Booking Information

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The booking conditions and general information set out below are designed to outline our obligations to you and your commitments to me as clearly as possible. Please read them carefully before booking. We want you to have an enjoyable tour and the avoidance of any misunderstanding is to our mutual advantage. Should you book a tour with me, the conditions set out below form the contract between us.

Many of our tours visit developing countries where travel is still an adventure and local conditions are often very different from those you are used to back home. You should be prepared to cope with unusual situations, local inadequacies and unpredictable events as and when they occur. In particular you should bear in mind that the standard of hygiene in many countries is poor and that 'stomach upsets' are, as a direct result, a hazard of travel in large areas of the world. As we only visit most hotels, lodges, restaurants etc. on a very infrequent basis we cannot monitor or effectively influence their standards (and often there is no realistic alternative accommodation in remote areas).

Terms used

1.1. These Terms and Conditions apply to all tours provided by Nature Expeditions. "Nature Expeditions", "I", "we", "us" and "our" refers to Nature Expeditions a business operated by Phil Markey, operating out of Trebrown Farm, Horningtops, Liskeard Cornwall in the United Kingdom.

1.2. When we mention "tours" below, we mean our tours, expeditions, cruises, experience days, events and any other ventures and experiences that we offer.

1.3. "You" and "yours" means all the persons named on any joining form, or any one of them as the context requires (including anyone added or substituted at a later date). The "lead name" is the person who submitted the joining form on behalf of everyone participating in a tour.

1.4. "Force majeure" means any event or circumstances which we could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events may include (but are not limited to) actual or threatened war, riot, civil strife or political upheaval, terrorist activity, epidemics or pandemics, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather or road conditions, fire, bureaucratic obstacles, changes in schedules or mode of transport by ferry companies, airlines, bus or train operators and all similar events outside our control.

Booking & Paying for a Tour

Provisional Bookings

It is sensible to email me to check if places are still available on any tour you are interested in before sending your booking form to me. We will be happy to hold open space for you for up to 14 days. Be aware that we are away a lot and as a consequence we are not always able to reply to emails quickly.

Definite Bookings

To make a definite booking you must either complete the on-line booking form on this website and submit it electronically (recommended) or write a letter outlining your credit card details or other payment method and post it.

You also need to pay the required deposit per person, as specified in the tour description.

If you are booking less than two months before the date of departure of the tour you will need to send full payment.

Please see the Payments section below for payment methods.

If you are submitting an on-line booking form and decide you wish to pay the deposit by means of a credit or debit card, you may. If you are concerned about security, telephone your card details to us. Our payments website is PCI-DSS Level 1 compliant Bank-level Secure 256-bit key encrypted.

On receipt of your booking form and deposit an official confirmation will be sent to you, together with your username, password and link to your portal. Your portal is where you can access all necessary documentation for your tour, in there we also provide you with a discount code for 15% OFF at Cotswold Outdoors and Snow + Rock.

The person signing the booking form warrants that he/she has the authority to make the booking on behalf of all other persons included on the booking form. (On-line booking forms are deemed to have been signed by the persons submitting them).

For your own protection and as a prerequisite for all our tours travel insurance is compulsory, make sure your insurance covers you for medical/repatriation expenses, rescue from remote places and for cancellation/curtailment charges in the event you have to cancel due to the illness of yourself, a travelling companion or a close relative.

Tour Invoice

Unless specified otherwise in the individual tour description, the invoice for the balance of the tour cost will be sent approximately two and a half months before departure and the full payment due must be received within 14 days of the date of issue of this invoice.

We reserve the right to treat the tour as cancelled and levy cancellation charges if the full payment is not received by the due date. In any event, you will be responsible for payment of any additional costs that may arise as a result of your late payment. If you are going to be away from home when the tour payment is due, please make arrangements with our office for early payment.

Payments to Nature Expeditions.

Transactions are charged in British Pounds Sterling (GBP). Tour descriptions on this website display equivalent prices in US Dollars and Euros for your convenience, these were based on the exchange rates on the day, exchange rates may vary at the time of payment.

Cheques should be made payable to P. Markey.

Nature Expeditions is a company committed to customer satisfaction and consumer financial protection. We are therefore pleased to announce that, at no extra cost to you, and in accordance with The Package Travel, Package Tours Regulations all passengers booking with Nature Expeditions are fully insured for the initial deposit, and subsequently the balance of monies paid as detailed in your booking confirmation form. The policy will also include repatriation if required, arising from the cancellation or curtailment of your travel arrangements due to any insolvency of Nature Expeditions.

Policy exclusions: This policy will not cover any monies paid for Travel Insurance or any claim relating to Air Flights. Please ensure the Company you have booked flights with has the appropriate CAA / ATOL Bonds in place.

This insurance is only valid for passengers who book and pay Nature Expeditions directly.

You may pay by any of the following methods:

Pay with a credit or debit card (Preferred). There is no handling charge.
Pay via Paypal where, if opted for we will send you a Paypal invoice. (You need to email me and ask for this).
Post a personal cheque (or a banker's cheque/bank draft if you live overseas) drawn on a United Kingdom bank and made out to P. Markey. (Cash can also be accepted from UK residents, but please be sure to send this by registered post. Our postal address is: Trebrown Farm, Horningtops, Liskeard, Cornwall PL14 3PU, United Kingdom).
Make a bank transfer of the required amount direct to our 'Nature Expeditions' Pound Sterling account at Starling Bank, United Kingdom. Sort code is 60-83-71 and account number is 89080817. For clients resident overseas, the international bank identifier code (BIC/SWIFT) for our bank is SRLGGB2L and our international bank account number (IBAN) for our Pounds Sterling account is GB66SRLG60837189080817. Please ensure that the amount reaching our account in British Pounds is the full invoice amount without exchange rate bank charges being deducted.

Coupons and Voucher Codes

Please note: Any coupon or voucher codes you may have been issued can only be keyed-in one time during checkout. So please don't enter a code just to get an idea of what the discounted price will be. Because, yes! That will show you but that will also nullify that code and it will not work the next time you try.

Only one code can be entered per transaction, any additional codes will have no effect and those additional codes will be nullified by keying them in.

Cancelling or Transferring a Booking

Tour Cancellation

Any cancellation by you of a definite booking must be notified to me in writing (email is acceptable) and will take effect on the day that this is received. The following scale of cancellation charges will, unless a different scale of charges is specified in the tour description, be applied, based on estimated expenses and losses suffered as a result of your cancellation:

Due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus we have temporarily changed our booking terms - we now guarantee 100% return of any payments made to us for your tour up until 7 days before the start date if for any reason you have to cancel or if for any reason we have to cancel your tour. These terms will stay in place until COVID-19 Coronavirus problems dissipate.

Days before departure: Cancellation charge
~~Over 120 days~~: ~~100% of deposit paid~~
~~71-120 days before~~: ~~50% of final tour price~~
~~1-70 days before~~: ~~100% of final tour price~~
After 7 days before departure: 100% of final tour price

Important: Some tours involving cruises/boat charters have different cancellation conditions: any such variations will be detailed in the tour description.

If the reason for your cancellation falls within the terms of your travel insurance the cancellation charges will normally be refunded by your insurance company (less any excess applicable). For this reason we strongly recommend taking out comprehensive travel insurance that will cover you adequately for unexpected cancellation.

Substitution

Should you be prevented by reasonable cause (such as illness) from proceeding with your tour you are free to find a substitute, provided we receive written notification. Within two months of the tour departure date we may not be able to accept a substitution as within this period there may not be sufficient time for the substitute to complete visa, health or other travel requirements. Any additional costs incurred as a result of a substitution are your responsibility. We reserve the right to reject any substitute should we have reasonable grounds for doing so.

Unused Services

No refund can be given for any unused accommodation, meal, flight or other service provided as part of the tour.

Price Changes, Tour Alterations & Cancellations

Provisional Tour Prices

Prices for tours departing far ahead are provisional as we can only 'guesstimate' what future exchange rates, transport costs, accommodation costs and other costs will be long after we prepare a tour description, and in addition we may subsequently elect to make modifications to the itinerary. Tour prices will be confirmed on the website no later than 6 months before departure (and often much earlier).

Other causes of Price Alteration

We reserve the right to increase the price of a tour in the event of cost increases incurred by me that stem directly or indirectly from increases in transportation costs (by air, land or water, and including increases in fuel costs) or increases in government taxes, fees, dues or levies.

In order to maintain the confirmed prices advertised in the tour descriptions we am dependent on reaching a certain level of support for each tour or extension. Most tours and extensions are based on a minimum of 4 to 6 participants, although some tours, including those involving boat charters, have higher minimum levels.

The great majority of our tours and extensions achieve the required minimum level, but some do not. We appreciate that it is very frustrating to have a long-anticipated tour or extension cancelled, so it is our policy to do everything possible to ensure that our tours (including any extensions) operate, and that our clients and friends are not disappointed. We regularly operate tours and extensions with just a few participants.

In the event that the required level of bookings for standard operation is not reached, we will still go ahead and operate the tour or extension if we possibly can. We face considerably increased transportation costs per head in such situations and so we may have to charge a supplement in order to cover the increased transportation costs per head.

Amount and Timing

We will always absorb cost increases stemming from currency movements, transport/fuel cost increases, increases in government taxes etc and/or the impact of small party size up to a total amount equivalent to at least 3% of the total confirmed tour price as indicated in the tour description on our website (at our discretion, we may elect to absorb more than 3% in the case of small party size).

No price increase will be made less than 30 days before departure. If any price increase exceeds 15% of the total confirmed price of the tour (i.e. the full tour price, including any extensions you have booked) as indicated in the tour description on the website, you may either opt to pay the increase or you may opt to cancel your booking and receive a full refund or transfer your booking to another of our tours, provided we receive written notification within 14 days (email is acceptable) of the date of dispatch of the price increase notification. Kindly note that normal cancellation charges will apply if you decide to cancel your booking following notification of a price increase of 15% or less of the total confirmed tour price.

Tour Alteration

The tour descriptions are prepared up to 30 months or more before the date of operation of the tours they feature and subsequent variations may sometimes be made to published details, either voluntarily by myself or involuntarily. All tour details are provisional until the confirmed tour description, with confirmed rather than provisional prices, is published on the website.

We frequently make changes to the tour itineraries to keep up to date with ever-changing photographic knowledge and developments, with the aim of improving your tour. Occasionally we may have to make involuntary changes when access situations at particular venues deteriorate, or where they become closed or otherwise inaccessible for some reason. Some mountain passes may not yet be clear of snow. We reserve the right to modify the itineraries where we deem it desirable or necessary. Because we lead expeditions myself, and we may become sick and unavailable (never happened so far) then we may request another leader who we know well and who is also fully capable and qualified for the task.

Other examples of changes that can be expected from time to time include changes to the tour dates (by up to 7 days in either direction announced more than 9 months before the original tour start date, or up to three days in either direction announced between 4-9 months before the original tour start date), minor changes to the tour duration (lengthening by up to 24 hours, or shortening by up to 12 hours), re-ordering of the itinerary, changes to the amount of time spent at each venue and changes to accommodation.

Naturally we will notify you as soon as possible in the event of changes to the tour dates. Such changes as specified above, and other such changes, will not have significant impact on the performance of the tour or your ability to travel and are not grounds for cancellation without charges.

Very occasionally major alterations to tour dates are necessary which might materially affect your ability to travel. We define such major alteration as a change to the tour dates by more than 7 days in either direction made more than 9 months before the original tour start date, a change to the tour dates by more than 3 days in either direction made between 4-9 months before the original tour start date, or any change to the tour dates made within 4 months of the original tour start date. Naturally we will notify you as soon as possible in the event of any alteration of the tour dates that has to be made.

If a major date alteration, as defined above, is made by me, you may either agree to proceed with the tour over the revised dates or, if you prefer, you may cancel your booking and receive a full refund or transfer your booking to another of our tours, provided we receive written notification within 14 days (email is acceptable) of the date of dispatch of our notification.

If an alteration is made to a tour where the price has been confirmed and which results in a substantial increase in costs, we will absorb whatever we can of the cost increases and only pass any remaining balance to you. In the event of such an alteration, you will have the option to either agree to proceed with the tour as modified and accept the price increase we specify or, if you prefer, you may cancel your booking and receive a full refund or transfer your booking to another of our tours, provided we receive written notification within 14 days (email is acceptable) of the date of dispatch of our notification.

Very rarely major alterations to the tour itinerary become necessary, through circumstances amounting to force majeure (see Tour Cancellation), either before after departure. In such rare situations we will do our very best to modify your tour in a manner that minimizes necessary disruption. We will make a partial refund to you if the modified itinerary results in a cost saving.

Please note that we cannot take responsibility for any additional costs or losses that you may face, including any airline amendment charges you may suffer, as a result of either minor or major itinerary alterations that are caused by circumstances outside our control.

Tour Cancellation

Under exceptional circumstances we may have to cancel, rather than alter, a tour in the event of unusual or unforeseen circumstances outside our control (including all situations considered to represent force majeure): for example, technical or maintenance problems with transport, changes imposed by rescheduling or cancellation by air or sea carriers, government action, industrial dispute, war or threat of war, civil strife, terrorist activity, riot, natural or man-made disaster, or severe weather conditions. In the event that we have to cancel a tour due to circumstances outside our control we will offer you an alternative tour if we are able, which you will be free to accept or decline. Alternatively, we will provide you with a full refund of the tour price.

Alternatively, we may have to cancel a tour if there are insufficient bookings to make the tour economically viable. We want to stress that the vast majority of our tours operate as planned, with only a small minority failing to do so. If a tour cannot go ahead because of insufficient numbers it will be cancelled by me not less than 30 days prior to departure, and we will inform you of this decision as early as we can. In this case you may either transfer your booking to another of our tours or you may opt to receive a full refund.

Please note that we cannot take responsibility for any additional costs or losses that you may face, including any airline cancellation charges you may suffer, if a tour is cancelled. Consequently we suggest you do not make any air travel commitments that could result in significant cancellation fees until you have checked with our office that the required number of participants has been reached. Even then, please bear in mind that subsequent cancellations or events can, on very rare occasions, result in a tour being cancelled.

What the Price Includes

The tour price normally includes all surface transportation from the notified tour start point to the notified tour end point, our leader and photography workshop services, all accommodation (including taxes and service charges), all meals, all entrance fees, all tips for local drivers/guides if they're required and for accommodations & restaurants, bottled water (in countries with unsafe drinking water) and some drinks. In addition, where relevant, the tour price includes all specified internal flights in economy class (including all airport and other taxes that are part of the ticket cost, and also any cash airport taxes relating to these flights). Any exceptions are clearly indicated at the end of the relevant tour description.

Meals

The tour price includes all essential meals during the period between the start of the tour and the end of the tour (unless otherwise stated in the tour description).

Drinks

The tour price includes a generous quantity of bottled water (or, in a few areas where bottled water is unavailable, boiled and filtered water) in locations where the drinking water is unsafe. We also include, where available, a fruit juice and a hot beverage with breakfast and a soft drink, a beer or a hot beverage with lunches or other meals taken at self-service cafeterias, sandwich bars, convenience stores or other 'fast-food' outlets. A soft drink is often provided with picnic meals. Kindly note that, as many participants prefer water or beer, we do not include carbonated soft drinks (coke etc) with lunches and dinners taken at conventional restaurants as we do not wish to charge participants for drinks that many will prefer not to consume.

What the Price Excludes

The tour price excludes all expenses incurred before arrival at the starting point of any tour and after arrival at the ending point of any tour, including international and/or internal airfares (and all taxes relating to these flights, included in the ticket cost or otherwise), additional accommodation costs, airport transfer costs (unless included), travel insurance, passport charges, vaccination charges, visa charges (including visas obtained on arrival) and excess baggage charges.

The tour price also excludes drinks other than those provided, à la carte dishes on those occasions where the included meal is fixed-menu, snacks, laundry, telephone calls, private excursions, excess baggage charges during the tour and anything else of a purely personal nature, including taxes, service charges and tips relating to such items. In addition, should you decide not to accompany the group for any reason, you are responsible for the extra cost of any accommodation or meals while the rest of the group are elsewhere. On a very few of our tours there are additional exclusions and these are clearly specified at the end of the tour description.

Accommodation

Important: Expeditions involve several nights in hammocks or tents. Regular tours use hotels or guest-houses each and every night. Expeditions are those trips described as an 'Expedition' in the title description. These are less costly, due to fewer hotel stays than regular tours. Our expeditions are what makes us different (better), than all other tour companies offering wildlife holidays. We are able to go to remote destinations in pursuit of wildlife, be there in the early hours of the morning and late at night when the animals are active and the best light is available for photography. horse-riding helmetse try, where possible to alternate nights in the wild and nights in hotels so that you get a chance to shower and refresh once per day, we feel this works best for you to get the most out of your expedition, plus it's less costly and a better experience to write home about. However, some expeditions may be multi-day trekking expeditions with hotel stays only at the start and finish. Everything will be clearly explained within the expedition tour description.

As a general rule we stay in comfortable hotels, motels, guest-houses and lodges of a medium, good or very good standard, with rooms with en-suite bathrooms, wherever possible. In locations where such accommodations are unavailable we must use simpler accommodations, although wherever we can we choose those hotels, guest-houses or lodges with great locations, friendly staff, good food or other features that compensate for the simplicity of the establishment! Where any of the accommodation to be used clearly falls below the normal standard of accommodation described above (i.e. medium to very good quality) then such exceptions are specified in the tour description. In a minority of locations overall, usually in developing countries, we have no choice but to use basic or even very basic accommodations.

In the event that the accommodation has to be unexpectedly downgraded for any part of the tour we shall give you an appropriate refund (equivalent to the difference in price of the accommodation concerned). Please bear in mind that in many developing countries standards of maintenance are poor and this can result in unpredictable hot water supplies and other shortcomings such as faulty showers, toilets or lighting, and missing bath plugs or toilet paper.

Sharing Rooms

If you are a couple travelling together then please indicate on your booking form as appropriate. There is not always a choice but we will try to match preferences where we can.

Over half of those travelling with me are solo and some people in this situation prefer to share a room with another party member of the same sex for the sake of company or economy. If you are travelling alone and would prefer to share a twin-bedded room then please indicate this on the booking form by indicating 'Share with a stranger' in the question about accommodation.

Important: Bookings from those electing to share are only accepted on the condition that, should no room-mate be available, you will accept single accommodation and pay the appropriate single accommodation supplement.

Priority in allocation of room-mates is strictly based on the order in which bookings are received (except, of course, where friends who book separately but simultaneously both indicate on their booking forms that they wish to share with each other). Naturally, the earlier you book the higher the chance of being able to share, although there are occasions when even those who book far ahead fail to find a room-mate. In particular, few ladies opt to share. (Smokers should kindly note that smoking is not allowed in the room if you are sharing with a non-smoker, which is much the most likely scenario as less than 5% of group members smoke).

Some destinations are so small and remote that the only available guest-house accommodation can only provide shared rooms.

Single Rooms

Many hotels and lodges now charge a flat room rate for their twin-bedded or double-bedded rooms, regardless of whether one person or two people occupy them. The inevitable consequence is costly supplements for single occupancy. Where rooms intended for single-occupancy exist, the standard and location of such rooms may not be as good as that of twin or double rooms.

Please note that we cannot give an absolute guarantee that single accommodation will always be provided for those requesting it, but we can say that it is a rare event that people have to share unexpectedly. When unexpected sharing has to occur, the lack of availability at a particular hotel or lodge is usually not notified to me in advance and is only discovered on arrival. At some locations, usually remote lodges, single rooms are not available at any time, or only provided in return for a huge supplement: any such instances are mentioned in the tour description. If a single room is not available for you at any location where it was expected and paid for we will make an appropriate refund after the end of the tour. Please note that the extra cost per night of single accommodation often varies widely over the course of a tour (remote lodges can sometimes be more expensive than first class city hotels, while small, basic hotels cost far less), so any refund will reflect these variations in costs.

While we will do our utmost to secure single accommodation for those requesting it, bookings are only accepted on the understanding that you will consent to share in the event of an unexpected lack of single accommodation at any location (we want to stress that this is generally a rare event, but as it can happen you must be prepared for the possibility, however remote).

Transport

Our tours typically involve transport of some sort (vehicles, boats, helicopters and other aircraft, etc.). By signing the joining form or submitting it online, you accept that the standards of safety on such vehicles and, for example, on local roads, may not be as high as those required in your home country.

We use self-drive minibuses or passenger vans wherever possible, as these provide much better access to important areas. Occasionally these smaller vehicles are unavailable and so a large coach is the only viable option. Where necessary we use cars or 4-wheel-drive vehicles. Please bear in mind that in many developing countries vehicles are frequently not maintained to a high standard and the level of comfort is often well below what we are used to back home.

To maybe ease your piece-of-mind a little - I hold a clean driving licence to drive any motor vehicle and my driving & technical/mechanical ability is very high - I have driven through 37 countries on various expeditions, and have extensive experience driving buses, motorcycles, 4×4 6×6 and 8×8 trucks through all terrains off-road.

We may also ask you to drive vehicles. You are not required to drive any vehicle but, if you do so, then you agree that you will • Drive any vehicle in a safe and responsible manner, as if it was your own, and not engage in any race or unsafe driving • Not operate the vehicle in an unsafe and negligent manner • comply with all applicable speed limits and obey all rules and regulations with respect to the operation of a motor vehicle • Be responsible for all costs incurred due to traffic offences while the vehicle is under your control • Not allow passengers to ride anywhere other than in the interior or loading platform of the vehicle • Not use the vehicle for any illegal purpose • Not permit the vehicle to be operated by any other person not authorised to drive by Nature Expeditions. • At no time operate the vehicle whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs. You also agree to fully indemnify Nature Expeditions for any and all loss of or damage we suffer arising out of any breach by you of this clause. Full instruction and training will be provided to our drivers at the start of any expedition.

Flight Arrangements

You must arrange your own flight to and from the tour start/finish point explained in the tour description.

We strongly recommend flying out in advance of any tour that involves a long-haul flight and taking a day to recover from the effects of a long flight and 'jet-lag'. We feel confident you will be fresher and enjoy the tour more.

There is little or no choice with regards carrier on most domestic flights.

Joining/Leaving Tours

All participants need to ensure that they reach the starting point for the tour in good time. We will notify you in good time where the joining point will be, and at what time of day. Where possible wetry to meet and collect everyone from the airport.

Kindly note that, in the event your arrival flight is rescheduled or delayed so that you are unable to arrive by the scheduled tour joining time, it is not possible for me to delay the rest of the group for too long, and any costs incurred in catching up with the group would be your own responsibility. Consequently we would advise you to arrange a flight that will allow you a generous safety margin.

Kindly note that we cannot accept any responsibility in the event you are somehow prevented from reaching the departure airport in time as a result of a badly delayed internal flight, a traffic jam caused by an accident or some other unanticipated event.

Important: Please be sure to send me your full flight itinerary at least one month before the tour starts.

Other Information

Disabilities and medical conditions

A surprising number, but not all, of our tours (and even expeditions) may be suitable for people with certain disabilities and medical conditions. We strongly recommend that you talk to me first if in any doubt. In any case, if any client suffers from any disability or medical condition which may affect the running of the tour, they must provide me with full details at the time of booking. We reserve the right to cancel a booking and impose the appropriate cancellation charges if such details are not provided. We further reserve the right to decline any booking whenever we feel unable to accommodate the particular needs of a particular client on that trip.

Group Size Limits and Number of Leaders

The normal group size limit for each tour is specified in the tour description. The limit is usually somewhere between 4-15 participants plus leader(s), usually only the one leader (myself), but there are exceptions. Where two leaders are listed, we may only send both leaders if the tour is sufficiently well supported; alternatively we may elect to send both regardless of group size. In rare instances, where we have one place left on a tour and we receive a booking from a couple or two friends, we reserve the right to increase the maximum group size by one in order to accommodate them.

Where only one leader is listed, we may elect to send an additional leader with the group, and in such an instance we may elect to increase the group size limit by up to two or three for tours in more open habitats.

Note that we am not adverse to using local guides on the ground, and we frequently do. Only if that guide fulfils two or more of the following conditions: The guide is knowledgeable of the subject species and environment, speaks both English and the local language and is used as an interpreter, where employing a local adds value to the country's environment where conservation is the primary objective and the people are paid to protect it rather than destroy it. In situations where guides are officially forced upon us, and where they don't match any of those criteria then that guide becomes yet another mouth to feed and a liability that we have to protect from the environment, also an additional unwanted cost to you.

Wildlife

The species mentioned in the tour descriptions are meant as a guide or wish-list to what you might see and photograph. You should not expect to see and photograph everything mentioned, although you should see and photograph a high proportion if you participate fully in the tour.

Passports, Visas and Vaccinations

You are responsible for ensuring that you bring with you a valid passport (which should have at least 6 months left to run at the commencement of the tour) plus, where necessary, a valid visa and/or a valid Yellow Fever vaccination certificate. Remember, if your passport is getting full, that any visa will require a full blank page plus space on the opposite page for entry and exit stamps. The tour information we will send you will provide information about any visa or vaccination certificate requirements known to me at the time the information is issued, but, as regulations can change, you are normally responsible for checking visa requirements yourself and, if a visa is necessary, obtaining your visa direct from the appropriate embassy or consulate.

Your safety and travel advice

Comprehensive risk assessments are carried out for all tours. Nature Expeditions is an ATTA accredited adventure travel company and conforms to the British Standard for adventurous activities outside the United Kingdom (BS 8848) to underlie its risk management policy. Risks to your safety and security are an unavoidable aspect of all travel. The best current advice on such risks is provided for you by the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice unit. In order to assess and protect against any risks in your chosen destination, it is strongly recommended that you refer to their website www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice prior to booking and regularly before you travel.

It is also very important that you are well-informed about health risks and issues in your chosen destination country before making your booking. Clients are strongly recommended to refer to the Government advice web site for detailed advice before booking www.travelhealthpro.org.uk.

PPE and horse-riding helmets Where our comprehensive risk assessments identify potential hazards then, where possible, personal protective equipment (PPE) will be provided. However, there are situations where we don't. In countries like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia horse-riding is an every-day way-of-life and horse-riding helmets are never worn or available. Our pre-expedition risk assessments identify this as a precautionary measure, and for this reason we contact all participants via email prior to the expedition to advise that you should bring your own horse-riding helmets if you feel you need them. These can be simple polystyrene climbing or cycling helmets. You will be asked to confirm acknowledgement of this information for mitigation purposes.

Privacy Policy

We take the handling of your personal data very seriously. All names and addresses on our mailing list are stored on computer files. These files will most definitely not be passed to any other party, for advertising purposes or for any other reason, but should you object to having your name and address stored in this way please inform our office and we will remove your entry. We do not store credit card details after payment (you will have to add card details during each payment), nor do we share customer details with any third parties.

Complaints

In the unlikely event that you have cause for complaint you should notify me as soon as possible so that we may do our best to assist you. We need to know where we can improve to be the best we can be. I'm very easy-going and flexible.

Restrictions on Participation

We reserve the right to remove from the tour any person unable or unwilling to conduct themselves in a manner compatible with the satisfactory operation of the tour. You must understand that we have a responsibility of care for the whole party for which there is no compromise. In this event we will make no refund, nor be liable to pay any compensation, and any additional travel costs involved in returning home are your own responsibility.

Liability

We have taken all reasonable steps to ensure that the tours described in the tour descriptions have been properly arranged and that the airlines, ship operators, vehicle operators, travel agents, hotels, restaurants and other organizations we use are reputable. We will accept liability for matters which arise as a direct result of our negligence and/or breach of contractual duty to exercise care in making arrangements for you, including acts or omissions by agents. Further we will accept liability for any negligent act or omission by suppliers, who may operate elements of your tour arrangements (other than air, sea or land carriers, or hotels, as specified below). We will accept full liability for death, personal injury or illness arising out of our negligence or that of employees, agents or suppliers (other than air, sea or land carriers, or hotels, as specified below). In the case of any other loss or damage suffered as a result of our negligence or that of employees, agents or suppliers (other than air, sea or land carriers, or hotels, as specified below) we limit the maximum extent of liability to twice the amount paid for the tour in question. However, we cannot accept responsibility for claims arising out of carriage by air, sea or land, or provision of hotel accommodation. We have no control over the carriers or providers concerned and you are subject to their terms and conditions, which are governed by international conventions, which exclude or limit liability in respect of death, injury, delay, loss or damage to baggage, etc. It is also important to note that operational decisions may be taken by air, sea or land carriers, or their regulatory authorities, that result in delays, diversions, rescheduling or cancellations. We have no control over such decisions and are therefore unable to accept responsibility for them.

Equipment

All communal and group equipment such as, radios, GPSs, tents, cooking equipment, medical kit, etc. will be provided by Nature Expeditions. You will receive full training on any specialised equipment you are asked to use. You will need to provide your own clothing and personal equipment. A detailed list of personal clothing and equipment required will be sent to you as part of the dossier or briefing about your tour.

If you cause damage or loss to any equipment belonging to Nature Expeditions by your carelessness, negligence or improper use, we may recover that damage or loss from you if we consider it reasonable to do so. Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to recover this loss from your travel insurance.

Travel Insurance

It is very important that you obtain insurance cover against the usual risks associated with travel, from the time of booking your tour until the time you return home. This policy MUST be adequate for your intended destination. Insurance is a mandatory requirement, you will not be permitted to join our tour or expedition without it. Please ensure that your insurance provides adequate protection against the two major concerns: medical/repatriation expenses while abroad and cancellation/curtailment charges in the event that you, or a travelling companion or close relative, fall ill either before or during the tour. Most of those travelling abroad more than once a year will find that taking out an annual travel insurance policy is the simplest and most cost-effective option. Some expeditions are to very remote destinations or to high elevation, where this is the case please ensure your insurance covers you for this.

Photographers often carry a lot of expensive optical and photographic equipment. Regular travel insurance does not provide sufficient cover and so, if you are not already covered under your household contents policy, we recommend you take out specialist insurance cover for your equipment.

Use of images

Any likeness or image of you taken on any of our tours may be used by us without charge in all media for promotional, marketing or illustrative purposes, including without limitation promotional materials such as brochures, slides or video shows, and on our internet site or social media profiles, and as an illustration in scientific publications. Any written feedback supplied to the company may also be used for promotional purposes in such materials.

All photographs used on this site, which are supplied and photographed by Phil Markey, remain the intellectual property and copyright of Phil Markey, all rights reserved, and are used here under licence.

Assumption of Risk and Waiver of Liability

I affirm that I am aware that taking part in an experience with Nature Expeditions has inherent risks, which may result in serious injury or death. I further understand that these experiences may be conducted at a site that is remote, either by time or distance or both, from medical services. I still choose to proceed with the experience with Nature Expeditions despite the above.

I understand and agree that neither Nature Expeditions nor its employees, officers, agents, contractors or assigns ("Released Parties") may be held liable or responsible in any way for any injury, death, or other damages to me, my family, estate, heirs or assigns that may occur as a result of my participation in this experience (save in respect of injury or death caused by their negligence). In consideration of being allowed to participate in the experience with Nature Expeditions I hereby personally assume all risks of this experience, whether foreseen or unforeseen, that may befall me while I am a participant in the experience, or whilst I am travelling to the experience or back from it. I further release, exempt and hold harmless Nature Expeditions and the Released Parties from any claim or lawsuit by me, my family, estate, heirs, or assigns, arising out of my participation in this experience including both claims arising during the experience or after (save in respect of injury or death caused by their negligence).

I also understand that the experience may (if so specified in the experience dossier) involve physically strenuous activities and that I may be exerting myself during the experience, and that if I am injured as a result of a heart attack, panic, hyperventilation, drowning or any other cause, that I expressly assume the risk of said injuries and that I will not hold the Released Parties responsible for the same (save in respect of injury or death caused by their negligence).

I further state that I am of lawful age and legally competent to accept this liability release, or that I have acquired the written consent of my parent or guardian. I understand the terms herein are contractual and not a mere recital, and that I have agreed to this document of my own free act and with the knowledge that I hereby agree to this waiver of liability.

I further agree if any provision of this agreement is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision shall be severed from this agreement. The remainder of this agreement will then be construed as though the unenforceable provision had never been contained herein.

I agree to exempt and release Nature Expeditions and the Released Parties from all liability or responsibility whatsoever for personal injury, property damage or wrongful death however caused (save in respect of injury or death caused by their negligence, and save as otherwise provided in the Terms and Conditions). I have fully informed myself of the contents of this liability release and assumption of risk agreement by reading it before I accepted it on behalf of myself and my heirs. I accept that completing a joining form for the experience, either online or as a hard copy, is regarded as signing and accepting this liability release and assumption of risk agreement.