FAQS & PREPARATION

How do we know we are in good hands?

The security and safeguarding of the participants on our trips is our top priority. Each programme adheres to British Standards (BS8848) guidance to ensure that you are well prepared, safely guided, and your welfare is protected.

Each visit is carefully risk assessed with medical/ consent processes and through signed agreements of codes of conduct. We have robust incident management protocols, and communication processes to keep each participant safe from arrival to departure. All of your finances are securely protected through Travel Vault. We carefully follow FCDO advice.

If you have any questions about our safety and security measures, please do get in touch.

  • The visit is carefully risk assessed according to the needs of the chosen programme, with incident management protocols and security procedures put in place. Agreement is established through completion of our pre-departure preparation processes as detailed below. Our risk assessment documentation can be viewed and sent on request.

  • All travel projects provided by Stepwell conform to British Standard 8848:2014 which is the British Standard for organising and managing visits, fieldwork, expeditions, and adventurous activities outside the UK.

  • All our travel projects are run following The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice. FCDO advice is carefully monitored and we have the resources and processes to react quickly should that advice change. For the latest travel advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office check: www.gov.uk/travelaware

  • In accordance with current travel regulations your finances are protected securely through Financial Travel Vault which is authorised and regulated by The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). ABTA, ATOL and AITO also recognise them.

  • We hold Tour Operators combined Public and Professional Liability insurances. Our Publicly Liability cover is £2 million, relevant to the services we provide and our customer number. .

What are the planning processes?

When you first contact us we will work with you to find out what your interests, priorities and wish lists are. We will then tweak and develop the project you are joining to ensure we meet your needs.

You may wish to design your own project entirely and travel as a group of friends or as a family. This is how we work with schools and universities, and each project is unique.

The planning is the fun part of the preparation proces. Please take a look at our locations and past projects to find out more about what we can do, and call us to request ideas. We will support you fully in drafting a travel project that meets your needs.

After the itinerary has been planned the steps as detailed below are less exciting, but they help us support you and keep you safe and secure:

  • When a travel project is initiated we establish an agreement through the completion and signing of terms and conditions of booking. This is retained by both parties and serves as a contract of service.

  • Participants are required to complete our detailed medical and consent form well before travel which allows us to complete and individualise our risk assessments for each group. We send each group a link in order to complete these forms.

  • We require that the participants adhere to and meet our health and safety guidelines and codes of conduct. These are found in our preparation material and as a section of our medical and consent online form. We require all participants to complete and sign this form before departure. This is mandatory for all school groups for participants under 18. The code of conduct form is co-signed by parents and students. Parents will be sent a link to the form to review and sign.

  • For our school groups we establish robust communication protocols through our risk assessment and incident management procedures, assigning clarity of roles of specific responsibilities which are agreed and signed by allocated staff.

    Our adult trips are run on the basis and agreement that you are joining a group of independent adults and will be responsible for your own safety alongside the support, care and guidance that we provide throughout.

How will we be prepared?

We have a thorough pre-trip preparation process. From booking until the trip ends in India, we provide full support. For school or university trips, we work closely with staff to tailor the program to the group's needs, and interests, aligning closely with trip operational logistics.

  • We arrange an optional meeting at a convenient time and location for participants during which time we will go through an outline of the whole visit, and it will be an opportunity to chat about the journey and to have any initial questions answered.

    The second meeting is likely to be online, but can be in person if required. At this time we carefully go through the preparation pack together and to cover your needs and questions, looking specifically at health and safety guidance, how to travel responsibly in India and how to stay safe. For school groups we can visit your school to meet with parents for both these meetings.

  • The participants will then be sent a comprehensive preparation pack. This pack includes all our pre-trip operational logistics, the detail of the travel itinerary, information about the accommodation and facilities of where you will be staying, travel advice, kit lists, and health and safety guidance. The pack will give advice and guidance for obtaining flights, visas immunisation and medical preparation, and insurance. We require that your flights are purchased through a travel company that provides ATOL protection for your bookings.

  • Often a social media group will be created for keeping all participants, or only the staff, in touch with each other before during and after the visit, for sharing common questions and logistical information. For our school groups we establish robust communication protocols through our risk assessment and incident management procedures, assigning clarity of roles and responsibilities which are agreed and signed by allocated staff.

  • In India each group will be accompanied throughout the programme by your facilitators from Stepwell who have updated DBS checks, und understand the context and culture of the area extremely well, who will interpret, explain and facilitate the process, and will guide you.

  • On arrival in India the participants will be provided with a resource booklet created specifically for their visit which will again highlight health and safety for travel in India, and will include essential contact details, practicalities, the itinerary, logistical information, and risk management protocol. It will contain study material for their journey to support the experiences and excursions, set within a broader context of India. For schools and Universities this resource material will include a series of curriculum linked located case studies developed to support the relevant curriculum or area of research for each group.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Each travel project varies slightly due to the bespoke nature of what we do. Please do check our upcoming project details where you will find further information.

Here are our main FAQ’s which may be useful as you make your plans, please do be in touch if you would like to ask any further questions:

  • You will stay in simple but comfortable hotels, guest houses, and homestays, which have shared space for discussions and evening get-togethers. We carefully choose the accommodation providers with an aim to enable connectivity with local communities, authenticity, and sustainability.

    The accommodation will be mainly in twin shared accommodation. Student groups will be a mix of twin and dorm accommodation. If you wish to have a single room please let us know, and please do be in touch with any individual requirements regarding acccommodation.

  • Most of the travel will be in minibuses and taxis. We will take overnight sleeper train journeys and use autorickshaws, and boats for local transport. Some travel projects will involve jeep and boat safari’s and some may include an overnight houseboat journey.

    Some days will involve very early mornings, and some days will involve a lot of travelling from one location to another, where the journey is at the heart of the day’s activities, as opposed to simply a means to getting somewhere. You will be able to ask questions at each place that we stop. Questioning, enquiry, exploring, and observing are all very much part of the process of travelling.

  • Kiran Sahi from the Stepwell Team takes the lead for all of our trips supported by our coordinating team in India. Each trip is a guided and supported travel experience and you will be accompanied by our team throughout. They will coordinate and meet with you before the trip to talk through the process of the journey and how to prepare. They will meet you on arrival in India and will guide you throughout the journey to interpret, explain and facilitate the journey, and will ensure you are safely transferred to the airport for your depature. Our leaders are all DBS checked.

  • The costs for each of our journeys vary, depending on the needs of the suggested itinerary of travel and accommodation and the size of the group. As a guide, our projects range in cost from around £700 to £1200 per week (without flight.) School and student groups are at the lower end of our prices. The final cost will depend on the final itinerary that you choose and the number of people travelling together. We hope that this will help to give a sense of the cost involved. Please be in touch with us and we will send you the suggested itinerary, the relevant cost, and what is included.

  • We include everything for our school trips. This means all pre-departure meetings, transfers and transport (in country), food, accommodation, entrance costs, guidance and facilitation are included. They’ll also receive our comprehensive preparation pack.

    Our costs are excluding flights as these fluctuate a great deal, and so we require that they are purchased by the school as part of a group booking.

    Visas, vaccinations, personal expenditure are not included. Students may need about £100 spending money to bring with them.

    Travel insurance is not included: this is mandatory for all students. Many schools and universities have this cover in place already. If not, it is likely to be no more than £30 per trip. Please check that your insurance begins in time to cover your pre-departure transport.

  • For adult groups - The cost will include:

    Accommodation: All accommodation for the full two weeks in India in simple but comfortable homestays and hotels.. Please let us know if you would like to have a single room supplement (where possible) at an additional cost.

    Transport: All in-country transport, in cars, minibuses and overnight trains.

    Breakfasts and lunches:. All breakfasts and lunches are included which will usually be vegetarian South Indian meals, and bottled drinking water will be provided throughout. Evening meals are not included, which allows for flexibility and choice during evenings.

    Preparation processes and our pack: We provide a detailed preparation process including a pack for supporting your planning and preparations, and meetings before the trip - details of our preparation process are found above.

    Resources: We provide a printed resource booklet for guidance, contacts and safety whilst travelling, as detailed below.

    Guidance and facilitation: Guidance and support throughout the journey from the point of booking until the end of the journey with us in India.

    Financial security: Your money is safe with coverage provided through Travel Vault. Please see the details provided on our financial coverage and liability insurance.

    This cost will not include:

    The return flight to India: This is usually around £700, but costs can vary depending on your choice of carrier and the time of year.

    Travel insurance: You will need to purchase appropriate travel insurance for the flight and the duration of your stay in India. This is mandatory for all participants. It is rarely more than £30 per trip.

    Visa for India: This costs about £30. This is quite simple compared to previous years. Available online, and must be done by individuals. We provide detailed guidance on this in our preparation pack.

    Evening meals: Please allow a food budget for evening meals which are not included in the cost - we find that participants enjoy relaxing in the evenings and have a range of choices for dinners, so this will be part of your personal expenditure.

    Cultural/ wildlife site entrance, and tips for guides: These are very difficult to budget for as sometimes availability and price vary from place to place, and keeping this out of the budget allows for flexibility in the programme and choice of activities.

    We hope that this helps with making your plans. Please do be in touch with any questions about these costs.

  • Our journeys in India require that participants book a return flight to India independently or as part of a school group booking, timed to arrive and depart at the relevant Indian airports according to the programme of travel in India. This allows for flexibility of flight costs and carriers and allows adult participants to travel before/after the journey in India if they wish. We require that you purchase a flight that includes ATOL protection.

  • You will need an e-tourist Visa for India. This is valid for 30 days from arrival, and can currently be applied for 30 days before departure. The cost for an e-visa is about £30. This is paid online, so you’ll need your bank card ready. Please ensure you only use this very specific website as there are others, which look similar and will charge more. Website: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in Please check the requirements and process well in advance as it frequently changes.

  • Please consult your Doctor or Practice Nurse at least 12 weeks before your travel (or earlier) for updated medical advice on necessary vaccinations, and to ensure you have enough time to book in for any updated with any inoculations needed. Your required vaccinations may vary and it is therefore essential to gain advice from medical professionals. Ensure your healthcare provider checks the most recent travel advice for South India during your consultation.

  • We will provide you with a detailed kit list which contains suggestions about essential and non essential items. This will be covered in detail in the preparation pack and during our pre-departure meetings.

  • Our groups are accompanied by at least two of the Stepwell team throughout. We require that school students are accompanied by a school staff member at a minimum ratio of 1:10. There will be no cost to one staff member per 10 students.

What travel projects are on offer in the coming year?

How can I plan my own travel project?