Booking terms

1.1 Free to use. The holiday designer and the ready-made holidays are free to use. Designing a trip, saving it or sending it to us does not create a booking, and does not commit you or us to anything.

1.2 Prices are estimates. Prices on the website are worked out from the rates we hold at the time. Hotel rates change, and some of our prices follow rates offered online. A price becomes final only when a travel designer confirms it to you in writing.

1.3 Currencies. Prices are worked out in US dollars. Amounts shown in other currencies are approximate and are there to help you compare.

2.1 The lead booker. The person who makes the booking must be at least 18 years old, and must have the authority to accept these terms for everyone in the party.

2.2 When a booking exists. After you send us a trip, a travel designer checks availability and sends you a confirmed itinerary and price. There is no contract between us until you have accepted that confirmation and we have received your deposit.

2.3 Our right to decline. We may decline any booking.

2.4 Accurate information. You must give us accurate and complete information. This includes every traveller's name exactly as it appears on their passport, dates of birth, children's ages on the dates of travel, contact details, and anything we should know about health, diet or mobility. Any cost or loss caused by wrong or missing information is yours to bear.

3.1 Deposit. 80% of the invoice total, paid within 7 days of the invoice date.

3.2 Balance. The remaining 20%, paid no later than 60 days before you arrive.

3.3 Late bookings. If you book within 60 days of arriving, the full amount is due as soon as we invoice you.

3.4 Peak season, 15 December to 15 January. If any part of your holiday falls between 15 December and 15 January, including extra nights or other services booked through us, the full invoice total is due within 7 days of the invoice date. There is no deposit and balance arrangement for these dates, because hotels and other suppliers ask us to pay in full in advance for the festive season. If we receive only part of the price, we hold it as a part payment and the booking is not confirmed until the rest arrives in time. Stricter cancellation terms also apply (see "If you cancel").

3.5 Booking directly with us. If you book with us directly, and not through a travel agent, tour operator or booking platform, the deposit (or the full amount, for late and peak season bookings) must reach us within 3 days of the invoice instead of 7. Once we confirm your hotels, transport and guides, we owe our suppliers cancellation charges straight away, so we cannot hold them without payment.

3.6 If payment is late. Until your payment has cleared, we do not confirm the booking, issue vouchers or reserve anything with hotels, transport providers, guides or other suppliers. We are not responsible for rooms or services that sell out, or for changes in price or exchange rates, while a payment is late or missing. If you want to go ahead after a payment date has passed, we will send a new quotation at the rates and availability of that day.

4.1 What is included. Your confirmed price includes the government taxes that apply when you book.

4.2 What is not included. Unless your itinerary says otherwise, the price does not include international flights, passport and visa fees, travel insurance, bank and card fees, tips or personal spending.

4.3 Exchange rates. We invoice in the currency we agree with you, at the exchange rate on the invoice date. We are not responsible for the rate or fees your bank or card company applies when the payment goes through.

4.4 Surcharges. Once your booking is confirmed we will not raise the price, unless our own costs rise materially for reasons outside our control. Those costs include fuel, transport, hotels, government taxes and local suppliers paid in Sri Lankan rupees. If that happens, we absorb the first 2% of the increase and you pay the rest. If a surcharge would add more than 10% to the total price of your holiday, you may cancel within 14 days of being told and receive a full refund of what you have paid us, less any supplier costs we cannot recover.

5.1 Security. Stripe is certified as a PCI Service Provider Level 1. Your card details are encrypted (AES-256) and are never stored on our servers. We never ask for card details through this website, by email or by message.

5.2 Bank and card fees. Any foreign transaction or currency conversion fee charged by your bank or card company is yours to pay.

5.3 When a card payment counts as paid. A booking is confirmed only once Stripe has authorised the payment and the money has been collected. We are not responsible for a booking lost because a payment was declined, held for a fraud check or delayed by a banking fault.

5.4 Disputes and chargebacks. If you disagree with a charge, you agree to contact us first so we can put it right, before asking your bank for a chargeback. If a chargeback is made without good reason, for services we provided or terms you agreed to, you agree to repay us the disputed amount and the legal, administrative and bank costs of recovering it.

5.5 Card refunds. We send an approved refund to the card or method you paid with, and to no other. It usually arrives within 5 to 10 working days, depending on your bank.

5.6 Bank transfers. We must receive the full invoice amount in cleared funds. All bank charges, intermediary bank fees and currency conversion costs for sending the money are yours. If the amount that reaches us is short, you must make up the difference within 7 days of being told, or we may treat the booking as cancelled and the cancellation charges below will apply.

5.7 When a transfer counts as paid. A booking paid by bank transfer is confirmed only when the money has cleared in our account. International transfers usually take 3 to 5 working days and can take longer. We are not responsible for delayed or lost transfers, or for rates, rooms or places lost because money arrived late.

5.8 Payment reference. Please put your booking reference, the lead booker's name and the invoice number in the transfer reference. Without them we may not be able to match your payment quickly, and any charge that results from the delay is yours.

5.9 Protect yourself from fraud. Our bank details are on your invoice, or we send them when you ask in writing. We never ask for bank details by phone, text or instant message, and we never tell you to change our account details part way through a payment. If you receive a message that claims our account details have changed, check with us using the contact details on this website before you send any money. We are not liable for money sent to the wrong account because of a fraudulent or intercepted message.

5.10 Refunds by bank transfer. Where we refund by bank transfer, bank charges, intermediary fees and currency conversion costs are taken from the amount refunded. We do not absorb these costs.

6.1 Subject to availability. The hotels in a ready-made holiday, or the ones you choose in the holiday designer, depend on rooms being free when we process your booking. A hotel is reserved only once it has confirmed to us.

6.2 A similar hotel. If a hotel is not available, we will offer one of a similar standard in the same place, and tell you as soon as we reasonably can.

6.3 Price changes before confirmation. We do our best to keep to the price you were quoted. If the itinerary has to change before we confirm it, for example because of a different hotel or a seasonal rate, the total may change too. We will always tell you the new price before you confirm.

6.4 Things nobody can promise. Weather, wildlife sightings, train seats and national park openings cannot be guaranteed. Where one of these affects your plans, we will do our best to offer a sensible alternative.

7.1 When we may cancel. We may cancel your booking if events outside our control make it impossible to run, if you do not pay the balance on time, or if you break these terms.

7.2 Events outside our control. We are not liable where we cannot do what we promised because of events outside our control. These include fire, flood, earthquake, storm and other natural disasters; war, hostilities, civil unrest and terrorism; government action, sanctions and embargoes; strikes and labour disputes; pandemics, epidemics and public health emergencies; cyberattacks; and failures of electricity, telecommunications or transport.

7.3 Refunds in these events. If we cancel because of such an event, we refund what you have paid us, less any costs already paid to hotels, transport providers and other suppliers that we cannot get back. If the event happens after your holiday has started, we will make reasonable efforts to continue or adapt it. Any extra cost of doing so is yours, and no refund is due for the part of the holiday not used.

8.1 Refunds. We pay suppliers in advance to hold your rates, so a refund depends on what we can recover from them. We may deduct an administration fee and any bank charges for sending the refund. There is no refund if you do not arrive, for services you do not use, or if you choose to leave early.

8.2 Parts of the holiday you do not use. If you decide not to take part in something included in your holiday, such as an activity, a meal, a transfer or a night's stay, no refund or credit is due, whatever the reason. Your travel insurance may cover some of these costs.

8.3 Items that cannot be refunded. Some parts of an itinerary cannot be refunded from the moment they are booked. These include internal flights, train tickets, special permits, tickets for special events, and some hotels with strict deposit rules. If you cancel one of these at any time, you lose its full cost.

8.4 Bookings for several people. If a booking for several travellers is cancelled, the lead booker is responsible for the cancellation charges for every traveller on it.

8.5 Peak season, 15 December to 15 January. Hotels and other suppliers set stricter terms for these dates, and most allow no refund at all. If any part of your holiday falls in this period, the charge is whichever is greater: the charge in the table above, or the full amount of the supplier costs we have paid, or must pay, for your booking and cannot recover. It is never more than 100% of the total price. This can apply however early you cancel. Where we know a supplier's terms when we invoice you we will try to tell you, but this clause applies whether or not we have.

9.1 Changes by us. We try to keep to your itinerary, but we may need to change a route, a hotel or the transport for operational reasons, because of what suppliers have available, or for safety. A change is significant if it affects at least one day in five of the itinerary, changes a destination, or lowers the standard of a hotel. If a change is significant we will tell you, and you may accept it, accept an alternative of the same standard, or cancel and receive a full refund of what you have paid us.

9.2 Changes by you. If you ask to change your itinerary after booking, we will do our best, but changes depend on availability and suppliers may charge for them. We also charge an amendment fee of USD 50 for each change.

10.1 Tell us when you book. When you book, you must tell us in writing about any medical condition, disability, pregnancy, mobility limit, mental health condition, dietary need or allergy that could reasonably affect your holiday.

10.2 Whether a trip suits you. Some itineraries involve walking on uneven ground, climbing steps, heat and humidity, long drives and early starts. From what you tell us, we may confirm the booking, suggest changes or, on reasonable medical or safety grounds, decline it. If we decline before you have paid a deposit, there is no charge.

10.3 If you do not tell us. If we later learn of a relevant condition that was not disclosed, we may decline to provide a service or end your part in the holiday, with no refund.

10.4 Medical care. We are not a medical provider. We will help you reach local medical care if you need it, but its cost is yours, to be claimed from your travel insurance.

You are responsible for holding a passport valid for at least six months after your return date, the right visa or electronic travel authorisation (ETA) for Sri Lanka, and any vaccinations recommended by your doctor or your country's health authority. We can share general guidance, but any cost or consequence of wrong or missing documents is yours. Please check the official requirements for your nationality before you travel.

12.1 What it must cover. At the least: personal accident, medical expenses, hospital treatment, emergency repatriation, cancelling or cutting short your trip, personal liability and loss of belongings. If your itinerary includes activities such as safaris, hiking, surfing or diving, your policy must cover them.

12.2 Checking your cover. We may ask for your insurer's name and your policy number before the final payment.

12.3 Travelling without cover. We are not responsible for any cost that a standard travel insurance policy would have covered. If you travel without adequate insurance, you do so at your own risk and accept full responsibility for any loss.

13.1 On your holiday. You agree to follow reasonable instructions from your driver, guide and our local team; to respect Sri Lankan law, religious sites and their dress codes, and local customs; not to bring illegal substances into Sri Lanka or use them during your holiday; and to treat our team, our suppliers and local people with courtesy. A serious breach may end your holiday with us, with no refund, and you would be responsible for your own onward travel and accommodation.

13.2 Activities arranged locally. Anything offered to you during your holiday that is not in your written itinerary is arranged between you and the local operator. We do not control its price, safety standards or terms, and we accept no liability for it.

13.3 Photographs and marketing. Our team, drivers and guides may take photographs and short videos during your holiday, for our records and for marketing. If you do not want to appear in marketing, tell us in writing before your holiday starts. Unless you have opted out, you give us and Ceylon Insider Travels permission, free of charge and not exclusively, to use photographs and video that show you on our websites, on social media, in brochures and in other marketing. You can withdraw this permission at any time by writing to us, and we will take your image out of the material we are using within a reasonable time. We cannot recall material that has already been printed or shared by others.

14.1 Who your contract is with. Your contract for the holiday is still with us.

14.2 Who we speak to. We send invoices, payment notices and itinerary updates to the agent or organiser. We are not responsible if they pass information on late, incompletely or wrongly.

14.3 Prices set by an agent. If an agent or organiser sets a different price or adds conditions of their own, such as a service fee, that is between you and them. Our price is the amount on our written invoice.

14.4 Itemised invoices. On request, we will give a breakdown of the charges for any one traveller in a group booking.

15.1 During your holiday. If something is not right, tell your driver, your guide or our local team straight away, so that we have the chance to fix it. Most problems can be sorted out on the spot.

15.2 After you return. If a problem could not be resolved during your holiday, send us a written complaint through our contact page within 30 days of your return, with a clear description and any evidence you have.

15.3 Our reply. We acknowledge a complaint within 5 working days and give a full reply within 28 days.

15.4 Time limit. We may not be able to consider a complaint sent more than 30 days after the end of the holiday, because it becomes much harder to look into as time passes.

16.1 Independent suppliers. We arrange your holiday with independent suppliers: hotels, transport companies and activity providers. We choose them with care, but we do not control how they operate, and we are not liable for their acts, omissions, errors, negligence or failure to perform.

16.2 Limits. As far as the law allows, we accept no liability for loss, damage or theft of personal belongings; for personal injury, illness or death, unless caused by the direct negligence of our own employees; or for indirect losses such as missed flights or lost earnings. Where we are found liable, the most we will pay for any claim arising from your booking is the total amount you paid us for that booking.

16.3 Your responsibility. Travel carries risks of its own. You agree to cover us against claims, damages and costs that result from your own negligence or from your breaking these terms.

16.4 Your legal rights. Nothing in these terms removes or limits a liability that cannot lawfully be removed or limited, including liability for death or personal injury caused by our proven negligence, or for fraud.

These terms are governed by the laws of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Any dispute arising from them is for the courts of Sri Lanka alone to decide.

We may update these terms at any time, and changes take effect when they are published on this website. The version that applies to your booking is the one in force on the date of your invoice.

If a court finds any part of these terms invalid or unenforceable, the rest of them stay in force.