Please take the time to read and understand the conditions of booking set out below prior to booking a trip with Madventurer. We strongly recommend that you also read the Project Overviews and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) relating to your trip prior to booking to ensure that you understand the itinerary and style of the trip you are undertaking.

1. Our Contract

All bookings are made with Madventure International Limited (us/we) trading as Madventurer. By booking a trip with us you are deemed to have agreed to these Booking Conditions (which constitutes the entire agreement between you and us) and your booking will be accepted by us on this basis. The services to be provided are those referred to in your booking confirmation invoice.

2. Validity

Dates, itineraries and prices are valid from 01 October 2018 until 30 September 2019. Beyond 30 September 2019 dates, itineraries and prices are indicative only.

3. Deposit Requirement and Project Balance

You are required to pay a non-refundable Deposit (amount can be found below) for your booking to be confirmed (please note that special deposit requirements apply for some trips). If your booking is made within 60 days of the departure date then the full amount is payable at the time of booking.

We provide fundraising targets / costs in both GBP £ and USD $ as we have many UK and US nationalities join us on our Projects.

Please select which currency best suits your own needs.

The total cost of your Project depends on how long you wish to join a Project for overseas.

The Total Cost of any Project or Adventure Challenge is split into 2 parts:

Total Project Cost = (A) Deposit + (B) Project Balance

(A) Deposit

A Deposit of £250 or $300 is to cover all your pre-departure support costs, arrangement of your project, program or adventure challenge and all overheads associated with setting up and supporting you as a participant including public liability insurances for your activities with us overseas. This can be made via a bank transfer (we will email you our bank details), or with a debit / credit card via Paypal.

The Deposit is the same for all of our Projects and Adventure Challenges. You are required to pay this non-refundable Deposit for your place to be confirmed and for us to finalize everything on the ground prior to your arrival.

To secure your place you will need to register and pay a deposit of £250 or $300 for any Project or Adventure Challenge.

(B) Project Balance

Your Project Balance will be agreed in writing by email before we ask you to pay your Deposit.

Your Project Balance covers your airport transfer, food, accommodation, 24/7 crew support, project materials and other resources that enable us to assist with community development, education and health initiatives. For a full breakdown see what is included.You have the option to pay this via bank transfer, cheque or via PayPal. You also have the option raise this via Just Giving or Virgin Money Giving direct to the MAD (Make A Difference) Foundation - Registered UK Charity No 1111805 - and we will assist you to set up your fundraising page if you decide to fundraise using this method. You will need to commit to having the minimum target reached by 60 days prior to your trip. If you apply within 60 days of your intended start date then both the Deposit and Project Balance will both be due in full.

After you have secured your place with your deposit payment, you then have until 60 days before your arrival date to raise the Project Balance.

Custom Groups and Teams

Every group and Project site is different. We carry out a consultation with local community leaders and group leaders every time we run a Project. We will agree with your Team Leader a final Project Balance before we ask you to commit to paying any deposit. This will be based on your customized itinerary, when you would like to travel, your duration of stay, what you would like included and your group size.

Acceptance of your booking will be confirmed by us by email in writing. To expedite the issuing of Madventurer travel documents please note that all travel documents will be sent via email or will be available on our website once final payment has been received by Madventurer.

5. Your Details

In order for us to confirm your travel arrangements you must provide all requested details with the Project Balance. Necessary details include full name as per passport, date of birth, nationality, passport number, passport issue and expiry date and any pre-existing medical conditions you have which may affect your ability to complete your travel arrangements. When you register we will as you tell us about any significant current or past medical conditions that we should be aware of, including any special dietary requirements or food allergies that we need to plan for. We may then ask you to complete a Pre-departure Self Assessment Form and for you to consult with your doctor if you have any doubts to considering the nature of your trip and your physical ability to enjoy it. Your booking cannot be confirmed without provision of these details.

6. Cancellation by You

If you cancel a trip after making a booking you will lose some or all of the money you have paid for the trip. A cancellation will only be effective when we receive written confirmation of the cancellation.

If you cancel your travel arrangements, then there will be no refund of the Deposit to you.

If you have paid your Project Balance by bank transfer, cheque or with a debit / credit card via Paypal then the following applies:

60 days or more prior to departure, we will retain the full Trip Cost;
between 30 and 59 days prior to departure, we will retain the greater of the full Trip Cost or 50% of the combined Deposit + Project Balance, and
less than 30 days prior to departure, we will retain 100% paid by you in connection with the booking.

If you have paid your balance using JustGiving or Virgin Money Giving then as your balance is deemed to be sponsorship that was raised for charitable purposes, then there will be no refund of the sponsorship money raised to you and only the Deposit can be refunded as above.

If cancellation occurs in circumstances where recovery of cancellation charges is indemnified under your travel insurance, you hereby agree that you will co-operate in the recovery of these charges from the insurers and any sums recovered under the policy will again be paid over to Madventurer.

If cancellation arises due you are having difficulty reaching your Project Balance then there will be no refund of the Deposit. However, if you wish defer to a start date within 12 months of providing written notice of your intention to withdraw or cancel, we reserve the right to charge a £25 / $40 late fee to cover our additional administration costs.

Different fees may apply to airline tickets depending on the carrier being used. You are strongly advised to take out cancellation insurance at the time of booking which will cover cancellation penalties in certain circumstances.

If you leave a trip for any reason after it has commenced we are not obliged to make any refunds for unused services.

We are not responsible for any incidental expenses that you may have incurred as a result of your booking such as visas, vaccinations or non-refundable flights.

7. Cancellation by Madventurer

We may cancel a trip at any time up to 60 days before departure, subject to clause 13. We may cancel a trip at any time prior to departure if, due to terrorism, natural disasters, political instability or severe weather, we may deem a trip unsafe to run or that other external events determine that it is not viable for us to operate the planned itinerary.

If we cancel a Project or an Adventure Challenge and:

1. If you have paid both your Deposit and Project Balance by bank transfer, cheque or with a debit / credit card via Paypal then you may choose between us applying the amounts paid toward an alternative trip or receiving a full refund.

2. If you have paid your Deposit by bank transfer, cheque or with a debit / credit card via Paypal, and your Project Balance via JustGiving, then your Desposit will be refunded to you in full and your Project Balance will be kept by the MAD Foundation Charity as your sponsorship was raised for charitable purposes. However, you may also choose between joining an alternative Project within 12 months of cancellation and your fundraising amount will be taken into consideration in any transfer.

If cancellation occurs in circumstances where recovery of cancellation charges is indemnified under your travel insurance, you hereby agree that you will co-operate in the recovery of these charges from the insurers and any sums recovered under the policy will again be paid over to Madventurer.

For all cancellations we are not responsible for any incidental expenses that you may have incurred as a result of your booking such as visas, vaccinations or non-refundable flights.

8. Booking Amendments

If you wish to transfer from one trip to another or transfer your booking to a third party you must notify us at least 60 days prior to the proposed departure date. A fee of £25 / $40 per person per change will apply (in addition to any charges levied by hotels, ground operators or airlines).

If you notify us less than 60 days prior to the proposed departure date the refund policy applicable to cancellations will apply. Transfers to a third party are only permitted where the transferee meets all the requirements in relation to the trip, and transfers to another departure can only be made to a departure within the current validity period. Amendments to any other arrangements made in conjunction with your trip will incur a £25 / $40 administration fee per booking per change. This fee is in addition to any charges levied by hotels, ground operators or airlines. No amendments are permitted to your booking within 10 days of departure.

9. Inclusions

The Project Cost includes:

all accommodation as listed in the Project Overview
all transport listed in the Project Overview
all meals as listed in the Project Overview
the services of a Project or group leader as described in the Project Overview
sightseeing or activities as listed in the Project Overview

10. Exclusions

The Project Cost does not include:

international or internal flights unless specified
airport transfer on arrival (if arriving before or after the official start date), taxes and excess baggage charges unless specified
meals other than those specified in the Project Overview
travel visas, passport fees or other local permits
personal travel insurance
optional activities and sightseeing not listed in the Project Overview and all personal expenses
kitty as specified in the Project Overview (optional Overland Adventures only)

11. Prices & Surcharges

Our Project prices are based on currency exchange rates as of 1st October 2018. We reserve the right to impose surcharges up to 60 days before departure due to unfavourable changes in exchange rates, increases in airfares or other transportation costs, increases in local operator costs, taxes, or if government action should require us to do so. In such instances we will be responsible for the first 2% of the additional costs and you will be responsible for the balance.

If any surcharge results in an increase of more than 10% of the trip price you may cancel the booking within 14 days of notification of the surcharge and obtain a refund as outlined in clause 7. We will not surcharge any booking for travel up to 30th September 2019 once paid in full.

12. Age

Minimum: General Policy: For the majority of our individual trips the minimum age is 17. All participants under the age of 18 must complete a Parental Consent Form. Please note that accompanying adults may be required to share with others in the group.

Variations: A minimum age of 18 applies to many of our Overland Adventures, while a minimum age of 12 applies to our Custom Group, School and Family Volunteer trips.

Maximum: General Policy: For the majority of our trips we have no upper age limit though we remind you that our trips can be physically demanding and if you are 70 years of age or over then may then ask you to complete a Pre-departure Self Assessment Form and for you to consult with your doctor if you have any doubts to considering the nature of your trip and your physical ability to enjoy it.

13. Small Groups & Combination Trips

Our Individual Trips are guaranteed to depart once they reach a minimum group size of 2, unless it specifically states otherwise; this means at times we can have very small groups. Many of our trips are designed to fit with other departures to create a longer "combination" trip; this means that some of your group may have already been together for some weeks when you commence your trip. If you would like to know how many people are booked on your trip or any combination trip it is part of please ask prior to making your booking.

For Custom Groups and Teams we ask for a minimum group size of 6. We do not have any upper limitations on group sizes.

14. Passports, Travel Visas and Permits

You must carry a valid passport and have obtained all of the appropriate visas, permits and certificates for the countries in which you will visit during your trip. Your passport must be valid for 6 months beyond the duration of the trip. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are in possession of the correct visas, permits and certificates for your trip; please refer to the Project Overviews for details. We are not responsible if you are refused entry to a country because you lack the correct passport, visa or other travel documentation, and we are not responsible for any incidental expenses that you may have incurred as a result of visa problems such as vaccinations or non-refundable flights.

15. Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is compulsory for all participants and should be taken out at the time of booking. Your travel insurance must provide cover against personal accident, death, medical expenses and emergency repatriation with a recommended minimum coverage of £150,000 / $200,000 for each of the heads of cover. We also strongly recommend it covers cancellation, curtailment, personal liability and loss of luggage and personal effects.

You must provide proof of your travel insurance on the first day of your trip; you will not be able to join the trip without it. If you obtain travel insurance through us you acknowledge that you are satisfied with the level of insurance we have arranged. When obtaining travel insurance you must ensure the insurer is aware of the type of travel to be undertaken.

16. Flexibility

You appreciate and acknowledge that the nature of this type of travel requires considerable flexibility and you should allow for alternatives. The itinerary provided for each trip is representative of the types of activities contemplated, but it is understood that the route, schedules, itineraries, amenities and mode of transport may be subject to alteration without prior notice due to local circumstances or events.

17. Change of Itinerary

While we endeavour to operate all trips as described we reserve the right to change the trip itinerary. Please refer to our website before departure for the most recent updates to your itinerary.

Before departure: If we make a major change we will inform you as soon as reasonably possible if there is time before departure. The definition of a major change is deemed to be a change affecting at least one day in five of the itinerary. When a major change is made you may choose between accepting the change, obtain a refund as outlined in clause 9 or accepting an alternative trip offered.

After departure: We reserve the right to change an itinerary after departure due to local circumstances or events outside of our control. In such emergency circumstances the additional cost of any necessary itinerary alterations will be covered by you.

Please note we are not responsible for any incidental expenses that may be incurred as a result of the change of itinerary such as visas, vaccinations or non-refundable flights.

18. Authority on a Trip

Our group trips are run by a Madventurer crew leader or a leader from one of our Adventure Partners (non-Project activities). The decision of the group leader is final on all matters likely to affect the safety or well-being of any person participating in the trip. If you fail to comply with a decision made by a group leader, or interfere with the well-being of the group, the group leader may order you to leave the trip immediately, with no right of refund. You must at all times comply with the laws, customs, foreign exchange and drug regulations of all countries visited, and you also agree to travel in accordance with our responsible travel guidelines.

19. Acceptance of Risk

You acknowledge that the nature of the trip is adventurous and participation involves a degree of personal risk. You will be visiting places where the political, cultural and geographical attributes present dangers and physical challenges greater than those present in our daily lives.

We use information from government foreign departments and reports from our own contacts in assessing whether the itinerary should operate. However it is also your own responsibility to acquaint yourself with all possible relevant travel information and the nature of your itinerary. You acknowledge that your decision to travel is made in light of consideration of this information and you accept that you assume the personal risks attendant upon such travel.

Madventurer’s obligations, and those of any suppliers providing any service or facility you book with us, are to provide services and facilities with reasonable care and skill. Facilities will be provided to the realistic minimum standard recommended by the regulatory authorities responsible.

20. Limitation of Liability

a. We will accept liability for the negligence of our staff or agents causing death or physical injury to persons or loss or damage to personal property only to the extent it is obliged under the applicable law. This acceptance of liability is subject to clause c. below.

b. In other circumstances we are responsible to you for the proper performance of this contract. This acceptance of liability is subject to clause c. below.

c. We shall not be liable for any damage or loss if the failure to carry out the contract is:

attributable to you.
attributable to a third party unconnected with the provision of the services contracted for and the event is unforeseeable or unavoidable.
due to unforeseen and unusual circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had to be exercised.
due to political disputes, border closures, refusal of visas, industrial action, climate, high altitude, consumption of alcoholic beverages, breakdown of equipment, lack of or limited access to medical attention in remote locations and the adequacy of medical attention once provided, or other matters of a similar nature and any other force majeure.
due to an event which the Company, even with all due care, could not foresee or forestall.

d. Any liability covered under clause b. above is limited to the price paid. In the case of damaged property the liability is limited to a maximum amount equal to the amount paid by or on behalf of the owner of the property. In all cases the Company specifically excludes all liability for indirect or consequential loss or expense including loss of profits.

e. Where your trip arrangements involve travel by air, rail or sea, or hotel accommodation, the compensation is limited by the following international conventions respectively: Warsaw Convention as amended 1955, Bern Convention 1961, Athens Convention 1974 and Paris Convention 1962. No compensation is payable by us for flight difficulties if you have available to you denied-boarding compensation from the airline.

f. our acceptance of liability in clauses a and b above is subject to assignment by you of your rights against any agent, supplier or sub-contractor which is in any way responsible for the unsatisfactory arrangements or your death or personal injury.

21. Optional Activities

Optional activities not included in the Project Cost do not form part of the trip or this contract. You accept that any assistance given by your project leader, or any of our adventure partner's tour leaders or local representatives in arranging optional activities does not render us liable for them.

22. Errors & Omissions

Although we have made a concerted attempt to verify the accuracy of statements made in our trip documentation including Project Overviews, Frequently Asked Questions and website, we cannot be held responsible for any error, omission or unintentional misrepresentation that may occur.

23. Claims & Complaints

If you have a complaint about your trip please inform your on-site project leader, tour leader or our local representative at the time in order that they can attempt to rectify the matter. If satisfaction is not reached through these means then any further complaint should be put in writing to us within 30 days of the end date of your Project with us. We will not accept any liability for claims received after this period.

24. Severability

In the event that any term or condition contained in these Booking Conditions is unenforceable or void by operation of law or as being against public policy or for any other reason then such term or condition shall be deemed to be severed from this contract or amended accordingly only to such extent necessary to allow all remaining terms and conditions to survive and continue as binding.

25. Photos and Marketing

You consent to us using images of you taken during the trip for advertising and promotional purposes in any medium we choose. You grant us a perpetual, royalty-free, worldwide, irrevocable licence to use such images for publicity and promotional purposes.

26. Privacy Policy

Any personal information that we collect about you may be used for any purpose associated with the operation of a Trip or to send you marketing material in relation to our events and special offers. The information may be disclosed to our agents, service providers or other suppliers to enable us to operate the Trip. We will otherwise treat your details in accordance with our privacy policy (see below).

27. Consumer Protection

The prices on this website are land only. Where we offer trips which include some flights they are Atol Protected through our flight partners who hold an Air Travel Organisers Licence granted by the Civil Aviation Authority and you will pay the flight portion of any trip to our flight partner directly. In the unlikely event of insolvency the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to our Partners for an advance booking. Please note that ATOL bonding only applies to bookings made within the UK that include international flights from the UK. For further information visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk.

28. Applicable Law

The laws of the England govern these Booking Conditions and any disputes in connection with a trip or these Booking Conditions must be initiated in the courts of England.

29. Registered Address

Madventure International Limited, Clavering House, Clavering Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3NG, United Kingdom.

Email: volunteer@madventurer.com

Booking terms and conditions applicable from 01 OCTOBER 2018

Privacy Policy

At Madventurer we recognise that privacy is important. This outlines the types of personal information we receive and collect when you use our services, as well as some of the steps we take to safeguard information. We hope this will help you make an informed decision about sharing personal information with us.

Personal information and other data we collect

Madventurer collects personal information when you register for a service or otherwise voluntarily provide such information. Such as:

Register interest for and/or enter a competition
Subscribe to Mad World News, our Email newsletter
Download or request a brochure or other printed materials
Book a trip with us
Refer a friend to Madventurer

We may combine personal information collected from you at different times to provide a better user experience, including customising content for you.
Madventurer uses cookies and other technologies to enhance your online experience and to learn about how you use our website in order to improve the quality of our services.
Madventurer's servers automatically record information when you visit our website, including the pages you visit, your IP address, browser type and language, and the date and time of your visit. We cannot identify you individually from this information. This information is used to make improvements to our site and make it easier to find the information you are looking for.

Uses

We may use personal information to provide the services you've requested, including sending email newsletters, or sending printed materials to your home.
We may also use personal information for auditing, research and analysis to operate and improve Madventurer's services.
We may share aggregated non-personal information with third parties outside of Madventurer, such as our travel industry partners to better analyse trends and further improve our services.
When we use third parties to assist us in processing your personal information, we require that they comply with our Privacy Policy and any other appropriate confidentiality and security measures.
We may also share information with third parties in limited circumstances, including when complying with legal process, preventing fraud or imminent harm, and ensuring the security of our network and services.
Madventurer processes personal information on our servers in the UK and in other countries. In some cases, we process personal information on a server outside your own country.

Your choices

We offer you choices when we ask for personal information, whenever reasonably possible.
You may decline to provide personal information to us and/or refuse cookies in your browser, although some of our features or services may not function properly as a result.
We make good faith efforts to provide you access to your personal information upon request and to let you correct such data if it is inaccurate and delete it, when reasonably possible.

More information

For more information about our privacy practices, please contact us any time.