GENERAL INFORMATION
HOW TO BOOK
Please telephone our office, 020 7436 9343 or fax 020 7436 7475, to ensure places are still available, and then send your booking form together with your deposit for £375 per person and insurance premium (if insurance is required), to the address shown on the form. Insurance must be taken out at the time of booking if The Traveller’s cover with Citybond Suretravel is required. You may alternatively wish to contact us by e-mail info@the-traveller.co.uk or via our website www.the-traveller.co.uk.
TOUR INFORMATION
The hotels range from local guesthouses to five star and an indication is given with every tour description. Some tours use tented, open-air or student accommodation. Tours are arranged many months in advance, therefore itineraries and hotels are subject to change.
The flights are booked in advance and may be subject to change. We reserve the right to alter the carrier shown for a tour. We will inform you of any changes in writing.
Most costs are included and extras are clearly shown on each itinerary. However, please see Booking Conditions regarding any surcharges.
A number of the destinations featured in our itineraries are extremely unusual and have a very weak tourist infrastructure with limited facilities with regard to accommodation, road conditions and available transportation. We endeavour to provide the best possible arrangements in such circumstances, but if you are in any doubt whatsoever, you should consider what standards you can reasonably expect very carefully before deciding to book on such a tour.
AIRPORT HOTEL ACCOMMODATION AND PARKING
Before embarking on your Traveller tour, you may wish to take advantage of the excellent rates offered by Holiday Extras for pre-booking airport hotels and secured airport car parking. As market leaders in this field, they can offer you a choice of over 90 quality hotels at 23 UK airports, including Gatwick and Heathrow, at guaranteed best prices.
UK Airport Hotels - All rooms have private bathroom, TV, radio and telephone and many hotels feature leisure facilities as well. We will send you a leaflet when you book on a tour.
UK Secured Airport Parking and Direct Airport Transfer -
services are also available.
To book any of the above or for more details, please call 0870 844 2435. Special offers apply at various times throughout the year. Always check the price before booking and quote reference HX854.
INSURANCE
At the time of going to press, all EU residents can be insured through Citybond Suretravel on payment of the charges as indicated on each itinerary. Double premium costs apply to tour participants 65 years of age and older at the time of travel. We are not able to provide cover for tour participants over 85 years of age - please contact us for details of insurers who can arrange cover. Please note that insurance once purchased comes into immediate effect. It is therefore in any event non refundable.
Please find below a brief synopsis of the cover; full details will be sent with confirmation of each booking.
- Personal Luggage
Loss or damage of luggage up to £2,000
Any single article, set or pair £300
Personal Money and Passport, up to £500
- Medical and other expenses
Up to £10,000,000
Hospital benefits - up to £800
- Cancellation or curtailment
Up to final invoice charges (up to £5,000)
- Personal accident
Injury compensation up to £20,000
- Delayed & missed departure
Up to £1,000
- Personal liability
Up to £2,000,000
- Legal Expenses
Up to £25,000
- Main exclusions
A policy excess applies to each clause of the insurance
cover.
- Age specifications
Double premiums apply to passengers 65 years of age and over at the date of departure with a further supplement of £15 for those aged 76 - 80 years and of £25 for those aged 81 - 85 years. Age limit for cover is 85 years at time of taking out insurance.
Non EU residents should make their own arrangements and must advise us of insurance cover prior to the departure of the tour.
DOCUMENTATION
Four to six weeks prior to departure we will send you a travel booklet, which provides general information, what to wear and take, a recommended reading list and visa forms, if appropriate. Your tickets and reporting instructions will be sent approximately 1-2 weeks before departure.
PASSPORT AND VISA
Please ensure that you hold a full passport and that any visa documentation required has been obtained. The Traveller will notify you of visa requirements. All travellers must hold a full passport VALID FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS for most overseas countries we visit. Some countries require British passport holders to have a visa. We have indicated the cost of a visa (at the date of publication) on each tour where applicable. Other nationals should contact their local consulate.
Six to eight weeks prior to departure we will send the visa form(s) as applicable to your tour and details of up-to-date information regarding cost and length of application. If you would prefer to have us obtain the visa on your behalf, we can arrange this for UK-based customers for a handling charge of £35 or £45 per person (depending on destination), in addition to the cost of the visa itself. We are normally unable to obtain visas for those resident overseas. For us to be able to carry out this service, we usually need to be in possession of your passport and the relevant visa authorisation forms at 5-6 weeks before the date of travel for a period of no less than two weeks, although this varies. If you are unable to comply with our precise instructions, we regret that we will not be able to assist with visa appropriation and you will need to organise this yourself. We cannot be held responsible if you are unable to obtain a visa for any reason.
PAYMENT
Cheques should be made payable to ‘Delancy Travel Ltd’ drawn on a British bank account. Passengers may pay by credit card (VISA or MasterCard), bank transfer or International Money Order made out in £ Sterling. Payment in any other currency will be subject to bank charges. We are unable to accept payment by credit card without an additional fee to cover the credit card company’s charges (normally 2.5%).
HEALTH
The Traveller will provide guidance on health matters, but it is the personal responsibility of the individual to ensure that advisable precautions are taken. Travellers should be in good health as a fair amount of walking is usually necessary. This is particularly the case on Palanquin itineraries and of course long days of walking over rugged terrain are involved on Palanquin Adventure Treks. Although age is not an indication of fitness, we need a medical certificate of ‘travel fitness’ for those over 75 (available from your GP).
HEALTH REQUIREMENTS
In certain countries featured in this brochure, vaccinations may be required or recommended by the Department of Health. As regulations frequently change, you are advised to check with your doctor as to what inoculations and other protection you should take for your chosen destination.
HIGH ALTITUDE
A few Traveller tours and many Palanquin tours spend time at altitudes of more than 7,000 feet / 2,000 metres, sometimes for a number of days. If you suffer from high blood pressure, respiratory problems, epilepsy or coronary disease, it may not be advisable to participate in such programmes. If you are in any doubt whatsoever, we would advise and request that you consult your doctor before making a booking on the tour.
UK GOVERNMENT FOREIGN & COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TRAVEL ADVICE
The British Government issues travel advisory notices for overseas countries, a copy of which we supply to tour participants prior to travel www.fco.gov.uk. If the advice is against travel to a destination included in an itinerary, insurance is generally rendered invalid and we may have to postpone, re-route or cancel the tour. You should also check with your travel insurance company to confirm how any government travel notice affects your cover as this varies between insurers.
LECTURERS, SPECIALIST LEADERS & GUIDES
Traveller group tours are largely based on the work and knowledge of our accompanying lecturers. The lecturers are chosen for their knowledge and ability to deliver lively and informative talks to tour participants with a general interest as well as those who are more academic. Tours with sufficient participants are also accompanied by an experienced Tour Manager and include a local guide. Palanquin group tours and treks are usually designed by or with the assistance of leaders with specific qualifications and superb knowledge - if tours number above 8 participants, an experienced local Tour Manager may accompany the group as well as local guides.
SINGLE ROOM
Rooms for single occupation are usually more expensive. If a tour participant is willing to share, we will try our best to match them with someone of the same gender. If, however, there is no suitable match, the single supplement will apply. In some instances there are few rooms available for single occupation so, please check and book early.
LUGGAGE
Porterage is booked wherever possible, but if we are required to spend the night in a guesthouse/local hotel, or in more remote places, this service may not be available.
COMPLAINTS
Any complaints should be made as soon as possible, whilst on tour to your Tour Leader in the first instance, in order to provide the best opportunity to remedy the situation. If the situation is not resolved you should write to us as soon as possible after the tour and within 28 days. We will investigate the grievance and reply at the earliest opportunity (it can take several weeks to gather information from overseas). All proceedings and disputes will be dealt with under English Law and jurisdiction.
BOOKING CONDITIONS
The following terms apply to your tour with The Traveller / Palanquin Travels, trading divisions of Delancy Travel Limited. The contract between us will become binding when we acknowledge receipt of your signed Booking Form and the deposit required. References to ‘you’ means the signatory of the Booking Form as well as any other traveller named on it and the signatory must therefore have authority to bind all of the people named on the form to these terms. The signatory guarantees payment to us of the total cost of the holiday and also does so for all others for whom the booking is made. The law regarding accommodation for persons with disabilities varies from country to country and we are unable to guarantee that accommodation, transport and facilities will be equipped and suitable for wheelchair users or disabled persons.
- Booking your Tour
Complete and sign the Booking Form and send it to us.
- Payment
The full price of the Tour including any surcharges must be paid at least 10 weeks prior to due date of departure or at time of booking, if later. Bookings for group departures made earlier than this must be sent with a deposit of £375 per person, plus insurance premium if required, and the balance must be paid at least 10 weeks prior to due date of departure. For Independent or certain specialist Palanquin travel arrangements, different payment conditions may apply depending on the nature and complexity of the journey and you should check with the travel consultant at the time of booking. In some instances, specific flights, light aircraft and yachts will have been arranged and an interim payment may be required. If the full price is not paid when due, we may cancel your booking and retain any deposit paid.
- Prices
a) Prices are quoted in £ Sterling with items included referred to on the tour page.
b) The price of your tour is subject to surcharges only if the basic tour price - that is, excluding any insurance premiums, amendment charges, extensions or additional services you may have booked - increases by at least 2% as a result of government action or currency fluctuation (compared to the Sterling exchange rates published in the Financial Times on 23.08.07, available on request). We reserve the right to pass on increases in overflying charges, airport charges, fuel surcharges, scheduled air fares and visa costs. If the increase is more than 10 % of the basic tour price, you may cancel your booking and receive a full refund if you write to us within 14 days of being notified of the increase.
c) As we have undertaken to absorb the first 2% increase of the published tour price, excluding extra flight or fuel surcharges, no reduction will be made in the event of a favourable variation in costs.
d) We guarantee that if the full price is paid by the due date any increases arising after that date will not be surcharged save as in clause b) above.
e) Charges for any extra arrangements made after the commencement of travel will be at the locally advertised rate and may be different to the rate paid in advance for the same service. If any services paid for in advance are unused, they are generally non-refundable once travel has commenced.
- Insurance
We require you to take out adequate insurance against the usual risks. At the time of going to press and subject to status, UK and EU residents may take advantage of cover we have arranged through Citybond Suretravel, full details of which will be sent to you if you select it. Other travellers must notify us in advance of departure of the name, policy number and emergency contact numbers of their insurer. We may refuse admission, without refunding the price paid, of any traveller who does not provide evidence of adequate cover. Insurance once purchased comes into immediate effect. It is therefore in any event non refundable.
- Alteration or cancellation by you
Should you wish to make changes to your booking after the issue of our confirmation invoice, we will do our utmost to accommodate them but this might not always be possible. Any changes will be subject to an administration charge of £75 per person and any further cost we incur in making this alteration. You should be aware that these costs could increase the closer to the departure date that changes are made and you should contact us as soon as possible. Bookings are not transferable. Insurance once purchased comes into immediate effect. It is therefore in any event, non refundable. You may cancel your booking by giving written notice and the following charges will apply, depending on when written notice is received:
More than 60 days before departure
Deposit only
45-59 days before departure
30% of tour cost
30-44 days before departure
60% of tour cost
14-29 days before departure
90% of tour cost
Less than 14 days before departure
100% of tour cost
- Alteration or cancellation by us
a) Tours are based on a minimum number of travellers; if bookings do not reach that figure we will endeavour to continue, but we reserve the right until eight weeks prior to due date of departure to cancel the tour and give you a full refund of all that you have paid excluding insurance.
b) We will not cancel a tour or make any material alteration to it later than eight weeks prior to the due date of departure unless it is necessary due to force majeure - including war, threat of war, riot, civil strife, industrial dispute, mechanical breakdown of aircraft or other transport, epidemic, change of conditions of entry to any country, terrorist activity, natural or nuclear disaster, fire or adverse weather conditions or anticipation of any of these. A recommendation by the British Government against travelling to any country will be deemed conclusive proof of force majeure.
c) If we cancel your tour or make a material alteration to it, we will inform you (or your travel agent) without delay and offer you the choice of an alternative holiday, if available, or refund of all monies paid excluding insurance.
d) Compensation will be payable in addition only if the cancellation or material alteration is made less than eight weeks prior to the due date of departure; but no compensation is payable if the reason for the cancellation or material alteration is force majeure.
e) Nothing will be payable to you under paragraphs a), b), c) or d) above if you have not paid what is due at the time of cancellation or material alteration.
f) We reserve the right to make reasonable and minor omissions or alterations to any part of the itinerary (including IATA or CAA air carrier used), or substitute a named lecturer for another knowledgeable in the same field. None of these will constitute a material alteration.
g) A ‘material alteration’ will be regarded as an alteration to your departure date or a removal of a significant section of the published itinerary.
- Your responsibilities
You must take care of your own passport, visa and health requirements; failure to comply is not our responsibility. We will advise you on the necessary documentation, but it is your duty to ensure that you are in possession of valid and correct paperwork. Help is available on request. For UK- based customers we offer a visa procurement service. For us to be able to carry out this service, we usually need to be in possession of your passport and the relevant visa authorisation forms 5-6 weeks before the date of travel for a period of not less than two weeks, although this varies. If you are unable to comply with our instructions, we regret that we will not be able to assist with visa appropriation and you will need to organise this yourself. If we have indicated in our published material that the tour you have selected may be particularly arduous, you will be deemed to have satisfied yourself that you are fit to undertake it; please ask us before booking if you are in any doubt. We do not accept any responsibility for personal possessions whilst on tour.
- Liability
a) We endeavour to offer a quality service and we still accept responsibility should the services we are contractually bound to provide or which are arranged during the course of the tour through our bona fide representative prove deficient or not of a reasonable standard.
b) We accept responsibility for the acts and omissions of our employees, agents, sub-contractors and suppliers, or the servants and agents of the same save that, except as provided below, we accept no liability for death, bodily injury or illness caused to you.
c) We accept responsibility for the negligent acts and omissions of our employees, agents, sub-contractors and suppliers, or the servants and agents of the same whilst acting within the scope of, or in the course of their employment in respect of claims arising as a result of death, bodily injury or illness caused to you.
d) Liability in terms of sea or air carriage is limited to the terms and conditions set down by the relevant international conventions. We are not liable to you if we or our employees, agents, sub-contractors and suppliers, or the servants and agents of the same are unable to provide part of your holiday due to unusual or unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control or that of our employees, agents, sub-contractors and suppliers that could not have been avoided or due to an event that could not, even with all due care, have been foreseen or prevented. Such circumstances and events include, but are not limited to, war, threat of war, riot, civil strife, industrial dispute, mechanical breakdown of aircraft or other transport, epidemic, sudden change of conditions of entry to any country, terrorist activity, natural or nuclear disaster, fire or adverse weather conditions, changes brought about by revised recommendations in British Government advice, airports, ports or stations being full or closed, cancellation or changes to services of scheduled transport providers or anticipation of any of these.
e) The nature of the tours, expeditions and treks offered by us means that facilities available in the countries visited may be rudimentary by comparison with domestic standards and personal safety may be less secure than you may be accustomed to. Subject to those limitations, we will make every reasonable effort to ensure that your tour is conducted to an acceptable level of hygiene, comfort and safety.
f) Assistance and guidance will be offered when an activity or excursion not forming part of the tour leads to illness, injury of fatality. However, we reserve the right to recover costs from you in the event of a successful claim by or on behalf of you against a third party or a suitable insurance policy. If within 90 days of a claim arising you seek and obtain our agreement to the commencement of legal proceedings for that claim, the costs will initially be met by Delancy Travel Limited. Assistance will not exceed £5,000 per booking form.
- Air Travel Organiser’s Licence (ATOL)
Delancy Travel Limited is authorised by the Civil Aviation Authority and has met the bonding requirements, which protect all passengers’ money. Our ATOL number is 6162.
- Law and Jurisdiction
These terms will be governed by English Law and will be subject to the jurisdiction of the Courts of England and Wales.