Please read the following Terms & Conditions carefully:

The Balance Tour asks you to consider the following Terms & Conditions prior to making a reservation. By booking with us and paying the non-refundable deposit or full payment, you acknowledge that you have read, and understood and agree to be legally bound by these Terms & Conditions. The Balance Tour may amend these terms and conditions at any time. All amended Terms & Conditions shall automatically be effective upon being posted on this website. Accordingly, we recommend you check the website frequently for any changes to these Terms and Conditions. If you have paid a deposit on a tour, The Balance Tour will notify you as soon as possible of any changes.

Reservation, Deposit and Balance of Payment:

All reservations for a tour shown herein are to be made directly with The Balance Tour. Reservations will not be considered definite until a deposit of $390 (20% of the total price for air/land package) is received. Deposit payment is non-refundable but should you be unable to travel, your tour can be postponed until the following year provided you give 60 days notice prior to the departure date. Final payment is due 60 days prior to departure. Reservations made within 30 days prior to departure must be paid in full. Credit Cards are not accepted. Direct Transfer is required.

Exchange Rates:

To reflect significant fluctuations in exchange rates or the imposition of new government taxes that impact on the cost of providing its services The Balance Tour reserves the right to adjust prices as may be necessary at any time. Accordingly, The Balance Tour in receiving any payments, does not undertake that the price payable will thereafter remain unchanged.

Tour Cancellation Fees Policy:

Should you need to cancel your tour, please notify Peter Pappas at The Balance Tour in writing as soon as possible and the cancellation date will be effective on the date of receipt by The Balance Tour.

Cancellation Fees, applicable on a per person basis, are listed below:

Deposits are non-refundable but can be transferred to the following years tour, should you be unable to travel.

Refunds of final payment will be honoured as follows:

• Between 61-80 days of scheduled tour departure: 75% refund;
• Between 31-60 days of scheduled tour departure: 50% refund;
• 30 days or less prior to scheduled tour departure: No refund.Penalties and fees imposed by our suppliers may be additional and if imposed, will be deducted from the above refunds. A change of tour date or change of travel destination(s) by you will be treated as a cancellation and cancellation fees may apply. However, this could be recoverable through your travel insurance. You must return the complete set of final documents including any vouchers and if purchased by us, any unused air tickets to The Balance Tours before your claim can be processed. There is no refund for unused portions or unused services of the tour.

Package Details:

All quoted prices are per person including single or double occupancy and include planning, handling and operational charges, and are based on current rates of exchange, tariffs and taxes as of May 2013. The Balance Tour reserves the right to adjust tour prices to cover changes in costs, tariffs and taxes received after prices are published, and to reflect fluctuations in foreign exchange markets. The Balance Tour is under no obligation to give breakdown costs involved in any tour.

All tour prices are current at the time of publication and are susceptible to currency fluctuations. We reserve the right to alter the tour price in accordance with changes in foreign exchanges rates and changes in prices for services.

 

Cancellation by The Balance Tour:

The Balance Tour reserves the right to cancel a tour date and will advise you of such cancellations no later than 30 days before the start date. The Balance Tour will refund all Land Cost payments you have made to The Balance Tour.  The Balance Tour will not be liable for any additional costs incurred.

Refunds:

No refund will be given for missed services including accommodation, sight-seeing or other services included in the tour itinerary or other organised travel via The Balance Tour which is not utilised and will not be entitled to refunds for any parts of the tour missed and no variations are allowed. No allowances or refunds will be made.

Travel Insurance Policy:

It is a condition of joining a tour of The Balance Tour that all guests take out full comprehensive travel insurance. We strongly recommend you purchase comprehensive travel insurance at the time you pay a deposit. (Include tour delay, tour cancellation, tour interruption, and baggage insurance. Health, accident, and emergency evacuation insurance are also strongly recommended) Please send The Balance Tour a copy of your insurance prior to your tour departure.

Exclusions in the Published Price:

The tour price does not include international air or train fares prior to,  pre or post tour inclusions, costs associated with obtaining passports and visa fees; arrival and departure taxes, tariffs, levies and other charges including city taxes. Personal travel insurance, medical expenses and vaccinations and any other insurance charges are not included; domestic airline travel as indicated, room upgrade from that specified. Meals and beverages are at cost to the traveller as well as excess baggage fees and Luggage delivery to / from tour.  Also optional activities you may choose to do that require payment that is not included in the itinerary. The guests responsibility to ensure settlement of any charges made by a hotel (all hotels require your passport and validation of a credit card upon check in) for extra services ordered directly by you such as room service, mini bar, laundry, communication charges such as telephone, fax, email or items of a personal nature.

Inclusions:

Inclusions include all accommodation as noted in the itinerary; arrival and departure transfers (regardless of arrival and departure days); fully-guided sightseeing, services of The Balance Tourt, English speaking Tour Director and one or more local tour guides.

Airport Transfers:

The Balance Tour includes airport transfer on the first day of the tour only.

Consular Travel Advisories and Warnings:

It is the responsibility of the passenger to be informed about the most current travel advisories and warnings by referring to their countries Embassy Department travel website. (You may contact us for information on Embassy location and contact details.) In the event of a travel warning against travel to the specific destination location(s) of the trip; The Balance Tour will also consult embassies to confirm or cancel a tour. If the Tour continues and passenger still chooses to travel, not with standing any travel advisory or warning, the passenger assumes all responsibilities and risks of personal injury, death or property damage. The Balance Tour will not be liable for any result that may arise out of the events like those advised or warned against.

Smart Traveller – Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Gratuities:

Gratuities are not included in the program price. Gratuities for hotel/restaurant staff, porterage and local guides/drivers are at the discretion of the traveller. For any enquiries please discuss with Tour Operator, Peter Pappas.

Minimum Group Number:

The tour is subject to a minimum number (4). If the minimum number of passengers is not reached, the tour may be cancelled with all monies refunded. The Balance Tour may offer the option; if we re-cost the tour and you decide not to proceed, all monies will be refunded. Or you may choose to continue with the itinerary with an increase in land costs; services may also be modified to accommodate a smaller group.

Medical Advisories & Conduct:

To enjoy the program as intended, a minimum to reasonable level of fitness is required. Guests should have the capacity to participate without any assistance.

If any participant has any medical, physical or other condition including disabilities that could create a risk to himself or herself or to other members of the tour, The Balance Tour requires notice at the time of booking.

The Balance Tour reserves the right to decline any applicant or to remove any passenger from a tour, at the participant’s own expense, whose conduct is deemed incompatible with the group or whose health condition or mobility may risk and impact the safety, health or full participation of that participant or other tour passengers. Unfortunately passengers without travel insurance will not be accepted on any tour. Additionally, should a tour participant require or request medical attention during their travel, such attention will be provided by locally available health care officials and at locally available facilities. In such events, The Balance Tour is not liable for any direct or indirect costs, losses or expenses incurred by a passenger neither for health service costs incurred nor in the quality of medical care or medical services rendered.

Should you have any questions or need any clarification about a specific program please ask for details at time of booking.

Tour participants are requested to familiarise themselves with any health requirements specific to the countries being visited. It is highly recommended that you check and get advice from a medical practitioner and/or their local health authority or Consulate for the latest health requirements (i.e. precautions, vaccinations, etc.) applicable for travel to a destination.

Passports and Visas Policy:

It is your responsibility to ensure that your passport is current. All international passengers require a current passport with at minimum 6 months validity after the return date of any tour and at least two blank pages for immigration and visa stamps. Visa requirements vary for different nationalities and depend on the countries visited during the tour.

Passport and visa requirements are not our responsibility. We are not liable for any loss or expense due to a passenger’s failure to have a valid passport or visa. We will advise procedures for obtaining a visa (if applicable) and provide assistance regarding an application if required.

For security reasons, airlines require your name exactly as it appears in your passport, it remains your responsibility to advise these details correctly. If you do not provide the correct information and we have to re-issue airline tickets or other documentation, the passenger will bare all costs incurred.

Ultimately, The Balance Tour cannot be held responsible for any delays, damages and/or losses, including missed portions of tours, related to improper or insufficient travel documentation.

Passport: Passport Information for Australian Citizens

Visalink: Requirements for Australian & New Zealand Travellers

Smoking Policy:

We ask you to refrain from smoking whilst in the company of other passengers, guides, driver and Tour Director. We operate a strict ‘No Smoking’ Policy whilst on The Balance Tour transport. We make frequent ‘comfort stops’ to allow free time for guests. Please note, following any instance of a passenger smoking whilst on-board any of our vehicles, they will have been deemed to have broken their contract with The Balance Tour and will be asked to leave the vehicle, and their tour with us will be terminated there and then. Please observe all notices both inside and outside all regarding smoking or non-smoking facilities or areas.

Independent International Air Travel Arrangements:

All Passengers are requested to provide The Balance Tour with their international flight schedules no later than 30 days prior to tour departure if arranging their own flights.

Legal Notices:

Responsibility:

The Balance Tour is acting only in the capacity of agent in all matters regarding all tours.

Whilst we take all reasonable care to select excellent quality service providers, these services are not provided by us but by airlines, hoteliers, transportation companies, travel agents and other service providers which are not under our control. All coupons, vouchers, receipts and tickets issued by the airlines, hoteliers and transportation companies, travel agents and other service providers are issued subject to the terms and conditions of liability contained in those documents, which may limit or exclude liability for death, personal injury, delay, and loss of or damage to baggage and are subject to the laws of the country where the services are provided. The Balance Tour assumes no liability for any acts or omissions of any supplier including, without limitation, those involving failure to deliver or partial or inadequate delivery of services, overbooking or downgrading of services, cancellation of tours, schedule changes, re-routings, delay, theft, damage to or loss of baggage, property damage, accidents, death, sickness or injuries to persons regardless of cause, or other unforeseen events caused in connection with those service providers, their employees, agents, servants or representatives, whether or not any tours sold, services tendered or transportation provided is arranged through The Balance Tour. The Balance Tour does not accept any liability caused directly or indirectly by force majeure or other events beyond our control, including but without limitation to war or threat/acts of war, acts of government, acts of terrorism, fire, strikes or other labour activities, civil unrest, insurrection or revolt, quarantines, floods, weather conditions, natural disasters, incidents at sea, accidents or failure of mechanical equipment, mechanical or other failure of aircraft or other means of transportation or for failure of any transportation mechanism to arrive or depart on time or other disturbances of any kind which cancel, interfere with, or add cost to the services requested.There are certain inherent risks in adventure travel and at times there may be inaccessibility to medical attention and difficulty in evacuation from remote locations in the case of a medical emergency. Passenger assumes all such risks with regard to these possibilities.

The Balance Tour is not liable for any negligent or will-full act of any such person or entity or of any third person.

Waiver:

While on tour there may be instances where you may wish to join the Tour Director or Tour Guide for activities in free time outside the tour programme which may involve catching taxis or using public transport to shopping/dinner locations or other destinations chosen at the time. The Balance Tour Tour Director or guides will not be liable for any accident, injury, death, property damage or loss in relation to such activities. By submitting the booking form, you agree to take part these activities at your own risk.

Complaints:

If you have any complaint about your tour before, during or after you tour, you must make it known at the earliest opportunity to Peter Pappas, Tour Organiser of The Balance Tour who will endeavour to resolve the issue at the time.

If at the end of the tour you feel your complaint has not been properly dealt with, you must notify The Balance Tour in writing within 30 days of the end of your tour.

Agreement:

The payment of deposit shall be deemed your consent to and acceptance of these terms and conditions as presented herein.