Terms & Conditions

The following Booking Conditions together with our Privacy Policy, and where your holiday is booked via our website, our Website Terms of Use, together with the Technical Details and all other general information contained in our brochure and the Pre-departure Pack referred to below form the basis of your contract with Naturetrek Limited. Please read them carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations. Our registered office is Mingledown Barn, Wolf's Lane, Chawton, Hants GU34 3HJ. Our phone number is 01962 733051 and our email address is info@naturetrek.co.uk. Our registered company number is 3311102. We are a member of ABTA, membership number Y6206. We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code of Conduct.

In these Booking Conditions, ‘you’ and ‘your’ mean all persons named on the booking (including anyone who is added or substituted at a later date). ‘We’, ‘us’ and ‘our’ mean Naturetrek Limited.

Please note that our brochure offers merely an outline of what is included in the price of your holiday. Full details will be found in the ‘Pre-departure Pack’ sent to you together with your confirmation invoice (see below). If, on receipt of this pack, you are not satisfied with any of the details of the holiday, we will work with you to change the details to your liking. If this fails we may allow you to cancel your holiday with a full refund, provided we receive notification within two weeks of the date of your invoice and provided you have booked more than 70 days prior to departure.

1. Making your booking
To make a booking with us, the party leader must complete and sign our booking form. He/she must be authorised to make the booking on the basis of these Booking Conditions by all persons named on the booking and 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 authorised. The party leader consents to our use of personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy and is authorised on behalf of all persons named on the booking to disclose their personal details to us, including where applicable special categories of data (such as information on health conditions or disabilities and dietary requirements) 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. All bookings are subject to these Booking Conditions.

The completed signed booking form must then be sent to us together with the appropriate deposit payments (or full payment if booking within 70 days of departure). We reserve the right to return your deposit and decline to issue a booking confirmation at our absolute discretion.

Bookings made by telephone will only be accepted after we have received verbal agreement by you to accept and abide by our Booking Conditions. Bookings made through our website will be confirmed once your payment has been verified. Once we have received your booking and all appropriate payments, we will, subject to availability, confirm your holiday by issuing a confirmation invoice which will include the details of your booking. A binding contract will only come into force between you and us once we have issued you with a confirmation invoice which will be sent to the party leader or your travel agent. Please check this invoice carefully as soon as you receive it. For flight inclusive packages, we will also issue you with an Air Travel Organiser’s Licence (ATOL) Certificate where appropriate. Upon receipt, if you believe that any details on the ATOL Certificate or booking confirmation or any other document are wrong you must advise us immediately as it may not be possible to make changes later. It may harm your rights if we are not notified of any inaccuracies in any document within ten days of our sending it out (five days for tickets).

The deposit is made up of 20% of the tour cost including any room supplements and extensions you may wish to book, for each person booked. 

Single room supplements will be chargeable where you require a single occupancy room as our prices are advertised on the basis of two people sharing. This supplement will be equivalent to the difference between the shared room and the single room price. Single room supplements will also be chargeable if shared accommodation is not available, unless your booking is for a UK or European holiday and was received by us at least 6 months prior to the holiday’s departure, in which case we will cover up to £250 of the single supplement (any higher than this then the difference will still be charged).

Where you have paid a deposit, the balance of the cost of your arrangements (including any surcharge where applicable) is due not less than 70 days prior to scheduled departure. If we do not receive this balance in full and on time, we will be entitled to treat your booking as cancelled by you and retain 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 3 if we do not receive the payment within 72 hours after the agreed time and date, when we will treat your booking as cancelled.

With card payments, we will accept deposit payments by Visa, Mastercard, Delta and UK Maestro, as well as all debit cards. Final balance payments by card can only be paid by UK debit cards or bank transfer. For bookings made outside of the UK and European Economic Area (EEA), we accept credit cards for all payments, subject to a 2% surcharge. 

Except for flight inclusive bookings, all monies you pay to one of our authorised travel agents for your holiday with us will be held by the agent on your behalf until we issue our confirmation invoice. After that point, your agent will hold the monies on our behalf.

For flight inclusive bookings, any money paid to an authorised agent of ours in respect of a booking covered by our ATOL is held by that agent on behalf of and for the benefit of the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust at all times, but subject to the agent’s obligation to pay it to us for so long as we do not fail financially. If we do fail financially, any money held at that time by the agent or subsequently accepted from the consumer by the agent, is and continues to be held by that agent on behalf of and for the benefit of the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust without any obligation to pay that money to us.

2. Jurisdiction and Applicable Law
We both agree that English Law (and no other) will apply to your contract and to any dispute, claim or other matter of any description which arises between us (except as set out below). We both also agree that any dispute, claim or other matter of any description (and whether or not involving any personal injury) which arises between us must be dealt with under the AITO Arbitration Scheme or ABTA’s Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme (if the scheme is available for the claim in question – see clause 11) or by the Courts of England and Wales only unless, in the case of Court proceedings, you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland. In this case, proceedings must either be brought in the Courts of your home country or those of England and Wales. If proceedings are brought in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you may choose to have your contract and any dispute, claim or other matter of any description which arises between us governed by the law of Scotland/Northern Ireland as applicable (but if you do not so choose, English law will apply).

3. Cancellation by you before departure
You may cancel your booking at any stage, provided you do so in writing. Your notice of cancellation will only be effective when it is received in writing by us at our offices. Should one or more member of a party cancel, it may increase the per person holiday price of those still travelling and you will be liable to pay this increase. To protect yourself financially you should ensure that you have adequate travel insurance from the time of booking (see Clause 8 below). As we incur costs from the time we confirm your booking the charges set out below will apply. Where the cancellation charge is shown as a percentage, this is calculated on the basis of the total cost payable by the person(s) cancelling excluding amendment charges. Amendment charges are not refundable in the event of the person(s) to whom they apply cancelling.

Period before departure in which you notify us     Cancellation Charge
More than 70 days                                             Deposit only
70-43 days before departure                              50% of total tour cost
42-29 days before departure                              75% of total tour cost
28 days or less before departure                        100% of total tour cost


Important Note: We are required to pay for certain aspects of tour arrangements in full, up front, on a non-refundable basis. Examples include but are not limited to flights, jeep permits, trekking permits and such like. Upon cancellation, we retain the right to withhold payment for these services in cases where our non-recoverable costs exceed the cancellation charges above.

If the reason for your cancellation is covered under the terms of your insurance policy, you may be able to reclaim these charges from your insurer.

Where possible, we will deduct the cancellation charge(s) from any monies you have already paid to us.

Cancellation by you due to Unavoidable & Extraordinary Circumstances: You have the right to cancel your confirmed holiday before departure without paying a cancellation charge in the event of “unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances” occurring at your holiday destination or its immediate vicinity and significantly affecting the performance of the holiday or significantly affecting the transport arrangements to the destination. In these circumstances, we shall provide you with a full refund of the monies you have paid but we will not be liable to pay you any additional compensation. Please note that your right to cancel in these circumstances will only apply where the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advises against travel to your destination or its immediate vicinity. For the purposes of this clause, “unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances” means warfare, acts of terrorism, significant risks to human health such as the outbreak of serious disease at the travel destination or natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes or weather conditions, which make it impossible to travel safely to the travel destination.

This clause 3 outlines the rights you have if you wish to cancel your booking. Please note that there is no automatic statutory right of cancellation under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 (Directive 2011/83/EU)

4. Changes by you & Transfers of Booking
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 make changes, an amendment fee of £25 per booking will be payable together with any costs incurred by ourselves and any costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers. For flight inclusive bookings, you must pay the charges levied by the airline concerned. As most airlines do not permit name changes after tickets have been issued for any reason, these charges are likely to be the full cost of the flight.

Transfer of booking
If you or any member of your party is prevented from travelling, that person(s) may transfer their place to someone else, subject to the following conditions:
a) That person is introduced by you and satisfies all the conditions applicable to the holiday;
b) We are notified not less than 7 days before departure;
c) You pay any outstanding balance payment, an amendment fee of £50 per person transferring as well as any additional fees, charges or other costs arising from the transfer; and
d) The transferee agrees to these booking conditions and all other terms of the contract between us. You and the transferee remain jointly and severally liable for payment of all sums. If you are unable to find a replacement, cancelation charges as set out in clause 3 will apply in order to cover our estimated costs. Otherwise, no refunds will be given for passengers not travelling or for unused services.

Important Note: Certain arrangements may not be amended or transferred after they have been confirmed and any alteration could incur a cancellation charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements.

Cutting your holiday short
If you are forced to return home early, or if you cut short your holiday and return home early in circumstances where you have no reasonable cause for complaint about the standard of accommodation and services provided, we will not offer you any refund for that part of your holiday not completed, nor be liable for any associated costs you may incur. Depending on the circumstances, your travel insurance may offer cover for curtailment and we suggest that any claim is made directly with them.

5. Changes and cancellation by us
N.B. Sub-clause 5(b) is subject at all times to sub-clause 5(a).
(a). Naturetrek is not an ordinary package tour operator. We specialise in travel to remote areas which can be inherently dangerous, relatively undeveloped and subject to the uncertainties of local bureaucracy, road and air travel. Consequently we must always be flexible, and we contract only to aim at a proposed itinerary, not necessarily to fulfil it rigidly. We reserve the right to change an itinerary at any time, and will not be held liable for any loss whatsoever caused as a result of any delay or alteration.

(b). We start planning the holidays 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 must reserve the right to do so.

Changes: If we have to alter your itinerary, travel or holiday arrangements before departure, any change will be either significant or insignificant. Where a change is an insignificant change, we will, if practicable, advise you before departure but we are not obliged to do so or to pay you compensation. Examples of insignificant changes include alteration of your outward/return flights by less than 12 hours, changes to aircraft type, change of accommodation to another of the same or higher standard, changes of carriers.

Occasionally we may have to make a significant change to your confirmed arrangements. Examples of “significant changes” include the following, when made before departure:
- a change of outward departure time or overall length of your arrangements by more than 12 hours;
- a change of accommodation to that of a lower official
classification or standard for the whole or a significant part of the time you are away;
- a change of accommodation area for the whole or a
significant part of your time away;
- a change of UK departure point except between;
  • The London airports: Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, Stansted, London City and Southend
  • The South Coast airports; Southampton, Bournemouth and Exeter
  • The South Western airports: Cardiff and Bristol
  • The Midlands airports: Birmingham, East Midlands and Doncaster Sheffield
  • The Northern airports: Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds Bradford
  • The North Eastern airports: Newcastle and Teesside
  • The Scottish airports: Edinburgh, Glasgow, Prestwick and Aberdeen
- a significant change to your itinerary, missing out one or more destinations entirely.

Cancellation: We will not cancel your travel arrangements less than 30 days before your departure date, except for reasons of force majeure or failure by you to pay the final balance. We may cancel your holiday before this date if, e.g., the minimum number of clients required for a particular travel arrangement is not reached.

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:
(i) (for significant changes) accepting the changed arrangements; or
(ii) accepting an offer of an alternative holiday from us, of a comparable or higher standard to that originally booked if available (at no extra cost); or
(iii) Where possible 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 a holiday we specifically offer you, you may choose any of our other then available holidays. You must pay the applicable price of any such holiday. This will mean you have to pay more if it is more expensive and you will receive a refund if it is cheaper.
(iv) cancelling or accepting the cancellation and accepting a full refund of all monies paid.

You must notify us of your choice within 7 days of our offer. If we do not hear from you within 7 days, we will contact you again to request notification of your choice. If you fail to respond again we will assume that you have chosen to accept the change or alternative booking arrangements.

Please note, the above options are not available where any change made is an insignificant one.

Compensation: In addition, in appropriate cases depending on the circumstances and when the significant change or cancellation is notified to you, we will pay you compensation on the scale shown below in the following circumstances:
a) if, where we make a significant change, you do not accept the changed arrangements and cancel your booking
b) If we cancel your booking and no alternative arrangements are available.
The compensation that we offer does not exclude you from claiming more if you are entitled to do so.

Period before departure within which major change/cancellation is notified:       Compensation per person:
More than 56 days                                                                                                        Nil
56 days to 43 days                                                                                                        Minimum £10
42 days to 29 days                                                                                                        Minimum £15
28 days to 15 days                                                                                                        Minimum £20
14 days or under                                                                                                           Minimum £30

IMPORTANT NOTE: We will not pay you compensation in the following circumstances:
- where we make an insignificant change;
- where we make a significant change or cancel your arrangements more than 70 days before departure;
- where we make a significant change and you accept those changed arrangements or you accept an offer of alternative travel arrangements;
- where we have to cancel your arrangements as a result of your failure to make full payment on time or to otherwise comply with any requirement of these Booking Conditions;
- where we have to cancel your arrangements because the minimum number of persons required to operate your holiday has not been reached;
- where the change or cancellation by us arises out of alterations to the confirmed booking requested by you;
- where we are forced to cancel or change your arrangements due to Force Majeure (see clause 6).
If we become unable to provide a significant proportion of the arrangements that you have booked with us after you have departed, we will, if possible, make alternative arrangements for you at no extra charge and where those alternative arrangements are of a lower standard, provide you with an appropriate price reduction.

6. Force majeure
Except where otherwise expressly stated in these Booking Conditions, we regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation if our contractual obligations to you are affected by “Force Majeure”. For the purposes of these Booking Conditions, Force Majeure means any event beyond our or our supplier’s control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. Examples include warfare and acts of terrorism (and threat thereof), civil strife, significant risks to human health such as a pandemic, or outbreak of serious disease at the travel destination or natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes or weather conditions which make it impossible to travel safely to the travel destination or remain at the travel destination, the act of any government or other national or local authority, including port or river authorities, industrial dispute, labour strikes, lock closure, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, chemical or biological disaster, unavoidable technical problems with transport and all similar events outside our or our supplier’s control.

7. The cost of your holiday
We reserve the right to make changes to and correct errors in advertised prices at any time before your holiday is confirmed. We will advise you of any error of which we are aware and of the then applicable price at the time of booking. We also reserve the right to correct errors in the prices of confirmed holidays.

Once the price of your chosen holiday has been confirmed at the time of booking, (subject to the correction of errors) we will only increase or decrease it in the following circumstances. Price increases or decreases after booking will be passed on by way of a surcharge or refund. A surcharge or refund (as applicable) will be payable, solely to allow for increase which are a direct consequence of changes in:
(i) the price of the carriage of passengers resulting from the cost of fuel or other power sources
(ii) the level of taxes or fees chargeable for services applicable to the holiday imposed by third parties not directly involved in the performance of the holiday, including tourist taxes, landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports and airports; and
(iii) the exchange rates relevant to the package.

Even in the above cases, only if the amount of the increase in our costs exceeds 2% of the total cost of your holiday (excluding any amendment charges and/or additional services or travel arrangements) will we levy a surcharge. If any surcharge is greater than 8% of the cost of your holiday (excluding any amendment charges and/or additional services or travel arrangements), you will have the option of accepting a change to another holiday if we are able to offer one (if this is of equivalent or higher quality you will not have to pay more but if it is of a lower quality you will be refunded the difference in price) or cancelling your booking and receiving a full refund of all monies you have paid to us (except for any amendment charges and/or additional services or travel arrangements). Should the price of your holiday go down due to the changes mentioned above, then any refund due will be paid to you. Please note however that travel arrangements are not always purchased in local currency and some apparent changes have no impact on the price of your travel due to contractual and other protection in place.

You have 7 days from the issue date printed on the surcharge invoice to tell us if you want to cancel. If you do not tell us that you wish to do so within this period of time, we are entitled to assume that you will pay the surcharge. Any surcharge must be paid with the balance of the cost of the holiday or within 14 days of the issue date printed on the surcharge invoice, whichever is the later.

We promise not to levy a surcharge within 20 days of the start of your holiday, nor will any refunds be paid during this period.

Please note, changes and errors occasionally occur. You must check the price of your chosen holiday at the time of booking.

8. Insurance
All party members must be covered by insurance before setting out on holiday. This must cover you fully against any cancellation charges, medical care and repatriation should you become too ill to continue with the holiday, and must above all cover you against the cost of air evacuation from remote areas should sickness or injury necessitate such a course of action. You should also note that passenger liability insurance covering the vehicles that we hire, particularly in developing countries, may be inadequate; it is therefore important that your insurance cover makes sufficient provision for your dependants in the event of an accident. Although we are an Unregulated Introducer of Campbell Irvine Ltd, their insurance policy is ideally suited to our kind of holiday, and we hope that you will use it. Details of the policy Campbell Irvine offer are shown in our brochure and on our website. Please note however that we have no control over the availability or standard of medical and repatriation services and facilities in the areas we visit and these do not form any part of our contract with you. Please remember that many of the areas we visit on our holidays are not as developed as the UK and the availability and standard of such services may well be lower. 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 and cannot be held responsible if your insurance cover is inadequate. If you choose to travel without adequate insurance cover, we will not be liable for any losses howsoever arising, in respect of which insurance cover would otherwise have been available.

9. Special requests & requirements
If you have any special requests, you should inform us of such requests prior to departure. We will advise the relevant supplier of your requirements but we cannot guarantee that such requests will be met. Furthermore, we have no liability to you if such requests are not met. 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. Failure to meet any special request will not be a breach of contract on our part unless the request has been specifically confirmed by us. We do not accept bookings that are conditional upon any special request being met.

Medical problems, reduced mobility and disabilities
We are not a specialist disabled holiday company, but we will do our utmost to cater for any special requirements you may have. If you or any member of your party has any medical problem, reduced mobility or disability which may affect your holiday, please tell us before you confirm your booking so that we can advise as to the suitability of the chosen arrangements. In any event, you must give us full details in writing at the time of booking. We may require you to produce a doctor’s certificate certifying that you are fit to participate. By accepting the arrangements you agree to review and consider the levels of difficulty of our tours as set in the Tour and Trek Grading section of our Technical Details and in individual tour literature, and ensure the tour suits your level of fitness and does not negatively impact any medical conditions.

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, cancel when we become aware of these details and impose applicable cancellation charges when we become aware of these details.

10. Behaviour
All our customers are expected to conduct themselves in an orderly and acceptable manner and not to disrupt the enjoyment of others. If in our opinion or in the opinion of any hotel manager or any other person in authority, your behaviour or that of any member of your party is causing or is likely to cause distress, danger or annoyance to any other customers or any third party, or damage to property, or to cause a delay or diversion to transportation, we reserve the right to terminate your booking with us immediately. In the event of such termination our liability to you and/or your party will cease and you and/or your party will be required to leave your accommodation or other arrangements immediately. We will have no further obligations to you and/or your party. No refunds for lost accommodation or any other arrangements will be made and we will not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of termination.

When you book with us, you accept responsibility for any damage or loss caused by you or any member of your party. Full payment for any such damage or loss must be paid direct at the time to the accommodation owner or manager or other supplier. If you fail to do so, you will be responsible for meeting any claims subsequently made against us (together with our own and the other party’s full legal costs) as a result of your actions.

We expect all clients to have consideration for other people. The overwhelming majority of Naturetrek clients are non-smokers. To enable them to enjoy their holiday in comfort (and fresh air!), we insist that smokers refrain from smoking in the proximity of all other group members, and whilst watching wildlife, at all times. In particular, smoking in any confined space – be it the lounge, dining room, minibus, bedroom (if shared with a non-smoker) or at any other group gathering is not permitted. If in our reasonable opinion or in the reasonable opinion of any other person in authority, you or any member of your party behaves in such a way as to cause or be likely to cause danger, upset or distress to any third party or damage to property or fauna (including the collecting of any specimen from the natural world for example any plants or insects), we are entitled, without prior notice, to terminate the holiday of the person(s) concerned. In this situation, the person(s) concerned will be required to leave the accommodation or other service. We will have no further responsibility toward such person(s) including any return travel arrangements. No refunds will be made and we will not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of the termination.

We cannot be held responsible for the actions or behaviour of other guests or individuals who have no connection with your booking arrangements or with us.

11. Complaints
Should you have any complaint whilst on holiday, you must immediately inform your tour leader and the supplier of the service in question (for example any accommodation supplier) who will do his/her best to remedy it. If he/she is unable to do so, we must request that you make the complaint known to us in writing within 14 days of your holiday's scheduled return to UK, and we will do our best to reach a settlement with you. In the unlikely event that you are still unhappy, you may wish to partake in arbitration under AITO’s independent Dispute Settlement Service (details on request) in order to bring the matter to a speedy and amicable solution. This scheme does not apply to claims of more than £2,500 per person, or £10,000 per booking form, nor for claims which are solely or mainly in respect of physical injury or illness or the consequences there from.

Failure to follow the procedure set out in this clause may affect ours and the applicable supplier’s ability to investigate your complaint, and will affect your rights under this contract.

12. Our liability to you
(1). We will accept responsibility for the arrangements we agree to provide or arrange for you as an “organiser” under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 as set out below and as such, we are responsible for the proper provision of all travel services included in your package, as set out in your confirmation invoice. Subject to these Booking Conditions, if we or our suppliers negligently perform or arrange those services and we don’t remedy or resolve your complaint within a reasonable period of time, and this has affected the enjoyment of your package holiday you may be entitled to an appropriate price reduction or compensation, or both. You must inform us without undue delay of any failure to perform or improper performance of the travel services included in this package. The level of any such price reduction or compensation will be calculated taking into consideration all relevant factors such as but not limited to: following the complaints procedure as described in these Booking Conditions and the extent to which ours or our employees’ or suppliers’ negligence affected the overall enjoyment of your holiday. Please note that it is your responsibility to show that we or our supplier(s) have been negligent if you wish to make a claim against us.

(2). We will not be responsible or pay you compensation for any injury, illness, death, loss (for example loss of enjoyment), 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;
- the act(s) and/or omission(s) of a third party not connected with the provision of your holiday and which were unavoidable and extraordinary;
- Force Majeure (as defined in clause 6).

(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 in our brochure and we have not agreed to arrange them and any excursion you purchase whilst overseas. Please also see clause 13 ‘Excursions, activities and brochure information’.

(4). It is a condition of our acceptance of liability under this Clause that you notify any claim to us and our supplier(s) strictly in accordance with the complaints procedure set out in these conditions.

(5). We limit the amount of compensation we may have to pay you if we are found liable under this clause:
(a) loss of and/or damage to any luggage or personal possessions and money: the maximum amount we will have to pay you in respect of these claims is an amount equivalent to the excess on your insurance policy which applies to this type of loss per person in total because you are required to have adequate insurance in place to cover any losses of this kind.
(b) Claims not falling under (a) above and which don’t involve injury, illness or death: the maximum amount we will have to pay you in respect of these claims is up to three times the price paid by or on behalf of the person(s) affected in total. This maximum amount will only be payable where everything has gone wrong and you or your party has not received any benefit at all from your booking.
(c) Claims in respect of international travel by air, sea and rail, or any stay in a hotel:
i) The extent of our liability will in all cases be limited as if we were carriers under the appropriate Conventions, which include The Warsaw/Montreal Convention (international travel by air); The Athens Convention (with respect to sea travel); The Berne/Cotif Convention (with respect to rail travel) and The Paris Convention (with respect to hotel arrangements). You can ask for copies of these Conventions from our offices. In addition, you agree that the operating carrier or transport company's own 'Conditions of Carriage' will apply to you on that journey. When arranging transportation for you, we rely on the terms and conditions contained within these international conventions and those 'Conditions of Carriage'. You acknowledge that all of the terms and conditions contained in those 'Conditions of Carriage' form part of your contract with us, as well as with the transport company and that those 'Conditions of Carriage' shall be deemed to be included by reference into this contract.
ii) In any circumstances in which a carrier is liable to you by virtue of the Denied Boarding Regulation 2004, any liability we may have to you under our contract with you, arising out of the same facts, is limited to the remedies provided under the Regulation as if (for this purpose only) we were a carrier.
iii) When making any payment, we are entitled to deduct any money which you have received or are entitled to receive from the transport provider or hotelier for the complaint or claim in question.

(6). 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.

(7). You must provide ourselves and our insurers with all assistance we may reasonably require. You must also tell us and the supplier concerned about your claim or complaint as set out in clause 11 above. If asked to do so, you must transfer to us or our insurers any rights you have against the supplier or whoever else is responsible for your claim or complaint (if the person concerned is under 18, their parent or guardian must do so). You must also agree to cooperate fully with us and our insurers if we or our insurers want to enforce any rights which are transferred.

(8) Where it is impossible for you to return to your departure point as per the agreed return date of your package, due to “unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances”, we shall provide you with any necessary accommodation (where possible, of a comparable standard) for a period not exceeding three nights per person. Please note that the 3-night cap does not apply to persons with reduced mobility, pregnant women or unaccompanied minors, nor to persons needing specific medical assistance, provided we have been notified of these particular needs at least 48 hours before the start of your holiday. For the purposes of this clause, “unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances” mean warfare, acts of terrorism, significant risks to human health such as the outbreak of serious disease at the travel destination or natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes or weather conditions which make it impossible to travel safely back to your departure point.

13. Excursions, activities and brochure information
The information contained in our brochure is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of the brochure going to print. We may provide you with information (in our brochure and/or when you are on holiday) 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 nor controlled in any way by us. They are provided by local operators or other third parties who are entirely independent of us. They do not form any part of your contract with us even where we suggest particular operators/other third parties and/or assist you in booking such activities or excursions in any way. We cannot accept any liability on any basis in relation to such activities or excursions and the acceptance of liability contained in clause 12 of our Booking Conditions will not apply to them. We do not however exclude liability for the negligence of ourselves or our employees resulting in your death or personal injury.

We cannot guarantee accuracy at all times of information given in relation to such activities or excursions or about the resorts/area you are visiting generally (except where this concerns the services which will form part of your contract) or that any particular excursion or activity which does not form part of our contract will take place as these services are not under our control. If you feel that any of the activities mentioned in our brochure which are not part of our contract are vital to the enjoyment of your holiday, write to us immediately and we will tell you the latest known situation. If we become aware of any material alterations to resort/area information and/or such outside activities which can reasonably be expected to affect your decision to book a holiday with us, we will pass on this information at the time of booking.

14. Passports, visas and health requirements
The passport, visa and health requirements applicable to British citizens for the holidays we offer are shown on our website and in our Pre-departure Pack, and are for guidance only. It is your responsibility to check and fulfil the passport, visa, health and immigration requirements applicable to your itinerary. You must check requirements for your own specific circumstances with the relevant Embassies and/or Consulates and your own doctor as applicable. Requirements do change and you must check the up-to-date position in good time before departure.

It is the party leader’s responsibility to ensure that all members of the party are in possession of all necessary travel and health documents before departure. All costs incurred in obtaining such documentation must be paid by you. We regret we cannot accept any liability if you or any member of your party are refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure on your part to carry correct documentation. If you or any member of your party is not a British citizen or holds a non British passport, you must check passport and visa requirements with the Embassy or Consulate of the country(ies) to or through which you are intending to travel. If failure to have any necessary travel or other documents results in fines, surcharges or any other financial penalty being imposed on us, you will be responsible for reimbursing us accordingly.

Most countries now require passports to be valid for at least 6 months after your return date. If your passport is in its final year, you should check with the Embassy of the country you are visiting. For UK passport holders further information contact the Passport Office on 0300 222 0000 or visit https://www.gov.uk/browse/abroad/passports.

Special conditions apply for travel to the USA, and all passengers must have individual machine readable passports. Please check www.usembassy.org.uk.

For holidays in the EU, UK residents should obtain a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) prior to departure (European Health Insurance Cards are still valid for use in the EU up until the expiry date of the card). For holidays to countries in the European Economic Area (EEA) but not the EU, neither the GHIC nor the EHIC are valid, and therefore check with your travel insurer that the appropriate level of cover is in place for medical expenses.

Up to date travel advice can be obtained from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, visit www.gov.uk/travelaware.

15. Financial security
We provide financial security for our flight-inclusive packages holidays by way of our Air Travel Organiser’s Licence number 2962, issued by the Civil Aviation Authority, Aviation House, Beehive Ringroad, Crawley, West Sussex, RH6 0YR, UK, telephone 0330 022 1500, email: claims@caa.co.uk.

When you buy an ATOL protected product from us you will receive an ATOL Certificate issued under our ATOL number 2962. This lists what is financially protected, where you can get information on what this means for you and who to contact if things go wrong. For further information, visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk. We pay the amount of £2.50 per person, in respect of ATOL Protection Contribution (APC) for ATOL protected bookings to the Air Travel Trust administered by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Not all holiday or travel services offered and sold by us will be protected by the ATOL Scheme. ATOL protection extends primarily to customers who book and pay in the United Kingdom.

We, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL Certificate, will provide you with the services listed on the ATOL Certificate (or a suitable alternative). In some cases, where neither we nor the supplier are able to do so for reasons of insolvency, an alternative ATOL holder may provide you with the services you have bought (at no extra cost to you). You agree to accept that in those circumstances the alternative ATOL holder will perform those obligations and you agree to pay any money outstanding to be paid by you under your contract to that alternative ATOL holder. However, you also agree that in some cases it will not be possible to appoint an alternative ATOL holder, in which case you will be entitled to make a claim under the ATOL Scheme (or your credit card issuer where applicable).

If we, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL certificate, are unable to provide the services listed (or a suitable alternative, through an alternative ATOL holder or otherwise) for reasons of insolvency, the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust may make a payment to (or confer a benefit on) you under the ATOL scheme. You agree that in return for such a payment or benefit you assign absolutely to those Trustees any claims which you have or may have arising out of or relating to the non-provision of the services, including any claim against us, the travel agent (or your credit card issuer where applicable). You also agree that any such claims may be re-assigned to another body, if that other body has paid sums you have claimed under the ATOL scheme.

We provide full financial protection for our package holidays which are not protected by our ATOL, by way of a bond. The Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT) provides financial protection under The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 for Naturetrek, ABTOT No.5205, and in the event of their insolvency, protection is provided for the following: 1. non-flight packages and 2. flight inclusive packages that commence outside of the UK, which are sold to customers outside of the UK. ABTOT cover provides for a refund in the event you have not yet travelled or repatriation if transportation was included in your package. Please note that bookings made outside the UK are only protected by ABTOT when purchased directly with Naturetrek. In the unlikely event that you require assistance whilst abroad due to our financial failure, please call the ABTOT 24/7 helpline on 01702 811397 and advise you are a customer of an ABTOT protected travel company. You can access the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements 2018 here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2018/9780111168479/contents. You can find out more about ABTOT here: www.abtot.com 

16. Prices and brochure accuracy
Please note, the information and prices shown in this brochure may have changed by the time you come to book your holiday. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the brochure and prices at the time of printing, regrettably errors do occasionally occur. You must therefore ensure you check all details of your chosen holiday (including the price) with us at the time of booking. This brochure is our sole responsibility. It is not issued on behalf of and does not commit any independent organisation/carriers whose services are featured in it.

17. Conditions of 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 12(5)). 

18. Delay or Missed Transport Arrangements
If you or any member of your party misses your flight or other transport arrangement, it is cancelled or you are subject to a delay of over 3 hours for any reason, you must contact us and the airline or other transport supplier concerned immediately.

If your flight is cancelled or delayed, your flight ticket is downgraded or boarding is denied by your airline in circumstances which would entitle you to claim compensation against the airline under EC Regulation No 261/2004 – the Denied Boarding Regulations 2004, you must pursue the airline for the compensation 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. If, for any reason, you do not claim against the airline and make a claim for compensation from us, you must, at the time of payment of any compensation to you, make a complete assignment to us of the rights you have against the airline in relation to the claim that gives rise to that compensation payment. If your airline does not comply with these rules you should complain to the Air Transport Users’ Council on 020 7240 6061 www.auc.org.uk.

We cannot accept liability for any delay, which is due to any of the reasons set out in clause 6 of these Booking Conditions (which includes the behaviour of any passenger(s) on any flight who, for example, fail(s) to check in or board on time).

19. Safety standards
Please note, it is the requirements and standards of the country in which any services which make up your holiday are provided which apply to those services and not those of the UK. As a general rule, these requirements and standards will not be the same as the UK and may often be lower.

20. Flights
We are required to bring to your attention the existence of a “Community list” which contains details of air carriers that are subject to an operating ban with the EU Community. The Community list is available for inspection at
https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/eu-air-safety-list_en

We are required to advise you of the carrier(s) (or, if the carrier(s) is not known, the likely carrier(s)) that will operate your flight(s)) at the time of booking. Where we are only able to inform you of the likely carrier(s) at the time of booking, we shall inform you of the identity of the actual carrier(s) as soon as we become aware of this. Any change to the operating carrier(s) after your
booking has been confirmed will be notified to you as soon as possible.

We are not always in a position at the time of booking to confirm the timings which will be used in connection with your flight. The flight timings detailed on your confirmation invoice are for guidance only and are subject to alteration and confirmation. The latest timings will be shown on your tickets which will be despatched to you approximately two weeks before departure. You must accordingly check your tickets very carefully immediately on receipt to ensure you have the correct flight times. It is possible that flight times may be changed even after tickets have been despatched – we will contact you as soon as possible if this occurs.

Any change in the identity of the carrier and/or flight timings by less than 12 hours will not entitle you to cancel or change to other arrangements without paying our normal charges except where specified in these conditions.

If the carrier with whom you have a confirmed reservation becomes subject to an operating ban as above as a result of which we/the carrier are unable to offer you a suitable alternative the provisions of clause 5 (Changes and cancellation by us) will apply.

21. Prompt Assistance in Resort
If, whilst you are on holiday, you find yourself in difficulty for any reason, we will offer you such prompt assistance as is appropriate in the circumstances. In particular, we will provide you with appropriate information on health services, local authorities and consular assistance, and assistance with distance communications and finding alternative travel arrangements. Where you require assistance which is not owing to any failure by us, our employees or sub-contractors, we will not be liable for the costs of any alternative travel arrangements or other such assistance you require. Any supplier, airline or other transport supplier may however pay for or provide refreshments and/or appropriate accommodation and you should make a claim directly to them. Subject to the other terms of these Booking Conditions, we will not be liable for any costs, fees or charges you incur in the above circumstances, if you fail to obtain our prior authorisation before making your own travel arrangements. Furthermore, we reserve the right to charge you a fee for our assistance in the event that the difficulty is caused intentionally by you or a member of your party, or otherwise through your or your party’s negligence.

22. Advance Passenger Information
Please allow extra time to check in for your flight as some government authorities require air carriers to collect your data. If we collect this data, it will be treated in accordance with our privacy policy.

23. Foreign Office advice
You are responsible for making yourself aware of Foreign Office advice in regard to the safety of the countries and areas in which you will be travelling and to make your decisions accordingly. For the latest travel advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, including security and local laws, plus passport and visa information, please visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. Advice from the Foreign Office to avoid or leave a particular country may constitute Force Majeure. (See clause 6). 

 


ON TOUR ...

The Technical Details as set out below are intended to advise you on best practices when travelling with us.

NATURETREK LEADERS
All our leaders are expert naturalists. They will be able to show you, and help you to identify, many of the birds, plants and mammals that occur in the region that you are visiting. Many of our leaders have quite exceptional backgrounds in the country to which they are taking you. Often they have lived there for several years; inevitably their knowledge and interests extend beyond just the area’s natural history. All of our leaders speak English and between us we speak over 15 other languages — not much good for summoning birds, but essential in coping with the inevitable hiccoughs that find their way into all third world travel arrangements! Please note however, that whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary. Tour leaders’ biographies are available on our website, or we would be pleased to post you a copy on application.

TOUR & TREK GRADING
Each holiday is graded A to D. A is easy walking — for anyone; B is moderate — for anyone of any age used to some regular walking; C is fairly strenuous — for those with a measure of fitness or the unfit who are prepared to feel tired at times! D is tough — for the keen walker. These grades are not based just on the length of each day’s walk: the nature of the terrain, the altitude, and the overall length of the trek are all taken into account. For those with reduced mobility we would recommend our Grade A holidays as being the most suitable, but please let us know your needs before booking and we will provide details of suitability for any given tour.

ACCOMMODATION
This cost is always part of the stated price, whether it is in hotels or camping. Hotels used in larger towns are at least tourist class, and usually first class. We try to choose the hotel that offers the best combination of convenient location, atmosphere, friendliness and facilities. We provide twin rooms, most with private bathrooms, unless a single or deluxe room is requested. Hotels in remote places are the best available. Please bear in mind some hotels may not have lifts but only flights of stairs.

HEALTH & VACCINATIONS
Have a medical and dental check before you go and, for some of our trips, we advise immunisations against typhoid, TB, polio, tetanus and hepatitis A, and that you take anti-malarial tablets if advised by your doctor. There are some areas where other immunisations such as rabies, meningitis, yellow fever etc. may be required. On all our trips we carry a medical kit to deal with minor accidents. Information on health for UK residents can be obtained from www.travelhealthpro.org.uk. For UK residents travelling to the EU, please remember to take you Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), or European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) if still valid.

PASSPORTS & VISAS
Details for British Passport holders are available on our website and will also be given on booking. We regret that we are unable to obtain your visa for you. Non-British nationals must be responsible for their own visa and other entry requirements.

ITINERARIES
A detailed itinerary will be sent to you on booking, or on special request. On walking holidays in particular, local weather, politics, transport or a host of other uncontrollable factors can mean a change in itinerary on the ground. It is very unlikely that an itinerary would be substantially altered, but if this is necessary your leader will decide the best alternative in consultation with the group.

PERSONAL SPENDING MONEY
This is only needed for any extra drinks that you may require, meals not included in the price, airport taxes and souvenirs. The average person might spend £100 on these items.

FLIGHT DELAYS/ROUTE CHANGES
Naturally every effort is made to avoid delays and changes to the itinerary, but inevitably there will be occasions when they do happen. There is no guarantee that flights will depart at the time specified and any delay that may arise is down to the airline. Where such a delay does arise, we will use our best endeavours to arrange for the air carrier to provide appropriate meals, and if the delay is significant or involves an overnight stay we will assist in making arrangements for you.

FLIGHTS
On nearly all our holidays we provide Economy Class seats on scheduled flights (unless otherwise requested). The fares are normally group-based, with restrictions as to validity, stop-overs, re-routing, etc. While we can often make alternative flight arrangements to suit particular needs, we emphasise that these are always likely to be considerably more expensive than the published arrangement. Should you not wish to fly with the group from the UK, a ‘land only’ price is available on request. As our holidays are planned well in advance, details of airlines, airports and flight timings are not given in this brochure. They will, however, be detailed in your confirmation invoice, if known at the time, and confirmed in your Final Joining Instructions sent to you two weeks prior to the holiday’s departure.

GROUP SIZE
Our trips are costed on a minimum of 6 participants and 16 is usually the maximum, with the exception of our chartered cruises. Sometimes, to prevent disappointment, we may operate a trip for as few as four people, and we reserve the right, where a group contains less than 6 people, either to apply a ‘small group’ surcharge of between 5% and 10%, or, with your consent, to make certain alterations to the way the trip is run. If this happened, we would advise you as early as possible.

SMOKING AND VAPING 
The overwhelming majority of Naturetrek clients are non-smokers/vapers. To enable them to enjoy their holiday in comfort (and fresh air!), we insist that smokers/vapers refrain from smoking/vaping in the proximity of all other group members, and whilst watching wildlife, at all times. In particular, smoking/vaping in any confined space — be it the lounge, dining room, minibus, bedroom (if shared with a non-smoker) or at any other group gathering — cannot be permitted and, in signing our booking conditions, you agree to accept these guidelines and the right of all our tour leaders to dismiss from a tour any participant failing to respect them. Please advise us, at the time of booking, if you require a ‘smoking/vaping area’.

OUR CANCELLATION
Due to the special nature of our trips, we cannot guarantee the departure of every holiday, though we do try very hard to ensure that each one runs. Should a trip seem to be attracting insufficient numbers for a departure, we will let you know at least thirty days before its departure date, in case you wish to cancel then — with a full refund of your deposit and other payments to us — and make other holiday arrangements.

EXTENSIONS & PRIVATE PARTIES
Should you wish to extend your Naturetrek holiday by visiting areas additional to those in our programme, we should be happy to help you with your arrangements. Further, we are always pleased to organise tailormade birdwatching, botanical and other wildlife holidays for private parties of any size.

SINGLE ROOMS & SUPPLEMENTS
We regret that nearly all of the lodges and hotels we use charge single supplements, as they are usually small establishments needing to fill all beds. If you particularly wish for a single occupancy room, we are normally able to provide one for you at the supplement price listed for each tour. If you wish to share (to avoid this supplement) we can usually match you up with someone else of similar age and same sex, also wishing to share. If we are unable to do this, we regret that the single supplement must be charged unless your booking was received by us at least 6 months prior to the holiday’s departure. N.B. This offer only applies to UK and European holidays, and up to £250. If the single supplement is higher than this then the difference will still be charged.

ON TREK ...
HOW FAR DO YOU WALK EACH DAY?
This question is best answered in terms of time not kilometres, as the altitude, terrain and programme vary to such an extent each day. For example, a day’s walk at 2,000 metres, along a flat trail, through an area devoid of interesting natural history, might cover 18 or more kilometres. A day’s walk uphill, through a bird-filled rhododendron forest at 4,000 metres, might cover just eight or nine kilometres. Both walks might take the same time: perhaps seven hours or so. Walking time probably varies between 4-5 hours on a grade A or B trek and 7-9 hours on a grade C or D trek, but there is no hard and fast rule; much depends on what we see!

ALTITUDE
This is one of the most important considerations in trekking, so we indicate against each trek the maximum altitude reached. No one can foretell how he/she will react at high altitude; age, fitness and previous high altitude experience have no bearing at all in the matter. The vital factor is acclimatisation. Our treks are planned to allow the maximum time for you to acclimatise, with the result that very few of our trekkers have ever had serious problems.

BAGGAGE & PORTERAGE
These are not backpacking treks. All your trek baggage will be carried by pack animals or porters. You need carry only a small daypack for your camera, waterproofs, water bottle and other essentials, and even this is often carried for you by a friendly porter! You are restricted to around 20 kg of baggage on flights, and we recommend you take rather less than this to allow for souvenirs that you may collect. Don’t bring a smart suitcase if you want it to stay smart! On-trek baggage should be restricted to around 12 kg and packed in a soft kitbag; any belongings not needed on trek can be left in your suitcase in the hotel. Baggage must not be left unattended in any vehicles.

TREK STAFF
On all our Himalayan treks we take an experienced team of guides, cooks, and porters or animal drivers, managed by a local ‘sirdar’. The guides will assist trek members at all times, and will encourage group members to walk at their own pace rather than feel obliged to keep up with faster members of the group. One guide will always bring up the rear. On all our other treks similar, if sometimes less experienced, staff will look after us.

REMOTENESS
All the areas in which we trek are remote. Consequently the lifestyle on trek is necessarily very different from that on an ordinary holiday. If you are not willing to accept this you should not travel with us on a trek.

FOOD
When trekking, and normally when camping, food is included in our price. Provisions are normally based on fresh local food and supplemented by ‘luxuries’ that we import. It is designed to be nutritious, but in some areas it is not always possible to make it gastronomically very interesting. In the larger towns, when staying in hotels, we normally provide only breakfast so that you may explore the local restaurants to suit your own taste.

EQUIPMENT
All basic communal camping equipment is supplied by Naturetrek. This includes all cooking and eating utensils, 2-man tents, and in most areas stools, dining tents and loo tents. You will normally need to bring a sleeping bag, foam mat or lilo, walking boots, a daypack and other personal items. On some European tours a picnic set may be required for lunches in the field. However, a full clothing/equipment list will be sent out to you on booking, as well as a reading list.