Accommodations must be arranged well in advance to ensure availability, and guides must have sufficient time to arrange alternative employment should a trip be cancelled. For these reasons tours are subject to cancellation if they fail to attract the minumum number of participants within 60 days of the departure date. In the event of cancellation, all deposits and other advance payments will be fully and immediately refunded to registered participants.
Exotic Birding LLC strongly recommends that you purchase trip cancellation insurance in the event that unforeseen circumstances or a medical emergency requires you to cancel your trip. Please note that insurance companies typically require that trip cancellation insurance be purchased within 1-2 weeks of sending in a deposit for the tour. You may wish to consider the package deals offered by Travel Guard (tel. 800-826-1300, travelguard.com). Alternatively, InsureMyTrip.com allows you to compare coverages and prices among various providers.
In addition, you may wish to purchase travel insurance to cover health-related expenses incurred while on tour. Such insurance is moderately expensive but offers protection for persons concerned about possible health-related issues. Check with your current health insurance provider to determine whether your current coverage would be applicable while you're abroad. Most are not.
A more detailed explanation of the various forms of travel insurance available for international tours can be found at RickSteves.com.