The fine print

Tour Policies and Procedures

Our Otehlia Travels travel products (“Experiences”) are governed by the following Terms & Conditions (“Terms”). By booking an Experience and placing a deposit, you acknowledge and agree to these Terms.

1. RELEASE & ASSUMPTION OF RISK

There are some unavoidable risks associated with travel. We take great care to create safe experiences for you. But, you recognize that domestic and international travel may be unpredictable, and that our responsibilities are limited as discussed in these Terms.

Experiences take place in destinations both inside and outside of the United States. Although we scout each location; partner with vetted, knowledgeable partners; and take appropriate care in curating each tour and experience; we cannot guarantee any less risk than you might experience on your own. That means that, while we cannot guarantee your safety or your belongings, we promise to be upfront with you about where we’re planning on going and who we partner with. And, we will be available in a meaningful way should you need us. But, we expect—and you agree—that you will use proper care and be responsible for your well-being.

In booking an Experience and paying a deposit, you acknowledge that Experiences may:

·      Involve risks, travel has some inherent danger;

·      Involve places where housing, transport, safety, hygiene, cleanliness, medical facilities, telecommunications and infrastructure development may not meet your expectations at home;

·      Include various activities, risks, and hazards, including form of travel, living conditions and foods, lodging, exploration of unfamiliar and/or foreign locations, cultural interactions and close-quarter conditions, medical risks, limited medical care and support, differing weather conditions and altitudes, various climates and environments, and other such risks;

·      Take place in locations with higher rates of minor and/or violent crime than you have experienced before.

In booking an Experience and paying a deposit, you accept and assume foreseeable risks associated with the Experience, and agree to hold harmless Otehlia Travels, LLC and its people from any liability, actions, causes of action, debts, claims, and demands of any kind which you now have or which may arise out of or in connection with the Experiences.

These Terms are a release and assumption of risk for you, your family or heirs, and any executors and administrators. The Terms are in addition to any additional releases, waivers, limitations of liability, or assumptions of risk that you may sign. 

2. ILLNESS PROTOCOL and Safety Measures:

We will adhere to local health mandates and safety protocol where we travel.

If you must quarantine, you will be fully responsible for any fees associated with your stay including but not limited to health care costs and lodging. By joining the tour each participant voluntarily agrees to assume all of the foregoing risks and accept sole responsibility for any injury (including, but not limited to personal injury, disability, and death), illness, damage, loss, claim, liability or expense of any kind that they may experience or incur in connection with their Otehlia Travels trip and its activities.

Experiences take place in countries outside of the United States. Medical care—and access to medical care—may be different from what you are accustomed to. If you have any conditions or disabilities that we should be informed of, please let us know in advance so that we can help you get appropriate accommodations or take appropriate steps in case the need arises.

In booking an Experience, you acknowledge that Experiences may:

·      Occur in remote locations, isolated or removed from medical care facilities, or otherwise lacking access to medical care.

·      Occur in places with different medical facilities and standards of care from those you are accustomed to — Otehlia Travels makes no representations or warranties relating to any necessary medical facilities or standards of care.

You accept and assume the risks associated with medical care and access to medical care. You agree to hold harmless Otehlia Travels and its People from any liability, actions, causes of action, debts, claims, and demands of any kind which you now have or which may arise out of or in connection with the Experiences together with all releases, waivers assumptions of risk, limitations of liability, and assumptions of risk found in this Agreement, absolve Otehlia Travels of any liability associated with any such risks and dangers, and are responsible for all costs of any medical care and related costs that are provided to you during the Experience.

Some of our experiences may require a certain level of fitness. In booking an experience and placing a deposit, you state that you:

·      are sufficiently healthy to participate in the Experience;

·      have not been informed by any medical professional that you should not travel or participate in activities like those on the Experience;

·      are not aware of any physical or mental condition that would create a hazard for you or others, or affect other people’s enjoyment of the trip.

Should you have any concerns about your ability to participate, please let us know and we will do our best to work on something together. We may require a medical certificate under certain circumstances, but we will treat any such information you provide as confidential and private. We are not medical experts and rely on you to ensure the accuracy of any such information you provide.

Otehlia Travels reserves the right to refuse or cancel any booking in the event of a medical condition that would make your participation a hazard for you or others, or for any other legal reason. 

3. PAYMENTS CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS

Payments:

Timely payment by our travelers allows us to reserve the best lodgings and ensure our partners are available for each Experience. Full payment must be made at least ninety days before your Experience’s start date.

We require a $500 non refundable deposit, less any applicable discounts, at the time of booking to hold your space and date for a group trip. We reserve the right to cancel any booking, without refund, should the full amount not be paid at least 90 days before the start date.

For bookings made 90 days or less prior to the start date, we require full payment of the total price, less any applicable discounts, at the time of booking. That payment is non-refundable.

All bookings are made with Otehlia Travels, but we may work with agents, affiliates and/or third-party suppliers for various services provided for or associated with each group trip and experience.

Cancellations:

Please note that we have put down deposits and made payments to ensure your tour can run on time and your accommodations are booked. Many of the payments we make are non refundable and we cannot revoke the work done and payments made to secure reservations and hold bookings, which is why we cannot offer refunds after a certain date. For this reason we highly recommend travel insurance which can help recoup costs in certain circumstances.

If Otehlia Travels cancels:

If Otehlia Travels cancels the tour for any reason other than force majeure, all payments paid MINUS your $500 deposit (service fee) will be refunded. In the case of Force Majeure (see below) Otehlia Travels is not obligated to refund any portion of your trip. We require trip insurance or a signed waiver in case of unforeseen events that result in the cancellation of your trip.

If traveler cancels:

Full payment is due 90 days before departure. You will receive a 25% refund 89-75 days before the trip (minus deposit). There are no refunds within 75 days of departure date.

If you cancel your booking before 90 days before the trip, you may receive a credit for your deposit minus a $250 admin fee. You must use the credit within 3 months (90 days) for a booking within a year from your original tour date. Any credit not redeemed or used within this time frame will be forefeited. Credits can be used one time, and cannot be transferred or redeemed for cash.

Under no circumstances is Otehlia Travels liable for costs, fees, or losses associated with your travel to or from the tour or experience due to cancellation or change of your itinerary. We require you to obtain travel insurance coverage for trip cancellation, interruption, and curtailment

Travel Insurance: Otehlia Travels requires travel insurance for all travelers with at least basic coverage for trip cancellation, delay or interruption. Two companies that offer insurance that I recommend are AIG or Allianz. I can help you get a quote. You will need to read the fine print regarding coverage. You would purchase your own coverage. There are various levels, but at a baseline, you want trip cancellation or delay, and medical emergency – Once you reach out to a provider, you can see the basic coverage and additions or I can offer options. For travel to Cuba, Cuba requires medical insurance and that is usually included in your ticket purchase (flight). We travel to Cuba under “support for the Cuban people”.

Payment schedule: Final full payment due no later than 90 days before the tour.

A) Minimum Group Size:

Otehlia Travels’ trips are priced based on a minimum group size that varies by trip, making our trips financially viable to operate. Otehlia Travels reserves the right to cancel any trip if the trip does not attract the minimum number of clients required to make the trip financially viable. Otehlia Travels will not, however, cancel a trip due to minimum group size any later than 21 days prior to the commencement of the trip. In the event of cancellation, Otehlia Travels shall not, in any case, be responsible for nonrefundable expenses incurred by the client, including, but not limited to airline cancellation fees or insurance purchases.

Alternatively, clients may choose to pay a small group surcharge that would be assessed to each guest in groups that fall below the minimum group size, which avoids us having to cancel the trip.

B) Force Majeure:

Otehlia Travels reserves the right to cancel a trip at any stage prior to the scheduled departure due to external events (see below) which make it unviable for Otehlia Travels to operate our planned schedule. In such a case, Otehlia Travels will, at its own discretion, refund a portion of the trip price (less incurred costs and the non-refundable deposit), reschedule the tour, or offer an alternative tour. Should the client choose to purchase “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) insurance coverage, and the tour becomes unviable for Otehlia Travels to operate or reschedule, Otehlia Travels will cover the client’s CFAR deductible up to 25% of the price of the tour.

To the extent that any action by Otehlia Travels is delayed or canceled due to a Force Majeure Event, Otehlia Travels has not breached this agreement and is not responsible for any damage you may incur. Specifically, “Force Majeure Event” means any circumstances beyond Otehlia Travels’ reasonable control, including without limitation acts of nature, terrorist activities, insurrection, explosion, flood, earthquake, tempest, forceful wind, fire or accident, war or threat of war declared or undeclared, sabotage, civil disturbance, labor strikes, requisition, pandemics, sickness, quarantine, government intervention, weather conditions, and unforeseen circumstances.

If Otehlia Travels or any vendor, supplier, or similar third party engaged by Otehlia Travels are affected by a Force Majeure Event, Otehlia Travels and any such third party is entitled to, and may in Otehlia Travels’ sole discretion, vary or cancel any itinerary or arrangement in relation to the Experience without any obligation or liability. 

4. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

You must have a valid passport and, depending on your place of departure and the destination, a visa, permits, certificates, and proof of vaccination(s). (You will also ensure that your passport will remain valid through all relevant times you are traveling with us.) These requirements are your responsibility. Any information or advice given by Wild Terrains regarding visas, vaccinations, climate, clothing, baggage, special equipment, etc. is purely advisory and provided as a courtesy. Otehlia Travels is not responsible for any errors or omissions as to any such information provided.

5. AUTHORITY DURING EXPERIENCES

Otehlia Travels has curated each experience. We are familiar with the partners and the locations. It is of utmost importance that you comply with our requests.

You agree to abide by the authority of the trip leader or other Otehlia Travels representatives at all times. Should you fail to do so, or, in the opinion of the trip leader or other Otehlia Travels representatives, endanger, distress or annoy others, we may immediately terminate your tour without a refund or other liability.

Wild Terrains acts as an agent for transport companies, hotels and other partners and contractors (“Suppliers”) and is not responsible for any injury, damage, loss, delay or irregularity that may occur when using the products, services, or accommodations of a Supplier, or due to the negligence, recklessness, omission, oversight, inaction, or other fault of a Supplier, including, but not limited to, any defect in a vehicle or any other form of conveying a traveler, acts of God, detention, delays or expenses arising from quarantine, strike, riots, theft, civil disturbance, government restriction or regulation, accident by aircraft, boat, bicycle, motor vehicle or any other form of transport, or in any hotel or guest house, hostel, or other form of accommodation. 

The quality of the products, services, and accommodations organized by Wild Terrains are not within the control of Wild Terrains, and the quality of such products, services, and accommodations may be compromised by local conditions. You therefore release Wild Terrains from all claims and causes of action arising from any damage, loss of enjoyment, inconvenience, or injuries related to the quality of such products, accommodations, and services. 

Airlines, railways, car services, shipping companies, hotels, and other common carriers and suppliers have their own booking conditions or conditions of carriage. You will be bound by these conditions or conditions. Some of these conditions may limit or exclude liability on the part of the relevant transport provider or other Supplier, and they are often also subject to various international conventions. Wild Terrains’ own liability is limited to and shall not exceed that of its Suppliers. You agree that, if you recover for any damages from the Suppliers, you will not seek any recovery for the same damages from Wild Terrains.

6. OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

We work hard to curate special events for each Experience. While there will be time for you to explore other activities outside of those we’ve curated, you agree that Otehlia Travels is not responsible for any such activities.

You may have opportunities for activities outside of the Otehlia Travels’ Experience. Otehlia Travels does not endorse or sponsor such activities and makes no representations about the safety or quality of such activities or the standard of the independent operators running them. Otehlia Travels is in no way responsible for your safety should you decide to enter into such optional activities. If you still decide to enter into an optional activity, you assume full responsibility for any risks involved. Paragraph 1, Release & Assumption of Risk, will apply to any optional activities.

BOOKING AMENDMENTS and credits

If you wish to change any part of your booking after your deposit is paid, you must inform us in writing as soon as possible. This should be done by the first named person on the booking. While we will do our best to assist, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to meet your requested change.

Where we can meet a request, an administration fee of $250 per booking plus any additional costs or charges incurred by us or incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers will be charged. You may request a credit of the deposit for a confirmed booking for a change or transfer to a different departure date or tour, up to 91 days prior to departure which will incur said $250/booking fee.** Thereafter all changes will be treated as cancellations and subject to the our cancellation policy. Changes are subject to availability and the credit must be redeemed within 3 months of the cancellation request and used within one calendar year from the start date of the tour that was cancelled/credit was requested. The credit is not transferable, can only be redeemed against one booking, one time, and cannot be exchanged for cash. No refund or further credit will be provided if the cost of the new booking is less than the value of the credit.

You are allowed a maximum of one transfer/per person/per booking. By submitting your deposit, you acknowledge and agree to adhere to these transfer terms.

Where we are unable to assist you and you do not wish to proceed with the original booking we will treat this as a cancellation by you. 

**Within 90-75 days a credit for the deposit will be issued minus the $250/pp administration fee IF the spots can be filled by another party. Within 74 days of the original booking/trip, no deposit credits will be issued for cancellations.

Any booking, planning or other amendments to your trip outside of the inclusions as specified in the tour, and outside of the date range of the tour are not included in the cost of the tour. We may be able to offer additional travel planning services for you for a fee or to direct you to our preferred vendors for booking.

SUBSTITUTION OF A CLIENT

If any member of the party is prevented from traveling because of the death, injury or serious illness of the passenger, close relative or friend, redundancy or jury service, it may be possible to transfer the booking to another suitable person (acceptable to Otehlia Travels) provided that written notice is given at least 30 days prior to departure. An administration fee of up to $150 may be imposed by the company to cover non-refundable costs. Airlines may impose 100% cancellation charges and the cost of a new ticket.

Photography release: The tour participants permits Otehlia Travels, LLC to photographs, films, images, text, testimonials of participants for its own commercial use without compensation to participants.

Any dispute related to these terms and conditions or the program itself, directly or indirectly shall be settled solely in the courts of Madison, WI. In such litigation, Wisconsin law will apply.

*Does not include round trip airfare, airport taxes, personal expenses, housekeeping and instructor/guide tips, tips for meals, Covid testing fees, travel insurance. Includes meals, alcoholic beverages and excursions as specified in itinerary as well as all standard tips to instructors and guides for included excursions. 

By registering, you agree to our Policies & Procedures including our Waiver & Liability Release policy.