It is strongly recommended that you take out comprehensive travel insurance upon booking, to cover any financial losses due to cancellation for whatever reason.

*Please be aware that most travel insurance policies will refuse to pay out on a travel insurance claim if your travel insurance has been purchased after a particular period of time since booking for the tour. This period may be one week to one month. Please check with your travel insurance provider to ensure you are fully covered at the time of purchasing travel insurance. It is highly recommended that if you do purchase travel insurance, that you do not delay this purchase much beyond the tour booking date.

Vaccinations vary considerably from country to country. Our pre-departure information provided for each tour will give specific details in relation to the country visited. Some vaccinations, such as Yellow Fever, may be required to enter some African countries while others, such as Hepatitis A and B, are usually recommended but not necessarily required for entry. For more information in relation to vaccinations for specific countries, please enquire with your nearest travel clinic.

Light-weight, neutral-colored clothing (ideally not white) that can easily be rinsed out and dried quickly (cotton or cotton blends) are recommended for the field, so as not to unnecessarily frighten away birds and other wildlife. If you prefer long-sleeved shirts and long pants, then these will help protect you from insects, thorny plants and sunburn. Strong-soled walking shoes or hiking boots are essential, as we will typically spend a good amount of time on our feet. When visiting some of the wetter forest destinations such as Colombia or Papua New Guinea, you might consider bringing along a pair of wellingtons (gum boots) for muddy conditions. This will ensure that you don’t end up messing up your hiking/walking boots/shoes.

The dress is casual throughout the tour; however, you may wish to bring a more formal set of clothes to wear during the evening. Laundry services are usually widely available; however, more detail in this regard will be provided once you have signed up for a particular tour, as each country is a little different in this regard. Making use of the available laundry service means you will not need to bring as many items of clothing as you would otherwise. Alternatively, to lighten your load, you may consider bringing some clothes that may be discarded at the end of your trip – these clothes are typically well received by the local lodge and national park staff we meet. If possible, your luggage should be in a soft bag or rucksack and should not exceed 20kg (44 Pounds).

During summer, we recommend sunscreen, a water bottle, a hat and sunglasses for your daily preparations for the field. In winter, depending on the country and especially if it snows, we suggest thermal underwear, good warm jackets, gloves, a scarf and a hat or woollen hat (beanie). Regardless of the time of the year, it is always wise to bring an umbrella or a rain jacket (poncho), especially when doing tours through the tropics. For each tour, you will be sent detailed pre-departure information by our support department. This document provides details on the required clothing and expected weather conditions for each particular tour. Contact info@rockjumperbirding.com for general tour information and support@rockjumperbirding.com if you are already signed up for a tour and would like to receive the pre-departure document.