Some frequently asked questions
Q I. Firstly, am I going to see good endemics by choosing Richard Raby Eco-tours?
A. YES! Richard knows his localities and his birds well; he has studied many of the rarer species thoroughly in the field and knows his birdsong (this is essential in any successful jungle birding). Richard is a “field birder” and is very much at home in his adopted home, South-eastern Brazil, he uses state of the art, Marantz solid-state and Sennheiser field recording equipment.
Q II. Will I get full-time guiding from Richard at all of the localities visited?
A. Yes! Richard accompanies you full-time and you don’t get handed over to assistants, abandoned, or left to your own devises at any point during the trip.
Q III. What comes included in the pricing of one of Richard’s tours?
A. Richard provides: daily bird-guiding services, all transport between sites and locations, overnight Hotel accommodations, all morning and midday meals, most evening meals.
* Budget an extra U$ 20 per person per night for these occasions.
Q IV. Does the calculation include travel to Brazil?
A. No, for various reasons you, the client must make your own international travel arrangements and reservations. Richard’s part starts with meeting you upon arrival at the Brazilian airport of your choice (usually Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo) and ends when he leaves you at the departure gate for your return or onward journey.
Q V. How much would it cost me to visit Brazil with Richard Raby Eco-tours?
A. Richard calculates the pricing of your trip based on a base price per/night rate, this is then adjusted for three main factors, how many people will be visiting, the length of your stay, and the distances involved travelling between locations?
Q VI. How much would this be roughly for a group of 4 people spending approx 14 nights, arriving at Rio de Janeiro Airport and including visits to Ubatuba, Itatiaia and the interior of Minas Gerais?
Approximately £1650 / $2500 per person.inclusive.
Q VII. Are there any extras that I will have to budget-for during my visit to Southeastern Brazil with Richard Raby Eco-tours?
Most visitors budget for a £15 / $20 per head per night “pocket money float” which generally covers all of local expenditure for the duration of their stay. Evening drinks, postcards, occasional evening meals etc.
Q VIII. If I decided to book with Richard how would the financial side/payments be handled?
A. After thoroughly developing an Itinerary to your approval, including provisional travel dates, Richard will then book that time in his agenda. You then confirm your flights and relay this information to Richard. At this time he will ask for a 30% deposit to be made into a United Kingdom bank account. Three months ahead of your arrival this deposit becomes non-partially refundable (as hotel reservations are made). The outstanding balance is payable 2 weeks before your planned arrival.
» QIII From practice Richard has found that at some localities eating evening-meals out at local restaurants (rather than in –house at the Hotel) is both a popular and practical option. In these cases you the client pay for these meals (approx. £5/ U$10, per person). Pls. refer to also to Question VII.
» QIII Richard Raby Eco tours does not pay for local “frigo-bar” consumption and/or alcoholic beverages consumed at hotels and restarants.
» QVII Airport pick-ups & drop-offs may be charged as extra, depending on the Airport involved, and the length of your tour. If a charge is to be applied you will be informed right from the start of your initial enquiry.