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EL SALVADOR 

Upon your arrival at the airport, you’ll simply be asked to pay 12$US for a tourist visa. You’ll then be allowed to stay for 90 days in the country.

ECUADOR 

Most travellers can enter Ecuador visa-free for up to 90 days for tourism.

PORTUGAL

Most travellers can enter Portugal visa-free for up to 90 days as part of the Schengen Area.

PHILIPPINES 

All international travellers are required to register and complete the eTravel Portal. This can be done within 72h before arrival or upon arrival at the latest. Travelers from 158 countries are allowed to travel to the Philippines and stay up to 30 days without a visa. It is always recommended to check with your embassy to confirm your requirements before traveling. For more detailed information, click HERE.

JAPAN

Travelers from many countries—like the U.S., U.K., Canada, much of Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia, and more—can visit Japan visa-free for short stays (up to 90 days) for tourism. Check out the full updated list of eligible countries on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan website.

FOR ALL DESTINATIONS

*Make sure that you have a travel insurance that covers Emergency Medical Coverage: Mandatory to participate in the Experience. Lots of credit cards offer coverage for short holidays. We highly suggest getting the trip cancellation coverage in the case that you’d unfortunately be unable to attend your trip.

*Your passport must be valid for a minimum of six months following your departure date.

*You must have a return ticket or onward ticket to another country. They might not let you board your flight otherwise.

**We are not responsible if a document is missing to embark on your flight. If you’re unsure, it’s always a good idea to check with your embassy to avoid any issues.

**We are not responsible for flight schedule changes / cancelled flight. We suggest purchasing refundable airline tickets and to check with your travel insurance agency what their coverage is, in the event that you would miss your trip or a part of it due to a flight change.

↠EL ZONTE, EL SALVADOR

El Salvador, once known for its high crime rates, has undergone a dramatic transformation under the leadership of President Nayib Bukele in place since 2019. El Salvador now holds the title of the safest country in Central America, a striking change from its past! Increased military presence and mass arrests of gang members have contributed to this improvement. Tourism and foreign investments are growing as a result of these security measures, and the country is undergoing a period of renewed stability and hope.

↠MONTAÑITA, ECUADOR

You might have read about street gangs and drug-related violence. However, this is happening in some precise districts of the city of Guayaquil, which you won’t visit during the retreat. The airport is located in a safe district and moreover, the tourists are not targeted by the conflict. The Salty Villa is located in a super chill beach town and is fully gated. Ecuadorians are also very welcoming 🙂

↠SIARGAO, PHILIPPINES

In your research on the Philippines, you may come across travel advisory warnings due to civil unrest or kidnappings. These warnings are specific to the Sulu Archipelago, a very remote region in the southern most part of the Philippines. The reality that you will encounter is that the country is the exact opposite. It is extremely safe, locals are generous, honest and kind. Punta Punta Surf Retreat is located in a tiny and friendly village and we have 24/7 security onsite.

* For all destinations: We advise, as with traveling anywhere, to use basic common sense in the cities, as they are more prone to pickpocketing and be mindful of your belongings. 

We’ve been spending the past years traveling through those 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 🙂 ! 

If you have the opportunity, we highly recommend to arrive earlier and/or stay longer after your trip with us as those countries has so many things to visit and enjoy!

↠EL SALVADOR

For your extra nights, there are a lot of options in El Zonte. We suggest checking Esencia Nativa, Las Golondrinas, Michanti.

↠ECUADOR

For your extra nights, there are a lot of options in Montañita. You can book extra nights at The Salty casa: Villa Barona. Otherwise we recommend 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.

↠PHILIPPINES

For your extra nights in Siargao, we recommend Surfing Temple, Bravo Resort, or you can always book extra nights at the Salty Casa: Punta Punta.

If you are flying from an International flight, you might need to spend a night in Manila or Cebu.

For Manila, we’d recommend Element Boutique Hotel, Z Hostel, Picasso Hotel.

For Cebu, we’d recommend Amani, BAI Hotel, Chambre Hotel Mactan.

↠JAPAN

Where to Stay If You’re arriving early/ staying longer:

In Tokyo (for easy Shinkansen access):

The Tokyo Station Hotel, Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyobashi, Courtyard by Marriott Tokyo Station

In Myoko (before/after the retreat):

Akakura Kanko Hotel, Oyado Furuya, Morino Lodge – Myoko or The Greenhouse Myoko (where you’ll be staying during the retreat)

 

↠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 (~$25/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 ~$200USD of cash money.

↠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 (~$25/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 with the photographer of the retreat Dana Bjarner ($280).

We recommend arriving with ~$200USD of cash money.

↠PORTUGAL

The currency in Portugal is the Euro (€). During your time with us, a few lunches and dinners are not included – expect to spend around €15–30 per meal at local restaurants. You may also want to bring a bit extra for souvenirs, coffees, or treats along the way. It’s possible to pay by card to most places.

↠PHILIPPINES

The Philippine peso (PHP), or ‘piso’ in Filipino, is the official currency of the Philippines (see exchange rates).

During your time with us, there are a few lunches & dinners (1000 – 1500PHP ≈ $15-30 per meal) that are not included.

There’s also the possibility to book a private photoshoot with the photographer of the retreat Pauline Mathiot (15 000PHP≈$280) . 

We suggest that you withdraw about 5000 to 10 000PHP ($90 to $180) when you land in Manila or at the airport in Siargao to get started. There are ATMs everywhere so it’s easy to get money. 

↠JAPAN

The currency in Japan is the Japanese Yen (¥, JPY) (see exchange rates).

During your time with us, the lunches & 4 dinners (¥1,000–4,000 ≈ $10-30 per meal)  are not included.

The possibility of renting snowboard/ski gear if needed. (The Avalanche Safety Pack – transceiver, shovel, probe can be rented at destination for $60/day or $285 for 6 days, including tax.)

We recommended bringing ~¥30 000 (~$200US). If you can’t arrive with ¥, there’s an international ATM  at the Myoko Kogen Post Office, located next to the bus terminal.

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 a return ticket or onward ticket to another country.

↠EL SALVADOR

Your destination airport is San Salvador (SAL).

↠ECUADOR

Your destination airport is Guayaquil (GYE).

↠PORTUGAL

The closest airport to our retreat in Figueira da Foz is Porto (OPO), about 1.5 hours away. But you can also fly into Lisbon (LIS), which is about 2 hours away by car or train. Both options work well – just choose the one with the best flights for you!

↠PHILIPPINES

STEP 1: Book your international flight to Manila (MNL), Cebu (CEB) or Clark (CRK).

STEP 2: Book a regional flight from your international airport to Sayak (IAO) airport via Philippine Airline or Cebu Pacific.

*NOTE: The regional flights to/from Siargao run between 5AM-5PM. Depending on the arrival of your International flight, you might need to spend one night in the city of your international airport. To avoid an overnight, aim for a 5+ hour window between your international and your regional flights. If you want to avoid an overnight in Manila / Cebu / Clark, we advise you to check the regional flight schedules prior to booking your international flight.

Your final destination airport is Sayak (IAO).

↠JAPAN

STEP 1: Book your international flight to Tokyo (Haneda or Narita)

STEP 2: Book your transfer to Myoko by bus shuttle or train.

  • The easiest option is to book a shuttle bus HERE (direct from the airport)
  • The fastest and cheapest option is the train, but it requires transfers (less convenient with ski/snowboard gear). See details HERE.

For all destinations, the recommended vaccines are: tetanus, typhoid, hepatitis, hepatitis B and COVID-19. People arriving from Panama, South America or Africa must have received the yellow fever vaccine at least 15 days before their trip to El Salvador. Otherwise, the governement of Ecuador, Philippines and Indonesia might also requires a proof of yellow fever vaccination if you are travelling 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 is required to participate to the Experience.

Lots of credit cards include travel insurance for short holidays, so we recommend checking with your bank first. If not covered, you can look into:

*When purchasing your travel insurance, also make sure that surfing (or skiing/ snowboarding) 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 and in pretty much every cafes & restaurants around.

In all our destinations (except Japan see below), the weather is warm and tropical (22°C to 33°C), so we recommend dressing lightly and comfortably.

Packing list:

  • Yoga/sports clothes
  • Bathing suits
  • Running shoes (El Salvador / Philippines)
  • A rash-guard or surf suit
  • A hat/cap
  • A reusable water bottle
  • Flip flops or comfortable sandals
  • A beach towel and/or a sarong
  • Light, casual beachwear
  • Sunscreen with a high SPF + a zinc oxide sunscreen (the best for the face while surfing). We usually have some available for sale at the villa.
  • Insect repellent
  • Hygiene products
  • Skating protective gear : only necessary for our Surf n’ Skate program in El Salvador (recommendation here)

Optional:

  • Windbreaker or long sleeve
  • Ear plugs (in case your roomie snores :P)
  • Snorkeling gear (for our Ecuador destination)
  • Dry bag for wet boat rides (for our Philippines destination)

For our ski/snowboard trip in Japan, here’s your packing list: 

-Ski / Snowboard
-Helmet
-Touring set-up for hiking days
– Ski/ Splitboard with skins and poles
⁠-or –
– ⁠Snowshoes with poles

-Touring backpack – to hold safety pack, water, and snacks

-Avalanche Safety Pack – transceiver, shovel, probe (can be rented at destination for $60/day or $285 for 6 days, including tax) . It’s the kind of things you could also borrow from a friend…

-Any extra gear you normally use in the backcountry is welcome
-Winter gear (various layers) and change of gloves

*Pretty much any item can be rented at destination, just let us know when you’ll be filling up the pre-retreat form.

 

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 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 900$US deposit to secure your spot.

4. 60 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(s). 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, 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.

Stay tuned on the good stuff!

© Salty Souls Experience 2020 | Trips sold under TRAVEL AGENCY PERMIT #703135
https://www.kathyanddave.ca/