Visit this page for Borders, Measures & Requirements.
↠EL SALVADOR
It is true that there is existing conflicts between the street gangs and the government. However, this instability is happening in some precise districts of the city of San Salvador, which you won’t visit during the retreat. The airport, even if named like the capital, isn’t actually located in the city, so you won’t find yourself in a dangerous situation there either. Moreover, the tourists are not targeted by the conflict. The Salty Villa is located in a quiet beach town (El Zonte), and is fully gated with a guardian. You’ll see, Salvadorians are so welcoming!
↠ECUADOR
Ecuador is politically stable and safe to travel to. The village where you will be staying is a small surfer town and there is a guardian at the villa. Ecuadorians are also very welcoming 🙂
↠INDONESIA
A developing country with active volcanic regions might seem scary but let us reassure you, most of Indonesia- Bali included- is safe to travel to. The media sometimes exaggerates the real situation and forgets to mention the vast distances between the islands. Bali is often used as a reference because it’s the most famous and touristic island of Indonesia. The villa where you’ll be staying is located in a beautiful and quiet part of the island, and is gated with a guardian 24/7.
* We’ve been spending the past 5 years traveling through those 3 countries and we personally have never felt unsafe. We make sure to offer safe conditions and give security advices for each trip. You should not be worrying 🙂 !
↠EL SALVADOR
For your extra nights, there are a lot of options in El Zonte. We suggest checking Esencia Nativa, Palo Verde, Michanti.
↠ECUADOR
For your extra nights, there are a lot of options in Montañita. We suggest checking Kundalini or Balsa Surf House .
If you prefer to stay in Guayaquil for your nights before/after to take advantage of the free airport transfert included in the Experience , we recommend the Holiday Inn and Oro verde. They are located super close to the airport and offer the possibility to have a airport shuttle.
↠INDONESIA
If you have the opportunity, we highly recommend to arrive earlier and/or stay longer after your trip with us as Bali has so many things to visit and enjoy! There are a lot of options for accommodation and it’s pretty easy to book through booking.com, agoda.com or airbnb. With these search engines, you’ll be able to put some filters to get the best options for you (which area you’d like to be, what’s your budget, etc). The Villa where you’ll be staying during your time with us is located in Bingin in the Bukit area and there’s plenty of homestay and hotel options close by.
↠EL SALVADOR
The U.S dollar is the official currency of El Salvador.
This trip is an all-inclusive adventure, but you’ll need money for your visa on arrival (12$), 3 to 4 meals at the restaurant (~20$/meal), and to buy souvenirs and/or Salty Souls apparel if you want to.
There’s also the possibility to treat yourself with a massage (45-60$), book a private photoshoot with Pauline Mathiot (280$) and a private sound healing session with Ligia Jimenez (75$) .
We recommend bringing ~250$USD of pocket money.
*If you need a COVID-19 PCR test to return back home, plan another 60$US extra.
↠ECUADOR
The U.S dollar is the official currency of Ecuador.
This trip is an all-inclusive adventure, but you will need some cash money for 3 to 4 meals at the restaurant (~20$/meal), and to buy souvenirs and/or Salty Souls apparel if you want to.
There’s also the possibility to treat yourself with a massage (45-60$) and to book a private photoshoot (280$).
We recommend arriving with ~250$USD of cash money.
*If you need a COVID-19 PCR test to return back home, plan another 60$US extra.
↠INDONESIA
The Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) is the national currency of Indonesia (see exchange rates).
During your time with us, there are 6 lunch & 3 dinners ( 150-350K IDR ≈ 20-30$US per meal) that are not included.
There’s also the possibility to treat yourself with a massage (≈ 20$US) and to book a private photoshoot with the photographer of the retreat Pauline Mathiot (280$US).
You will also need to pay 500 000IDR (35$US) upon arrival for your VoA (Visa on Arrival).
~We recommend bringing ~250$USD or 3.500.000 IDR of pocket money.
*If you need a COVID-19 PCR test to return back home, plan another 50$US extra.
*If you can’t arrive with IDR in hands, we recommend bringing $US cash and change your money on the way to the villa. Simply ask our driver to make a stop at one of the various ”money changer”.
It’s super easy to buy your flight ticket online.
We would recommend booking through sites like skyscanner.com, kayak.com/flights or google.com/flights which allow you to compare the different airline deals.
If you are flexible, look up for the “± 3 days” option, which allows you to see the most advantageous airfares in a little range of days.
Here’s some advices to find the best flight fares!
* Make sure that your passport is valid for a minimum of 6 months following the departure date and that you have all the required documents concerning COVID-19.
↠INDONESIA
Your destination airport is Denpasar (DPS).
↠ECUADOR
Your destination airport is Guayaquil (GYE).
↠EL SALVADOR
Your destination airport is San Salvador (SAL).
↠EL SALVADOR
No visa is required to enter the country. Upon your arrival at airport, you’ll simply be asked to pay 12$US for a touristic card. You’ll then be allowed to stay for 90 days in the CA-4 (union between El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Costa Rica).
↠ECUADOR
No visa necessary. A maximum stay of 90 days in the country is authorized to regular tourists.
↠INDONESIA
Upon arrival, you will be ask to pay for your Visa on Arrival (VoA). This visa allows you to stay 30 days in Indonesia with the possibility of extending your stay for another 30 days.
- Price: 500,000 IDR (35$US)
- Pay at the VoA counter in cash (EUR, GBP, AUD, USD, SGD, IDR) or by mastercard/ visa.
More infos about the VoA.
↠EL SALVADOR, ECUADOR & INDONESIA
For all destinations, we highly suggest that you get your COVID-19 vaccination, including both doses if appropriate for that vaccine make at least 14 days prior to departure.
The other recommended vaccines are: tetanus, typhoid, hepatitis A and hepatitis B. The government of El Salvador, Ecuador & Indonesia requires a proof of yellow fever vaccination if you are traveling from a country with risk of yellow fever (see list of countries with risk of yellow fever transmission). On that list, it says that Ecuador has risks of yellow fever transmission, but this is only for the Amazonia, which you won’t be visiting during your trip with us.
*If you’re planning on visiting an other area than the one we propose, you should consult a health travel clinic.
A travel insurance that covers Emergency Medical Coverage, including COVID-19 medical coverage is required to participate to the Experience.
Lots of credit cards offer coverage for short holidays. We advise you to check with your bank. Otherwise, here’s a list of travel insurances covering COVID-19.
*When purchasing your travel insurance, also make sure that surfing is an activity covered by your insurer.
*We highly suggest adding the trip cancellation coverage in the case that you’d unfortunately be unable to attend your trip.
Of course! We actually think it would be a more profitable Experience done in solo! No matter if you come with a friend or are flying solo, we promise you’ll never feel alone 🙂
Yes, there is some WiFi at the house -sometimes a bit slow, but we promise to keep you entertain so you don’t need it that much ;)- and in pretty much every cafes & restaurants around.
The weather in Ecuador, El Salvador & Indonesia is warm and tropical (between 22°C and 33°C), therefore you should be dress lightly. We recommend bringing yoga/sports clothes, bathing suits, a rash-guard for surfing, a hat/cap, a reusable water bottle, running shoes, a beach towel. A sunscreen with a high SPF (a zinc base sun protection is the best for the face while surfing- we usually have some available for purchase at the villa) and insect repellant containing DEET are highly recommended.
For the Yoga & Surf program in El Salvador & Ecuador, bring your own yoga mat :).
For the YOW Surf n’ Skate program in El Salvador, bring your own skating protective gear (recommendation here)
For Indonesia, because we surf over a reef break, you might want to bring surf booties (optional)
We understand that life is unpredictable, that’s why we will try to accommodate each of you the best we can. However, the cancellation of a trip will generate fees for us, and that’s why we only offer travel credits.
This is our cancellation policy :
– The deposit is not refundable
– 45 to 59 days prior to arrival: we will offer 75% of the value of your trip as a travel credit, valid for 24 months.
– 30 to 44 days prior to arrival: we will offer 50% of the value of your trip as a travel credit, valid for 24 months.
– 15 to 29 days prior to arrival: we will offer 25% of the value of your trip as a travel credit, valid for 24 months.
*For cancellations made less than 15 days before departure date, we unfortunately can’t offer any credit.
*We highly suggest purchasing a travel insurance with a trip cancellation coverage in order to get a refund in the case that you’d unfortunately be unable to attend your trip.
1. Fill up the application form.
2. We will send you an email confirming your admission and the availability of the requested dates.
3. Pay your 700$US deposit to secure your spot.
4. 45 days prior to departure, the payment of the balance will be required.
Of course ! Once we’ve received your application form, we will get in touch with you and invite you to tell us about your allergies or food restriction. This way, we will be able to plan the meals consequently and offer you an option if there is a meal that doesn’t suit your needs.
Depending where you’re from and to which of our destinations you are traveling (Indonesia, Ecuador or El Salvador), you might OR might not need a power plug adapter 😛
You can refer to this website to know if you need one and if yes, which one is recommended.
