The Llama Travel Blog

Worldwide Holidays Brochure

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For UK Operators selling Packages in the UK only

In accordance with the UK Package Travel & Linked Travel Regulations 2018 all passengers booking with Llama Travel Ltd are fully protected for the initial deposit and subsequently the balance of all monies received by us, including repatriation costs and arrangements, arising from cancellation or curtailment of your travel arrangements due to the insolvency of Llama Travel Ltd.

There is no requirement for Financial Protection of day trips or single elements, and none is provided. 

Llama Travel Ltd has taken out an insurance provided by International Passenger Protection Ltd (IPP) with Liberty Mutual Insurance Europe SE (LMIE) trading as Liberty Specialty Markets, a member of the Liberty Mutual Insurance Group. LMIE's registered office: 5-7 rue Leon Laval, L-3372, Leudelange, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Registered Number B232280 (Registre de Commerce et des Sociétés).  LMIE is a European public limited liability company and is supervised by the Commissariat aux Assurances and licensed by the Luxembourg Minister of Finance as an insurance and reinsurance company. This insurance is only valid for passengers who book and pay directly with/to Llama Travel Ltd. 

In the event of our insolvency please make contact as soon as practically possible giving full details of what has happened quoting the name of your Travel Operator:

IPP Claims at Sedgwick

Telephone: +44 (0)345 266 1872

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.         

or online at http://www.ipplondon.co.uk/claims.asp

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We will only operate holidays when we feel people are able to have a good, safe trip, based on UK and local government advice.

Flexibility, including a full refund if your holiday cannot operate

We are reviewing whether each trip can operate approximately 60 days before the departure date. At that stage, if the holiday cannot go ahead, we are offering all customers the option to rebook for a future date or get a full refund.

In addition, you can defer your trip on one occasion to a later date at any point until your balance is due without any amendment fee. If you choose to travel on a more expensive date, you will only pay the difference. We will reduce the price of your holiday if you travel on a cheaper date. There may be cancellation costs for services that have already been paid for and are non-transferable.

Entry requirements

Each country has its own entry requirements. In some cases, just a simple form needs to be completed. Some countries may require a covid test prior to travel, or for travellers to be vaccinated. Requirements can change, and we are monitoring the situation in all of our destinations, and we will advise our customers of specific entry requirements. If you would like to know the current situation in a particular destination, please contact us.

Travel Insurance

Many travel insurance policies now provide cover for cancellation due to covid reasons, as well as costs incurred overseas. We recommend you book a travel insurance policy with covid cover at the time of booking your holiday. Please ask us if you would like information of companies that other travellers have used.

We will look after you no matter what

When the pandemic struck, our first priority was to repatriate all of our passengers who were on holiday in Latin America and Africa when travel restrictions were implemented. Our team worked tirelessly to make sure everyone could return to the UK as quickly and safely as possible, and we have been overwhelmed by kind messages from our passengers:

“We are indeed safely back home and I should like to thank Llama Travel, and in particular Scott, for their efforts and organisation in getting us here in a timely fashion. I believe that without the support of your company we would have been left behind and trapped in quarantine for an indefinite period. Although sad to have had our adventure curtailed, it is a preferable outcome to be safely home.” 

 - Mr and Mrs S returned early from Argentina.

Financial Position

We are fortunate that Llama Travel has been successful in recent years and has built up very strong cash reserves, which has meant that we have been able to provide refunds promptly, even, for example, when we haven’t received money back from airlines. This situation, whilst clearly unwelcome, is not a problem for us financially. We can also confirm that ATOL protection will continue to apply to any holiday transferred to a new date and all new bookings.

If you have any additional questions, please call us on 020 7263 3000.

30/04/20

Llama Travel completes cancellation refunds

Llama Travel, which offers holidays to Latin America and Africa, has offered its customers a choice of rebooking for a later date up to a value of 110% of the cost of their original holiday, or a full refund.

We have now sent refunds to everyone who has asked for their money back for holidays until the end of June, and we are in the process of finalising new arrangements for everyone who has rebooked.

We will continue to offer these options to our customers for later departures which are affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

“This situation is of course difficult for all travel businesses. Fortunately, Llama Travel has adequate funds, and we believe that by doing the right thing and treating customers fairly, we will be in a great position to offer excellent holidays once again when the current situation is behind us.”

- Luca Newbold, Llama Travel Director

If you would like more information about how Llama Travel is managing the impact of coronavirus on our business, please call director Luca Newbold on 020 7263 3000.

15/04/20

Some tour operators are giving refunds

Recent reports that travel companies are not offering refunds for cancelled holidays are not true for all operators.

For example, AITO member Llama Travel, which offers holidays to Latin America and Africa, is offering its customers a choice of rebooking for a later date up to a value of 110% of the cost of their original holiday, or a full refund. Most customers are choosing to rebook now and many of those opting for a refund also say they will rebook once they know when they can safely travel again.

Although we have not received refunds from some airlines and other suppliers for costs that have been prepaid, we believe that customers have paid us for their holiday and, given that it cannot be delivered, they are entitled to a refund of the money they paid. Llama Travel is therefore issuing refunds from our own resources. Although we will be faced with a large amount of costs that we cannot recover, we have adequate funds and this will not impair our ability to resume operations once the current situation is behind us.

Whilst many tour operators and travel bodies are asking the government to amend the Package Travel Regulations so that they can issue credit notes instead of a refund, we are aware that Llama Travel is not alone in refunding customers without waiting for this. Hopefully, those who treat their customers well now will get a benefit when travel resumes again.

If you would like more information about how Llama Travel is managing the impact of coronavirus on our business, please call director Luca Newbold on 020 7263 3000.

We know that many of you are longing to travel again, and holidays to some destinations are now restarting. We are constantly reviewing the situation in all our destinations and we will only operate holidays if we feel that this is such that people are able to have a good, safe trip, based on UK and local government advice.

 Flexibility, including a full refund if your holiday cannot operate

We are delighted that Which? and several newspapers including The Guardian and The Telegraph recognised our efforts in how we have dealt with our customers during the pandemic. We will continue to put our customers first.

We are reviewing whether a trip can operate approximately 60 days before the departure date. At that stage, if the holiday cannot go ahead, we are offering all customers the option to rebook for a future date or get a full refund.

What’s more, you can defer your trip to a later date at any point until 60 days before departure, even if the holiday can go ahead.

Financial position

We know that some people may be concerned about travel companies going out of business in the current environment. We are fortunate that Llama Travel has been successful in recent years and has built up very strong cash reserves, which has meant that we have been able to provide refunds promptly, even, for example, when we haven’t received money back from airlines. This situation, whilst clearly unwelcome, is not a problem for us financially. We can also confirm that ATOL protection will continue to apply to any holiday transferred to a new date and all new bookings.

We will look after you no matter what

When the pandemic struck, our first priority was to repatriate all of our passengers who were on holiday in Latin America and Africa when travel restrictions were implemented. Our team worked tirelessly to make sure everyone could return to the UK as quickly and safely as possible, and we have been overwhelmed by kind messages from our passengers:

“We are indeed safely back home and I should like to thank Llama Travel, and in particular Scott, for their efforts and organisation in getting us here in a timely fashion. I believe that without the support of your company we would have been left behind and trapped in quarantine for an indefinite period. Although sad to have had our adventure curtailed, it is a preferable outcome to be safely home.” 

 - Mr and Mrs S returned early from Argentina.

Vaccinations and travel

There has been speculation about vaccination passports and whether these will be required for travel. Some countries are making the process of travel easier for those fully vaccinated, and we are monitoring the situation in the UK and all of our destinations, and we will advise our customers of specific entry requirements.

Thank you for your patience

On behalf of all of us at Llama Travel, we hope you and your friends, family and colleagues are safe and well. We know that this is a difficult time for everyone, but once the situation returns to normal, Llama Travel, and our partners in Latin America and Africa, are looking forward to helping you enjoy a fantastic holiday.

If you have any additional questions, please call us on 020 7263 3000.

Thank you for downloading our Africa brochure. Please contact us if you have any questions.

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Thank you for downloading our Latin America Brochure. Please contact us if you have any questions.

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Thank you for downloading the Llama Travel Africa Brochure.

Thank you for downloading the Llama Travel Latin America Brochure.

About us

Q: What can you tell me about Llama Travel’?

A: Llama Travel is a family-run business established in the UK in 2002. We are specialists in organising small group tours to Latin America,  Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Q: Why does Llama Travel not sell through agents?

A: Selling direct cuts out agents’ fees, allowing us to provide great quality holidays at a much lower price than you’ll find with other operators. Coming directly to us also means that you will speak with an expert: we have all know our holidays inside-out. We enjoy getting to know our customers and feel you will receive the best customer service by speaking to our enthusiastic team.

Q: Why should I book with Llama Travel?

A: We are passionate about the destinations we offer. We are an award-winning company, providing high-quality holidays at the lowest possible prices. We are committed to excellent customer service and 99% of our past customers would recommend us to a friend. You can find out what people are saying about our holidays here.

About our holidays

Q: How do your holidays work?

A: We offer flexible small group package tours. We have set itinerary modules which can be combined in different ways, giving you a more tailored experience at group tour prices. For example, you can combine our base Peru programme, Incas & Conquistadors, with stays in Lake Titicaca, Arequipa, the Amazon jungle and other destinations to create the holiday you want.

Q: How are you able to maintain such low prices? I worry that you are compromising on quality…

A: We avoid agents’ fees by only selling direct. We’ve also developed good and long-lasting relationships with our local suppliers so are able to negotiate excellent deals on your behalf. Our flexible group tour model allows us to operate more cost-effectively than tailor-made operators while still offering flexibility and an extremely high quality of service and accommodation.

Q: Do you provide support while I’m away?

A: An integral part of our service is providing support during your trip. Things usually run smoothly, but developing countries are prone to the odd strike or flight delay. If something doesn’t go according to plan, we will make the necessary arrangements and keep you up-to-date. If you have any issues or questions while away, you can call or email our local partners or our office in the UK.

Q: Which meals are included?

A: Breakfast is included on every day of the tour. Lunch and/or dinner is also included on some excursions and in certain destinations, the accommodation is full board (such as on Galapagos cruises and in wildlife lodges). Most of our hotels have a restaurant and our accommodation is well located with dining options nearby. You can see full details of meal inclusions by looking at the day by day itinerary for the holiday you would like to take.

Q: Are you able to book my international flights?

A: Yes. Flights from London are included in our prices for almost all our holidays. We offer regional departures for a supplement - just ask.

Q: Which vaccinations do I need?

A: It is best to speak to your GP or a travel clinic about health and vaccination requirements. You can visit the websites www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk for good advice about travelling in the region. For country-specific advice regarding vaccinations and medical requirements, please visit the essential information page from within your chosen holiday page.

Q: Do I need a visa for my holiday?

A: For most our our destinations, visas are not required in advance for UK citizens. For some destinations, a visa may be required. This can usually be obtained online. Information on visa requirements is in the essential information section of each of our holidays.

Llama Travel was founded in 2002 with the aim of offering the best possible holidays at the best possible prices. We are delighted that our twin focus on high-quality holidays and the lowest possible prices has led to us winning multiple awards over the years and being recognized as one of the UK’s leading specialist tour operators.

Llama Travel was set up by Luca Newbold, who lived in Peru for four years and travelled around much of Latin America. When he returned to the UK, along with the former managing director of Thomson Holidays, he set up Llama Travel with the aim of making holidays to Latin America more affordable, so that everyone could experience this amazing region at least once in their lifetime.

In recent years, Llama Travel has expanded to offer holidays to Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. These offer the same combination of high quality, great value, flexibility and expertise that we are known for in Latin America.

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Because of the way we work, our costs are lower and so are our prices. We check our prices regularly against our competitors and make sure ours are the best.

If, when you want to book, you find the holiday you want is available at a better price elsewhere, let us know. As long as the holidays are genuinely comparable, we will reduce our price to beat the other one.

We must be able to verify that the alternative holiday is available and is genuinely comparable.

Website cookies

This website is owned and operated by Llama Travel Ltd.

Like most websites, Llama Travel uses cookies. These enable some parts of our website to work properly, e.g. the enquiry form. We also collect standard internet log information and details of visitor behaviour patterns in order to find out things such as the number of visitors to the website, the effectiveness of online advertising, and to help us identify opportunities to improve the website. Some of these cookies are from 3rd party providers, such as Google. The cookies cannot harm your computer and are not used to personally identify anyone, and if a visitor gives us personal information (for instance as part of a holiday enquiry) this information is not stored in the cookie. Most web browsers allow control of which cookies they will accept.

To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set and how to manage and delete them, visit www.allaboutcookies.org

Booking information

We require certain information from you to be able to operate your holiday. We will request this from you when we take your booking. We need to pass this information to relevant suppliers, such as airlines and hotels, for your holiday to operate. Additionally, we may need to pass your information to public bodies if required by them, or use them to check security details when taking payment by card. By booking a holiday with us, you agree to our processing your information, including, where appropriate, its transfer out of the EU.

Communications from Llama Travel

If you request to receive brochures from us, or sign up to our newsletter, we will send you relevant information about our holidays by post or email. We respect your privacy and we will not give the details you supply here to anyone else. If you do not wish to receive communication from Llama Travel in future, please let us know.

All Llama Travel holidays including flights are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. This means that every penny of your money is protected. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid us for an advance booking.

Tour operators and travel firms selling holidays which include flights, whether international or internal, are required to hold an ATOL licence. Make sure that the tour operators you are looking at comply with UK law.

All the flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate

Our ATOL number is 5804. For further information, visit www.atol.org.uk

For holidays not including flights, bookings are insured by IPP Ltd and its Panel of Insurers. For further information, visit www.ipplondon.co.uk

You can make a booking online by filling out the enquiry form, or start the process by requesting a call. Alternatively you can call Llama Travel directly on 020 7263 3000.

For most of our holidays, a 10% deposit is required on booking, with the balance payable within 90 days of departure. For some holidays, a higher deposit may be required.

You can pay your deposit by bank transfer, cheque, standard UK debit card or non-premium UK personal Visa / MasterCard credit card. Balance payments can be made by bank transfer or cheque. We do not accept cards for balance payments. We are unable to accept cash.

When your booking is confirmed, you will receive an invoice, along with a copy of your itinerary and a country-specific information pack.

There are some important considerations to take into account before you book a holiday with Llama Travel:

Most of our holidays are suitable for all ages but do require a reasonable level of fitness. Some excursions include walking, often on uneven ground, and often at altitude, which increases the challenge even on a relatively short walk. If you are unsure about fitness levels, please ask us.

Vaccinations are advisable for certain regions, particularly Yellow Fever and Malaria. Please consult your GP or travel clinic on this subject.

Please ask us for specific country entry requirements for British citizens. For any other nationalities, please consult the appropriate consulates.

When booking, you will need a full 10 year passport valid for 6 months after your return to the UK. If flying via the US, you will need to comply with US immigration requirements.

If children aren’t travelling with both parents, some countries require a letter of consent to enter or depart. For visiting some African countries, all children require extensive documentation, including unabridged birth certificates. More information can be found on the relevant consulate website.

1 Our holidays really are better. Llama Travel customers who travelled in 2022 rated their holidays 95 out of 100 and 99% of our customers would recommend us to their friends.

2 We look after you, no matter what. We have always looked after our customers when the unexpected happens. When covid travel restrictions were put in place in 2020, we got all our customers who were overseas back home quickly and without hassle. And we offered all customers whose holidays could not go ahead due to the pandemic a full refund.  The feedback from these customers has been just as good as from those who have travelled with us previously, and our efforts in refunding customers were recognised by Which? Travel and The Guardian.

3 Your money is protected. Llama Travel holidays are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Llama Travel has a strong financial position with substantial reserves and no debt. This has meant that we have been able to provide refunds promptly, even, for example, when we haven't received money back from airlines.

4 Our prices really are lower - guaranteed. Because of the way we work, our costs are lower and so are our prices. We check our prices regularly to make sure they are the best. If, when you book, you find the holiday you want available at a better price elsewhere, let us know. As long as the holidays are genuinely comparable, we will reduce our price to beat the other one.

5 Speak to someone who’s been there. Our staff have travelled extensively, so wherever you want to go, you can speak to someone who has been there.

6 Choose exactly the holiday you want. We have well over a hundred itineraries to destinations in Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. You can also amend these to visit the areas you want to see. Just let us know your requirements.

7 Our holidays give you more time. Llama Travel itineraries include more time at each destination than other operators. You have more time to acclimatise and more time to explore. The difference is we don’t charge you more.