Chill Expeditions is owned and operated by experienced educators who understand your perspective, having been clients themselves for 13 years! We have a dedicated staff in each of our countries we visit available to customize your entire experience, from planning to execution. We are not just travel agents- we are teachers who understand the entire process! We can and will help you every step of the way. We do this by assisting you in recruiting students, helping with fundraiser ideas, customizing a payment schedule that works for you, collaborating on educational goals, and maintaining continuous and clear communication with you. We employ the finest cadre of guides, who are all certified in Wilderness First Aid. We invest in ongoing professional development with our guides to ensure that our educational philosophy and safety standards are executed at the highest level. In short, you want to choose Chill Expeditions because we have the unique expertise to create the most profound educational experiences on your trip, and because we offer the most helpful and thorough support to teachers while planning the trip.

We await your call! 1-800-551-7887.

Absolutely! As a company run by two former teachers (Biology & Spanish), and with a staff with expertise in Environmental Education, Service Learning, Language Immersion, Scientific Field Research, and much more, we can help you integrate your trip into your curriculum in powerful ways. We help you and your students connect the diverse elements of your trip to come away with a more in-depth understanding of the educational themes touched upon during your journey. We specialize in helping you and your students prepare for the trip and reflect afterwards, to maximize the incredible educational impact of this experience.

Owned by teachers, Chill Expeditions knows how to successfully plan and execute an educational tour. All of our trips are customized depending on timeframe, activities, educational goals, group size and price range. Please remember that our EcoClassrom tours are all-inclusive packages once you arrive in the country, and one teacher travels free for every ten paying participants.

Safety is our first priority when planning and executing a Chill Expedition. Throughout the trip we are rarely far from a clinic or Red Cross station, and we have an on-call doctor for consultations in case of emergencies. In the few cases we have had to visit a clinic, excellent medical care was provided. Our guides are trained in Wilderness First Aid and they carry a first aid kit with them at all times. Additionally, they have experience in a wide array of typical travel -medical issues and are prepared to think on their feet.

We stay in family-run eco-hotels and sustainability-centered lodges in spectacular natural surroundings, including comfortable cottages and bungalows built from local materials. Whenever possible, we stay in smaller, rural settings and off-the-beaten-path locations. The number of students per room varies from 2 to 4, and sometimes is dormitory-style. Students may be required to share double beds with travel-mates, which is typical in some lodges.

When we are not hiking, snorkeling, surfing, kayaking, white water rafting, and exploring the abundant marvels of our incredible destinations, we are moving from activity to activity on our own air-conditioned bus with a professional driver. Every bus has a radio so we can listen to local tunes. But feel free to bring your own music to share with the group. If you have an Ipod or MP3, be sure to bring the necessary hook-ups. On some itineraries, an in-country flight rather than a long bus ride makes sense, which of course would be worked out with you as we collaborate on your itinerary.

While we aim to make the most of your carefully planned itinerary, we are very conscious of the pace of the journey and the need for a balance of activity, reflection, and downtime, and we plan with you accordingly. Furthermore, we “read” the group dynamic each day on expedition and work with you to make appropriate adjustments as the journey proceeds. In the planning process we calibrate the amount of free time you feel would best suit your group.

Tipping is customary for most service-based jobs, including guiding and bus driving. Tipping can be logistically challenging for student groups. Most of our returning schools value the guides and drivers as a most integral part of their Chill Expedition and set up a process for tipping them in advance. We can discuss how you wish to pursue this and we are happy to offer some guidelines. In our experience with student trips, if this is not set up ahead of time, it is difficult to pull together at the end of the trip. Thus far, we have noticed that all of our groups want to tip the guides and drivers at the end of the trip because of the magnificent service they provide! We will work with you to figure out what approach will best suit you!

While we understand the desire to stay connected via phone/internet while traveling, we do not recommend bringing your cell phone. However, it is ultimately your choice. Not only is there the potential for your cell phone to get lost or damaged in the high humidity and rain, but calls made from cell phones are very expensive (and may not be a nice reminder of your trip when you receive the bill!). Keep in mind that traveling by its very nature requires that we step out of our comfort zones and focus our attention and energy on the present experience. As hard as it may be to forego the frequent communication with friends and family we have all grown accustomed to, we highly encourage limiting phone calls in general to a short check-in/safe arrival/departure call made from a hotel phone using a calling card. When appropriate, there are opportunities to go online at some lodges and in some towns.