Terms and Conditions » Venture Ethiopia - Tours and Travel

Terms and Conditions

  • Please note that the prices and booking conditions published on our website supersede those in any printed material.
  • In all cases, Venture Ethiopia Ltd, registered in the UK, acts as a selling agent only and Venture Ethiopia Tours and Travel, the Ethiopian tour operator, acts as the principal.
  • The following Booking Conditions together with the information contained on our website form the basis of your contract with Venture Ethiopia Ltd. Please read them carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations. In these Booking Conditions, "you" and "your" means the lead name on the booking (including anyone who is added or substituted at a later date). "We", "us" and "our" means Venture Ethiopia Ltd. The term “in writing” includes by email correspondence.

1. Making your booking

The person making the booking ("the party leader") must be at least 18 and must be authorised to make the booking on the basis of these Booking Conditions by all persons named on the booking. By making the booking, the party leader confirms that he/she is so authorised and that all party members agree to be bound by these Booking Conditions. The party leader is responsible for making all payments due to Venture Ethiopia Ltd. Once we have received your booking and deposit payment, we will, subject to availability, confirm your holiday by issuing a confirmation invoice by email. This confirmation will be sent to the party leader. Please check this confirmation carefully as soon as you receive it. Contact us immediately if any information which appears on the confirmation or any other document appears to be incorrect or incomplete as it may not be possible to make changes later. We regret we cannot accept any liability if we are not notified of any inaccuracies in any document within ten days of our sending it out.

2. Payment

In order to confirm your chosen holiday, a deposit of 15% of the price of your holiday will be required. The deposit payment must be paid at the time of booking. If you are travelling within eight weeks of departure, then the full balance will be payable at the time of booking.

The balance of the holiday cost must be received by us not less than eight weeks prior to departure. The due date will be shown on the confirmation invoice. If we do not receive all payments due (including any surcharge where applicable) in full and on time, we are entitled to assume that you wish to cancel your booking. In this case, we will be entitled to keep all deposits paid or due at that date. If we do not cancel straight away because you have promised to make payment, you must pay the cancellation charges shown in clause 6 depending on the date we reasonably treat your booking as cancelled.

3. Your contract

Subject to clause 1, a binding contract between us comes into existence when we send a booking reference number to the party leader. We both agree that Scottish Law (and no other) will apply to your contract and to any dispute, claim or other matter of any description which arises between us (except as set out below). We both also agree that any dispute, claim or other matter of any description (and whether or not involving any personal injury) which arises between us must be dealt with by the Courts of Scotland only unless, in the case of Court proceedings, you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. In this case, proceedings must either be brought in the Courts of your home country or those of Scotland. If proceedings are brought in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you may choose to have your contract and any dispute, claim or other matter of any description which arises between us governed by the law of England/Wales/Northern Ireland as applicable (but if you do not so choose, Scottish law will apply).

Changes to these Booking Conditions will only be valid if agreed by us in writing.

4. The cost of your holiday

We reserve the right to increase or decrease the prices of unsold holidays at any time. The price of your chosen holiday will be confirmed at the time of booking.

Once the price of your chosen holiday has been confirmed at the time of booking then, subject to the correction of errors, we will only increase or decrease the price in the following circumstances. Price increases after booking will be passed on by way of a surcharge. A surcharge will be payable if transportation costs and/or dues, taxes or fees payable for services such as landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports or airports increase or our costs increase as a result of any adverse changes in the exchange rates which have been used to calculate the cost of your holiday. Even in the above cases, we will absorb increased costs up to a total amount equivalent to 2% of the cost of your confirmed holiday (excluding any amendment charges). Only if the increased costs exceed this 2% will we levy a surcharge. If any surcharge is greater than 10% of the cost of your holiday (excluding any amendment charges), you will be entitled to cancel your booking and receive a full refund of all monies paid to us except for amendment charges or alternatively purchase another holiday from us as referred to in clause 8 "Changes and Cancellations by us".

You have 14 days from the issue date printed on the surcharge invoice to tell us if you want to cancel for this reason. If you do not tell us that you wish to cancel within this period of time, we are entitled to assume that you do not wish to cancel and will pay the surcharge. Any surcharge must be paid with the balance of the cost of the holiday or within 14 days of the issue date printed on the surcharge invoice, whichever is the later. Please note that travel arrangements are not always purchased in local currency and some apparent changes have no impact on the price of your travel due to contractual and other protection in place.

A refund will only be payable if the decrease in our costs exceeds 2% as set out above. Where a refund is due, we will pay you the full amount of the decrease in our costs. We promise not to levy a surcharge within 30 days of departure. No refunds will be payable within this period either.

We reserve the right to correct errors in both advertised and confirmed prices. We will do so as soon as we become aware of the error. Please note, changes and errors occasionally occur. You must check the price of your chosen holiday at the time of booking.

5. Changes by you

Should you wish to make any changes to your confirmed holiday, you must notify us in writing as soon as possible. Whilst we will endeavour to assist, we cannot guarantee we will be able to meet any such requests. Where we can assist, an amendment fee of £20 per person/per booking will be payable at our discretion, together with any costs incurred by ourselves and any costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers.

6. Cancellation by you

Should you or any member of your party need to cancel your chosen holiday once it has been confirmed, the party leader must immediately advise us in writing. Your notice of cancellation will only be effective when it is received in writing by us.

As we incur costs from the time we confirm your booking and may be unable to re-sell your holiday, the following cancellation charges may be payable, at our discretion. Where the cancellation charge is shown as a percentage, this is calculated on the basis of the total cost payable by the person(s) cancelling excluding any amendment / cancellation charges which have already been incurred.

Amendment / cancellation charges are not refundable in the event of the person(s) to whom they apply cancelling.

Depending on the reason for cancellation, you may be able to reclaim these cancellation charges (less any applicable excess) under the terms of your insurance policy. Claims must be made directly to the insurance company concerned. Period before departure within which written notification of cancellation is received by us (cancellation charge per person cancelling):

- More than 56 days prior to departure - Loss of deposit
- 56 to 43 days prior to departure – up to 40%
- 42 to 29 days prior to departure – up to 60%
- 28 to 15 days prior to departure – up to 80%
- 14 or less days – up to 100%

Please note: no refunds will be given in respect of activities which you book and then do not take part in whilst on holiday.

If any member(s) of your party is/are prevented from travelling, the person(s) concerned will be able to transfer their place to someone else (introduced by you) providing the following requirements are complied with. We must be notified of the transfer(s) not less than two weeks before departure. A transfer will not be possible if there is a waiting list for places in which case the available place must be offered to the next person on that list. Where a transfer to a person of your choice can be made, all costs and charges incurred by us and/or incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers as a result together with a discretionary amendment fee of £20 must be paid before the transfer can be affected.

7. Insurance

We consider adequate and appropriate travel insurance to be a pre-requisite to booking. You must ensure that your insurance provides adequate medical and cancellation cover. Please bear in mind that not all insurance policies may offer cover for the sort of activities you may be taking part in during your holiday.

Please read your policy details carefully and take them with you on holiday. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance cover you purchase is adequate for your particular needs.

8. Changes and cancellation by us

Occasionally, we have to make changes to and correct errors in brochure and other details both before and after bookings have been confirmed and cancel confirmed bookings. Whilst we always endeavour to avoid changes and cancellations, we must reserve the right to do so. However, we promise we will only cancel your confirmed booking 8 weeks or less before departure where you have failed to comply with any requirement of these booking conditions entitling us to cancel (such as paying on time) or where we are forced to do so as a result of circumstances outside our control/"force majeure" as defined in clause 9 below. We will not cancel after this date for any other reason. Most changes are minor. Occasionally, we have to make a "significant change". "Significant changes" include the following changes when made before departure; a change of accommodation to that of a lower classification or standard for the whole or a major part of the time you are away, a change of accommodation area for the whole or a major part of the time you are away, and, in the case of tours, a significant change of itinerary missing out one or more major destinations substantially or altogether. Some examples of minor changes include: change of accommodation to another of the same or higher standard.

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) (for significant changes) accepting the changed arrangements or
(b) purchasing an alternative holiday from us, of a similar standard to that originally booked if available. We will offer you at least one alternative holiday of equivalent or higher standard for which you will not be asked to pay any more than the price of the original holiday. If this holiday is in fact cheaper than the original one, we will refund the price difference. If you do not wish to accept the holiday we specifically offer you, you may choose any of our other then available holidays. You must pay the applicable price of any such holiday. This will mean you paying more if it is more expensive or receiving a refund if it is cheaper.
(c) cancelling or accepting the cancellation in which case you will receive a full and quick refund of all monies you have paid to us.

Please note, the above options are not available where any change made is a minor one. Furthermore, a change in the order of any activities you are due to carry out will be considered as a minor change. If we have to make a significant change or cancel before departure, we will pay you reasonable compensation subject to the following exceptions. Compensation will not be payable and no liability beyond offering the above mentioned choices can be accepted where (1) we are forced to make a change or cancel as a result of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which we could not have avoided even with all due care or (2) we have to cancel because the minimum number of bookings necessary for us to operate your holiday has not been reached - in this case we will notify you by the deadline specified. No compensation will be payable 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).

In all cases, our liability for significant changes and cancellations is limited to offering you the above mentioned options and, where applicable, we will pay compensation as detailed below except where the major change or cancellation arises due to reasons of force majeure. The compensation that we offer does not exclude you from claiming more if you are entitled to do so. No compensation is payable for minor changes.

Period before departure when a significant change or cancellation is notified to you (compensation per person):

More than 56 days before departure: Nil
56 – 22 days before departure: £20
21 – 15 days before departure: £30
14 – 8 days before departure: £40
7 – 0 days before departure: £50

Very rarely, we may be forced by "force majeure" (see clause 9) 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.

NB. If your flight is cancelled or delayed, or boarding is denied by your airline in circumstances which would entitle you to claim compensation against the airline under EC Regulation No 261/2004 - the Denied Boarding Regulations 2004, you must pursue the airline for the compensation due to you. All sums you receive or are entitled to receive from the airline concerned by virtue of these Regulations represent the full amount of your entitlement to compensation or any other payment arising from such cancellation, delay, downgrading or denied boarding. This includes any disappointment, distress, inconvenience or effect on any other arrangements. The fact a delay may entitle you to cancel your flight does not automatically entitle you to cancel any other arrangements.

We have no liability to make any payment to you in relation to the Denied Boarding Regulations or in respect of any flight cancellation or delay or denial of any boarding as the full amount of your entitlement to any compensation or other payment (as dealt with above) is covered by the airline's obligations under the Denied Boarding Regulations.

9. Force majeure

Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions, we regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance or prompt performance of our contractual obligations is prevented or affected by or you otherwise suffer any damage or loss (as more fully described in clause 10(1) below) as a result of "force majeure". In these Booking Conditions, "force majeure" means any event which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid.

These events can include, for example, war, riot, industrial dispute, terrorist activity and its consequences, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions, epidemics and pandemics, unavoidable technical problems with transport.

10. Our liability to you

(1) We promise to make sure that the holiday arrangements we have agreed to make as part of our contract with you are made with reasonable skill and care. This means that, subject to these booking conditions, we will accept responsibility if your contracted holiday arrangements are not provided as promised or prove deficient as a result of the failure of ourselves or our suppliers to use reasonable skill and care in making, performing or providing, as applicable, your contracted holiday arrangements. Please note it is your responsibility to show that reasonable skill and care has not been used if you wish to make a claim against us. In addition, we will only be responsible for what our suppliers do or do not do if they were at the time carrying out work we had asked them to do.

(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 or
- 'force majeure' as defined in clause 9 above

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

(4) 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 holiday in question.

(5) As set out in these booking conditions we limit the maximum amount we may have to pay you for any claims you may make against us. Where we are found liable for loss of and/or damage to any luggage or personal possessions (including money), the maximum amount we will have to pay you is £25 per person affected unless a lower limitation applies to your claim under this clause or clause 10 (6) below. For all other claims which do not involve death or personal injury, if we are found liable to you on any basis the maximum amount we will have to pay you is twice the holiday price (excluding amendment charges) paid by or on behalf of the person(s) affected in total unless a lower limitation applies to your claim under clause 11(6) below. This maximum amount will only be payable where everything has gone wrong and you have not received any benefit at all from your holiday.

(6) Where any claim or part of a claim concerns or is based on any travel arrangements (including the process of getting on and off the transport concerned) provided by any rail or road carrier or any stay in a hotel, the maximum amount of compensation we will have to pay you will be limited. The most we will have to pay you for that claim or that part of a claim if we are found liable to you on any basis is the most the carrier or hotel keeper concerned would have to pay under the international convention which applies to the travel arrangements or hotel stay in question (for example, the Warsaw Convention as amended or unamended).

Please note: Where a carrier or hotel would not be obliged to make any payment to you under the applicable International Convention or Regulation in respect of a claim or part of a claim, we similarly are not obliged to make a payment to you for that claim or part of the claim. When making any payment, we are entitled to deduct any money which you have received or are entitled to receive from the transport provider or hotelier for the complaint or claim in question. Copies of the applicable International Conventions and Regulations are available from us on request.

(7) Please note, we cannot accept any liability for any damage, loss, expense or other sum(s) of any description (1) which on the basis of the information given to us by you concerning your booking prior to our accepting it, we could not have foreseen you would suffer or incur if we breached our contract with you or (2) which did not result from any breach of contract or other fault by ourselves or, where we are responsible for them, our suppliers. Additionally we cannot accept liability for any business losses.

(8)You must provide ourselves and our insurers with all assistance we may reasonably require. You must also tell us and the supplier concerned about your claim or complaint as set out in clause 11 below. If asked to do so, you must transfer to us or our insurers any rights you have against the supplier or whoever else is responsible for your claim or complaint (if the person concerned is under 18, their parent or guardian must do so). You must also agree to cooperate fully with us and our insurers if we or our insurers want to enforce any rights which are transferred.

11. Complaints and problems

If you have a problem during your holiday, please inform the relevant supplier (e.g. your hotelier) and a representative of Venture Ethiopia Tours and Travel immediately, who will endeavour to put things right. If your complaint is not resolved locally, please follow this up within 28 days of your return home by writing to us giving your booking reference and all other relevant information. It is strongly recommended that you communicate any complaint to the supplier of the services as well as to our representative without delay and give written notice detailing your complaint whilst on holiday.

12. Behaviour

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 you fail to do so, you will be responsible for meeting any claims subsequently made against us or our suppliers (together with our own and the other party’s full legal costs) as a result of your actions.

We expect all clients to have consideration for other people. 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, we are entitled, without prior notice, to terminate the holiday of the person(s) concerned or we and the relevant person in authority (for example the activity provider) can prevent that person(s) from taking part in the activity(ies) concerned. In this situation, the person(s) concerned will be required to leave the accommodation or other service or activity area (as applicable). 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 or prevention from taking part in the activity(ies) concerned.

13. Conditions of suppliers

Many of the services which make up your holiday are provided by independent suppliers. Those suppliers provide these services in accordance with their own terms and conditions. Some of these terms and conditions may limit or exclude the supplier's liability to you, usually in accordance with applicable International Conventions (see clause 10 (6)). Copies of the relevant parts of these terms and conditions are available on request from ourselves or the supplier concerned.

14. Special requests, health, fitness, and medical conditions/disabilities

If you have any special request, you must advise us at the time of booking and clearly note it on your booking form. Although we will endeavour to pass any reasonable requests on to the relevant supplier, we regret we cannot guarantee any request will be met unless we have specifically confirmed this. For your own protection, you should obtain confirmation in writing from us that your request will be complied with (where it is possible for us to give this) if your request is important to you. Confirmation that a special request has been noted or passed on to the supplier or the inclusion of the special request on your confirmation invoice or any other documentation is not confirmation that the request will be met. We regret we cannot accept any conditional bookings, i.e. any booking which is specified to be conditional on the fulfilment of a particular request. All such bookings will be treated as “standard” bookings subject to the above provisions on special requests.

In order to take part in sporting activities, including trekking, all persons should be in good health and possess a reasonable basic level of fitness. If you are unsure about the physical demands of a particular holiday please ask us and we can advise you accordingly.

If you or any member of your party is pregnant or has any medical condition or disability which may affect your holiday or has any special requirements as a result of any medical condition or disability (including any which affect the booking process), please tell us before you confirm your booking so that we can assist you in considering the suitability of the arrangements and/or making the booking. In any event, you must give us full details in writing at the time of booking and whenever any change in the condition or disability occurs. You must also promptly advise us if you become pregnant or any medical condition or disability which may affect your holiday develops after your booking has been confirmed.

Please note: some of the activities we offer (for example but not limited to Cycling, Trekking, and Horse Riding), carry their own inherent risks and by booking such activities you acknowledge that you are exposing yourself to such risks.

15. Passports, visas and health requirements

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are in possession of all necessary travel and health documents before departure. All costs incurred in obtaining such documentation must be paid by you. 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 correct documentation. If failure to have any necessary travel or other documents results in fines, surcharges or other financial penalty being imposed on us, you will be responsible for reimbursing us accordingly.

16. Brochure accuracy

Please note, the information and prices shown in any printed material such as brochures may have changed by the time you come to book your holiday. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the brochure and prices at the time of printing, regrettably errors do occasionally occur. You must therefore ensure you check all details of your chosen holiday (including the price) with us at the time of booking.

17. Delay

We regret we are not in a position to offer you any assistance in the event of delay at your outward or homeward point of departure. In addition, we will not be liable for any delay.

18. Safety standards

Please note, it is the requirements and standards of the country in which any services which make up your holiday are provided which apply to those services and not those of the UK. As a general rule, these requirements and standards will not be the same as the UK and may sometimes be lower.