FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

The ecobrazil.com Online Service Center has the answers to most of your questions about travel to Brazil. In case your question isn't included on our list, we've provided a Customer Service Request Form, so you can contact us directly. Let us help you with all aspects of your trip to Brazil! Everything you need is online, and just a click away.
 
The most common customer queries are:

   

 Answers:

1. What are the steps to book a tour with you? Can I book my trip through the Internet?
 
The first step is to find the right tour for you. Once you decide which tour, there are two possibilities: 1) choose a preset package in a group tour with set departure dates 2) arrange your travel as an FIT (independent of any group). The advantages of a group tour are that costs are low (see our great tour prices!), you will be escorted by a tour guide at all times and certain meals and entrance fees to attractions are included in the package. When you decide to book a tour individually (FIT) the price structure depends in a variety of factors such as date, type of transportation, hotels, attractions and etc. Either way you decide, you can book your tour on-line. All you need to do is to fill out the ecobrazil.com booking form and send it to us electronically. However, for your security, to confirm your reservation and to process your payment, one of our travel specialists will contact you upon receiving the form.
 

2. Can I change my travel dates? How far in advance may I do this? Are there any penalties?
 
Yes, unless otherwise specified for a specific trip or fare (such as set group departures), changes may be made without penalty 31 days or more prior to departure, pending availability. Within 30 days, changes are subject to a $50 per person fee. Within 14 days, they are subject to a $100 per person fee. Changes or cancellations made within this time period may also be subject to fees resulting from changes in domestic flights or hotel reservations.
 

3. I would like to cancel my trip. How can I get a refund?
 
Unless otherwise specified for a specific trip or fare, you may cancel your trip and receive a refund. As we have to make non-refundable deposits with hotels and service providers to reserve space, we are obligated to charge cancellation fees for cancellations closer to the departure date. The schedule for cancellation penalties is as follows, subject to change:
 
- Up to 45 days before departure - no penalty
- 45 - 21 days before departure - 25 % penalty
- 21 - 14 days before departure - 50% penalty
- 14 days to departure date - 100% penalty (non-refundable)

4. Are the plane tickets included in the packages?
 
Unless otherwise specified for a specific trip or fare, airfare is not included in the tour price. On certain trips, airfare is included from a specified gateway city (New York, Los Angeles, Miami, et cetera). Our reservation specialists will assist you in arranging the best flights to Brazil as well as connections to your gateway city as necessary. ecobrazil.com has agreements with major airlines for economy, business and first class fares and we will arrange the best airfare available in the class category you request at the time of reservation. Note: Brazilian departure taxes (about $20 at press time) are not included in the airfare.
  
Internal flights (i.e. Rio de Janeiro to Iguazu Falls) are included unless otherwise specified. Brazilian air passes are available, which allow several flights to multiple destinations within Brazil.
 

5. Can I extend my tour?
 
Yes, you may! Check with our travel professionals for advice and options. Our tours may be fully customized, subject to logistics and availability. Two things should be taken into consideration before we set up your extension.
1. Flight availability
2. Hotel availability
  
As a rule of thumb, if you plan your extension ahead of time, you easily can find flights and hotels available at a standard price. The extra hotel days are simply added into your package price, as well as any required transfers (if necessary). Don't wait until the last minute -- last-minute bookings cost considerably more.
 

7. Do I need a visa to travel to Brazil?
 
A 90-day tourist visa (valid for five years for US citizens) obtained in advance is required by U.S. visitors to Brazil. We can provide assistance to members of ecobrazil.com in acquiring their visa (see question #14 below). For detailed embassy and consulate information, visit our visa information page. American citizens require a valid passport valid at least 6 months after your date of entry. In contrast to Brazil, a visa is not required for entry into other countries in South America, such as Argentina, Chile or Peru.
 

8. I don't like to travel by bus. Can I arrange a tour by car or plane?

Yes, you can. Just make sure to specify your preferences in the ecobrazil.com booking form before sending. Our specialist will give you a quote for any kind of request you may need. Just keep in mind that If you decide to book an individual package, it will be more expensive than the set group departure. Please contact us regarding special Brazil Air passes, which enable multiple or unlimited flights within the country within a certain time frame. If you choose to rent a car, there are extra costs involved such as gasoline and local taxes. In theory, your U.S. driver's license is valid for driving in Brazil, but it is strongly recommended that procure an international driver's license, which can be obtained at your local AAA office.
 

9. Are the attractions included in the tours?
 
All ecobrazil.com tours are designed to share the most exciting and rewarding attractions in Brazil with you. Many attractions, activities and entrance fees are included in the tours, and these are specified in the description of each tour package. Others are completely optional and have be paid for in advance or on-site. Our representatives will do their best to make available the widest array of tour options while you are in Brazil. Note: we cannot make refunds for any included features of the itineraries not used by participants during tour operation.
 

10. I bought a book two weeks ago and I have not received it yet! What should I do?
 
This website contain associations to websites operated by parties other than ecobrazil.com. Such links (Amazon.com and Nextexchange.com) are for shopping or informational purposes only and ecobrazil.com does not control such web sites and is not responsible for any merchandise, billings or any other discrepancies between the merchant and the buyer. If any problem arises, the buyer should handle the matter directly with the seller (please inform us if you have a problem with a specific merchant). Inclusion of such sites is meant to enhance our customer experience by offering products related to their travel.
 

11. Do I need any special kind of vaccination to travel to the Amazon jungle?
  
Immunization vaccinations are not required. If you intend to visit the Amazon or Pantanal areas, a vaccination for yellow fever is strongly recommended. The shots last for ten years but only take effect 10 days after inoculation, so plan ahead. Malaria is spread by mosquito bites; when travelling in the Amazon regions, one should take proper precautions by bringing mosquito repellent containing DEET and by wearing long pants and long-sleeve shirts, especially after sunset. You may wish to take anti malarial tablets such as mefloquine; consult your physician for suitable tablets and the proper dosage. It is not recommended to drink tap water in South America. The water in cities is treated and chlorinated. For other concerns, please consult our specialists before departure. The Centers for Disease Control is a fairly reliable source for health information while travelling in developing countries.

If you have special medical conditions or take prescription drugs, it is strongly advised to bring copies of medical documentation with you in case of emergency.
 

12. I don't know if my own ability level is appropriate for your tours or activities. Can I take a trip for "softies"?
 
ecobrazil.com offers many different levels of activities in our tours. So, to give our customers a better understanding of our tours, we decided to grade them based on fitness level. The difficulty levels are simply basic guidelines for you to integrate our tours and activities with your general level of fitness and should not be considered the final word since each individual has different abilities. We recommend that you discuss the details and difficulties of each tour with our tour specialists. They are ready to help you find the right tour for you!
 

13. How old is your company and what is your experience?
 
ecobrazil.com, Inc. is a brand-new, 100% privately-held tour operator company which specializes in ecotourism and adventure travel packages to Brazil. ecobrazil.Com is a byproduct of the 11-year old Florida Network Tours, an ascendant leader in guided group tours to Brazil. Florida Network Tours has organized diverse group tours throughout the United States, Central America and South America, with an emphasis on Brazil (FNT maintains a full-time office in Sao Paulo). FNT's line of clients includes the European travel giants TUI of Germany, Kras Stervakanties in the Netherlands, and Vögele and Direkt Reisen in Switzerland.
 

14. What are the advantages of becoming an ecobrazil.com member?
 
By become a member of ecobrazil.com family, you can enjoy:
- Our action-packed monthly newsletter on Brazilian travel
- Exclusive offers
- Travel counseling
- Free e-cards (greeting cards, etc.)
- 10% off on your first vacation
- Free maps and tourist guides
- Participation in our sweepstakes
- and more
 

15. I lost my vouchers. What should I do?
 
You should contact our office immediately, by e-mail at cs@ecobrazil.com or call us at (954) 921-3838.
 

16. I can't find the answer for my question in your FAQ page or anywhere else. Should I call you?
 
ecobrazil.com is improving our FAQ constantly and with your help, we'd like to build a complete information center for questions and answers. We appreciate your input, so if you can't find the answer for your question in this page, please fill out our questionnaire form. We appreciate your help and promise to respond to your question in a timely manner.
 

17. How well-trained are your tour guides? What languages) do they speak?
 
Our qualified tour guides, licensed by Embratur, are handpicked by the company owners. We test their communication skills, character, knowledge of history and geography as well as their psychological conditioning, which is vital in managing tour groups and especially adventure tours. As a minimum requirement, all of our tour guides are required to speak Portuguese, English and Spanish fluently.
 

18. Does ecobrazil.com offer an Internet Affiliate Program?
  
At the moment we're not offering the affiliate program on our site. It is in our plans to start the program by the end of 2000. If you are interested in this program, send us your e-mail and we'll contact you when we commence program operations.
 

19. I'm a travel agency proprietor and I would like to sell your product to my clients. Whom should I contact?
 
ecobrazil.com offers travel agencies the ETNC (ecobrazil Travel Network Club) partnership program. This attractive club program presents members with a commission structure that varies according to your performance. The more you sell, the higher is your commission percentage is. Every member will be set up with their own ETNC page were they can check their customer reservations and commission information at any time. At the end of the fiscal year, we present our Toucan Award to our highest-performing members.
 

20. What should a hotel do to be part of ecobrazil's network of hotel and accommodations providers?
  
The first step is to contact our operations department to establish a relationship. The second step is to send a detailed hotel description including location, amenities, classification, renovations, images etc... The third step is a visit by one of our representatives for us to physically inspect the hotel so we may recommend it to our customers.
 

21. Can I get a job at ecobrazil.com?
 
At this moment, ecobrazil.com does not have any full-time positions available. We are, however, accepting resumes for reservation operators, marketing and sales personnel, tour guides and receptionists. Students are encouraged to inquire about internships at our Florida office.
 

22. Are you a travel agency or a tour operator?
 
ecobrazil.com is a tour operator that specializes in ecotourism and adventure travel packages to Brazil with low cost and high quality service. Our forte is selling volume tour packages to major travel agencies. However, with new technology such as Internet-based booking we're also offering individual travel packages on-line.
 

23. Is your company participating in any conventions or trade shows in the near future?
  
A representative of ecobrazil.com recently attended the It & Me Motivation Show in Chicago from October 10-12. Check back for further show announcements.
 

24. My company is interested in partnering and co-branding with ecobrazil.com. Whom should we contact?
 
ecobrazil.com, like most dot-com companies, believes that success in this industry comes with hard work, a hands-on approach to customer relations, quality tours and rewarding partnerships. In order to offer all this requirements we believe in forming partnerships with the right companies. For more information please contact Andre Araujo at marketing@ecobrazil.com or call us at (954) 456-7686 for information.
 

25. How can we advertise in your web-site? Do you accept banner exchanges?
  
ecobrazil.com offers advertisers the opportunity to target to an audience of leisure travelers through banner advertising on our site. For pricing and banner options and specifications, please visit our advertising page. See link below. As for banner exchanges, ecobrazil.com will only accept offers that:
 
- improve our site with valuable information
- have information that's related to our site (e.g.. Airlines, hotels, activities, travel gear)
 

26. I'm a professional photographer and would I would like to promote my pictures in your site. How can I do it?
 
As a matter of fact, ecobrazil.com is looking for new pictures to enhance our website. We love to promote all artists such as photographers, painters and musicians who can help us to show Brazil's treasures' and diverse environments. Our main mission at ecobrazil is to show the whole world the Brazilian natural beauty, eccentricities, customs and cultures. As we like to say at ecobrazil: "Ecobrazil Tours is Where Your Adventure Begins"
 

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