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Maureen & Scott Fray
This site is copyright © 2011 WonderTreks.com
Welcome Parents!
We would like to thank you for considering this amazing opportunity for your child. And if your child has been nominated for a Wonder Trek, then congratulations on a job well done! We understand your child means the world to you and we appreciate the opportunity to share our world with them. We are planning on traveling to Peru from July 4th to July 21st, 2011. However we have learned to allow a day or two of flexibility during these early planning stages as this helps us to adjust to changing flight schedules, boat accommodations, etc.
We discussed safety in the nomination letter and want to tell you once again that your child’s safety is our top priority. We are ever mindful of creating a safe “space” for your child to grow and explore. One thing that sets us apart from other companies in this field is the nature of our chaperones. You children travel with certified teachers and professionals, not just college aged “counselors”. We strive to maintain a ratio of one adult for every two students on each of our trips. We also limit our trips to a maximum of 8 students. Finally, you won’t send your children off alone to be met by their trip leader; we travel with them from the very beginning. Our small groups with a high ratio of professional chaperones to students stand out in this industry. You will not find another company that offers this level of supervision.
Our past parents, chaperones, and students agree that we do a great job taking care of your children; many have posted comments regarding safety here on our website at the testimonials and blog pages. We would be happy to put you in touch with past participants if you are interested in speaking with them, and of course we would love to speak with you personally. Please contact us with any questions, or just to have a conversation as you explore this opportunity for your child to participate in this “trip of a lifetime”.
Based on taking 8 students the cost for this trip is $3,900 per student. This cost does not include airfare; however, it is all-inclusive for everything else once we are in Peru including the cost of all chaperones, local guides, transportation, lodging, food and drinks, water, tours, tickets (ex: Machu Picchu), etc. We take pride in feeding your children well during our trip. We believe this is an important component of both cultural exploration and a successful trip overall. Most other organized trips limit their meal options; we finish up our meals by asking if everyone is satisfied. We know that at first glance this seems like a lot, but assure you that you will not find a comparable trip offering such high levels of education and supervision for close to the same costs.
We have searched through education travel companies and none of them offer a science-based course to Peru. The closest is a one-week trip to Peru studying ancient civilizations, and that costs $2,900 (not including airfare). This is astonishing as Peru is one of the most biologically diverse nations on Earth. Our trip has extensive travel throughout Peru for a full 18 days of science education focusing on tropical ecology, conservation, and cultures.
Regarding plane tickets, lasts years cost totaled $1,700 per person for the trip. We take care of all travel arrangements for the group and you would still pay the money for plane tickets directly to us. Of course prices for plane tickets can change and we won’t know the exact price until we actually purchase the tickets in February. We want you to understand two things about this: 1) we can reasonably expect tickets to be near last years prices, and 2) the final amount you pay for tickets will be exactly what the plane tickets cost. Thus total travel costs per student are $3,900 plus plane tickets.
Additional costs to get ready for the trip include obtaining a passport ($105), anti-malarial medication (ours is less than $25), evacuation/medical insurance (~$140 for a million dollar policy), vaccinations, and any gear your child will need (rain jackets, bug spray, etc). We also recommend the students have some “travel money” for tips for our guides and souvenir money. With the trip cost covering the necessities, $100 is a reasonable amount to bring down to Peru.
We would like to mention how you can bring down this cost! Past students have lowered this cost through fund raising. Suggestions include a raffle, car washes, movie nights and donation requests to any and all relatives; but we will need the families and students that are participating to put forth the majority of the effort on this end as we are planning the trip. We are getting off to an early start this year to allow more time for fundraising, and so families will know their plans as they head into the holiday season.
If your family is interested in more information to help you make your decisions please contact us by email, phone, or send us your contact information via page one of the student application link on our "home" page and we will be in touch with you. If you know you would like to participate in next summer’s Wonder Trek please continue with the student application process (student essays and teacher recommendation forms). The deadline for application materials is Nov 11th, 2011.
Interested in what else it takes to send your child to Peru? The following information explains some of the additional steps necessary to go on this trip if your child is selected during the application process. There are several things your student will need to do to prepare for this trip that they cannot do without your help.
PASSPORT INFORMATION
First and foremost, in order to enter Peru each student MUST have a passport that is valid for a full 6 months after our scheduled return from Peru. The U.S. Department of State is quoting a 4-6 week turn-around for regular delivery of passports and a 2-3 week turn-around for expedited delivery. Please see the "Passport Information" page for more detailed information.
VACCINATIONS
Vaccines are a family choice and the Center for Disease Control recommends the following vaccines for travel to Peru:
- All routine vaccinations that are given throughout all stages of life
- Yellow Fever
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Typhoid.
Please see the "Vaccination" page for detailed information.
Along with vaccinations, anti-malarial medication is a family choice as well. The CDC recommends anti-malarial medication for travels below 6,561', which includes the area we will travel to in the Amazon Basin. As well as taking anti-malarial medication, your student may be bringing daily medicaitions to Peru, these medications should be discussed with Wonder Treks medical staff. Wonder Treks ask that each student bring along an anti-biotic for travelers diarrhea. Please see the "Medications" page for more detailed information regarding medications while in Peru.
MEDICATION
While we are taking every precautionary step to ensure the safety of your child while in Peru, every student on this trip must have medical insurance that is valid in foriegn countries and emergency evacuation insurance. Travel Guard provides million dollar policies for approximately $140. More information about travel and evacuation insurance can be found on the "Insurance" page.
EMERGENCY TRAVEL INSURANCE
Flagstaff, AZ