Booking Terms & Conditions

By using and visiting The Best of Uruguay Website (“TBU Website”) you agree to be bound by the Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policy. By using the TBU Website you acknowledge and agree that you have the capacity to enter in to and be governed by these Terms and Conditions.

The Best of Uruguay (“TBU”) (referred to in this document as we, us or our) grants you a licence to use and access the TBU Website conditional upon your use being for personal, non-commercial purposes and that you will not copy or distribute any part of the TBU Website without first obtaining our written consent to do as such.

While we have made every effort to ensure that information is free from error, TBU does not warrant the accuracy, adequacy or completeness of content on this website. All information is subject to change without notice. TBU does not guarantee that the TBU Website or third party websites will be free from viruses, or that access to the TBU Website or third party websites will be uninterrupted.

All bookings are made with TBU. When you book a tour with us, you will be deemed to have agreed to these booking terms and conditions, and we will accept your booking on this basis. Your booking confirmation invoice will contain the services to be provided.

You are required to pay a non-refundable deposit of $500 per person 90 days before the departure date to confirm your booking. If your booking is made within 60 days of the departure date you will be required to pay the full amount of the invoice at the time you make the booking.

If we accept your booking, we will issue you with a confirmation invoice. This means that we make a contract with you from the date of our confirmation invoice to you. If you book within 60 days of the tour departure, the contract exists from the date we accept your payment.

Your booking invoice contains information about your final payment. Please note that we require the balance of your tour price 60 days before the date of departure.

To enable us to confirm your tour arrangements, we ask you to ensure that you provide us with the information we require. This will include, but is not limited to:

• Full name according to your passport
• Passport number
• Passport place of issue
• Passport expiry date
• Date of birth
• Nationality
• Any pre-existing medical conditions that could affect your ability to complete your travel arrangements
• Your travel insurance policy number.

If you wish to cancel your booking, we require written notification of the cancellation. Please note that cancellation fees will apply as follows:

• If you cancel 60 days or more before the departure date, we will retain your deposit.
• If you cancel between 45 and 59 days before the departure date, we will retain 70% of the total cost of booking.
• If you cancel 44 days or less before the departure date, we will retain 100% of your payment.

We strongly advise you to take out cancellation insurance at the time you make your booking, so it will cover any cancellation fees.

Note: If you fail to join a tour, join it after departure, or leave before the tour is complete, we will not make any refund.

We may cancel a tour at any time before departure if it’s not viable for us to operate the tour as planned. This could be because of terrorism, natural disasters, political instability or other external events over which we have no control.

If we cancel your tour, you can either transfer the amounts you’ve paid to another tour, or receive a full refund.

Note: If we cancel the tour, we are not liable for any incidental or consequential expenses or losses you may have incurred as a result of your booking, including, but not limited to, visa, vaccinations, or travel insurance excess.

The payment of the invoice for your tour includes the following from the relevant tour listing* on our website:

• Accommodation
• All specified transport including airport transfers
• 2 meals a day as part of your package
• sightseeing
• Tour leader.
• * Ensure that you check the website listing carefully to make sure you understand exactly what is included on your tour.

Please note what is not included in your tour after payment of the invoice includes:

• International or internal flights unless specified
• Airport transfers, taxes and excess baggage charges unless specified
• Meals other than those specified in the tour information of our website
• Visa and passport fees
• Travel insurance
• Fees or costs incurred in the case of illness
• Phone calls
• Beverages
• Tips to restaurants
• Tips to tour guides or local city guides
• Optional activities and all personal expenses.

You must carry a valid passport and have obtained all of the appropriate visas, permits and certificates for any countries you visit as part of your tour. Your passport must be valid for 6 months beyond the duration of the tour.

Note: We are not responsible if you are refused entry to a country because you lack the correct passport, visa or other travel documentation.

You must have travel insurance or you will be unable to join any of our tours. This is non-negotiable. You should take out travel insurance at the time you book your tour.

Your travel insurance must include the following cover:

• Personal accident
• Medical expenses
• Emergency repatriation
• Death.
• We recommend at the very minimum, coverage of US$250,000 for each category of cover. We also strongly recommend your travel insurance policy covers:
• Cancellation
• Curtailment
• Personal liability
• loss of luggage and personal effects.
• You must provide your travel insurance policy number and your travel insurance company’s 24-hour emergency contact number before you join any of our tours.
• You will not be able to join a tour without these details which must be provided to us when making your final payment for the tour booking.

Note for Credit Card travel insurance

• If your travel insurance is connected to your credit card or bank account, please compare the types of cover being offered through the credit card and the levels of cover for each category. Historically, the levels of travel insurance offered through credit cards has been inadequate and could leave a traveller under insured.
• If you are satisfied the travel insurance offered through your credit card is satisfactory please keep the details of the participating travel insurer, your travel insurance policy number and emergency contact number with you at all times. Having only your bank or credit card providers details will not be enough.

While we do everything in our power to keep to your tour itinerary, we may need to alter it due to local circumstances and events. In this case, we ask for a little flexibility.

Before tour departure

In the event that we need to make a “major change” before the departure date, we will inform you as soon as possible. A “major change” is an alteration to the tour that would affect at least one day in five days of the itinerary. In this case, you may choose to accept the change, obtain a refund of money paid on the land portion of the tour, or accept an alternative tour if offered.

After departure

We reserve the right to change an itinerary after departure due to local circumstances or events outside of our control. In such emergency circumstances, you and or your travel insurance will cover the additional cost of any necessary itinerary alterations.

Note: We are not responsible for any incidental expenses that may be incurred as a result of a change of itinerary such as visas, vaccinations or non-refundable flights.

From time to time optional activities may be available to you whilst on the TBU tour. Optional activities are not included in the tour price and do not form part of the tour or this contract. You accept that any assistance given by your tour leader or local representative in arranging optional activities does not render us liable for them in any way. The contract for the provision of that activity will be between you and the activity provider.

In the absence of our negligence, we are not liable for any cancellations, diversions, substitution of equipment, variations, postponements or any other act, omission or default (whether negligent or otherwise) of any supplier nor are we liable for any loss or damage to baggage or property, injury, illness or death, or any other loss (including consequential loss) damage or claim whatsoever arising from the act, error, omission, default or negligence of any person not our direct employee or under our exclusive control.

We are not responsible for any criminal conduct of any third party.

Where a motor coach seat is fitted with a safety belt, neither we nor any supplier concerned will be liable for death, injury, or any loss or damage whatsoever you suffer from any accident or incident if you are not wearing the safety belt at the time of such accident or incident.

We are not liable for any injury, damage, loss, delay, additional expenses or inconvenience caused by your acts, omissions or defaults, your state of health, medical condition or circumstances or other reasons which are beyond our control, including force majeure events or failure of equipment or machinery.

All content contained on the TBU Website and related marketing material is owned or licensed by TBU. In using our site you agree that you will not copy, reproduce, distribute, publish or use in any manner any content on the TBU Website and related marketing material without our written consent or other than as permitted under the Website Terms and Conditions.

In the event that any term or condition contained in these terms and conditions is unenforceable or void by operation of law or as being against public policy or for any other reason, such term or condition shall be deemed to be severed from this contract or amended accordingly only to such extent necessary to allow all remaining terms and conditions to survive and continue as binding.

We endeavour to ensure that all arrangements we have made for your tour are implemented as arranged. If a problem occurs, please try to resolve it with the tour leader or our local representative at the time, so they can attempt to rectify the matter. If satisfaction is not reached, put any further complaint to us in writing within 30 days of the end of the tour.

Any personal information that we collect about you may be used for any purpose associated with the operation of a tour or to send you marketing material in relation to our events and special offers. The information may be disclosed to our agents, service providers or other suppliers to enable us to operate the tour. Otherwise we treat your details in accordance with our privacy policy which is accessed via Privacy Policy.

These terms and conditions shall be governed by the laws of Queensland, Australia and you submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of Queensland to hear disputes arising under or in connection with these terms and conditions and the courts entitled to hear appeals from those courts.

PO Box 3014 Newstead QLD 4006.