Terms and Conditions
By signing our reservations form, or by placing a deposit, you agree to the following Terms and Conditions that bind you and Sweet Mango Tours LLC.
You can reserve your space on-line, by phone, fax or by mail. We accept payment (of deposit and/or total fee) with Visa, MasterCard, or by check (made out to Sweet Mango Tours LLC).
Phone: (802) 535-8383
Fax: (802) 229-0883
Mail:
Sweet Mango Tours LLC
PO Box 888
Montpelier, VT 05601
Email: info@sweetmangotours.com
Your reservation will be considered confirmed once we have received both a signed reservation form and a $250 (USD) non-refundable deposit. If you are registering for more than one program, a reservation form and a $250 non-refundable deposit are required for EACH tour and/or voluntour.
Please note that no reservation can be confirmed without a deposit.
Payment Policy
The final payment for all trips is due 60 days prior to your meet up date.
If you register 31 to 59 days prior to the scheduled meet up date, the non-refundable deposit is due at registration and the balance is due within 10 days of the registration date.
If you register 30 days or less prior to the scheduled meet up date, the full program fee, plus a $25 late booking fee, is due upon registration.
The local voluntour payment is due, in cash, to your tour guide at meet up. Failure to give your tour guide the local payment on that date.
All program forms are due 60 days prior to the scheduled meet up date. If enrollment occurs less than 60 days from the scheduled meet up date, the forms are due within 10 days of the enrollment date. If forms are not received within 10 days of enrollment date, this will be considered notification of cancellation by default and is subject to cancellation charges as outlined.
Discount Policy
A 5% discount will be applied to your total tour and/or voluntour fee (excluding any course fees) if you:
- Pay your entire fee 120 or more days prior to the scheduled meet up date, or
- Bring a friend or a family member. If either friend or family member cancels, the discount for the participating traveler will be forfeited. Up to four members of one family or one group are eligible for this discount, or
- Register for a combination tour and voluntour.
Discounts cannot be combined. Each tour or voluntour participant is eligible for, at most, one 5% discount.
Not Included in the tour or voluntour Price
- Passport fees, visa fees, necessary photos
- Vaccinations and immunizations
- International flights
- Domestic flights - unless outlined in itinerary
- Medical and hospital care or evacuation costs
- Meals not outlined in itinerary
- Additional drinks or snacks, and room service
- Liquor/alcohol
- Laundry services
- Telephone, email or other personal communication charges
- Optional excursions and activities, including transportation
- Tips to guides
- Excess baggage charges
- Airport departure taxes
- Personal items and incidentals
Included in the tour or voluntour Price
- pre-departure info and support
- basic travelers 'insurance
- approximately two meals/day
- basic, comfortable and clean double occupancy accommodations
- ground transportation relevant to tour activities
- entrance fees for scheduled events and sites
- local, attentive, bi-lingual guides, trainers and program staff
- a welcoming host family and community
- one hour Thai massage
- Sweet Mango T-shirt and water bottle
Additional Fees and Charges (those not included in the tour price)
Additional charges for single supplement, extra accommodation, pick up and/or drop off fees, and/or airfare arrangement fees, will be added to your invoice, if applicable.
Cancellations and Refunds
If you have to cancel your trip for any reason, Sweet Mango Tours LLC must be notified in writing, by email, or by fax immediately. The cancellation will be effective upon receipt of the written request in the Sweet Mango Tours LLC office in Montpelier, Vermont.
The $250 deposit is non-refundable.
- If the cancellation occurs more than 90 days prior to the scheduled meet up date, the total tour/voluntour fee paid to date, less the $250 deposit, will be refunded,
- If the cancellation occurs more than 60 and less than 91 days prior to your meet up day, you may transfer your deposit and reservation, depending on availability, to another Sweet Mango Tours LLC tour or voluntour scheduled within 12 months of your original tour start date.
- If the cancellation occurs 60 days or less prior to the scheduled meet up date, 100% of the total tour/voluntour fee will be charged (no refund),
- No portion of the program fee is refundable if the cancellation is received on or after the scheduled meet up date,
- No refunds will be made for unused portions of the program or because of the participant's failure or inability to participate in the Sweet Mango Tours LLC program.
Participant is solely responsible for any airfare or other travel fees, charges, expenses or penalties, that might result from a cancellation of or change in the tour or voluntour, whether the participant cancels or makes the change or it is cancelled or altered by Sweet Mango Tours LLC.
Trip cancellation insurance is strongly recommended. Travel arrangements through Sweet Mango Tours LLC are sold as a package, and therefore we regret that there can be no refunds on unused hotel rooms, meals, sightseeing, ground transportation or other services booked.
It is expected that the participant clearly understands the cancellation policy. If it is not clear, the participant should request clarification. Sweet Mango Tours LLC cannot make exceptions to this cancellation policy for any reason, including medical emergencies. Sweet Mango Tours LLC strongly urges the participant to purchase travel insurance that includes trip cancellation insurance.
Cancellations by Sweet Mango Tours LLC
If we are forced to cancel a tour due to inadequate enrollment or conditions beyond our control, our liability is limited solely to the cost of the land arrangements. Sweet Mango Tours LLC cannot be held responsible for financial losses incurred due to the imposition of a charge by airline carriers on partially or totally non-refundable tickets. It is our sincerest desire to operate all trips offered on our website; consequently cancellations by us are a matter of last resort, usually at 30 days prior to meet up dates. Refunds limited to the above conditions apply. We will transfer your payments to another trip if you so desire.
Sweet Mango Tours LLC reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reject an individual at any time prior to departure, or to cancel the Sweet Mango Tours LLC program in which the participant is scheduled to participate.
In the unlikely event of such a cancellation, or if the participant has been rejected, the total amount paid to Sweet Mango Tours LLC will be refunded, unless the cancellation is due to non-payment by the agreed upon due date. Other than such a refund, Sweet Mango Tours LLC will not be responsible to the participant for any other refund, costs, interest, liability, or damages of any kind.
Sweet Mango Tours LLC also reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to remove from a tour or voluntour, at the participant's own expense, anyone whose behavior is such that it would create hazard to him or herself or others, or otherwise impact the enjoyment of the other tour travelers, the guides, trainers, host families and/or host communities.
Insurance
While purchase of travel insurance is not mandatory to join a tour or voluntour, we strongly suggest that you do so. We offer a variety of plans to cover trip cancellation, interruption, accidental, medical and baggage/personal effects. An application will be included in your confirmation packet. If you decide to decline insurance we will require a signed waiver of insurance. It is also advisable to check your current health insurance policy for its overseas applications.
Itineraries, trip Descriptions and Prices
The trip descriptions, prices and booking conditions on our website are accurate at the time published in good faith. However, due to currency fluctuations, rising costs and changing travel conditions overseas, Sweet Mango Tours LLC reserves the right to modify the price and itinerary if deemed necessary. Itineraries are always considered near final drafts. We reserve the right to alter plans if that will enhance the experience of our travelers or if unforeseen circumstances force us to do so.
Trip Documents
A confirmation packet will be sent to you upon receipt of the deposit and the reservation form. The packet will include information about what to bring, suggestions for how to prepare for your trip, pre and post-trip suggestions, a detailed itinerary, a suggested reading list and language tips, any necessary visa applications or information, and a trip cancellation insurance application. In addition, you'll find an invoice and forms to be completed, signed and returned, with final payment, to the Sweet Mango Tour office within 10 days of their receipt.
Your final travel documents will be sent to you approximately three weeks prior to your meet up date. These will include directions for meeting up with Sweet Mango Tour staff upon arrival, contact information to leave with loved ones, an updated itinerary if appropriate, a participant list, and any other last minute information specific to your tour or voluntour that might be necessary.
Special Requests and Single Rooms
Special requests such as smoking/non-smoking, adjacent rooms and special dietary needs should be listed at the time of booking on the reservation form. Please note that every effort will be made to secure your special request. However, these requests cannot be guaranteed. We also make every effort to ensure that those registrants requesting a single room actually receive one but will not be responsible for single rooms not available upon arrival. If you reserve a tour at least 91 days prior to the tour meet up date and wish to share a room, you will not be required to pay the single supplement fee even if we cannot find you a roommate. All village home-stays are double occupancy; single room supplement does not apply to the village home-stay portion of the itinerary. All voluntour accommodations during the orientation are double or triple occupancy. Village home-stay accommodations are double occupancy unless otherwise arranged (solo or family voluntour for example).
Age Restrictions
Participation in Sweet Mango Tours and voluntours is determined by curiosity and ability to fully participate in the experience. Young adults are welcome as long as they accompany a responsible adult. The minimum age for voluntour participation is 18 as of the meet up date.
Group Size
Sweet Mango Tours are generally 8 to 12 people per group. The group is typically accommodated by two guides and often joined by local experts, assistants and/or activity leaders. It is possible to design an itinerary around your friends or family. Contact us for details.
VolunTour Groups
The group size for a Sweet Mango voluntour varies and will range from 3 to 12 on any given meet up day. During the 5-day orientation, all group members are expected to stay together during scheduled training and orientation activities. The group will be accommodated by at least one Sweet Mango Tour guide at all times until the village placement. The orientation involves numerous staff, guides, trainers, experts and other local hosts. The placements can be arranged solo, in pairs, or in groups, based upon the needs and desires of the traveler, the host community, and the Sweet Mango staff. While at your placement you will have easy 24/7 verbal access to Sweet Mango Tour staff.
Passports and Visas
A valid passport is required for international travel with an expiry date of at least six months after the tour's end date. Visa applications for countries visited during your tour will be included in your confirmation packet and should be submitted to the appropriate visa office. Please verify if you require a visa for any other countries to which you may be traveling. All clients are responsible for obtaining their own visas.
Photos taken on Tour
Sweet Mango Tours LLC reserves the right to take photographs or video during the operation of any tour or part thereof, and to use the resulting images or video for promotional purposes. By booking a reservation with Sweet Mango, you agree to allow your image to be used for such purposes, without compensation. If you prefer that your image not be used, you must identify yourself to the guide at the beginning of the tour. This does not apply to photographs that you or other travelers take on the tour.
Medical Requirements
Good physical and mental health is essential for the enjoyment of Sweet Mango Tours and voluntours. By forwarding the Reservation Form, the participant certifies that he/she does not have any physical or other condition of disability that would create hazard for him or herself or other travelers.
It is essential that any participant with a medical condition requiring regular treatment or which may be affected by rigorous activity, altitude, smog, heat, cold, etc., notify Sweet Mango Tours LLC in writing in advance of travel. Medical insurance is mandatory for these participants. The judgment of the local guide shall make the ultimate determination of an individual's fitness to embark upon or continue the tour or voluntour. Sweet Mango Tours LLC reserves the right to decline to accept anyone on the trip. Sweet Mango Tours LLC also reserves the right to remove from the trip, at the participant's own expense, anyone whose condition is such that it would create hazard to him or herself or others, or otherwise impact the enjoyment of other passengers on the trip as well as the guides, trainers, host families and/or host communities.
In the event of illness or accident, I understand that Sweet Mango Tours LLC will make every effort to reach the person listed under "emergency contact," but give my permission for emergency medical treatment as required if such notification is impossible or impractical under the circumstances. I understand that Sweet Mango Tours LLC will make every effort to minimize the risks inherent, but that it cannot guarantee against circumstances over which it has little or no control. I agree that upon advancement of my deposit to Sweet Mango Tours LLC I will be bound to the terms and conditions recited above and agree that Sweet Mango Tours LLC will not be held responsible for accidental injury, death, or damage to anyone arising out of activities related to this tour or voluntour, and hereby agree to reimburse Sweet Mango Tours LLC or any agent thereof fully for any costs or loss to them resulting from such occurrences not covered by insurance.
Responsibility
Sweet Mango Tours LLC acts only as the agent for the passenger in regard to travel whether by railroad, motor-coach, private car or van, bicycle, boat, ferry, aircraft or any other conveyance, and assumes no liability for injury, damage, loss, accident, delay, irregularity or additional costs resulting directly or indirectly from any of the following causes: weather, failure of any means of transportation to comply with schedules, quarantines, strikes, civil disturbances, theft, government regulations or changes in transport or lodging beyond the reasonable control of Sweet Mango Tours LLC. The company and its owners cannot be liable for any delay, mishap, convenience, expense, irregularity, or damage through the negligence or default of any company or individual engaged in providing these services.
We reserve the right to change any itinerary at any time when it is deemed advisable for the safety of the group or to comply with governmental restrictions. Sweet Mango Tours LLC also reserves the right to cancel any trip prior to departure upon the refund of all payments received, which shall release Sweet Mango Tours LLC from any further liability.
It is the responsibility of every traveler to be informed about the most current travel advisories. Please check the US Department of State's travel website: http://www.travel.state.gov/ or call 1-888-407-4747. The traveler assumes all risk of personal injury, death or property damage that may arise out of events like those advised or warned against.
SWEET MANGO TOURS LLC reserves the right to withdraw a tour or voluntour or any part of it to make such alterations in the itinerary or with the tour inclusions as it deems necessary or desirable and to pass on to tour participants any expenditures or losses caused by delays or events out of its control.