BIRDING TOURS WORLDWIDE. ITINERARY Peru's Rarely Explored South: High Arid Deserts & Nazca Lines. November 19-December 1, 2016

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1 field guides BIRDING TOURS WORLDWIDE ITINERARY Peru's Rarely Explored South: High Arid Deserts & Nazca Lines November 19-December 1, A view that (perhaps) only a birder would appreciate: looking down on a juvenile Andean Condor in flight! Many extraordinary sights like this await us in Peru s Rarely Explored South. Photo by guide Jesse Fagan. We include here information for those interested in the 2016 Field Guides Peru s Rarely Explored South tour: a general introduction to the tour a description of the birding areas to be visited an abbreviated daily itinerary with some indication of the nature of each day s birding outings a list of birds seen on the 2015 tour Those who register for the tour will be sent this additional material: a detailed information bulletin with important logistical information and answers to questions regarding accommodations, air arrangements, clothing, currency, customs and immigration, documents, health precautions, and personal items a reference list a Field Guides checklist for preparing and keeping track of the birds we see on the tour after the conclusion of the tour, a list of birds seen Most travelers to Peru think first of the ruins at Machu Picchu or the jungles in the north (Iquitos) or the south (Tambopata and Manu). However Peru hosts more than 1,850 species of birds, 139 of these endemic, because of the diversity of habitat and varying microclimates. There is so much to see that a birder's first trip to Peru is rarely his last. On this special tour we train our focus on the rarely visited areas in the southern third of Peru. We begin the tour flying from Lima to Cusco and snaking our way westerly up the Andes to Abancay. This isolated patch of humid sub-tropical forest is home to Apurimac spinetail and brush-finch, and an undescribed tapaculo, Apurimac Tapaculo. There are lots of interesting species here and we will do our best to find as many of the Apurimac endemics before heading back to Cusco. It s then Cusco to Puno, where the lake endemic Titicaca Grebe awaits. South of Puno is the impressive Altiplano, the largest high plain or desert outside of Nepal. We ll be attentive, scanning for Lesser Rhea or a seedsnipe, while carefully searching bog edges for White-throated Sierra-Finch or Puna Yellow-Finch. Field Guides Incorporated 9433 Bee Cave Road #1-150 Austin TX fax

2 Around Arequipa we will have a night in the Colca Canyon, famous for close encounters with Andean Condor, but also a place to look for Diademed Sandpiper-Plover (and look we will). La Mejia marshes south of Arequipa are the only place in Peru to find Red-fronted Coot. We ll drive north to Nazca taking in the moonscape landscape that is the spectacular Atacama Desert (now we are in the driest non-polar place in the world). Above Nazca we will find time to photograph the elegant Vicuna, the wild ancestor of the domestic llama, which will be around in good numbers. Other targets will include Thick-billed Miner, Dark-winged Canastero, and Black-hooded Sierra-Finch (around the Polylepis). Then, of course, we will want to actually see the Nazca Lines! And see them we will, from the air, before finishing up on the beautiful Peruvian coast. The rarely seen birds, rich indigenous culture (Inca and pre-inca) and some of the best food in the world (where to get started?! aji de gallina, lomo saltado, ceviche, pisco sours ) combine to guarantee this will be an unforgettable experience. This tour can be combined with our Northern Peru: Endemics Galore tour, October 30-November 19. For participants wishing to visit Machu Picchu, we can organize a visit for you in advance of the tour on Nov After an overnight in Lima, you will fly to Cusco where you will be met and transferred by van (about two hours) to the train station at Ollantaytambo. There you will board the train to the village of Machu Picchu, arriving late afternoon. After checking in to the lovely Pueblo Hotel you will have time to explore the grounds (great for birds) or wander through the village. The next morning you will be met by a guide for a private tour of the ruins at Machu Picchu. There will be time after lunch at the Sanctuary for private exploration of the ruins before returning to the village to collect your luggage and board the afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo, where you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Cusco, the Casa Andina Classic Cusco Plaza Catedral. Cusco is a lovely city with many world-class restaurants. Our driver will pick you up from the hotel the next morning on the way to the airport to meet Jesse and the rest of the group. The cost will depend on the number of participants but should be about $900 per person for two participants (credit allowed for the first night in Lima and flight to Cusco included in the tour fee). Please contact your tour manager for more information. About the Physical Requirements & Pace: Participants should be in good shape to do this tour because it requires some walking and climbing; most of it at elevation. In addition, there are several long days in vehicles (6-9 hours) and though we will make appropriate stops (birding, bathroom, etc.), participants need to be in decent shape and frame of mind. Significant time will be spent at or above 10,000 feet, and we will reach elevations in excess of 14,000 feet (e.g. Abra La Raya). Lima is at sea level, Cusco (11,200 feet), Puno (12,556 feet), Arequipa (7638 feet), and Nazca (1710 feet). We begin with a few days in Lima, but jump to above 10,000 feet for half of the trip, gradually descending for the latter half. If altitude sickness is a problem for you, please consult your physician and self-evaluate whether you will be comfortable on this tour. If you are uncertain about whether this tour is a good match for your abilities, please don t hesitate to contact our office; if they cannot directly answer your queries, they will put you in touch with the guide. 2 An acrobatic group of Peruvian Pelicans, near Pucusana. Photo by guide Richard Webster.

3 About the Birding Areas 3 Abancay Region An isolated montane forest located west of Cusco on the eastern slope of the Andes, this is the best place in Peru to see Podocarpus, the only native conifer, and its isolation has created several interesting bird species or subspecies/potential splits. These include (but not limited to) Koepcke s Screech-Owl, Paletailed Canastero, Apurimac (Rufous-eared) Brush-Finch, the undescribed Apurimac Tapaculo (part of the above treeline or Magellanic Tapaculo complex), and Chestnut-breasted Mountain-Finch. Puno Our base for two nights, Puno is located on the shores of Lake Titicaca, home to the famous artificial islands built by the Uros, a pre-incan culture of Quechua speaking peoples. It is also a RAMSAR site and the only place in the world for the lake endemic, Titicaca Grebe. Puno is located within the Altiplano or high plain, the most extensive high desert outside of Tibet, with average heights above 12,300 feet. This is a dry, arid region of Peru, with great swings in temperature (cold or frigid at night, downright hot during the day). Bird diversity is low, but several important species have managed to eke out an existence here. Lesser Rhea (very rare) is one, along with Darwin s Nothura, the sneaky Puna Canastero, and White-throated Sierra-Finch. Arequipa Two important sites lie within a few hours of Arequipa. Arequipa itself is a bustling mess of colonial (founded in 1540 by the Spanish) and indigenous histories attempting to merge with a rapidly modernizing world. Looming over the sprawling city is Misti. At 19,101 feet, Misti is an active volcano that last erupted in 1985, but more interestingly, where archeologists found six Inca mummies and other artifacts near the inner crater in Yet another mystery! We will visit the Colca Canyon and stay in the small town of Chivay. The impressive gorge is probably the best place in Peru to view (often below eye-level) Andean Condors. The drive to Chivay is also excellent for Vicuna (the wild camelid ancestor of the llama), but we will also be scanning for Diademed Sandpiper-Plover. The La Mejia marsh is a RAMSAR wetland site located to the southwest of Arequipa along the Peruvian coast. This is the only reliable site in Peru to see Red-fronted Coot. Nazca We will spend one full day birding the road to Cusco, the road that crosses the Andes, but we will focus on birding stops out of Nazca and the site of Pampa Galeras. Though the terrain may look similar to other sites visited on this tour (arid montane scrub, Polylepis forest, puna grassland, and more Vicunas), there are different birds that we will want to see. In and around Nazca we will look for Slender-billed Finch and Collared Warbling-Finch. Further up the road, we will be on the hunt for Dark-winged Canastero (arequipae; a subspecies of Creamy-breasted, but likely a new species), Black-hooded Sierra-Finch, and Giant Conebill. We will have an extra morning in Nazca for those that wish to see the famous Nazca lines from the air. The earliest lines were constructed in 400 AD by the pre-inca Nazca culture based along the Peruvian coast. The lines include geometric shapes and zoomorphic figures (including a monkey, hummingbird, heron, spider, pelican, and even an astronaut ). The lines were only discovered in the early 40 s (by flying over them!), and there are several theories as to their purpose and significance. Pucusana and Pantanos de Villa- Offshore the Humboldt Current drives cold plankton-rich waters north, and from shore, we should have no problem viewing Inca Terns, Peruvian Booby, Peruvian Pelican, Peruvian Diving-Petrel (more difficult), Humboldt Penguin (easier than the former), along with tens of thousands of gulls and cormorants. Many of these species are restricted to the Pacific coastal areas of South America. Shorebirds will be also southbound at this time of year.

4 Itinerary for Peru's Rarely Explored South 4 Day 1, Sat, 19 Nov. Arrival in Lima. We recommend the earliest flight possible to get you to Lima this evening. Be sure our office knows your arrival plans. You will get your passport stamped at Immigration, claim your luggage, and proceed through Customs. You can exit the baggage area and make your own way to the Wyndham Hotel within the airport complex (ask any porter or airport information assistant for directions). You can push your luggage cart right across the street to the hotel check-in desk on the street floor. As you check into the hotel, please submit your passport for copying (a requirement of most hotels in Peru) and ask for a letter from your guide with details about the hotel and plans for tomorrow s departure. Night in Lima, near airport. Day 2, Sun, 20 Nov. Lima to Cusco. We will hope for an early(ish) departure from Lima; flight schedule dependent, but we will look for something like 8:00 am. We will meet our ground agent, driver, and vehicle in Cusco, and head out directly for Abancay. The drive to Abancay will take us around five hours on a decent road; however, expect typical Andean driving that will involve some curves and stop-and-go traffic. The Ampay forest reserve (or Bosque Ampay) is an isolated humid montane forest with a special suite of endemic species (or potential splits). It is also the best known site in Peru for Podocarpus, the only native conifer. Species that we will hope to see over the next two days include Taczanowski s Tinamou, White-tufted Sunbeam, Apurimac Spinetail, Apurimac A lovely male Peruvian Sierra-finch. Photo by guide Jesse Fagan. or Ampay Tapaculo (an undescribed form), and Apurimac (Rufous-eared; forbesi) Brush-Finch. We will also be on the lookout for Undulated Antpitta, Chestnut-breasted Mountain-Finch (endemic), White-winged Black-Tyrant, and Crimsonmantled Woodpecker, among others. Night in Abancay. Day 3, Mon, 21 Nov. Bosque Ampay. Return to Cusco. We will return to Ampay in the early morning and focus on anything we missed the previous afternoon. We will plan on lunch at the hotel, before or after we check out, then return to Cusco and arrive early evening. Night in Cusco. Day 4, Tue, 22 Nov. Cusco to Puno. We will want to leave soon after breakfast for the drive to Puno. This is mainly a travel day, but we will make several stops along the way. Just 30 minutes from Cusco, we will visit Huacarpay Lakes. These are a series of dwindling Andean marshes and lakes that are home to several species of waterfowl including Puna and Speckled teals, Yellow-billed Pintail, along with Slate-colored (Andean) Coot, as well as rushbirds, rush-tyrants, and Yellow-winged Blackbird. The semi-arid scrub covering the surrounding mountains is home to Streak-fronted Thornbird, Rusty-fronted Canastero (endemic), Giant Hummingbird and Bearded Mountaineer (rare), Andean Tinamou, and several species of ground-tyrants including Spot-billed and Rufous-naped. Leaving Huacarpay, we will climb through inter-andean valleys (east slope) with patches of semi-arid scrub and slopes covered in puna grassland. We will lunch near Sicuani and later stop at Abra La Raya (at 14,230 feet), where we should find Peruvian Sierra-Finch, Cream-winged Cincloides, and possibly a pair of Andean Geese. Eventually the valleys widen and the puna grassland takes over, becoming the dominant feature. Small shallow ponds will dot the landscape; waterfowl will include Crested Ducks, pintail, and teals. A stomp in the paramo and we may flush Puna Snipe or find a Paramo Pipit. Near Juliaca we will make a stop in small patches of Polylepis forest for possible Creamy-breasted Canastero and d Orbigny s Chat-Tyrant, or if we are really lucky, Giant Conebill. It will be after dark before we arrive in Puno, but we will settle into our comfortable hotel (for sure sip a few pisco sours) and look forward to rewarding views of Lake Titicaca the following morning. Night in Puno. Day 5, Wed, 23 Nov. Puno and the Altiplano (Road to Moquega). We will have an early breakfast, bring along a picnic lunch, and spend the day birding the Altiplano south of Puno. The landscape is open and wide, occasionally similar to a moonscape with exposed white rock formations and tall mesas, but nonetheless, a beautiful striking high desert. We will be on the lookout for several target birds including Lesser Puna Rhea (very rare), Puna Tinamou (rare and difficult), Rufous-bellied and Gray-breasted seedsnipes, Puna Canastero, Puna Yellow-Finch, and Black-winged Ground-Dove, among others. This will be a long day with plenty of time spent scanning barren landscapes. The diversity is low, but the birds are special in this special environment. Late afternoon return. Night in Puno.

5 The colorful Titicaca Grebe. Photo by guide Jesse Fagan. Day 6, Thu, 24 Nov. Lake Titicaca. Puno to Colca Valley. This morning we will target the lake endemic Titicaca Grebe. We will make a short drive south to Chucuito where we will meet our boatmen and local biologist. Not only will they help us see the grebe well, but will be able to share information on the grebe s status and conservation. We will most likely be split up into small groups in smaller row boats. Don t worry, the grebes are usually close and the motorless boats mean we will not disturb them. From here, we will head back to Puno, lunch in the bustling city, then head west on the road to Arequipa. At Lake Lagunillas we should be able to scope Chilean Flamingos and Giant Coots. Eventually we will detour from the main road and head towards the Colca Valley with our final destination being Chivay. We may make stops along the way depending on the time. Night in Chivay. Day 7, Fri, 25 Nov. Colca Valley and Arequipa. Our primary goal this morning will be seeing the Andean Condor. From our hotel in Chivay, it is maybe one hour to our lookout. We may need to wait a couple of hours as the sun warms the air and before the condors feel obliged to slowly drift upwards. Meanwhile, we can enjoy the scenic valley and rugged cliff faces and look for Canyon Canastero and Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant. We will return to the hotel, checkout, and have lunch before heading out the valley towards Arequipa. We will definitely plan on birding stops as we search out Andean Swift, Streaked Tit-Spinetail, Cordilleran Canastero, Puna Ground-Tyrant, and several species of sierra-finches. We should arrive at our hotel in Arequipa in the late afternoon. Night in Arequipa. Day 8, Sat, 26 Nov. Mejia Marshes. These wetlands are part of the Santuario Nacional Lagunas de Mejia, officially protecting 1705 acres of coastal wetlands. It is also a RAMSAR site. We will leave early and drive south dropping down through desert canyons (where we will stop for Raimondi s Yellow-Finch and Grayish Miner), eventually to the coastal plain. Our targets along the coast will include the rare and local, Red-fronted Coot, more Chilean Flamingos, Peruvian Thick-Knee, Peruvian Meadowlark, Cinerous Harrier, and, if we are lucky, Black-faced Ibis (but this is the rare coastal subspecies, melanopis). We will also see lots of gull flocks, shorebirds, Humboldt Penguins, and be scanning offshore for Peruvian Diving-Petrel. Later we can bird coastal scrub and riparian areas for anything around, like Pied-crested Tit- Tyrant or a Bran-colored Flycatcher. We will plan on a picnic lunch, before we head back to Arequipa. Night in Arequipa. Day 9, Sun, 27 Nov. Arequipa to Nazca. Today is mostly a long travel day. We will snake our way along the coastal cliffs and desert plain (along the Pan American Highway) eventually reaching Nazca after something like nine hours. Night in Nazca. Day 10, Mon, 28 Nov. Nazca and Pampa Galeras. We will want to leave the hotel early (what s new?) and spend our day slowly climbing up the east flank of the Andes towards Pampa Galeras. Today will consist mainly of roadside stops at various kilometer markings. There are small patches of Polylepis forest where we can target Giant Conebill and Black-hooded Sierra-Finch (at its northern limit). We will also be on the lookout for Dark-winged Canastero (a distinctive subspecies of Creamy-breasted Canastero, arequipae, and a potential split), Thick-billed Miner, White-throated Earthcreeper and Cactus Canastero. We should see lots more Vicunas, and fingers-crossed, a Culpeo Fox. It will be an all day affair with a picnic lunch, returning to the hotel in late afternoon. Night in Nazca. 5 Day 11, Tue, 29 Nov. Nazca lines to Paracas. In the morning, we will arrange for folks to see the famous Nazca lines, by air! These ancient geoglyphs were created between 400 and 650 AD by the Nazca Culture. Representing geometric shapes and zoomorphic designs (the hummingbird being the most recognized one), the area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will hope to depart mid-morning/no later than midday for our drive north to Paracas. Night in Paracas. A mysterious figure from the Nazca plain. An unidentified bird? Or something else? Photo by guide Richard Webster.

6 Day 12, Wed, 30 Nov. Pucusana and Pantanos de Villa. Another early departure for the quaint port town of Pucusana. We will make a stop or two in coastal scrub for Band-winged Nightjar (the pale decussatus race), Short-tailed Field-Tyrant, Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant, or a Chestnut-throated Seedeater. Around Pucusana targets include the fairly local (and endemic) Surf Cincloides, which is found in rocky caves and along cliffs right at the water s edge, but we will also be on the lookout for Humboldt Penguin and Peruvian Martin (very rare). Lunch quite possibly will include fresh local ceviche and cold beers. On the way back to Lima, we will stop at Pantanos de Villa for more coastal birding. Sadly, this marsh wetland is just a fragment of what used to exist in the Lima area. However, we will make birding stops in the taller reeds for Many-colored Rush-Tyrant, Wren-like Rushbird, and possibly, Least Bittern, but more likely, Plumbeous Rail. Along the immediate coast, gull flocks should be diverse, and offshore boobies and Guanay Inca Tern, one of the most beautiful members of an Cormorants (and a few Red-legged) can number in the tens of elegant family. Photo by guide Jesse Fagan. thousands. We will continue to our hotel in the lovely Miraflores area of Lima, arriving in time to rest and enjoy an incredible seafood dinner in one of Lima's finest restaurants. Night in Lima. 6 Day 13, Thu, 1 Dec. Transfers are included for flights at any time today. About Your Guide Jesse Fagan (a.k.a. the Motmot or just Mot ) has been passionate about birds since his teens, when he had an encounter with a flying Pileated Woodpecker. He has birded throughout the United States, including spending I have to say, Jesse Fagan is a seven years in Texas, and since 1995 has been birding and for a time living great guide, very knowledgeable of in northern Central America. He is currently in the final stages of completing the birds of the region and is always a field guide to the region, which will include the countries of Guatemala, El concerned that the participants get Salvador, Honduras, and Belize. In addition, Mot has birded in or led tours to the best birding experience, be it Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, novice or experienced birders. J. P., Australia, New Zealand, France, Morocco, Uganda, and Madagascar. He Machu Picchu & Abra Malaga, Peru also enjoys leading many of the Field Guides tours in the Caribbean. He likes to think he can bird anywhere at any time and still show you the birds, but most importantly, a good time. Jesse holds a B.S. and an M.S. in mathematics from Texas Tech University. He is currently living in Lima, Peru. Visit for Jesse s complete tour schedule; just click on his photo. Financial Information FEE: $4700 from Lima AIRFARE: $546 from Miami (as of March 2016; airfare subject to change) DEPOSIT: $470 per person FINAL PAYMENT DUE: July 22, 2016 SINGLE SUPPLEMENT (Optional): $725 LIMIT: 8 Other Things You Need to Know TOUR MANAGER: The manager for this tour is Caroline Lewis. Caroline will be happy to assist you in preparing for the tour. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call her!

7 A NOTE ON ALTITUDE: Significant time on this tour will be spent at or above 10,000 feet and we will reach elevations in excess of 14,000 feet (e.g. Abra La Raya). Lima is at sea level, Cusco (11,200 feet), Puno (12,556 feet), Arequipa (7,638 feet), and Nazca (1,710 feet). We start off a few days in Lima but jump to above 10,000 feet for half of the trip, gradually descending for the latter half. If altitude sickness is a problem for you, then please consult your physician and selfevaluate whether you will be comfortable on this tour. DOCUMENTS: A passport valid for six months beyond the date of your return is necessary for US citizens to enter Peru. You will be issued a tourist card by the airline on which you travel into Peru. If you are not a US citizen, please check with the Peruvian consulate nearest you for entry requirements. Information about consulates and entry requirements is generally available online or you can contact us and we will be happy to look this up for you. Passports should have an adequate number of blank pages for the entire journey. Some countries require a blank page for their stamp and as a precaution it is best to have one blank page per country you will visit or transit. AIR ARRANGEMENTS: Round-trip airfare Miami to Lima is currently $546 (March 2016; subject to change). Field Guides is a full service travel agency and your tour manager will be happy to assist you with flights to join this tour. Field Guides does not charge a service fee for these services to clients booking a tour. However, we understand that techsavvy clients often prefer to shop online or that you may wish to use mileage to purchase tickets. Regardless of which method you choose, your tour manager will be happy to provide assistance regarding ticket prices and schedules, along with rental cars and extra hotel nights as needed. Please be sure to check with your tour manager prior to purchasing your ticket to make sure the flights you have chosen will work well with the tour itinerary and that the tour is sufficiently subscribed to operate. Once purchased, most airline tickets are non-refundable and carry a penalty to change. Field Guides cannot be responsible for these fees. Also, it is imperative that we receive a copy of your comprehensive flight itinerary including any and all flights not covered in the tour fee so that we may track you in the event of missed connections, delays, or other mishaps. LUGGAGE: Please be aware that many airlines have recently modified their luggage policies and are charging additional fees for checked bags. Updates could easily occur before your departure, so you may wish to contact your airline to verify the policy. Additional charges for bags on any flights, whether these are covered by the tour fee or not, will be the client s responsibility. WE ASK THAT YOU LIMIT YOUR LUGGAGE TO ONE MEDUM-SIZED SUITCASE OR DUFFEL AND A CARRY-ON. TOUR INCLUSIONS/EXCLUSIONS: The tour fee is $4700 for one person in double occupancy from Lima. It includes all lodging from Day 1 through Day 13, all meals from breakfast on Day 2 through dinner on Day 13, the flights within Peru (Lima/Cusco), all ground transportation, and the guide services of the tour leader(s). Tipping at group meals and for drivers, porters, and local guides is included in your tour fee and will be handled for the group by your Field Guides leader(s). However, if you would like to recognize your Field Guides leader(s) or any local guide(s) for exceptional service, it is entirely appropriate to tip. We emphasize that such tips are optional and not expected. The above fee does not include your airfare to and from Peru, airport taxes, visa fees, any checked or carry-on baggage charges imposed by the airlines, any alcoholic beverages, optional tips to local drivers, phone calls, laundry, or other items of a personal nature. The single supplement for the tour is $725. If you do not have a roommate but wish to share, we will try to pair you with a roommate from the tour; but if none is available, you will be billed for the single supplement. Our tour fees are based on double occupancy; one-half the cost of a double room is priced into the tour fee. The single supplement is calculated by taking the actual cost of a single room and subtracting one-half the cost of a double room (plus any applicable taxes). TOUR REGISTRATION: To register for this tour, complete the Registration/Release and Indemnity form and return it with a deposit of $470 per person. If registering by phone, a deposit must be received within fourteen days, or the space will be released. Full payment of the tour fee is due 120 days prior to departure, or by July 22, We will bill you for the final payment at either 120 days or when the tour has reached sufficient subscription to operate, whichever date comes later. Since the cost of your trip insurance and airline tickets is generally non-refundable, please do not finalize these purchases until you have received final billing for the tour or have been advised that the tour is sufficiently subscribed to operate by your tour manager. 7

8 8 SMOKING: Almost all of our clients prefer a smoke-free environment. If you smoke, please be sensitive to the group and refrain from smoking at meals, in vehicles, and in proximity to the group on trails and elsewhere. CANCELLATION POLICY: Refund of deposit and payment, less $100 handling fee, will be made if cancellation is received up to 120 days before departure. If cancellation occurs between 119 and 70 days before the departure date, 50% of the tour fee is refundable. Thereafter, all deposits and payments are not refundable. This policy only applies to payments made to Field Guides for tour (and any services included in those fees). Airline tickets not included in the tour fee and purchased separately often carry penalties for cancellation or change, or are sometimes totally non-refundable. Additionally, if you take out trip insurance the cost of the insurance is not refundable so it is best to purchase the policy just prior to making full payment for the tour or at the time you purchase airline tickets, depending upon the airlines restrictions. The right is reserved to cancel any tour prior to departure, in which case full refund will constitute full settlement to the passenger. The right is reserved to substitute in case of emergency another guide for the original one. TRIP CANCELLATION & MEDICAL EMERGENCY INSURANCE: We strongly recommend you consider purchasing trip cancellation (including medical emergency) insurance to cover your investment in case of injury or illness to you or your family prior to or during a trip. Because we must remit early (and substantial) tour deposits to our suppliers, we cannot offer any refund when cancellation occurs within 70 days of departure, and only a partial refund from 70 to 119 days prior to departure (see CANCELLATION POLICY). In addition, the Department of State strongly urges Americans to consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and if it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation. US medical insurance plans seldom cover health costs incurred outside the United States unless supplemental coverage is purchased. Furthermore, US Medicare and Medicaid programs do not provide payment for medical services outside the United States. When making a decision regarding health insurance, Americans should consider that many foreign doctors and hospitals require payment in cash prior to providing service and that a medical evacuation to the United States may cost well in excess of $50,000. Uninsured travelers who require medical care overseas often face extreme difficulties. When consulting with your insurer prior to your trip, please ascertain whether payment will be made to the overseas healthcare provider or whether you will be reimbursed later for expenses that you incur. US citizens will receive from us a brochure regarding optional tour cancellation/emergency medical insurance. Our agent, CSA, will insure for trip cancellation and interruption, medical coverage, travel delay, baggage loss and delay, 24- hour accident protection, and emergency medical transportation. If you purchase the insurance when making final payment for the tour, and cover all non-refundable parts of the trip (including any non-refundable flights), pre-existing conditions are covered. The CSA brochure includes a contact number; you may also purchase your CSA policy on-line by visiting our website at and clicking the link to CSA. Please note, once the insurance is purchased it is non-refundable, so please check with your tour manager prior to making the purchase to assure the tour will operate as scheduled. Citizens of other countries are urged to consult their insurance broker. RESPONSIBILITY: For and in consideration of the opportunity to participate in the tour, each tour participant and each parent or legal guardian of a tour participant who is under 18 agrees to release, indemnify, and hold harmless Field Guides Incorporated, its agents, servants, employees, shareholders, officers, directors, attorneys, and contractors as more fully set forth in the Release and Indemnity Agreement on the reverse side of the registration form. Field Guides Incorporated acts only as an agent for the passenger in regard to travel, whether by railroad, motorcar, motorcoach, boat, airplane, or other means, and assumes no liability for injury, damage, loss, accident, delay, or irregularity caused by defect in such vehicles or for any reason whatsoever, including the acts, defaults, or bankruptcies of any company or person engaged in conveying the passenger or in carrying out the arrangements of the tour. Field Guides Incorporated accepts no responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in air or other services, sickness, weather, strike, war, quarantine, or other causes. The tour participant shall bear all such losses and expenses. Field Guides Incorporated reserves the right to substitute hotels of similar category for those indicated and to make any changes in the itinerary where deemed necessary or caused by changes in air schedules. Field Guides Incorporated reserves the right to decline to accept or to retain any person as a member of any tour. Baggage is at owner s risk entirely. Participants should be in good health and should consult a physician before undertaking a tour. If you have questions about the physical requirements of a tour, please contact our office for further information. Participants should prepare for

9 the tour by reading the detailed itinerary, the information bulletin, and other pertinent matter provided by Field Guides. Each participant is responsible for bringing appropriate clothing and equipment as recommended in our bulletins. THE RECEIPT OF YOUR TOUR DEPOSIT SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE CONSENT TO THE ABOVE CONDITIONS. EACH TOUR PARTICIPANT AND EACH PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN OF A TOUR PARTICIPANT WHO IS UNDER 18 SHALL SIGN AND DELIVER THE RELEASE AND INDEMNITY AGREEMENT AT THE TIME OF REGISTRATION. 12/2015 JFF 3/16 peg 9