Quality
Quality is our number one priority, quality of horses, quality of food, quality of accommodation and quality of experience for you the client. You can rest assured that the quality of the holidays we have on offer are the best in the business and have been personally checked out by our staff and/or friends.
Riding Ability
We rate each holiday as suitable for a beginner, intermediate or advanced rider. It is very important to take note of these requirements as they will ensure you and the rest of the group get the best out of your holiday. We know all our outfitters and rides extremely well so we encourage you to contact us to discuss your abilities as we can guide you to perhaps a ride with higher quality horses or conversely less spirited horses depending on your needs. We also have some holidays that can work for an experienced rider with a less experienced or even a non-riding partner. Our terminology of abilities is:
Beginner – We have a few holidays for total beginners but we highly recommend you come on our holidays with at least a series of lessons under your belt. Being able to mount, dismount, rise to the trot, a short canter and control a horse in a group.
Intermediate – You are well balanced and can walk, trot and canter and control a horse at all paces in open terrain. You are confident and able to ride for several hours at a time.
Advanced – You ride on a regular basis, have an independent seat and soft hands, are capable of adapting to terrain and different horses. You can confidently ride a spirited horse in open country and spend the whole day in the saddle.
The Horses and The Hosts
What makes the perfect horse riding holiday are the horses, the hosts and the people in the group. We have many stories of long term friendships created on these holidays and there is a great chance you’ll be with like minded souls. The horses and the hosts have both been selected for their quality and ability to make your holidays unforgettable. Our hosts are as passionate about horse riding as you and mostly breed and school their own horses. You won’t find a riding school horse amongst our holidays, although for the beginners some of our dude ranches have decent schoolmasters.
As well as the quality of the riding you’ll find our hosts know that most of us enjoy a bit of “craic” in the evenings and the social element of the holiday is as key as the horse riding. Please contact us to get more details on the horses and hosts for your chosen holiday.
Solo Travellers and Single Supplements
Our holidays are all conducted in small groups. We do not agree with mass market holidays since we believe they cannot give you a real travel experience. We have a lot of solo travellers who join our holidays as it is a great way to meet like minded souls. The single supplement can often be avoided if you are prepared to share a twin room or tent with someone of the same sex. If you require your own room then a single supplement always applies and can vary from 10-25% of the holiday price. Please ask us for details on the single supplement policy of your preferred holiday.
Private Rides
Most of our rides can be joined by you as an individual, a couple or group of friends. We can also tailor-make private rides for groups or couples on a more exclusive basis so please call us to discuss.
The Accommodation
Some of us need to stay in 5* luxury to enjoy our holiday, some of us are content with camping in order to reach more remote areas of this world. Whatever your preference, we guarantee the horse riding experience is never compromised and we state very clearly the type of accommodation provided, so there will be no nasty surprises and to make it easy for you to choose. If there are no WC facilities in the Andes we tell you. If our ranch is of 5* standard you can be sure we know it is from personal experience.
The Horse Riding
The most common comment we get from guests in relation to the horse riding is how they couldn’t believe the expanse of space that was available to ride. Unfortunately we are quite restricted in this country, so to be able to ride for days without encountering a fence or hedge is quite an experience. Please contact us for specific details on the terrain and type of riding on your chosen holiday.
Insurance
You must be adequately insured in order to travel with us and you must provide us with proof that you have adequate coverage should a medical emergency occur on your holiday.We also strongly recommend you take out cancellation insurance in case you have to cancel your holiday for unforeseen reasons.
Flights
Our brochure prices do not include flights, however we have a partner who specialises in that area, and has access to over 1,000,000 fares and via their expertise we can offer excellent rates. We are delighted to quote and book flights on your behalf. Often they know the best routes to get to your destination. Should you wish to book flights independently please wait until you receive written confirmation from us via email that your chosen holiday is available.
Add-Ons
Many of our holidays can be combined with a few days added before or afterwards and we have some excellent choices we are happy to recommend. One popular choice is a weeks horse riding followed by a week chilling out on a beach. More cultural tours such as visiting the Taj Mahal in India or wine tasting in Argentina are also available. We are extremely well travelled and well connected so please call us to discuss further.
Financial Security
ZarasPlanet Ltd is registered in the UK and Ireland and fully licensed and bonded as a travel company with the Commission for Aviation Regulation. All holidays sold by us are protected by the CAR bonding scheme. Our travel agency license is 0643.
Prices
Prices are quoted in Sterling. Prices are generally all inclusive with the exception of flights. Details and exceptions are always specified in the “Excluded” heading. Generally included are local transfers, horses and equipment, guides and full time hosts, all meals, drinks (usually including alcohol except for in the US), back up vehicles on treks, accommodation, entrance fees where applicable, sight seeing where applicable. This means our holidays are exceptionally good value. We charge a 2.5% surcharge if you wish to pay by credit card. We accept cheques and bank transfers at no surcharge.
How to Book
Well you’ve decided you want to go on a holiday so what are the next steps?
1. Call or email us to check availability
Tel: 08444 870 300 or email: info@zarasplanet.co.uk
We will confirm availability and send you a booking form to complete which you fax, email or post back to us. We can usually hold places on the holiday for 10 days while we wait for receipt of the booking form. We can only hold flights for 24 hours to guarantee the quoted price, then they must be fully paid for upfront and ticketed.
3. Once we receive the booking form and deposit (which varies depending on the operators terms, but is never more than 50% of the cost of the holiday) we will send you an invoice to confirm your booking.
4. We will send you air tickets if you booked via us and a dossier containing details of the trip; what to bring, what to expect, how to prepare, emergency contact details etc.
5. 10 weeks prior to the trip we will contact you for payment of the balance, which will be due 8 weeks prior to the trip commencing.
