Tour Conditions

Budget Mekong Tour (referred to hereafter as BMT) accepts bookings subject to the following conditions:

          A) Deposits and Charges
Deposit - 20% of full tour cost upon booking.
Charge - no charge for changing of dates before confirmation is sent to you. After confirmation there is a charge of US$50 per change up to three changes.

          B) Payment for your Holiday
          Payment in full - after confirmation of your package has been notified the other 80% of the tour cost is payable forthwith and is not less than 30 days before date of travel.
          In the case of non-payment of the balance by the due date BMT will treat the booking as cancelled by the Client and the deposit is not refunded.

          C) To secure a booking
          BMT requires a non-refundable deposit 60 days beforehand per person per tour or full payment if travel is due to commence within 30 days. This payment is deemed to be confirmation that you have read and accepted the BMT Booking Conditions. Clients booking by telephone, facsimile, e-mail or over the Internet will be deemed to have read the booking conditions and accepted them.
          A booking is accepted and becomes definite only from the date when BMT has confirmed acceptance by issuing an Invoice. BMT reserves the right to decline any booking at its discretion.
The person making the booking warrants that he has full authority to do so on behalf of all persons named, and confirms that all such persons are fully aware of and accept these conditions.

          D) Change of Tour by You
          A change of tour to another in BMT's itineraries must be requested in writing by the person who made the original booking and must be accompanied by the administration charge per person per tour of US$50, if the request is made at least 60 days before departure date of the original tour. The original tour deposit is not refunded but used as deposit for the new tour changed to. If change to another tour is requested less than 30 days before date of departure of the original tour, a 50% charge is levied on the paid up 80% of the tour cost. If it is less than 14 days of departure date, no monies will be refunded. And clients pay fully for the other tour changed to. In this case the administration charge of US$50 is not collected.

          E) Changes by BMT
          While BMT will use its best endeavour to operate all tours as advertised, it may be necessary or advisable to vary or modify a tour itinerary or its contents due to prevailing local conditions in the Mekong region countries. BMT reserves the right at any time either before or during a tour to cancel or change any of the facilities and services stated in the itineraries (including flights, mode of land transportation, accommodation or other arrangements according to prevailing local situations) and to substitute alternative arrangements of comparable cost and standard, and accepts no liability as a result of these changes. If change in the detail of the tour is known to us, the client will be told at the time of booking.

          If change becomes necessary when travel is ongoing, clients will be informed by their Tour Leader. Any change depends on the circumstances in the countries you are travelling in and is at the sole discretion of BMT, provided that the major change is not because of force majeure – like war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, industrial dispute, terrorist activity, natural or nuclear disaster, fire or adverse weather conditions, technical or maintenance problems with transport, changes imposed by cancellation or rescheduling of flights by an airline, the alteration of airline or aircraft type, or other similar events beyond the control of BMT. BMT is not liable for any penalty charges associated with non-refundable airfares, in the event of a change to a tour departure time, date or airport.

          F) Cancellation by You
          The client may cancel the booking at any time provided that the cancellation is communicated to BMT in writing subjected to the charges stated above for non-refundable deposits and the 80% full tour charge. Written notification is essential even if verbal notification of an intention to cancel has been given. In addition to the stated cancellation charges airlines may impose 100% cancellation charge which will be the liability of the client. In addition to the above cancellation charges, the full insurance premium is also payable in the event of a cancellation by the client. If the reason for cancellation is covered by the insurance policy, you may be able to reclaim these charges. No refund will be made for any accommodation, transport, or services not utilized in whole or in part.

          G) Cancellation by BMT
          BMT reserves the right to cancel a tour in any circumstances but (except for force majeure or the client's failure to pay the final balance or one of the conditions detailed in item "h" below) will not cancel a tour less than 21 days before departure. Unless the client fails to pay the final balance BMT will, upon cancellation, return all monies paid including the deposit payment or offer an alternative tour of comparable standard.

          H) Guaranteed Departures & Minimum Numbers
          BMT sets its own minimum numbers based on logistics and guarantees to operate the tour once the minimum number of 6 persons has been achieved in any of the tours offered.
          Where the minimum number has not been achieved on a given departure, BMT may choose to either operate the trip with below minimum number or cancel the trip and refund all monies paid by the client.
          Note: Refunds referred to here apply to trips cancelled within 21 days as a result of failure to achieve minimum numbers. A replacement holiday may be any tour selected from the same brochure up to the value of the original holiday booked. Refunds apply to the cost paid for the land content.

          I) No Price Change & No Surcharges
          BMT guarantees not to increase the tour price even though prices of supplies in the various countries of the Mekong region go up – like increased entrance fee, additional government tax, currency exchange fluctuation, transportation cost including the cost of fuel, and increase in hotel room rate.

          J) Travel Insurance
          Travel insurance is mandatory for all clients whilst on a tour organized by BMT. Clients together with their personal property including baggage are at all times solely at their own risk while the Tour Leader will take full precaution for its security. Clients are wholly responsible for arranging their own insurance.
A suitable insurance policy should provide adequate cover for medical expenses arising through illness or accident during the holiday and loss of holiday monies through cancellation or curtailment of the holiday for insurable reasons – emergency airlift provision should be included. BMT is able to assist clients in obtaining a suitable insurance policy. Clients making their own arrangements should ensure that there are no exclusion clauses limiting protection for the type of activities in their tour. Clients should satisfy themselves that any travel insurance arranged through BMT is what they require and should arrange supplementary insurance if need be. The travel insurance cover automatically provided with credit card purchases does not provide adequate cover as standard. Proof of adequate insurance will be requested at the start of your tour, failure to provide this will result in the client being prevented from joining the tour.

          K) Passports, Visas and Vaccinations
          It is the responsibility of the client to be in possession of a valid passport, visa permits, vaccinations and preventative medicines as may be required for the duration of the tour. Information about these matters or related items is given in good faith but without responsibility on the part of BMT.

          L) Age, Fitness and Participation
          All clients are expected to satisfy themselves prior to booking that they are fit and able to complete the itinerary of their chosen tour as described in this brochure. Clients are also expected to accept that the tours described are Adventure Holidays and that travel to and facilities in developing countries will not be up to expected standards accustomed to at home. These budget tours are not the high-priced luxury holiday type. The ages of participants are advised at 18 to 45 years; however BMT may authorize clients over 45 to travel if they meet certain criteria. BMT reserves the right to decline a booking at their discretion. Clients agree to accept the decisions of BMT 's tour leaders while on tour with BMT. If in the opinion of the Tour Leader the health or conduct of a client before or after departure appears likely to endanger the safe, comfortable or happy progress of a tour the client may be excluded from all or part of the tour. In the case of ill health BMT may make such arrangements as it sees fit and recover the costs from the client. If a client is excluded from the tour as above or chooses to leave the tour of their own free will or leaves the tour due to ill health or any other reason there will be no refund of the tour price, extra services, surcharges, or any local surcharges. All services forming part of the whole package booked will be forfeit though may be recoverable through your travel insurance in some circumstances.

          M) Local Laws
          All participants in tours operated by BMT are expected to obey the laws and regulations of the countries visited and any failure to do so will relieve BMT of all obligations that they may otherwise have under these booking conditions. Extra-territorial rights granted to foreigners by local governments during the colonial period in Southeast Asia have all been abrogated since.

          N) Illness or Disability
          Anyone suffering from illness or disability or undergoing treatment for any physical or medical condition must declare the true nature of such condition at the time of booking and make arrangements for the provision of any medication or other treatment which may be required during the tour. Failure to make such disclosure will constitute a breach of these booking conditions and result in such persons being excluded from the tour in which case all monies paid will be forfeit.

          O) If you have a Complaint
          If the client has a complaint about any of the tour arrangements the client must bring it to the attention of the Tour Leader or other representative of BMT at the time so that they may use their best endeavours to rectify the situation. We implore clients to be understanding that even the best laid plans can be thrown off-gear by local circumstances beyond anybody's control. It is only if BMT is made aware of any problems that there will be the opportunity to put things right; it is fruitless to complain later. Failure to complain on the spot will result in the client's ability to claim compensation from BMT being nil. Should the problem remain unsolved a complaint must be made in writing to BMT within 14 days of the completion of the tour or all claims for compensation will not be entertained.

          P) Our Responsibilities
          The tours operated or supplied by BMT have been designed to provide participants with real experience of the natural environment and therefore involve an element of physical risk and exposure to unforeseeable hazards over and above those associated with normal "package" holidays.
All bookings are accepted on the understanding that such risks and hazards are cognizant by the client and that they undertake all tours, treks, optional excursions and other activities at their own volition. .

          Where the client does not suffer personal injury, BMT accepts liability should any part of the tour arrangements booked with BMT be not supplied as described in this brochure due to local conditions preventing its supply and be not replaced by a similar substitution. In such a case, BMT will pay reasonable compensation if the tour arrangements had been adversely affected but will pay no compensation if there has been no fault on the part of BMT or its suppliers and the reason for the failure in the tour arrangements was due to force majeure, the client's fault, or unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances.

          Where the client suffers death or personal injury as a result of an activity forming part of the tour arrangements booked with BMT, BMT accepts responsibility unless there has been no fault on BMT's part or its suppliers and the cause was due to force majeure, the client's fault, or unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances.

          These conditions are issued on the sole responsibility of BMT and have been compiled with reasonable care. They are not issued on behalf of, and do not commit any airline whose flights form part of the arrangements. Where air travel on inclusive tours is provided by scheduled carriers, their responsibility is limited in accordance with their conditions of carriage.

          Q) Flight Bookings
          BMT will do its best to ensure that all flight prices and pre-paid taxes are correct at the time that they are quoted. Airlines reserve the right to amend or withdraw fares without prior notice and increase taxes according to aviation regulations. Once a deposit is paid on an airfare, it guarantees that a booking is being held for you, it DOES NOT GUARANTEE the fare. The fare can only be guaranteed when the flight booking has been paid for in full by BMT and a ticket has been issued. Flight bookings cannot be transferred. Your full name as it appears in your passport is the only valid name to be on the air ticket..

          R) Optional Excursions
          You don't pay for an included excursion when it's not really something that you want to do as you prefer a more independent style of travel, able to choose your own sightseeing and have the option of doing it yourself or buying it from a local operator. Your Tour Leader can help you with that. You have the freedom to decide what activities you would like to do while you're on tour, and your Tour Leader will have all the information to let you know what's on offer along the way. Your Tour Leader will also be able to make recommendations and bookings in advance for most of your options, so you' ll have greater flexibility and control over your trip besides saving time arranging the trips yourself. The tour pages highlight some of the optional excursions you can choose on your tour. For a full list of options, including prices and details, visit our website www.budgetmekongtour.com and download our "Optional Tours Guide".

          S) Transport & Luggage
          We will select the best vehicles whether public or privately chartered for your travels from place to place as befitting the group size and circumstance. In public buses, trains, ferries and boats you are limited to whatever luggage you can carry yourself. But in chartered private vehicles your luggage is limited to one big bag of any weight and one carry bag weighing not above 10kg that you can comfortably place on your lap. Any extra bags which cannot be fitted into the vehicles would be your responsibility to post onwards to a destination of your choice.

          T) What's Not Included?

• International flights and departure taxes.
• Visa fees.
• Tours & Sightseeing.
• Breakfasts, lunches and dinners.
• Single supplement for hotel room for client staying in a room by himself.
• Travel insurance (this is compulsory and a copy of your policy will be collected by your tour leader).
• Any room upgrade or local flight you wish to make on-the-spot.
• Tips for local guides, excursions and restaurants.
•  Itineraries
  
            Our itineraries are specialized on the Mekong-Southeast Asian countries of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and Yunnan (south China). They will give you an exciting, authentic insight into the places and people you visit. We have carefully planned each tour itinerary so that there is enough time for you to cover all the major sights in every destination you might wish to see. We have also taken care to be in areas that are not touristy wherever possible to enable you to experience an authentic insight into local cultures and traditions, and to enhance your travel experiences.

          Master & Sub-Tour Modules
BMT has a repertoire of three Master Itineraries containing 11 sub-tours. Due to this modular structure some passengers may join or leave your tour in selected cities. It also allows people to do a tour that visits specific destinations of choice. Modular tours are also great for those travellers who have a restricted amount of time or for those who may have previously travelled to some of these destinations.

          Using the date schedule you can determine the number of days each of the sub-tour carries and plan your own mix of which countries to combine. Or you can choose just one sub-tour.