Cancellation Policy
Last updated 11 July 2026
01
How to cancel
Cancel in writing — email us, or hand a signed letter to either office. A cancellation takes effect on the date we receive that written notice, not the date you decided. Phone calls and WhatsApp messages help us act faster, but the written notice is what fixes the date.
The lead traveller on the booking may cancel for the whole party. To cancel for one traveller and not the rest, say so plainly; the remaining travellers may move to a different room type or occupancy, and the price per person can change as a result.
We will acknowledge your cancellation and send you a written statement of what is charged and what is refundable, before anything is deducted.
02
What a cancellation costs
Two things drive the charge: how close to departure you cancel, and what our suppliers will return to us. The nearer the departure date, the less any airline, hotel or operator will release — which is why the same journey costs very little to cancel in advance and can cost most of its value in the final weeks.
The cancellation schedule for your journey is stated on your quotation and repeated on your booking confirmation. Read it before you pay the deposit; it is the schedule you are agreeing to.
Where a supplier returns nothing — a non-refundable air ticket, a peak-season or festival hotel night, a locked-in permit — we cannot refund what we ourselves do not get back. We will show you exactly which components those are.
03
Costs that are never recoverable
Visa fees, permit fees and consular charges are paid to governments, not to us, and are not returned once applied for — whether or not the visa is granted.
Travel insurance premiums are not refundable once the policy is issued. Bank, card and foreign-exchange charges already incurred on your payment are not refundable either.
Any amount already paid to a supplier on your instruction — an upgraded room, a chartered vehicle, a helicopter slot, an event ticket — follows that supplier's own terms.
04
Changing instead of cancelling
Postponing is often cheaper than cancelling. If your dates have moved, tell us before you cancel — on many journeys we can transfer you to another departure, and you would then pay only the supplier fees involved, at cost.
Changing names, dates, room types or occupancy after confirmation may attract supplier fees. We pass those on at cost, with the supplier's charge shown.
05
Group departures
Fixed group departures run on a minimum number of travellers and are costed on that number. Cancelling from a group departure close to the date is charged on the schedule in your confirmation, regardless of whether the group still runs.
If we cancel a departure because the minimum is not met, that is a cancellation by us, not by you — no charge applies and you are refunded in full. We tell you as early as we can.
06
If we cancel or change your journey
If we significantly alter your itinerary before departure, you may accept the change, take an alternative journey we offer, or cancel with no cancellation charge.
Events beyond anyone's control — weather, natural events, strikes, civil unrest, government or airline decisions, temple and shrine closures, road and permit restrictions — are not cancellations by us. Where they force a change, we do our best to arrange alternatives, but unavoidable extra costs are yours. This is precisely what travel insurance is for, and why we ask every traveller to hold it.
07
Cancelling after departure
Leaving a tour part-way through, missing a departure, or being unable to continue does not create a refund for the unused portion. Hotels, transport and guides are already committed for the full journey.
If a medical situation ends your tour, our tour manager will help with arrangements on the ground and we will give you the documentation your insurer needs. The claim is between you and your insurer.
Need to cancel, or thinking about it? Call us before you do — there is often a cheaper option, and we would rather find it with you.