Tucan Travel has teamed up with international conservation charity World Land Trust to offer travellers the chance to compensate for their carbon emissions through WLT’s Carbon Balanced scheme. World Land Trust is a not-for-profit organisation, and Tucan Travel will promote its carbon offsetting programme to travellers. Tucan Travel will not profit from any contributions their clients make to the charity. Read furtherHowever this is for overland travellers to compensate for their flight emissions. In later months they plan to unveil a new scheme whereby travellers can also offset their land-based emissions.

By including the Budget brand, Tucan now offers travel across five continents. Budget tours have been incorporated as a fifth travel style.

Tucan at the same time have refreshed their website and have improved and upgraded forum sections and search facilities. As part of their re-structure they are offering new deals. Check out the discounts.

740Tucan Travel and Budget Expeditions?have announced the first of 10 new custom built Mercedes Benz Actros vehicles which will carry groups of up to 34 passengers on expeditions in East and Southern Africa from 01 March 2008. To celebrate, Budget Expeditions?are offering a 25% discount off?East and Southern Africa tours for departures between 01 March and 30 June 2008.

Post elections violence has erupted across major cities in Kenya including Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa. There have been just over a hundred deaths reported in violence across the country. In addition the government appears to be?enforcing?a news blackout, whilst reports have filtered out of both fuel and money shortages from ATMs, causing concern?amongest tourist already in Kenya.
The UK Foreign Office has advised Britons against all but essential travel to parts of Kenya, including Nairobi city centre and some districts in Mombasa.

Update 3 Jan 08: The violence has continued and the UK, New Zealand and Australian governments are currently advising travellers against visiting the country until further notice.

Tucan News update: Budget Expeditions operates a number of itineraries which visit parts of Kenya, however these tours do not depart until mid March 2008 and as such no passengers have been affected by the unrest. If any itineraries need to be changed, we will let passengers know as soon as possible in advance of their departure date.

Oasis Overland: Trips Departing Nairobi on 21 January and later
Our trips departing, or travelling through Kenya, later in January are still planned to depart on time. We will be continually assessing the situation and will update those booked on future trips if we make any changes to the itinerary.

Kumuka:? Have made a number of changes to their departure points.

Dragoman: They have modified several of their itineraries.

Update: 17th Jan? - UK advice ?is still not to travel to Kenya and charter flights are on hold but will be reviewed again on Monday.

From the 30th November 2007?Yellow Fever certificates were required for travellers seeking entry into Costa Rica who?were arriving from the countries listed below. Travellers?are required to have inoculation 10 days prior to arrival.

America’s - Bolivia, Brazil,?Colombia including San Andres, Ecuador, French Guyana, Peru, Venezuela

Africa - Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameron, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gab?n, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leonne?and Sudan.

In addition?Tucan have reported that all visitors to Bolivia are now required to show a valid Yellow Fever vaccination certificate at the border.

Tucan Travel tours are now able to visit the Ballestas Islands. Regrettably?they are?unable to stay overnight in Pisco as the earthquake damage has not enabled all services to resume.?They hope that by early 2008?they will be able to return to Pisco. Read More

This will be held at Cole Harbour Public Library, 51 Forest Hills Parkway, Cole Harbour, Attendance will be free of charge. The talk will be based on Cuba and Beyond the Beaches. Whilst at 7pm at the?Halifax Spring Garden Public Library, 5381 Spring Garden Road, Halifax, they will be talking on Peru and Brazil based trips. Again attendance will be free of charge

With the US Dollar so low against both the UK pound and the Euro it has been a good time to travel to countries which use the US dollar as currency.? In additon as the Canadian Dollar recently hit par with the United States Dollar, Tucan Travel?is offering any?new bookings made from 28th September 2007 would be charged at the same price as published in USD. This?can represent a saving of 10% off the current brochure prices. As always you should be aware of currency rates when paying for trips and make sure you are making the most of your money.

A Catergory Five hurricane hit the Yucatan Peninsula and is now heading into Mexico where it is expected to make landfall again on Wednesday in the state of Veracruz on the central Mexican coast.

Kumuka
There are no Kumuka groups in Central America at this moment

Tucan
Although the hurricane may not directly affect any tours at this point, it may in the weeks and months to come. Read More

A 7.9 earthquake has hit 145KM of the coast of Peru and has caused extensive damages and 337 fatalities however this figure is rising. The quake struck at 2341 GMT 15th August. Powerful aftershocks have also been felt ranging from magnitudes of 5.4 to 5.9.

The provence of inca has been worst affected whilst traffic has been paralyzed on the Pan American Highway by giant cracks in the pavement and fallen power lines.

If you have friends and family on overlanding trips in the area please contact the company they have been travelling for information.

Tucan News update
We have accounted for all of our tour members and have asked them to make contact with family members as soon as possible. At this stage all tours outside of the Pisco region are operating as normal

GAP Adventures Update
Our ‘Peru Earthquake Advisory’ for travellers booked on trips
www.gapadventures.com/your_adventures/destination_update#26

Kumuka Update
Some Tours have been affected. Read More