GRASSHOPPER ADVENTURES

General Questions
Do you do tailored itineraries?
Yes we do! If you are looking to do something special in Asia and need some help or want a full custom made tour we can deliver. Grasshopper Adventures have put together tours for other tour companies, charities, families, schools, bike clubs, a group of unicyclists and individuals from budget through to 5 star. Let us know your ideas and we can help you create a tour just for you.

Can we bring our kids on a bike trip?
Children are most welcome on Grasshopper Adventures. For our longer rides we would recommend that your children are confident riders and would suggest that children aged 12+ who cycle regularly should be able to do any of our 'moderate' rides. We do not have any children carriers or racks so if you plan to ride with your children on your bike you will need to bring this equipment yourself. Please note that all children must be accompanied by an adult and that Grasshopper Adventures must not be seen as a child minding service. Children will need to be cared for by their parents at all times.

My spouse is not interested in photography/cycling. Can they still come?
Our photography tours are the perfect way for photographers and non-photographers to travel together. These tours do have a photography focus but for those more interested in the cultural side of the travel experience we still travel to all the great sites - Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, Shanghai, Guilin - and spend plenty of time learning about the background and history of these important places. Maybe the big difference between our tours and regular travel is that we provide plenty of time for the photographers to go out and capture images - the perfect time for your spouse to explore the markets, back streets, museums and noodle shops!

All our bike tours are supported so there will always be a vehicle for your spouse to travel in. The beauty of bike tours is the ability to get way off the beaten track. We are confident that spouses who don't ride will still have an amazing experience as they travel through and stop in some very out of the way places as well as visiting the popular, more visited sites.

How old are the people on your tours?
Our trips attract a wide range of ages. The biggest spread we've seen so far on a trip is people aged 14 to 63! The average is probably somewhere in the 30s. Saying that every trip is different, some groups a little older, some a little younger. In adventures tourism, however, age is fairly irrelevant, it is all about attitude (it sounds cliched we know).

You don't have a tour running when we wish to go. Any suggestions?
If we don't have a tour that fits your schedule one good option is to create your own tour. If there at least 6 months before you plan to travel and you can guarantee the minimum numbers required for us to operate a tour (usually 2-4 people) we can open the dates of your preference and market it to the world. We also act as an agent for other tour companies and might be able to find a tour for you to join. There are often a number of options that our staff can help you with.

You have a minimum number on all your trips? If I book now and the minimum number is NOT reached by the due date do Grasshopper refund my money in full?
If we do not reach the minimum required and we decide to cancel the tour we will inform you at least 40 days before the tour is due to start. We will then refund all your money paid for the tour in full. Grasshopper Adventures are not liable for any other money paid, including flight ticket purchases. Please note this excludes cancellations due to conditions outside Grasshopper Adventures control such as war, natural disaster, political instability, etc. In such an event no money will be returned by Grasshopper Adventures and you will need to make a claim on your travel insurance.

Flights
Are you able to help us with flights?
As a land operations tour company we generally don't handle flights - we prefer to specialise in the tours and leave the complexity of the airline industry to others. As an idea for getting cheaper flights try looking at flying out just a day or two earlier as sometimes the prices of flights change overnight when the flight seasons change. If you have a trusted travel agent ask them about timing your flights so that you may be able to take advantage lower season fares. We can sometimes assist with the purchase of domestic or short inter-Asia flights. Check with us to see what we can get you a flight for.
Employment
I am interested in working for Grasshopper Adventures? What career opportunities do you have?
At the moment we are not looking for any full time staff, however, we are always looking for casual leaders who are based in South East Asia and available to lead tours. If you think you've got what it takes to lead bike and other tours in Asia and are looking for casual work please send us an email with a brief introduction of yourself and your CV.
Borneo, Malaysia
When is the best time/month to climb Mt Kinabalu?
Mt Kinabalu and Borneo in general does have 'seasons' but in reality the weather is highly variable at all times of the year. The climate charts suggest that the best time to visit the mountain is during the dry season in March and April, with November to December being the wet season. I climbed the mountain in September and we had perfect weather. A friend was there the week before with a group and they could not even attempt the summit because of bad weather. If you ask the locals they say you can climb Mt Kinabalu year-round because it rains all the time! It really is just luck when it comes to the climate in Borneo.
Thailand
Could you recommend some bike shops in Bangkok?
For bike shops in Bangkok have a look at this website: www.kutu.com He has a great list of shops. We generally use Probike for accessories because they have a great range and are closer to our office than the Nontaburi store.