Booking Conditions and Passport/Visa Requirements
1) Payment
Clients confirm their booking by paying the (non-refundable) deposit as specified in their Payment Schedule. The balance payment(s) will be due by the date specified at Payment date 2 and Payment date 3 on their Statement. If paying by cheques we should receive the deposit cheque as well as two post-dated cheques, dated on Payment date 2 and Payment Date 3, for the appropriate amounts. In this case client will be assumed ‘fully paid’ unless any of the cheques bounce, or the client cancels their holiday see Cancellation by You below.
If the deposit is paid by bank transfer and no post-dated cheques are sent to us then the balance, in full, will be due by Payment date 2, by bank transfer (see your Statement – How to Pay Us).
Late Payment
Other than for the deposit, if any of the payment dates are missed, the client will be informed and expected to pay immediately. If the payment remains unpaid 14 days after the due date, then we will add a £20 administration charge to that account. If clients still do not make requested payments, they run the risk of holiday cancellation. See Non-Payment below.
Non-Payment
Customers with an outstanding amount due on their account after the last payment date (payment 3 date if paying by cheque or payment 2 date if paying by bank transfer) are at risk of having their holiday cancelled by us for non-payment. We will remind clients payment is overdue and request immediate payment. If there is no satisfactory response or alternative arrangement agreed, we reserve the right to cancel the booking. Cancellation in this event will be treated as a client cancellation and no refund will be due.
2) Insurance
It is mandatory you are covered by good travel insurance which should be purchased when we tell you that your group holiday has recruited enough participants or at the point we tell you that you should make travel arrangements (whichever is earliest). Your insurance should include medical cover, cancellation insurances and cover for any special activities (such as trekking, horse and camel riding or surfing) that you intend to take part in.
Warning re Cancellation Cover: you need to purchase your insurance before you book flights. If you decide to delay the date of purchase of your insurance cover until nearer your departure date, you risk the loss of any payments made for your holiday before the policy comes or came into effect.
NB An expensive “Worldwide” policy is not normally needed – many companies include Morocco under their European policy. The cheapest way to insure is an annual policy, which you may wish to compare online quotes for, or purchase through your bank or the Post Office. Cancellation cover will protect you in case you have to cancel for an insurable reason.
To ensure that we can take speedy action in an emergency, we ask you to supply details of your insurance policy either:
- GROUPS to your leader (or someone appointed by the leader) en route to your holiday if you as soon as you arrive at the airport or
- INDIVIDUALS to our staff on arrival
We therefore ask you to carry your policy certificate when travelling. This must include the emergency phone number provided by your insurance company.
3) Health
You must inform us if you have any physical, emotional, or other disabilities which would create a hazard for you, your guides or other tour participants. It is important that you keep a reasonable walking pace with others of general good health in the group. We ask that you respect the decisions of our staff, who may advise that you should modify certain activities to avoid problems. For example, if the group is undertaking a trek in the mountains, one option is to come along to enjoy the scenery and then find something to interest you in the company of our lovely driver and/or bring a book.
If you have a new condition or a worsening of an existing condition, please let us know a week before you depart.
Things to Consider
a) All our rooms are on the ground floor, although access to the roof terrace is via a staircase. There is a ramp into the dining room from where you can access the kitchen and the activity room via ramps. Bedroom Papaya set up specially for guests with disabilities. Please consider if the facilities listed are adequate for your needs. This bedroom is situated near the communal rooms (library, activity room, dining room, courtyard and reception, has a ramp at entrance, wide doors, open plan bathroom, drop-down seat for shower, lower washbasin suitable for a wheelchair and option to raise toilet seat height. There is also a ramp at our main entrance.
b) What time of year to visit, bearing in mind the weather conditions in southern Morocco. You will find more information here.
4) Cancellation by You
If you cancel, you are at risk of losing payments already made.
We advise in our booking conditions that it is essential to take out appropriate travel insurance that includes cancellation cover. Any losses you incur by cancelling your holiday (see conditions below) and any flight costs may be claimed back from your insurers subject to their terms and conditions.
Notification of the cancellation of the holiday must be provided in writing to us (by email) immediately; failure to do so may prejudice your entitlement to claim any refund or to make an insurance claim. If you are booking as part of a group, it is important to understand that the consequences of your cancelling will affect our ability to pay the group leader’s fee, the economics of shared vehicles, guides etc. Also it can be difficult to recruit a replacement because potential recruits may have already committed to holidays for that period, anybody taking your place is likely to have to buy a flight at an inflated cost as the departure date draws nearer and it can make room allocations/sharing problematic.
Cancellation conditions.
Stage Payments: All monies are payable by the Due Date on your Payment Schedule or Statement. Deposits for Group holidays and Board only basis bookings are not refundable. Stage payments, once paid, are not refundable after the Due Date.
Full Payment: If a customer has made a single full payment for a holiday and subsequently cancels the holiday, then any refund due will be calculated from after the next stage Payment Due Date. If all stage payment dates have passed by the time of cancellation, then no refund will be due.
Cancellation Statement: A cancellation statement can be provided on request, if you must cancel your holiday. Any financial loss will be indicated. If you have cancelled your holiday and a cancellation statement has been issued, we will not subsequently reinstate your booking if you change your mind. A new booking will need to be made with the appropriate payment.
Options for Reducing Cancellation Costs
a) transferring onto another similar holiday if you find that the dates you have booked are not convenient or
b) you may be able to find someone to take your place.
Both a) and b) will incur an administration fee, depending on the complexity of the consequences for updating bookings (which can be complex if a tour is involved), recruiting a replacement, sending new reports to our transport and accommodation suppliers etc. Administration fees are £40 per person.
5) Cancellation by Us
If you have booked a place on a group holiday which cannot go ahead due to an insufficient number of bookings, we shall try to offer you a place on an alternative group holiday of a comparable standard – although flight and other costs may vary from the original price. If an alternative is not available, we will make a full refund of all monies paid.
If you wish to retain your booking but are willing to forego the special group interest activity (e.g. Singing, Yoga, Dance), we can still offer you a holiday at a reduced cost at La Maison Anglaise. This will differ in content from the one you signed up for but can include some of our activities.
In the case of our taking the decision to cancel a group holiday, you will not have bought your flights, as we only instruct you to book your flights once we have a viable group. We cannot take responsibility if you book flights before being advised to do so.
In extreme circumstances where a client has not fully paid their account, clients will be at risk of having their holiday cancelled. See Non-Payment above.
6) Exclusions
All information is correct when listed on our website. However, due to mechanical faults, weather conditions, “Acts of God” (as defined by insurers), “Force Majeure” (as defined by insurers), the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, staff sickness or other problems, some aspects of the holiday may not be as advertised, in which case we will always do our best to provide an acceptable alternative. For example, should your group leader be unable to attend, we will try to find a suitable replacement through our network of contacts in the fields in which we specialise; if travel is not possible we will postpone the holiday.
We do not accept liability for:
- any of the above events, or others beyond our control
- any health issues that prevent you joining the holiday prior to the start date
- loss of or damage to your personal property
- medical or psychiatric conditions developing during or after your holiday
- postponement of holidays due to travel restrictions
Your travel insurance policy will need cover these and other contingencies.
7) Passports & Visas
If you have a full passport issued in the UK, Ireland, USA, Australia or New Zealand or most EU countries, you don’t need a visa. If you have a passport issued elsewhere, it is worth checking if you need a visa. Other nationalities should see information published by the Moroccan Embassy or phone them on 020 7581 5001. In order to ensure that you can enter Morocco your passport must be valid for 3 months minimum on the date of entry. UK renewals can be made through UK Passport Office (they can be issued in a day).
8) Room sharing
If you do not have a room mate and prefer not to pay for single occupancy, we will happily look for a room mate for you. If we fail to find a suitable room mate you have the choice of paying the single supplement or not proceeding with your booking. We advise you not to pay a deposit until you have a satisfactory solution. If your room mate cancels they may transfer the benefit to you if they wish but they must inform us that they have done so.
9) Problems
If any problems arise please mention these immediately to either our office in the UK or the staff in Morocco (or both if you feel it is appropriate) so that we can deal with them promptly. If the staff are unable to provide a satisfactory solution you must report immediately to us by e mail to jane@holidays-with-heart.co.uk
We hope you appreciate that we cannot give compensation for any problems which have not been reported immediately.
10)Trading Structure
La Maison Anglaise Garden Ecolodge, trading as Holidays With Heart Limited (Private Limited Company (registered in England & Wales) number 14730231) , operates from our base in St Dogmaels, Wales, UK. Email: jane@holidays-with-heart.co.uk. Tel (+44)1239803131
We are associates of a Moroccan Limited Company (SARL in French) which provide our guests with accommodation. The Moroccan postal address is: CECU, La Maison Anglaise Garden Ecolodge, Hors Bab Zorgane, Taroudant 83.000, Morocco