Lotus Travel Terms and Conditions

Reservations

A $500 per person non-refundable deposit is required within 7 days of booking through your travel advisor or Lotus Travel, Inc. Additional deposits might be required, depending on the requirements of the ground operators. Payments can be made by personal checks, company checks or credit card. For your convenience, Lotus Travel, Inc accepts Visa, MasterCard and Discover and the remaining balance is due 60 days prior to departure.

Tour Inclusions

1. All transportation as specified on your itinerary is limited to one piece of checked luggage, not exceeding 44 pounds per person.
2. All sightseeing tours as specified on your itinerary with English-speaking tour guides and private drivers or coach service noted on the itinerary (other language guides can be arranged upon request).
3. Meals as noted on the itinerary; vegetarian meals can be arranged upon request.
   (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
4. All hotel accommodations are based on two passengers sharing a twin room with private bath. Single rooms can be arranged; however, it is subject to availability. A single supplement fee applies (refer to individual itineraries for applicable fee).
5. Twin beds in hotels in Asia (about 50 inches wide) are closer in width to the 54" double size beds in the U.S. and much wider than the 39 inches wide twin beds found in American homes.
6. A soft sleeper train compartment in China is equipped with two bunk beds for four travelers. If there are less than four people in your party, Lotus Travel highly recommends purchasing the extra seat in the compartment to ensure privacy.

Tour Exclusions

1. Travel visa and passport fees
2. Tips to tour guides, drivers, and hotel bellhops.
3. Expenses of a personal nature
4. Some meals
5. International airfare of land only packages
6. If your itinerary states "free time" or "free day", no activities would be planned and your English-speaking tour guide and driver would not be present.
7. Provincial Civil Affairs Bureau orphanage visit filing fee on all China Homeland Heritage Tours
8. Side trips to designated provinces and birth cities on all China Homeland Heritage Tours

Child Discount

1. Children 11 years old or under on the last day of the tour are eligible to receive a discount.
2. In China, a child taller than 3’10” is charged an adult fare for admission tickets, transportation fares (except airfares) and meals in restaurants. Lotus Travel assumes all children 11 years old and under are shorter than 3’10” and quotes them a child’s fee. If your child exceeds this height limit, your tour guide might ask you to pay the difference of the transportation fare and admission ticket while in China.

Travel Documents

All passports should contain an adequate number of blank pages for required travel visas and should be valid for six months from your return date; contact Lotus Travel, Inc or your travel advisor for appropriate visa forms.

Air Ticket Change Fee

A fee of $350 per change plus air ticket change fees imposed by the airlines apply if changes are made after reservation confirmations and the receipt of deposits.

Tour Cancellation and Refund

Passengers who cancel their tour reservations for any reason whatsoever are subject to the following cancellation penalties according to the following schedule:

Days Before Departure Fee 30 days or more $200 per person 29-16 days 10% of tour cost 15-8 days 25% of tour cost 7-2 days 50% of tour cost Cancellation within 48 hours 100% of tour cost

No refunds could be made for any unused portions of the tour due to cancellations and/or changes made by the participants when the tour is in progress. All refund claims must be submitted in writing through the agency from which the tour was purchased within 30 days of the tour termination. Voluntary non-usage of hotel accommodations, tour features and services are non-refundable and/or not exchangeable for other preferable substituting arrangements. No refunds can be made for changes to hotels and other services made at the discretion of passengers en route. Travel agency service fees, travel insurance, shipping and handling charges, travel visa courier service fees are also non-refundable. Travelers who are eligible for refunds should allow at least four to six weeks for refund processing procedures (noted that airline ticket refunds may have a longer lead time).

Air Transportation (applicable if included in tour packages)

Prices are based on economy/coach class and are subjected to change. Quoted airfare can only be guaranteed with full payment upon ticket issuance. Flight itinerary changes made by travelers following the issuance of tickets could result in increased airfares and penalties.

Liabilities

Lotus Travel makes and secures all arrangements concerning transportation, sightseeing and accommodations of specific tours. However, it does not own, manage, control or operate any transportation vehicles, hotels, restaurants or any suppliers of services. By accepting tour documents, travelers agreed that neither Lotus Travel nor its representatives should be liable for any loss, injuries and/or damages resulting directly or indirectly from the following:

1. Acts of omission of any person or firms other than Lotus Travel and its employees.
2. Theft, mechanical breakdowns, governmental actions, political unrests, terrorism, strikes, lockouts, war, weather, acts of God or other factors and courses beyond our control.
3. Acts of vandalism, burglaries, accidents, injuries, assaults or physical harm to travelers and their properties.
4. Passengers who fail to obtain required documentations, such as passports, travel visas and health certificates (as required by certain destination cities) in which you would not be eligible for a refund.

Furthermore, Lotus Travel, Inc reserves the right to adjust quoted prices at any time to impose fluctuations of exchange rates and/or increased costs of any tour portions. It is not responsible for any loss incurred by tour itinerary changes made by travelers due to unforeseeable circumstances; noted that tour participants are responsible for additional costs.

Lotus Travel, Inc. also reserves the right to include travelers on any touring groups and terminate tour participations of misbehaved participants if their acts are considered offensive or incompatible to the comforts of other travelers in the same tour group at any time. Please be aware that any transportation arrangements, hotel accommodations and sightseeing programs provided by Lotus Travel, Inc. and its local representatives are subject to change without further notice.