Terms & Conditions

These booking conditions apply to all package holiday bookings made with Kuoni, a trading brand of DER Touristik UK Ltd. We are registered in England and Wales under company number 395623. Our registered office address is: Touristik House, Dorking Business Park, Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1HJ.

For bookings such as accommodation-only, which do not constitute a Package holiday or Linked Travel Arrangement as defined within The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, please refer to the relevant booking conditions which can be found on our website: www.kuoni.co.uk/useful-information/accommodation-only-terms-and-conditions.

Before making a booking, it is essential that you read our terms and conditions. They set out the commercial relationship between us, form the basis of your contract with Kuoni and set out both your and our respective rights and obligations.

Except where otherwise stated, our booking conditions only apply to holiday arrangements which you book with us in the UK and which we agree to make, provide or perform (as applicable) as part of our contract with you. All references in these booking conditions to “holiday”, “booking”, “contract”, “package”, “tour” or “arrangements” mean such holiday arrangements unless otherwise stated.

In these booking conditions, “you” and “your” means all persons named on the booking (including anyone who is added or substituted at a later date) or any of them, as the context requires and “lead name” means the named member of the travelling party that, being 18 years old or over and possessing legal capacity to do so, makes payment at the point of booking. “We”, “us” and “our” means Kuoni.

In addition to the main booking conditions set out below, you must also ensure that you have read the Important Holiday Information that follows. Doing so forms part of the holiday contract as it contains helpful guidance that may be relevant for you when making your final booking selection.

By asking us to accept your booking request, you agree that you have both read and understood the full terms and conditions of the holiday contract and that you agree to them.

Before you book

1.1 Choosing Your Holiday

It is very important that you choose the right holiday arrangements for you. Our staff are always happy to advise and give you their professional opinion; however, it is essential that you also conduct your own independent research to ensure you are happy with the arrangements being made.

Please visit the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office website at https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice and visit www.gov.uk/travelaware for essential travel advice and tips. The websites offer a wealth of country-specific information, but as the advice can change, please ensure that you check regularly for updates both before and after you book.

1.2 Agent or Principal

When you purchase a Kuoni holiday we are acting as the Principal holiday provider. We provide the holiday services to you; your contract is with us and our full terms and conditions apply. Further conditions may also be applied by our suppliers and together these make the ‘conditions of contract’ and constitute the entire agreement between you and Kuoni. Many of our supplier’s terms and conditions can be found on their websites and we can also provide you with a copy at the time of booking, upon request.

We also sell third-party arrangements. When we act as an ‘agent’ (retailer) we are selling on behalf of another holiday provider. In such instances, your contract is with them as the Principal provider of your holiday arrangements; although the terms of our own retail booking conditions will also apply. When we are acting as an agent, the Principal provider’s details will be communicated to you. We can provide you with a copy of their full terms and conditions at the time of booking, upon request. By proceeding with a booking, you acknowledge that you have read and understood all of the terms and conditions which apply to it and agree to be bound by them.

1.3 If You Have A Disability or Medical Condition Which May Affect Your Holiday

If you have any medical condition (including food allergies), disability, or any special requirements related to these, which may affect your holiday (including the booking process), please tell us before you confirm your booking. We can then assist you in considering the suitability of the holiday and the services that we are able to provide. You must give us full details in writing at the time of booking and whenever any significant change in the condition, disability, or special requirements occurs. You must also promptly advise us if any medical condition or disability which may reasonably affect your holiday develops after your booking has been confirmed. Failure to do so may limit your rights under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 and how we are able to assist you.

Kuoni complies fully with Regulation (EC) No 1107/2006 concerning the rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air and will offer assistance to disabled persons or persons with reduced mobility provided that we are given full information about your specific requirements at the time of booking. Please be aware that we cannot guarantee the provision of assistive aids such as high-loaders for embarking/disembarking the aircraft.

1.4 Tours and excursions - General health requirements

Many of our tours and excursions may not be suitable if you have a disability or have reduced mobility. You must be fit and able enough to participate independently or, alternatively, have an able-bodied carer to assist you throughout the trip. Please note that some of the featured itineraries may involve early starts and long days, with substantial travel between featured sites and destinations. As vehicle and road standards may not be comparable to that of the UK, please keep this in mind when considering any personal health concerns, as well as your general comfort.

1.5 Experiences

Experiences which form part of your package: We are pleased to be able to offer various ‘experiences’ and activities, which you can pre-book in the UK and pay for as part of your holiday package. By booking with us you confirm that you and your party are in good health and have no medical history that would make it dangerous for you or others to participate. You must observe safety instructions at all times, take reasonable care and provide any necessary certification that may be required. We will only accept responsibility for these experiences and activities in accordance with these booking conditions. Please note that they may be subject to minimum numbers and could be cancelled at short notice.

Experiences which do not form part of your package: We are able to offer general assistance and reserve certain activities for you on your behalf, for which you will pay locally. In these circumstances, we act as a booking agent for the local operator of the excursion or activity concerned, only. Your contract for that activity will be with them and it does not from part of your contracted holiday arrangements with us. The contract will be subject to the local operator’s terms and conditions, which will be governed by the local law and jurisdiction which applies and may limit their liability to you. Kuoni accepts no liability for any breach of contract or negligent act or omission of any such excursion/activity provider.

1.6 Services outside of your contract with Kuoni

We will not be liable to you for any independent arrangements made to complement the holiday services being provided by Kuoni. Your contract(s) will be directly with the third-party supplier(s) providing those arrangements. Where we agree to provide flights or transfer services to or from any such third-party product or destination, our doing so offers no endorsement of the product or destination and our liability will remain limited only to ensuring that the contracted elements of your holiday package with Kuoni are provided as promised.

1.7 Special Requests

Where a special request e.g. room location, twin or double-bedded room, flight seat requests and/or dietary requirements (including advice on allergies) etc. is an important factor in your choice of holiday, you must advise us before you book. Whilst we are happy to pass on any such requests, we cannot guarantee that they will be accommodated, and the provision of any special request does not constitute a term of your contract with us. Where we pass on special/dietary requests to airlines, we recommend that you reconfirm with them directly once your tickets have been issued. Please also ensure that you reconfirm any special/dietary requests with your airline(s) and any other service/accommodation provider(s) immediately upon check-in, and on any other relevant occasions (e.g. at mealtimes), to ensure these have been received. Confirmation that a special request has been noted or passed on to the supplier, or the inclusion of the special request on any documentation, is not confirmation that the request will be met. Unless and until specifically confirmed, all special requests are subject to availability. See also “Meals – ii)” in the “Important Holiday Information” section.

1.8 Marketing

We try to ensure that the information on our website and in our promotional material is accurate. However, resort and supplier information can change and errors can regrettably occur. We reserve the right to amend and/or give notice of any changes at the time of booking and recommend that you undertake a level of independent research or speak to one of our trained sales advisors should you wish to clarify any information.

Booking & paying for your holiday

2.1 Confirming Your Holiday

The combination of travel services offered to you is a package within the meaning of the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018. Therefore, you will benefit from all EU rights applying to packages. Kuoni will be fully responsible for the proper performance of the package as a whole where we act as the Principal provider. Additionally, as required by law, Kuoni has protection in place to refund your payments and, where transport is included in the package, to ensure your repatriation in the event that we become insolvent. More information on key rights can be found by visiting https://www.kuoni.co.uk/useful-information/your-package-holiday.

Your Commitment to Us

2.2

When you or your Travel Agent wish to confirm a booking you must pay a deposit of either £175 per person or 10% of the holiday cost, whichever is the greater. If you make a holiday booking within 61 days of your departure date then you must pay the full cost of the holiday at the booking stage. Please note that in some instances we may require a higher deposit, or require the final balance payment at an earlier stage, than that specified above. On some occasions, the full balance may required at the outset, and details of any special payment terms will be provided to you before you book. Any money paid by you to one of our authorised travel agents for your holiday will be held by the agent on our behalf until paid to us.

2.3

When you make a booking, you agree that the lead name is acting as an agent on behalf of all named parties under the contract and that they have ostensible authority to make booking decisions on your behalf. The lead name is authorised by you to confirm that you have understood and have accepted these booking conditions and our Important Holiday Information. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be given a reference number. Your booking reference is also used as your unique password. It is important that you do not give your reference number to anyone or it will allow access to view, amend or cancel your booking via our website.

2.4

When you book a holiday with us, please ensure that you cancel any other flights which may have been held for the same dates/airlines by other Tour Operators or Travel Agents. Failure to do so may result in the airline subsequently cancelling the flights we have booked, with additional costs being incurred to re-book, which you would be liable to pay.

2.5 Out of date range flights

We are able to sell many of our holidays well in advance of travel but scheduled airlines will generally not have loaded their seats to sell until approximately 10 months prior to departure. Should this apply, we will inform you at the time of enquiry.

In some instances, we are able to guarantee the price you pay, before the contracted fares are released. If we are able to guarantee a price, this will be documented within your confirmation invoice. Please note that a guaranteed price does not guarantee availability of the flight arrangements themselves as operational decisions may render these subject to change by the airline. Our price commitment is made in anticipation of seats becoming available that match the required dates, times and airline booking classes within your itinerary. On occasions where we are unable to guarantee a price for you, we will estimate this based on the same anticipated itinerary arrangements. We will then do our very best to secure them at the rate you have paid.

When you book, we will take a deposit and then issue an invoice recording the arrangements reserved for you. A contract will then commence on the basis that the flight arrangements and the final price payable by you will be that applicable when the airline releases the seats. When the airline seats become available to book we will contact you with an updated price (when not previously guaranteed) and re-confirm the flight details.

If we are unable to honour an estimated airfare, or we are in any other way unable to confirm the flight arrangements for you as expected, we will contact you to discuss your options. If this significantly alters your holiday arrangements and we aren't able to secure you a suitable alternative, you will be able to cancel your booking with a full refund of your deposit. You will have 7 days to tell us whether you are happy to continue with the booking or if you would prefer to cancel. If you wish to continue with the booking, we will issue an updated invoice. We will have no other liability to you and will not be responsible for refunding any costs that do not form part of your contract with us, so please ensure you have suitable travel insurance to cover any consequential losses.

2.6 Travel Information & Documents

After booking you will receive a confirmation invoice with important information relevant to your holiday, inclusive of the total payment due. You must check the details carefully and notify us immediately if you believe that any of the details are incorrect. Please also check your flight timings carefully each time you receive new documentation from us, as the scheduling may have changed since the last time we contacted you.

Approximately 10-14 days prior to departure you will receive your e-ticket together with your final itinerary. Please check all information, including your flight times, carefully to ensure you are prepared for your trip.

2.7 Paying For Your Holiday

Full payment must be received not less than 61 days before departure. Where special payment terms have been applied to your booking, full payment is required in line with the timeframe stated. If we, or your travel agent, have not received full payment as detailed above, we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled by you and you will forfeit your deposit or any higher sum that we are entitled to retain – see also 3.3 Cancelling your Holiday. If we do not cancel straight away because you have promised to make payment, you must pay the cancellation charges shown in 3.3 depending on the date we reasonably treat your booking as cancelled. Where we act as an Agent for a third party booking (see 1.2 Agent or Principal), payment due dates may vary and these will be set by the Principal within their own terms and conditions. By choosing Kuoni as your travel agent for these arrangements, you agree to make payment to us 21 days in advance of any due date set, to allow time for this to be collected and transferred to the Principal in good time on your behalf.

2.8 Holiday Insurance

This is a vital part of any holiday so please ensure you take out comprehensive travel insurance as soon as your booking has been confirmed. We strongly recommend that this includes, but is not limited to, appropriate cover against the cost of termination of the holiday contract and the cost of any medical/other assistance, including repatriation, you might require whilst overseas. We are not insurance providers and cannot offer advice on insurance products. It is essential that you discuss both your itinerary and your specific needs with your chosen policy provider to ensure you are suitably protected. Please read your policy details carefully, ensure that you are familiar with the scale of your cover and take the relevant documentation with you on your holiday.

2.9 Health & Vaccinations

It is your responsibility to ensure you are aware of all recommended and required vaccinations, health precautions, screening and self-isolation requirements in good time before departure. You should take health advice about your specific needs as early as possible and ensure that vaccinations or preventative measures such as malaria tablets are taken in time to be effective for the duration of the holiday.

Please ensure you allow sufficient time to successfully book any appointments, screenings or tests that may be required. It is your responsibility to find out about any entry restrictions, screening or quarantine requirements for destinations that you are visiting (including those you are transiting through) that might affect you. Please ensure you include any domestic requirements that may be in place for when you return home. Be aware that there may sometimes be enhanced screening/monitoring at entry and exit ports. In some instances, borders may close with very little warning or you may be required to self-isolate for a set period, even if you do not have any symptoms of illness.

Sources of information include your GP surgery, the National Travel Health Network and Centre www.nathnac.org., the Department of Health free leaflet ‘Health advice for travellers’ (available on request Tel. 0207 210 4850), or your specialist travel clinic.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office also provides useful information on health and entry requirements. Please visit gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice for advice by country. Contact the UK embassy for the destination(s) you intend to visit and/or transit through if you require further information.

It is essential that you check health and entry requirement information regularly. Failure to take the appropriate action could result in denied boarding by the airline or denied entry, as countries become stricter with respect of their entry requirements.

Please be aware that obtaining test results, a valid Covid Pass or any other medical certification sits outside of the holiday arrangements provided by Kuoni. We can’t take any responsibility if these are delayed/otherwise prevent you from travelling. Please ensure that your travel insurance provides you with suitable protection.

2.10 Passports

Every traveller, including children and infants, requires a valid passport to travel. If your passport is endorsed in any way, please check with the relevant embassy. British passport holders should ensure a valid ten-year passport is held for adults and a valid 5-year passport is held for children under 16. We recommend that all passports are valid for a minimum of 6 months after your scheduled return to the UK as many countries require passport expiry dates to fall a considerable time beyond the dates of travel.

It can take at least six weeks to get an adult passport. Requirements may change and you must check the up to date position in good time before departure. If you renewed your current passport before the previous one expired, extra time may have been added to its expiry date. Any extra months on your passport over 10 years may not count towards the minimum time required for the destination(s) you are visiting. Check your passport validity by visiting gov.uk/check-a-passport-travel-europe and visit gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice for advice by country. If you are travelling on a non-British passport, you must check your requirements with the appropriate embassy, high commission or consulate.  It is your responsibility to ensure you hold passports that are valid for your trip. We regret we cannot accept any liability if you are refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure on your part to carry all required documentation.

2.11 Visas & entry requirements

Visa and entry information can change at very short notice and there may be specific requirements for under 18s. It is your responsibility to ensure you are in possession of all necessary travel documents before departure and any costs incurred in obtaining such documentation must be paid by you. Some destinations may require you to complete entry forms online prior to departure from the UK or in paper / digital form upon arrival at your destination.

If you are a British passport holder, please check www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice regularly for the latest information. If you are travelling on a non-British passport, you must check any requirements with the appropriate embassy, high commission or consulate. Please ensure you are aware of any specific visa and/or entry requirements and that you comply with them. For assistance with any visa enquiry we recommend Travcour Visas. https://travcour-vls.com/

We regret we cannot accept any liability if you are refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to a failure on your part to complete and/or carry all required documentation. If failure to have any necessary travel or other documents (see also 2.9 – Health & Vaccinations, 2.10 – Passports) results in fines, surcharges or other financial penalty or expenses being imposed on or incurred by us, you will be responsible for reimbursing us accordingly.

If failure to have any necessary travel or other documents (see also 2.9 – Health & Vaccinations, 2.10 – Passports) results in fines, surcharges or other financial penalty or expenses being imposed on or incurred by us, you will be responsible for reimbursing us accordingly.

Our Commitment to You

2.12

We will arrange to provide you with the various services which form part of the holiday you book with us. Before your booking is confirmed and a contract comes into existence, we reserve the right to increase or decrease, and correct errors in advertised prices and to change any of the information. Changes will be made known to you at the time of booking. We reserve the right to refuse to accept any booking without needing to specify a reason why.

2.13

The prices we advertise are based on specially negotiated rates and fares. At the time of booking, if there is a lack of availability, we will endeavour to secure an alternative and you will be told the impact that this has on your holiday quote deposit before you book.

2.14

A booking is not accepted until we issue an invoice. The date shown on the invoice is the date of booking. Please check the details on the invoice carefully when you get it and if anything appears to be incorrect or incomplete, contact us or your Travel Agent immediately as it may not be possible to make changes later. We cannot accept any liability if we are not notified of any inaccuracy (for which we are responsible) in any document within 10 days of our sending it out (5 days for tickets). We will do our best to rectify any mistake notified to us outside of this timeframe, but you must meet any costs involved in doing so. In any instance where your booking is amended, whether elective or due to correcting an error, the amendments are not deemed accepted and incorporated into the contract until a new invoice is issued.

2.15

The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 require us to provide security for the monies that you pay for the package holidays booked and for your repatriation in the event of our insolvency. We hold an Air Travel Organiser’s Licence issued by the Civil Aviation Authority, Aviation House, Beehive Ring Road, Crawley, West Sussex RH6 0YR (ATOL no. 0132). When you buy an ATOL protected air inclusive holiday or flight from us you will receive a confirmation invoice from us (or via our authorised agent) confirming your arrangements and your protection under our ATOL. In the unlikely event of our insolvency the CAA will ensure that you are not left stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking. Please note: Not all holiday or travel services offered and sold by us will be protected by the ATOL scheme For further information, visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk.

We are a member of ABTA (ABTA no. V258X). When you buy a package holiday that isn’t covered under ATOL, protection is provided by way of a bond held by ABTA. You can contact ABTA – The Travel Association at: 30 Park Street, London, SE1 9EQ, consumerprotection@abta.co.uk, 0203 758 8779, www.abta.co.uk for a copy of the guide to ABTA’s scheme of Financial Protection.

If you book arrangements which do not constitute a Package holiday or Linked Travel Arrangement as defined within The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, the financial protection referred to above does not apply. Please refer to the relevant booking conditions: https://www.kuoni.co.uk/useful-information/terms-and-conditions

If we, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL certificate, are unable to provide the services listed (or a suitable alternative, through an alternative ATOL holder or otherwise) for reasons of insolvency, the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust may make a payment to (or confer a benefit on) you under the ATOL scheme. You agree that in return for such a payment or benefit you assign absolutely to those Trustees any claims which you have or may have arising out of or relating to the non-provision of the services, including any claim against us, the travel agent (or your credit card issuer where applicable). You also agree that any such claims may be re-assigned to another body, if that other body has paid sums you have claimed under the ATOL scheme.

2.16 Kuoni’s price guarantee

All prices quoted on our website are calculated using dynamic rates of exchange as set by Kuoni. Many services are typically paid in the currency of your holiday destination and pricing will fluctuate accordingly. Website guide prices can go up or down and we will give you the up to date price before you make a booking, including the cost of any peak season supplements, fuel surcharges, upgrades or additional facilities which you have requested*. Once you have accepted this price and a booking has been made, the price is fully guaranteed and will not be subject to any surcharges.

*See also 2.5 - Out of Date Range Flights.

Price does not include:

Unless otherwise stated, your booking does not include visa fees, overseas airport taxes, overseas porterage, any government taxes or compulsory charges to be paid locally, (these will be communicated within your documentation, where such fees are known to us); taxes, levies or other compulsory charges that require payment by you, directly. Where possible, we will advise you of any local charges that may be due. Optional excursions or activities booked during your holiday are payable by you. Any sundry costs incurred by you in preparation for your holiday, including but not limited to insurance, vaccinations, screening and medical certifications are at your own cost.

Pre-departure

If you want to change or cancel your holiday

3.1 Changes or Additions To Your Holiday

If you want to make changes to your holiday arrangements after the invoice has been issued, we will do our best to assist but it may not be possible. Requests for changes must be made in writing by the lead name or their travel agent. Changes will be subject to an administration charge of £50 per booking and payment of any further costs incurred as a result of the change. Costs are likely to increase, the closer to the departure date the changes are made. If we agree that you may change your booking to a holiday of lower value and then you cancel that holiday, we reserve the right to levy cancellation charges on the value of the original booking.

Scheduled airlines normally regard name changes as a cancellation and rebooking, so any alteration may incur a 100% cancellation charge in respect of the air fare. Any changes to destination or routing may incur the loss of the original deposit collected. Date and name changes are permitted, subject to availability and the relevant charges imposed as per the airline’s own policies (details available on request). Any changes made may also result in additional charges due to an increase in airfare or charges imposed.

Please note that, save for the transfer of a booking (see below) or the addition of any offers made by Kuoni which were not requested at the time of booking, it will not be possible to make changes within 30 days of your scheduled departure date.

3.2 Transferring Bookings

You can transfer your booking to another person who satisfies all of the conditions that apply to this booking, by giving us notice in writing at least 7 days before departure. Both you and the new traveller are jointly liable for paying all costs we incur in making the transfer. Additionally, an administration charge will be made of £50 per person for requests made more than 61 days (or 100 days cruise, 180 days world cruise) before departure, and £100 per person within 61 days (or 100 days cruise, 180 days world cruise) before departure. For flight-inclusive bookings, you must pay the charges levied by the airline concerned. As most airlines do not permit name changes after tickets have been issued for any reason, these charges are likely to be the full cost of the flight. If you request to change all names on a booking, this will be considered as a cancellation and subsequent new booking and full cancellation charges will apply for the original arrangements.

3.3 Cancelling Your Holiday

If you or anyone on your holiday booking decides to cancel the holiday, the lead name or their travel agent must notify us of the decision in writing as soon as possible. Any notification by telephone must also be followed up in writing before it can be accepted. Cancellation will take effect from the day written confirmation is received by us.

A cancellation invoice will be sent within 7 days. If you do not receive this, please contact us immediately in order to prevent an increase in charges. You may also check your booking has been cancelled on our website, www.kuoni.co.uk.

Since we incur costs in cancelling your travel arrangements, the following scale of charges will be payable. Insurance premiums and amendment charges are not refundable in the event of cancellation. References to the deposit include all sums paid or payable at the time of booking.

Please be aware that in some instances, higher cancellation charges may be applied to your booking than those outlined in the table above. E.g. where hotels charge a higher cancellation fee, you have taken advantage of an airline offer and paid a higher deposit, or where an airline ticketing deadline has been passed. Where special conditions have been applied, the cancellation charge payable by you will be the higher of either any enhanced deposit paid or the appropriate cancellation charge to be detailed, in accordance with your booking arrangements. Amendment and cancellation charges for bookings containing cruising elements will be applied in line with the cruise provider’s own booking conditions. These could be up to 100% of the total holiday cost and may vary between cruise providers. Amendment and cancellation charges for any retail bookings where Kuoni has acted as an agent will be subject to the Principal provider’s own terms and conditions. Please ensure you are familiar with these before you book.

You may cancel your booking without paying cancellation charges if the performance of your package, or the carriage of passengers to your destination, is significantly affected by unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances. In such circumstances, we will arrange for your booking to be terminated and for you to receive a full refund. We will observe advice provided by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

It is important to enquire for full details of cancellation terms at the time of booking and prior to cancellation. You must ensure that you have appropriate travel insurance in place for your needs. This should include, but not be limited to, cover against loss of deposit and cancellation fees.

If we want to change or cancel your holiday

4.1 Website/Brochure Accuracy

We rigorously check all holiday information to ensure it is correct to the best of our knowledge before being published. Product descriptions and facilities may change before and after you book as our marketing material is prepared well in advance. Please check the up to date position at the time of booking as service providers may wish to maintain or improve their facilities. Flight times, carriers and routes are given for guidance only as there may be changes and details will be shown on your final itinerary and e-tickets. Tour, excursion, cruise or safari itineraries may change as a result of local conditions. Circumstances such as these, or weather conditions, time of year, events occurring in the destination or other situations beyond our control etc., may cause some of the amenities we have described to be unavailable or different from those advertised. When we are told of any significant or long-term changes we will endeavour to advise you without undue delay.

4.2 Pricing Errors

Whilst we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the pricing information provided, regrettably errors may occasionally occur. We will endeavour to notify you at the time of booking of pricing errors (if we are then aware of the mistake), within 7 days of the time of booking or as soon as reasonably possible. If a booking is already in place, you will have the choice to continue with the chosen itinerary at the corrected price or amend to a different holiday. We reserve the right to cancel the booking if you do not wish to accept the price that applies to your holiday or any quoted alternatives.

4.3 Flight Changes

Flight timings, routings and days of operation shown on our website, in our brochures and/or detailed within your confirmation invoice are for guidance only and may be subject to change. They are set by airlines and are determined by various factors. Any changes to such arrangements are outside of our control. Airlines occasionally change the type of aircraft used on a particular flight without advance warning. We will advise you of any significant changes and any minor timing changes will be shown on your travel documentation, which you should check carefully when received. Any change in the identity of the airline, flight timings and/or aircraft type (if advised) will not entitle you to cancel or change to other arrangements without paying our normal charges, except where specified in these conditions.

4.4 If We Change Or Cancel Your Holiday Before Your Departure

We plan arrangements a long time in advance of your holiday using independent suppliers. On occasions changes do have to be made, and we reserve the right to make these. Most of these changes are minor. However, occasionally, changes are significant.

Examples of a significant change include: a change of accommodation to that of a lower category and/or price for the whole or a major part of your time away, a change of flight time of more than 12 hours, a change of UK departure airport (except between London airports), or a significant change of resort area. We do our best to avoid cancelling holidays but we must reserve the right to do so and will only cancel your confirmed booking after you have made full payment where we are forced to do so as a result of ‘force majeure’ as defined below (see 4.5) or lack of minimum numbers.

If we have to make a significant change or cancel, we will tell you as soon as possible. If there is time to do so before departure, we will offer you the choice of the following options:-

a) accepting the changed arrangements (with any refunds that may be due to you for changes to a lower category of service); or

b) selecting an alternative holiday from us of a similar standard to that originally booked, if available. If this holiday is cheaper than the original, we will refund the price difference. You will be liable to us for any additional costs payable for the new arrangements; or

c) cancelling the booking or accepting our cancellation of the booking, in which case you will receive a full refund of all monies you have paid to us, within 14 days.

If we have to make a significant change or cancel we will, where appropriate, pay you compensation as set out in the table below. Compensation entitlements will vary depending on the circumstances and when the significant change or cancellation is notified to you subject to the following exceptions:

Compensation will not be payable and no liability beyond offering the above-mentioned choices in 4.4(a-c) can be accepted where: (i) we are forced to make a change or cancel as a result of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which we could not have avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken, or (ii) we have to cancel because the minimum number of bookings necessary for us to operate your holiday has not been reached.

No compensation will be payable and the above options set out in 4.4(a-c) will not be available if we cancel as a result of your failure to comply with any requirement of these booking conditions entitling us to cancel (such as paying on time) or where a change is a minor one. A change of flight time of less than 12 hours, airline (except where otherwise stated), type of aircraft (if advised) or destination airport will all be treated as minor changes.

Compensation in the event of any significant change to your cruise arrangements, will be made as future credit towards another cruise, rather than a cash value.

4.5 Changes Due To Circumstances Beyond Our Control

Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions, we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance or prompt performance of our obligations under our contract with you is prevented or affected by, or you otherwise suffer any damage, loss or expense of any nature as a result of, "force majeure".  In these booking conditions, "force majeure" means any unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances beyond our control which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not have avoided, even if all reasonable measures had been taken. Such events may include but are not limited to, whether actual or threatened: war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity and its consequences, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions; epidemics, pandemics or other outbreaks of illness, fire and any other situations which are outside our control.

4.6 Tours

Whilst every effort is made to operate a tour as advertised, on occasion it may be necessary to make changes to the accommodation, content, routing or order of an itinerary. Unless the change significantly alters the holiday, no refunds or compensation will be payable. In the event that a change is significant, see 4.4 – If we change or cancel your holiday before departure.

4.7 Minimum Numbers

Some of our trips/tours require a minimum number of participants to enable us to operate them. We will indicate at the time of booking whether a particular holiday is subject to a minimum number of participants. If the minimum number is not reached, we reserve the right to cancel your booking. We will advise you at least 61 days before departure if this is the case. You will then have the choice of booking an alternative holiday with us, changing your departure date at the appropriate additional cost, or having a refund of monies paid. No compensation will be payable, and we are unable to offer refunds of any associated costs e.g. insurance, visas etc.

On Holiday

5.1 Our Commitment To You For Your Holiday Arrangements

a) We promise to ensure that the holiday arrangements we have agreed to make, perform or provide as part of our contract with you are delivered with reasonable skill and care. Subject to these booking conditions, we will accept responsibility if, for example, you suffer death or personal injury or your contracted holiday arrangements are not provided as promised or prove deficient as a result of the failure of ourselves, our employees, agents or suppliers to use reasonable skill and care in making, performing or providing, as applicable, your contracted holiday arrangements. You must inform us without undue delay of any failure or improper performance of the travel services included in this package. It is your responsibility to show that reasonable care and skill has not been used if you wish to make a claim against us and we will only be responsible for what our employees, agents and suppliers do or do not do if they were at the time acting within the course of their employment (for employees) or carrying out work we had asked them to do (for agents and suppliers).

b) We will not be responsible for any injury, illness, death, loss (for example loss of enjoyment), damage, expense, cost or other sum or claim of any description whatsoever which results from any of the following: -

i) the act(s) and/or omission(s) of the person(s) affected or any member(s) of their party, or

ii) the act(s) and/or omission(s) of a third party not connected with the provision of your holiday and which were unforeseeable or unavoidable, or

iii) unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, which means a situation beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. See 'force majeure' as defined in 4.5 - Changes Due To Circumstances Beyond Our Control.

c) For claims which do not involve personal injury, illness or death, the most we will have to pay if we are liable to you is three times the price the person affected paid for their holiday (not including insurance premiums and amendment charges). We will only have to pay this maximum amount if everything has gone wrong and you have received no benefit from your holiday whatsoever. Where enjoyment of only some days has been affected, we will refund reasonable related expenses and pay a daily sum of compensation up to £50 per day per person affected.

d) Further to (b) above, our liability will also be limited in accordance with and/or in an identical manner to:

i) The contractual terms of the companies that provide the travel services which make up your package. These terms are incorporated into this booking; and

ii) Any relevant international convention, for example the Montreal Convention in respect of travel by air, the Athens Convention in respect of travel by sea, the Berne Convention in respect of travel by rail and the Paris Convention in respect of the provision of accommodation, which limit the amount of terms and conditions under which compensation can be claimed for death, injury, delay to passengers and loss, damage and delay to luggage. We are to be regarded as having all benefit of any limitation of the extent of or the conditions under which compensation is to be paid under these or any other applicable conventions. In the event that any claim is made directly with us, our liability to pay compensation and/or the amount of compensation will be limited in accordance with these conventions, where applicable.

e) Under EU law you have rights in some circumstances to refunds and/or compensation from your airline in cases of denied boarding, cancellation or delay to flights. Full details of these rights will be publicised at EU airports and will also be available from the airlines. However, reimbursement in such cases will not automatically entitle you to a refund of your holiday cost from us. If any payments to you are due from us, any payment made to you by the airline will be deducted from this amount. If your airline does not comply with these rules you should complain to the CAA www.caa.co.uk.

f) Please note, we cannot accept responsibility for any services which do not form part of our contract. This includes, for example, any additional services or facilities which your hotel or any other supplier agrees to provide for you where the services or facilities are not advertised by us and we have not agreed to arrange them as part of our contract and any excursion you purchase in resort. In addition, regardless of any wording used by us on our website, in any advertising material or elsewhere, we only promise to use reasonable care and skill as set out above and we do not have any greater or different liability to you.

g) The promises we make to you about the services we have agreed to provide or arrange as part of our contract – and the laws and regulations of the country in which your claim or complaint occurred – will be used as the basis for deciding whether the services in question had been properly provided. If the particular services which gave rise to the claim or complaint complied with local laws and regulations applicable to those services at the time, the services will be treated as having been properly provided. This will be the case even if the services did not comply with the laws and regulations of the UK which would have applied had those services been provided in the UK. The exception to this is where the claim or complaint concerns the absence of a safety feature which might lead a reasonable holiday maker to refuse to take the arrangements in question. Please note, however, our obligation is to exercise reasonable skill and care as referred to in 5.1(a). We do not make any representation or commitment that all services will comply with applicable local laws and regulations and failure to comply does not automatically mean we have not exercised reasonable skill and care.

h) Our suppliers (such as airlines, accommodation or transport providers) have their own booking conditions or conditions of carriage, and these conditions are binding between you and the supplier. Some of these conditions may limit or remove the relevant transport provider’s or other supplier’s liability to you. You can get copies of such conditions from our offices, or the offices of the relevant supplier.

i) If we make any payment to you or any member of your party for death, personal injury or illness, you must agree to transfer to us or our insurers any rights you may have to take direct action against the person or organisation responsible for causing the death, personal injury or illness and you must co-operate fully with us in seeking recovery of any payment that we make.

j) Operational decisions may be taken by air carriers and airports resulting in delays, diversions, overbookings, downgrades or rescheduling. Kuoni has no control over such decisions and is therefore unable to accept responsibility for them. Where, as a result of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances we are obliged to change or end your holiday after departure, but before the end of your holiday, we will not pay compensation or reimburse you for expenses incurred. You should have adequate travel insurance for your holiday and claim via your insurance company for any loss or damage to luggage and/or personal possessions.

If it is impossible to ensure your return as scheduled due to unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, we will bear the cost of necessary accommodation, if possible of equivalent category, for a maximum of three nights. The limit doesn’t apply to persons with reduced mobility and any person accompanying them, pregnant women and unaccompanied minors, or persons in need of specific medical assistance, provided that you notified us of these needs at least 48 hours before the start of your holiday.

k) Whilst you are away on holiday you may be offered the opportunity to buy optional excursions and activities. These are provided by independent local companies, which are neither owned nor controlled by Kuoni, and for whom Kuoni acts only as an agent (if we make a booking for you). If you decide to buy an excursion or activity, your contract will be made with the local company which provides it and it will not form part of your contracted holiday arrangements with us. See 1.6 – Services Outside of your Contract with Kuoni. The contract will be subject to the excursion/activity provider’s terms and conditions, some of which may exclude or limit its liability to you and will be governed by local law and jurisdiction. Kuoni accepts no liability for any breach of contract or act or omission of any excursion/activity provider. Some excursions/activities may contain an element of risk or require a good level of physical fitness, and, if in doubt, you should make direct enquiries with the local provider, before deciding to buy and check that you are covered by your travel insurance policy.

5.2 Flight Delays

If your flight is delayed, we will arrange for the following to be provided, whenever practical, and subject to the airport being able to cater for this:- over 4 hours, an appropriate meal, for delays of at least 8 hours extending beyond midnight, overnight accommodation will be provided wherever possible. However, this will depend on such factors as the expected length of delay, local availability of accommodation, immigration rulings etc. Where long flight delays result in lost holiday time, no refunds are given by hotels for unused accommodation as rooms are held for delayed arrivals, not re-let.

5.3 If We Curtail Your Holiday After Departure

Very rarely, we may be forced by "force majeure" (see 4.5 - Changes Due To Circumstances Beyond Our Control) to change or terminate your holiday after departure but before the scheduled end of your time away. This is extremely unlikely but if this situation does occur, we regret we will be unable to make any refunds (unless we obtain any refunds from our suppliers), pay you any compensation or meet any costs or expenses you incur as a result. Please ensure you have adequate travel insurance in place to cover any such eventuality.

5.4 Curtailment

If you abandon or cut short any element of your holiday and/or return home early in circumstances where i) you have no reasonable cause for complaint about the standard of accommodation and/or the holiday services provided, or ii) any lack of conformity could reasonably have been remedied via the provision of alternative arrangements by Kuoni or an appropriate price reduction, your decision to curtail will be deemed elective. No refunds will be payable for any unused elements of your holiday, and we will not be in a position to assist with any associated costs that you incur while making onward arrangements and/or returning home. We will, however, be happy to provide you with general assistance upon request. Depending on the circumstances, your travel insurance may offer cover for curtailment and we suggest that any claim is made directly with them.

5.5 Behaviour

If, in our reasonable opinion or in the opinion of any other person in authority, your behaviour is causing or is likely to cause danger, upset or damage to property or is persistently affecting the enjoyment of others, we reserve the right to terminate your holiday. Should this happen, no refund or compensation will be paid to you or any member of your travelling party and we will have no further responsibility for your holiday arrangements, including your return travel.

5.6 If You Have A Complaint While You Are On Holiday

You must bring any complaint to the attention of our local representative or agent and the hotel immediately and they will do their best to rectify the situation. If matters remain unresolved, your concerns must be brought to the attention of the Kuoni Duty Officer, without undue delay (see 5.7 Duty Officer). It is unreasonable to delay or take no action whilst on holiday, but then to complain upon your return and this may affect our ability to investigate and take remedial action and it may impact on the way your complaint is dealt with.

5.7 Kuoni Duty Officer

Kuoni offers 24-hour assistance for emergency situations and to help resolve any general issues while you are on holiday. The number provided on your itinerary is a messaging service and our Duty Officer will return your call. Many destinations have local representation and they should be contacted in the first instance, should you have a problem.

On return from your holiday

6.1 Surveys

As a valued customer, we may periodically send you email surveys to complete, so we can track your satisfaction throughout the course of your booking journey. We would like to know about your experience with Kuoni before, during and after you travel and whether there are any elements of our service that you feel we could look to improve along the way.

6.2 If You Had A Problem

If a problem remains unresolved during your holiday, you should make a complaint in writing to Kuoni within 28 days of the completion of the holiday. Please direct your correspondence to our Customer Support team at customer@kuoni.co.uk quoting your booking number and a daytime telephone number. We will acknowledge your correspondence as soon as possible and aim to reply to you within 28 days, as set out within ABTA’s Code of Conduct.

6.3

We are a member of ABTA, membership number V258X. We are committed to maintaining a high standard of service to you as part of ABTA’s Code of Conduct. You may wish to refer any unresolved matters relating to this contract to ABTA’s scheme for the resolution of disputes, which is approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. You must have previously filed your complaint with ABTA in order to qualify for their ADR services. (See 7.1 for further advice on Law & Jurisdiction.) For more information on the Code and ABTA’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) services please visit www.abta.com.

General information

7.1 Law & Jurisdiction

English Law (and no other) will apply to your contract and to any dispute, claim or other matter of any description (hereinafter referred to as “claim”) which arises between us (except as set out below). We both also agree that any claim (and whether or not involving any personal injury) must be dealt with under the ABTA arbitration scheme (if the scheme is available for the claim in question and you wish to use it – see 6.3) or by the Courts of England and Wales only unless, in the case of Court proceedings, you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland. In this case, proceedings must either be brought in the Courts of your home country or those of England and Wales. If proceedings are brought in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you may choose to have your contract and claim governed by the law of Scotland/Northern Ireland as applicable (but if you do not so choose, English law will apply).

7.2 Health, Safety & Security Abroad

We take the safety and security of our customers extremely seriously. If the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advises that people should not visit a particular destination and we reasonably believe this is going to affect your holiday arrangements, we will act on this and we reserve the right to cancel your holiday. However, we are sure you appreciate from press and television coverage that the political, economic and social conditions in many of the countries we feature in this brochure are not as stable as we are used to in the UK. Sadly, crimes against both people and their property are a fact of life the world over, and when in a foreign country it is very important to be extra vigilant and avoid drawing attention to yourself. Travellers have the same responsibility for their health, personal safety and that of their possessions as they do at home.

We sell holidays to many parts of the world, some of which do not conform to British health and safety standards. We request that all hotels comply with the local regulations applicable in their country for health and safety, but we cannot guarantee that these meet British standards and therefore urge you to undertake reasonable precautions to protect your travelling companions and yourself whilst on holiday.

To make the most of your trip abroad, check out the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office website at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. Packed with essential travel advice and tips, this website offers a wealth of country-specific information that only the FCDO can provide.

7.3 Data Protection Policy

In order to process your booking, send you a brochure or respond to an enquiry, we need to collect personal data from you. Depending on what’s required, the personal data we collect may include names and contact details, credit/debit card or other payment information and special requirements such as those relating to any disability or medical condition which may affect holiday arrangements and any dietary restrictions which may disclose your religious beliefs (“sensitive personal data”). All references in this privacy policy to personal data include sensitive personal data unless otherwise stated. The person who makes the booking is responsible for ensuring that other members of your party are aware of our booking conditions and this privacy policy and that they consent to your acting on their behalf in your dealings with us.

We may disclose personal data to companies within the DER Touristik Group for business purposes and to companies who act as data processors on our behalf. In making your booking, you consent to personal data being passed on to the relevant suppliers and other third parties. We take appropriate technical and organisational measures which are intended to prevent unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data.

By making a booking with us, you agree to allow your insurers, their agents and medical staff to disclose relevant information to us in circumstances where we may need to act in your interests or in the interests of everyone in any group with whom you are travelling.

For information on how we collect, process and manage your data in line with the General Data Protection Regulation please refer to www.kuoni.co.uk/about-us/privacy-policy/.

You are generally entitled to ask us what details of yours are being held or processed, for what purpose and to whom they may be or have been disclosed. Please identify any such enquiry as a Subject Access Request and direct your enquiry to a member of our Customer Services team at customer@kuoni.co.uk, who will respond to you within one month. In certain circumstances we are entitled to refuse your request. If you believe that any of your personal data which we are processing is incorrect, please contact us immediately so it may be updated.

Important Holiday Information

Holiday insurance

This is a vital part of any holiday so please ensure you take out adequate travel insurance as soon as your booking has been confirmed. It is essential that you discuss both your itinerary and your specific needs with your policy provider to ensure you are suitably protected.

Our Staff

We pride ourselves on the quality and friendly professionalism of our staff. In our search to continually try and improve our level of service, we are committed to on-going training, part of which involves the recording of phone calls and the retention of other media communications, in line with our Privacy Policy, which can be found at www.kuoni.co.uk/about-us/privacy-policy/.

Representative Services

Please note that we do not have representative services available in all the destinations we feature and therefore you will not necessarily be met upon arrival. Please ensure you refer to your itinerary which will provide the appropriate contact details should you need assistance whilst on holiday.

Kuoni Exclusive properties

We feature hotels and resorts around the world where we have exclusive booking rights as a tour operator based in the UK. Kuoni Exclusives may be booked via your local travel agent, as part of a Kuoni holiday. Properties listed as Kuoni Exclusive may be available to book directly or via third party providers, based overseas.

’From Prices’

Kuoni offers the flexibility to create your own holiday from the range of accommodation and services available. A ‘from’ price is indicative of the lowest price available for the hotel or itinerary featured but this may vary depending on a number of factors such as your date of travel and choice of accommodation. Please call our Sales team or visit our website for further information about services and prices.

Your accommodation

Hotel Grades

Choosing the right hotel can be a dilemma, especially when travelling to long haul destinations. Whilst most hotels have official star ratings locally, in some cases these cannot always be relied on. We have categorised all hotels throughout our brochures and online to give a general guide. Standards can however vary between hotels of the same class, in different countries, and even in the same country. For example, city hotels which often cater for business as well as leisure travellers may have generally higher standards than a beach resort where the atmosphere will tend to be more relaxed. It is important to carefully read the individual hotel descriptions.

Single Rooms

If a single person occupies a double or a twin room a single supplement will be chargeable as the cost of providing the room costs the same to the hotel, regardless of how many people occupy it. This also applies to self-catering units where they are not fully occupied. Where single rooms are available, they are often smaller and sometimes less well-appointed than other room categories. On safari, excursions and touring holidays, single rooms cannot always be guaranteed. Please check to see if any special offers or single saver rates are available at your preferred hotel.

Triple/Quad Rooms

A third or fourth person sharing a room either shares existing beds or has an extra bed (which may be of camp-bed style) placed in a double/twin room. As conditions may be cramped, you may wish to consider booking two rooms.

Booking A Room For Early Arrival Or Late Departure

As a guide, accommodation check-in is generally between 2pm and 3pm on the day of arrival, and checkout is between 10am and noon, irrespective of your arrival or departure times. Timings can, however, vary as each supplier will have its own policy. Please speak to your Personal Travel Expert for further information on booking rooms outside of standard check-in/check-out times. Additional costs may apply.

Hotels For Couples

Some hotels marketed as being for “couples” cater for mixed sex couples only. In some countries, such as Sri Lanka and Dubai, same sex couples are illegal. We recommend that if you are a same sex couple, you thoroughly research your chosen hotel/destination before you book, to ensure it is suitable for you.

Room Upgrade/Honeymoon/Anniversary Offers

When the offer of a room upgrade is included with your booking, it is not necessarily an upgrade to the next category featured in our brochure, but usually an upgrade to the next category of room (not suite) available within the hotel. Anniversary offers only apply if you’re celebrating your Silver (25th) or Golden (50th) wedding anniversary while on holiday.

Remember to advise us if it is your honeymoon or Silver/Golden anniversary and to take a copy of your marriage certificate with you on holiday. In order to qualify for a special offer, the corresponding part of your stay must start and end within the date band advertised. For hotel sale discounts and bonus night offers where there is a minimum stay requirement, the nights spent at the hotel must be consecutive. Any offers shown are correct at the time of publishing, but they may change at short notice and not all offers can be combined. For the most up to date and available offers, please contact your travel agent and/or our sales team or check on-line.

Extramarital and LGBTQ+ relationships

Not all areas of the world operate with the same level of political and social freedom that we’re used to here in the UK. Certain countries have very strict laws on extramarital / LGBT+ relationships and the punishment for breaking these can be severe. Even in countries where extramarital / LGBT+ relations are legal, the levels of tolerance and acceptance within society may still vary hugely. In order to get the most out of your holiday, it is important to respect the local traditions, customs, laws and religions. Please refer to the FCDO’s destination guidance for any countries you are planning to visit, so you can consider whether they suit your needs. Further helpful guidance specifically for LGBTQ+ travellers can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/lesbian-gay-bisexual-and-transgender-foreign-travel-advice

Extras

At certain hotels we may offer a complimentary lunch, dinner, or hotel bar credit. At other hotels we may offer up to a 20% discount on food and/or beverage extras usually payable at the end of your stay. This offer is not available if you pay by credit card, nor is a cash alternative available.

Bonus Night Offers

Where we specify “bonus night” offers this will not necessarily mean bonus nights are multiplied if you book a longer duration, therefore, please ensure you ask at the time of booking to clarify the number of bonus nights you will receive.

Children On Holiday

Accommodation offers are subject to availability of triple or quad rooms. Please note meals are not provided for infants. Any charges, such as for a cot in the room or food for the infant, are to be paid by you, directly to the hotel, unless expressly stated otherwise.

Infant airfares are based on an infant sitting on an adult’s lap and additional charges will apply for infants requiring their own seat. There is no entitlement to a separate seat on an aircraft if the flight is full. International airline regulations allow only one infant per adult. A private minibus or vehicle must be booked for escorted tours, coach tours or safari holidays if travelling with children under 10.

Some destinations, owing to their lack of special child or medical facilities are also not suitable for very young children but we would be happy to advise which hotels or resorts we think suit your requirements best. See the relevant pricing information for any specific minimum age restrictions that may apply.

Hotel and airline provider definitions of an Infant may vary. We are happy to make enquiries to suit your individual needs upon request.

Free child accommodation stays

Where we offer 'free child accommodation stays’ at many of our hotels, these are generally based on sharing existing beds in the room. If you require a separate bed, you must advise us at the time of booking, as there may be a charge added to your booking, or this charge may be payable locally. Any meal plan charges will still apply.

Meals

Meals, if included, are based on table d’hôte menus or a meal voucher system, unless specified otherwise in your travel documentation. Holidays which include main meals generally commence with dinner on the day of arrival at your hotel and terminate with breakfast (on half board) or lunch (on full board) on the day of departure. All Inclusive packages generally finish at check-out time on your day of departure between 10am and noon. After this time, payment for any additional meals must be made direct to the hotel. No refunds on meals not taken can be given.

ii) Special dietary requirements/food allergies can seldom be catered for adequately within the constraints of a table d’hôte menu and not all destinations recognise the needs of those with dietary requirements/allergies, equally. As such, we are unable to guarantee that any such requirements will be adequately met. Anyone with special requirements/food allergies, should consider which meal plan is most suitable for their needs and it is important to discuss this prior to making a booking. We would recommend that options such as upgrading to an All Inclusive package or selecting a lower board basis in order to eat offsite in the local restaurants are explored. In addition to notifying Kuoni of any such requirements at the time of booking, it is your responsibility to bring these needs to the attention of our suppliers promptly upon commencement of the service(s) they are providing to you, so they can assist you, locally.

iii) Where breakfast is included this will more commonly be a continental breakfast, although full breakfasts are provided at certain hotels. Please ask at the time of booking if this is important to you.

iv) Supplements for optional meal plans offer you the opportunity of being able to budget for extra costs before you go. In some cases, you may find the cost of the meal cheaper locally, however we regret that it will not be possible to refund the difference either during or after your holiday.

v) Pre booked meals may be subject to dining in the main restaurant only and on occasion it may be necessary to be seated with other hotel guests. If you have paid a half board supplement it may be possible in some hotels to ask for a credit from the table d’hôte dinner to be used against a meal in an à la carte restaurant. Please note that the value of the voucher will generally be considerably less than the half board supplement included in your holiday price.

For a full description of what’s included, check the hotel description. Hotels often place restrictions on restaurants and meal arrangements. Times for inclusive drinks, meals and snacks vary. All Inclusive does not necessarily mean that unlimited food and beverages are available 24-hours a day and it is uncommon for minibars to be included in such packages. An All-Inclusive package may not include bottled water, imported drinks, à la carte meals, or some specialty dishes. Some restaurants expect you to reserve a table and will be subject to availability. Not all bars and restaurants operate on an All-Inclusive basis. Also, there may be cash bars once participating All Inclusive bars close.

Public Holidays / Local Festivals / Events

Some celebrations may result in a reduction of facilities, entertainment and the availability of alcohol. Regional/local festivals and events may also take place throughout the year. You should research your destination if you have concerns about what impact these may have on your holiday. Local tourism offices can often be found online should you wish to check for information prior to booking.

Holiday Seasons

Some of the destinations that we feature have quieter 'off peak' periods when you can take advantage of uncrowded beaches and a more personal attention from hotel staff at excellent prices. At this time, it may be necessary for hotels to scale down the size of some of their facilities, such as restaurants, to match demand.

Peak Season Supplements

During peak periods such as Christmas and Easter when demand outstrips the supply of airline seats and accommodation, you may find that supplements are added to the cost of your holiday. The supplements may be for certain holiday departures and/or accommodation on specific dates. They do not necessarily indicate that additional services such as Gala dinners will be provided. The cost of these supplements will be quoted to you at the time of booking and are applied by the supplier, not Kuoni.

Other Hotel Guests

Many hotels accommodate weddings, conventions and conferences. Also, some destinations may have an influx of groups such as students, associations or clubs. We have no control over the acceptance of bookings at the hotels that we feature. We are therefore unable to accept responsibility for any inconvenience caused by such groups or their activities.

Building & Development Work

Many hotels and resorts are continuing to develop, sometimes rapidly and intensively and often with little or no advance warning. Whilst we have no control over such work, as a responsible tour operator, it is important to us that you are aware of any significant building/refurbishment work that may be going on during your stay. General refurbishment at hotels is necessary to maintain standards but if we are informed of such work where this can reasonably be expected to have an effect on your holiday, we will endeavour to notify you of it as soon as possible, however near to your departure this may be.

Water/Electricity Supplies

In many of the less sophisticated destinations we feature, the water and electricity services struggle to keep up with the increased demands from tourism. Limited rainfall can put further pressure on their provision. Whilst hotels do everything possible to maintain full services, power cuts and/or water restrictions may be experienced that are outside of their control. We cannot be held accountable for such occasions where outages or interruptions arise.

Accommodation In The Tropics

In many hotels, especially beach resorts, ‘insects’ in the rooms (e.g. ants, cockroaches etc.) and the occasional rodent sighting around the hotel grounds are almost inevitable. It should by no means be taken as a sign of dirtiness, as it is simply a fact of life in these destinations. Likewise birds, cats and dogs may also be seen in resort areas.

Views from accommodation in the tropics

Views from some hotel rooms/accommodation may be obscured by palm trees and other vegetation that can grow very quickly in tropical climates. Room categories may also vary between different properties. Please check room descriptions carefully if a specific location and/or view is important to you.

Transport / entry requirements

Valuables and Medication

We recommend that a change of clothes, along with any valuables and essential items such as medication, are carried in your hand luggage while travelling; however please ensure you check the rules of the airline you are flying with, along with those of the country you are visiting, carefully. There may be restrictions or requirements in place, such as carrying certain types of medication.

If you intend to take any medication away with you on your holiday, please refer to the guidance issued by the NHS on how to plan for any special arrangements you may need to make. Please ensure you do this in good time before you are due to departure, to ensure you do not experience any difficulties during your trip.

Under 18's Travelling Without Parents

Please note, minors travelling without their parents may need to have written authority from them confirming they are permitted to travel. This should be translated where necessary, with both copies notarised. You must ensure that you check the specific requirements for any country that you are travelling to or transiting through. Failure to provide the correct documentation may result in denied boarding or being refused entry. Domestic border control may require the same upon your return home. It is your responsibility to ensure that all necessary paperwork is obtained in good time before departure.

Group Transfers

Our holidays include group transfers from airports/hotels and vice versa unless otherwise stated on the appropriate pages or your documentation. A group transfer is generally a shared transfer and the type of vehicle used will normally be dependent upon the size of the group, with stops being made en route to drop off/pick up other clients. The duration of your transfer will be dependent upon the individual arrangements required. In many destinations, we also offer the choice of upgrading to your own private transfer at the appropriate cost. Where we are unable to provide group transfers as an option, private transfers will be quoted within your holiday arrangements. Please note some transfer arrangements may require reconfirmation locally. Be sure to check your travel documentation prior to departure.

Car seats for children

Child seats are not provided for transfers and the legislation varies from country to country. If you specifically require a car seat, we advise you to either take your own or speak to your Personal Travel Expert, who can try to arrange this for you. There may be an additional charge for the provision of child car seats.

Flight Seat Requests, Airlines & Aircraft

Please ensure that you check in early if you a have particular seat preference, we have no control over the allocation of seats by the airline even if a request has been made with them to pre-book specific seats for you and the provision of particular seats does not constitute a term of your contract with Kuoni. Although some airlines offer the facility to book seats online, this is not always possible when booking a holiday through us, as the holidays we offer are based on special Tour Operator fares.

In accordance with EU directive (EC) no. 2111/2005, we are required to bring to your attention the existence of a ‘Community List’ which contains details of air carriers that are subject to an operating ban within the EU Community. The Community list is available for inspection at http://ec.europa.eu/transport/air-ban/list_en.htm.

We are required to advise you of the actual carrier(s) (or, if the actual carrier(s) is not known, the likely carrier(s)) that will operate your flight(s) at the time of booking.  We do this by listing carriers to be used or likely to be used on your holiday confirmation invoice. Any changes to the actual airline after you have received your tickets will be notified to you as soon as possible and in all cases at check-in or at the boarding gate. Where we are only able to inform you of the likely carrier(s) at the time of booking, we shall inform you of the identity of the actual carrier(s) as soon as we become aware of this. Any change to the operating carrier(s) after your booking has been confirmed will be notified to you as soon as possible. If the carrier with whom you have a confirmed reservation becomes subject to an operating ban as above as a result of which we/ the carrier are unable to offer you a suitable alternative the provisions of ‘If we change or cancel your holiday’ will apply.

Direct Flights

A flight that is described as direct is one where there is no need to change aircraft during the journey. However, stops may be made en route for re-fuelling or to let passengers on and/ or off. Details of any stops will be given on your itinerary wherever possible.

Code Share Flights

It is a common practice for scheduled airlines to use a code share system, which may include you flying with a partner airline. Where this situation arises, it is not classed as a major change.

Scheduled and 'No Frills' Carriers

‘No frills’ flights do not generally include refreshments or in-flight meals. Please check with one of our Personal Travel Experts if this is important to you.

Flying times

The times given in this brochure are approximate and based on outbound flights. They may vary depending on flight schedules, type of aircraft, weather conditions etc., and are indications of the hours spent actually flying (excluding time on the ground during stops en route or when changing aircraft). Where no figures are shown, we do not offer direct or same day connecting flights.

General

Excursion/Meal Packages

Excursion or meal packages which are offered are not always cheaper than buying the same arrangements locally. It is often the case that these packages are offered for the convenience of being both booked and paid for in the UK. The cost of any unused tours within excursion packages may not be refunded.

Local Purchases

We cannot accept responsibility for any items you may purchase locally e.g. jewellery/furniture etc. and the quality and value of such cannot be guaranteed. We recommend that you check whether or not any extra charges will be payable for import duty or freight as we are unable to assist with any costs you may incur in this respect.

Weather & Tidal Conditions

Information is supplied by the Meteorological Office, local tourist offices and other sources and is offered as a general guide only. Please note that many of the destinations we feature have a tropical climate where heavy rainfall and strong winds (sometimes hurricane force) do occur at certain times of the year. During monsoon season, you are likely to get more rain than sunshine. Most people go on holiday to spend time in the sunshine and although adverse weather conditions can be very frustrating, Kuoni cannot assume any responsibility for the statistical information provided, nor accept liability to make refunds or pay compensation for alternative arrangements, damage to property or curtailed holidays as a result of such conditions.

Some destinations featured are subject to tides at specific times of the year which can affect swimming. Depending on the destination you have chosen, there may be restrictions on areas where it is safe to swim due to strong currents or sea defences which protect the local beaches. We strongly recommend you listen to local advice to ensure your own safety. Please refer to meteorological websites for the latest and most up-to-date information on tides for the destination you intend to travel to.

Maldives / Coastal Conservation

It is becoming ever more important to conserve the world’s natural resources. Changes in season, wind direction and tides can cause the shape and beach width of some tropical islands to change. The use of sandbags and sand pumping procedures on beaches is becoming increasingly necessary, in order to minimize the effects of erosion. Whilst such activity is most prominent in the Maldives, other tropical locations may also be affected. Reef eco systems worldwide are suffering from bleaching, erosion and other natural decline, associated with extreme weather and climate change. Whilst the effects can be temporary, recovery can be very slow.

Volunteering Holidays

The volunteering element of your holiday involves working and, where applicable, staying in locations which tourists do not usually visit. These locations are often remote and the conditions for the people who live there are generally basic. Volunteering is not a conventional holiday activity and the organisations with whom we work do not provide services for tourists. Whilst we will endeavour to carry out certain health and safety checks on any accommodation you are intended to stay in, these checks will be limited. We do not carry out health and safety checks on the other elements of your volunteering experience as it is not practical for us to do so. We make no representations or promises as to the conditions you will encounter during your volunteering experience or that there will be compliance with any minimum standards of health, safety or hygiene. You must therefore exercise caution and take all appropriate steps to protect yourself against the risks involved.

Whilst volunteering, you are likely to come into contact with both wild and domestic animals. All animals, including domesticated ones, are unpredictable and capable of causing injury and even death. They may also carry disease or parasites which may be passed on by close contact with the animal or its faeces. You must therefore exercise a great deal of caution and take responsibility for your own safety in any situation where animals are, may be or have been present. All instructions and guidance provided in relation to any animal, whether in advance or by anyone accompanying you, must be followed at all times and no animal must be touched or approached unless you are specifically invited to do so. As we cannot control any animal nor predict its behaviour, we cannot accept any liability for any injury, illness, death, loss, damage or other claim of any nature which you suffer in connection with any animal.

Photographs

The images featured in our brochures and online have been used by kind permission of our business partners and are protected by copyright.