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booking conditions

contract | cancellation | changes | force majeur | trip cost | insurance | your security | passports & health | group size | responsible tourism

Booking Procedures

1. Please read the "Booking Conditions", "Booking Form" and "Programme Information". The information contained in these (together with the general information contained in our website) form the basis of your contract with EWP. Please read them carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations.

2. In order to confirm your booking you must send us your completed booking form, insurance policy details (you must be insured - see clause 8), and a deposit of 10% of the total trip cost plus any payments required to secure flights. A full payment is required if booking within 8 weeks of departure. If you wish to purchase the insurance policy we offer (UK residents only), all applicable premiums must also be paid at the time of booking.

3. Once we have received your booking form, insurance form (if applicable) and all appropriate payments, we will, subject to availability, confirm your holiday by issuing a confirmation invoice. We will also send you an information package giving further trek and travel information, equipment list and visa application form if necessary. Please check this invoice carefully as soon as you receive it. Contact us immediately if any information which appears on the confirmation or any other document appears to be incorrect or incomplete as it may not be possible to make changes later.

Booking Conditions

All reservations are made by and with Factpass Ltd., trading as EWP (hereinafter referred to as "EWP") and their agents subject to the following conditions:

1. Contract

a) A binding contract comes into existence between EWP and the person(s) on whose behalf the booking may have been made (the clients) when we issue our confirmation invoice.

b) Should the balance not be paid by the due date, we reserve the right to cancel the booking and retain the deposit paid, or apply the charges outlined in clause 2 a).

c) EWP reserves the right to decline any booking.

2. Cancellation by Customer

a) Should you wish to cancel the booking after it has been accepted, please notify us immediately in writing. The insurance premium and the following will be payable or forfeited as the case may be:

- More than 8 weeks before departure - the deposit.

- 8-5 weeks before departure - 30% of the trip cost.

- 5-2 weeks before departure - 50% of the trip cost.

- Less than 2 weeks - 100% of the trip cost.

b) In addition to the above charges, it may be necessary to add under-occupancy or single room supplements to other members of a group where a member(s) of that group cancel.

c) Cancellation charges of 100% will apply on scheduled service tickets if you have to cancel or amend your flights once the tickets are issued.

3. Alteration by Customer

After acceptance of the booking, if the customer alters the confirmed arrangements, an amendment fee of £25 (or foreign currency equivalent at the time) per person, plus any increased charges, may be charged. Additionally, if the alteration is within 8 weeks of the original departure date, the cancellation charges in clause 2 a) may be applied.

4. Changes and Cancellation by us

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. However, we promise we will only cancel your confirmed booking (8 weeks or less) before departure where you have failed to comply with any requirements of these booking conditions entitling us to cancel (such as paying on time) or where we are forced to do so as a result of circumstances outside our control "force majeure" (clause 5 below).

Most changes are minor. Occasionally, we have to make a "significant change". "Significant changes" means the following changes when made before departure: a change of accommodation to that of a lower standard for the major part of the time you are away, a change of outward departure time or overall length of time you are away of twelve or more hours, and, in the case of tours, a significant change of itinerary missing out one or more major destination substantially.

If we have to make a significant change or cancel, we will tell you as soon as possible. If there is time to do so before departure, we will offer you the choice of the following options:

(a) (for significant changes) accepting the changed arrangements or

(b) purchasing an alternative holiday from us, (if the chosen alternative is less expensive, we will refund the difference but if it is more expensive, we will ask you to pay the difference) or

(c) cancelling or accepting the cancellation in which case you will receive a full and quick refund of all monies you have paid to us.

Please note the above options are not available where any change made is a minor one.

If we have to make a significant change or cancel 8 weeks or less before departure, we will pay you compensation subject to the following exceptions. Compensation will not be payable and no liability beyond offering the above mentioned choices can be accepted where (1) we are forced to make a change or cancel as a result of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which we could not have avoided even with all due care or (2) we have to cancel because the minimum number of bookings necessary for us to operate your holiday has not been reached - in this case we will notify you by the deadline specified. No compensation will be payable if we cancel as a result of your failure to comply with any requirement of these booking conditions entitling us to cancel (such as paying on time). see group size

When offering alternative arrangements, EWP will, if accommodation is affected, use its best endeavours to provide an alternative in the same area. If EWP is only able to offer a lower classification of hotel, it will refund the difference in the brochure price.

In all cases, our liability for significant changes and cancellations is limited to offering you the above mentioned options and, where applicable, compensation payments. We regret we cannot pay any expenses, costs or losses incurred by you as a result of any change or cancellation. No compensation is payable for minor changes or where we make a significant change or cancel more than 8 weeks before departure.

Very rarely, we may be forced by "force majeure" (see clause 5) to change or terminate your holiday after departure but before the scheduled end of your time away. This is extremely unlikely but if this situation does occur, we regret we will be unable to make any refunds (unless we obtain any refunds from our suppliers), pay you any compensation or meet any costs or expenses you incur as a result.

5. Force Majeure

Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions, we regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance or prompt performance of our contractual obligations is prevented or affected by or you otherwise suffer any damage or loss as a result of "force majeure". In these Booking Conditions, "force majeure" means any event which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events may include war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity or actual threatened terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, fire and all similar events outside our control.

6a. Our Liability to you

(1) We promise to make sure that all parts of the holiday we have agreed to arrange, perform or provide as part of our contract with you are performed or provided with reasonable skill and care. We do not accept responsibility if any death, personal injury failure or deficiency of your holiday arrangements is not caused by any fault of ours, or our agents or suppliers. When we talk about "fault" above, this means failure by ourselves or our agents or suppliers (as applicable) to use reasonable skill and care in performing or providing the service in question. Please note it is your responsibility to show that reasonable skill and care has not been used if you wish to make a claim.

We will not be responsible for any injury, illness, death, loss (eg of enjoyment), damage, expense, cost or claim of any description whatsoever which results from any of the following: -

(a) the fault of the person(s) affected or any member(s) of their party or

(b) the fault of a third party not connected with the provision of your holiday or

(c) an event or circumstances which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not have predicted or avoided even after taking all reasonable care or

(d) the fault of anyone who was not carrying out work for us (generally or in particular) at the time.

In addition, we will not be responsible where you do not enjoy your holiday or suffer any problems because of a reason you did not tell us about when you booked with us or where any problems you suffer did not result from any breach of our contract or other fault of ourselves or, where we were responsible for them, our suppliers or agents.

Please note, we cannot accept responsibility for any services which do not form part of our contract.

(2) The promises we make to you about the services we have agreed to provide or arrange as part of our contract - and the laws and regulations of the country in which your claim or complaint occurred - will be used as the basis for deciding whether the services in question had been properly provided. If the particular services which gave rise to the claim or complaint complied with local laws and regulations applicable to those services at the time, the services will be treated as having been properly provided. This will be the case even if the services did not comply with the laws and regulations of the UK which would have applied had those services been provided in the UK.

(3) Where any claim or part of a claim concerns or is based on any travel arrangements (including the process of getting on and off the transport concerned) provided by any air, sea, rail or road carrier or any stay in a hotel, the maximum amount of compensation we will have to pay you will be limited. The most we will have to pay you for that claim or that part of a claim if we are found liable to you on any basis is the most the carrier or hotel keeper concerned would have to pay under the international convention which applies to the travel arrangements or hotel stay in question (eg the Warsaw Convention as amended for international travel by air and/or for airlines with an operating licence granted by an EU country, the EU Regulation on Air Carrier Liability for national and international travel by air, the Athens convention for international travel by sea). 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.

6b. Assignment of Rights

(1) In the event of making a claim against EWP, the customer agrees to assign to EWP any rights against a supplier or any other person or party that they may have relating to the claim and co-operate fully with EWP should it or its insurers wish to enforce those rights which have been assigned to EWP. This assignment is necessary to enable EWP to try and recover from suppliers any compensation paid to the customer together with associated costs.

(2) In the event of a claim made by EWP being covered by any insurance policy effected by the customer or for his benefit the customer agrees to pursue such claim against the relevant insurance company either in addition to or in substitution for his claim against EWP. EWP agrees to indemnify the customer in respect of any expense incurred in pursuing such a claim and acknowledges that any settlement made by the Insurer shall not prejudice the customer's rights against EWP. In the event of the customer not submitting an insurance claim within a period expiring 5 days prior to the time specified in the relevant policy, he shall assign by letter sent by first class post to EWP no less than 5 days prior to the said specified time the benefit of the policy to EWP and give immediate notice of such an assignment to the Insurer.

7. The Cost of your Holiday

The prices advertised are calculated in September or October every year on the basis of then known costs and exchange rates as shown in the Financial Times Guide to World Currencies. They may have subsequently been amended as and when required.

We reserve the right to alter the prices of unsold holidays at any time. The price of your chosen holiday will be confirmed at the time of booking.

Once the price of your chosen holiday has been confirmed at the time of booking then, subject to the correction of errors, we will only increase the price in the following circumstances. Price increases after booking will be passed on by way of a surcharge. A surcharge will be payable if transportation costs and/or dues, taxes or fees payable for services such as airport fees or park entry fees increase or our costs increase as a result of any adverse changes in the exchange rates which have been used to calculate the cost of your holiday.

Except as set out below, even in the above cases, we will absorb increased costs up to a total amount equivalent to 2% of the cost of your confirmed holiday (excluding insurance premiums and any amendment charges). Only if the increased costs exceed this 2% will we levy a surcharge. If any surcharge is greater than 10% of the cost of your holiday (excluding insurance premiums and any amendment charges), you will be entitled to cancel your booking and receive a full refund of all monies paid to us except for insurance premiums and amendment charges. You have 14 days from the issue date printed on the surcharge invoice to tell us if you want to cancel for this reason. If you do not tell us that you wish to cancel within this period of time, we are entitled to assume that you do not wish to cancel and 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.

Except as set out above, we promise not to levy a surcharge within 30 days of departure. Due to the above promises, no refunds can be made in the event of favourable exchange rate variations or decreases in costs.

We reserve the right to correct errors in both advertised and confirmed prices. We will do so as soon as we become aware of the error.

Please note, changes and errors occasionally occur. You must check the price of your chosen holiday at the time of booking. see also section 11

8. Insurance

You are required to take out an insurance to provide adequate cover for medical expenses, personal accident, loss of baggage and curtailment or cancellation of trip. It is the responsibility of all individuals to finance on-the-spot medical treatment and other contingencies, then to reclaim this from their insurance on return, and to ensure that they have adequate protection for expensive equipment. Please keep details of all the documentation which may be necessary when making a claim. Individuals should ensure their insurance covers all aspects of the programme such as for off-piste skiing for the heliskiing programmes and mountaineering with ropes as required.

All insurance premiums must be paid in full as soon as possible for cover to become effective.

8b. Insurance and Recent Terrorist Activities

Some insurances you obtain may be invalid if the area you go to comes onto the British Ministry of Foreign Affairs "not recommended list". Please check with your insurance provider about these possible exclusions. Some companies will insure you for "not recommended areas" but with the proviso that should you have an accident which requires repatriation or immediate medical assistance this may be impossible to provide if terrorist activity causes an obstruction. Also if any terrorist activity affects you directly in any way it may be impossible to make a claim against any losses or expenses incurred as a result of this terrorist activity. If you are unable to find an insurer to your satisfaction we are happy to recommend a suitable insurer.

9. Disputes

If you have cause for complaint while on holiday you must bring it to the attention of EWP's local representative/agent and/or the hotel who will do their best to rectify the situation. It is unreasonable to take no action whilst on holiday but then to write a letter of complaint upon return. However, should a problem remain unresolved a complaint should be made within 28 days of the completion of the holiday. Please remember to quote your holiday account number.

10. Tickets and Timings

All references to departure times in our brochures are for your guidance only and are subject to amendment. The latest timings will be shown in your confirmation invoice. However, where your holiday contract with us includes a flight, the actual flight times will be those shown on your tickets which will be dispatched 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 dispatched, we will contact you as soon as possible if this occurs. We are not always in a position to confirm the airline, aircraft type and airport of destination which will be used in connection with any flight included in your holiday. When this information is provided at the time of booking or subsequently, it is subject to change. Any such change will not entitle you to cancel or make changes to other arrangements without paying our normal charges.

11. Prices and Brochure Accuracy

Please note the information on 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.

12. Your Financial Security Arrangements

When you buy an ATOL protected air package or flight from EWP you will receive a confirmation invoice from us confirming your arrangements and your protection under our Air Travel Organiser's Licence number 3569. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking. For further information visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk. Not all holiday or travel services offered and sold by us will be protected by the ATOL Scheme. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking.

13. Passports, visas and health requirements

The passports, visas and health requirements applicable at the time of printing to British citizens for the holidays we offer are shown in the predeparture information. A full British passport presently takes approximately two weeks. Many countries will not accept passports due to expire shortly after the end of your planned trip. Requirements may change and you must check the up to date position in good time before departure. Information on health is contained in the Department of Health leaflet T6 Health Advice for Travellers available from your local Department of Health office and most post offices.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you 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 that we cannot accept any liability if you are refused entry into 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 i.e. two or three which you are intending to travel. further visa information

14. 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.

15. Responsible Tourism

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. If in our, or another persons reasonable opinion, 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, 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.

Furthermore we expect all trip participants to read our Responsible Tourism strategies (which are detailed in our predeparture information specific to each trip and area). We ask participants to comply with them as far as possible. An outline of these is to be found on our Reponsible Tourism page.

16. Special requests and medical problems

If you have any special request, you must advise us at the time of booking and clearly note it on your booking form. Although we will endeavour to pass any reasonable requests on to the relevant supplier, we regret we cannot guarantee any request will be met. Failure to meet any special request will not be a breach of contract on our part. We regret we cannot accept any conditional bookings, i.e. any booking which is specified to be conditional on the fulfilment of a particular request. All such bookings will be treated as "standard" bookings subject to the above provisions on special requests.

If you or any member of your party has any medical problem 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. [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].further medical information

17. 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 [sometimes/often] be lower.

18. Group Bookings

Group booking discounts apply to groups where one person represents the clients when making the booking arrangements and payments. In this case the confirmation invoice will be sent to him / her only. All payments to EWP for the trip must be made through him / her.

Further Information

Group Size

Our maximum group size for scheduled trips is 15, and our minimum group size is 5; smaller groups will be considered but a surcharge, to be discussed at the time of booking, will be added. We are happy to discuss the details of any programme with you.

Airport Meeting Instructions

These will be given to you two weeks before departure along with your ticket and flight information. Please ensure that we have a contact address for you prior to the trip in case there is a change in flight plan or meeting place.

Local Representative/Agent

The name, address and telephone number of the EWP Representative/Agent will be forwarded with the predeparture information as will the name of the leader and guides.

Passports and Visas

A full valid passport and visa is required for entry into each of the countries in the CIS. EWP will process your visa application(s) for you; this could take up to 4 weeks to obtain.
A full valid passport is required for entry into Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, but UK Citizens do not require visas.
A full valid passport and visa is required for Kenya and Tanzania.
For visa application forms and latest visa information please see our visa details.

Healthcare and Vaccinations

Your doctor will advise you on health care, recommended vaccinations and your nearest vaccination centre. It is your own responsibility to take sufficient quantities of any specific medication you require.
In East Africa an official certificate may be required showing valid vaccinations against Yellow Fever and Cholera. Malaria Prophylaxis is essential.
When travelling outside Europe it is advisable to be protected against TB, Tetanus, Polio, Typhoid and Hepatitis. Protection against Encephalitis is recommended for travel in some areas of the CIS. You are welcome to contact us for simple hints and suggestions on the subject.

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ALW 16/6/05