PAYMENT POLICY
25% deposit is required at the time of booking your tour, with the 25% amount due no later than 30 days prior to departure. In general touring, the remaining 50% amount can be deposited during or after the tour but before it comes to an end. Failure to adhere to the payment policy may result in the cancellation of your booking. Please note: Latest payment policies are available on request from our Customer Service Team. Also, if you making payment by any mode other than NEFT/RTGS, direct deposit, cash payment, you need to pay the transfer charges incurred by bank or any agency.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Discover Leh Ladakh realizes that most people who cancel their reservations do so out of necessity or emergency. Nevertheless, cancellations are costly to administer and involve dedicated staff time, communications costs and advance purchased bills. Therefore, all cancellations would be charged the following fees:
Before 30 days: 15% of the tour cost
30 – 15 days: 30% of the tour cost
14 – 7 days: 70% of the tour cost
6 – 3 days 80% of the tour cost
2 – 0 days 100% of the tour cost
All cancellations within 25 days of beginning of the trip will attract a minimum cancellation charge of Rs 10,000
If you fail to join a tour, join it after departure, or leave it prior to its completion, no refund can be made. The above cancellation fees are in addition to fees which may be levied by accommodation house properties or third party cancellation fees.
CANCELLATION DUE TO LANDSLIDE/SNOWFALL/BAD WEATHER/RIOTS
If the tour is cancelled/postponed due to landslide/snowfall/bad weather conditions/road blockade, riots or any weather/riots related problems at the last moment, no refund would be made.
If the road is blocked and guests miss a stay at next destination, the full cost of the hotel stay would be charged, in addition to the tariff of the hotel booked instantly by us for their emergency stay. However, guests can book and pay the hotel for emergency stay at their own expenses.
If a particular destination is cancelled at the last moment, the full amount would be charged. This strict policy is applied as nature and its plays are beyond our control.
Blocking of the road, especially due to unrest in Kashmir, can also lead to change in booking in the last moment and guests are required to cooperate with us. In such circumstances, tourists will have to bear the expenses for any change. These are rare situations but can happen to anyone.
FLIGHT BOOKING POLICY
Customers shall have to pay 100% of the flight ticket charges in advance to book them air ticket. However, they will pay for the rest of the tour according to above mentioned PAYMENT POLICY. Refund for cancellation of flight tickets would be made according to the airline policies.
CHANGES TO BOOKINGS
In case of a booking alteration, such as change of destination, date or number of persons travelling, Discover Leh Ladakh and our third party tour operators, reserve the right to charge a fee where applicable.
CONDITIONS OF TRAVEL
All the travellers are needed to carry valid photo id along with them. Travellers from abroad are need to carry passport, visa and valid travelling documents. We accept no responsibility for loss or damage to personal belongings or baggage. The Aboriginal components of our tours are subject to cultural conditions. Participants may be absent due to cultural commitments with minimal prior notification and we reserve the right to amend the itinerary in these circumstances with no obligation to refund.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Travel insurance is not included in the tour price. However the same can be done on request at an extra cost.
CHILD POLICY
Children 5 years and under (1 child per room) shall not be charged. Children aged 6 to 11 years would be charged 35% of the cost (of parents). Children of 12 years or above in age would be liable to pay the full tour cost.
FITNESS POLICY
Children 3 years and under are not recommended to travel on any tour to Ladakh. Individual requests may be considered on a case by case basis. Discover Leh Ladakh highly recommend its customers to consult medical officer/doctor before bringing children below 8 years of age along with them. Those who are suffering from asthma, heart diseases or high altitude sickness should also consult their doctors. If a guest(s) suffer medical problems during tour and is/are required to cancel their tour, the package cost would not be refunded. We strongly request our guests to get themselves medically examined before visiting Ladakh. Also, they should eat healthy and drink enough water and take all precautions to keep their body fit.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS
Ladakh is very safe, tourist friendly and cheering place, but still you need to take care of some preparations which can make your tour even better and memorable:
– Only post-paid mobile phones work in Leh-Ladakh, preferably BSNL, Airtel, Vodafone. As phones may not work at many places, keep your family members informed well in advance not to worry if they fail to contact you.
– You would hardly find any cellular network in most of the areas in Leh. BSNL works better here, however you would find Airtel signals also at some places.
– Keep ready a pair of woollen (not heavy) with you as temperature may dip as low as 5 degrees any time even during summer months.
– Carry good Sun Screen lotion, sun glasses (goggles), cap with you to avoid sunburn as sun rays are direct and can burn your skin.
– Don’t forget to carry photo id with you. Passport is the best option. Driving License and Voter Cards are also valid.
– While travelling on mountains, keep drinking water and eating healthy food and fruits to avoid vomiting due to high altitude sickness and dizziness due to curby roads
– Carry headache, stomachache, anti vomiting tablets with you. Keep drinking water and fruits to avoid minor high-altitude sickness.
– Take high altitude tablets (diamox or acetazolamide tablets) a day before your tour (preferably before falling asleep) and may also take before boarding plane to Leh. Having rest and drinking enough water for some hours after reaching Leh is advised.
– Leh has only few ATM machines where you can withdraw cash. But mostly these machines witness long queues of customers and run out of cash most of the time. So carrying enough cash is advisable.
– Please respect the Buddhist and Muslim culture of Ladakh. Providing world class services in the secluded place, which is similar to an oasis, is very difficult and challenging. Still we try our best to bring cheer on your faces. If you need to do compromise at any point (though we never hope for such moment), please do cooperate us.
CODE OF ETHICS
Code of Ethics for tourists visiting Ladakh
a) As a Guest – Respect local traditions- protect local cultural- maintain local prides.
b) While taking Photographs- Respect privacy-ask permission and restraint use of flashlight for photography and filming inside National Monuments and smoking and alcohol drinking is strictly prohibited
c) Respect Holy Place- preserve what you have come to see- never touch or remove religious objects- purchase and sale of antiques which is more than 100 years old is against the law and it attracts punishment under rules.
d) Don’t carve your initials on the wall of religious places and historical monuments.
e) Keep noise levels down- especially at night or in quiet religious centres.
f) While in Mountains burn or bury all non-degradable litters-don’t expect others to clean up after you.
g) Keep stream water clean and avoid using pollutants such as detergents in stream and springs- if no toilets facilities are available- make sure are at least 30 Meter away from water source and Bury or cover waste.
h) Giving to Children encourages begin- a donation to project like Health Centre or School is a more constructive way to help.
i) Visitors who value local traditions encourage local prides and maintain local cultures-please help them to gain a realistic view of life in other parts of the World.
j) The beauty of the place and loving kinds of the people may change you but please do not change them.
Code of Ethics for tourism entrepreneurs
a) Tourists are our respectable Guests and it costs nothing to receive with a sweet smile.
b) Tourists come to discover the land of eternal peace with serene beauty and rich cultures- share the valuable information to learn from each other.
c) Better quality environment is important for Tourism as it attracts Tourists and makes them feel at home and enjoy their stay.
d) Maintain our valued traditions of simplicity and sincerity in the services of tourists because they visit us to enjoy tours but not to sofar.
e) Have prides in the Multi-coloured lifestyle of the people and introduce tourists to our ancient songs and music- arts and crafts and our family cooking, which come from our customs.
f) Whosoever goes home with nostalgia for the smile of welcome- for kindness and sincerity- will come back with friends.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT LADAKH
With majority of Muslims, Ladakh, a part of Jammu & Kashmir State in north of India consisting of two districts Leh and Kargil. Leh with an area of 45,110 Sq Km makes it largest district in the country in terms of area. It lies between 32 to 36 degree North latitude and 75 degree to 80 degree East longitude. The district is bounded by Pakistan occupied Kashmir in the West and China in the north and eastern part and Lahul Spiti of Himachal Pardesh in South East. It is at a distance of 434 Kms from Srinagar and 474 Kms from Manali. Leh district comprises of Leh town and 112 inhabited villages and one un-inhabited village. The total population of Leh district is 1.17 lakh (117 thousand). Nubra, Leh, Kharo, Khal, Durubak and Nyoma are the subdivisions of Leh district.
For More Information: Call +91-9418-703344 or +91-8988-334444 (24 hours helpline) or E-mail discoverlehladakh@gmail.com