Extraordinary NAMIBIA

Transcription

1 Prst Std U.S. Postage Paid Putney, VT Permit 1 Extraordinary NAMIBIA October 15 November 1, 2009 (18 days) Where elephants walk on sand... explore the wonders of Namibia with The Explorers Club.

2 Dear Traveler, The Explorers Club Travelers is excited to offer a new program this fall to explore the cultural and natural wonders of Namibia with Dr. Hu Berry. This is an opportunity to discover for yourself the wild beauty and cultural history of a vast, ancient land in the company of an expert with university degrees in entomology, ornithology, zoology, and ecology, Dr. Berry s background enabled his 33-year career in wildlife conservation in Namibia. Namibia, despite a population of less than two million, is comprised of eleven ethnic groups, each of which contributes to the rich tapestry of customs, languages, and ways of life that make Namibia so intriguing. You will begin your adventure with two nights in the capital city, Windhoek, before driving south to Rehoboth. There you will learn about the Rehoboth Basters, a fiercely proud and independent people who are the descendants of a group of farmers of mixed European and Khoisan blood. Drive to the Namib Desert, thought to be the oldest desert in the world. Beautifully shaped dunes such as those in Sossusvlei are common in areas where abundant sand allows prevailing winds to become the sculptors of the dunes contours. While there you will enjoy two nights at the elegant Le Mirage Desert Lodge and Spa. From Swakopmund, where you will spend three nights, take a private plane up the Skeleton Coast for a full-day excursion to Opuwo, where you will examine the incredible geography and wildlife from safari vehicles and learn about the local Himba people. Head north to Twyfelfontein, site of one of the largest and most spectacular collections of petroglyphs in the world. The gigantic rock canvases display engravings of exceptional quality depicting a range of animals, patterns, and circles. Drive to Etosha National Park and the huge, flat Etosha Pan for two full days of game-viewing. Time spent at one of the local waterholes is like watching a wildlife play unfold, with a cast of animals emerging herd by herd out of the haze and heading toward the water to drink. Continue east to Bushmanland, an area rarely visited, where you will spend two nights in a specially-prepared camp. Experience the Bushmen s language, laced with clicks, and their way of life that is perfect in its adaptation to raw nature. The Bushmen never kept livestock or cultivated crops with their sharpened hardwood digging sticks, they find water, hunt, and live off of indigenous plants. Explore the area in the company of a!kung Bushman to learn about their superb tracking and hunting skills. Enjoy a final tour night near the Waterberg Plateau, where the thorn bush savannah contrasts vividly with the area s red sandstone and the plateau provides a natural haven for wildlife. Visit the Cheetah Conservation Fund, where an Education Centre encourages you to learn about cheetahs, their habitat, and issues of conservation. I hope that you will seize this special opportunity to explore Namibia with Dr. Berry the group will be comprised of no more than 20 travelers, so space is limited and there is just one departure. Contact the Explorers Club Travelers office at (800) or ect@studytours.org to make your reservations today. Sincerely, Daniel A. Bennett President The Explorers Club

3 Extraordinary NAMIBIA October 15 - November 1, 2009 (18 days) Discover the wonders of Southern Africa s best kept secret with the Explorers Club Travelers. ILDLIFE & N WILDLIFE & NATURAL WONDERS EXPLORERS CLUB xxxxxxxxxxx LECTURER & HOST ECTURER & H Dr. Hu Berry retired as Senior Scientist at the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Namibia. A native of South Africa, he trained as an entomologist and zoologist at Pretoria University, worked for the South African Bureau of Standards testing pesticides, and settled in Namibia at the age of 30. For the next 33 years Dr. Berry worked for Namibia s previous government and the current Ministry of Environment and Tourism as an ornithologist, chief biologist, Control Warden of Etosha National Park, and chief biologist of Namib Desert National Park. Dr. Berry has done detailed studies on flamingos, pelicans, cormorants, wildebeests, and lions, among others; and his 15 years as biologist and warden in charge of Etosha enabled him to experience firsthand the cycles of African wildlife. His career in the conservation of Namibia's wildlife culminated in his being made responsible for the Namib Research Institute, a research station set in the heart of the Namib Desert. Dr. Berry has trained tour guides at the Namibian Academy of Tourism and Hospitality, and is himself qualified as a Badge III (Specialist Guide) on the Namib, Etosha, ornithology, fauna, and ecology. He was nominated for the prestigious Paul Morrison Guide Award 2006 by Wanderlust Publications (Windsor, U.K.), aimed at recognizing the world's best guides for enriching the travel experiences of tourists. Dr. Berry is completely at home in the Namibian wilderness and will share with you his experiences and understanding of the way in which its unique and fascinating natural system functions. He lives in Swakopmund with his wife Cornelia, a botanist and author with whom he has two sons, and he still writes management plans for Namibia's parks and training programs for guides, while also undertaking other special jobs such as leading our Explorers Club Travelers tour. Game view in Etosha National Park, home to over 100 mammal species including lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, giraffes, zebras, black-faced impalas, and the rare black rhino, as well as some 340 species of birds. Visit the Walvis Bay wetlands, which are among the ten most important coastal wetlands in Africa and support up to 80,000 birds in summer and 68,000 in winter, plus take a boat ride to see the area s dolphins. Journey by private plane up the Skeleton Coast, which covers approximately four million acres, to the frontier town of Opuwo, in one of Namibia's most scenic regions, where desertdwelling elephants, rhinos, and giraffes roam. Explore the Namib Desert s picturesque Sossusvlei Dunes some of the highest in the world and Sesriem Canyon, a deep, narrow sandstone fissure carved by the Tsauchab River. Visit the Cape Cross Seal Reserve, a breeding colony whose population of Cape fur seals fluctuates between 80,000 and 260,000. ULTURAL & H CULTURAL & HISTORICAL TREASURES See the superb rock engravings at Twyfelfontein, where more than 3,000 petroglyphs of animals, human hand- and footprints, and animal tracks were chiseled into giant boulders. Experience Bushmanland (Odjozondjupa), where we take part in traditional San (who are more popularly known as Bushmen) activities, including collecting bush foods and making traditional crafts, and enjoy a traditional dance performance. Tour historic cities and towns including Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, and Swakopmund, with their vibrant combination of African and Western cultures and historic architecture. Learn about a fascinating ethnic group known as the Basters, who carved their own free republic in Rehoboth in 1870, holding on to their land even through the apartheid era.

4 ITINERAR TINERARY Days 1 & 2: Thursday & Friday, October 15 & 16, 2009 Home / Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA Depart home on independent flights to Johannesburg, South Africa. Arrive on Day 2 and transfer independently to our airport hotel. Overnight at the Garden Court Airport Hotel. Day 3: Saturday, October 17 Johannesburg / Windhoek, NAMIBIA Fly to Windhoek this morning and transfer to the Heinitzburg Hotel, originally commissioned by Count von Schwerin as an elegant stone castle for his fiancée Margarethe von Heinitzburg in The hotel offers splendid views across Windhoek and the surrounding Khomas Hochland. This afternoon begin a gentle exploration of Windhoek, capital of Namibia. Windhoek derives its name from the Khoi word khomas, meaning hilly or mountainous terrain, and the German word Hochland, which refers to the plateau. Enjoy a welcome dinner at our hotel this evening. Overnight at the Heinitzburg Hotel for two nights. (B,D) Day 4: Sunday, October 18 Windhoek Enjoy a full day of sightseeing in this small capital, with its vibrant variety of African and Western cultures. Begin this morning with a walking tour along the Hofmeyer Walk and down Independence Avenue (Windhoek's main thoroughfare) and enjoy the old German colonial architecture. Cross the road to the Old German Fort (the Alte Feste), which is now a museum concentrating on Namibia's history over the last few centuries. The museum offers an excellent introduction to the cultural backgrounds of Namibia s indigenous people, and its Director will meet with our group and introduce us to the collections. Following a traditional lunch at Joe s Steak House, drive out to one of the city s township areas and meet with local residents. The contrast with the colonial center is marked. Also meet with the female founders of a successful local design business that encourages the use of traditional designs and fabrics and employs local residents. (B,L,D) Day 5: Monday, October 19 Windhoek / Rehoboth / Namib Naukluft Park Drive south today to Rehoboth, which was home to a group known as the Basters, a mixed race of Khoi-Khoi and Dutch people who originated in South Africa and settled in Rehoboth in 1870, driving off the local Herero and Nama clans and carving out their own free republic. The Basters managed to hold on to their land through the land appropriations and homelands policies for non-whites adopted by the apartheid governments of the 1960s and 70s, and is still technically self-governing, with its own laws of land tenure. Learn about the history of the Basters with a visit to the local museum. Continue on to the Namib Naukluft Park, where we check into the wonderful Le Mirage Desert Lodge & Spa, located about ten miles from the entrance gate to Namib Naukluft Park and Sossusvlei Dunes. Enjoy dinner at our hotel this evening. Overnight at Le Mirage Desert Lodge & Spa for two nights. (B,L,D) Day 6: Tuesday, October 20 Namib Naukluft Park Set out early this morning on an excursion into the Namib Desert to visit the Sossusvlei Dunes, reputed to be the highest in the world. The best time to visit is early in the morning, when the color transformation of the dunes is at its peak. This unique parting of the southern Namib's great sand-sea has probably been maintained over the millennia by the action of the Tsauchab River and the wind. We walk up the dunes to experience the splendid views. Continue on to the Sesriem Canyon, a narrow fissure in the sandstone that is 100 feet deep in places and carved by the Tsauchab River. Return to our hotel this afternoon and enjoy time at leisure. (B,L,D) Day 7: Wednesday, October 21 Namib Naukluft Park / Walvis Bay / Swakopmund Today we follow the eastern boundary of Namib Naukluft Park, passing through the Gaub and Kuiseb Canyons, crossing into the gravel plains of the desert en route to the harbor town of Walvis Bay. Enjoy a visit to the Walvis Bay wetlands, comprising the lagoon and western shores, which are among the ten most important coastal wetlands in Africa and support up to 80,000 birds in summer and 68,000 in winter. The lagoon, at the mouth of the Kuiseb River, is a wide, shallow, brackish pool fringed by dunes and reeds. The lagoon attracts flocks of flamingoes, as well as curlews, sandpipers, sanderlings, avocets, plovers, and the rare and elusive Damara tern. This afternoon we take a boat ride to see the dolphins that live in the Walvis Bay area.

5 Continue on to Swakopmund, arriving in the early evening. Overnight at the Swakopmund Hotel for three nights. (B,L,D) Day 8: Thursday, October 22 Swakopmund Historically, Swakopmund is important not just for its handsome old buildings, but for the part it played in opening up the great Namibian interior to colonial settlement. Our walking tour this morning will be led by Frau Angelika Flamm- Schneeweiss, who works at the local Sam Cohen Library. She knows the historical buildings of Swakopmund better than anyone, and we will enjoy her insights into the town s amazing German architecture. The tour will begin at the Sam Cohen Library, followed by a visit to some of the colonialstyle buildings that date back to the early 1900s, including the Swakopmund Railway Station, which was built in 1901 and is one of the finest in southern Africa. Admire the Hohenzoernhaus, with its high mansard roof and elaborate moldings, and the State House that was built in 1902 as a magistrate's court. It is now the residence of Namibia's President during the Cabinet recess in December. After lunch at our hotel we will drive through a rolling, barren area of rocky desert to visit one of the country's oldest welwitschia plants, estimated to be about 2,000 years old. Although the plants have characteristics of both flowering and cone-bearing plants, they are classified as a Gymnosperm, an ancient plant order that includes cycads and conifers, and average 500 to 600 years in age. Return to our hotel in time to relax before dinner this evening. (B,L,D) Day 9: Friday, October 23 Swakopmund / Skeleton Coast Park / Swakopmund Enjoy a full-day excursion up the Skeleton Coast by private plane to the town of Opuwo. Covering approximately four million acres, Skeleton Coast Park stretches from the Ugab River northward along the coast to the Kunese River and about 25 miles inland. It is a solitary landscape of gravel plains, sand dunes, and canyons. The northern zone, over which we will fly today, is managed as a wilderness area. We land in Opuwo, the frontier town of Kaokoland, just east of the Skeleton Coast Park. Kaokoland is one of Namibia's most scenic regions, offering a starkly beautiful landscape of table-top mountains, coneshaped hills, and rock-strewn plains where desert-dwelling elephants, rhinos, and giraffes roam. The region is also home to the nomadic Himba, who migrate seasonally with their herds of livestock in search of grazing, much as they did a century ago. From Opuwo we take a drive in safari vehicles to explore the area and learn more about the Himba people. Fly back to Swakopmund in time for dinner. (B,L,D) Day 10: Saturday, October 24 Swakopmund / Cape Cross Seal Reserve / Damaraland Drive north this morning through a desolate desert of gravel and rock. Stop at the Cape Cross Seal Reserve, which is one of sixteen breeding colonies of the Cape fur seal along the Namibian coast. At Cape Cross, the seal population fluctuates between an estimated 80,000 and 260,000. Continue on to Damaraland, arriving at our lodge in the late afternoon. The Dora Nawas Lodge offers magnificent views from its hilltop location. The sixteen guest units are built from locally sourced and natural stone and canvas under thatch roofs, ensuring luxury and comfort seamlessly blending with the spectacular surroundings. The lodge provides an exclusive base from which to explore prehistoric rock engravings and San rock art as well as the local area both in game drive vehicles and on foot. Overnight at the Dora Nawas Lodge. (B,L,D) Day 11: Sunday, October 25 Twyfelfontein / Outjo Spend the morning exploring the superb rock engravings at Twyfelfontein, where we are joined by a local expert who will escort us through the site. The area is believed to have been occupied continuously for between 3,000 and 6,000 years, and the site features more than 3,000 petroglyphs of animals, human hand- and footprints, and animal tracks, chiseled painstakingly into giant boulders randomly strewn across a low mountainside. After lunch at our hotel, visit the geological features known as the Organ Pipes and Burnt Mountain. The Organ Pipes are a distinctive series of dolomite pillars that have been exposed by erosion, and flat-topped Burnt Mountain derives its name from the piles of blackened limestone at its base. The chunks of black dolomite combined with the crudelyshaped colored rocks create the impression that the mountain burned. Proceed to the small town of Outjo, located near Etosha National Park, where we stay at Andersson s Camp, which features twenty permanent tented accommodations on elevated decks with verandahs that offer spectacular views. Overnight for two nights at Andersson s Camp. (B,L,D)

6 Day 12: Monday, October 26 Outjo / Etosha National Park Today will be spent game-viewing as we cross Etosha National Park. Etosha's huge salt pan and the tens of thousands of animals living around it came under official protection in The defining feature of the park is the huge Etosha Pan, which appears to be the remnant of a large inland lake that was fed by rivers from the north and east. Sandwiched between the dwarf shrub savannas and the mopane savanna and woodlands to the south of the pan is a narrow strip of grassland that is utilized as a winter grazing area. The park is the habitat of about 114 mammal species including lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, giraffes, zebras, black-backed jackals, ground squirrels, spotted hyenas, and warthogs. Among the rarer species is the black rhino, which continues to thrive here. (B,L,D) Day 13: Tuesday, October 27 Etosha National Park / Tsumeb Spend the day exploring this vast area of wilderness that covers the greater part of north-central Namibia. Our focus today will be waterholes in the eastern part of the park, beginning with Chodob, which is fed by an artesian fountain. It has a floating reed island, a characteristic associated with this sort of fountain, and is one of the few waterholes frequented by elands. In addition to elands, black-faced impalas, warthogs, and giraffes gather here to drink. Continue on to Okaukuejo and Halali, two of the continent s best places to observe the aggressive and secretive black rhinos. The diversity of habitats also attracts some 340 species of birds that have been recorded here, including many uncommon members of the hawk and vulture families. We may also see black-faced amperes, one of the rarest animals in the region. We leave the park this afternoon and drive to Tsumeb, an area of rich farmland and mineral wealth. Overnight at the Uris Safari Lodge. (B,L,D) Day 14: Wednesday, October 28 Tsumeb / Tsumkwe, Bushmanland (Odjozondjupa) Continue east to the region known as Odjozondjupa, which consists mainly of communal land and is known also as Bushmanland, an area populated by about 34,000 San people. This almost-rectangular region borders on Botswana and consists of a flat, dry land with trees, bushes, and drought-resistant grasses growing in the Kalahari's sandy soil. It is a very poor agricultural land but home to a large number of scattered Bushman villages. Historians and anthropologists are divided about what name to use for the people known as Bushmen. Some avoid the term Bushmen, regarding it as debasing and are more comfortable with the name San, although the Namibians themselves usually use the term Bushmen. Drive through Tsumkwe, the administrative center, into the heart of what is known as Bushmanland. Eastern Bushmanland is the last stronghold of the Ju Wasi San, the earliest inhabitants of Namibia. Overnight for two nights at the Tsumkwe Lodge. (B,L,D) Day 15: Thursday, October 29 Tsumkwe Spend the day learning about San culture, beginning with a visit to the Nyae Nyae Foundation, which oversees the area s development plans, followed by a series of traditional San activities, including a traditional hunting trip, collecting bushfoods, and making crafts, plus a traditional dance performance. (B,L,D) Day 16: Friday, October 30 Tsumkwe / Otjiwarongo Area After a leisurely breakfast, we drive south via the central farming community of Grootfontein to the Waterberg Plateau. The Plateau rises 300 meters from the plains, providing a natural haven for wildlife, and several land owners have formed a group to protect this unspoiled, magical region. Enjoy a final afternoon overlooking the peaceful landscape of thorn bush savanna that contrasts vividly with the red sandstone of the Plateau. This afternoon you might choose to join an optional visit to the nearby Cheetah Conservation Fund to learn about cheetah habitat and issues of conservation, with an opportunity to see resident cheetahs. Enjoy a festive farewell dinner this evening. Overnight at the Frans Indongo Lodge. (B,L,D) Days 17 & 18: Saturday & Sunday, October 31 & November 1 Otjiwarongo Area / Windhoek / Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA / Home After breakfast this morning, return to Windhoek, where we have lunch and return to the airport for evening flights home via Johannesburg, arriving the following day. (B,L) (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner) Copyright Eos All rights reserved. Photos courtesy of Distant Horizons, Namibian Tourism Board, and Ute von Ludwiger.

7 ACCOMMOD CCOMMODATIONS Experience the finest hotels, lodges, and luxury tented camps that Namibia has to offer, including: Windhoek s historic Heinitzburg Hotel, originally commissioned by Count von Schwerin as an elegant stone castle; Le Mirage Desert Lodge & Spa, a harmonious blend of luxury and nature, which features a wellness center, complete spa facilities, and fine cuisine in a relaxing setting; Andersson s Camp, which features 20 permanent tented accommodations on elevated decks with verandahs that offer spectacular views. WHA HAT TO EXPE XPECT This is a strenuous program. Participants must be in good physical condition to participate. The program includes several long drives and visits areas without access to medical facilities. Several of the sites require walking over uneven terrain. If you have any questions about your ability to participate, we suggest that you visit your personal physician with this brochure in hand, and discuss whether or not this program is appropriate for you. Participants are expected to be physically active, to enjoy traveling as part of a group, and to be ready to experience cultural differences. ABOUT THE EXPL XPLORERS CLUB UB Founded in 1904, the world famous Explorers Club is a multi-disciplinary professional society dedicated to the advancement of field research and scientific exploration. Members include the most famous explorers, scientists, and conservationists of the 20 th century. The Explorers Club Travelers is an educational program of The Explorers Club that invites the public to join distinguished explorers and scientists on educational tours to remote areas, focusing on natural and cultural history. Each participant on an Explorers Club Travelers program receives a complimentary one-year Friend Membership in The Explorers Club, which brings with it a subscription to The Explorers Club Log and Journal, and invitations to special Club events, including the gala Annual Dinner. PER PERSON PRICES DOUBLE Occupancy... $8,495 SINGLE Supplement... $ 995 Prices based on a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 20 participants; a small group surcharge may apply with fewer participants. AIR ARRANGEMENTS & TRANSFERS: Airfare to/from Johannesburg, South Africa is not included in the program. Participants should plan to arrive in Johannesburg on October 16 and depart in the evening of October 31. Assistance with flight arrangements will be offered. Details will be mailed to participants approximately 6 months prior to departure. If you choose to arrange your own flights, please do not purchase non-refundable tickets until you receive your final payment invoice. That invoice will indicate that the minimum number of participants has been met in order for the trip to operate as planned. If you need to purchase your tickets before this time, please contact us. YOUR TRIP INCLUDES: Leadership of Explorers Club lecturer and host Dr. Hu Berry throughout; All accommodations as indicated in the itinerary; Roundtrip flights Johannesburg / Windhoek; Private charter flight along the Skeleton Coast on Day 9; Ground transportation by air conditioned motorcoach; Meals as listed in the itinerary with bottled water at lunch and dinner; All excursions and entrance fees to sites as per itinerary, with bottled water provided; Services of local English-speaking guides; All tips to porters, drivers, and guides; Welcome and farewell dinners with wine and beer; Local taxes and service charges; Porterage at the airports on days of group travel; Comprehensive pre-departure information. RATES DO NOT INCLUDE: US domestic airfare and international airfare to/from Johannesburg, South Africa; passport and visa fees; inoculation fees; all airport fees and departure taxes; cost of personal, trip cancellation, and baggage insurance; transportation of excess baggage; meals other than those listed in the itinerary; personal tips; items of a personal nature, such as laundry, alcoholic or other beverages; taxi, telephone, and fax charges; optional excursions or deviations from scheduled tour. CANCELLATION POLICY: All requests by passengers for cancellations must be received in writing. Cancellations received at least ninety (90) days prior to departure are fully refunded less an administrative fee of three hundred dollars ($300) per person. Cancellations received between sixty (60) and ninety (90) days prior to departure are fully refunded less an administrative fee of one thousand dollars ($1,000) per person. Cancellations received within sixty (60) days of departure are subject to 100% of the tour cost. For this and other reasons, participants are strongly encouraged to purchase trip cancellation insurance. Optional trip cancellation insurance will be offered to participants. Prices current as of December Prices are subject to change. (800) ect@studytours.org Website: Toll Line: (603) Fax: (603) PO Box 938, 47 Main Street, Suite One Walpole, NH 03608

8 Extraordinary Namibia October 15 - November 1, 2009 (18 days) RESERVATION FORM To hold your reservation for seven days while this form and your deposit are in the mail, please contact us at or ect@studytours.org NAME #1: NAME #2: (as it appears in passport) (as it appears in passport) ADDRESS: CITY: STATE/PROVINCE: ZIP: HOME PHONE: OFFICE PHONE: FAX: I/We have read the What to Expect section and am/are physically able to participate fully on the program. ACCOMMODATIONS: Double - One Bed Double - Two Beds Single Share - I will share with: Share - please assign a roommate (not guaranteed) A deposit of $1,000 per person is required to confirm a reservation. Final payment is due 90 days prior to departure. PAYMENT TYPE: Check payable to EOS Passenger Escrow - EC Namibia10-09 Visa MC Amex CC# Exp. Date 3 or 4 Digit Security Code Name on Card All prices and payments are in US dollars. Please complete the Reservation Form above, sign the Release statement below, enclose your deposit and mail or fax to: Explorers Club Travelers P.O. Box 938, 47 Main Street, Suite One Walpole, NH Fax: TERMS & CONDITIONS Prices quoted are based on group participation and no refunds will be made for any part of the program in which you choose not to participate. It is understood that refunds cannot be made to passengers who do not complete the tour for whatever reason nor to passengers whose required documentation for entry into any country on the itinerary is delayed or denied. RESPONSIBILITY: The Explorers Club, its agent, Eos, (hereinafter Sponsor ) and the Distant Horizons and/or its agents (hereinafter Operator ) assume no liability for failure to provide the services and accommodations referred to in this brochure to the extent that such services and accommodations cannot be supplied due to delays or other causes beyond the control of Operator. In the absence of negligence on the part of Operator, the participant agrees that Operator has no responsibility or liability of any nature whatsoever for damage to or loss of property, or injury to, or death of persons due to any act, omission, or negligence of any carrier, hotel, restaurant, bus carrier, tender service, sightseeing company, or any other persons rendering any of the services or ground portions of the itinerary. The participant further waives any claim against Operator and Sponsor for any such damage, loss, injury, or death. Operator and Sponsor shall not be responsible for any delays, substitution of equipment, or any act or omission whatsoever by the suppliers of such services, their agents, servants and employees, and the participant hereby waives any claim arising therefrom. Operator and Sponsors reserve the right to decline to accept or to decline to retain any person as a member of any tour should such person s health, condition or actions adversely affect or threaten the welfare or safety of other passengers or impede the tour. Sponsor and Operator reserve the right to cancel this tour prior to departure, in which case payment will be refunded without further obligation on our part. The passenger contract in use by the carriers concerned (when issued) shall constitute the sole contract between the transportation companies and the purchaser of this tour and/or passage. By forwarding of deposit, the passenger certifies that he/she agrees with these terms and conditions, and that he/she does not have any mental, physical, or other condition, or disability that would create a hazard for him/herself or other passengers. ITINERARY: Sponsor and Operator reserve the right to change the itinerary due to weather conditions, availability of anchorages, political conditions and other factors beyond our control without consulting the participants. Participants have no right to any refund or other considerations in the event of these itinerary changes. RATES: Rates are based on tariffs and exchange rates in effect at the time of printing and are subject to change prior to departure. Substantial changes in tariffs, exchange rates, the price of fuel, services and labor sometimes increase the cost of arrangements significantly, and we reserve the right to alter our prices. AS A CONDITION OF ACCEP- TANCE, EACH PARTICIPANT MUST AGREE TO AND SIGN THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT: RELEASE: The undersigned clearly understands that Sponsor is in no way responsible and can assume no liability of any nature whatsoever for the tour and any acts, omissions, or negligence by the Operator or by companies and persons the Operator may contract. The undersigned has carefully read the list of activities, requirements, and conditions as listed in the brochure and application for the tour and is aware that the tour and its activities involve the risk of personal injury and damage or loss of property. In consideration of the benefits to be derived from participation in the tour, the undersigned voluntarily accepts all risk of personal injury and property damage or loss arising from participation on the tour and hereby agrees that he/she and his/her dependents, heirs, executors and assigns, do release and hold harmless Sponsor and the employees, officers, directors, trustees or representatives of Sponsor, from any and all claims, including claims of illness, bodily injury, death or property damage or loss, however caused, arising from or related to this tour. The undersigned has read carefully this agreement, and will abide by the conditions set by Sponsor and Operator as described in the brochure and in the Terms and Conditions of this and other sections as stated herein or elsewhere published. The undersigned affirms that he/she has not received or relied on any oral or written representation of Sponsor as a basis for executing this Release. Signature Date Signature Date