Terms & Conditions
We create thoughtful, immersive journeys through India, from a single experience in Mumbai to a bespoke route across the country. We plan with care, we tell you honestly when something changes, and we think hard about who we work with and why.
Travel here involves roads that close, weather that intervenes, trains that run late and wildlife that shows up when it wants to. These Terms are written with that in mind. They set out how a booking works, what each of us is responsible for, and what happens when plans change.
PART A: BOOKING AND PAYMENT
1. Who you are contracting with
These Terms are between you and Meandering Myna, GSTIN 27CVIPS7690M1ZH, Udyam Registration Number UDYAM-MH-18-0541607, of Mumbai, Maharashtra. "You" means the Lead Traveller and everyone included in the booking. The Lead Traveller accepts these Terms for the whole party, confirms they have authority to do so, and confirms that what we have been told about each traveller is accurate.
Write to us at pooja@meanderingmyna.com
2. Words we use
Booking Confirmation: the written confirmation we send you, including any itinerary or inclusions list identified in it.
Journey: the travel arrangements covered by your Booking Confirmation.
Lead Traveller: the person who makes the booking and is named as such.
Start Date: the date the first service in your booking is due to begin.
Supplier: any independent business whose services form part of your Journey, such as hotels, homestays, drivers, guides, restaurants, airlines, railways, boat operators and lodges.
Total Price: the price in your Booking Confirmation, before GST.
3. Making a booking
3.1 A quotation is an invitation to book, not a binding offer. Everything in it is subject to availability, and we hold nothing at quotation stage.
3.2 To go ahead, confirm in writing and pay the Total Price plus GST. The contract begins when we send you a Booking Confirmation, not before.
3.3 We book Suppliers after the Booking Confirmation goes out, so availability is settled at that point. Clause 5 covers what happens if something is no longer available.
3.4 We may decline a booking without giving reasons. If we have already taken payment, we will return it, less bank and transfer charges, and that is the end of it.
4. Price, taxes and payment
4.1 Every Journey is priced individually. A price quoted for one Journey does not carry over to another. All prices are before GST, which is added at the rate applying on the date of invoice.
4.2 Your Total Price covers only what your Booking Confirmation lists. It does not include flights, visas, personal expenses, travel insurance, gratuities or optional activities unless stated.
4.3 Prices are in Indian Rupees unless we agree otherwise. Where we quote in another currency, the rate we give applies only if you pay within the quotation validity period.
4.4 If Supplier, transport or fuel costs rise, or permit fees, taxes or exchange rates move against us after your Booking Confirmation, we may pass on the increase. We will tell you the amount and it is payable on request.
4.5 We take payment by bank transfer only. Bank charges, transfer fees and currency costs are yours. Payment counts as received when it reaches our account in full. Money sent from outside India must come through normal banking channels.
4.6 Anything owing to us carries interest at 1.5% a month from the date it falls due.
4.7 If you ask us to book a flight, insurance policy or anything else outside your Total Price, we do it as your agent. That contract is between you and the provider.
5. If something in your booking is not available
5.1 If a Supplier service becomes unavailable, we will offer you something of broadly comparable character. If nothing comparable is available, or you would rather not take what we offer, we will either find another alternative or refund what that service was worth, less anything we have already committed to a Supplier and cannot get back. If you would rather cancel the whole booking instead, clause 8 applies in the usual way.
6. Changes you ask for
6.1 Tell us as early as you can. We will accommodate a change where we can, but we cannot promise that any change is possible.
6.2 Any extra cost is yours, including Supplier amendment fees, rate differences, transport and permit costs, and our costs in looking into a change that does not go ahead. For changes within 30 days of the Start Date we may also charge a replanning fee which will be shared at the time.
6.3 A change we cannot make, or that you decide against, leaves the original booking as it was.
7. Changes to your travelling party
7.1 Prices depend on the number of travellers. If that number drops, the cost per person changes, and we may revise the Total Price. The difference is payable on request.
7.2 If the difference is not paid, we may treat the booking as cancelled under clause 8, reduce the services to match what has been paid, or go ahead and recover the difference from you. The choice is ours.
7.3 If one traveller drops out and the Journey goes ahead for the rest, clause 8 applies to their share and clause 7.1 to everyone else.
8. If you cancel
8.1 Plans change and we understand that. Tell us in writing as soon as you can. Cancellation takes effect the day we receive your notice.
8.2 Unless we have agreed otherwise in writing, these charges apply, worked out on the Total Price:
Written notice received before the Start Date
Cancellation charge
More than 60 days: 25% of the Total Price
31 to 60 days: 50% of the Total Price
16 to 30 days: 75% of the Total Price
15 days or less: 100% of the Total Price
No-show, or leaving before the Journey ends: 100% of the Total Price
8.3 Suppliers often have stricter terms than ours, including non-refundable deposits and full prepayment, and we commit to those costs to hold your arrangements. Where we have paid or committed money for your booking and cannot recover it, we may deduct that instead of, or on top of, the charge in clause 8.2.
8.4 Refunds go back to the account the payment came from, once we know what can be recovered from Suppliers. They are made in Indian Rupees at the rate on the day, less bank and currency charges and any GST we cannot reclaim.
PART B: YOUR JOURNEY
9. Your itinerary
Your itinerary is the Journey we intend to give you. It is not a checklist we are promising to complete item by item. What we are committing to is the destinations and the standard of accommodation set out in your Booking Confirmation.
10. Changes we make
10.1 We may adjust your itinerary where safety, weather, transport, local conditions, Supplier availability or government restrictions call for it. Where something falls through we will put something of comparable character in its place.
10.2 Small changes are part of travelling here: the order of activities, a different restaurant, another guide or vehicle, a comparable property instead of the one planned. These do not give you a right to cancel or to a refund.
10.3 A substantial change means losing a destination named in your Booking Confirmation, moving to a noticeably lower standard of accommodation, or shifting the Start Date by more than a day. Where a substantial change is caused by something outside our control, including anything in clauses 10.1 or 12, we will find you the best alternative we can, and that is what we owe you.
11. If we cancel or substantially change your Journey
11.1 This is rare. Where we cancel, or make a substantial change for reasons within our control, we will offer you an alternative of comparable standard, or a credit against a future Journey, or a refund of what you paid for the services you will not receive, less anything committed to Suppliers and not recovered and less the planning and design work already done. We will work through those in that order.
11.2 A credit lasts 12 months, is not transferable, and depends on availability and the prices applying when you use it.
11.3 We are not responsible for anything you booked independently, such as international flights, visas or separate accommodation.
12. Events outside our control
12.1 Sometimes something happens that neither of us could have planned for: severe weather, floods, earthquakes, epidemics, war, civil unrest, strikes, government restrictions, transport shutdowns.
12.2 When that happens we will try to adapt the itinerary, find alternatives, postpone, or recover what we can from Suppliers. Any refund depends on what we actually get back and what can still go ahead. We cannot return money that has genuinely gone to a Supplier and cannot be recovered.
12.3 If the Journey cannot proceed for more than 7 days, we may end the booking in writing and refund what we have recovered or not yet committed, less our costs, including the planning and design work already done.
13. Accommodation, transport and timing
13.1 Standards vary a great deal across India, especially in rural and remote places. We choose what suits the character of each Journey. Photographs and descriptions give a fair sense of what to expect, but individual rooms, vehicles and views differ.
13.2 Please arrive at agreed meeting points on time and tell us if you are running late. We will help where we can, but extra transport, accommodation or guide time needed because of a delay on your side is payable by you. Anything missed through late arrival, a missed flight or leaving early is not refundable.
14. Wildlife and nature
Nature does not perform on cue. Where your itinerary includes wildlife or birds, we cannot guarantee what you will see, and not seeing a particular animal is not a failure to deliver the Journey. Please follow the rules in place to protect wildlife, habitats and the environment.
PART C: TRAVELLING WITH US
15. Passports, visas and documents
You are responsible for your passport, visa, permits, vaccination records and any other documents. We are glad to point you in the right direction, but entry requirements are set by governments and change. If you are refused entry, boarding or participation because your papers are not in order, no refund is due.
16. Health and fitness
16.1 Tell us in writing, in advance, about any mobility need, allergy, dietary requirement or medical consideration that affects your Journey, and we will pass on what the Suppliers need to know. We will do what we can, though not every place in India can accommodate everything.
16.2 Some Journeys involve altitude, heat, long drives, rough ground, trekking, boats or remote locations. Please satisfy yourself that everyone in the party is up to it, and ask us about anything you are unsure of.
16.3 If a condition we were not told about makes an activity unsafe, we or the Supplier may have to decline participation, and no refund is due for what is missed.
17. Travel insurance
17.1 Please arrange comprehensive travel insurance as soon as your booking is confirmed. We would much rather you did not travel without it. It also helps us to have the insurer’s name and policy number before you go, in case we need them.
17.2 It should cover emergency medical treatment, evacuation and repatriation, cancellation, belongings, and the specific activities in your Journey. Please read what it does and does not cover.
17.3 Travelling without insurance, or with cover that turns out to be inadequate, is at your own risk. We are not liable for anything a suitable policy would have covered.
18. Risk
Travelling through unfamiliar, remote or natural places carries risk: road travel, altitude, trekking, wildlife, weather, unfamiliar food, illness, few medical facilities nearby, delays. By booking with us you accept these as ordinary features of travel, and you agree to use good judgment and follow safety guidance from us, from guides and from activity providers.
19. Travelling with respect
19.1 Good travel should leave both the traveller and the host with their dignity intact. Treat local communities, fellow travellers, guides, drivers, hosts, animals and cultural and religious spaces with respect, and follow local customs and the instructions in place at sensitive sites. We have zero tolerance for racism, casteism, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny or other seriously discriminatory, abusive or threatening behaviour, and we will not knowingly take part in anything involving cruelty to animals.
19.2 Illegal drugs are not permitted on any Journey. If someone is too intoxicated or impaired to take part safely, we or the Supplier may decline their participation, and no refund is due.
19.3 If someone’s behaviour is dangerous, abusive, discriminatory, seriously disruptive or illegal, or puts a person or animal at real risk, we may require them to leave the Journey. No refund is due for what they miss, and any extra accommodation or transport is theirs to pay.
20. Travelling with children
If anyone in your party is under 18, the Lead Traveller is responsible for the permissions and documents. A traveller under 18 must be with a parent, legal guardian or an adult authorised in writing, and that adult is responsible under these Terms for them. Some activities and stays have their own minimum ages.
21. Your belongings
Look after your passport, money, jewellery, electronics and luggage. If something is lost or stolen we will help where we can, including with the hotel, the transport provider, the police or your insurer, but we are not liable for loss, theft or damage.
22. Emergency help
If a traveller needs medical treatment, relocation, evacuation or repatriation, we will arrange what we can. The cost of doing so is theirs and the Lead Traveller’s, and we are not responsible for the standard or outcome of whatever is arranged.
PART D: THE LEGAL BITS
23. Suppliers
Some of your Journey we deliver ourselves. The rest is delivered by independent Suppliers we choose and book on your behalf. They run their own businesses, their own terms may apply to you alongside ours, and we are not responsible for how they perform. We choose them on our own experience and on what they tell us. We do not audit, inspect or verify any Supplier’s licences, insurance, equipment or safety standards.
24. Our liability
24.1 We will plan and arrange your Journey with reasonable care and skill. Beyond that, and as far as the law allows, we are not liable for loss, injury, illness, delay, extra expense or disappointment caused by a Supplier or other third party; by your own actions or another traveller’s; by the ordinary risks of travel in clause 18; by transport conditions, traffic, closures or breakdowns; by illness, allergic reaction or the standard of medical treatment; by loss or theft of belongings; by anything outside our reasonable control; or by missing documents, permits or insurance.
24.2 We are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, including lost enjoyment, disappointment, missed onward arrangements or wasted expenditure.
24.3 Where we are liable, our liability is limited to what we retain from your Total Price after paying Suppliers.
24.4 Please tell us about any claim in writing within 7 days of the Journey ending.
24.5 You are responsible for any cost we incur because of your breach of these Terms, your unlawful conduct, damage you cause to a Supplier’s property, or help we provide you as a result.
25. If something goes wrong
Tell us. If a problem comes up while you are travelling, raise it with us or your guide straight away, because most things are far easier to put right in the moment. If it cannot be sorted out on the road, write to us at pooja@meanderingmyna.com and we will look into it and come back to you in writing. Where a problem is not raised at the time and we never get the chance to fix it, we will take that into account.
26. Your information
To plan your Journey we need details such as your name, contact information, passport details and dietary requirements, and we share what is necessary with Suppliers. We handle personal data in line with Indian data protection law and our Privacy Policy at meanderingmyna.com. We may write to you about future journeys, and you can ask us to stop at any time.
27. Photographs and content
27.1 People are people, not photo opportunities. Ask before photographing someone, particularly in homes, workplaces, villages and religious spaces, and respect any restrictions.
27.2 The itineraries, writing, photographs and branding in our proposals and on our site are ours. Please do not reproduce them or present them as someone else’s work.
27.3 We take photographs and video on our Journeys and may use them in our own material. Tell us if you would rather not appear and we will keep you out of anything new.
27.4 Your own photographs and stories are yours. If you send us a review, photograph or piece of writing, or post one publicly and tell us we may use it, we may use, edit and publish it in any medium, with attribution or without.
28. General
28.1 Notices, including cancellations, should be in writing by email, to us at pooja@meanderingmyna.com and to you at the address the Lead Traveller gave us. Please let us know if it changes.
28.2 Your Booking Confirmation and these Terms are the whole agreement between us. Where the two differ, the Booking Confirmation governs price, dates, party size and inclusions, and these Terms govern everything else. Changes to a confirmed booking only count once we confirm them in writing.
28.3 If we let something go on one occasion, or make an exception for you, that does not stop us applying these Terms later.
28.4 If part of these Terms turns out to be unenforceable, the rest still stands.
28.5 The version that applies to your booking is the one named in your Booking Confirmation. We may update these Terms, but that does not change a booking already confirmed.
29. Law and disputes
Indian law governs these Terms and your booking. We would always rather sort a disagreement out directly, so please start with clause 25. If it is still unresolved after 30 days, we will try mediation in Mumbai. Failing that, the courts at Mumbai have jurisdiction.
30. Getting in touch
Meandering Myna, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
pooja@meanderingmyna.com | meanderingmyna.com