FAQ

El Salvador is a beautiful country that is nestled in between Guatemala, Honduras and the Pacific Ocean. It is the smallest country in Central America and is truly its best kept secret -- there are no crowds! The variety of landscapes (tropical forests, volcanoes, beaches, mountains, rivers, lakes, and the Pacific Ocean) blended with the biological diversity (conservative estimates include; 500 species of birds, 1,000 species of butterflies, 400 species of orchids, 800 species of trees, and 800 species of marine fish) combined with the kindness of the Salvadoran people make El Salvador a very special place to visit.

Q. Why Tamarindo Touring Company (TTC)?

TTC only operates tours in El Salvador. John Guiliano, President of TTC, will lead each tour. John is a seasoned adventure traveler and will personally see to it that you have an enjoyable vacation. He has been running safe escorted tours in this country for over 15 years. TTC caters to small groups (3-12 persons). You will be accompanied by English speaking, bilingual guides. There are no hidden costs associated with our tours and all profits go toward improving the lives of the people in El Salvador. TTC staff are experts about the land and culture of El Salvador. Travel with TTC to off-the-beaten-path destinations and enjoy an authentic, rich, cultural experience while having fun!

Q. Where is El Salvador?

El Salvador is located in Central America. It is bordered by Guatemala, Honduras and the Pacific Ocean. San Salvador, the capital, is only a 2 1/2 hour flight from Houston, Texas and less than 4 hours from many U.S. cities that offer non-stop flights into San Salvador.

Q. Tell me about the TTC Staff

Tamarindo Touring Company Staff - El Salvador

John Guiliano
TTC President/co-founder
John Guiliano, TTC President and co-founder, is a native New Yorker who has been living and working in Latin America for over twenty years.

John describes himself as a husband, dad, fisherman, cyclist, outdoorsman and storyteller. His outdoor resume is impressive. He has fished deep in the Pacific and Atlantic, cycled extensively in both North and Latin America and has swam, hiked and paddled the rivers, mountains and volcanoes of Central America since the mid 1980’s.

John is also the founder of the Tamarindo Community; a non-profit community dedicated to the development and education of Salvadoran youth (see Tamarindo Foundation on our home page).

John has been leading North Americans in immersion experiences in El Salvador since 1992.

He is also married to Maria Antonieta (TTC Artisan expert) and is the father of 11 year-old Rose (TTC guide and interpreter).

Maria Antonieta Albarran
TTC Artisan Guide/Visionary
Maria Antonieta Albarran is a 36 year-old writer, photographer, wife, mother, and TTC artisan guide and expert. She is from Guadalajara, Mexico and has been living in El Salvador for nearly twelve years.

Maria is the inspiration for “Maria’s Artisan Tour” which is an eight-day adventure of artisan discovery.

She is married to John Guiliano (TTC President) and is the mother of 11 year-old Rose.

Rose Guiliano
TTC Interpreter/Guide
Rose is TTC’s youngest and most delightful tour guide. Born in her family’s adobe home in the mountains of El Salvador 11 years ago, Rose has grown up helping and guiding our “gringa/o” friends for years. If you are a family explorer or adrenaline adventurer, Rose’s bilingual/ bicultural skills, knowledge, and warm smile will add much to your TTC experience.

Enemias “Chele” Henriquez
TTC Interpretar/Guide/Driver
Enemias “Chele” Henriquez is a native of Chalatenango, El Salvador. He is a legendary Salvadoran tour guide and has been leading immersion experiences for North Americans since 1999. He is bilingual/bicultural and brings to the TTC great skill and knowledge of El Salvador’s traditions, history, and culture. Chele will always brighten your day with a warm comment, funny joke, or new hair color!

Chele is also a very accomplished soccer player and was a member of the Central American champion El Salvadoran National in-line hockey team.

Luis Lopez
TTC Guide/Driver/Cyclist
Luis Lopez is a native of Arcatao, El Salvador. He is has been leading immersion group tours since 2002. He is also bilingual/bicultural and an extremely articulate voice for El Salvador. He is known for his love of cycling (both on road and mountain bikes) and was a co-founder of Ciclismo Tamarindo (a non-profit effort to promote cycling in rural El Salvador).

He is also known for his joke telling and over the top love for the music of Credence Clearwater Revival (CCR). He is married to Ingrid Roxanna and has a six-year-old daughter Courtney and a newborn son Thomas.

Lucio Ventura
TTC Fishing Captain; FORTUNA I, FORTUNA II
Captain Lucio Ventura is native of Costa del Sol, El Salvador. He is a certified captain and has been navigating fishing adventures for 15 years. He grew up on the waters edge of Costa del Sol where his father would paddle him out through the breakers of Bocana Cordoncillo to fish tuna and dorado. Lucio knows these waters very well.

Captain Lucio’s years of experience on the Salvadoran coast make our TTC fishing experience safe, enjoyable, and unforgettable.

He is married to Amalia and is the father of four boys Lucio, Pillo, Felix and Marcos.

Amalia Santana de Ventura
TTC Chef
Amalia Santana is a native of Costa del Sol, El Salvador. She brings to our TTC kayaking and fishing adventures delicious home made food. She is also the owner of Roses Pupuseria (a small pupusas restaurant).

Amalia brings to the TTC an authentic taste of El Salvador. She is married to Lucio and has four boys.

Miguel Antonio “Cobra” Ramirez de Dubon
TTC Guide/”Go To Man”
Miguel Antonio, “Cobra” Ramírez de Dubon is a native of Guarjila, El Salvador. Cobra has been assisting in group immersions and adventure since 2001. Miguel has a profound knowledge of the Salvadoran land which he has worked as a farmer almost all of his life.

He is also a sports enthusiast particularly skilled at hiking, kayaking, and cycling. Miguel was also a member of the championship Salvadoran National in line hockey team.

He is married to his wife Sandra and they have two beautiful daughters, Brenda (6) and Lilian (5).

Giovanni “Técnico” Dubon
TTC Guide/Boat Tech/Fisherman/Horse Wrangler
Giovanni “Técnico” Dubon is a native of Guarjila, Chalatenango El Salvador. Giovanni embodies the Salvadoran personality: warm and affectionate. His smile is radiant and he is a guide that no one will forget.

He has been assisting group immersion and adventure since 2004.

Giovanni also has worked as a farmer in the mountains of Guarjila.

Giovanni is an ocean swimmer, kayaker, cyclist and hiker. He was also a member of the Salvadoran National inline hockey team.

Tamarindo Touring Company Staff - U.S. Operations

Tim Thoman
TTC Owner
Tim Thoman has been married to Cathy for more than 16 years and they have four children with ages ranging between 8 and 14 years old. The Thoman family has lived in the Indianapolis area for the last 16 years.

Tim founded Performance Services, Inc., an Indiana based design-build construction company, 9 years ago. Performance Services, through their subsidiary Performance Services, Inc. Foreign Enterprises, has been the sole funding source for the Tamarindo Touring Company.

Tim and Cathy have supported John Guiiano’s mission work with the Tamarindos (a group of 60 – 100 youth living in Guarjila, El Salvador) for the past 15 years. They were amazed at the impact John had on the lives of these Salvadoran youth in terms of his effectiveness in teaching them important life skills including community services, leadership, teamwork, responsibility, love of God and neighbor, winning and losing with class, importance of education and how to set and achieve goals. They saw the fruits of John’s tireless work over the past 15 years in the leadership positions the older Tamarindos have assumed within their communities, the high school and college degrees they earned and the character/integrity of these Salvadorans.

Unfortunately, many of these very talented Tamarindos felt they had to emigrate to the U.S. when they came of age because there were no jobs in El Salvador that could allow them to provide financially for a family. On a visit to El Salvador, Tim was drinking a $4 vente latte at a gourmet coffee shop in San Salvador, pondering John’s earlier comment that Salvadoran’s were paid $5 / day to pick coffee beans and it struck him that the lack of decent paying jobs wasn’t due to a poor economy, low prices or insufficient business opportunities but rather due to the fact that the profits were being retained by a few rich business owners and not shared with the workers. Tim felt called to help the Tamarindos, which was the impedance for his trip, and had prayed before arriving in El Salvador that God would guide him as to what He wanted Tim to do. Tim felt certain that starting a business in El Salvador was the clear answer to that prayer. Tim asked John to brainstorm with him on businesses they could operate locally that would provide decent paying jobs ($12,000 / year) to enable the Tamarindos to stay in El Salvador.

The answer soon became obvious. Start an adventure tour business. First, John and the Tamarindos had successfully conducting over 200 immersion trips over the past decade with many repeat guests. The guests always raved about their trips and service. The Tamarindos knew how to lead trips. John knew that they could deliver an excellent adventure tour experience. Additionally, Tim had participated in two adventure tour trips, loved them, and knew that it was an expanding market globally. Lastly, El Salvador’s varied geography (mountains, volcanoes, beaches, ocean, rain forests, cloud forests, warm weather) had so much to offer in a small area it would allow people to experience so much with little travel time. El Salvador was also undiscovered, which meant new experiences for guests and no crowds. One year later, after investing a lot of time and money, the Tamarindo Touring Company was launched. The story of Tim's involvement in founding Tamarindo Touring Company was profiled in the March, 2008 issue of Indianapolis Monthly magazine.

Lisa Fohl
TTC V.P. Sales and Marketing
Lisa Fohl is a mother of three and has been happily married to her husband, Nick for over 26 years. The Fohl family lives in Indianapolis and travels every moment they get the chance!

Nick actually introduced Lisa to El Salvador years ago when he encouraged her to join him on a cultural immersion trip to Guarjila and to the small village of Portillo. Nick had been traveling there for several years providing medical attention. Nick and Lisa have returned to El Salvador numerous times to visit the many friends they have made there – in addition to enjoying the near perfect weather and beautiful country. The Fohl children have also traveled to E.S. and in fact, the family spent their Christmas there a few years back at the urging of the children.

Combining her gift for marketing and her love of travel with the daily pleasure of working with friends in E.S. has made working for TTC an incredibly pleasant venture for Lisa.

Q. What should I expect once I land in San Salvador?

Comalapa International Airport, located only 30 miles from San Salvador, is the most modern airport in Central America. Once you deplane, you will be directed to the immigration area. Be prepared to pay your $10 landing fee at this time. After exiting immigration and baggage claim, you will have to clear customs. It's a random selection process where you press a button that triggers a "red" or "green" light, similar to a traffic light. Green light, you pass right through. Red light, you must open your bags for inspection. Customs officials are friendly and efficient. Once you exit the terminal, look for a Tamarindo Touring Company (TTC) sign held by a TTC Guide. After a warm greeting, they will escort you to the TTC Mercedes van and the start of your Adventure Tour!

Q. How do I book a trip?

Simply call 1-888-882-8006 and a TTC Travel Designer will walk you through the process. (Travel Designers are available Monday - Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. E.S.T.) A $500 deposit per person is due at the time of booking. Deposits may be made by check or credit card.

Q. What do your prices include?

All trip related expenses are included unless otherwise noted on the itinerary. That includes: accommodations, three meals per day, snacks, transfers, non alcoholic drinks, ground transportation, entrance fees to sites, and all adventure related activities.

Not included: airfare, tips for guides, alcoholic drinks, passport expenses, and the $10 entrance fee required upon arrival at the San Salvador El Comalapa International Airport.

Q. Is El Salvador safe?

Yes. John Guiliano, President of TTC, and the Tamarindo Community have safely escorted thousands of tourists through E.S. over the past 15 years. Adults, students, and families have enjoyed safe tours of E.S. guided by John and his Tamarindo Staff. The TTC staff is very familiar with El Salvador and will safely transport you to destinations that are safe, comfortable, and that will enhance your cultural experiences while visiting El Salvador. TTC has installed mechanisms in the Mercedes Benz Van and the Toyota Tundra to alert authorities of their proximity at any time. As with any third world country, there is crime in El Salvador -- but crimes against tourists are minimal. The TTC staff has spent years researching destinations and cultivating relationships with vendors throughout the country to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for all guests.

Q. What is the weather like in El Salvador?

Perfect! The sun shines in El Salvador nearly every day and the temperature is very consistent. You can expect highs in the 80’s – 90’s and lows in the mid 60’s.

Q. What is a Cloud Forest?

Cloud Forests are a specific type of rainforest that are frequently covered in clouds or mist. Cloud forests are found in tropical and subtropical mountainous regions of the world, where cooler temperatures on mountain slopes cause clouds to form. The moisture from the clouds deposits directly on the leaves of the trees and other vegetation in these areas making them very wet areas to hike. Sometimes they are even referred to as 'fog forests'. This moist environment is ideal for the proliferation of many species of flora -- such as the exquisite orchid -- and is also home to many exotic species of birds and mammals. These forests are rare and are high on the list of the world's most threatened ecosystems. El Salvador's Monte Cristo Cloud Forest has been preserved by environmentalists working with the government.

Q. Do I need to avoid the rainy season?

No. During the rainy season (May – September) it typically rains in the late afternoon for an hour or so and then rains throughout the night. The rainy season actually has many advantages such as lush, beautiful landscapes and flowing rivers perfect for the river rafting adventure. TTC runs tours all year round as El Salvador has something wonderful to offer during every season.

Q. Do I need to speak Spanish to enjoy my trip?

No. English speaking guides that will be happy to interpret Spanish for you will accompany you during your tour.

Q. What currency is used in El Salvador?

U.S. currency. We advise that you plan to use cash for purchases as many of the rural areas visited will not be able to process credit cards or travelers checks.

Q. Do you handle airfare to/from El Salvador?

We do not. American, Continental, Delta, TACA, and United airlines provide many flights into San Salvador daily. You will find non-stop flights out of Houston, Atlanta, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, and Washington/Dulles.

Q. Do your trips accommodate people with differing athletic abilities?

Absolutely! We cater to your preferences and abilities.

Q. Can I bring my children?

TTC recommends children be at least 10 years old to travel on published adventure trips for the comfort of all travelers on those trips. TTC staff welcomes families and is experienced in handling clients of all ages. Therefore, if you are bringing a group and would like to include younger children, please contact an Adventure Designer to discuss the possibilities.

Q. Can you accommodate single occupancy on trips?

Yes. There is an additional cost involved. Please contact an Adventure Designer to determine the specific cost. Single supplemental costs vary for each tour.

Q. What if I need medical attention? Are the guides trained? Are there Medical facilities nearby?

All TTC staff have been trained and are certified in CPR. There are numerous health clinics throughout the country staffed by physicians that can handle basic medical needs. San Salvador has state-of-the-art medical facilities that can handle all medical needs should an emergency arise while you are vacationing in El Salvador.

Q. What are your Booking Conditions?

A $500 deposit is due at the time of booking if the trip is reserved more than 60 days prior to departure. 60 days prior to departure, final payment is due in full.

At the time of booking, your Travel Designer will provide forms that must be completed and returned to TTC to complete your booking.

Q. What if I need to cancel my trip?

If you contact TTC more than 90 days before your scheduled travel date, you can transfer the dates of your trip without any fees. After 90 days prior to departure, cancellation fees will apply and are outlined below.

Q. What are your Cancellation Fees?

We hope you will not need to cancel a TTC Adventure Tour. However, if cancellation can not be avoided, the following fees would apply:

61-90 days prior to departure - $500 deposit fee

30-60 days prior to departure - 50% of trip price

0-29 days prior to departure - no refund

TTC recommends you consider trip cancellation insurance that would cover these and other fees if you had to cancel due to illness or death to you or a family member.

Q. What is Trip Cancellation Insurance?

Trip Cancellation Insurance protects all your deposits and payments for both air and land costs should you need to cancel your trip due to illness, or death to you or a family member. There are many companies that offer trip cancellation insurance. Prices vary based on the coverage desired.