1. Making a Booking:
1.1 To make a booking, you must complete our booking form. This must be signed by the first named person on the booking (“party leader”). The party leader must be authorized to make the booking on the basis of these booking conditions by all persons named on the booking and by their parent or guardian for all party members who are under 18 when the booking is made. By signing the booking form, the party leader confirms that he/she is so authorized. The party leader is responsible for making all payments due to us. The party leader must be at least 18 when the booking is made.
1.2 The completed signed booking form must then be sent to us together with the payments referred to in clause 2.1 below.
1.3 Subject to the availability of your chosen arrangements, we will confirm your holiday by issuing a booking receipt. This receipt will be sent to the party leader. Please check this receipt carefully as soon as you receive it. Contact us immediately if any information which appears on the confirmation or any other document appears to be incorrect or incomplete as it may not be possible to make changes later. We regret we cannot accept any liability if we are not notified of any inaccuracies (for which we are responsible) in any document within ten days of our sending it out. We will do our best to rectify any mistake notified to us outside these time limits, but you must meet any costs involved in doing so.
1.4 We will communicate with you by e-mail in relation to your booking. You must accordingly check your e-mails on a regular basis. We may also contact you by telephone and/or post if we cannot, for whatever reason, contact you by e-mail. Certain documents may need to be sent by post. References in these booking conditions to “send” and “in writing” include communication by e-mail.
2. Payment:
2.1 In order to confirm your chosen holiday, a deposit of $500.00 per person for escorted tours, or 20% of the total tour cost for a tailor-made trip (please note that depending on your chosen arrangements the required deposit may be different to these amounts. If it is, we will advise you accordingly at the time of booking) must be paid at the time of booking. In addition, some tours may require further interim payments.
2.2 The balance of the holiday cost must be received by us not less than 45 days prior to departure. This date will be shown on the confirmation invoice. Reminders are not sent. If we do not receive all payments due (including any surcharge where applicable) in full and on time, we are entitled to assume that you wish to cancel your booking. In this case, we will be entitled to keep all deposits paid or due at that date. If we do not cancel straight away because you have promised to make payment, you must pay the cancellation charges shown in clause 5 depending on the date we reasonably treat your booking as canceled
2.3 In the case of international payments, you should ensure that the full invoice amount, is received by us after all bank charges have been levied.
3. Passports, Visas and Health Matters:
If you are unable for whatever reason to obtain a visa or the authorization required for a visa and are thus unable to travel, we will seek to be as flexible as the situation allows but ultimately reserve the right to consider this as a cancellation under the terms set out in 5.1 below.
4. Cancellation By You:
4.1 Should you or any member of your party need to cancel your holiday once it has been confirmed, the party leader must immediately advise us in writing. Your notice of cancellation will only be effective when it is received in writing by us at our offices. As we incur costs from the time, we confirm your booking, the following cancellation charges will be payable. Where the cancellation charge is shown as a percentage, this is calculated on the basis of the total cost payable by the person(s) canceling excluding amendment charges. Amendment charges are not refundable in the event of cancellation.
Period before departure within which written notification of cancellation is received by us and cancellation charge per person canceling.
60 days or more prior to departure - loss of deposit
59-46 days before departure - 30% of tour cost
45-28 days before departure - 60% of tour cost
Less than 28 days - 100% of tour cost
4.2 Depending on the reason for cancellation, you may be able to reclaim these cancellation charges (less any applicable excess) under the terms of your insurance policy. Claims must be made directly to the concerned insurance.
4.3 On private bookings where any cancellation reduces the number of full paying party members below the number on which the price, number of free places and/ or any concessions agreed for your booking were based, we will recalculate these items and re-invoice you accordingly.
4.4 If your tour includes a cruise element, then please note that cancellation charges may differ from those stated above and may result in 100% loss of tour cost up to 120 days before departure.
4.5 See clause 9 “Changes by you” if any member(s) of your party are prevented from travelling.
5. Changes and Cancellation By Us:
5.1 We start planning the tours we offer many months in advance. Occasionally, we have to make changes to and correct errors in brochure and other details both before and after bookings have been confirmed and cancel confirmed bookings. Whilst we always endeavour to avoid changes and cancellations, we reserve the right to cancel or make changes to a trip under any circumstances. Please note, our escorted group holidays require a minimum number of participants to enable us to operate them. If the minimum number of bookings required for a particular holiday have not been received, we are entitled to cancel it. We will notify you of cancellation for this reason at least 30 days prior to your departure.
5.2 Most changes are minor. Occasionally, we have to make a “significant change”. A significant change is a change made before departure which, taking account of the information you give us at the time of booking and which we can reasonably be expected to know as a tour operator, we can reasonably expect to have a major effect on your holiday. Significant changes are likely to include the following changes when made before departure; a change of accommodation to that of a lower official classification or standard for the whole or a major part of the time you are away, a change of accommodation area for the whole or a major part of the time you are away, in the case of tours, a significant change of itinerary missing out one or more major destination substantially or altogether.
5.3 If we have to make a significant change or cancel, we will tell you as soon as possible. If there is time to do so before departure, we will offer you the choice of the following options: -
(a) (for significant changes) accepting the changed arrangements or
(b) purchasing an alternative holiday from us, of a similar standard to that originally booked if available. We will offer you at least one alternative holiday of equivalent or higher standard for which you will not be asked to pay any more than the price of the original holiday. If this holiday is in fact cheaper than the original one, we will refund the price difference. If you do not wish to accept the holiday, we specifically offer you, you may choose any of our other than available holidays. You must pay the applicable price of any such holiday. This will mean you’re paying more if it is more expensive or receiving a refund if it is cheaper
(c) Canceling or accepting the cancellation in which case you will receive a full and quick refund of all monies you have paid to us. In addition, where the cause for the significant change or cancellation is beyond our control, we will only be liable for refunding the recoverable costs of the ‘package’. Accordingly, you should ensure that you have adequate travel insurance to cover you in the event that your tour is canceled, and you no longer wish to make use of any flight(s) and/or transfers which have not also been canceled.
5.4 If we have to make a significant change or cancel, we will, where compensation is appropriate, pay compensation depending on the circumstances and when the significant change or cancellation is notified to you subject to the following exceptions. Compensation will not be payable and no liability beyond offering the above mentioned choices can be accepted where (1) we are forced to make a change or cancel as a result of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which we could not have avoided even with all due care or (2) we have to cancel because the minimum number of bookings necessary for us to operate your holiday has not been reached (see above). No compensation will be payable, and the above options will not be available if we cancel as a result of your failure to comply with any requirement of these booking conditions entitling us to cancel (such as paying on time) or where a change is a minor one. Please also see clause 20 “Delay and Denied Boarding Regulations”.
5.5 Very rarely, we may be forced by “force majeure” (see clause 12) to change or terminate your holiday after departure but before the scheduled end of your time away. This is extremely unlikely but if this situation does occur, we regret we will be unable to make any refunds (unless we obtain any refunds from our suppliers), pay you any compensation or meet any costs or expenses you incur as a result.
5.6. We reserve the right to cancel any booking if we reasonably feel that the physical condition or behaviour of a client may affect their own well-being, that of any members of our local crew, that of any other members of an escorted group tour, or the enjoyment of other members of the group while on a tour.
5.7 If you have chosen to pay an optional single supplement and we are for whatever reason unable to provide you with a single room for any advertised nights then we reserve the right to room you with a fellow traveller of the same sex and to reimburse you accordingly on a pro-rata basi
6. Surcharges:
6.1 The price of your holiday is subject to surcharges in the event of any change in our transportation costs or in dues, taxes or fees payable for services such as landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports or airports or in the exchange rates which have been used to calculate the cost of your holiday. Even in these cases, we will absorb an amount equivalent to 2% of the holiday price, excluding any amendment charges. Only amounts in excess of this 2% will be surcharged. If this means paying more than 10% on the holiday price you will be entitled to cancel your holiday and receive a full refund with the exception of any amendment charges or alternatively purchase another holiday from us as referred to in clause 5 “Changes and Cancellation by us”. You have 14 days from the issue date printed on the surcharge invoice to tell us if you want to choose option (b) or (c) as set out in clause 6.
6.2 We promise not to levy a surcharge within 30 days of departure. No refund will be payable during this period either.
7. Changes by You:
7.1 Should you wish to make any changes to your confirmed holiday, you must notify us in writing as soon as possible. Whilst we will endeavour to assist, we cannot guarantee we will be able to meet any such requests. Where we can, an amendment fee of $50.00 per person will be payable together with any costs incurred by ourselves and any costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers. A change of holiday dates will normally be treated as a cancellation of the original booking and rebooking in which case cancellation charges will apply. Changes may result in the recalculation of the holiday price where, for example, the basis on which the price of the original holiday was calculated has changed.
7.2 If any member of your party is prevented from travelling, the person(s) concerned may transfer their place to someone else (introduced by you) providing we are notified not less than two weeks before departure. Where a transfer to a person of your choice can be made, all costs and charges incurred by us and/or incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers as a result together with an amendment fee of $50.00 must be paid before the transfer can be effected. Any overdue balance payment must also be received.
8. Special Requests and Medical Conditions/Disabilities:
8.1 If you have any special request, you must advise us at the time of booking. Although we will endeavour to pass any reasonable requests on to the relevant supplier, we regret we cannot guarantee any request will be met. Failure to meet any special request will not be a breach of contract on our part. Confirmation that a special request has been noted or passed on to the supplier or the inclusion of the special request on your confirmation invoice or any other documentation is not confirmation that the request will be met. Unless and until specifically confirmed, all special requests are subject to availability. For your own protection, you should obtain confirmation in writing that a special request will be complied (where it is possible to give this) where it is important to you.
8.2 We regret we cannot accept any conditional bookings, i.e. any booking which is specified to be conditional on the fulfillment of a particular request. All such bookings will be treated as “standard” bookings subject to the above provisions on special requests.
8.3 If you or any member of your party has any medical condition or disability which may affect your holiday or has any special requirements as a result of any medical condition or disability (including any which affect the booking process), please tell us before you confirm your booking so that we can assist you in considering the suitability of the arrangements and/or making the booking. In any event, you must give us full details in writing at the time of booking and whenever any change in the condition or disability occurs. You must also promptly advise us if any medical condition or disability which may affect your holiday develops after your booking has been confirmed. If we reasonably feel unable to properly accommodate the particular needs of the person concerned, we must reserve the right to decline their reservation or, if full details are not given at the time of booking or the condition / disability develops after booking, cancel when we become aware of these details.
8.4 The Company reserves the right at any time to require the Client to produce a doctor’s certificate certifying that the Client is fit to participate in the tour. Travel, horse-riding and trekking questionnaires might also be required.
8.5 By booking you acknowledge that you understand the potential risks and hazards that can be involved in tours of this kind to often remote and inhospitable locations. Such risks may increase the risk of injury or illness, loss or damage to property, discomfort and inconvenience.
9. Liability:
9.1 We promise to make sure that the holiday arrangements we have agreed to make, perform or provide as applicable as part of our contract with you are made, performed or provided with reasonable skill and care. This means that, subject to these booking conditions, we will accept responsibility if, for example, you suffer death or personal injury or your contracted holiday arrangements are not provided as promised or prove deficient as a result of the failure of ourselves, our employees, agents or suppliers to use reasonable skill and care in making, performing or providing, as applicable, your contracted holiday arrangements. Please note, it is your responsibility to show that reasonable skill and care has not been used if you wish to make a claim against us. In addition, we will only be responsible for what our employees, agents and suppliers do or do not do if they were at the time acting within the course of their employment (for employees) or carrying out work we had asked them to do.
9.2 We will not be responsible for any injury, illness, death, loss (including loss of enjoyment or possessions), damage, expense, cost or other sum or claim of any description whatsoever which results from any of the following: - the act(s) and/or omission(s) of the person(s) affected or any member(s) of their party or the act(s) and/or omission(s) of a third party not connected with the provision of your holiday and which were unforeseeable or unavoidable or ‘force majeure’ as defined in clause 13 below
9.3 Please note, we cannot accept responsibility for any services which do not form part of our contract. This includes, for example, any additional services or facilities which your hotel or any other supplier agrees to provide for you where the services or facilities are not advertised by us and we have not agreed to arrange them as part of our contract and any excursion you purchase whilst on holiday. In addition, regardless of any wording used by us on our website, in any advertising material or elsewhere, we only promise to use reasonable skill and care as set out above and we do not have any greater or different liability to you.
9.4 The promises we make to you about the services we have agreed to provide or arrange as part of our contract - and the laws and regulations of the country in which your claim or complaint occurred - will be used as the basis for deciding whether the services in question had been properly provided. If the particular services which gave rise to the claim or complaint complied with local laws and regulations applicable to those services at the time, the services will be treated as having been properly provided. The exception to this is where the claim or complaint concerns the absence of a safety feature which might lead a reasonable holiday maker to refuse to take the holiday in question. Please note, however, our obligation is to exercise reasonable skill and care as referred to in clause 10.1. We do not make any representation or commitment that all services will comply with applicable local laws and regulations and failure to comply does not automatically mean we have not exercised reasonable skill and care.
9.5 Where we are found liable for loss of and/or damage to any luggage or personal possessions (including money), the maximum amount we will have to pay you is $500 per person affected unless a lower limitation applies to your claim under this clause or clause 10.6 below. You must ensure you have appropriate travel insurance to protect your personal belongings. For all other claims which do not involve death or personal injury, if we are found liable to you on any basis the maximum amount we will have to pay you is twice the price (excluding amendment charges) paid by or on behalf of the person(s) affected in total unless a lower limitation applies to your claim under clause 11.6 below. This maximum amount will only be payable where everything has gone wrong and you have not received any benefit at all from your holiday.
9.6 Where any claim or part of a claim (including those involving death or personal injury) concerns or is based on any travel arrangements (including the process of getting on and/or off the transport concerned) provided by any air, sea or rail carrier to which any international convention or EU regulation applies, our liability (including the maximum amount of compensation we will have to pay you, the types of claim and the circumstances in which compensation will be payable) will be limited as if we were the carrier in question as referred to below. The most we will have to pay you for that claim or that part of a claim if we are found liable to you on any basis is the most the carrier concerned would have to pay under the international convention or regulation which applies to the travel arrangements in question (for example, the Warsaw Convention as amended or unamended and the Montreal Convention for international travel by air and/or for airlines with an operating licence granted by an EU country, the EC Regulation on Air Carrier Liability No 889/2002 for national and international travel by air, the Athens Convention for international travel by sea (as amended by the 2002 Protocol where applicable) and COTIF, the Convention on International Travel by Rail). Where a carrier would not be obliged to make any payment to you under the applicable international convention or regulation in respect of a claim or part of a claim, we similarly are not obliged to make a payment to you for that claim or part of the claim. When making any payment, we are entitled to deduct any money which you have received or are entitled to receive from the carrier for the complaint or claim in question. Copies of the applicable international conventions and regulations are available from us on request.
9.7 Please note, we cannot accept any liability for any damage, loss, expense or other sum(s) of any description (1) which on the basis of the information given to us by you concerning your booking prior to our accepting it, we could not have foreseen you would suffer or incur if we breached our contract with you or (2) which did not result from any breach of contract or other fault by ourselves or our employees or where we are responsible for them, our suppliers. Additionally, we cannot accept liability for any business losses (including without limitation, self-employed loss of earnings).
10. Travel Insurance and next of kin:
10.1 We advise adequate insurance before travelling. You must give details in writing of your insurance policy (insurer, policy number, 24-hour emergency assistance contact details).
10.2 Please read your policy details carefully and take them with you on holiday. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance cover you purchase is suitable and adequate for your particular needs. We do not check insurance policies. The tour is a journey of a hazardous nature and you should ensure that such insurance fully covers all personal requirements including medical expenses, repatriation, helicopter rescue and air ambulance in the event of accident or illness.
10.3 You must give to us the name, address and telephone numbers of your next of kin or persons to be notified in the event of an emergency.
11. Force Majeure:
Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions, we regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance or prompt performance of our obligations under our contract with you is prevented or affected by or you otherwise suffer any damage, loss or expense of any nature as a result of “force majeure”. In these booking conditions, “force majeure” means any event which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events may include, whether actual or threatened, war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, fire and all similar events outside our control.
12. Our Tour Leader:
We will appoint a Tour Leader(s) who will represent us and assist with the proper and safe running of you and your fellow participants’ escorted group tour. You must accept the decisions of the Tour Leader who shall have the discretion to make decisions and take action which may impact on your tour. If your physical condition or behaviour is such as to affect the well-being of yourself or other members of the group or the enjoyment of other members of the group, you may be asked to leave the tour without any right to refund. If you wish to leave the group temporarily, you will be asked to sign a release form.
13. Safety Standards:
Please note, it is the requirements and standards of the Pakistan in which any services which make up your holiday are provided which apply to those service.
14. Complaints:
In the unlikely event that you have any reason to complain or experience any problems with your holiday whilst away, you must immediately inform our local representative or agent (if we have one) and the supplier of the service(s) in question. Any verbal notification must be put in writing and given to our Tour Leader/ representative/agent and the supplier concerned (as applicable) as soon as possible.
If we do not have or you cannot contact our Tour Leader or local representative or agent and any complaint or problem is not resolved to your satisfaction, you must contact us in our office using the contact details we have provided you with during your trip, giving us full details and a contact number. Until we know about a complaint or problem, we cannot begin to resolve it. Most problems can be dealt with quickly. If you remain dissatisfied, however, you must write to us within 7 days of your return to the to your country giving your booking reference and full details of your complaint. Only the party leader should write to us. For all complaints and claims which do not involve death, personal injury or illness, we regret we cannot accept liability if you fail to notify the complaint or claim entirely in accordance with this clause.
15. Suppliers:
Many of the services which make up your holiday are provided by independent suppliers. Those suppliers provide these services in accordance with their own terms and conditions. Some of these terms and conditions may limit or exclude the supplier’s liability to you, usually in accordance with applicable international conventions (see clause 11.6). Copies of the relevant parts of these terms and conditions and of the international conventions are available on request from ourselves or the supplier concerned.
16. Delay and Denied Boarding Regulations:
16.1 In the event of any flight delay or cancellation at your country or overseas point of departure, the airline is responsible for providing such assistance as is legally required by the Denied Boarding Regulations (see below). The ferry, tunnel or rail operator is similarly responsible in relation to any delayed or cancelled sea crossing or international rail departure. Except where otherwise stated in our brochure or on our website, we regret we cannot provide any assistance in such circumstances other than information and advice to the extent we are in a position to do so.
16.2 We regret we are not in a position to offer you any assistance in the event of delay at your outward or homeward point of departure. Any airline concerned may however provide refreshments etc. We cannot accept liability for any delay which is due to any of the reasons which includes the behaviour of any passenger(s) on the flight who, for example, fails to check in or board on time.
16.3 If your flight is canceled or delayed, your flight ticket is downgraded or boarding is denied by your airline, depending on the circumstances, the airline may be required to pay you compensation, refund the cost of your flight and/or provide you with accommodation and/or refreshments under EC Regulation No 261/2004 - the Denied Boarding Regulations 2004. Where applicable, you must pursue the airline for the compensation or other payment due to you. All sums you receive or are entitled to receive from the airline concerned by virtue of these Regulations represent the full amount of your entitlement to compensation or any other payment arising from such cancellation, delay, downgrading or denied boarding. This includes any disappointment, distress, inconvenience or effect on any other arrangements. The fact a delay may entitle you to cancel your flight does not automatically entitle you to cancel any other arrangements even where those arrangements have been made in conjunction with your flight. We have no liability to make any payment to you in relation to the Denied Boarding Regulations or in respect of any flight cancellation or delay, downgrading of any flight ticket or denial of any boarding as the full amount of your entitlement to any compensation or other payment (as dealt with above) is covered by the airline’s obligations under the Denied Boarding Regulations.
17. Excursions/Activities:
17.1 We may provide you with information (before departure and/or when you are on tour) about activities and excursions which are available in the area you are visiting. We have no involvement in any such activities or excursions which are neither run, supervised, controlled nor endorsed in any way by us. They are provided by other third parties who are entirely independent of us. We cannot accept any liability on any basis in relation to such activities or excursions and the acceptance of liability contained in clause 11.1 of our booking conditions will not apply to them.
17.2 We cannot guarantee accuracy of information given in relation to such activities or excursions as these services are not under our control.
18. Brochure/Website/advertising material:
The information contained in our brochure, on our website, in our itineraries or other advertising material is believed correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of printing or publication. However, errors may occasionally occur, and information may subsequently change. You must therefore ensure you check all details of your chosen holiday (including the price) with us at the time of booking and where practical to do so we advise you to independently verify information which is provided for guidance only.
