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TRAVEL INFORMATION
1) ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE INFORMATION
Arrival and Departure Airport: You will arrive at and depart from Papeete Airport (airport abbreviation: PPT) in Tahiti, French Polynesia. The easiest way to
get to Papeete Airport is to fly direct from either LAX, JFK in the
US or Sydney in Australia, on Air Tahiti Nui. Air New Zealand also offers flights
from LAX and Aukland, New Zealand 2 to 3x a week. Hawaiian Air flies once a week
from Honolulu. Normally from all cities the flights arrive late, forcing an overnight
stay in Papeete, with transfer flights to the Tuamotu Atolls leaving the next day.
On the way home an overnight isnt necessary as the flights leave Papeete late at
night. All flights for the trip are included and coordinated for you by our team.
Upon Arrival: Upon gather your gear and go outside - accross
the street you will see the Tahiti Airport Hotel - Has a big blue sign - Literally
accross the street. If you have a wheelie bag just walk over there. If not there
are cabs lined up at all hours - take one to the Airport Hotel at your own expense.
At the reception we have left an envelope with your name on it - It contains your
domestic tickets for the flight out to the Tuamotus and Cascade. Make sure you set
your wake up call early enough to get yourself to the flight atleast 1.5hours early.
They need extra time to get your boards on. Please dont pack more than 20 kilos.
Thats all they allow - more will cost you. The destinations change so read your
itinerary before going to bed so you know your flight no. and time of departure.
Drop-off information: Our trip ends ends after dinner in
Papeete on the final day of
the tour. If you wish to be dropped-off somewhere other than the airport, please
email us to discuss.
Flights:We book your international flights with the trip
in order to insure all guests arrive as required to keep the schedule flowing for
everyone. Package prices vary due to seasonality in flights and in departure cities.
If you have mileage and are able to use these to secure your flights we can reduce
the cost to reflect this. However, we kindly request that you email us your confirmed
reservation prior to purchasing so that we can approve the arrival, departure times
and arrange your pickup and drop off. Finally, when requesting trip reservations
please tell us your departure city.
2) TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS
Travel Insurance: Travel insurance, including emergency evacuation coverage,
is compulsory for all our trip. We have negotiated a very low
priced product for our trips for our American and Canadian Customers ($45.00USD).
This is included in the price. Customers from other countries need to obtain their
own coverage locally. You will not be let on the boat without showing proof of coverage.
Non-US and Canadian customers should visit http://www.worldnomads.com for international
insurance.
Passports & Visas: Every visitor to French Polynesia
must have a valid passport. A return airline ticket to their resident country, or
to atleast two more continuing destinations. They must also have sufficient funds
to cover their planned stay.
For stays of up to one month, there are no visa requirements for citizens of the
U.S., Canada, or Mexico. A foreigner with a residence card for the U.S. is not exempt
from the above requirements and should consult the French Consulate based in the
U.S. for information.
Citizens of European Union countries do not need a visa for stays of up to three
months; citizens of other countries should consult the French Consulate.
As entry requirements are subject to modification without notice, it is advisable
to check with your travel arranger before departure.
Contact one of the French Consulates in North America for further details and visa
information:
Age: We do not have any age restrictions on our trips. The majority of our
guests
are between the ages of 20 and 45, but we also have many clients who are older and
younger than this.
3) HEALTH AND SAFETY
Emergency Contact: If you need to contact Cascade
in an emergency, you
can reach us during normal office hours Mon-Fri at the following numbers:
North America toll-free: 1 877-681-8147
Outside of North America: +1 206-204-2111
For emergencies over the weekend:
Chris O Callaghan, co-owner of Cascade, office phone: +61 68-953-9257
Chris O Callaghan, co-owner of Cascade, mobile phone: +61 68-973-7810
If you do not receive an immediate answer when calling the above numbers, please
leave us a detailed message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Health requirements: There are currently no government
warnings concerning health requirements for Tahiti or the surrounding territories.
However, we please request that you take responsibility for any persoal health care
issues you may have prior to departure and check with your physician in order to
obtain any pharmaceuticals you might require while on board. We are nomally 400kms
away from medical care and facilities so having what you need is very important.
Fitness requirements: Although you are welcome to
lounge around the boat the whole time you are on our trip - your level of fitness
will directly impact your wave time and fun factor on Cascade. Having that in mind,
you should have a reasonable level
of fitness before attending our trip and you should enjoy physical activity
and the outdoors.
Safety & Security: To maximize your safety during our trip you should
exercise common sense and caution at all times. We recommend that you surf within in your abilities and not feel pressured to exceed them. We
are more than happy to find conditions that appeal to all guests - not just one.
We also recommend that you
wear minimal jewelry and that you keep valuable items safely stored. Always keep
a copy of your passport, airline tickets, travelers cheques and credit card numbers
separate from where you keep the originals.
4) WHAT TO TAKE
Equipment: It is always better to use your own equipment, so if you have
your own board(s) we highly recommend that you bring them. If you cannot bring your own
board, or if you are a beginner, we have boards available
for you to use. However, You MUST email us a month prior to your arrival to discuss
so that we can
be sure to have boards that fit your profile.
What to bring: Our trip requires a few airport and
boat transfers,
so we recommend that you pack as lightly as possible. There will not always be someone
available to help you carry your bags so you should only bring as much as you can
carry on your own. If you can fit 2 boards in one bag this is
preferred since the airlines connecting from Papeete to the Atolls are not large and cannot fit excessive board quantities also they limit your luggage to 20 Kilos
so dont pack for the Himalayas.
We suggest that you bring the following items:
Clothing & Equipment
» Surfboards - Your own board and perhaps 1 or 2 bigger/smaller boards
» Rash guard
» Hat
» Boardshorts & T-Shirts
» Beach Towel
» Sunscreen
» Booties
» Toiletries
» Camera & Film
» Sunglasses
» Old Surf Gear/ T-shirts/Stickers for gifts - local kids
» Personal First-aid kit (should contain lip balm, aspirin, band aids, a cream for sore muscles
(e.g. deep heat), Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, rehydration
powder, extra prescription drugs you may be taking)
Documents & Money
» Passport (with photocopies)
» Travel insurance (with photocopies)
» Airline tickets (with photocopies)
» Credit and/or debit card and/or travelers cheques and/or cash
» Any entry visas or vaccination certificates if required
Spending Money
» All Meals are included in the trip price. Beers (tall boys) are charged at USD
5.
» Other expenses - Satellite phone (approx $5 US per minute)and e-mail facilities
are available for a small fee.
5) USEFUL LINKS
Currency Exchange: The unit of currency in French
Polynesia is the French Pacific Franc (XPF), divided into 100 centimes. The exchange
rate is fairly stable as it is linked to the Euro. Banks throughout the islands
are open mainly on weekdays only and are the best place to change foreign currency;
rates of exchange are not as good at hotels. There are ATMs on a few of the islands,
but shouldn't be relied upon. Most hotels and resorts will exchange travellers cheques
in US$ or Euros, and credit cards and US currency is readily accepted on the main
islands. Tourism taxes are levied for accommodation and activities. For the
latest currency exchange information please go to: http://finance.yahoo.com/currency
6) ABOUT CASCADE TRIPS
Our commitment to our clients: Like many travel companies, we are dedicated
to offering the highest quality, safest and best value for money that we can. But our
client mission is much more than this: on top of offering an excellent product,
we are committed to making a positive impact on the lives of our clients. We want our clients to experience
the pleasure and passion we derive
daily from living and working in the Tuamotus. It is our goal that clients return
from our trips having experienced something new and exciting, clearing their minds
or opening up new passions, as a result of the unique experiences that our trip
provides.
Our commitment to others: Although we are ultimately a for-profit business, Cascade is about so much more than just turning profits. We operate Cascade because we are passionate about surfing, fishing, food and Tahiti
and because
we love to
share this passion with our clients, our employees and the local people
we encounter on a daily basis. It is deeply important to us that our business contributes to the world in a favorable way and that we use our resources to affect
as much positive change in the world as we can. We believe that we have three major
responsibilities: to our clients, to our employees and to the world at large, which
includes the environment and local communities we impact.
7) FINAL NOTE
The information contained in this document is provided in good faith. Due to the
nature of travel, details in this document may change. You should thus use the above
information as an indication only and not as a contractual obligation on the part
of Cascade and its Partners. |
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