GREECE: COASTAL CONSERVATION

GREEK ISLAND KAYAKING EXPEDITION
AND TURTLE CONSERVATION

Activities

• Explore: Athens, the Acropolis, and Greek history

• Kayak: 5 day coastal kayaking expedition

• Wild Camp: On remote beaches and islands

• Swim/snorkel: The crystal clear Mediterranean waters

• Discover: Hidden caves, beaches, and inlets.

• Hike: Through the Kefalonian countryside

• Visit: An Olive Oil Press and taste traditional greek cuisine

SWIMMING ABILITY

It is required that participants in this program are comfortable being in the water and swimming.

SERVICE

A Certificate of Community Service indicating the total number of hours worked and a group Presidential Volunteer Service Award will be issued upon successful completion of the program. Service work could include some of the following:

• Turtle nest protection projects including identifying, monitoring, and tracking

• Beach cleans ups

• Seagrass meadow snorkel surveys to capture key scientific data

• Harbor surveys and a drone conservation workshop to identify injured turtles

• Marine conservation education workshops

WHAT IS INCLUDED AND EXCLUDED IN TRIP TUITION

The trip tuition listed above includes accommodations, activities, meals, and group gear. The tuition does not include personal gear and clothing, travel insurance, spending money, and travel expenses such as airfare to and from the start and end of the program, unaccompanied minor fees, and baggage fees.

ACCOMMODATIONS AND SHOWERING

The group will be mostly camping with some hotel accommodation. We spend 2 nights in a hotel before and after travel days and the remainder will be a mixture of front country camping and wild camping. Bedrooms in the hotel will be divided by gender and participants will sleep slumber party-style – in sleeping bags, rotating between available beds and roll mats; and sharing beds as needed. During the kayaking trip, we camp in tents on the beach and while doing the service work we stay at a front country campground. For tent camping, we aim for it to be 2 participants in a 3-person tent or 3 participants in a 4-person tent with luggage.

Bathrooms and showers can be rustic, so please be prepared. In an effort to save time and conserve water resources in the areas we are traveling, participants will have access to showers every 3-4 days. Bathrooms are a mix between flush toilets and latrines.

food

Meals on this trip are a mix of local restaurant experiences and backcountry meals prepared by our in-country community partners. There may be opportunities to assist in food preparation depending on the preference of the partner. While eating at the local restaurant at the campsite in Argostoli, many breakfasts will be "to-go" style Greek sandwiches. Lunches and dinners will be ordered from a set menu, allowing for some variety and some repetition of the local cuisine. Trip leaders will supplement these food options with additional snacks.

We are able to accommodate all dietary requirements and preferences.

TRAVEL

Families are individually responsible for booking their own airfare or making their own travel arrangements to get their participant from home to Athens Airport (ATH), on the first day of the trip, and from Athens (ATH) to home on the last day of the trip. RLT will provide exact windows of time that we require all participants to arrive and depart within. It is imperative that no one make any travel arrangements until RLT directs them to do so.

A leader-escorted round-trip flight will be available from the New York area (but is not required) for those travelers who wish to fly with a leader. Please contact our office for details.

ADDITIONAL IN-COUNTRY FLIGHT

For this program, there is also an internal group flight that will be booked by RLT which is additional to the trip tuition. This is a short return flight from Athens to Kefalonia. This flight is purchased by RLT and invoiced; families do not need to take any action to book this portion of the travel. 

PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS

For all international travel, we require participants to have a passport that is valid for a minimum of 6 MONTHS past the end date of your participant's RLT trip. If your participant's passport is due to expire within those 6 months, please work on updating your participant's passport as soon as possible upon enrollment. According to the State Department, routine passport renewal will take 10-13 weeks and expedited processing, which costs an additional $60, will take 7-9 weeks. It is your responsibility to ensure your participant's passport is up to date and meets these requirements. We encourage families to familiarize themselves with the U.S. Department of State website for all up-to-date and accurate passport recommendations. 

TRAVEL INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

The Road Less Traveled does not provide its own insurance. However, we require participants to purchase travel insurance through a third party for all international programs. For additional details, please visit our FAQ page or you may contact a member of our team at info@theroadlesstraveled.com or 773-342-5200.

VACCINE & MEDICATION INFORMATION

We always encourage families to review the CDC website regarding recommended vaccinations and medications for international travel. More information will be provided to enrolled families from our Admissions Team in the Spring.

TECHNOLOGY

As part of the RLT experience, our trips are electronic-free. While it is encouraged to travel with cell phones, leaders will collect phones and any other personal devices after all participants arrive on the first day. It can feel tough initially to not have access to your phone, but it really helps everyone in the group to connect and have a really great trip experience. This includes phones, iPods, tablets, gaming devices, music devices, smartwatches, etc. All electronics will be held by RLT leaders, kept safe and dry for the duration of the trip, and returned at the end of the program. All cameras, go pros, etc. are acceptable and can be kept with you! If you do not have a camera, please note that leaders will also be taking photos throughout the program, and these photos will be shared through an online gallery.