… off-road driving in the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountain range.
THE TOUR: Off-road tours based in the regions of Málaga, Granada and Almería (southeast corner of the Spanish mainland), we provide a Suzuki Jimny 4x4 rental vehicle with CB communications for 6 days, camping accommodation + camping gear for 6 days (hotels are possible at client’s expense), plus an experienced off-road guide with 4x4 support vehicle. You book your own return flights to Málaga.
We are the only company that offers this type of tour in the Sierra Nevada mountains!
FLIGHTS: Booking and paying for your own return flights to Málaga gives you total freedom of choice. With so many regional airports in the UK and Ireland serving Málaga, booking flights is simplicity itself. Besides, no use us booking flights on your behalf from expensive, long haul flight airports in major cities when you may have a smaller regional airport virtually on your doorstep. Low cost flights with budget airlines start from £30 or even less, whereas scheduled flights from major centres cost hundreds; again, you save!
BASIC ITINERARY: Listing a specific route in advance is obviously not possible (our routes have taken many hours of arduous research and planning, not to mention actual driving reconnoitres), but rest assured as many off-road tracks as possible will be driven within the given time constraints of the tour.
Day 1: Collect rental 4x4 at Málaga Airport, then no wasting time we drive immediately north of the city straight on to off-road tracks of ‘Parque Natural Montes de Málaga’, then mostly off-road east towards the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Day 2: A combination of minor country roads and off-road tracks south of Granada in ‘Parque Natural’ of the Sierras de Tejeda mountains.
Day 3: Into the Sierra Nevada mountain range itself. Sited in the region of Almería, this is a ‘Parque Nacional’ and again mostly comprises of off-road tracks.
Day 4: More exploring the Sierra Nevada, a vast area you could spend every day of the year driving off-road!
Day 5: Off-road driving in the Tabernas Desert. It was here the famous Spaghetti Western movies and TV series of the 1950s -1980s were filmed, classics such as "A Fistful of Dollars" and "For a Few Dollars More" starring Clint Eastwood. Three film sets entitled Mini Hollywood, Decorados and Rancho Leone still survive, so obviously a visit to these is a must.
Day 6: Unfortunately, packing so much off-road driving into the five previous days means an unavoidable 2.5 hour drive west along the coastal motorway back towards Málaga. However, this motorway session does mean it then allows time for one last off-road drive in the ‘Parque Natural Montes de Málaga’ the same day.
Day 7: Shopping in Málaga, return the hire car and jet off back to the UK.
WHEN: Our Andalucía Fly-Drive Tours operate all year from January to December. This being the case, let us know the dates when you want to go, we can then customise our dates to suit your requirements. Basically … if we can adapt our schedule to suit your needs, we will.
HIRE VEHICLE: Suzuki Jimny 4x4 (4-seats/manual transmission/air conditioning) for 6 days, including one additional driver, unlimited mileage, 24 hours road assistance service, ‘super insurance’ covering CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) Excess including wheels, tyres & underneath.
Minimum driver’s age is 21 years, the maximum 80 years.
Drivers must have held a full UK Driver’s Licence for at least one year.
International Driver’s Licence is required for all non-EU citizens.
The vehicle is hired in the client's name, thus a current credit card is mandatory.
Optional Baby Seats and Child Booster Seats are available. These must be requested at time of booking and are subject to availability. There is an additional charge of £4.50 per day.
Optional GPS Satellite Navigation Systems are available. These must be requested at time of booking and are subject to availability. There is an additional charge of £4.50 per day.
Collection and return times of your rental 4x4 to suit your flights. Simply inform us of your flight times, your vehicle will be ready and waiting.
CAMPING: Inclusive of all camping fees, plus basic camping gear provided for the duration of the tour – 3-person pop-up tent (per two persons), inflatable bed mat, new pillow per person, new pillow case per person. You bring with you on the flight in your holdall – your personal sleeping bag, clothes, toiletries.
Food or cooking facilities are not provided, instead we either have evening meals at campsite restaurants or in the local town or village.
OPTIONAL HOTELS: Should clients decide to stay at hotels one or more nights (this can be decided ‘on the day’ by the client) at their own expense, the cost of the campsite will be reimbursed to the client on a nightly basis, thus the camping fee will go toward the cost of the hotel.
COSTS: All fuel, food and personal expenses are the responsibility of the client.
RATES: All tours are based on minimum of two adults camping, single supplements are not available. Children of all ages are welcome, but sorry - no pets.
Per adult £850
Per child (up to 15 yrs) £285
These fees will remain current until 31st December 2011, whereupon they will be reviewd for 2012.
BOOKING FORM: A special Andalucía Fly-Drive booking form is available upon request.
… either hiring an RFC 4x4 vehicle, or as a 'Touring Adventurer' (passenger only).
THE TOUR 1-10 Dec 2012: Why not become part of the RFC in the non-competitive 'Touring Adventurer' Class – either by hiring and driving a 4x4 vehicle, or simply as a passenger in a support 4x4? Your choice!
To form a fly-drive package, you would simply hire an RFC 4x4 from the organisers. This way you could drive yourself and up to four passengers as part of the RFC convoy throughout the RFC route. The only sections you wouldn't tackle would be the actual competitive SS (Special Stages) themselves, which in reality are impassible to non-modified 4x4's anyway! Within your hire vehicle's crew you would be fully self-contained regarding food and bedding, but would benefit from shelter erected by the RFC officials at the nightly jungle camps, plus assistance en route should your vehicle become bogged. As such you would at times be facing some severe jungle terrain, so off-road experience would be beneficial and/or 4x4 driver training essential.
Alternatively, you could become part of the Rainforest Challenge as a Touring Adventurer, basically a passenger in an RFC 4x4. Along with two other passengers in a Pajero, LandCruiser or similar 4x4, you would join a Malaysian driver to follow more or less exactly the same route as the competitors themselves (except for the actual competitive stages of course) on the entire RFC event. However, this is by no means a simple taxi service, so likewise you would be no ordinary passenger! As you travel the rain-sodden jungle tracks and liaison stages between overnight campsites, you would be expected to assist with everything that entails … winching, pushing, climbing up banks to attach ropes to trees, etc., for the terrain can at times be extreme as the monsoon rains intensify. This said, exemption due to physical restraints are perfectly acceptable (i.e. disability, infirmity or age), but you would still be expected to help out with preparation of your crew’s evening meals, sleep under the same tarpaulins (your ‘hotel’ for the night in the jungle camps), and put up with the same leeches and bugs as everybody else! Past off-roading experience is helpful but not essential, a willingness to muck in and generally help out where you can certainly is.
COST - TOURING ADVENTURER: Cost is £745 person (US$1000). This covers 4 nights hotel accommodation incl. breakfast (2 pre-event, 2 post-event), a passenger seat in an RFC 4x4, RFC event t-shirts, RFC personal accident insurance.
It does not include your return flight to Kuala Lumpur, your own travel insurance (advisable), your personal food & drink – although communal meals amongst your vehicle’s crew can be arranged before entering the jungle.
COST - SELF-DRIVE 4x4 VEHICLE HIRE:
Should you wish to drive yourself, as mentioned this can be arranged. Jungle-prepared 4x4 vehicles are available at US$ 2,500 per vehicle. In addition, the RFC entry fee per vehicle is US$ 2,500 for 2 persons. Extra person in the vehicle is charged at US$ 800 per person up to 4 passengers in a vehicle. The vehicles are long-wheel-base models such as Pajeros, Land Cruisers and others.
According to Event Founder and Director Luis JA Wee: “This is not a holiday package tour, you've got to be involved as a real adventurer so you need to have the spirit of a real adventurer!
The RFC is an adventure event with competitive Special Stages (SS) along the way. It is a tough event for the serious 4x4 enthusiasts, who love the dream of taking on a jungle adventure with all its hardship, endurance and extremities. The sweat, the mud, the rain soaked jungle, the humidity, the insects, the creatures of the night, the fellowship of men/women, the teamwork, the camaraderie, swollen, muddy rivers and monsoon are all there for you to experience. On top of all these, you will also get to enjoy Malaysian hospitality."
A final comment by Tom McGuigan, founder of Pyrenees 4x4 Tours: "Yes, this is a pretty full-on experience, but oh so worth it. I personally have been associated with the Rainforest Challenge since the very first event back in 1997 and have joined the event on five separate occasions. In fact I’m proud to say I am the official UK Representative of the RFC, so really do know what I’m talking about …
Being a Touring Adventurer on the RFC is one of the most rewarding experiences … ever!!!
Believe me, the memory will stay with you forever and you’ll quite literally make friends for life – it’s that sort of event. If you want ‘real adventure’, I doubt if you will find better!"
BOOKING: Please email Tom McGuigan on 4x4trading@talk21.com for further details.
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