Reach out – We’re happy to talk through our adventures with you. Also, check out our FAQ and fine print area below for answers to many of the most common questions.
Email Me
Reach out with an email to info@thingsiwander.com and we will be happy to write, call, or Skype you back. We look forward to talking with you about your next big adventure.
Request Information
You can call or email us, or use this form to ask questions, and we will respond quickly. If you are ready to reserve, check the box and we will email the complete registration folio to you along with payment options for your trip deposit and balance. Congratulations on your upcoming adventure!
Policies and FAQ
Find the fine print for our tours and the answers for some commonly asked questions below. If there is something more you’d like to know, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Things I Wander LLC is an insured and certified travel agency. It takes safety very seriously.
Trip participants must accept personal responsibility for their actions and safety, and accept that travel to foreign cultures carries a certain amount of risk. While tour planners, providers and guides take every precaution to ensure a participant’s safety when arranging activities, travelers must be responsible for understanding the environment we will travel to, the inherent dangers associated with traveling in foreign lands, and the personal risks they assume in doing so.
Furthermore, travelers agree that Things I Wander LLC, or its owner, staff, or delegates are not responsible for the actions of third-party providers who serve the group, nor are they liable for death, damage, or injury travelers may suffer as a result of participation with a tour.
Travelers are responsible for ensuring they have reviewed the physical demands of a particular tour and that it is suitable for them.
We expect all members of our group to act in a way that is respectful of each other and the culture we are in, and sensitive to the planet. Illegal activity, inappropriate conduct, purposeful damage, harassment, or any of the other bone-headed things travelers might do will not be welcome on a Things I Wander tour. If you are detained by authorities or if we have to ask you to leave our group because of inappropriate behavior, you will not receive any refunds for any part of your trip. Also, if you damage anything belonging to someone else, you will be responsible for paying for it.
Also, you are a grown-up, and we are not going to tell you what you can and can’t do in your own bedroom. However, you may not bring strangers into our shared group lodging, structured activities or meals. Shared group lodging refers to a villa or home-style setting with shared common spaces and private bedrooms. And if tour leaders feel that you are too intoxicated to make a safe or informed decision for yourself, we will step in, just like any good friend should.
The range is wide open, with the key component really being an adventurous soul. Cynthya is a tour guide squarely in the middle of Generation X, with a grown-up job and a dressed-down sense of fun that includes an irreverent sense of humor, and travelers on her trips have ranged from people in their 20s to people in their 70s. Age shouldn’t really be a consideration for participation so much as mentality. If you love to explore authentically, want to share some good laughs, are reasonably easygoing, you are going to love these trips. If you would enjoy sitting in a pub with some locals after dinner more than sitting in an American chain place or in your room – even more so.
But if you are racist or homophobic, are mean to other people, pick on people, complain a lot or are always late, Things I Wander Group Tours aren’t right for you.
There are some accessibility issues with certain destinations that travelers must be aware of, however, and those with limited mobility may find some tours impossible to navigate. We usually do a heavy amount of daily walking on sometimes very uneven terrain, so travelers will need to do a self-assessment to determine if certain tours are the right choice for them.
Travelers must be at least 18 years old unless otherwise specified in the trip description.
We will collect information on dietary restrictions and will, to the greatest extent possible, ensure our dining venues are inclusive of travelers with special needs. However, as those of you with extreme allergies or restrictive eating regimes know, your options may at times be severely limited depending on the destination. We will do our best. We will not be eating any of our meals at chain restaurants or fast-food places. Those who would like to dine somewhere other than the arranged restaurant are welcome to do so at their own expense.
Unlike almost every other tour company, all of our adventures are priced based on single occupancy – which means you get your own room unless you sign up with someone you want to share with. For those who sign up in pairs, we offer a room credit that varies based on the destination. The maximum number of people in a room is two. Reservations for double occupancy must be made 60 days in advance to ensure we can secure your preferred bed type.
Travelers must provide complete information with their registration, including legal name and address, country of residence, passport details, and contact information.
You must also provide us with a copy of your trip insurance policy, proof of medical insurance (for travelers to Cuba), and emergency contact information.
Travelers are responsible for their own air transportation to destinations and must supply to us all travel details in advance of departure so that we may arrange ground transportation from the airport to our group meeting spot.
Travelers are solely responsible for meeting the entry requirements and having the appropriate documentation for a destination country. We are here to provide information and assistance in advance when possible, but the final responsibility belongs to the traveler. Among various other requirements, most countries require at least 6 months remaining on a passport, and visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin. No refunds will be made in the event that a traveler does not have the appropriate documentation for entry or is denied entry by customs officials for any reason.
Travelers are responsible for arriving in the destination city in accordance with the itinerary we provide. We understand that air travel can be unpredictable, and as such, we will do everything in our power to remain accessible to travelers who arrive beyond the itinerary arrival window. We generally remain in the arrival city for at least one day, but travelers who require extra transportation for themselves or their luggage to catch up with the group after it departs from a city must pay for that transportation. We will be happy to help arrange that transfer in the unfortunate event that it is needed.
When traveling to Third World countries, there may be times when we are forced to make unexpected accommodation changes to different but similar lodging or properties of a different class than originally planned. We strive for hotels that fall in the four-star range by American standards, though in some countries, that is not always an option.
Trip descriptions will always give you an accurate assessment of the destination lodging. When available, such properties still may suffer from a variety of irregularities that come and go by the hour, including the availability of hot water, the amount of street noise outside, the occasional errant salamander, or the operational nature of an elevator. Embracing other countries sometimes includes embracing their challenges, and while we do our best to navigate around them, sometimes they are unavoidable.
In addition, we may find it necessary during a trip to rearrange the schedule according to the weather, our supplier’s needs, or other unforeseen factors. However, we will do our best to provide the experiences we promise, and we will provide substitute activities and lodging of a similar nature to the best of our abilities if one of the trip’s components becomes unavailable.
At Things I Wander, you are traveling with the company’s owner, Cynthya, and she is determined that groups share the best possible experience 100% of the time, because their experience is her experience too.
Tour participants are required to have trip insurance. At a minimum, that insurance must cover emergency medical expenses, medical evacuation, quarantine and related expenses from COVID-19, transportation delays, and trip cancellation, and a copy of the policy must be on file with us prior to the trip’s departure. We strongly advise travelers to have a more comprehensive policy that covers things such as lost luggage, change fees, and trip interruption, and if you would like assistance in locating an insurance plan, we will be glad to help you.
Things I Wander will not levy surcharges on our trip participants if our trip component prices fluctuate between the time you book your trip and it departs. We feel this is our responsibility, not yours.
If you pay in foreign currency, payments will be conducted at the prevailing exchange rate between your currency and the US dollar. We will not surcharge you or refund you if that amount fluctuates between the time you pay and the time the trip commences.
The price for a trip may fluctuate up or down while prior to its departure at our discretion. These fluctuations will not apply to participants already booked on the trip.
In the unfortunate case where a traveler must cancel their participation in a trip, traveler cancellations can be made without penalty up to 60 days before a trip’s departure. After that point, everything except the $500 deposit will be returned. If it is possible, Things I Wander will apply that amount to a future trip.
Things I Wander Tours may elect to cancel a tour if the minimum number of spots are not filled (refer to trip description for minimums). This decision would be made at least 30 days in advance. But please know that our minimum participant number is almost always between two and four people, so the likelihood of a trip canceling for that reason is remote.
We may also decide to cancel a tour if circumstances beyond our control make the area impractical for travel, including natural disasters, extreme weather conditions, civil unrest, or acts of terrorism. In making those decisions, the safety of our group will always be the first concern. If a cancellation occurs due to one of these factors, you may either transfer the balance paid to an alternate trip or request a full refund. If you choose to transfer the balance to an upcoming trip, Things I Wander will give you a $300 credit off of that trip to compensate you for any inconvenience the rescheduling caused.
Travelers must pay a $500 deposit to secure a reservation for a trip. We accept payment via PayPal – through which you can use major credit cards, your bank account, or PayPal credit. We also accept Venmo, Zelle, checks, cash, and first-born children. That was a joke. You will receive a confirmation email once payment has been received.
The final trip balance is due in full 60 days prior to the trip’s start date. We reserve the right to cancel reservations for which the final balance is not paid by that date.