Booking Condition

Booking procedure

After we have received your acceptance of the itinerary, price, and payment procedure, we will make necessary arrangements that normally take about three working days. We will then send to you the confirmation or the availability of the services that you want us to make arrangements.

1. The contract agreement : When you make your booking, you must complete a booking form accepting on behalf or all your party the terms of these booking conditions. By sending the booking form (and paying the deposit if needed – subject to clause 3) you acknowledge that you have read and agree to the following terms and conditions. All persons named on the booking form shall be referred to collectively as either “the client(s)” or “you”. If the booking is made through a travel agent, all communications from the company will be with the agent who acts as agent for the client in regard to all communications from the company to the client.

2. The contract : No contract will exist between the company and the client until the specified deposit (if needed – subject to clause 3) has been paid and the client’s booking made on the booking form has been confirmed in writing by the company with ‘confirmation invoice’.

3. Payment : Before you make a booking with the company, you will be informed if a payment is needed. Depending on the type of hotels and the kind of tour services you use¹ we will let you know whether you will need to wire a certain amount of deposit or not. In most cases, we accept the full payment of the tour cost upon your arrival to Myanmar. In some cases, we might ask you to wire the full amount of tour cost no later than 60 to 180 days prior to your arrival date to Myanmar. If the client(s) fails to deposit the required amount, the company may treat the booking as being cancelled by the client. All monies paid by the client to a travel agent under or in contemplation of a contact with the company are held by the travel agent on behalf of the client until such time as the company issues a confirmation invoice in acceptance of the booking. Thereafter, the travel agent holds the client’s money as agents of the company until such time as payment is required by the company.

4. Cancellation by you : Cancellation of a booking must be made in writing, by the person who completed the booking form, and is not effective until such cancellation is received by the company. As the company is dealing with several hotels and transportation or tour services, the company will have to practice the same cancellation policies of such hotels and services. Some hotels and cruise services required full payment upon confirmation of the service and have a policy to pay from 10% to lose of full payment if cancelled less than 60-days prior to the commencement of the services. In such case, the company will try the best to negotiate to get the maximum possible amount of refund. The company will not take any advantages or the administration charges except the actual expenses levied if a cancellation is needed by the client(s).

5. Alternation to itineraries : All itineraries operated by the company are the suggested only. It is unlikely that the company will have to make any changes to the client’s suggested tour, but the arrangements are planned many moths or weeks in advance. Occasionally changes may be made, which the company reserves the right to do at any time. Most of these changes are minor and the company will endeavor to advise the client of them at the earliest possible date. When a major change becomes necessary, notification of such alternations will be sent to the client’s agent or to the client’s last known address as soon as the company becomes aware. If a major change to an itinerary is necessary prior to commencement of the tour, the client will have the choice of either accepting the change of arrangements, and taking another best available tour from the company, or canceling the tour and receiving a full refund. However the company reserves the right to alter itineraries after departure, without payment of compensation or a refund if it is in the interest of the client to do so. Further more, compensation or a refund is not available if the company is forced to cancel or in any way change the tour due to force majeure, namely war, riot, civil strife, political unrest, industrial dispute, terrorist activity, natural disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions or other material or external circumstances beyond the company’s control.

6. The cost of making changes to the tour : If a client needs to change the confirmed arrangements, any additional cost incurred by the company will be levied. Most hotels and some transportation services do not accept the changes 60-days (a few up to 180-days) prior to the commencement of the service, and these changes will be treated as cancellation to the confirmed arrangement. In such case, the company will try best to negotiate with the service provider to obtain the best possible result. The company will not take any advantages or the administration charges for making changes to the tour except the actual cost claimed by the hotels, third party tour service providers and transportation services.

7. Prices and surcharge policy : After we have confirmed your booking by issuing our ‘confirmation invoice’ i.e. the prices for the arrangements in Myanmar, you will be fully guaranteed and will not be subject to any surcharges. However, the company reserves the right to alter the price if the company need to do so to reflect the changes in factors relating to the increases in transportation costs such as fuel surcharges for domestic flights, sightseeing/transfer cars, and sightseeing/transfer boats that are beyond the company’s control. However, the company will make fullest endeavor to keep up the original arrangements as agreed upon to the best of its capacity and upon the satisfaction of the client.

8. Liability : Clients’ bookings are accepted on the understanding that they appreciate the possible inherent in any cultural, trek, safari, adventure tours and travels provided by the company at their own volition. The company acts as the agent for the client(s) in regard to travel whether by rail services, motor-coach, boat, airplane or by any other means of transport and assume no liability for any loss, injury or damage sustained by the client(s) including those occurring outside touring programs. The company accepts no responsibilities for losses or additional expenses due to accident, delay, sickness, weather, strike or other causes beyond the company’s control.

9. Travel Insurance : Although travel insurance is not mandatory, we would highly recommend arranging his or her insurance with a reputable insurer, with protection for the full duration of the tour, to cover personal injury, medical expenses, repatriation expenses, loss of luggage and the expenses associated with cancellation or curtailment of a tour. If a client becomes ill, all hospital expenses, doctor’s fees and repatriation costs are the client’s responsibilities and the company shall not be liable for any refund of the tour cost.

10. Complaints Procedure : If the client has a problem during the tour, the client should inform the relevant local suppliers, or tour leader or local tour guide immediately who will endeavor to put things right. If the client’s complaint cannot be completely resolved locally, the client must wire to Santa Maria Yangon office within 28-days of the completion of the tour.

11. Information : Information given in all brochures, leaflets, advertising, and during itinerary planning is given in good faith by the company, and is based on the latest information available at the date of release. The company reserves the right to change any of the facilities or vehicles described in any of our printed materials without becoming liable for compensation or refund.

12. Travel Documentation : It is the responsibility of the client to be in possession of a valid passport, visa permits and other medical certificates in time as required for the whole of the tour. The company doesn’t accept responsibility for changes in regulations for visas or any particular requirements for visas. The company cannot be held responsible for the failure of the client to obtain the necessary visas.

13. Special requests : All the special requirements that the client may need during the tour must be advised in writing to the company when the client make a booking. The company will attempt to provide the client’s special requirements, however, these cannot always be provided.

14. Exclusion from the tour : The Company shall not be responsible for or be liable to any client who commits an illegal or unlawful act in Myanmar. He or she may be excluded from the tour, without any refund of the tour fare.

15. Photography Rights : Clients must be aware that our authorized tour leader and representatives may take photographs and files of our clients whilst on any of the tours which the company reserves the right to use such material for any advertising or brochure production without obtaining further consent. The company also reserves the right to use any comments clients make regarding the tours on any questionnaires or complimentary letters, to use in future promotional literature.

16. Personal Information : The client acknowledges that he/she will provide Santa Maria from time to time with information about the client of a personal nature (personal information). The client consents to Santa Maria using any personal information for the purpose of making and completing airline bookings and travel related arrangements on behalf of the client.

17. Jurisdiction and Law : All disputes, claims and litigation regarding the services shall first be settled by way of negotiation and mutual understanding. In the event such effort would fail, the contract shall be finally settled by laws and arbitrations of the Union of Myanmar.

18. Interpretation : Headings are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction of any provision. Except where the context otherwise indicates, words denoting the singular include the plural and vice versa; words denoting persons include firms and corporations and vice versa.

1 Some hotels, cruise services, and special tour services required deposit from 30% to full payment to confirm the booking. Most of them have a policy to charge minimum 10% to 100% lost of deposit if cancellation or travel date changes are made.