Highway Tours

Booking Terms and Conditions
1. IMPORTANT!
Please read this information before you make your booking.

The following Booking Conditions together with the general information contained in the relevant brochure form the basis of your contract with Highway Tours. Please read them carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations.

In these Booking Conditions, “the client/s”, “you” and “your” mean all persons named on the booking (including anyone who is added or substituted at a later date). “We”, “us” and “our” mean Highway Tours.
The term "tour," "holiday," or "service" means any services we agree to supply under the terms of our contract with you.

2. Payments
Once we have confirmed the details of our services with you, we will send you a link to an online booking form. You can then book your tour and make the required payment by direct bank to bank transfer.

(1). Deposit: Clients are required to pay a non-returnable deposit which will be the amount indicated on the booking form if not otherwise required to pay the full payment. A deposit should be paid to confirm booking at least 30 days before the start of the tour.

(2). Final payment: The remaining balance of the tour price is due upon arrival or not less than 15days before the start of the tour. If full payment is not made before the start of the tour, we reserve the right to cancel your tour.
3. Making your booking
To make a booking, you will be sent a link to a booking form that contains the summary details of your tour along with the amount to be paid.

The person making the booking must be authorized to make the booking on the basis of these Booking Conditions by all persons named on the booking and their parent or guardian for all party members who are under 18 when the booking is made.

By acting accordingly, you or the party leader confirms that he/she is so authorised. The party leader is responsible for making all or the rest of payments due to us. The party leader must be at least 18 when the booking is made. All bookings are subject to our Booking Conditions.

Once we have received all appropriate payments, we will confirm your booking by issuing a confirmation invoice. If we do not receive all payments due (including any surcharge where applicable) in full and on time, we will be entitled to treat your booking as cancelled by you and retain all deposits paid or due at that date.

4. Your contract
A binding contract between us comes into existence when we despatch our confirmation invoice to the group leader or your travel agent. We both agree that Ethiopian Law (and no other) will apply to your contract and any dispute, claim or other matter of any description which arises between us.

Please note that your accommodation, flights etc will be requested to our suppliers once your deposit has been paid. As soon as you pay a deposit, a contract will exist and we issue you a confirmation invoice.

Your confirmation invoice will indicate the cost of your requested services, the paid deposit, the names of the person/s and all the relevant information. It will be emailed or handed to the person in charge of the tour with names of passengers in their preferred order of sharing services. You are advised to check the confirmation invoice carefully and to let us know if there are any errors or discrepancies.

5. Cost increases
We reserve the right at our sole discretion to pass on to you any increase or any new charges such as costs increases as a result of transportation costs, taxes or other services. Such charges could come about from increases in fuel, scheduled airfares, airline surcharges, agents fees, taxes or fees payable for other services.

If our costs increase as a result of any changes in the exchange rates which have been used to calculate the cost of your tour, then we reserve the right as our sole discretion to also pass these on to you. Payment of any increased costs shall be made in accordance with the terms specified in any notice thereof given by us. We promise not to levy such surcharges once your tour begins.

6. Changes by you
Should you wish to make any changes to your confirmed tour, you must notify us in writing as soon as possible. Whilst we will endeavor to assist, we cannot guarantee we will be able to meet any such requests. Any cost caused as a result of the changes you made, changes or additions to tour programs must be borne by you. You will be responsible to pay together with any costs incurred by ourselves and any costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers even if the tour has already begun.

7. Changes by us
Whilst we always endeavor to avoid changes and cancellations, we must reserve the right to do so. If we have to alter your itinerary, travel or tour arrangements before departure, such changes will be classified by us as either major or minor.

Where a change is minor, we will, if practicable, advise you before departure but we are not obliged to do so or to pay you compensation. A minor change is any change apart from a major change.

A major change includes such changes as an alteration to your outward or return flight time by more than 12 hours; a change of accommodation to that of a lower official classification or standard for the whole or a major part of the time you are away.

If we have to make a major change or cancellation, 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:-

(i) Accepting the change. Or (ii) Purchasing an alternative tour from us, of a similar standard to that originally booked if available. We will offer you at least one alternative tour of equivalent or higher standard for which you will not be asked to pay any more than the price of the original tour.

If this tour is in fact cheaper than the original one, we will refund the price difference. If you do not wish to accept the tour we specifically offer you, you may choose any of our other then available tours. You must pay the applicable price of any such holiday. This will mean your paying more if it is more expensive or receiving a refund if it is cheaper.

8. Cancellations
We require full and final payment at least one month before the tour begins. In the case of a late cancellation by the client, fees will need to be charged to cover expenses made and lost opportunity for us and our suppliers.

For a cancellation that occurs 15 days prior to the tour date, we charge the total price. If the cancellation occurs 16-30 days prior the tour date, we charge only 25% of the total price.

9. Our liability to you
We provide our services in good faith and act responsibly for ensuring that they are as described in the details we supply and are to an acceptable standard for travel in this part of the world. We accept responsibility for some circumstances caused by the negligent acts and/or emissions of our employees or servants and facilities like vehicles whilst acting within the scope of, or in the course of their employment in the provision of your tour. And accordingly, we will take immediate action to resolve the problem.

(1). We promise to make sure that the services we have agreed to make, perform or provide as applicable, as part of our contract with you, are made, performed or provided with reasonable skill and care. This means that, subject to these Booking Conditions, we will accept reasonable responsibility if, for example, you suffer personal injury as a result of the failure of ourselves or our employees to use reasonable skill and care in making, performing or providing, as applicable, your contracted arrangements.

Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure that you have adequate travel, personal injury and health insurance. If you wish to register a complaint against us, you need to show that reasonable skill and care has not been used. In addition, 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).

(2). 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: -

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

- 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.

- Any event which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events may include war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, actual or threatened terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or man made disaster, adverse weather conditions, fire and all similar events outside our control.

- 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.

10. Travelers Code of Conduct
When you book with us, you accept responsibility for any damage or loss caused by you or any member of your party. Full payment for any such damage or loss must be paid direct at the time to the accommodation owner or manager or other supplier.

If in our reasonable opinion or in the reasonable opinion of any other person in authority, you or any member of your party behaves in such a way as to cause or be likely to cause danger, upset or distress to any third party or damage to property or fauna (including the collecting of any specimen from the natural world for example any plants or insects), we are entitled, without prior notice, to terminate the holiday of the person(s) concerned.

In this situation, the person(s) concerned will be required to leave the accommodation or other service. We will have no further responsibility toward such person(s) including any return travel arrangements. No refunds will be made and we will not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of the termination.

By observing our code travelers can help protect the environment, reduce pollution and preserve cultural and social heritages for future generations. Please check our travelers' code of conduct page http://www.ethiopiantour.com/travelers-conduct.php

11. Complaints
If you have any problem or complaints during your holiday, you are advised to inform the relevant service supplier and our office as soon as possible. If your problem cannot be resolved by the relevant supplier, you will be advised to obtain proof of your complaint and inform us in writing within 48 hours of your return. Otherwise, we cannot accept responsibility as we are prevented from the opportunity to investigate and provide possible solutions.

12. Travel Insurance
Clients are responsible for arranging their own comprehensive travel insurance. Full medical cover is essential and we strongly recommend that insurance is taken out at the time you confirm your booking so that you are covered for all eventualities.

13. Visa and travel documents
Clients are responsible to ensure that they have all the necessary travel documents and tickets in their possession including a full passport valid for 6 months beyond the holiday period, travel insurance policy, all necessary visas and any required medical certificates. Visas can be obtained on arrival, but it is better to obtain through the Ethiopian Embassy in advance to avoid possible delays.

14. Our contact and physical address
Eskinder Hailu Senbeta
Highway Tours
N/S/L Sub City 06-08/021
T: (+251- 91) 140- 5533 (24 Hrs)
(+251- 91) 183- 3394 (24 Hrs)
P. O. Box: 1517 code 1110 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
http://www.ethiopiantrips.com

Highway Tours is a tour operating and travel agency registered by the FDRE - Ministry of Trade and Industry under the Pri. Reg. No. 20/1/43065/99. Highway Tours is a registered trade name in Ethiopia under Reg. Cert. No.040/1/5078/99.