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 24h/7 guardian. You’ll see, Salvadorians are actually the most welcoming people ever!
↠ECUADOR
Ecuador is politically stable and safe to travel to. The village where you will be staying is a small and quiet surfer town and there is a 24h/7 guardian at the villa.
↠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, Puro Surf, Palo Verde, Michanti.
↠ECUADOR
For your extra nights, we suggest checking La Finca Punta Ayampe, La Buena Vida or La Tortuga which are located in Ayampe village, a few steps away from the Salty Casa.
If you wish to stay in Montañita (a more touristic and lively town located 30 mins south from Ayampe), we recommend Balsa Surf House or Kundalini.
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 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.
Since it is an all-inclusive adventure, you’ll only need money for your visa on arrival (12$), 3 to 4 meals at the restaurant (5-20$/meal), to buy souvenirs and to treat yourself with a massage if you desire (45-65$).
~250$USD of pocket money should be sufficient for your time with us.
*If you need a COVID-19 PCR test to return back home, plan another 150$US extra.
*We recommend arriving with your money, since there is no ATM in the village.
↠ECUADOR
The U.S dollar is the official currency of Ecuador.
Since it is an all-inclusive adventure, you’ll only need money for 3 to 4 meals at the restaurant (10-20$/meal), to buy souvenirs and to treat yourself with a massage if you desire (45-65$).
~250$USD of pocket money should be sufficient for your time with us.
*If you need a COVID-19 PCR test to return back home, plan another 150$US extra.
*We recommend arriving with your money, since there is no ATM machine in Playa Ayampe.
↠INDONESIA
The Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) is the national currency of Indonesia (see exchange rates).
During your time with us, there are 6 lunches (100-150K IDR = ~ 10$US per lunch) + 3 dinners (200-300K IDR = ~25$US per dinner) that are not included. You’ll also have the possibility to treat yourself with a massage at the villa (160K IDR =~15$US) and you might want to keep some money to buy some souvenirs 😉
~250$USD of pocket money should be sufficient for your time with us.
*We always recommend arriving with your money. If you don’t, you can change some on the way to the villa. Simply ask our driver to make a stop at one of the various ”money changer”.
It’s super easy to buy your flight ticket online.
We would recommend booking through sites like skyscanner.com, kayak.com/flights or google.com/flights which allow you to compare the different airline deals.
If you are flexible, look up for the “± 3 days” option, which allows you to see the most advantageous airfares in a little range of days.
Here’s some advices to find the best flight fares!
* Make sure that your passport is valid for a minimum of 6 months following the departure date and that you have all the required documents concerning COVID-19.
↠ECUADOR
Your destination airport is Guayaquil (GYE).
↠EL SALVADOR
Your destination airport is San Salvador (SAL).
↠INDONESIA
Your destination airport is Denpasar (DPS).
↠EL SALVADOR
No visa is required to enter the country. Upon your arrival at airport, you’ll simply be asked to pay 12$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
You are permitted to stay for 30 days in Indonesia. You can get your Visa directly at the airport in Denpasar, Bali. It is free for the citizens of the 169 countries listed here.
If you wish to stay in Indonesia for more than 30 days, you can ask for a Visa-on-Arrival when you’ll be at customs. Visa-on-Arrival are valid for 30 days and are extendable with another 30 days to be applied at Immigration offices in Indonesia. Visa-on-Arrival cost 35$USD.
An other option is to apply online for a 60-day Visa before departure.
For details and inquiries, we recommend to contact the Indonesian Embassy in your home country.
* The answers above apply to the majority of the countries in America, Europe & to Australia. Please check online to be 100% sure about your personal situation.
↠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 require 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.
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, one long sleeve shirt, running shoes and 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, please bring your own yoga mat :).
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, that is why we can’t give a full refund.
This is our cancellation policy :
– The deposit is not refundable
– 45 to 59 days prior to arrival: 25% of the trip after deposit is not refundable.
– 30 to 44 days prior to arrival: 50% of the trip after deposit is not refundable.
– 15 to 29 days prior to arrival: 75% of the trip after deposit is not refundable.
*For cancellations made less than 15 days before departure date, we can’t offer a refund.
*For cancellations made due to developing COVID-19 symptoms prior to departure or a positive COVID-19 PCR test, we will offer a travel credit of the same amount, that can be used on any further trip of the same value, any of our destinations, with no expiry date.
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.