Specific to Kerala — must know
Backwaters, Munnar, Thekkady, Wayanad, Kovalam, Varkala, Bekal and all of Kerala
- Houseboats run mid-October to mid-May only. AC on houseboats usually runs 21:00-06:00 only to save fuel.
- Ayurveda is a wellness experience, not medical treatment. Disclose allergies and medications before therapy.
- Kerala monsoon (June-September) is heavy — roads, waterfalls and sanctuaries may close. The 2018, 2019 and 2021 floods caused major disruption.
- Harthals (general strikes) can halt all transport for 12-48 hours with no notice — treated as Force Majeure.
- Wildlife sightings at Periyar, Wayanad, Eravikulam are not guaranteed — slot lottery by Forest Dept.
- Sea swimming at Kovalam/Varkala: lifeguard-flagged zones only, no swimming under red flag or after alcohol.
- Election-period transport restrictions (Election Commission orders) may affect dates — Force Majeure applies.
How booking works
Once you pay the booking advance and we send you a confirmation voucher, your booking is locked in. The advance is non-refundable. Balance is due 15 days before departure for domestic trips and 30 days before for international trips. If the balance is not paid on time, we may cancel your booking and you lose the advance.
If you cancel — domestic trips
60+ days before travel: only the booking advance is forfeited. 59-30 days: 25% of trip cost. 29-15 days: 50%. 14-8 days: 75%. 7 days or less / no-show: 100%.
If you cancel — international trips
90+ days before travel: advance + airline/visa/TCS forfeited. 89-60 days: 25% of trip cost. 59-30 days: 50%. 29-15 days: 75%. 14 days or less / no-show: 100%.
Non-refundable items, always
Air tickets on non-refundable fares, train tickets after chart preparation, peak-season hotel blocks, cruise deposits, visa fees, ETA fees, helicopter sectors, pilgrimage permits, GST and TCS already paid to the government, and payment gateway charges are forfeited in full regardless of when you cancel.
Force Majeure (events beyond our control)
If your trip is hit by weather, landslide, flood, snow, road closure, government advisory, security incident, strike, pandemic, helicopter cancellation, permit cap exhaustion, or any similar event, we will refund whatever we actually recover from hotels, airlines and operators — minus our genuine out-of-pocket costs. We cannot guarantee a full refund in these situations and we are not liable for missed connections or loss of enjoyment.
Extra charges we may pass on
If government fees, fuel prices, GST, TCS, permit fees, e-pass costs or supplier rates go up after we send your quote, we reserve the right to charge you the difference. You agree to pay it before the trip starts.
Your responsibility
Passport, visa, ETA, government registrations, RFID cards, ID proofs, vaccinations, fitness for adventure activities, and truthful medical disclosure are all on you. We help, but we don't guarantee any visa or government approval. Travel insurance is strongly recommended for domestic trips and mandatory for international trips.
Third parties (airlines, hotels, operators)
We book with airlines, hotels, transport operators, dive schools, helicopter operators and government portals on your behalf. Their own terms apply to their service. We are not liable for their delays, cancellations, schedule changes, baggage issues, room downgrades or accidents — but we will help you raise the complaint.
Our liability is limited
If something goes wrong because of us, our total liability is capped at the amount you actually paid us for that trip. We are not liable for indirect losses like loss of enjoyment, business loss or missed future plans.
Unfair customer practice
We reserve the right to cancel your booking, eject you from the tour and blacklist you (without refund) if you raise a fraudulent chargeback after services are delivered, post false reviews to extort refunds, abuse our staff or drivers, damage hotel property, violate local law (especially drug law), or misrepresent yourself in documents.
Complaints
Raise any issue immediately with the tour manager while we can still fix it. Written complaints must reach info@earthlygroup.in within 15 days of trip completion. We will respond within 21 working days.
Governing law
These terms are governed by Indian law. Any dispute will be resolved by arbitration in Dehradun (Indian Arbitration & Conciliation Act 1996) and the courts at Dehradun, Uttarakhand have exclusive jurisdiction.
