It is important that you read and understand the following conditions before making your booking. By paying your deposit you acknowledge that you have read and understand these Terms and Conditions of Booking as outlined below and you agree to be bound by these.

Reservation and Deposits

All prices are in Australian dollars and are quoted on a per person basis. Please complete and forward the Booking Form accompanied by a non-refundable deposit as specified in these Terms and Conditions and a copy of your passport to Big Heart Adventures. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE DEPOSIT IS STRICTLY NON-REFUNDABLE. If a booking is made more than 60 days prior to the schedule tour departure date for our Australian tours a deposit of $1000pp is required to reserve your place with the balance due no less than 60 days before the departure date. For booking on our international tours a deposit of $1000pp is required to reserve your place with the balance due no less than 90 days before the departure date. Bookings made less than 60 days for Australia tours and less than 90 days for our overseas tours require full payment at the time of booking.

Fees & Charges

All fully inclusive prices indicated in the Tour Pack are based on group travel and any deviation from the set itinerary may incur additional airline ticket costs (Breakaway Fee). Arrangements such as transfers, accommodation, etc. outside the set Tour Pack arrangements/dates are at an additional cost and are not covered by the Breakaway Fee. Prices are subject to change without notice due to currency exchange fluctuations and other unforeseeable circumstances before the tour departure date. Airline Fuel Levy Surcharge

Since 2004 all airlines have been charging a fuel levy surcharge, on top of normal airline ticket price, in order to cover the increased cost of aviation fuel. As fuel prices may fluctuate, so too will the amount the airlines charge for this levy. This amount will be advised to you at the time of your booking and is subject to change until your flight ticket is issued.

Amendment & Booking Fees

If you vary your booking, tour departure date or name transfers, an additional fee may be charged up to $50.00. Re-issue of airline tickets will incur additional fees from $150 per person and other fees may apply. Once a booking is confirmed, name transfers are not permitted as this will be regarded as a cancellation.

Cancellation Policy

A fee totalling 50% of the total monies of the reserved tour will be retained if cancellation takes place 60 to 30 days prior to the tour departing for Australian tours and 90 to 60 days for international tours. Less than 30 days before departure for Australian tours and less than 60 days for international tours, no refund of the total cost of the tour is available unless your place is resold, in which case you will receive a 50% refund on your tour price. If the tour fails to fill with the required minimum number of participants required, we shall refund all monies received, including deposits. No liability shall fall on Big Heart Adventures. In the event that Big Heart Adventures cancels the trip for any reason, all fees including deposits will be returned in full. The cost of any additional travel arrangements you have made will not be reimbursed. No refund will be issued to those failing to join their tour, or for tour accommodation or any other services not utilised, or for a partially completed tour.

Refusal of Carriage

Big Heart Adventures reserves the right to remove customers from our group for reasons that impact on the enjoyment or safety of other tour members, but not limited to, the physical, medical or mental inability of customers to undertake the arrangements of the tour, unsocial or unruly behaviour, or the carriage of prohibited substances and materials.

Travel Documents

All travellers require valid passports with at least 6 months validity from the date of return to Australia. Some countries may require longer. In some instances it is necessary to have completely blank pages in your passport to allow for entry visas. Travellers are also responsible for necessary visas and health certificates, and must meet all costs incurred to comply with these requirements. Big Heart Adventures will assist in providing you with information required regarding visas for relevant countries, as part of your booking. However, this information as well as other related information as supplied by Big Heart Adventures is supplied in good faith and should be treated as a guide only. The final responsibility for ensuring documentation is correct is your responsibility. Visa costs are not included in the Tour Cost unless otherwise explicitly stated. Big Heart Adventures does not issue foreign visas. We only submit passports and application forms for visas to be issued by the relevant authorities. In the event that you are travelling to a country or countries which do not require a visa for Australian passport holders, you must tell us if you have been arrested or convicted in respect of any offence or breach of law. Failure to disclose such information may lead to you being refused entry upon arrival in certain countries. In that event, we take no responsibility. If you do not wish to disclose such personal information to us, then you must contact the embassy of each country of destination and make your own arrangements in regard to entry to that country. Big Heart Adventures cannot guarantee that any visa will be issued by the relevant authority and accepts no responsibility if a visa application is refused or delayed resulting in you not having your visa and passport returned to you in time for travel.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is compulsory on all of our international tours (ex-Australia) and Big Heart Adventures strongly recommend customers arrange travel insurance for Australian tours. Your insurance should provide cover against personal accident and sickness, medical expenses, emergency repatriation and personal liability. We also recommend that the policy covers cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects.

Medical Information

It is a condition of booking with Big Heart Adventures that you complete and provide us with a copy of the Personal Details Form - Medical. All customers must possess physical and mental fitness well enough to travel and are required to familiarise themselves with any health requirements specific to the countries being visited. Customers with a pre-existing medical condition that affects their fitness to travel, or any medical/dietary requirements must advise Big Heart Adventures when booking their tour and may be required to provide written confirmation from their doctor that they are fit to travel. All customers should visit their doctor to confirm that they are physically able to undertake the day-to-day requirements of the tour. Should any ailments either exist at the time of booking, or arise before their departure from Australia, the customer must inform Big Heart Adventures of these in writing.

Training Activities

Any training activities which you participate in, as organised by Big Heart Adventures is at your own risk. These are recommended as part of certain tours, in order to assist participants prepare for such tours. Big Heart Adventures recommends that you immediately visit your Doctor to determine if you have any health issues and/or required fitness levels to undertake the travel activities and/or training activities.

Statement of Responsibilities

Just a reminder that travel on Big Heart Adventures trip requires a degree of flexibility, and you should understand that the trip’s route, accommodation and modes of transport are subject to change without notice due to local circumstances. Should Big Heart Adventures deem it advisable to amend an itinerary for any reason, it may do so by shortening, varying or re-routing any trip. These changes are binding and additional expenses will be charged to you if the reason for any alteration is outside Big Heart Adventures’ control. While travelling with Big Heart Adventures you agree to accept the authority of the leader at all times. You are aware that travel within a group may involve compromise to accommodate the diverse desires and physical abilities of group members. You understand that Big Heart Adventures reserves the right to decline, accept or retain any person as a member of the group at any time. You acknowledge that Big Heart Adventures contracts with a network of companies, government agencies and individuals to assist in the running of its tours. To the best of Big Heart Adventure’s knowledge, these third parties are qualified to perform the duties they are contracted to perform. However, Big Heart Adventures will not be held liable for any injury, damage, loss, delay or irregularity that may occur due to the behaviour of these third parties.

Accuracy of Information and limitation of liability

Big Heart Adventures does not warrant:
(a) the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for a particular purpose of any services provided by any third party supplier; and
(b) any third party supplier or endorse or recommend them. Big Heart Adventures and its third party suppliers take reasonable care that the travel information provided is correct but it is subject to change at any time without notice. You acknowledge that:
(a) you should make your own evaluation of the accuracy or completeness of any information or booking details provided or advice provided;
(b) you are solely responsible for the suitability of any travel arrangements and/or bookings made;
(c) Big Heart Adventures is not liability of any inconvenience caused or expense incurred as a result of the unsuitability of any travel arrangements and/or bookings made;
(d) the role of Big Heart Adventures in relation to your travel arrangements is limited to facilitating your booking, arranging travel documentation, payments and refunds as applicable; and
(e) you are solely responsible to supply all passenger names exactly as they are on passports, correct spelling and match the details as provided on any ticket information and any subsequent reissue of tickets and/or documentation as a result of incorrect names will be at your sole expense, subject to the change of name being permitted.

Big Heart Adventures is not liable for any and accepts no responsibility for any:
(a) third party service provider;
(b) inconvenience caused or expense incurred as a result of any unsuitability of travel;
(c) technical errors, corruption of any data, unauthorised access to your personal data, inaccuracies in information supplied by third parties, or failure by Big Heart Adventures to complete your travel booking where that failure is due to circumstances beyond its control;
(d) tickets lost by a third party or any charges associated with reissue and resending of documentation;
(e) cancellation fees or other expenses incurred by the Customer due to the refusal of a visa, which will be entirely the Customer’s liability;
(f) failure or delay on the part of any third party service provider providing travel services to you where your travel booking has been properly processed by it;
(g) the ability for a Customer to make a claim under their travel insurance;
(h) travel bookings made for countries where a Government Advisory or any other warning made by the Australian Government (as published on the Department of Foreign Affairs website at www.dfat.gov.au); and
(i) any acts or omissions of airlines or other third party service providers in the course of delivery of your travel booking. Where Big Heart Adventures is liable, its liability will be limited to providing the relevant travel services (as booked and paid for with Big Heart Adventures) again or to refunding the money paid in relation to the services not provided because of Big Heart Adventures failure to provide the services. Where refunds are to be obtained from third party service providers, any such refund will be subject to those terms and conditions, Big Heart Adventures will provide reasonable assistance to you in claiming such funds from those third party suppliers. Under no circumstances will Big Heart Adventures be liable for direct, indirect, consequential or incidental damages including but not limited to loss of profits, savings, damages for disappointment.

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Warnings

For reasons of political unrest, acts of war or terrorism or natural disasters or any other circumstance in certain parts of the world the Australian Government in conjunction with various other worldwide bodies may decide to issue a Government Advisory warning to Australian passport holders not to travel to that country or a range of other warnings. If any such Government Advisory warning or any other form of warning issued by the Australian Government, while travel to these countries is not advisable (and Big Heart Adventures recommends that you review and seek advice in respect of any travel insurance), we appreciate that some customers may still need to travel to these countries. While Big Heart Adventures is prepared to consider the circumstances and may decide to make travel bookings, it does so without responsibility or liability. Information as available on the Department of Foreign Affairs website at www.dfat.gov.au. We recommend that all Australian travellers register their personal details in accordance with the website. In the event that an accident, disaster or emergency is reported to have occurred in a country where you may be travelling, you authorise Big Heart Adventures to disclose your personal details and travel booking information to the Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (or similar government department) or any other relevant agency whether in Australia or overseas.

Personal Images

You, and each of your passengers:
(a) consent to the collection and use of personal images by Big Heart Adventures and any agent taking photos or video recording (Images) and acknowledge that these may be used for marketing purposes by Big Heart Adventures for distribution via print, online (including but not limited to any social media) and video-based marketing materials, as well as other publications (from time to time);
(b) release and hold harmless Big Heart Adventures from any reasonable expectation of privacy or confidentiality associated with the Images specified above;
(c) acknowledge that your participation is voluntary and that you (nor any of your passengers) will not receive any financial compensation of any type associated with the taking or publication of these Images or participation in any marketing materials by Big Heart Adventures; and
(d) acknowledge and agree that publication of any Images confers no rights of ownership or royalties whatsoever.

Collection of information and privacy

Unless otherwise prevented by law, you consent to the use and storing of any personal information provided for the following purposes and any other related purposes or as agreed between Big Heart Adventures and you from time to time:
(a) to manage our business relationship with you;
(b) to adminster and manage our services and systems;
(c) to enter into all necessary bookings and/or arrangements with third parties, to ensure your travel;
(d) to arrange for foreign visas, as required on your behalf;
(e) to communicate with local and foreign governments, on your behalf;
(f) to enforce our legal rights;
(g) to enter into any other associated contracts with you and/or third parties, as required; and
(h) to market to and maintain a client relatinoship with you.

Governing Law

These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of the state of South Australia and any legal action arising therefrom shall be litigated only in the appropriate court in that state having jurisdiction in that claim.