retreat T&Cs
Definitions
‘Cancellation’ is defined as not attending your scheduled retreat with Leigh Houghton, including postponing or rescheduling. ‘You’ refers to the guest booking a Retreat with Leigh Houghton. ‘We’ refers to Leigh Houghton. It is your responsibility to read and understand our cancellation policy before making a reservation.
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Payment Policy
To secure your place, a $500 non refundable deposit is required, with the balance owing 1 month (30 days) prior to the start date of the retreat.
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Guest Cancellation Policy
Leigh Houghton does not offer refunds for any reason, this is due to the prepaid nature that we must adhere to in Bali. A portion of your payment may be used as credit for another retreat within two years of your original retreat date. Your booking with Leigh Houghton is transferrable to a third party no later than 14 days prior to the retreat start date.. If you wish to cancel all or any part of your booking, notification of cancellation must be made to Leigh Houghton in writing. Cancellation fees for air tickets issued by or on behalf of Leigh Houghton will apply as determined by Airline Tariff Regulations, and may vary as to the type of ticket issued. Depending on the reason for your cancellation, these charges may be recoverable under any insurance policy you purchased.
Depending on when you cancel, cancellation fees may apply. Fees are determined by the following schedule:
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If you cancel 60 – 90 days before your retreat start date, 75% of your payment may be transferred to another person or applied to another Retreat with Leigh Houghton. Therefore you will forfeit 25% of the price of your retreat
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If you cancel 31 – 59 days before your retreat start date, 40% of your payment may be transferred to another person or applied to another Retreat with Leigh Houghton. Therefore you will forfeit 60% of the price of your retreat
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If you cancel 30 days or less before your retreat start date, you will forfeit your entire payment.
​Exceptions to our policy cannot be made for any reason, this is why it is imperative to get travel insurance as soon as you have paid the deposit. Please make sure that natural disasters and personal injuries are covered. We do not offer credit for arriving late or leaving early.
Please consult your travel insurance provider for cancellation refunds. Additional Leigh Houghton cancellation penalties may apply. No refunds will be made if you leave a trip for any reason after the trip has begun. No refunds will be made for any accommodation, transport, sightseeing, meals or services not utilised.
You must submit your signed Participant Agreement form within one week of booking or 90 days prior to the retreat start date, whichever comes first. Guests who fail to do so, may be subject to an automatic cancellation and the above policy will apply.
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Leigh Houghton Cancellations Policy
While we have never cancelled a retreat to date, if Leigh Houghton cancels or changes a scheduled retreat date for any reason, you may transfer your full retreat payment to another retreat, or you may request a refund of your payments to us, constituting a full settlement.
​Leigh Houghton is not responsible for any expenses incurred in preparation for any cancelled retreat, such as airline tickets, loss of work, and/or other costs associated with preparation for your trip.
If you do not accept alternative arrangements we will refund all payments you have made to Leigh Houghton, (in case of ‘Force Majeure’ or government travel advice refunds will be less any unrecoverable costs). Leigh Houghton will not be liable for any additional costs incurred by you. Force Majeure Leigh Houghton will not be liable for any delay in, change to or cancellation of trips due to ‘Force Majeure’. ‘Force Majeure’ means a circumstance beyond the reasonable control of Leigh Houghton and includes, but is not limited to, war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, disease, industrial or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, fire and strikes.
Prices and Validity
To reserve a spot on a specified tour, a non-refundable booking fee of $500 is required upon booking. After a confirmation has been emailed to you OR an Leigh Houghton representative calls you to confirm your reservation, a courtesy hold requires payment within 3 working days to secure the reservation, unless you have requested for a payment plan option.
Full payment (the balance) must be made within 30 days of the retreat start date. Prices are on twin share basis, and based on costs and exchange rates applicable when this brochure was printed. Leigh Houghton reserves the right to impose surcharges up to 60 days before departure due to unfavourable changes in exchange rates, increases in airfares or other transportation costs, increases in local operator costs, taxes or if government action should require us to do so. In such instances we will be responsible for the first 2% of the additional costs and you will be responsible for the balance. If any surcharge results in an increase of more than 10% of the trip price you may cancel the booking within 14 days of notification of the surcharge and obtain a full refund. We will not surcharge any booking for travel within the validity of this brochure once paid in full. Please note that a levy of up to 2.40% may be applied to all purchases made by credit card. Dates and itineraries departing after 31 January 2020 are indicative only and subject to change.
Airfares if applicable (except when otherwise stated), passport and visa fees, travel insurance, excess baggage charges, airport taxes, gratuities to leaders and guides, extra meals, laundry, drinks, medical expenses, optional activities and trips, and any items of a personal nature are not included in your trip price.
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Travel Insurance
Adequate and valid travel insurance is compulsory for all Leigh Houghton travellers. Your travel insurance must cover accidents, injury, illness and death medical expenses, including any related to pre-existing medical conditions, emergency repatriation (including helicopter rescue and air ambulance where applicable) and personal liability. Leigh Houghton also recommends it covers cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects. You must carry proof of insurance with you and produce it if reasonably requested by Leigh Houghton’ employees or suppliers. Leigh Houghton reserves the right to cancel or suspend your participation on a trip or in certain activities that comprise part of a trip, at any time, including after the commencement of your tour, with no right of refund, if you are unable to provide proof of insurance when requested.
Passports and Visas
It is your responsibility that you carry a valid passport and have obtained the appropriate visas when travelling with Leigh Houghton. Please ensure that your passport is valid for 6 months beyond the duration of your holiday.
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Your Trip and Assumption of Risk
Leigh Houghton operates trips in regions where standards of accommodation, transport, safety, hygiene, medical facilities and other infrastructure may, at times, not be of the standard that you are used to at home. By booking with us you acknowledge that participation in all Leigh Houghton trips involves inherent risks that may not be present in the case of conventional or less demanding holidays. These risks include, without limitation, the possibility of injury or death, psychological trauma, disease, loss or damage to property, inconvenience and discomfort.
The possibility of experiencing all or some of these risks is likely to be higher if participation in a Leigh Houghton trip involves visiting remote or unstable regions, or regions where there is dangerous wildlife. When assessing whether trips will operate Leigh Houghton uses information from its local sources in conjunction with advice from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the British Foreign Office and the US Department of State. It is your responsibility to accustom yourself with the travel advice provided by these government bodies, as well as that of your country of residency, before commencing the trip.
By booking with Leigh Houghton you acknowledge your decision to travel on a Leigh Houghton trip is made after due consideration of relevant travel information that may be made available at any time.
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Health, Fitness and Age Limits
It is your responsibility to advise Leigh Houghton of any pre-existing medical or mental health condition and/or disability that might reasonably be expected to increase the risk of you requiring medical attention, or that might affect the normal conduct of a tour and the enjoyment of other trip members. If requested by Leigh Houghton , or our suppliers, you may be required to provide an assessment of your medical condition by completing a special Health & Fitness Questionnaire and/or a Medical Clearance Form, the latter which requires certification by a medical practitioner. Leigh Houghton reserves the right, at its reasonable discretion, to cancel your booking and refund the money paid by you, less any unrecoverable costs. Leigh Houghton also reserves the right to cancel your participation in a trip at any time, including after the commencement of your trip, with no right of refund if your medical condition and/or disability could be reasonably expected to affect the normal conduct of the trip and the enjoyment of other trip members. Generally, we do not allow travellers under the age of 18 years on Leigh Houghton scheduled itineraries. However we will occasionally make exceptions for under-18s travelling with their legal guardian. The decision for any person under 18 years of age to travel on our scheduled itineraries is at the absolute discretion of the management of Leigh Houghton . For further information please contact Leigh Houghton.
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Exclusion of Liability
Except where stated otherwise, Leigh Houghton acts as agent for service providers when making arrangements for your trip. Where Leigh Houghton provides services it will do so with due care and skill. Leigh Houghton is not responsible for the acts and omissions of others, including tour guides, airlines and accommodation providers or for any loss, damage, death, injury or expense (including loss of money paid in advance), which you may incur as a consequence of the acts and omissions of others. You warrant that you have not relied on any representation made by Leigh Houghton , any travel agent or other Representative, which has not been stated expressly on this website. Optional Extras (which for the purposes of this section mean any activity, transportation, meal, or any other product or service not expressly included in the Product description or itinerary, or in the price of the Product) do not form part of the tour or Product. Client agrees that any assistance given by Leigh Houghton ‘Tour Leaders or other Leigh Houghton ’ representative in arranging, selecting, or booking, any Optional Extras is purely at the request of the Client, and Leigh Houghton makes no warranties regarding such information and expressly disclaims any liability whatsoever arising from any Optional Extras or participation thereon by any Client, or any information provided by any Leigh Houghton representative or Tour Leader regarding any Optional Extras. Accordingly, the Client hereby releases Leigh Houghton from all claims and causes of action arising from any damages, loss of enjoyment, inconvenience, or injuries related to Optional Extras. Leigh Houghton will not accept responsibility or liability if you contravene any law or regulation of any country or region visited. Any independent arrangements that you make that are not part of the Leigh Houghton trip (including pre and post accommodation) are entirely at your own risk and Leigh Houghton cannot and does not give you any assurance, representation or warranty in connection with any such arrangements. To the fullest extent permitted by law and subject to the exception set out below, Leigh Houghton does not accept liability for any loss, damage, death or injury however caused (including through negligence), which you may directly or indirectly suffer in connection with or arising from this contract or your participation in a trip, or in respect of a failure or omission on the part of Leigh Houghton to comply with its obligations under this contract, or in respect of any other conduct that Leigh Houghton undertakes in connection with a trip.
To the fullest extent permitted by law and subject to the exception set out below, you also agree to release Leigh Houghton and its officers, employees, agents and representatives (“Representatives”) from all costs, liability, loss and damage incurred by you in connection with your participation in any trip, and waive any associated claims that you may have against Leigh Houghton or its Representatives as a result of your participation in any trip. For these purposes, Leigh Houghton enters into these Booking Conditions as trustee or agent for its Representatives. To the fullest extent permitted by law and subject to the exception set out below, any condition or warranty, which would otherwise be implied into these Booking Conditions is excluded.
Where legislation implies any condition or warranty, and that legislation prohibits us from excluding or modifying the application of, or our liability under, any such condition or warranty, that condition or warranty will be deemed included but our liability will be limited for a breach of that condition or warranty to one or more of the following: (a) if the breach relates to goods, (i) the replacement of the goods or the supply of equivalent goods, (ii) the repair of such goods, (iii) the payment of the cost of replacing the goods or of acquiring equivalent goods or (iv) the payment of the cost of having the goods repaired; and (b) if the breach relates to services, (i) the supplying of the services again or (ii) the payment of the cost of having the services supplied again. Exception The “Exclusion of Liability” section set out in these Booking Conditions does not attempt or purport to exclude, restrict or modify liability arising under, or remedies that may be available to you, pursuant to legislation where the exclusion, restriction or modification of liability or remedies is not permitted. This includes legislation in part of the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth), and any state or territory Fair Trading Act (or its equivalent).
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Suppliers
Hotels, shuttle services or other constituent elements of a Product will be arranged by Leigh Houghton with suppliers local to the regions in which the Product operates, who may themselves engage the services of other local operators and/or sub-contractors. Leigh Houghton will at all times endeavour to appoint reputable and competent local suppliers. The terms and conditions of the suppliers will be applicable and are expressly incorporated into these Terms, and the Client assents to those terms and conditions and the limitations and obligations contained therein. These may limit or exclude liability of the supplier. The liability of Leigh Houghton will not exceed that of any supplier. All suppliers will be selected and assessed by Leigh Houghton in reference to local laws and regulations in the relevant country of operation. Neither Escape Artists & Retreats Leigh Houghton nor any carrier is liable for the acts or omissions of any independent contractors.
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Booking Amendments
If you wish to change your booking in any way, the following fees will apply: 1. Transfer from one tour to another (if available) Amendment request received by Leigh Houghton 14 days or more prior to the original tour departure date: $50 per person per trip will be levied and must be paid prior to any transfer being confirmed. This fee is in addition to any non-refundable permits we may have secured for your trip. Amendment requests received by Leigh Houghton within 14 days prior to the original tour departure date: charges will apply as per cancellation fees. 2. Amendments to your booking, in relation to any other arrangements made in conjunction with your tour (e.g. pre and post-tour accommodation, transfers, etc), received by Leigh Houghton within 14 days prior to tour departure date will be subject to a $50 administration fee per change. This fee is in addition to any charges levied by ground operators, hotels or airlines. 3. No amendments are permitted to your booking within 7 days of departure.
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Late Bookings
Bookings requests received by Leigh Houghton within 30 days before tour departure may require full payment before we can request a place on a tour. If we cannot confirm the booking we will refund you in full any monies paid to Leigh Houghton. Leigh Houghton will not be liable for any additional costs incurred by you.
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Changes to your holidays
You acknowledge that travelling with Leigh Houghton requires a degree of flexibility, good humour, and an understanding that the itinerary, accommodation, and/or modes of transport may change, even after a tour’s commencement, without prior notice due to local circumstances. Changes may occur because of ‘Force Majeure’, poor road conditions, weather, the availability of tickets, vehicle breakdowns, changes in transport schedules, or other circumstances beyond Leigh Houghton control or which simply cannot be foreseen.
Leigh Houghton do not accept any responsibility for loss of enjoyment, delays or compensation resulting from circumstances beyond Leigh Houghton’s control. You acknowledge that group sizes may also vary during the duration of your tour. The information about trips given in this brochure, Trip Notes and Pre-Departure Information are subject to change. It is your responsibility to review the up-to-date Trip Notes and Pre-Departure Information. This information will be communicated to you via email in the weeks leading up to your retreat. The information and conditions in the Trip Notes and Pre-Departure Information are deemed to be part of the contract. Where changes to your trip occur after you have received your final documentation we will, where practical, advise you or your travel agent of such changes.
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Authority of the leader
At all times the decision of the Leigh Houghton scape Artists & Retreats leader or representative (“Leigh Houghton Leader”) will be final on all matters likely to affect the safety and well-being of the trip. This includes any decision that the Leigh Houghton Leader makes about your on-going participation in the trip or certain activities that comprise part of the trip. If you fail to comply with a decision made by a Leigh Houghton Leader, or interfere with the well-being of the group, then the Leigh Houghton Leader reserves the right to terminate this contract and order you to leave the tour immediately, with no right of refund.
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Complaints
If you have any complaint about your trip, you must make it known at the earliest opportunity to the leader and/or Leigh Houghton local representative, who will normally be able to take appropriate action. If at the end of the trip you feel your complaint has not been properly dealt with you must notify us in writing within 30 days of the end of your trip.
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Severability
In the event that any term or condition contained herein is unenforceable or void by operation of law or as being against public policy or for any other reason then such term or condition shall be deemed to be severed from these Terms or amended accordingly only to such extent necessary to allow all remaining terms and conditions hereof to survive and continue as binding. If any provision of these Terms is found to be so broad as to be unenforceable, such provision shall be interpreted to be only so broad as is enforceable. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision hereof shall in no way affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision.
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Refusal of Service
Leigh Houghton retains the right to refuse service to any Client at any time, for any lawful reason whatsoever, in its sole discretion.
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Publicity
You agree that Leigh Houghton may use images/video of you taken during the trip without recourse to you and without compensation to you, for publicity and promotion purposes only through whatever medium it chooses.
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Privacy
In order to be able to supply a service to you Leigh Houghton will need to collect certain information from you, some of which may be of a personal nature. The information may be disclosed to, or collected on our behalf by our service providers to enable the services to be provided, but will not be used by them for any other purpose.
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Governing Law
This agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of Victoria, Australia and each party agrees to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Victoria, Australia as regards any claim or matter arising under this agreement.
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Updating of Terms and Conditions
The Company reserves the right to update and/or alter these terms and conditions at anytime, and it is the Clients responsibility to be familiar with them. The latest terms and conditions can always be found on the company website www.karawheatley.com and will supersede any previous versions.