Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of our most common FAQs. If you still have any questions that weren’t covered below, please email us at travel@freeandeasy.ca and we’ll be sure to help you out!

 

What is included in the trip price?

  • ALL Taxes (GST, PST, airport)
  • Return airfare from Vancouver to your destination (other cities may cost more)
  • Accommodations in your destination for the length of your trip
  • Group Transportation between each of our destinations
  • 2 Day Rainforest Lake Trip with cave hike. Includes all meals (40 day Thailand)
  • A hand-woven hammock (40 day Thailand & 20 day Nicaragua)
  • Surf lessons (40 day Philippines & 20 day Nicaragua)
  • Volcano Trek (Nicaragua)
  • Group Day trips
  • Angkor Wat 3 day Pass (LTC)
  • Jungle Trek (LTC)
  • 2 Free & Easy Traveler Guidebooks
  • 2 Free & Easy group leaders that travel with you
  • The service that Free & Easy provides both before and during your trip
  • and, a few other surprises along the way!!!
  • There are no additional taxes or other hidden fees!

 

Another thing that is included that is hard to describe is the ‘experience’ that we can help each person have in Thailand. After 9 years of running these trips we have found the best possible spots to visit, experiences and adventures to have and food to eat in each of the destinations we run trips to. We look forward to sharing this knowledge with each person that joins us and helping them to get the most of the country they are traveling in.

 

What isn’t included in the price?

  • Travel Insurance (although you can purchase this through us)
  • Any travel visas you may need (each country may require you to obtain a visa before you leave or while you are in each country)
  • Travel supplies and other personal expenses
  • Food
  • Booze
  • Shopping
  • Activities outside of pre-arrange free and easy group events

 

Do they speak Taiwanese in Thailand?

Nope…you’ll have to go to Taiwan if you want to speak Taiwanese. In Thailand they speak Thai. It’s a super tough language to learn but our leaders will help you out with some pieces of the language they have picked up over the course of their time in Thailand. Remember, you might get laughed at for trying but your attempt at speaking the language will definitely be appreciated by the Thai people!

 

Can I arrange my own airfare?

Yes, just let us know and we will only charge you for the ‘land only’ portion of the Free & Easy experience. This will get you everything the rest of your group gets with the exception of the airfare and taxi to and from the airport. If you are thinking of planning your own airfare, please clear all your flight dates with us beforehand to ensure that you aren’t arriving late and departing the group early! We will also provide you with instructions on getting to the guesthouse from the airport to meet up with the others in your group so that your arrival is absolutely worry free!

 

How do I sign up?

Signing up is easy. Simply fill out an online registration found on our website under the ‘Trip Registration’ section. Once we receive your registration, we will send you everything you need to know about making your first $200 deposit (or more if you are signing up after Dec.10th)

After we receive and confirm your deposit, we will send you our ‘Preparations Guidebook’ with everything you need to know about getting set for your 40 day epic adventure with us!

 

I hear it rains a lot from May – August…is this true?

As for the idea of it being rainy season, we have been in Thailand nearly every month of the year, and the weather in May is as good as any other time of year. The 2 separate coasts in Thailand experience different weather patterns so that the West coast experiences a higher chance of rain between May and November, and the East Coast has a higher chance of rain between September and March. On our trips we visit 2 places on the West Coast and 3 places on the East Coast. We go to both coasts because the idea of there being a higher chance of rain when we are on the west coast, still does not take away from the experience of being there. I want to emphasize the words 'a higher chance'. Most of the time the weather is great! And if it does rain, it isn't like the rain is cold, or it rains all day. Thailand is so much more than just sitting on the beach, so you'll always find that you are doing something fun, regardless of what the weather is like. I know from past trips that people have always been pleasantly surprised to see what it is actually like, and that the idea of 'rainy season' isn't causing any problems. The rain is even part of being in Thailand, and being in a tropical country, and would almost be a disappointment to have a trip without any. It is cool when all of a sudden the sun disappears, the clouds come over, and you see a tropical storm come pouring down for 20 minutes, and then it is gone, the sun comes back out, and your day goes on.

The Philippines also experiences a ‘rainy’ season but…we have planned our routing during your 40 day trip to avoid this as much as possible. But, the weather is unpredictable and even though we have taken these measures and have tried to avoid the rain as much as possible…you still might get rained on!! Having said this though…we can almost guarantee that you are going to experience more sunshine and great weather than rain during your trip and you will definitely come home with a tan (or burn) that all your friends will be jealous of!

So basically, anytime you can come on a trip with us will be great - it’s just when we and SE Asia might be able to fit into your busy life!

 

I may come on my own, will that present any problems?

It is pretty typical for us to have about 30% of the group being single travelers, and then most of the other people come with 1 or 2 other friends. Normally everyone who is coming on the trips though are all excited to be a part of the group, so after a few days the group has all become one big group of friends. From past experience, the people who were concerned about this were usually pleasantly surprised how quickly and easily they made friends with the other group members. Usually the group leaders feel out of the loop with everyone because people have spent the whole first day traveling to Asia together and have gotten to know each other over the course of the day! Plus, before you leave we will try to arrange pre-trip parties in select cities where group members can meet other people in their trips. You will also have access to the email addresses of other travelers in your group so that if there isn’t an event planned by us (because we do not have staff in that city)…you could try and arrange something between the other free & easy people in your area. Having said that…We think that coming on your own can be an ideal way to do these trips because you have the benefits of having many friends to hang out with, but you are never really obligated to one person in particular.

 

Can anyone be a trip leader?

You might think that showing 20 people around a beautiful, tropical country might be your dream job but not everyone will fit the requirements of being a great free & easy trip leader. Each leader has to go through a rigorous training session for months before actually getting the role and title of 'trip leader'. These training sessions involve numerous experiments on the quality of sand, weather & temperature in different areas of SE Asia to make certain our trip members receive the most sunshine & soft sand for their hard earned dollar, food & beverage testing to ensure maximum deliciousness and hours of pillow punching at numerous bungalows/huts to guarantee ultimate comfort. As well, they are often woken up at random times of the morning and forced to pack their bags, gather twenty people up, get them on a boat, bus, train or plane (whether the people want to leave or not) to the next epic destination while ensuring everyone has all their belongings, travel friends and a smile on their face. It is a tough job and only a select few people will make the cut but if you are interested...let us know and we'll keep our eye out for you during the 40 day trip!!

 

What if I don’t live in Calgary, Edmonton or Vancouver? Or I reside in Europe, Australia or some other wonderful place besides Canada?

We can still get you on our regular group departure by connecting your flight from your home city to the city where the rest of your group will be departing if you live in Western Canada or the USA. If you live in the eastern part of Canada or the US this departure city will be different but we can usually arrange something where you meet up with the other travelers (for the west) in Seoul so that you can fly into your final destination and start your trip together. There is an additional charge for this so please contact us for a price from your city.

If you are wanting to join the free & easy experience from a country outside of North America you will be charge the 'land only' price and will need to arrange your own airfare to meet up with the rest of your fellow travelers. Just make sure you hear from us what the exact dates will be for your trip as we usually have multiple trips departing at one time and we would hate for you to miss anything we have planned at the beginning or end of your adventure with us!

 

Can I travel to Europe, Australia or somewhere else before or after my trip?

For sure, just let us know and we will attempt to set up a flight for you that will get you to your other destination before or after your trip with us. The added cost will depend on the extra price we will have to pay for that particular flight.

 

I have an allergy to peanuts…can I still come?

A lot of food in Thailand is cooked with peanuts but you shouldn't be too worried about it. If you take the appropriate precautions, you will be fine.

In the past we've had other travelers in the same circumstance. What we've recommended they do is:

1) Bring an epi-pen and carry it with you at all times. You can also store it at each bungalow we stay in the restaurant's fridge. Your group leader will be able to help you out with this at each destination.

2) Make sure you are informing other people in the group that you have an allergy and where to find your medication. This way, if anything were to happen...they would know what to do. The most important person to communicate this with is the group leader.

3) Usually the people that work at the Thai Consulate where you'll obtain your 60 day Thai Visa are Thai or at least speak and write Thai. Explain your situation to them (your allergy to peanuts) and ask them to write out on a card something in regards to, 'allergic to peanuts, please don't cook with peanuts'. You can then carry this card with you at all time and present it to your server at each restaurant. They will then make sure that peanuts do not come into contact with any of your food.

Be sure to let us know about any health problems when you sign up so that we can be aware of anything that may come up and will be able to ask any questions about your condition.

 

If for some unforeseen medical or family reason I cannot go, what is the cancellation policy?

If you purchase cancellation insurance for your plane ticket (which we highly recommend) and you need to cancel for any type of medical or family emergency, the full cost of the flight will be reimbursed to you. The other portion of your payments which go towards our costs of preparing the trips, advertising, etc….are  partially refundable depending at what point you cancel your trip.  The $200 deposit is non-refundable because we need to have commitments from people, so that we can turn other people away.  Each of the following payments are 50% refundable until the next payment is due – at which point they become non-refundable.  This is only because we need to pay for flights, advertising in Canada and begin paying for our SE Asian costs.  But, if you had purchased cancellation insurance on your flight and were cancelling because of an emergency, then the money for your flight could also be refunded.  One thing we want to mention is that if you do cancel, we can move any non-refundable amount that you paid to a future trip with Free & Easy so that you don't lose the money....and the option to join us again is always available!

 

I am really interested in culture and history that is completely different from our own and I would like to visit as many temples and such as I can. Are there any of these kinds of things to do except for the one in Bangkok?

While we are in the South, there are not a lot of famous temples to visit, but there is still a strong sense of the Buddhist culture that you experience while you are spending time with the local culture. At each place we visit, the temples are not necessarily the main focus for why we are visiting that place, but it can be arranged to visit these sites on your own, or with other group members. If you are looking to visit even more of the most phenomenal historical sites in Thailand I would recommend extending your return date a little and go up to Northern Thailand, Laos or Cambodia. In Chiang Mai there are lots of great temples, and while traveling to Chiang Mai you could stop in two of the former capitals of Thailand, Ayuttaya and Sukkothai. We could also help you arrange these trips when you are in Thailand. And the most awesome temple site of all is Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Transportation, visa and accommodations can all be easily arranged from Bangkok.

 

How often will we be expected to get up early? And how long does it usually take to get accustomed to the time change?

DO NOT worry about this at all. The idea of the trip is to be living care 'free', and 'easy' going, so we definitely do not plan many early mornings. There may be a couple of early mornings on days that we have to travel, but it is certainly not the norm. Also, I would expect that after a day or two that you are accustomed to the time change. For many people, it takes hardly any time to switch over because as soon as you arrive, you are too excited to be tired.

 

I hear the water in Asia is not safe to drink…should I bring my own from home?

Don’t laugh…this is a serious question with a serious answer…NO!! Although it is not recommended you drink the water out of the tap in the country you are traveling you will be able to purchase bottled water everywhere we go. So no need to pack a suitcase with a full 40 day supply of bottled water for your trip!

 

Do I need to get some shots done before I leave?

Although we have an in-house doctor on staff...Dr. Swatman...he is not registered to give anyone medical advice! From the most recent information we have received from the health clinics is people traveling to SE Asia will require shots for Hep A, Hep B, & typhoid. As well, you may need to get some additional boosters. Talk to your health clinic for more information about exactly what you need for your trip with us.

 

What type of currency is primarily used there and what is the recommend form (credit card, travellers cheque, cash) that is most accepted and most secure?

In Thailand use the Thai baht for their currency and in the Philippines it is the Peso. The easiest thing to do is just use your regular bank card from Canada in the bank machines there.

 

Generally, how large are the groups?

Group sizes can range from (including leaders) 16-24 people.  The average is 20.

 

Do I need a passport? 

Everyone who travels outside of Canada will need a passport. Wait times vary for passport approval so it is best to begin working on obtaining yours shortly after making your initial deposit.

 

Do I need a travel visa? 

It is recommended that you get a 60 Day Thai tourist visa for your 40 day trip. By doing this you not only save yourself the hassle of getting an extension during your trip but...also some cash. However, in the Philippines the process of getting a visa extension is very simple and cheap. Which means, there is no need to worry about getting a tourist travel visa to the Philippines before you leave on your epic 40 day trip!

 

Do I need travel insurance? 

Everyone traveling on a free and easy trip needs some sort of medical travel insurance. It can either be arranged through free and easy or in some cases you will be covered through your parents, work or school. What ever the case is, you will need to provide proof that you have medical coverage before you are allowed to join your 40 day trip.

 

What is the age of the majority of travelers in my group? 

Most of the people in your group will be between the ages of 18 & 27. No matter what the difference in age is...everyone joining us will have lots of things in common and be looking forward to having the most amazing experience of their life! 

 

Who will be leading my tour? 

Each group will have two free and easy group leaders to show them the best of the country you are traveling in. These pairings might be different from trip to trip but you will be notified before your departure date who your trip leaders will be so that you can add them as a friend on facebook and secretly stalk them over the internet until you can actually do it in person. All our leaders have spent loads of time in Thailand or the Philippines and will have answers to most of your questions. As well, they are there to provide you with knowledge regarding the culture and language of the country and what there is do and see in each of your trip destinations. The leaders will also help plan group outings or deal with any issue that may arise whether it's been that you have been attacked by a herd of wild elephants or you've been stung by a jelly fish and need some medical attention. All our leaders are experienced in the way of free and easy...you can feel confident they are going to be an essential part of your trip and experience. 

 

What if a group of us want to travel together?

During many points throughout the year we are running multiple trips on one particular date. Because of this reason, we need to know the information on who you will be traveling with before flights are booked and trip reservations have been made in SE Asia. Make sure you mention on your online registration you would like to be placed in the same group as your friends so we can ensure you are placed together. 

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