Terms & Conditions

All bookings are made with Leatherback Travel Pty Ltd Trading as Patch Adventures (ABN 24631228898) (us/we). By booking a trip with us, you are deemed to have agreed to these booking conditions (which constitutes the entire agreement between you and us) and your booking will be accepted by us on this basis. The services to be provided are those referred to in your booking confirmation invoice.

Comprehensive travel insurance is mandatory​ on a Patch Adventures’ trip. Without it you may be refused on the trip. You must provide us with your insurance details before departure and bring a copy of your insurance cover with you.

Our trip prices are subject to variable and seasonal pricing, both of which are standard practice within the travel industry. This means our trip prices may vary at any time in accordance with demand, market conditions, and availability. There is a chance that different passengers on the same trip have been charged different prices. Your best option if you like the price you see is to book at that time. Any reduced pricing or discounts that may become available after you have paid your deposit will not apply. If you wish to cancel your booking to take advantage of a cheaper price, full cancellation conditions apply.

The most up-to-date pricing is available on our website. Prices are based on currency exchange rates at the time of publication; note that prices may vary depending on which currency the booking is made in.

We reserve the right to impose surcharges before departure due to unfavourable changes in exchange rates, increases in airfares or other transportation costs, increases in local operator costs, taxes, or if government action should require us to do so.

In such instances, we will be responsible for any change in the exchange rate representing 5% of the trip price and you will be responsible for the balance. If any surcharge results in an increase of more than 10% of the trip price, you may cancel the booking within 14 days of notification of the surcharge and obtain a full refund. Air Passenger Duty is included in the price of any air inclusive trip. Please note that a surcharge may be applied to all purchases made by credit card.

The surcharge will be imposed 110 days before the trip, upon final invoicing.

In order for us to confirm your travel arrangements, you must provide all requested details with the balance of the trip price. Necessary details vary by trip; they include, but are not limited to, full name as per passport, date of birth, nationality, passport number, passport issue and expiry date, and any pre-existing medical conditions you have that may affect your ability to complete your travel arrangements. On some more demanding trips, we also require you to complete and forward a self-assessment form. Failure to provide requested details may result in additional charges or non-refundable cancellation of your trip.

For the majority of our trips, the minimum age is 15 at the time of travel. All travellers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a legal guardian, or in lieu of a legal guardian an escort over the age of 18, appointed by their legal guardian. The legal guardian or their designee will be responsible for the day-to-day care of the traveller under the age of 18. If a legal guardian elects to designate an escort in their lieu, they will be required to complete and sign a relevant document to delegate their authority.

Please note we cannot guarantee triple or adjoining rooms for families; accompanying adults may be required to share with others in the group on a twin-share basis.

For the majority of our trips, we have no upper age limit, though we remind you that our trips can be physically demanding and passengers must ensure that they are suitably fit to allow full participation. We are able to provide details on mandatory health requirements; however, we are not medical experts. It is your responsibility to ensure that you obtain proper and detailed medical advice at least two months prior to travel for the latest health requirements and recommendations for your destination.

GUESTS OVER 75 at the time of travel:

Guests over 75 years old or those with preexisting health conditions, which Patch Adventures deems may require medical clearance to ensure safe travel, must complete a ‘Certificate of Medical Fitness to Travel’ (form provided by Patch) within 30 days of booking confirmation.

The standard 2-week cooling-off period applies for guests changing their minds after booking.

Additionally, guests unable to meet the fitness criteria or not approved for travel due to medical reasons, are eligible for a full refund, provided they submit the certificate, checked “Not Medically Fit to Travel” and signed by a doctor within 30 days of booking confirmation. This refund option is only applicable for reservations made outside the 95 days before departure.

For bookings made within 94 days, the approved ‘Certificate of Medical Fitness to Travel’ must be submitted before the booking can be confirmed, and thereafter, standard terms and conditions for cancellations apply. These measures ensure the safety and well-being of all participants on Patch Adventures’ trips.

Our group trips are run by a group leader. The decision of the group leader is final on all matters likely to affect the safety or well-being of any traveller or staff member participating in the trip. If you fail to comply with a decision made by a group leader or interfere with the well-being or mobility of the group, the group leader may direct you to leave the trip immediately with no right of refund. We may also elect not to carry you on any future trips booked. You must at all times comply with the laws, customs, foreign exchange, and drug regulations of all countries visited, and you also agree to travel in accordance with our responsible travel guidelines.

Contact us either by phone or email to make a reservation.

DEPOSIT

Each trip has a specified trip deposit amount to be paid in order to hold a spot on the trip. Your Trip Manager will advise of the amount at the time of booking.

Payment of the deposit means you have read and accepted the terms and conditions. 

COOLING OFF PERIOD

Cooling Off Period: Providing your trip has a departure date of 95+ days, you can cancel your trip and receive a refund on your deposit, if the cancellation is made within 2 weeks (14 days) of payment of your deposit.

A cancellation made when the trip is due to commence in 94 days or less is not eligible for the cooling off period.  To be eligible for cooling off, the cancellation must happen 95+ days in advance of the trip.

Transferable Deposits: You can cancel your trip at any time before the trip starts and transfer the minimum deposit amount to any booking.

PAYMENT OF TRIP

Final payment is due 95 days prior to the trip departure date. 

Making a booking 95 days or less before trip departure will require full payment in order to hold your spot on the trip and is not eligible for cooling off conditions.

On full payment, you will receive your pre-departure information.

Cancellation of your booking often does not allow time for the re-sale of your space on the trip.

However, with our new Lifetime Deposit Guarantee, you will never lose your deposit. No matter when you cancel – so long as the trip hasn’t started, you keep your trip deposit as a credit to be applied to future trips.

Terms:

Cancellation 95 days or more prior to departure: Retain trip minimum deposit as a credit; refund all other monies paid. For cancellations 95 days or more prior to departure due to a lack of participants – you can be transferred to a later departure and we will cover any price difference.

Cancellation between 50 and 94 days: You will retain the trip minimum deposit as a credit, and receive 40% of the trip price/monies paid as a refund. 

Cancellation between 30 and 49 days: You will receive a credit equivalent to 30% of the trip price, OR the trip minimum deposit, whichever amount is greater.

Cancellation between 0 and 29 days: You will retain the trip minimum deposit as a credit.

Most cancellations happen due to unfortunate circumstances, such as sickness or bereavement, but we cannot adjust our policy for these circumstances. We have in the past tried to accommodate for these events, but the cost of covering these cancellations was financially unsustainable and caused the majority of trips to run at a loss. Sourcing replacement guests is difficult and campaigns to fill last minute spots rarely succeed. For this reason: If you wish to be covered for cancellations, this must be organised with an external insurance provider. 

Any refund, be it part or whole, will be based on the payment originally received in our bank account — that amount is the gross amount on which any refund will be based. If the client leaves the trip voluntarily after its commencement, there will be no refund.

Credits

Credits are transferable to any other trip or guest, but they are not refundable.

CANCELLATION BY PATCH ADVENTURES

Patch Adventures reserves the right to cancel or reschedule any trip departure.

95 days or more in advance: for cancellations due to not filling a trip because of a lack of participants, we will cancel the trip no later than 95 days in advance of the trip departure and refund the amount you paid for that trip, in its entirety. If you choose to transfer to a different departure of the same trip instead of accepting the refund, we’ll honour the original trip price, even if the price of the new departure is different due to a price increase.

Cancellations within 95 days will only happen due to circumstances out of our control, such as political instability, terrorism, pandemics, natural disasters, or other such circumstances. Refunds will be less any unrecoverable costs; in this case, the rest of your trip balance will be offered to you as a credit.

If the travel advisory of a trip changes to ‘Do Not Travel’ after booking a single destination trip, you will be entitled to a refund. If the event occurs within 95 days of the trip start, you will be provided a refund less any unrecoverable costs, which will be provided as a credit. If your booking is for a multi-destination trip, we will make a determination as to whether the trip should be re-routed or cancelled. This will be at the discretion of Patch Adventures.

There are no refunds for any part of the trip not used, including (but not limited to) meals, activities, or any other services.

REFUNDS AND COMPLAINTS

We have a complaints and refunds procedure, including a formula to calculate refund entitlements for any services that were poorly delivered or not delivered at all.

To make a complaint, contact the Booking Manager tied to your booking. We will contact you to conduct an investigation; any resolution offered will depend on the outcome of the investigation.

The formula for refunds is based on a reasonable breakdown of our service, with allocations primarily for Accommodation, Food, Guiding Services, and Experiences. To receive a full breakdown of the formula, please contact us. If you do make a complaint, the full calculation of your refund entitlement will be provided to you.

You are responsible for arranging all of your travel insurance. Your travel insurance MUST cover at least the following: cover against trip cancellation, plus cover for personal liability, injury, medical emergencies and medical evacuation, repatriation in case of death, and other as recommended by your travel agent.

We will not be responsible for any uninsured costs arising as a result of your trip being impacted by pandemics or illness. We maintain an active Covid policy that is updated continuously according to the global conditions, industry standards and best health advice; the priority in all cases is protecting the health of the group. Please contact us for an updated version of the policy if you would like to consult it before travelling.

Smoking is not allowed in any Patch Adventures’ booked transport, hotel rooms, restaurants, or within the vicinity of the tour group.

While Patch Adventures will do its best to endeavour to accommodate medical requirements, the expectation is that clients will be responsible for their own arrangements. We will do our best to accommodate specific dietary requirements, but cannot guarantee that we will successfully manage all dietary needs or be able to cater for specific allergies. For exercise-focused adventures, Patch Adventures guides are equipped with first aid kits. Clients are advised to bring their own personal medication.

Patch Adventures’ trip prices are based on a twin share basis, except in circumstances where this is not possible.

Please keep your baggage to a minimum and try to bring only what’s required. A few of our trips may require you to pack in a soft bag, rather than a case. That’s to do with limited baggage capacity, usually in vehicles. However, on many of our trips, there is no such stipulation and you’re welcome to use 1 hard case with wheels instead. A day pack as your ‘carry-on luggage’ is really useful too!

Whatever the bag type, you must be able to carry your own bag comfortably by yourself – there are no 5-star porter services where our Patchies travel!! And be mindful of local airline luggage limits if there’s a domestic flight on your trip. Any limits will be listed in your trip notes, which you’ll receive in plenty of time before you’re packing!

Patch Adventures does not accept responsibility for any lost or damaged bags — please be insured for this.

Please ensure your passport is valid for at least 6 months after the trip finish date. Check with your travel agent regarding visas or inoculations — they are your responsibility, so please make sure you have the appropriate ones. You must carry a valid passport and have obtained all of the appropriate visas, permits and certificates for the countries you will visit during your tour.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are in possession of the correct visas, permits and certificates for your tour; please refer to the itinerary or relevant government website for details. We are not responsible if you are refused entry to a country because you lack the correct passport, visa or other travel documentation.

All meals, activities, accommodation, transport, and guides as stated in each tour’s itinerary.

Visa fees, international flight costs, meals or activities not stated in the itinerary, airport taxes, personal items, snacks, drinks (except with meals), vaccinations, tips or gratuities, laundry, telephone, minibar, personal travel insurance, alcoholic beverages.

We hope not to have any of these, but should you feel that something did not meet your expectations, please write to us in case we can rectify the situation.

Travelling with Patch Adventures requires flexibility and understanding that changes may be made to the itinerary if circumstances necessitate. For any forced changes to itinerary or accommodation, we will endeavour to provide the closest possible equivalent available to us.

The Guide: Clients are expected to respect the authority of the guide/leader/local operator at all times.

Patch Adventures reserves the right to accept or reject any individual as a group member at any time. Patch Adventures also works in partnership with local operators, whose local expertise is invaluable to the execution of our tours. While we make every effort to work with reliable and reputable third-party operators, Patch Adventures cannot assume responsibility for any actions or omissions of third parties that result in personal injury, property damage, or other loss to our clients.

While Patch Adventures offers adventure experiences that by their nature may involve certain risks, we are committed to providing our clients with safe and enjoyable experiences. We expect our clients to understand the physical requirements of the adventure and to be in good health before undertaking our trips. Although we ask clients to confirm their physical fitness and that they do not have undisclosed medical conditions, it is ultimately the client’s responsibility to ensure they are medically fit for the trip.

While you acknowledge that you undertake our trips at your own risk, we want to assure you that your safety is of utmost importance to us, and we will endeavour to ensure that appropriate safety measures are in place.

You grant us permission to use your name, photographs, videotapes, and recordings in connection with our trips.

If any part of this agreement is deemed unenforceable, all other parts will remain in effect. By booking a trip with Patch Adventures, you, the client, agree to abide by these terms.

These terms and conditions, and any contract to which they apply, are governed by Australian law and shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Victoria, Australia