Booking Terms

1. Who we are and how to contact us

Zelenso Travel is a Sri Lankan inbound destination management company arranging tailor-made travel in Sri Lanka. In these Booking Terms, "Zelenso", "we", "us" and "our" mean ZELENSO (PVT) LTD, a company registered in Sri Lanka under company number PV 00359958, whose registered office is at 4/1, Wewagedara, Kurunegala 60000, North Western Province, Sri Lanka.

• Trading name: Zelenso Travel
• Website: https://www.zelenso.com/
• Email for bookings and enquiries: contact@zelenso.com
• Telephone and WhatsApp: +94 70 552 2299

We work remotely and from the field alongside our guides and drivers, so the registered office above is our address for legal notices rather than a public office you can call at. Enquiries, bookings and anything urgent reach us fastest by email, telephone or WhatsApp using the details above.

"You", "your" and "the traveller" mean the person who makes the booking and every person named on it. The person who makes the booking is the lead traveller and is responsible for payment and for passing our communications to everyone in the party.

2. Definitions

• Booking: a confirmed reservation for one or more travel services with us.
• Confirmation: the written document we issue when a booking becomes binding.
• Itinerary: the written description of the services we have agreed to arrange.
• Package: a combination of at least two different types of travel service for the same trip, sold at an inclusive price or otherwise combined so that it is treated as a package under the law that applies to your booking.
• Supplier: an independent business that provides part of your trip, including hotels, villas, transport operators, drivers, guides, safari operators, activity providers, restaurants, wellness and Ayurveda providers, rail and air carriers and similar businesses.
• Travel services: accommodation, transport, guided touring, excursions, activities, wellness treatments and any other service we arrange for you.
• Unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances: a situation beyond the control of the party who relies on it, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken.

3. Our role in your booking

Our legal responsibility depends on what you have booked. This distinction matters, so we set it out plainly rather than in the small print.

Where we act as organiser

Where we combine two or more different types of travel service into a single trip for you, we act as the organiser of that arrangement. We are responsible for arranging the services described in your Itinerary and for the proper performance of those services, subject to section 15.

Where we act as agent for a supplier

Where we arrange a single service on your behalf, such as a hotel-only booking or a standalone transfer, we act as an agent for the supplier. Your contract for that service is with the supplier, on the supplier's own terms, and our responsibility is limited to making the arrangement with reasonable skill and care.

We will tell you in your quotation and Confirmation which of these applies to your booking.

4. How a booking is made

• Enquiry: you tell us what you would like and we discuss it with you.
• Quotation: we send a written quotation and draft Itinerary, setting out the price, what is included, the deposit, the balance due date and the cancellation charges. A quotation is not a booking and does not hold any space.
• Quotation validity: quotations are valid for 14 days unless we state otherwise in writing. After that, prices and availability are re-checked.
• Provisional hold: we may hold space for a short period where a supplier allows it. A provisional hold is not a booking.
• Deposit: to confirm, you pay the deposit set out in your quotation.
• Confirmation: a binding contract comes into existence when we issue written Confirmation, not when you pay.
• Final documents: we issue final travel documents once the balance has been received and cleared.

If we cannot confirm a service after you have paid, we will offer you an alternative of comparable standard or a full refund of the amount paid for that service.

5. Prices, taxes and price changes

• Prices are quoted in US Dollars, Euros or Sri Lankan Rupees. Your quotation states which currency applies to your booking, and that is the currency of the contract.
• Your quotation states what is included and what is not.
• Prices include the government taxes and charges specified in the quotation. Taxes, park fees, permit fees and government charges introduced or increased after your Confirmation may be passed on to you at cost, with evidence.
• Entrance fees, permits and national park charges are set by third parties and can change without notice.
• Optional services added during your trip are payable locally to the relevant supplier unless we agree otherwise in writing.

Errors

We take care with our pricing, but errors occasionally occur. If we discover an obvious error in a price before your booking is confirmed, we will tell you and you may accept the corrected price or cancel and receive a full refund of anything you have paid.

Currency

Exchange rate movements between the date of quotation and the date of payment are not a ground for a price change unless the quotation expressly says so. If your card issuer or bank converts currency, the rate and any charges are a matter between you and them.

6. Payment

The deposit, the balance due date and the cancellation charges for your booking are set out in writing in your quotation, and repeated in your Confirmation. You receive them before you pay anything, and they do not change afterwards.

• Deposit: the amount stated in your quotation, payable to confirm your booking.
• Balance: due by the date stated in your quotation.
• Bookings made close to your arrival date are normally payable in full at the time of booking. Your quotation will say so.
• Accepted payment methods: the methods set out in your quotation. We will confirm them in writing before any payment is due.
• Any bank charges, card fees or intermediary transfer fees are payable by you unless we state otherwise.

If the balance is not received by the due date we will contact you before taking any action. If payment remains outstanding after we have given you written notice and a reasonable opportunity to pay, we may treat the booking as cancelled by you and apply the charges in our Cancellation Policy.

We may carry out reasonable checks to prevent payment fraud, including verifying the cardholder's identity. We may decline or reverse a booking where a payment is confirmed as fraudulent.

7. Changes you ask for

• We will do our best to accommodate changes, but we cannot promise them. Suppliers may refuse a change or charge for it.
• Where a supplier charges for a change, that charge is passed to you at cost.
• Where a change requires significant re-planning we may charge a reasonable administration fee. We will tell you the amount before you commit to the change, and you are free to decline it.
• A change of travel dates close to departure may be treated by suppliers as a cancellation and rebooking. In that case the charges in our Cancellation Policy apply.
• Changes to the names of travellers are subject to supplier rules and, for flights and rail tickets, are often not permitted.

8. Changes we or a supplier make

Occasionally we need to change something after Confirmation, usually because a supplier cannot deliver what was booked.

Minor changes

Minor changes include a change of hotel to another of the same or higher standard, a change to the order of an itinerary, a change of vehicle or a change of guide. We will tell you as soon as we reasonably can. Minor changes do not give rise to compensation.

Significant changes

A significant change is one that materially alters the trip you booked, for example a substantial change to the standard of accommodation, the removal of a headline experience, or a significant change to the dates. If we have to make a significant change before departure we will contact you and offer you a choice of:

• accepting the change;
• accepting an alternative arrangement of comparable or higher standard at no extra cost, or of lower standard with a price reduction; or
• cancelling the affected arrangement and receiving a refund in accordance with our Refund Policy.

We will give you a reasonable period to reply and will tell you what happens if you do not.

9. Cancellation

The cancellation charges for your booking are the ones stated in your quotation and Confirmation. How cancellation works, by you, by us and by a supplier, is dealt with in our Cancellation Policy, and the money consequences are dealt with in our Refund Policy. Both form part of this contract.

10. Your responsibilities

You agree to:

• give us complete and accurate information, including full names exactly as they appear in passports, dates of birth where required and contact details;
• tell us at the time of booking about any medical condition, disability, mobility requirement, allergy or dietary requirement that could affect the arrangements, so that we can tell you honestly whether the trip is suitable;
• hold a passport valid for the period required by Sri Lankan immigration rules and obtain any visa or travel authorisation you need;
• arrange appropriate travel insurance before you travel, as set out in section 12;
• arrive on time for transfers, tours and activities;
• follow the reasonable safety instructions of guides, drivers, rangers and activity operators;
• comply with Sri Lankan law and respect local customs, religious sites and the environment;
• treat suppliers, their staff and other travellers with respect; and
• pay for any damage you cause to accommodation, vehicles or equipment.

Behaviour

If your behaviour causes or is likely to cause danger, distress or damage, we or a supplier may end your participation in an activity or in the trip. Where that happens we are not obliged to refund you, meet any costs you incur, or arrange your onward travel, although we will help where we reasonably can.

Travellers under 18

Travellers under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian unless we agree otherwise in writing. Some activities and suppliers impose minimum ages, and we will tell you where we know of them.

• Travellers aged 17 and under must travel with a parent or legal guardian, who is responsible for their supervision throughout the trip.
• Children remain the responsibility of their accompanying adult at all times, including at hotels, pools, beaches, on safari and during activities.
• Individual activity operators set their own minimum ages, heights and health requirements, and may refuse participation on safety grounds. Diving, white water rafting, certain hikes and some water sports commonly exclude younger children.
• Tell us the ages of everyone travelling at the time of enquiry so we can design an itinerary that suits the whole party.

11. Passports, visas, health requirements and permits

Entry requirements are set by governments and change. You are responsible for meeting them, and we cannot accept responsibility if you are refused entry or denied boarding.

• Check the entry, visa and transit requirements that apply to your nationality well before you travel.
• Check the official travel advice issued by your own government.
• Check current health and vaccination requirements with a qualified healthcare professional or an official travel health service. We do not give medical advice.
• Some national parks, protected areas and sites require permits which we arrange where they form part of your Itinerary.

We provide general guidance in good faith. It is not immigration, medical or legal advice, and it does not replace official sources.

12. Travel insurance

We strongly recommend that every traveller holds comprehensive travel insurance from the moment of booking, and we may make it a condition of certain activities.

Your policy should be checked for adequate cover for at least:

• emergency medical treatment and hospitalisation in Sri Lanka;
• emergency evacuation and repatriation;
• cancellation and curtailment, including for medical reasons;
• travel delay and missed departure;
• baggage, money and personal belongings;
• personal liability; and
• the specific activities you intend to do, including safari, hiking, water sports, diving, surfing and cycling, many of which are excluded from standard policies.

We are not insurance intermediaries and we do not advise on the suitability of any policy.

13. Accommodation, transport and activities

Accommodation

• Room types, categories and bedding are as described in your Itinerary and are subject to the hotel's own terms.
• Standard check-in and check-out times apply. Early check-in and late check-out are requests, not guarantees.
• Hotel star ratings and classifications differ between countries and reflect local rather than international standards.
• Special requests are passed to the supplier and confirmed only where the supplier confirms them in writing.
• Facilities such as pools, spas and restaurants may close for maintenance, weather, private events or low season.

Transport

• Vehicles are provided by licensed operators with professional drivers.
• Journey times in Sri Lanka are longer than distances suggest. Times given in an Itinerary are estimates.
• Traffic, road works, weather, landslides, processions and religious events can cause delay.
• A vehicle may be substituted for another of the same or higher standard.
• Luggage allowances apply and depend on the vehicle. Tell us in advance if you have unusual luggage.
• Where domestic flights, seaplanes or trains form part of your trip, the carrier's own conditions of carriage apply.

Activities and experiences

Activities including safari, wildlife watching, whale and dolphin watching, hiking, trekking, cycling, surfing, diving, snorkelling, water sports, rail journeys, cultural visits, wellness treatments and Ayurveda are provided by independent operators and carry inherent risks. Our Travel Risk Notice describes them in more detail and forms part of this contract.

• You must declare relevant medical conditions before taking part.
• You must follow the operator's safety briefing and instructions.
• An operator may refuse participation on safety grounds, including where weather or sea conditions are unsuitable.
• Wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed. No refund is due because an animal was not seen.
• National parks may close, in whole or in part, at the direction of the authorities.

14. If something goes wrong during your trip

Tell us as soon as possible, and tell the supplier on the spot. Many problems can be fixed immediately and cannot be fixed at all after you have gone home.

• Report the problem to the guide, driver, hotel or activity operator at the time.
• Contact us on +94 70 552 2299, by telephone or WhatsApp, so that we can try to resolve it. We aim to answer quickly at any hour, but we are a small team and cannot promise an immediate reply overnight. In an emergency, contact the emergency services first, then us.
• If it is not resolved, put your complaint in writing to contact@zelenso.com within 28 days of the end of your trip.
• We will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and give a substantive reply within 28 days. If an investigation with a supplier takes longer, we will tell you and keep you updated.

Failing to report a problem while you are still in Sri Lanka does not remove your legal rights, but it may reduce what we can put right and may affect the amount of any compensation.

15. Our responsibility to you

We take our responsibilities seriously and we do not attempt to exclude liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.

• We are responsible for arranging your booking with reasonable skill and care.
• Where we act as organiser, we are responsible for the proper performance of the travel services in your Itinerary, and we will provide appropriate assistance if you are in difficulty.
• We do not exclude or limit our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited under the law that applies to your booking.

We are not responsible for:

• services you arrange independently, whether before, during or after your trip;
• international flights to and from Sri Lanka that you book yourself;
• loss or damage caused by your own act or omission, or by a third party unconnected with the travel services;
• unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances as described in section 17; or
• loss of enjoyment or disappointment that does not result from a failure to perform the services we agreed to arrange.

Limits on the amount we pay

Where we are liable, and to the extent the law allows, our liability is limited as follows:

• For claims not involving personal injury, illness or death, our liability is limited to the total price you paid us for the affected travel services, and in any event to a sum that is fair and reasonable in the circumstances.
• Where an international convention limits the compensation payable by a carrier or accommodation provider, the same limits apply to any claim against us in respect of that service.
• We are not liable for indirect or consequential losses, or for loss of profit, to the extent the law allows that exclusion.

Valuables and personal property

Take reasonable care of your belongings, use hotel safes where provided and do not leave valuables in vehicles. Suppliers may limit their liability for property under their own terms and under applicable law.

16. Travellers resident in the United Kingdom and the European Union

We market our services to travellers in Europe, and we do not seek to deprive European travellers of rights they hold at home.

• If your booking is a package or a linked travel arrangement within the meaning of the package travel rules that apply where you live, those rules apply in addition to these Booking Terms.
• Those rules can give you rights we have not repeated here, including rights on price revision, significant change, cancellation for unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, refund deadlines, assistance while travelling and protection if the organiser becomes insolvent.
• Where those rules apply and conflict with anything in these Booking Terms, those rules prevail.

If insolvency protection is required for your booking under the law of your country of residence, we will confirm in writing what arrangements apply to your booking before you pay anything. If you would like that confirmation before you commit, ask us and we will provide it for your specific itinerary.

17. Unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances

Neither you nor we are in breach of this contract, and neither is liable to the other for failing to perform it, because of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances. These may include:

• natural disasters, earthquake, tsunami, flood, landslide, drought or wildfire;
• severe weather, cyclones and storms;
• epidemic, pandemic and public health emergency;
• government action, border closure, curfew, travel restriction or the withdrawal of a permit;
• war, threat of war, terrorism, civil unrest and significant political instability;
• industrial action and strikes;
• the failure of transport infrastructure, power supply or telecommunications; and
• fire, explosion or the destruction of a facility.

Where such circumstances prevent performance, we will tell you promptly, do what we reasonably can to find alternatives, and apply our Cancellation Policy and Refund Policy. Ordinary commercial difficulties, staffing problems or a supplier's routine failure to perform are not unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances.

18. Data protection

We process personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy, which explains what we collect, why, who we share it with, how long we keep it and the rights you have.

19. Complaints and dispute resolution

We would much rather resolve a problem directly than have either of us in a tribunal.

• Stage 1: raise the issue with us in writing at contact@zelenso.com.
• Stage 2: if you are not satisfied, ask for the matter to be escalated. It will be reviewed by a member of our management team who was not involved in handling your booking.
• Stage 3: if the matter is still unresolved, we are willing to consider mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution appropriate to your location, without either of us giving up our legal rights.

20. Governing law and jurisdiction

These Booking Terms and any dispute arising out of them are governed by the law of Sri Lanka, and the courts of Sri Lanka have jurisdiction, except as set out below.

• If you are a consumer resident in the United Kingdom, the European Union or the European Economic Area, this clause does not deprive you of the protection of the mandatory consumer law of your country of residence, and it does not prevent you from bringing proceedings in the courts of your country of residence where the law entitles you to do so.
• Nothing in this section limits any right you have to complain to a regulator or supervisory authority.

21. Which document applies if there is a conflict

If there is a conflict between our documents, the following order applies, subject always to mandatory law and to anything specifically agreed in writing in your Confirmation:

• your written Confirmation and Itinerary;
• these Booking Terms;
• the Cancellation Policy;
• the Refund Policy;
• the Travel Risk Notice;
• the Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy, for matters concerning personal data; and
• the Terms of Service, for matters concerning use of the website.

22. Other terms

• If any part of these Booking Terms is found to be unenforceable, the rest continues to apply.
• If we do not insist on a term straight away, we do not lose the right to rely on it later.
• We may change these Booking Terms from time to time. The version that applies to your booking is the version in force on the date of your Confirmation, and we will send it to you on request.
• You may not transfer your booking to another person except where the law or the supplier allows it.
• Notices to us should be sent to contact@zelenso.com, or the registered address in section 1. Notices to you will be sent to the email address given at booking.