The Gow School: Ecuador Explorer 2024

Tuition for the trip is $3695, which INCLUDES all breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, accommodations, ground transportation, entrance to museums/events, taxes and tips.

Tuition does NOT INCLUDE airfare, meals not listed in the itinerary, beverages other than filtered water at meals, laundry, souvenirs, shopping, visas and visa application fees, personal and medical expenses, activities and admissions that are not program-related or referenced in the itinerary, excess baggage fees, damage to hotels, expenses related to unforeseen circumstances (e.g. transportation delays or natural disasters), or Trip Cancellation Insurance (Travel Protection Plans).

Trip insurance will be mandatory for all participants and is not included in your deposit payment. We feel that this gives everyone more peace of mind in case of unforeseen events. The trip insurance, if purchased directly from Travel For Teens, is $290 for the standard plan. You may also choose to purchase a more comprehensive cancel-for-any-reason insurance but NY residents must purchase this directly. All paying participants will need to provide proof of an independently-purchased policy if not purchasing the plan offered by Travel For Teens.

Participants may purchase Cancel For Any Reason policies directly using this link: http://www.travelinsured.com/agency?agency=53809&p=53809Retail

Travel For Teens will reserve a group contract for all participants traveling roundtrip from Buffalo Niagara Airport (BUF) to Quito (UIO) roundtrip as well as the flights from Quito to the Galapagos. The flight path and cost will be announced in late October.

Yes, Travel For Teens is willing to customize a payment plan for any participant who needs a little flexibility in the payment schedule. Please email help@travelforteens.com for details on payment plans.

Travel For Teens will reserve a group contract for all participants traveling roundtrip from Buffalo to Quito is estimated to be $1000-$1200.and the intra-trip flights from Quito to the Galapagos another $500-$600. The exact flight path will be determined and announced by the end of October 2023.

If a participant would like to book their own independent flights to meet us in Quito and/or depart independently, they may do so. They would receive a tuition credit for booking these flights themselves.

If participants would like us to book their independent flights for them, we are happy to do so for a $50 per ticket booking fee.

Mr. Matt Fisher is the lead chaperone from The Gow school.

The trip is open to all Gow School students and families. Space is limited and is awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Most participants will be traveling without a parent. Parents are welcome to come along with their teen. Adults associated with the Gow School may contact the lead chaperone if they wish to come without their children/spouse.

Once your deposit is paid, you will receive an email that confirms your registration.

You will receive another email that contains your USERNAME and PASSWORD to MyTFT. All forms to be completed by parents and physician as well as packing lists, travel tips, travel insurance information, and other important information can be found on the MyTFT portal (hard copies of the essential legal/medical forms can be mailed to participants upon request). Our contract and release must be signed by all custodial parents (or guardians) and the participant. We will host a second meeting in advance of your departure to go over all last minute questions and details.

We will be staying in three-star hotels throughout the program. The names of the accommodations are available to all families once they have signed up.

Students traveling with a family member may request to be in a twin room.

Parents traveling as a couple can request a double bed instead of a twin room.

Single rooms can be requested and will cost $600 more per person per single. Note, Singles must be requested at the time of registration to be guaranteed.

PHOTOGRAPHS

We will take dozens, if not hundreds, of photos each day. The best photos will be posted as regularly as possible (ideally every day) to a private webpage where you can follow along with the trip. We will send you an email to alert you when we post new photos. We will provide every family a link for downloading all pictures immediately after the trip returns. All photos can be purchased in high resolution after the trip via digital download ($50) or USB ($75).

EMAILS

The trip director will be in regular email contact every 24-48 hours, internet willing, with the families. Email will be the best way to communicate messages to the Trip Director.

SAFETY AND SICKNESS

The safety of your kids is our #1 concern, which is why we have only experienced trip leaders running the show.

All trip leaders and chaperones will have international mobile phone access and TFT will give you these numbers before departure.

The TFT trip leader will also have a smartphone that is accessible 24/7 that can be called in case of emergency.

Your kids will be given opportunities to call and email home on a regular basis. Teens are encouraged to bring a cell phone on the trip. Outside of the hotel students can use their cell phone for photos/videos and emergencies. At the hotel, they can use their smartphones for social media, texting, emailing etc.

Our staff members undergo a rigorous hiring process. They receive the same background check as school educators, an extensive training process to go over all safety precautions and protocols, and are required to be certified in CPR and First Aid.  We exclusively hire responsible, multi-talented individuals who are safety-minded and are as passionate about teen travel as we are.

In a word – delicious! At TFT, we believe food should be an integral part of the travel experience and always make an effort to eat at authentic establishments when we can. What better way to immerse yourself in the culture of a place than by sampling the local delicacies, and we encourage students to do so whenever possible! Just as we stay away from Americanized hotel chains, we try to avoid restaurants with menus that cater only to tourists because every good traveler knows the best food is found wherever the locals are eating!

We also love to have picnics al fresco and do this whenever possible, which is a great way to taste some local food while sitting out in the fresh air taking in the sights and sounds of our surroundings.

As always, we are willing and able to accommodate vegetarians, vegans, gluten allergies, and other dietary restrictions.

No, our skilled staff members will help you get around and even teach you a few fun phrases!

We do allow participants to bring their phones, but we ask that they use it solely as a camera when we are out and about during the day. We want everyone to focus on living in the moment and fully experience each new destination we are visiting without being absorbed in their phones. We ask that participants look at their journey with us as a way to disconnect. When we have downtime at our hotels in the evenings it is okay for participants to use their devices to connect with friends and family back home.

This is an active trip. The goal of the trip will be to maximize each day. We aim to achieve a good balance of activity and downtime. You will need to be comfortable walking about 5 miles a day in total.