The Global Scavenger Hunt™

Frequently Asked Questions

We have been asked a lot of questions over the years. We try to answer them all too. Below are some of the more frequently asked questions we've received. If you still have specific questions after reading them, please don't hesitate in Contacting Us.

What Does the International Media Say?
What Do Former Contestants Say?
How Do I Apply?

Q. What is The Global Scavenger Hunt?

A. Our fifth GreatEscape event (It is hard to believe that we've conducted 4 successful events so far!) is an around-the-world travel adventure competition, a true cultural immersion, that will take selected Teams of two on an exciting international travel adventure. It is A Blind Date With The World™ of exotic discovery and cultural immersion over a three week period. The Global Scavenger Hunt™ is an annual international competition where prize money is awarded and The World's Greatest Travelers™ is crowned annually.

Each of our annual events are major media magnet events that helped raise funds for worthy international causes. Unlike the reality shows on television that feed the passive, voyeuristic tendencies of couch potatoes, all the annual events allowed it's contestants to actively participate in our Global Village on an extraordinary adventure for all the right reasons.

Q. What is The Global Scavenger Hunt?

A. Remember when you were a kid, or in college and your teacher or summer camp counselor would divide you up into teams to go find special or unusual items in the school yard, campground or town? Usually it was theme-oriented, like nature items, the beach or oddball quirky and historical stuff? No! Well, okay then, let us explain further:

The Global Scavenger Hunt is a contest where Teams of two individuals will be given a well thought out "List of Things to Do in Rio de Janeiro!" that will have them solving riddles, following cryptic clues, answering travel trivia questions and looking for physical hints to discover unique items. The Global Scavenger Hunt twist is that you'll be repeating this scenario in untold exotic and off-the-beaten-path dream destinations while immersing yourselves in local cultures. GreatEscape2009 participants will seek out scavenges in 10 countries across 4 continents. The whole world will be transformed into your own personal gameboard as you learn to trust strangers in strange lands.

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Q. Okay, give me an example of a scavenge?

A. We won't be giving anything away by using these examples, or will we...! (Answers provided)

"List of Things to Do in...Mystery Destination X"

Item One: (25 points) Ride a four-legged beast around one of the Seven Wonders of the World (Pyramids) wearing a traditional Arab galabyia and headdress purchased in Khan al-Khalili. (Cairo's Grand Bazaar)

Item Two: (10 points) Find the early morning market that sells so-called "Blue Gold," taste it. (Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo sells Bluefin sushi tuna at dawn)

Item Three: (25 points) Visit the "Temple of Love" and find a nearby soothsayer who uses an unusual friend to assist him and have your fortunes told. (Near the Taj Mahal Toothy Malya uses a 60-year old monkey as his celestial assistant)

Item Four: (25 points) While in the 'City of Waters' learn the local dance from an instructor inside the "World's Largest Shopping Center". (In Kapali Carsi - the Covered Bazaar, you'll find a belly dancing studio...take a class!)

Item Five: (25 points) Locate a place where you can swimming with a bull shark. One Teammate must do it! (Answer: Singapore's Underwater World)

Item Six: (15 points) Attending an Orthodox Easter Midnight Mass in Greece. (Visit an Athens cathedral for the once a year ceremony.)

Item Seven: (20 points) Singing "Born to be Wild" in a Ginza-district karaoke bar with at least three new friends. Prove it. (Must go to Tokyo, Japan and take a video.)

Item Eight: (50 points and a lot of karma points) Choose from one of the following four humanitarian organizations and donate a half-day of your time assisting the people of a Tibetan refugee camp. (While in Nepal, doing good and having fun too!)

Item Nine: (25 points) Learn the Cyrillic alphabet over a pint of beer with a new friend in Sofia, Bulgaria. (Okay, it takes two pints!)

Item Ten: (20 points) Play a round at the Dubia's Royal golf course. (Visit Dubai and play some golf at a special course.)

Q. Will The Global Scavenger Hunt be a breakneck race around- the-world or will we have the opportunity to enjoy any of the places we visit?

A. Yes and no! Yes, your Team will be going around-the-world within a 3-week time frame from exotic dream destination to sacred site, but GreatEscape2009 is more of a "rally." It will be a fun mix between "racing" for two or three days freely and independently, say from Singapore to Bangkok, then having a two day "rally" in the Bangkok area. This will allow Teams to slow down, stop and smell the roses, enjoy the sacred and beautiful places they're visiting, rest, see the other noteworthy sites, swap war stories with fellow contestants, build camaraderie, call the office and do postcards. No Team participating in any of The Global Scavenger Hunt's has ever done all the scavenges--we believe that it is impossible to do so--it's really up to you to do the scavenges you want to and prioritize your goals.

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Q. I know what a race is, now what's a rally?

A. A rally is where all the Teams meet together in the morning somewhere over a cup of hot joe or breakfast and are given a "Scavenger Hunt List of Things to Do in Kathmandu!" -- Again, there's no way all the tasks could be completed! -- Points are attached to each scavenge. The catch is that each Team must return to our wonderful hotel by say 8PM or noon the next day, collecting as many points (doing as many scavenges) as possible during that time period. It will be up to each Team to devise their own scavenger hunt strategy. Then, that evening might include free downtime, an official GreatEscape organized banquet or even some other special local cultural event, like: festivals, movies, sporting events and theater.

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Q. How long will GreatEscape2009 take us to travel around-the-world?

A. Three weeks, 23-days to be exact! The GreatEscape2009 event will take place between April 17th and May 9th, 2009. All the travelers will meet in the designated departure city -- either Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver or Miami--for a special Bon Voyage Party. We will then all depart on The Global Scavenger Hunt the next day and return to our designated arrival US city (New York, Washington D.C., Boston, Montreal or Toronto) three weeks later. The prize money and the coveted crown of The World's Greatest Travelers™ will be awarded that evening at a special Winner's Gala.

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A. Well, The Global Scavenger Hunt is also A Blind Date With The World™ in that we will not reveal any of our annual event's impending destinations in advance to anyone. Past participants have said that this element of constant global surprise continued to motivate them and was another exhilarating aspect of their adventure around-the-world. We make it A Blind Date With The World to keep your planning to a minimum on our participants part and keep the travel adventure competition aspect as fair and equal as possible. No Team can obtain any type of "competitive advantage" in The Global Scavenger Hunt if they don't know where they're actually going until you board a flight. It is special...

But so you know, over the last three around-the-world events here are a few of the places we have visited, among others: Kyoto, Japan; Beijing, China; Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam; Siem Rep, Cambodia; Bangkok, Thailand; Penang, Malaysia; Singapore; Jaipur, India; Kathmandu, Nepal; Bahrain; Dubai, UAE; Luxor, Egypt; Fés, Morocco; Istanbul, Turkey; Venice, Italy; Athens, Greece; Seville, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; Bucharest, Romania; Salzburg, Austria; Prague, Czech Republic; Budapest, Hungary; Kracow, Poland; Munich, Germany and Amsterdam, Holland.

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Q. Prize money? Did you say prize money?

A. Well yes, technically we can't offer "prize money", but what we are offering to the winners of GreatEscape2009: The Global Scavenger Hunt is the opportunity to defend your title as The World's Greatest Travelers™ in our next event...with all fees waved! You do the math and figure out the value...

In addition we also offer some interesting prizes as we go for some of the winners of the several scheduled "City Rally's" and other fun awards will also be given out as special prizes along the way for those completing "Special Scavenges". Everyone participating in the annual GreatEscape event will receive medals, certificates and other honors. Bragging rights for surviving this around-the-world competition are yours alone.

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Q. How much will it cost me to enter?

A. $9,900 per person (for the US-based event). With additional savings, that's as low as $430-a-day for this once-in-a-lifetime experience of circling the globe like few people ever have! That price includes all of your international airfare to a from our beginning and ending cities, as well as an inviting First Class hotel awaiting you in each and every destination city. Some special events and group banquets will also be included, as well as some ground transportation and transfers. We put together great goody bags too!

(If you need help raising the dough or what to obtain sponsorship, we have some great ideas on how to do it!)

And YES, we take both Visa and MasterCard for your safety and convenience.

Q. What about the charity aspect?

A. Our annual Global Scavenger Hunt events are essentially the platform that our charitable foundation, called the GreatEscape Foundation (ID#95-4831064 is a tax-exempt 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization) uses to raise money in a fun, novel and interesting way. And that by participating in our fundraising efforts, other aspects of your travel-related costs may also be tax-deductible. But please don't take our word for it, consult with your tax advisor or accountant for full details. Please visit the GreatEscape Foundation page.

In fact, those that help us raise the most money for our Foundation's causes will automatically be entered into the next GreatEscape event and have their Team's entire entrance fee waived, win or lose The Global Scavenger Hunt!! A free trip around the world for doing good! What a concept... Again, please see the GreatEscape Foundation page for details.

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Q. I'm single and don't have a travel partner, may I still enter the annual event?

A. Yes, this is no problem, simply click to the Application Page and fill it out the form. That's it. We will do our best to find another gung-ho and like-minded travel savvy contestant for you to enjoy the global adventure with. When all applications are in, we will then personally contact you and suggest contacts for you in an extremely confidential manner. In fact, the winners of a couple of our annual events were Teams of travel savvy gals who had never met prior to participating in The Global Scavenger Hunt! Over the last couple of events, we have matched up over 50% of applicants with other singles successfully. Talk about a perfect match...

We do anticipate a few non-relationship (not husbands & wives, sister & brothers, significant others, father & daughters, father & sons, mother & daughters or best friends) Teams to enter. We will attempt to accommodate all applicants the best we can, but all applications will be post stamped so get your applications in early!

Needless to say that no one will be discriminated against entering The Global Scavenger Hunt on the bias or race, color, ethnicity, country of origin, sex, weight, height, sexual orientation, age (must be over 16 and accompanied by a legal guardian), residence, fashion or hair color. We will indeed run an equal opportunity international event! The entry fee is based on double-occupancy. (Lawyers again!)

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Q. How should I pack?

A. Who knows? That's one of your first scavenges. Our best advice is simple: If you can't carry it, don't take it! It will be in your best interest to pack as functionally light as possible. Check out our 101 Best Travel Websites™ page for some great links. In our humble opinion, Spring is the best times to travel the globe. No rainy season. No tourists. Not to cold yet. Maybe even a Indian Summer in Southern Hemisphere and an early Spring in the Northern Hemisphere?

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Q. Is The Global Scavenger Hunt for backpackers or for suitcasers?

A. This travel adventure is a First Class event with great world-class hotels, delicious food, internationally famous events and world-class fun for all. You won't need a backpack, a daypack yes, but definitely not a backpack. We suggest a single bag with rollers for easy transportation.

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Q. I have never traveled internationally. Is this a problem?

A. Yes! Leave this site at once. You've obviously come to the wrong place. Go watch Amazing Race XIII, Survivor IX, Last One Standing or the Pro-Bowling Tour on TV! GreatEscape is only for the most savvy globe hoppers and travel enthusiasts. While not physically demanding, The Global Scavenger Hunt contestants should have experience in dealing with spontaneous travel circumstances, foreign cultures and language barriers. A strong curiosity and healthy imagination are also required. Oh yeah, wanting to partake in some world-class fun is a must!

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Q. I am from Spain, Japan, Iceland...pick a country. May I participate?

A. Yes. You may however be required to obtain different visa's based on your nationality. We've had travelers, explorers and adventurers already contact us from over 45 countries and truly expect The Global Scavenger Hunt to be "the Olympics of international travel adventure competitions".

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Q. Where are the moneys paid to participate and prize money held?

A. All moneys are held in a special segregated travel-related Trust account as mandated by Californian law. Applicant fees can only be used for direct travel-related expenses under the law. See The Global Scavenger Hunt's Terms & Conditions for all the lawyer-speak!

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Q. What about visas?

A. Most places don't require Americans to get visas anymore--although the tough new USA Patriot Act laws are making it more difficult to travel abroad. But, whether you're an American citizen or other nationality as your first scavenge should be to check the requirements for visas, at our Traveler's Directory. For information about potential GreatEscape destinations, click on our Country Database page. But remember, The Global Scavenger Hunt is truly A Blind Date With The World™ so don't think we're gonna actually tell you where you're headed until we're 38,000 feet over the International Dateline.

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Q. What about shots and inoculations?

A. Your second scavenge will be to check with the Centers for Disease Control at this sites Travelers Directory for the same list of above countries?

It's important that you receive the most accurate and up-to-date travel health information for the region you will be visiting. The only one qualified to provide you with this advice is your family physician or a specialist from a Travel Health clinic. Our page does provide links to a number of websites that contain excellent background information related to travel health issues. Nevertheless these websites are no substitute for a personal consultation with a qualified medical professional.

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Q. You've got me! What should I do if I'm interested in participating in The Global Scavenger Hunt?

A. Fill out the Application & Registration form. We are accepting Team and single applications until Jan 17th or until we are full and we have selected our 25 Teams!

Call us at 1.310.281.7809 or e-mail us at Inquiries.

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Q. May Tour Operators/Travel Agents enter Teams?

A. Yes you may. We have an incentive program to get you involved and to send us your most intrepid travelers for the travel adventure of a lifetime. Not only will they thank you, but so will we! Contact us immediately at Inquiries. (By the way, there is currently talk that there will be a type of competition within a competition where an internationally well-known travel magazine will be finding out who are "The World's Best Travel Agents" by having several compete in The Global Scavenger Hunt without the benefit of their computers, phones and safety nets! Stay tuned...)

Travel agents are invited to visit our specially-designed Travel Agents Page, just e-mail us for access.

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A. Sure! As the competition progresses we have plans for a more interactive website where real time scavenges will be posted, a Live webcast shown, photos exhibited and competitors dispatches traded. Our annual GreatEscape2009 event will be a great device to get your kids more involved in the Internet and interested in the real world and it's fascinating cultures. For more information stay tuned or contact us at Inquiries.

Q. May I bring my cell phone, crackberry and/or my laptop on the event?

A. Yes you may. Although we will monitor situations so that the use of your technology doesn't give you an unfair competitive advantage in any way. Like calling Mr. Encyclopedia back home for an answer! No lifelines here! We want this extraordinary adventure to be a real cultural immersion where you will have to leave your assumptions behind and trust strangers in strange lands. We want you to take a break from the real world for three weeks.

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Q. How much out of pocket expenses will I have participating in The Global Scavenger Hunt?

A. Hard to say. It really is a relative thing. Some people are real shoppers. Some people are hefty eaters. We can't really tell what type of people you are. Some places are more expensive than others too.(Note: The winners of our the last event, spent on average about $60 per day, per person...and they have the jewelry to prove it--whatever that means! And the only Teammate that reported expenses after the last event said they spent about $900 out of pocket over 23-days!) What we can tell you is that we won't be asking you to purchase anything expensive (over $10.00) as part of a scavenge. We believe that less than $125 a day per Team should cover all your scavenges, camel and elephant rides, museum and other entrance tickets, as well as your meals not eaten at one of our special cultural events. Room service is extra!

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Q. Is GreatEscape just another reality-TV show?

A. We get asked this question a lot! Almost daily in fact... The short answer is NO! The Global Scavenger Hunt idea was hatched in 1999, long before the advent of so-called reality-TV shows. (In fact, we were approached early on in 2000 about participating in some of the so-called "travel-related" reality-TV shows and declined our services, expertise and event concept for use in such exploitative and purely commercial endeavors. And we're about raising funds for our worthy causes, not garnering TV ratings.) We are simply NOT interested in casting beautiful demographically correct telegenic folks, making them perform prearranged and staged stunts, inducing petty made for TV soap-opera-like human conflict, or making fun of either our participants or the people and places they will be visiting.

That said, YES of course, The Global Scavenger Hunt will be filmed and eventually seen in the media. We have had a well-respected Emmy & Peabody Award winning production company attached to the project and we will be providing footage to interested media outlets like: The Travel Channel, The Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel, CTV and the BBC among others. Our event will be tastefully captured (not produced) with a minimal of interference in documentary and newsmagazine-like formats.

With the twin Wars raging in the world today: the Iraqi War II and the War on Terrorism (WOT) still lingering on everyone's mind, it is okay to ask the twin questions: Is it safe to travel now? Will I be put at risk participating in The Global Scavenger Hunt?

Having said that, if you are a real traveler who's got some real-world travel experience, you personally know that, the world is a big place with over 194 countries--or is it 202 or 316?. We assure you that The Global Scavenger Hunt will not be going to Iraq, North Korea, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Israel or Palestine. Caracas, the Ivory Coast, Kashmir and the Darien Gap won't appear on any of GreatEscape2009's lists. Simply put, we will not put you in harm's way or take you to any destination that is either hot or overtly hostile to the presence of travelers or American visitors.

What happened on 9/11 was horrible and unprecedented--our hearts still grieve the loss five years later. And what has taken place in the tourist haunts of Kuta on Bali (202 dead), the historic areas of Tunisia (21 dead), the trains and subways of Madrid (killing 191), Mumbai (207 lost), and London (killing 55), hotels in Jakarta (12 dead), Amman, Jordan (61 dead) and the Red Sea resorts of Egypt (148 dead in 4 attacks), and streets of Turkey (57 dead), are all equally horrible; as is what took place at an Israeli hotel in Mombassa, Kenya (13 dead), along with the attempted attack on the returning Israeli charter. At first glace, the numbers are too large and widespread. But, the reality is that incidents of terrorism against travelers, particularly Americans, are extremely rare. How rare?

According to Brian Jenkins, one of the world's foremost terrorism experts at RAND, "It is statistically so unlikely that a traveler will be a victim of terrorism that we'd be better off telling people how to avoid lightning." (By the way,the odds of being killed by lightning: 2,320,000 to 1!) And we agree. Bad things can and do happen on the road: ordinary crime, car accidents, food poisoning, and ferry or train disasters. But those things also take place in our own communities. Personally, I have a fear of flying, always have, but I am more concerned about bankrupt airlines maintaining their planes properly and the ever-present threat of malaria-infested mosquito bites along with severe tropical sunburns on my lilly-white Irish skin, than being caught up in a terrorist incident.

We at The Global Scavenger Hunt all have family and friends that we love and want to return to just as you do. Please know that we constantly monitoring global, regional and local events. We are very well informed. We have, and will continue to alter our travel route according to both the real and perceived threats against travelers. So you know, following 9/11 we canceled GreatEscape2001 set for an October 12, 2001 departure! And we also canceled GreatEscape2003 set to begin April 12th, 2003 because of duel outbreaks: the Iraqi War and SARS in Asia, we were set to depart on March 20th, 2003. So we do stay attuned to world events and take all necessary precautions. This event is a labor of love for us, not a money making bottomline business (FYI: We didn't do an event in 2006 because we had a newborn who wasn't ready for an around-the world adventure just yet!...He is now...)

In spite of the Mean World Syndrome being portrayed in the mass media, we feel secure enough to travel and know objectively that we have several things working in our favor: 1) We have no known predictable travel route, internationally or locally, for anyone to plot or plan against; 2) We don't travel with any visible corporate logos and signs on tour buses; 3) We don't even really travel as a group save for a few specially-planned cultural events; 4) We are all seasoned travelers with a greater understanding of a travelers best friend on the road--situational awareness! And finally, 5) we all know how to blend in and trust our well-honed instincts.

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