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Frequently asked questions

Q1: Can I book a tour directly with The Heart of Brazil?
A: No, all bookings must be made through one of our approved travel agents, who are familiar with the tour, and can guide you. This also ensures a chain of protection for you, from departure to return

Q2: Does the tour pick me up from the airport, once I’ve arrived in Brazil?
A: Once you've cleared Customs, and Arrivals, at Rio de Janeiro's international airport, you'll be met by our tour coordinator; and then driven to the Sheraton hotel for orientation and rest

Q3: Is there anything of which I should be aware, once I arrive in Rio?
A: Yes. It is vitally important that you avoid English-speaking hustlers, who can make their way into secure parts of the airport where responsible drivers and coordinators are not allowed. Their intention is to meet passengers immediately after they've cleared Customs, offer a lift, and take them through the maintenance section of the airport to their illegal transport. You will need to ignore them and carry on, along with everyone else, to the Arrivals section. Our coordinator will be waiting for you, with your name on a board, and her ID. You will also need to prove your ID, with your passports

Q4: How will I recognise my coordinator? Does she speak English?
A: Our coordinators speak perfect English and Portuguese, and will carry a high quality identity card bearing their name, and that of The Heart of Brazil. You can see our current coordinator here

Q5: In which other languages is the tour conducted?
A: Although our current coordinator can get by in some other languages, like Japanese, Korean, Mandarin and fluent Malay; the primary languages are English and Portuguese

Q6: Will I need to be vaccinated for anything before the tour?
A: We do not force anyone to be vaccinated as a condition for joining the Heart of Brazil tour; and the decision to do so, or not, is yours. We will travel through parts of Brazil that are generally safe from malaria. In addition, all restaurants are of the highest quality that each area offers. Your tour coordinator has lived in the Pantanal for over 14 years with no serious illnesses. You will NOT be asked for proof of Yellow Fever vaccination at Rio airport unless you are travelling from a potentially infected country. However, your travel insurance may insist upon vaccination as a condition of travelling. Since Stages 2 and 3 of the tour will be in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, and Stage 4 in the state of Parana; here are the guidelines from the UK Brazilian Embassy

Q7: Can you tell me more about Yellow Fever?
A: Yellow Fever is not contagious. You can only get it by being bitten by a mosquito that has previously bitten an infected person. Hence, Brazil's vaccination laws are not to prevent you from contracting the disease, but to to prevent you from bringing the disease into Brazil!
If you are travelling from a potentially infected country, then vaccination is compulsory (10 days before travelling) to prevent you from passing it on. If not, it is simply recommended, to prevent you from getting it

Q8: Which countries qualify as 'potentially infected'?
A: From Africa - Angola, Benim, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, French Guinea, Liberia, Niger, Congo Democratic Republic, Sierra Leone, Sudan, and Zaire
From South America - Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela

Q9: Do I need a visa for the tour?
A: Most EU citizens do not require a visa. Nationals of Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta and Romania DO require a visa
Citizens of the US, Canada and Australia require a visa
Generally, a visa is only required of tourists from countries which require a visa of Brazilian tourists!

Q10: What else do I need to prepare?
A:You should do the following
1. Check that your passport is valid for at least six months after your planned arrival in Brazil
2. Ensure you have suitable travel insurance; since proof will be required of this
3. While travelling, keep a photocopy of your passport(s) with you, in a safe place; and leave another copy with a contact back home, in case of loss
4. Please read our Terms and Conditions, which are designed to be fair, and easily understood
5. Please read through this FAQ list, and the Health and safety page of our website; to make your own informed decision regarding vaccinations
6. Please browse through the Further Information section, to familiarise yourself with the Brazilian environment

Q11: Do I need to look at this website every time I want to find out something?
A: From either the Links page in Further Information, or from here, you can download the relevant text of this website, the guiding itinerary, and the terms and conditions for the tour

Q12: Do you publish any brochures or pamphlets?
A: No. Since printed matter can go out of date quickly, all information and paperwork relevant to the tour is on our website, and updated as necessary. Some useful documents are downloadable on our Links page

Q13: How do I find out the current price of the tour?
A: The current cost of the tour is on the Booking page

Q14: Does the price of the tour include flights?
A: No. International and internal flights are extra, and must be organised by your travel agent

Q15: Is the tour safe for children?
A: Children love this tour. Please refer to the Pantanal overview page, and the Health and Safety section. However, the tour is not suitable for children under the age of five

Q16: Is there a discount for children?
A: There is no discount for children, since we operate on a limited number of passengers per tour

Q17: I have a disability. Will it affect my tour?
A: The 12-day tour, as described, can be undertaken by anyone who can comfortably complete an afternoon’s walk in the countryside. It is NOT suitable for wheelchair access

Q18: Will my mobile phone work on the tour?
A: Please refer to the Communications section

Q19: Can I pick up my email while on the tour?
A: Please refer to the Communications section

Q20: Will there be access to bathroom facilities at each of the tour destinations?
A: Most definitely. The schedule has been designed accordingly

Q21: How much spare money should I bring?
A: With a few exceptions, all of your expenses will have been included in your booking fee. For spending money restrictions, please refer to the Currency section

Q22: What is the local currency and exchange rate?
A: Please refer to the Currency section

Q23: What is the local electrical voltage?
A: The electrical supply is typically 110 volts, although 220 volt sockets can usually be found for you. However, electrical sockets have not been unified, so a 220v socket and a 110v socket can look identical...

Q24: Can we expect to have free time to spend during the tour?
A: Yes, this is very important. Although the itinerary has been designed to make the best of the time we have at each stage, time for both exploration and recovery have also been included at all four destinations

Q25: Can I cancel my place on the tour, once booked?
A: Please click here for our cancellation policy

Q26: Is there a cheaper version of this tour?
A: Not at present. The tour is designed to incorporate the best of four famous Brazilian destinations. To make it cheaper would mean cutting corners and services; both overall, and at each stage; starting with the quality of the tour coordinator, then accommodation, followed by transport, and then down to the number of activities involved. It will not be difficult to find cheaper tours, of proportionally lower quality, by looking around

Q27: Is this website 'safe' for my computer?
A: This website is designed as a 'read only' brochure; and contains no advertising, 'push' software, spyware, tracking software, cookies of any kind, and not even Flash nor JavaScript; enabling each page to load faster. All downloads from the site are plain pdf, doc, or jpeg files

Q28: How will my personal information be used?
A: Only your travel agent and The Heart of Brazil will have your information, which is limited to the contents of our booking form, and contains no credit card details
After your return, we will send you a non-compulsory questionnaire; to obtain your opinions, suggestions and recommendations for improving the tour, and to find out if the whole experience was as good as you’d expected. For this, we will gratefully send you a memorable gift as a 'thank you' present
This is the ONLY way your information will be used by us, other than ensuring that you have an efficient, safe and enjoyable journey

Q29: What are your company's business ethics?
A: Quality, integrity, and love of nature. We are acutely aware of tourism's carbon footprint, and its damage to the environment; which is why, after reinvestment, much of The Heart of Brazil's profit is channelled into managed Brazilian ecological and community projects. For further information, see About us

Q30: I have another question
A: Please ask your travel agent, or email: theheartof.brazil@virgin.net so that it may be included in future 		Further Information