On 11 July there were fatalities from bombs in two areas of Kampala - Kabalagala (Tank Hill Road) and Lugogo (Jinja Road).  There were no Kumuka tours in the area at the time.  British Foreign Office Advice has not changed its level of travel advice, but has advised that travellers should exercise caution while travelling around the city and avoid the specific areas involved in the incident. All tours are running as normal, but will avoid the areas around where the incidents occurred.

A 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca on 30.06.10 at 0222 local time (0722 GMT). Oaxaca civil defence officials said they had not had any reports of injuries or major damage. The quake's epicentre was some 120km (75 miles) west-south-west of the city of Oaxaca. Kumuka had no clients or crew in the Oaxaca area at the time of the earthquake.
• Tour CA011 departed Playa del Carmen on 25.06.10, and is due to finish in Mexico DF on 08.07.10. The group is scheduled to visit Oaxaca on 04.07.10 and 05.07.10, departing Oaxaca for Taxco early AM on 06.07.10.
• Tours CA11/ CAC13 depart Mexico DF on 16.07.10. This group is scheduled to visit Oaxaca on 18.07.10 and 19.07.10, departing Oaxaca for San Cristobal on the evening of 19.07.10.

We will continue to monitor the situation and update our website if necessary, though at this stage there are no plans to re-route or divert these tours.

 In response to the delays caused by the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland, Kumuka Worldwide is pleased to offer all clients intending to book a European tour a guaranteed 100% refund if they cannot get there due to a recurrance of the volcanic ash cloud.
Brett Wendorf, Head of Sales and Marketing, Kumuka Worldwide Asia Pacific said: “This is a great guarantee for travellers worried about making future bookings, especially if they planned on booking a tour soon, given the uncertainty around when it will be safe to fly again. It gives our clients and travellers greater flexibility and peace of mind.”

• This guarantee applies to Kumuka’s Central Europe and Mediterranean Tours only and is for bookings made up to and including 31 March 2011.
• Tours to Turkey are excluded.
• Kumuka Worldwide must be advised by travellers prior to the tour departing if they will be unable to attend the tour.
• No-show passsengers will not be entitled to a refund.
  

Kumuka are delighted to announce the introduction of 4 new Overland tours to South America, in addition to the extensive touring programme that we already feature to this exciting continent. Brief details appear below. To obtain the full low down on these tours click on the links below.

www.kumuka.com/Altiplano-Falls-and-Tango.aspx
www.kumuka.com/Gauchos-Falls-and-Altiplano.aspx
www.kumuka.com/Incas-and-Gauchos.aspx
www.kumuka.com/Andes-and-Tango.aspx

The Cuban government has advised that as of the 1st May all tourists to Cuba must be covered for medical expenses by travel insurance. They have also advised that all insurance companies will be valid EXCEPT for insurance provided by United States companies. For those not in posession of valid travel insurance upon arrival in Cuba, there will be offices at all Cuban Airports selling travel insurance..

Effective from Monday 22.06.09, all clients making a new booking for an Overland or Small Group tour will be required to pay an Inca trek deposit and fill out a booking form in order to secure their place. Full details are available on our website. Please see the following link for full details: www.kumuka.com/Inca-Trail-News.aspx.

Kumuka apply for your Inca Trail permit with the passport details that you supply us with. New Inca Trail regulations mean that if you subsequently re-new your passport, you must either carry your oiginal passport on the trail with you OR provide Kumuka with scans of both your old AND new passport at least 2 weeks prior to your trail departure date for which a fee of USD10 will be payable locally.