1. The JY website itinerary is confusing for this holiday. For example, Much of day 2 is spent in transit from the UK to Santiago, so does the tour mentioned for Day 2 take place after hotel check-in? Day 13 (winners carnival parade) seems to equate to the 10th March yet i believe this parade will be held on the 9th March, is this a mistake?

2. I calculate the cost of the add-on is £799 for an extra 2 nights stay yet nothing is mentioned as to what is included in the add-on. Seems a tad expensive if my calculation is correct especially if its just for b and b.

3. How many people are booked to go on this holiday including the extension?

Regards

Steve

Yes the sightseeing on day 2 occurs after check in.

Yes you are correct – the carnival is on 9th March – (day 12) – apologies if you have seen this on the website, we are in the process of amending the information so it's correct.

The add on is 3 nights. You'll spend you're time relaxing at the 4-star Rio Othon Palace, which is ideally located on Copacabana Beach, a short distance from the centre of Rio. Hotel facilities include a restaurant, bar and a swimming pool. Bedrooms have private facilities, mini-bar, hairdryer, safe, air-conditioning and a TV.

A local guide is also on hand to show you around Rio, but there won't be a Tour Manager for the add-on.

Many thanks,

Vickie

Does the add-on include any meals?

How many people have booked the holiday?

Perhaps I can be of help in answering the part your second question, which wasn’t included in Vickie’s reply.

P167 of the new brochure shows that the Rio add-on is on a B&B basis only.

Vickie - could you answer Steve’s third question please? Namely how many people in total are booked on the date in question, and how many of those have booked the Rio add-on.

Mike

Apologies I got ahead of myself and completely missed your last question!

Mike, thank you for answering the question about meals, as you say, the hotel is on a B&B basis.

There are 20 people booked on the main trip, and 11 of those have booked the Rio add-on.

Many thanks,

Vickie

In your reply you said "a local guide will be on hand to show you around Rio"

What excatly does this mean - will they actually escort people to various places and act as a guide to the places, or will they simply offer them local tours which they can buy.

Thanks.

My aplogies, I got that wrong. I've checked with our holiday organisers and the local guide will act as a rep to ensure your airport transfers run smoothly, but otherwise they are pretty hands off to give you time to relax.

We'd love your feedback on what you would like to see from the Rio add-on, would you like a local guide to be there to escort you or to suggest local tours etc? Your feedback is much appreciated.

Thanks,

Vickie

I was in Brazil on this tour in 2012 but didn't do the add-on.  I would suggest you take Vickie up on her offer of having a local guide available to either escort you or to book you on some tours.  Rio can be a very dangerous city and many areas are off limits.  Apart from that, it is huge and some assistance would be very helpful to you and make it a stress free experience.  If you are not offered a favela excursion while you are on the main tour, I suggest you ask for this for the add-on.  I did it and it was most interesting - again, you would need to know which favelas are safe to visit and would need to do this as part of an organised tour.  Well done to Vickie and JY for offering to organise things for the add-on - Rio is certainly one place I would feel you'd be better to have structured trips than merely wandering around on your own.

All the best,

Bob

Hi Stu,

My aplogies, I got that wrong. I've checked with our holiday organisers and the local guide will act as a rep to ensure your airport transfers run smoothly, but otherwise they are pretty hands off to give you time to relax.

We'd love your feedback on what you would like to see from the Rio add-on, would you like a local guide to be there to escort you or to suggest local tours etc? Your feedback is much appreciated.

Thanks,

Vickie

Thank you for the answers Vickie but it leaves me with a dilema as I would only book this holiday with the add-on. At £266.00 per night just for B&B I am struggling to see value in the add-on.

Are you suggesting a local guide could be made available and if so would that be at an extra cost?

I would imagine you would have seen the main sights of Rio during the tour and so the extra time would be yours to relax, enjoy Rio at your own leisure or book some extra tours which usually the hotel or your local guide could arrange, in Singapore when we did the add on after Borneo, our TM leased with the local guide to arrange some extra tours, perhaps your TM when you get to Rio would arrange something extra to do via the local guide/rep

all the best

Dave

Rather than getting a local guide at extra cost, what we can try to do is get some optional excursions for the add-on, which you could choose to do if you would like. They would be guided.

It will take us at least 2 weeks to look into this and see what we can do and what excursions we can put together, and I can't guarantee it, but we'll do our very best.

Thanks,

Vickie

I think in a city like Rio, I would be very very careful wandering around on my own (and I've travelled all over the world on my own, but South America is different).

So, either booked tours or an individual guide.

To be honest, at over £260/night for just a hotel room and breakfast, I personally wouldn't do the add on, but we are all different.

Stuart