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Terms and conditions
NOTE: BY SENDING US YOUR INITIAL DEPOSIT (OR ANY SUBSEQUENT PAYMENT) TOWARD YOUR TRIP PRICE, YOU ARE CONFIRMING YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE TERMS & CONDITIONS BELOW.
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Pricing & Payment— We require a non-refundable service fee of $250.00 for bespoke travel in order for us to begin planning your trip. Hotels, tour operators, villa/apartment rentals, excursions, train tickets, boat/yacht rentals, transfer, airlines and other third parties all have their own terms and conditions as well as required deposits and cancellation polices which will be outlined to you at the time of booking. Please note that until we have received your service fee and or full/partial payment for each supplier all arrangements may be subject to availability and/or price change.
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The Payment and Confirmation Schedule is as follows:
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Initial phone calls and trip sketch: no payment required
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To proceed to a detailed, specific Itinerary for your trip: Essence of Travel asks for a non-refundable $250.00 service fee
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Final Payment: Essence of Travel will invoice you for all bookings made through any third parties as well as any long distance charges or courier costs that arise as well as any miscellaneous incidentals that may occur.
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The service fee/deposit and final payment are subject to the Cancellation Penalties described below in “Cancellation By You”.
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Essence of Travel trips are priced in US dollars, Canadian dollars, Euros or the countries local currency. The pricing currency is determined on a trip-by-trip basis. Our approach is to price the trip in the currency that minimizes exposure to exchange rate fluctuations and maximizes client convenience. Pricing is calculated on current exchange rates at time of booking. Therefore, if you prefer to pay in full at the time of confirmation, Essence of Travel is able to fix the Trip Price at the rate offered. Payment can be made by bank transfer, bank draft or credit card (Visa, MasterCard or American Express). If Full Payment is not received at time of invoicing, Essence of Travel reserves the right to release your reservations and assume that the trip has been cancelled by you. In this instance, our Cancellation Penalties described below would apply.
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Cancellation by you— If you cancel your trip after you have paid the service fee deposit, Cancellation Penalties will apply, and will depend on how late you notify us. For this reason we strongly recommend you take out Cancellation & Interruption Insurance. If you choose to cancel your trip after the service fee deposit is paid, the following penalties will apply:
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At time of booking any and all service fees are non-refundable.
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Any confirmation deposits paid to third parties that need to be cancelled, will fall under each suppliers refund or cancellation policy and there timelines.
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Cancellation by Essence of Travel – Essence of Travel retains the right to change or cancel your trip entirely in extreme circumstances, for example if your safety or the quality of the trip, in our sole opinion, is deemed to be compromised. If we cancel your trip, we will refund what you have paid us, but we cannot be held responsible for losses you may incur with third parties, such as airlines or hotels. For this reason we strongly recommend Cancellation & Interruption Insurance.
Travel Insurance—We strongly recommend that you purchase comprehensive Travel Insurance. The cancellation penalties described above are not negotiable. Essence of Travel is a licensed retailer of Travel Insurance products offered by Manulife Insurance and Allianz. We will be able to provide you with a custom quote upon request.
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Unforeseeable Changes to Your Trip—It is sometimes necessary (or recommended) that changes be made to your itinerary after it has been confirmed with your confirmation deposit. This is most common when a third party (i.e. airline, hotel) makes changes that are beyond our control, such as a flight cancellation or schedule change. In other instances, changes may be necessary due to extreme weather or events in the region. We will always do our best to rework the itinerary in a way that minimizes changes to the flow and pricing of your trip. However, if the itinerary changes require us to re-price your trip, you will be responsible for the difference in cost.
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When You Make Changes to Your Trip—Clients are allowed to make minor changes to the itinerary once the trip is confirmed, within reason as determined by Essence of Travel and with sufficient advance notice. We will try our best to accommodate your requests. However changes may incur additional costs and/or non-refundable deposit payments in addition to the amount initially quoted. See the “Cancellation By You” section above for our Penalties should you need to cancel your trip entirely.
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Our Responsibilities—Essence of Travel recognizes the faith and trust you put in us to plan your travel. We will do our utmost to create and deliver the perfect trip for you. Our aim is to provide you with reliable and personalized service. We will respond to your messages promptly and will keep you informed as your itinerary evolves. If at any time you have questions or concerns we ask that you let us know immediately so we can address them.
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Your Responsibilities—Essence of Travel is committed to making your trip as rewarding and fun as possible. But we require your help to do so. For example, we rely on you to provide us with necessary personal information (age, passport & flight details, allergies, etc.) and travel preferences (type of bed, dietary needs, special interests, etc.) so we can craft the right trip for you. We also ask that you respond to our questions in a timely manner so as not to delay the planning process. It is your responsibility to ensure your travel documentation (eg. passports) are in good standing for the destinations and dates of your trip (see “Travel Documents and Passports” below). It is your responsibility to become informed about travel advisories and warnings for countries of travel. We will do our best to keep you informed of major developments but you must contact your relevant government agency to be aware of any travel advisories and warnings. Should you choose to ignore such travel advisories and warnings, you assume all risk of personal injury, death or property damage that may arise out of events advised or warned against.
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Travel Documents and Passports—It is your responsibility to ensure that you and everyone in your party has a valid passport and meet all necessary entry requirements of the country or countries you will be visiting and for the dates of your trip. These requirements vary by country and nationality and can change from time to time. Essence of Travel will do its best to inform you of these general requirements, but we require that you contact the appropriate embassy(ies)/consulate(s) in your country of residence. Essence of Travel is not responsible for delays, changes or costs of any kind due to incomplete, expired or inaccurate travel documentation.
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Health—By sending us your Initial Deposit you certify that you nor to your knowledge anyone travelling with you, if applicable, has any physical or other condition or disability that would make travelling unsafe for you or other Travellers. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have received all appropriate vaccinations. Please consult your doctor before travelling with us and take all necessary precautions.
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Privacy—Your privacy is important to us. Essence of Travel is required to collect personal information (such as passport details) in order to plan your trip. We appreciate the sensitive nature of this information and will never share it with third parties other than as required for booking air, hotel or other reservations as a part of your trip. By sending us your initial deposit, you are consenting to Essence of Travel collecting and using your personal information as required to plan your trip and provide you with proper services.
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Services Provided by Third Parties—At your request, we may recommend travel and other services of third parties outside the scope of your Essence of Travel trip. Although we try to recommend only companies that provide the highest quality of service, we cannot guarantee the services provided by these third party service providers.
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Risks—Travel involves risks. Our trips are often off the beaten path and in developing countries with transportation, communication and healthcare standards that are different from what you may expect at home. Our trips may be physically demanding and there is a risk of serious personal injury, including permanent disability and death from accident, illness or the actions of negligence of other persons. Medical facilities and services may not be readily accessible and may not be sophisticated. As mentioned above, we also work with independent suppliers and third party service providers (hotels, local guides, transportation companies, airlines, tour operators) and cannot be held responsible for their actions or their failure to act. Essence of Travel has no right or ability to control their operations and therefore makes travel arrangements for the trips on the condition that Essence of Travel will not be liable for any act or omission of any independent supplier or any unrelated third party. The services provided by independent suppliers are subject to the laws of the place where the services are provided, and any conditions imposed by those suppliers. The liability of the independent suppliers may be limited by their tariffs, conditions of carriage, tickets and vouchers, and international conventions and agreements.
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Limitation of Liability, Release and Indemnity—To be eligible to take a Essence of Travel trip, Travellers must accept the risks of travel, including those set out in “Risks” and otherwise set out in these Terms & Conditions, and assume full responsibility for any loss, injury, death or damage to them, their family or their dependants or property arising in connection with their participation, or the participation of their family, in the trip. Travellers must have their own insurance appropriate to their needs and the needs of their family or dependants in respect of such loss, injury, death or damage.
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The cost of all Essence of Travel trips is based on travellers agreeing to these terms & conditions and in particular this limitation of liability, release and indemnity. As Essence of Travel is acting solely as an agent of you with respect to all transportation, accommodations, meals and other arrangements, in consideration for participating in the trips, Travellers agree not to sue Essence of Travel, its employees, directors, successors, agents and assigns in respect of, and forever release them from, all liability for economic loss and physical or mental injury, direct or indirect, arising in connection with the trip and the actions of any third party service providers—including, without limitation, permanent disability and death; any emotional distress; any loss of services, financial support, aid, consortium or companionship; and any damage to or loss of property—in each case even if caused in whole or in part by the conduct, including the negligence, of Essence of Travel, except where such loss, injury or damage is caused by reckless or fraudulent conduct on the part of Essence of Travel or their employees, guides, shareholders, officers or directors, in which case the Traveller retains the right to sue only Essence of Travel in respect of that conduct. Travellers further agree that they will indemnify and hold Essence of Travel harmless in respect of any claims arising in connection with the trip made by: i) third parties, which arise from the misconduct of the Travellers; ii) the Traveller’s family members, dependants or heirs; iii) third parties, which the Traveller, their estate, their family members, dependants or heirs have sued, if damages are recovered from such third parties, to the extent the third party obtains any indemnification from Essence of Travel; except where the loss, injury, death or damage is caused by the reckless or fraudulent conduct on the part of Essence of Travel, or their employees, shareholders, officers or directors. Essence of Travel reserves the right to decline accepting any Traveller whose health or actions in Essence of Travel’s sole judgement impede the operation of a trip or the welfare or enjoyment of fellow Travellers.
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In addition and without limitation, Essence of Travel is not responsible for any injury, loss, or death, or damage to property in connection with the provision of any goods or services whether resulting from, without limitation, to acts of God or force majeure, weather, quarantines, illness, disease, acts of war, civil unrest, insurrection/revolt, animals, labor unrest including strikes, criminal or terrorist activities of any kind, overbooking or downgrading of services, food poisoning, mechanical or other failure of means of transportation or travel delays, travel advisories or warnings.
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General—The term “Essence of Travel”, “us” and “we” refers to Essence of Travel Travel Inc., a company incorporated under the laws of the Province of Ontario. Essence of Travel is a registered member (50013851) of the Travel Industry Council of Ontario. Essence of Travel is a registered trademark of Essence of Travel Travel Inc.