EXPERIENCE CO. Terms & Conditions
Here’s everything you need to know about the terms and conditions of booking. Please read through carefully and get in touch if you need more detail on any point.
Thank you for choosing Experience Co. as your partner in adventure and exploration. Based in Bangalore, India, and fueled by a passion for crafting unique experiences, we have been delivering exceptional travel editions tailored for the new-age, discerning traveler for over a decade. Our Editions are designed to immerse you in cultures, landscapes, and activities that are sure to enrich your life and create lasting memories.
These Booking Conditions, together with our Privacy Policy and the Terms of Use of our website, as well as any other relevant information we have provided (including but not limited to details in the "About Our Editions" section in our brochure or on our website), form the contractual basis of your agreement with Experience Co. (registered name: Oxytocin Designs LLP) a company registered in Mumbai, India with registration no. AAG4870 and registered office at WeWork, G Block, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai, 400051.
Please review these conditions carefully as they outline the mutual obligations and rights concerning your booking with Experience Co.
By confirming your booking, the primary individual named on the reservation affirms on behalf of all participants listed that:
(a) He/she has read and understood these Booking Conditions, along with any general information provided (including details found in sections such as "About Our Editions", "Edition Prices", and "How to Book" on our website or in our promotional materials) and agrees to abide by them.
(b) He/she acknowledges and accepts the inherent risks associated with adventure travel.
(c) He/she consents to our processing of personal data in line with our Privacy Policy and is authorized to disclose personal details of everyone included in the booking to us, which may include sensitive information like health conditions, disabilities, and dietary needs.
(d) He/she confirms that all members of the party are over 18 years of age and meet any age requirements specified for the booked services.
(e) He/she declares that no participant has any pre-existing medical condition or disability that may interfere with their active participation in the Edition. If this is not the case, he/she agrees to consult with us before making a reservation so we can determine the suitability of the planned travel arrangements.
(f) He/she accepts financial responsibility for making all payments for the booking on behalf of everyone named on the reservation.
These terms ensure all participants are adequately prepared and meet the necessary conditions for their upcoming travel with Experience Co.. If there are any concerns or questions about these conditions, we encourage open communication to ensure a clear understanding and a remarkable travel experience.
List of terms
Contractual Agreement
Booking and Payments
Pricing and Surcharges
Changes and Cancellations by You
Changes and Cancellations by Us
Responsibilities and Liabilities
Special Conditions for Specific Editions
Legal and Regulatory Information
Late Bookings
Travel and Financial Protection
Cutting Your Edition Short
Transfer of Booking
Cancellation Due to Unavoidable & Extraordinary Circumstances
Promotional Offers and Discounts
Accuracy of Promotional Material
Optional Excursions and Activities
Travel Arrangements and Changes by Us
Passports, Visas, and Vaccinations
Travel and Cancellation Insurance
Health, Disabilities, and Medical Conditions
Legal and Regulatory Compliance
Compliance with Local Laws and Customs
Data Protection
Special Requirements and Assistance
Adventure and Risk
Environmental Responsibility
Itinerary Changes Due to Local Conditions
Group Harmony and Conduct
Financial Protection
Force Majeure
Documentation and Information Accuracy
Travel Advisories and Local Laws
Intellectual Property
Amendments to Terms and Conditions
Emergency Contact and Support
Third-Party Services
1. Contractual Agreement
The contract is between you and us. We both agree that English law (and no other) will apply to your contract and to any dispute, claim, or other matter of any description that 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) that arises between us must be dealt with by the Courts of Mumbai only. None of our employees have the authority to vary or omit any of these terms. No promise of a discount or refund will be binding on us unless confirmed by us in writing.
2. Securing Your Booking:
To secure a booking, you must pay us (or our authorized travel agent) a deposit (or make full payment if the booking is made within 90 days of the start of your tour or at such an earlier stage as is advised to you at the time of booking). On occasions, full payment for a service such as your flights may be required at the time of booking. The applicable deposit (and any other payments required) will be confirmed at the time of booking.
When you submit your booking request, we will treat this as a ‘not-guaranteed’ booking. At this point, the booking is only provisional and is not confirmed. Your booking is accepted and becomes definite only from the date when we send you an email to confirm that your ‘on request’ booking has been confirmed. It is at this point that a contract between you and us comes into existence.
For bookings made via our website, any acknowledgment of your booking request we send to you in the meantime is not a confirmation of your booking.
Before your booking is confirmed and a contract comes into force, we reserve the right to increase or decrease holiday prices. Where our allocation of air seats has been fully utilized or where it is not possible to offer an air seat from an allocation, we reserve the right to pass on any extra costs incurred. Please see the “Tour Prices” section.
We (and our agents) reserve the right to decline any booking at our absolute discretion.
If you book via our website, we will communicate with you by email. You must accordingly check your emails on a regular basis. We may also contact you by telephone and/or post if we cannot, for whatever reason, contact you by email. Certain documents may need to be sent by post. References in these conditions to “send” and “in writing” or similar include communication by email. You should contact us by email if you need to do so for any of the reasons mentioned in these booking conditions (for example, to request an amendment). All emails should be sent to care@theexperience.co
A booking is secured with a deposit, payable at the time of booking confirmation. Full payment is required if the booking is made within 45 days of the Edition's start. Payment can be made through various methods including, but not limited to, credit cards and direct bank transfers.
PAYMENT FOR YOUR TOUR
The balance of all monies due, including any surcharges applicable at that time, must be received by us (or our authorized travel agent) no later than 45 days before the start of your tour. For non-India customers, we reserve the right to charge any outstanding balance on the credit card used to pay the deposit on the 44th day before departure. For certain tours, full payment must be received at an earlier stage before the start of your tour. You will be advised at the time of booking when this is the case.
If we do not receive this balance in full and on time, we reserve the right to treat your booking as canceled by you, in which case the cancellation charges set out in clause 4 below will become payable.
You can pay the deposit and full amount by UPI, bank transfer credit or debit card. Other payment methods may be available on our booking page.
There are only 2 cases in which you are exempted from making your full payment 45 days before your edition’s start date, these exemptions include:
Exemption 1: In a situation where you have confirmed for your edition, applied for your visa but waiting for the results, instead of making a full payment, you can make a partial payment of 30% towards your edition. Upon receiving your visa acceptance, you must settle the remaining 50% balance promptly. In the event of visa rejection, Experience Co. will deduct 20% of your payment while the remaining 30% will be credited towards a future Edition.
Exemption 2: If your visa status remains uncertain 31 days before the Edition, you have two choices: you can opt for a complimentary rescheduling to any future Edition free of cost, or you can choose to retain your spot - in which case your 50% advance payment will be locked-in and become non-refundable regardless of the visa outcome. No free rescheduling will be offered in this scenario. If your visa is subsequently approved, you can proceed with the balance payment and attend the Edition.
3. Pricing and Surcharges
The most up-to-date pricing for our Editions is available on our website, calculated based on current exchange rates and reflecting variations across different currencies such as INR, USD, AED, etc. Prices are subject to change due to fluctuations in exchange rates, variations in taxes, or changes in transportation and fuel costs. Our advertised Edition prices are also subject to seasonal adjustments and may vary based on demand and market conditions.
Upon booking and paying the required deposit, the price quoted at that time is locked in, irrespective of subsequent price increases or decreases. Price increases following a deposit will not affect your booking unless they exceed 8% of the total Edition cost, in which case you will be entitled to cancel with a full refund or accept an alternative Edition of equivalent or higher quality without additional charges. Should the price decrease after your booking, these reductions will not apply retrospectively.
In the event of significant cost adjustments necessitated by factors beyond our control, such as fuel price hikes, increased taxes or fees imposed by third parties, or changes in costs from our transport and accommodation providers, we reserve the right to pass these costs on to you. However, no price adjustments will be made within 20 days of your Edition start date.
Promotional offers, including discounts and early booking incentives, are applicable at the time of booking and cannot be transferred to future bookings or applied retrospectively. If you transfer your booking to a different Edition that also offers an early booking discount, and availability allows, the discount will apply; otherwise, it will not carry over.
Any price adjustments downward due to the aforementioned factors that occur after your booking will result in a refund to you, less an administrative fee, except in the last 20 days before departure, during which period no refunds for price adjustments will be made.
4. Changes and Cancellations by You
IF YOU CHANGE OR TRANSFER YOUR BOOKING
If you wish to modify any aspect of your booking after receiving our email confirmation, please notify us in writing as soon as possible. The request should be submitted by the lead traveler on the booking. While we will make every effort to accommodate your request, we cannot guarantee its feasibility.
If a change or transfer can be facilitated, an administration fee of ₹7,000 per booking, along with any additional costs or charges incurred by us or by any of our suppliers, will be applicable. Changes or transfers to a different departure date or tour can be made up to 60 days prior to departure. Subsequently, any changes will be treated as cancellations and will be subject to the charges outlined below. All changes are subject to availability.
For a fee of ₹7,000 per booking, you may opt to receive a credit voucher equivalent to the amount paid for any canceled booking. This voucher must be redeemed within 3 months of issuance for a new booking. Please note that the voucher is non-transferable, can only be redeemed once, and cannot be exchanged for cash. No refund or additional credit voucher will be provided if the cost of the new booking is lower than the value of the credit voucher.
You are allowed a maximum of three transfers, with each transfer incurring a transfer fee. The fees from previous transfers will accumulate with each new transfer. Following three transferred bookings, all accumulated fees from previous transfers must be settled to be eligible for any further transfer requests. In the event of a cancellation after any transfer, the initial deposit and subsequent payments will not be transferred to credit but will be subject to our standard cancellation policy. By confirming a booking, you acknowledge and agree to adhere to these transfer terms.
If we are unable to accommodate your request for modification and you choose not to proceed with the original booking, we will consider it as a cancellation by you. In such cases, a cancellation fee may apply as per Clause 4.
IF YOU CANCEL YOUR BOOKING BEFORE DEPARTURE
If you or any other member of your group decides to cancel your confirmed booking, you must notify us in writing. Your cancellation will only take effect upon receipt of written notification by us at our offices and will be effective from the date of receipt.
Since costs are incurred in canceling your arrangements, cancellation charges will apply as follows. The charges are calculated as a percentage of the total tour price per person canceling, excluding any amendment charges and insurance premiums. Please note that some suppliers may impose higher or different charges, which will be communicated to you at the time of booking if applicable.
From booking until 90 days before the tour start date – Full deposit retained by Experience Co.
45-89 days before tour start date – 50% of edition cost
30-45 days before tour start date – 75% of edition cost
29-0 days before tour start date – 100% of edition cost
These charges do not apply to bookings transferred to a future departure date, where the original tour start date (before transfer) will be used to calculate any applicable charges.
Amendment charges and insurance premiums are non-refundable in the event of cancellation. It is strongly recommended to have comprehensive travel insurance that includes coverage against cancellation charges.
Depending on the reason for cancellation, you may be able to reclaim the cancellation charges under the terms of the insurance policy, less any applicable excess. All claims must be made directly to the insurance company. In cases where cancellation charges exceed the amount already paid to us, these charges cannot be transferred or added to another booking or used as part payment for another booking.
Partial cancellation of a booking may result in additional costs payable by remaining clients. Additional extras, including single supplements, pre and post-tour nights, and experiences, will incur 100% cancellation charges up to 90 days before the tour start date.
5. Changes and Cancellations by Us
We plan Editions well in advance, but occasionally we must make changes or cancel confirmed bookings. In such cases, we will inform you as soon as possible, offering alternative arrangements or a refund. For significant changes, such as a downgrade in accommodation or a major alteration in the itinerary, you will have the option to accept the change, switch to another Edition, or cancel with a full refund.
6. Responsibilities and Liabilities
You are responsible for ensuring that all members of your party meet the travel requirements, including passport, visa, and health regulations. We accept no responsibility for any inability to travel due to non-compliance with these requirements. Additionally, you agree to abide by the authority of our leaders and staff during your Edition.
7. Special Conditions for Specific Editions
Certain Editions, such as those involving extreme activities or destinations, may have additional terms regarding deposits and cancellations. These will be clearly outlined at the time of booking.
8. Legal and Regulatory Information
This agreement is governed by the laws of India, and any disputes will be handled exclusively in the Indian legal system. Our terms are compliant with applicable local and international regulations, ensuring your peace of mind and safety throughout your adventure with us.
9. Late Bookings
We emphasize the importance of making a booking at the earliest opportunity because of the small group nature of our tours.
For bookings received within 45 days of the start of your tour (or at an earlier stage for certain tours), we reserve the right to pass on any extra costs incurred due to the late nature of the booking. We will advise you of such additional costs at the time you make your booking.
For bookings received within 45 days of your Edition (or at an earlier stage for certain tours), the contract between you and us comes into existence as soon as full payment has been captured by us or our authorized travel agent.
Please Note: If you make a late booking, we strongly recommend that you do not book any flights or make any other arrangements in connection with your chosen edition until you have received written confirmation of availability from us. In the event that you do choose to book flights or make any other arrangements before receiving written confirmation of availability from us, then we will have no liability to you for any refunds of such costs incurred, in the event that your chosen booking is not actually available.
10. Travel and Financial Protection
For Editions including flights, Experience Co. provides protection under local equivalent of ATOL through partnership with insured travel operators, ensuring your financial security and compliance with travel standards.
11. Cutting Your Edition Short
If you must return home before your Edition concludes, no refunds can be made for unused portions of the Edition. However, depending on the circumstances, your travel insurance may cover some of these costs. We recommend reviewing your policy details to confirm coverage for trip curtailment.
12. Transfer of Booking
If you or any member of your group is unable to travel, you may transfer your place to someone else, subject to the following conditions:
The transferee satisfies all conditions applicable to the holiday and is introduced by you.
We are notified at least 7 days before departure.
Any outstanding balance payment, along with an amendment fee of ₹7,000 per person transferring, and any additional fees or charges arising from the transfer, are paid.
The transferee agrees to abide by these booking conditions and all other terms of the contract between us.