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Terms of service

• • Ecolodge
  • Programs
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  • Transportation
  
  
  • The Huaorani
  • The Rainforest
  • Sustainable Tourism

  Terms of service contents

  • General information
  • Pre-departure and travel information
  • THE LODGE CODE OF CONDUCT
  • Services at the Lodge
  • Bookings
  • Cancellations and delays
  • Responsibility
  • Release of Liability & Assumption of Risk
  • BOOKING CONDITIONS

• • General information

    In addition to the general policies that follow, Huaorani Ecolodge (hereafter known as the Lodge) makes detailed pre-trip documents available to its visitors. The pre-trip documents are constantly updated to reflect changes and better prepare visitors for their journey to the Lodge and Huaorani territory.

  • Pre-departure and travel information

    • Responsibility of travelers

      Visitors have a responsibility to the Lodge, its staff and other visitors to understand the conditions explicitly and implicitly communicated in the program itinerary, code of conduct, this document and other pre-trip documents, as well as information communicated by guides and staff throughout your tour. You are also responsible for following normal patterns of social behavior and observing all safety requirements without exception, while acting in an appropriate and respectful manner toward staff and all personnel offering tour services.

    • Beneficiary entitlements

      If a tour is purchased from the Lodge in the name of a third person, that person is also bound by all statements and conditions contained in the aforementioned documents.

    • Physical condition & health

      Visitors need to be in good health and good physical condition to be able to fully enjoy the Amazon Headwaters with the Huaorani program. The program involves frequent transfers on and off narrow dugout canoes, which requires some physical effort and balance, and most of the excursions are carried out on trails that can be slippery and irregular, especially during the rainy season (May - July).
      If you suffer from any medical condition that might impact or be impacted by your travel experience, you should consult your physician before participating in the program and must advise the Lodge of your condition and associated medical needs at least 30 days prior to your arrival. The Lodge reserves the right not to accept visitors based on medical and health grounds.
      The Lodge is located in an area where there may be tropical diseases, so it is strongly recommended that you take an appropriate anti-malaria prophylactic and consult a physician about vaccinations. It is your responsibility to seek professional medical advice before traveling and to take all necessary health precautions and preventative measures during the trip, including making sure that you have sufficient supplies of any prescription medicines.
      Please complete the attached Visitor General Information form and return it as soon as possible.

    • Insurance

      The Lodge strongly urges you to purchase a comprehensive travel insurance policy that includes trip cancellation/interruption coverage and baggage loss protection. A travel health insurance policy is required and should include medical coverage as well as for emergency evacuation. If you do not have such coverage, the Lodge can recommend a policy. Please be sure to include the appropriate information on the attached Visitor General Information form

    • Forbidden items

      The Lodge, in conjunction with Ecuador's international laws, prohibits visitors from carrying, either upon their person or in their baggage, any object or material that may be considered dangerous to the security of other visitors, the staff, or the general public, including but not limited to, explosives, weapons of any kind, and flammable items, while participating in any of the Lodge's programs.

    • Illegal substances

      The transport or use of any illegal substance, including illicit drugs, is expressly forbidden while on Lodge programs. Visitors found in possession of illicit substances are subject to arrest and prosecution under national laws. The possession of even small amounts of any illegal substance can lead to charges of trafficking in Ecuador, and an offender may serve over 6 months jail time prior to coming to trial, at which time there is no true presumption of innocence and the burden of proof rests with the defendant.

    • Introduced species

      You are forbidden to transport biological items, including but not limited to flowers, plants and seeds, into the region or to extract and/or to transport biological items out of the region.

  • THE LODGE CODE OF CONDUCT

    • Be open to different appreciations of what is "normal". For example, punctuality is not a rainforest concept, so please be flexible and patient while visiting the Huaorani communities.
    • Only take photos of people with permission and don't be offended if they refuse.
    • Do not be ostentatious with wealth and material possessions.
    • Do not smoke within the Lodge installations, at the communities or on the trails. Visitors may smoke only between cabins and are asked to dispose of the butts appropriately.
    • Do not share alcohol or give away cigarettes at the community.
    • Please do not tip any employee under any circumstance
    • Do buy locally-made handicrafts as this is an important source of income for the community, especially for women, but don't buy those made from feathers or animal parts. There's no need to haggle, everything tends to be inexpensive by Western standards.
    • Be polite and respectful with the Huaorani. Use por favor, gracias, buenos días (or the Huao equivalents), i.e., treat them the same way in which you wish to be treated.
    • Use the garbage system properly and please hang on to any trash you generate like plastics, dead batteries, etc. until you get back to Quito.
    • Ration the use of resources, e.g., keep your showers short, don't run water when brushing teeth/shaving.
    • Please tell your guide if you don't wish to partake of the food or drink during your visits to the Huaorani communities.
    • During your walks, never extract or disturb the vegetation, and for your own safety never stray off the trails.
    • Please follow your guides' instructions; they know the surrounding area and are here to look out for your safety.

  • Services at the Lodge

    • Electricity and water

      Buildings are lit via solar panels, which also power the shortwave radio, refrigerator and water pump, and can be used to recharge your batteries (using your equipment) on a limited basis.
      All water used for preparing food, juice and ice is purified via ultra-filtration. Water from all sources in your cabin is potable.

    • Bar and shop

      The Lodge has a bar and shop open until 22:00, but the hours can be extended as long as it does not disturb other visitors; the Administrator has the authority to stop the sale of drinks or to close the bar if necessary. No alcoholic drinks are served to persons less than 18 years old in accordance with Ecuadorian law. Bar and shop tabs must be paid the night prior to departure and only in US$ cash.

    • Special diets

      The menus are designed to accommodate a variety of dietary needs, including vegetarian. Visitors with special dietary needs should inform the Lodge at least 30 days prior to their arrival (see attached Visitor General Information form). Any general or specific needs not clearly conveyed to the Lodge cannot be met. Every effort will be made to cater to your needs, subject to availability of products in the region.

  • Bookings

    • Charter bookings & payments

      The following amounts are required to confirm bookings at the cut-off times indicated below.
      
      Bookings made:
      
      

      181 days or more prior to departure require:

      • a 1st deposit of 10% of the gross charter rate;
      • a 2nd deposit of 20% of the gross charter rate received 180 prior to departure;
      • final payment 60 days prior to departure.
      
      
      

      180 to 61 days prior to departure require:

      • a deposit of 30% of the gross charter price;
      • final payment 60 days prior to departure.
      
      
      

      60 days or less prior to departure require:

      • payment of the full amount of the charter.
      
      
      NB: All payments must be received by the due date or the reservation is automatically cancelled and deposits forfeited. No changes in passengers´ names or tour dates are accepted; if any such changes are made, the reservation is considered a new one and the original one cancelled subject to all applicable penalties.

    • FIT bookings & payments

      The following amounts are required to confirm bookings at the cut-off times indicated below.

      Bookings made:

      61 days or more prior to departure require:

      • a deposit of $200 at time of booking;
      • final payment 60 days prior to departure.

      60 days or less prior to departure require:

      • full payment at time of booking.
      NB: All payments must be received by the due date or the reservation is automatically cancelled and deposits forfeited. No changes in passengers´ names or tour dates are accepted; if any such changes are made, the reservation is considered a new one and the original one cancelled subject to all applicable penalties.

    • FIT discount policy for children

      There is a 50% discount on the Lodge's gross price of the tour for children 12 years of age and under.

  • Cancellations and delays

    When offered by the Lodge, any refunds, substitutions or replacements encompass the full extent of the offer with the understanding that, by accepting any such offer, the affected visitor(s) waive(s) any further right to substitution, refund or additional compensation of any kind. Visitors are asked to sign an agreement to this effect at the time any substitution, refund or additional offer is made.
    
    Despite operating with excellent ground, air and water transportation services, forces of nature (e.g., inclement weather or fluctuating river levels) can cause delays in the arrival or departure of visitors.
    
    No expenses related to the partial or total loss of bookings for programs that you have with other operators are the responsibility of the Lodge. It is suggested that you leave adequate time between bookings to allow for delays.

    • Cancellations/delays due to forces of nature on the way to the Lodge

      If you are unable to arrive at the Lodge at the scheduled time due to forces of nature and are obliged to spend a night in Shell, the Lodge provides you with suitable accommodations, meals and activities free of charge.

    • Cancellations/delays due to forces of nature when leaving the Lodge

      If you are not able to leave the Lodge due to forces of nature, the night's lodging and meals are covered by the Lodge.

    • Cancellation due to cancelled, delayed or missed flights of another operator inside or outside of Ecuador

      No refunds.

    • Cancellations due to the death

      Due to the death of an immediate family member (husband, wife, daughter, son, mother, father), 50% of monies is refunded or 100% of monies is credited towards a future tour.

    • Cancellations due to illness or injury

      • If a medical certificate is provided, 50% of monies is charged as penalty and 50% is credited towards a future tour.
      • Without a medical certificate, 100% of all monies is charged as a cancellation penalty.
      NB: Medical certificates should include the registration number of your M.D.

    • Charter cancellation policy

      The following cancellation penalties are applied at the cut-off times indicated below:
      
      

      181 days or more prior to departure:

      • 50% of deposit is non-refundable
      
      

      180 days to 61 days prior to departure:

      • All payments received are non-refundable.
      
      

      60 days or less prior to departure:

      • Full charter price is applied as a cancellation penalty.

    • The Charterer has the following additional options:

      • 180 days to 121 days prior to departure:

        The Charterer may release 50% of the chartered space back to the Lodge, in which case payments already made will be applied to the remaining spaces as long as the Charterer accepts full responsibility for selling the unreleased 50% of space. Invoicing will be adjusted accordingly to reflect that the Charterer is responsible for paying 50% of the full charter price originally charged. The Lodge will sell the released space as it sees fit. All other charter cancellation penalties apply.

      • 120 days to 61 days prior to departure:

        The Charterer may release 25% of the chartered space back to the Lodge, in which case payments already made will be applied to the remaining spaces as long as the Charterer accepts full responsibility for selling the unreleased 75% of space. Invoicing will be adjusted accordingly to reflect that the Charterer is responsible for paying 75% of the full charter price originally charged. The Lodge will sell the released space as it sees fit. All other charter cancellation penalties apply.
      
      With the above charter cancellation policy in mind, the Lodge encourages new accounts to start by selling FITs and only charter once they are confident of selling a full charter.

    • FIT cancellation policy

      The following cancellation penalties are applied at the cut-off times indicated below:

      121 days or more prior to departure:

      • Deposit is non-refundable but can be applied to a future tour (a future tour is any departure, subject to availability, within 12 months of the original departure date. Tour credits are not transferable and therefore must be used by the original passenger. The applicable rate will be the one for the new tour date).

      120 to 61 days prior to departure:

      • All deposits are non-refundable.

      60 days prior to departure:

      • Full payment is applied as a cancellation penalty.

    • Substitution

      The Lodge reserves the right to substitute lodges and/or other travel services including, but not limited to, accommodations and excursions, if it deems it necessary to do so due to force majeure, or lack of participants booked for a specific departure date, in addition to other reasons. In such cases, the Lodge may place affected visitors at another lodge of similar category in the Ecuadorian Amazon. If there is a difference in the price between the Lodge and the substituted lodge, that difference will be refunded to the affected visitors.
      If affected visitors accept any substitution, the offered substitution will encompass the full extent of the offer with the understanding that by accepting any such offer the visitor waives any further right to substitution, refund or additional compensation of any kind. Affected visitors will be asked to sign an agreement to this effect at the time of substitution. If affected visitors choose not to accept the substitution offered, the Lodge reserves the right to cancel their trip (or the remainder of the trip). In such cases, a pro-rata refund based on any program/night not used (in accordance with the net excursion price the Lodge was paid for the trip, exclusive of any commissions offered by the Lodge, or mark-ups that may have been added by its tour sellers) will represent the full extent of the refund.
      On the very rare occasion that the Lodge should deem it necessary to cancel an excursion and is not able to arrive at any suitable substitution options, it reserves the right to cancel the excursion in full and offer affected passengers one of the following options:
      • A refund of the full net amount the Lodge was paid for the excursion (exclusive of any commissions offered by the Lodge, or any mark-ups added by tour companies, which assume the cost of such mark-ups as a risk of doing business) including the refund of any unused services such as airfare between the Huaorani territory and Shell.
      • A replacement trip to be offered at a later date.

    • Inability to perform

      The Lodge is not liable for the inability to make the journey to Huaorani territory for reasons of: strikes or industrial action; fire; explosion; air accidents; mechanical failure of airplanes, vans, motorized canoes; war; riot; acts of terrorism; civil insurrection; and other circumstances beyond its control.
      The Lodge may, due to circumstances of force majeure, or unexpected events, vary the time of day of its departures, or alter its tour programs and itineraries without advance notice for the above-mentioned reasons, as well as changing weather and forces of nature, the safety of its visitors and staff, and technical reasons. Under the aforementioned conditions, the Lodge is under no obligation whatsoever to provide substitution, replacement of services or refunds to any of its visitors so affected.

  • Responsibility

    TROPIC Ecological Adventures Cia. Ltda. acts only as agent for the passenger in regard to travel, whether by surface, air or water, by whatever means of transport whether it be mechanical, non-mechanical or animal, and assumes no liability for injury, damage, loss, accident, death, delay or irregularity that may be occasioned either by reason of defect in any vehicle or other means of transport or for any reason whatsoever or through the act of default of any hotels, carrier, boat, restaurant, company or person rendering any of the services included on the trip, or any other circumstances beyond their direct control.
    
    Tropic and or its agents accept no responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to the delay or changes in air schedules, loss of (or damage to) baggage or any article belonging to the passenger, sickness, personal health, weather, strikes, fires, explosions, earthquakes, floods, epidemics, conditions of trails, river levels, road conditions, transportation delays, wars, accidents, chance, acts of God, force majeure or other causes. Any and all such losses or expenses will have to be borne by the passenger, as tour rates provide for arrangements only for the time stated.

  • Release of Liability & Assumption of Risk

    On paying a deposit to participate in the Lodge programs, those reserving on their own behalf acknowledge and agree to the following, or in the case of reservations on behalf of third parties agree to transmit the following information to those visitors. In such cases, those reserving on behalf of others must assume full responsibility for any failure to communicate this information to those visitors:
    
    Visitors (participants) taking part in the Lodge trip do so with the full knowledge that their tour involves risks and dangers including, but not limited to: forces of nature; the unpredictable behavior of wild animals; civil unrest; terrorism; roads; trails; travel by vehicles including taxis, buses and airplanes; exposure to high altitude; the consumption of alcoholic beverages; physical exertion for which the participant may not be prepared; and/or negligence (but not willful or fraudulent conduct) on the part of the Lodge, or others, and that during their trip participants may be exposed to additional risks and hazards including but not limited to: the possibility of accident or injury in a remote area without access to emergency care, rapid evacuation, adequate medical facilities or availability of medical supplies.
    
    Visitors (participants) acknowledge that the enjoyment and excitement derived from a tour comes in part from the inherent risks incurred when traveling, including exposure to the activities offered during the Lodge programs, especially swimming and hiking activities, which are all enjoyed with the participant's voluntary participation.
    
    Fully understanding these risks, and that the cost of a tour is based upon participants fully accepting the conditions stated and implied herein as lawful consideration for being permitted by the Lodge, and/or any of its affiliated organizations, to participate in a Lodge tour and take part in the trip's corresponding programs and use its facilities and equipment, participants agree to be responsible for their own welfare, and accept any and all risks of delay, unanticipated events, death, illness, injury or emotional trauma and acknowledge that they are voluntarily participating on the trip in full knowledge of these risks and therefore discharge the Lodge and its owners, agents, contractors, affiliates and employees from and against any and all liability arising from their participation in the tour or its programs.
    
    Visitors further agree that this release is legally binding upon themselves and all minors under the age of 21 traveling with them, their heirs, successors, assigns and legal representatives, it being their intention to fully assume all the risk of travel and to release the Lodge from any and all liabilities to the maximum extent permitted by law.
    
    In the unlikely event a legal dispute should arise involving any part of these statements whatsoever, the following conditions will apply: the dispute will be submitted to a neutral third-party mediator in Quito, Ecuador, with both parties assuming equally the costs of such a mediator.
    
    Resolution of the dispute will be governed by the laws of Ecuador, and the maximum recoverable amount to which the trip participant will be entitled under any and all circumstances will be the net cost of their trip with the Lodge, exclusive of any commissions and/or markups.

  • BOOKING CONDITIONS

    • Payment Procedures

      • Credit Card (Visa and Mastercard)
      • Cash or traveler's checks
      • Western Union (Quick Payment)
      • Bank transfer in US Dollars

    • Credit Card payments

      Our staff will send you a credit card authorization form.

    • Important

      We use a third-party company to help us process credit card payments, so you will receive an auto-emailed receipt from info@adventureengine.com, and it is Adventure Engine that will appear on your credit card statement.
      
      Adventure Engine is a Canadian Booking Company facilitating this secure transaction.
      
      Although you have been shopping in US$ currency, you are now being redirected back to our secure Canadian Merchant Services Checkout from Adventure Engine.
      
      The exact amount in US$ charged to your credit card may vary from the trip price depending on the exchange rate in Canadian dollars and any fees your credit card company uses at the time of the transaction.
      
      Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns about this.

    • Information to send a wire transfer

      Pacific National Bank
      1390 Brickell Avenue
      Miami FL 33131 USA
      ABA 066011350
      Tropic Ecological Adventures
      Business Savings Account #: 180921920