What is the best form of payment to bring with me on this tour… can I take cash out at ATM machines for example?
In the larger cities you can take out cash at ATM machines. Also bring American dollars with you, which you can exchange everywhere. In some places credit cards are accepted as a form of payment, but these are only useful for larger expenditures. Traveler’s checks in $US are often accepted, but in smaller places these are not easily exchangeable.