Registration Procedure & Policies
HOW TO REGISTER
You may register for a tour by calling us at 877-247-3371 or 303-325-5188 or by mailing a completed Registration Form with deposit to:
Exotic Birding LLC
2727 Nelson Rd. #E207
Longmont CO 80503
A deposit of $400 is required at the time of registration for tours to Central America. A deposit of $600 is required at the time of registration for tours to South America. The balance is due 90 days prior to departure (or upon registration for those joining the tour less than 90 days prior to departure). For tours to the Napo River area in Ecuador, deposits must be received at least 120 days before departure to ensure room availability. In general, payments are refundable until 90 days prior to departure. Please refer to our Refund Policy for exceptions.
Payment should be made in US dollars by check, money order, or bank wire transfer. Payment by Visa, Mastercard, or Discover is accepted but not encouraged. We also accept payments through PayPal. To make payment through PayPal, you must have an account with them. From your account, click the Send Money tab, enter our email address (info@exoticbirding.com), and enter the payment amount. Make sure the currency is in US dollars. PayPal is an excellent way for persons residing outside the US to make payment as it handles any necessary currency exchanges automatically. Please note that any refunds of credit card and PayPal payments are subject to a service charge unless Exotic Birding cancels the tour. See our Refund Policy for details.
Please note that all participants must provide a completed registration form including signed liability release before joining a tour. Failure to to sign the release will result in automatic cancellation with forfeiture of any payments made. Failure to make payment in full at least 60 days prior to departure could result in automatic cancellation with forfeiture of deposit. Reinstatement thereafter is subject to room availability and could incur a $100 surcharge.
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN TOUR PRICE
The price for each tour includes all in-country travel unless noted otherwise on the tour page of our website, accommodations in double occupancy, purified drinking water at all times, meals as indicated in the itinerary, admission fees to parks and sites listed on the itinerary unless otherwise noted on the tour page, and guide services excluding tips.
A single supplement fee is charged for persons preferring or requiring single occupancy accommodations, subject to availability. Exotic Birding will attempt to arrange a same-sex roommate for single individuals upon request. If a suitable roommate is unavailable, a single room will be provided and the single supplement fee will be charged. When single accommodations are not available during part or all of a tour, single individuals will be so advised and any single supplement for the tour will be based solely on accommodations where single rooms are provided.
The following are specifically not included in the tour price unless otherwise stated: tips for guides, drivers, boatmen, and maids, international airline tickets, land transportation between the airport and the accommodations where the tour begins and ends, insurance of any sort, passports, visas, departure taxes, immunizations, medical care of any kind, excess baggage charges, optional excursions not included as part of the published itinerary, telephone calls, alcoholic beverages, laundry, room service, snacks not provided by tour leaders, personal equipment such as binoculars and birding books, and anything else of a personal nature. If you have any questions regarding what is included or not included, please contact us.
PRICE CHANGES
Tour prices have been calculated to offer the best value possible. However, when estimating costs months in advance, unanticipated price increases for transportation, lodging, or meals could require an increase in the published price of the tour. In such cases, any price increase will NOT apply to anyone already registered for the tour.
Tours generally require a minimum of 4 participants for the tour to be offered at the published price. If fewer than the minimum sign up, Exotic Birding may at its discretion either conduct the tour anyway or cancel the tour. Participants are therefore advised not to purchase plane tickets until verifying with Exotic Birding that the tour will take place.
REFUND POLICY
Deposits on published tours are refundable until 90 days prior to departure with the exception that any non-refundable deposits made by Exotic Birding on participant's behalf to hold rooms in hotels or lodges are non-refundable. The balance of the tour price is refundable until 60 days prior to departure, at which time the entire amount becomes non-refundable.
Refund of payments made by credit card are subject to a 5% handling fee if cancellation is made by participant but NOT if Exotic Birding cancels the tour. Refund of payments made by PayPal are subject to a 3% handling fee if cancellation is made by participant but NOT if Exotic Birding cancels the tour.
CANCELLATIONS
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. Therefore, tours are subject to cancellation if they fail to attract the minumum number of participants within 60 days of departure. In the event of cancellation, all deposits and other advance payments will be fully and immediately refunded to registered participants.
If fewer than the minimum sign up, Exotic Birding may at its discretion either conduct the tour anyway or cancel the tour. Participants are therefore advised not to purchase plane tickets until verifying with Exotic Birding that the tour will take place.
Exotic Birding LLC strongly recommends that participants purchase trip cancellation insurance that will reimburse non-refundable payments should unforeseen circumstances or a medical emergency prevent participation in the tour. Please note that trip cancellation insurance does not cover the cost of medical emergencies that may occur during the tour. Participants should consider purchasing travel medical insurance (at additional charge) to cover health-related expenses incurred while on tour and also emergency medical evacuation. 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 applies abroad. Most coverage does not.
Please note that insurance companies typically require that trip cancellation insurance be purchased within 1-2 weeks of registering for a tour. Many insurers offer trip cancellation and travel insurance. We recommend using CSA because they are a primary insurer, whereas many other companies use CSA as a re-insurer for their policies. CSA covers residents of both the US and Canada.
LIABILITY LIMITS
Before participating in an Exotic Birding tour, each participant must acknowledge that he/she is aware that travel organized or conducted by Exotic Birding LLC involves various risks and dangers including but not limited to the hazards of traveling in foreign countries and wilderness areas, travel by air, train, bus or other conveyances, tropical diseases, noxious or poisonous plants, venomous animals, inadequate access to appropriate medical care, extreme weather conditions, geological events, exposure to high altitudes, and political events or instabilities.
Each participant must agree to assume all such risks and expressly releases Exotic Birding LLC, its officers, agents, contractors, tour leaders, and other representatives to include any sponsoring organization and its representatives (hereinafter TOUR OPERATOR) from any liability, damage claims, costs, and actions pertaining to any and all risks, accidents, deaths, injuries, illnesses, property damage or loss, delays, inconveniences, or other irregularities that may occur for any reason whatever directly or indirectly in conjunction with or arising from the tour.
Each participant must acknowledge that the delivery and success of Exotic Birding tours as advertised is dependent on service providers such as guides, drivers, hotels, and restaurants providing acceptable services and must agree not to hold TOUR OPERATOR liable should any such service provider fail to provide services as advertised or anticipated.
Each participant must acknowledge and accept that TOUR OPERATOR does not warrant in any fashion the success of the tour in terms of enjoyment, in terms of how many or which birds or other wildlife are actually seen or photographed by any participant on tour, or in any other way.
Each participant must agree to conduct himself/herself in a civil manner toward other participants and TOUR OPERATOR. Further, each participant must agree and accept without recourse that TOUR OPERATOR has the authority to eject participant from the tour for egregious, threatening, belligerent, unruly, disruptive, or criminal behavior without refund and must agree to hold TOUR OPERATOR harmless should such action be taken.
Each participant must sign a registration agreement that serves as an assumption of risk, waiver, indemnity, and release by all signatories, their heirs, all members of their families including any minors accompanying the tour, executors, administrators, and any other representatives of the signatories. Each participant must acknowledge an understanding that the terms of registration are contractual and not merely advisory in nature.
All legal matters relative to the terms and conditions of travel as they affect Exotic Birding LLC shall be directed to and litigated only through the legal system in Arapahoe County, in the State of Colorado, in The U.S.A. All legal matters relative to the terms and conditions of travel as they affect any sponsoring organization shall be directed to and litigated only through the legal system designated by said sponsoring organization. TOP
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