Terms & Conditions

Once you have decided on the holiday you require, please carefully read the following conditions and the Essential Travel Information section. They will form part of your agreement with Trading As TAILORMADE JOURNEYS ( `Great Vacations ‘) or 'us'.

1) Your Contract with TAILORMADE JOURNEYS

(a) If you book only one component of a holiday with TAILORMADE JOURNEYS (e.g. a hotel, without a flight), TAILORMADE JOURNEYS acts only as a booking agent for the supplier concerned and accepts no liability for the provision of the service involved.

(b) In all your other cases contract will be with TAILORMADE JOURNEYS.

2) Payment and Confirmation

(a) A deposit of £150 per person or 15% of your total holiday cost (whichever is the greater) must be enclosed with your booking form, together with any applicable non refundable insurance premium (or evidence of alternative cover) and/or visa fees. If, though, you book less than 8 weeks before departure, full payment should be sent with your booking form.

(b) On our receipt of your completed booking form and the applicable payment, TAILORMADE JOURNEYS will issue a confirmation invoice, and it is at this stage that a binding contract comes into existence between you and Great Vacations . Please note, though, that if you book a tailor-made itinerary or an extension to a brochure tour your accommodation, flights etc. will only be requested by TAILORMADE JOURNEYS once your booking form together with a deposit has been received. Your confirmation invoice, in this instance, will indicate your requested package cost and you will be advised of any accommodation, flights etc. which are still on request and not confirmed at the time the confirmation invoice is issued.

(c) TAILORMADE JOURNEYS will try to obtain final confirmation of all your holiday components as soon as possible. In some cases, though, you may need to be patient. If a particular flight, hotel or similar cannot be confirmed you will be offered an alternative or, failing that, a refund.

(d) It is your responsibility to check the confirmation invoice carefully and to let TAILORMADE JOURNEYS or your travel agent know immediately in the event of any error.

(e) The balance of your tour cost is payable not less than 8 weeks prior to departure. If the final payment is not received on time, TAILORMADE JOURNEYS will treat the booking as cancelled by you and will levy the cancellation charges set out in clause 8 below.

i) Travel documents will be sent in good time before the departure of your holiday (approximately 2 weeks before departure), unless your booking is made within 6 weeks of departure, in which case final documents will be sent as soon as possible, made available for collection, or sent by courier upon the payment of a fee. Non-UK residents may incur an additional delivery charge.
ii) For some countries you will be handed your internal flight/train/hotel vouchers by your tour manager/ TAILORMADE JOURNEYS representative on arrival at your holiday destination.

(f) TAILORMADE JOURNEYS has included in the relevant prices all government taxes which do not have to be paid locally. Those that have to be paid by you locally are extra and for your account (such as international airport departure tax).

3) Special Requests

Where special requests for flight seats, room allocation, diet considerations etc. are required TAILORMADE JOURNEYS must be made aware of them in writing at the time of booking. Whilst every effort will be made to ensure that these requests are fulfilled, they cannot be guaranteed. Furthermore, Great Vacations will not be held liable for claims for consequential loss where written advice of special needs and requirements has not been received in writing at the time of booking. Where special requests for flight seats are passed on by TAILORMADE JOURNEYS to an airline, the confirmation of seat numbers is at the discretion of the airline.

4) Your Travel Agent

(a) Any travel agent through which you make a booking will act to relay information from you to us and vice versa. TAILORMADE JOURNEYS is not responsible for any failure by your travel agent to do this properly, or in good time, nor for any advice given to you by your travel agent which did not originate from Great Vacations .

(b) Any money you pay to your travel agent for your TAILORMADE JOURNEYS booking will be held by the agent on our behalf until it is paid to us.

5) Insurance

In an event of any Accident , Injury or Death during the Holidays - Tailormade Journeys Limited or any of the suppliers will not be held responsible in any way what so ever . The clients are advised to have a complete insurance cover on their own that should cover in case of any such mishap or death.

The law of the country incase of such an incident will apply and therefore the clients are once again reminded that a full INSURANCE COVER should be taken for their holidays.

It is a condition of your contract with us that you take out insurance at the time of, or prior to, making your booking, and if you do not purchase the policy we offer, details of which are here, you must purchase an appropriate alternative, and let us have the details of this. If you purchase insurance through Great Vacations you must notify us of relevant factors which may affect your particular requirements for cover, for example if you or one of the members of your group is under a disability or if you or any member of your group is to undertake any hazardous activities during your holiday. If you do not purchase insurance through us it is your responsibility to ensure that you purchase a policy which provides cover equivalent to that which we can arrange. TAILORMADE JOURNEYS cannot be held responsible if you purchase an inadequate insurance policy or if you fail to notify TAILORMADE JOURNEYS of factors affecting your particular requirements for cover. Insurance premiums should be paid at the time of booking and are non-refundable. Non-European Union passengers should obtain equivalent insurance cover in their country of residence.

6) Alteration By You

(a) If you wish to make any amendments to your holiday after the confirmation invoice has been issued, you must inform us in writing and we will do our best to implement your request. In the event that we are able to do so, communication charges and other expenses will be payable by you together with an amendment fee of £35 per alteration per booking. However, if you i) change to a different tour or destination, or ii) change your booking less than 8 weeks before departure, this will be treated as a cancellation and a new booking and you will be liable for the cancellation charges set out in clause 8.

(b) If you wish to change any aspect of your tour after it has commenced, TAILORMADE JOURNEYS and/or their agents will do their best to make the changes you have asked for, subject to you being responsible for any cancellation/retention charges that may be levied for the arrangements originally booked, for the cost of your new arrangements and for any costs incurred by Tailormade Journeys and/or their agents in attempting to secure or securing any revised arrangements. All such charges and costs are payable locally.

(c) If you wish to transfer your booking to another person, you may do so provided the reason for the transfer is personal illness, the death or serious illness of a close family member, jury service, redundancy or unavoidable work commitments. Requests for a transfer must be made in writing at least 30 days prior to departure and must be accompanied by documentary proof of the reason for the transfer (e.g. a doctor's certificate), full details of the person who will replace you, any outstanding balance due for the tour, a payment of £35 to cover our administration costs plus such amount as our suppliers will require to effect the change. Please note that, in some cases, suppliers such as airlines treat name changes as a cancellation, levying cancellation charges and requiring payment for a new ticket. These charges will be payable by you.

7) Alterations Made To The Scheduled Programme

(a) The holiday arrangements featured in our brochure are booked and planned many months in advance and changes may be necessary. TAILORMADE JOURNEYS reserves the right to alter any of the prices, facilities or services described in its brochure at any time before making a contract with you. Any such changes will be notified to you at the time you make your booking.

(b) TAILORMADE JOURNEYS also reserve the right to make changes to any of your holiday arrangements after a confirmation invoice has been issued. Such changes will normally be minor, but may be material - i.e. a change of scheduled departure time by more than 12 hours, a change of airport except between airports serving the same city/resort, a change to a lower standard of accommodation, a change of resort or a radical change of itinerary.

(c) If there is a material change Tailormade Journeys will try to inform you or your travel agent as soon as practicable and will offer you the choice of alternative arrangements or a refund of all monies paid. In addition, unless the material change is caused by 'force majeure' or 'low bookings' (defined below), you will be entitled to receive compensation on the following scale:

Force majeure includes war, threat of war, riot, civil disobedience or strife, industrial dispute, terrorist activity, acts of God, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions, level of water, technical or maintenance problems with transport and changes of schedules or operational decisions of transport providers, closure of airports or any unforeseeable or unavoidable event beyond the control of Great Vacations or its suppliers. Low bookings is where an insufficient number of people book a tour for its operation to be financially viable. All group holidays in the TAILORMADE JOURNEYS s brochure require a minimum number of bookings before they will operate.

(d) A minor change is any change which does not come within the definition of a material change set out in paragraph 7(b) above. Although TAILORMADE JOURNEYS will try to notify you of minor changes, it is not obliged to do so, nor is it obliged to offer you the opportunity to change your booking, receive a refund or receive compensation. Minor changes include (but are not limited to) the following and TAILORMADE JOURNEYS is permitted where necessary to arrange the same:
(1) Changes to the scheduled destinations but not all of them;
(2) Changes in the scheduled date and hour of arrival or departure provided that, where necessary, hotel accommodation and reasonable sustenance during any delay is provided to you at no additional charge;
(3) Substitute a named Lecturer and or Leader for another knowledgeable expert in the same field.

(e) If, after you depart, it becomes apparent that a significant proportion of the arrangements you have booked cannot be provided, TAILORMADE JOURNEYS will make suitable alternative arrangements at no extra cost to you and will, where appropriate and provided the change in your arrangements has not been caused by force majeure (see 7(c)), compensate you for the difference in value between the arrangements you should have received and the alternative arrangements made. In particular, because TAILORMADE JOURNEYS neither owns, manages nor controls the accommodation / transportation that it uses, it is possible that TAILORMADE JOURNEYS may be advised that your reserved accommodation is not available when you arrive at your destination. In this event Great Vacations will endeavour to secure accommodation of at least the same standard in that destination. If only accommodation of a lower standard is available TAILORMADE JOURNEYS will refund the difference between the prices of the accommodation booked and that received, and will pay £30 per person for any inconvenience caused. The amount will be paid on your return from holiday.

8) Cancellation By You

Should you wish to cancel your tour you must notify TAILORMADE JOURNEYS in writing. Such notification will only be deemed to have been given on receipt of your letter, since we can only act on receipt. Please state the reason for your cancellation as you may be covered by your insurance policy. The following cancellation charges will apply:

No allowance or refund can be made for meals, rooms, excursions etc., included in the price of your tour but not taken, nor can any refund be made for lost, mislaid or destroyed travel tickets or vouchers.

9) Cancellation By Us

TAILORMADE JOURNEYS tries never to cancel a client's holiday, but must reserve the right to do so. In particular, TAILORMADE JOURNEYS will cancel your holiday if you fail to make any payment by the due date. If Great Vacations cancels your holiday for any other reason it will inform you or your travel agent as soon as practicable and you will have the option of choosing an alternative holiday of a comparable standard, if available, or receiving a prompt refund of all monies paid to TAILORMADE JOURNEYS for your holiday (excluding any insurance premium or visa charges). In addition, unless the cancellation has been caused by force majeure or low bookings (defined in clause 7 above), TAILORMADE JOURNEYS will pay you the compensation amounts set out in the table in clause 7(c). If cancellation is because of low bookings you will be notified at least 42 days before departure. The only circumstance in which a holiday will be cancelled less than 30 days before departure is where it is cancelled by reason of force majeure.

10) Your Responsibilities

You have certain responsibilities with regard to your holiday booking, and these responsibilities are set out below. TAILORMADE JOURNEYS will not be liable for any loss, damage, illness, discomfort or costs of whatever kind which you may sustain as a result of failing to discharge the responsibilities described in this clause:-

(a) Visas: General information concerning visa requirements is set out in our Documents & Health section. We will notify you of any changes to visa requirements, which occur before your confirmation invoice is issued, but please note that further changes could take place before you travel. We will be happy to obtain visas for British citizens only, provided applications are lodged at our offices at least 6 weeks prior to your departure. We cannot guarantee the granting of any visa. Non-British citizens should check with their nearest consulate or embassy for visa requirements. All clients must obtain all necessary visas and relevant documentation prior to departure.

(b) Passports: A full British passport (valid for at least 6 months beyond the end of your holiday) is required for travel. Please see our Travellers Advice section for full details, or seek the advice of our travel consultants.

(c) Health: Recommended inoculations for travel are set out in our Documents & Health section. We will notify you of any changes in these recommendations, which occur before your confirmation invoice is issued. However, further changes may occur at any time and you should consult your doctor on current recommendations before you depart. Health requirements for your holiday destination are outlined in DSS leaflet T1 and the Department of Health leaflet entitled 'The Travellers Guide to Health' (T4), both of which are available from ABTA travel agents and from the DSS. If you have any medical condition that may affect your ability to enjoy and pursue fully the arrangements you book with us, you must notify us immediately. TAILORMADE JOURNEYS reserves the right, where appropriate, to ask you to provide written certification of your medical fitness prior to departure. It is your responsibility to ensure that you obtain all recommended inoculations, take all recommended medication and follow all medical advice in relation to your holiday.

(d) Documents: It is your responsibility to ensure that passports, visas, vaccination certificates and all other necessary documents are in order and, where appropriate, in your possession. It is also your responsibility to arrange adequate insurance cover for your tour (see clause 5 above) and to take relevant details of the policy with you.

(e) Transportation: It is your responsibility to ensure that you arrive in good time to board all flights or other methods of transportation. To assist you, we will notify you of the times by which you should arrive at all points of departure. If you miss a flight or other transportation we will try to arrange alternative transportation, but reserve the right to recover from you any costs we incur in making such arrangements.

(f ) Behaviour: You must not behave in a way which may cause distress or annoyance to others or which may create the risk of danger or damage to property. If you are subject to arrest, or are prevented from travelling at the discretion of an airline or other transport providers, or if you are evicted from a hotel at the discretion of the hotel management, TAILORMADE JOURNEYS will not refund any portion of the cost of your holiday and, if TAILORMADE JOURNEYS incurs any expense as a result of your behaviour, you will be obliged to compensate TAILORMADE JOURNEYS for that expense.

11) Transportation

Air, rail, road and other departure times are supplied by the carriers. They are subject to, interalia, air traffic control restrictions, weather conditions, the need for constant maintenance and the ability of passengers to check in on time. There is no guarantee that departures will take place at the times shown either in this brochure or on your tickets. The timings are estimates only. TAILORMADE JOURNEYS does not have any liability to you for any delays which may arise. Further, your dealings with all carriers are subject to the conditions of carriage of the carrier, some of which may limit or exclude liability. Where we are in a position to do so, we will give you information before you book concerning the airline on which you will fly, your airport of destination and the type of aircraft on which you will travel. However, if any of these details change subsequently, and you choose to cancel as a result, our normal cancellation charges will apply. Any arrangements in the event of a delay will be at the sole discretion of the airline or other carrier involved.

12) Complaints and Problems

If you have a complaint about any of the services or facilities provided in connection with your holiday arrangements booked with TAILORMADE JOURNEYS, you must tell the relevant supplier and also tell TAILORMADE JOURNEYS’ local representative or agent on site immediately. Alternatively, you should use the TAILORMADE JOURNEYS emergency contact telephone number with which you will be supplied before your departure. That number will put you in contact with one of our employees who will take all reasonable steps to help you. It is only if you do this that TAILORMADE JOURNEYS have the opportunity to put matters right on the spot. If you fail to do this, any right to compensation, which you may have, will be extinguished or reduced. Baggage is deemed to have been delivered undamaged to you unless Great Vacations receives written notice in the case of apparent damage, immediately upon arrival or re-delivery.

13) Tour Inclusions and Exclusions

(a) What Your Price Includes From London (unless & untill otherwise specified):

1. Economy class on international/domestic flights where shown.
2. Standard class on rail, road and other transportation as described in our brochure.
3. In flight meals and/or refreshments according to flight timings.
4. 44lbs or 20kg luggage allowance or any lower or higher amount specified on your air tickets.
5. Transfers between the appropriate overseas airports/stations/ports and your hotels as specified in your itinerary and unless otherwise stated.
6. Twin sharing accommodation with private bath or shower and toilet in each room, where available.
7. Meals as described in the itinerary or price grid, as applicable.
8. Services of our local representatives / tour managers as applicable.
9. Excursions and tours where specifically detailed.

(b) What Your Price Excludes (unless & untill otherwise specified):

1. Travel insurance.
2. The cost of personal items such as laundry, drinks with meals or otherwise, incidentals etc.
3. Airport security charges if levied by any airport to cover the cost of security arrangements.
4. Airport departure taxes payable locally.
5. Optional excursions.
6. Cost of visas, passports.
7. Transport between your home and airport / port / station.
8. Gratuities for service provided on a personal basis.
9. Meals other than those specified.
10. The single or sole supplement payable on bookings where only one person is travelling and/or where a single room is required.
11. Flight supplements.
12. Optional extras.

14) Excursions/Representatives and Agents

(a) Excursions only form part of your holiday arrangements if they are described in this brochure or purchased before departure. Game drives in wildlife reserves will be subject to the rules and regulations applicable to the particular reserve at the time of your visit and as laid down by the relevant government. Such rules and regulations are subject to change without notice and are beyond the control of TAILORMADE JOURNEYS.

(b) Our acceptance of liability for the acts of our representatives or agents in clause 12 above is only binding if our representatives or agents are acting with our authority and/or performing their duties as described in this brochure. This excludes for example any social contact that you may have with them.