres each day to achieve suitable hydration levels and you must adopt a responsible approach to achieving this target.

Before embarking on a trek to high altitude it is important that you familiarise yourself with the signs and symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) and that you report any illness to your tip leader straight away. See the links at the bottom of this page for further reading on AMS.

There are a number of untested herbal remedies which claim to prevent mountain sickness. However, only one drug is currently known to have a useful role in preventing AMS and to be safe for this purpose: acetazolamide (Diamox).

We recommend that you carry Diamox in your first aid kit for treks where you spend an extended period above 4000m. Diamox can only be obtained from a medical professional on prescription and it is important that you first consult your own doctor so that you know there are no contra indications with other medicines you may be taking and that you do not have an allergy to acetazolamide.

Diamox commonly causes some minor side effects, such as tingling fingers and toes, or a metallic taste in the mouth, but more severe reactions are rare.

On trek, the decision whether or not and when, you should take Diamox as with any drug, will rest solely with you. If you intend to take Diamox, you must familiarise yourself with the appropriate dosage and regime prior to coming on the trip.

For our trips to extreme altitude (those which trek above 5000 metres or where you sleep above 4000 metres), we carry a portable altitude chamber (PAC) and/or bottled oxygen. A PAC is a sealed bag, big enough for a person to comfortably fit inside, which can inflated with a constant air flow and is used to simulate rapid descent. A person suffering from AMS can be effectively 'brought down' as much as an equivalent of 2000 metres in a matter of minutes inside a PAC bag.

All KE High altitude trek leaders are trained in the use of PAC bags. We also carry a PAC and/or bottled oxygen on any trek above 3500 metres where fast descent is not immediately possible.

Travelling to high altitudes is not something you need to be scared of. Every year thousands of people enjoy the most amazing experiences in the world's greatest mountain ranges. Altitude sickness is entirely preventable if you follow very simple rules and procedures. Please make sure you are aware of these before you travel.

The human body is capable of adapting to a very wide range of barometric pressures. This adaptation process is known as acclimatisation and it does take time. The most important rule is to gain height slowly and it is generally accepted that the maximum safe altitude gain in any one day is 500 metres once above 2500 metres.

Where this is not possible (for example because you are trekking in Bolivia where you have to fly in to La Paz International Airport at 4100 metres, or where there is no place to camp within 500 metres of your last camp), then it is important to have a rest or acclimatisation day at the new altitude before gaining further height.

All our itineraries follow this rule. In general the maxim ‘climb high and sleep low' applies. It is perfectly acceptable (and even beneficial to your acclimatisation) to climb higher than 500 metres above your last camp (for example when crossing a high pass) as long as the increase in sleeping altitude remains within the above rule.

For further reading on the above issues we recommend the following websites:

http://www.altitude.org/altitude_sickness.php

http://www.basecampmd.com/expguide/diamox.shtml

http://www.traveldoctor.co.uk/altitude.htm

As part of our ongoing work to provide the best quality adventure holidays possible we would very much like to receive feedback about your experiences with KE as your comments are extremely valuable to us. We examine all points raised and discuss them with our office staff, overseas agents and trip leaders. As part of our drive to minimise environmental impact, we prefer all feedback be submitted electronically.

You will receive an email requesting your feedback on your return from holiday. Please click on the link in the email to access your personalised feedback form. Simply click to evaluate whether you feel the service you experienced was Excellent, Good, Average or Unsatisfactory and use the comments box to type in anything you would like to bring to our attention.

In addition to private detailed feedback, we invite you to submit a review for your trip via your My KE account in My Contributions. Reviews are published directly on our website against each holiday and contribute to the star rating displayed for each one.

Our Customer Sales and Support Team can provide advice on which destination or itinerary we’d think you’d enjoy next based on where you’ve travelled and your feedback.