BOOKING INFORMATION

There is no 'small print' in this brochure. The booking conditions and general information set out below are designed to outline our obligations to you and your commitments to us as clearly as possible. Please read them carefully before booking. We want you to enjoy your Divequest holiday and the avoidance of any misunderstanding is to our mutual advantage. Many of our holidays involve visits to developing countries where travel is still an adventure and local conditions are often very different from those we are used to back home. You should be prepared to cope with unusual situations, local inadequacies and unpredictable events as and when they occur. In particular you should bear in mind that the standard of hygiene in many countries is inadequate and that 'stomach upsets' are, as a direct result, a hazard of travel in large areas of the world. Should you book a holiday with us the conditions set out below form the contract between us. The contract is deemed to have been made at our offices at Kemple End and is subject to English law and the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.

ABOUT OUR HOLIDAYS

What the Surface Price Includes: Surface arrangements include transfers (where specified), accommodation, a diving package including the use of tanks and weights, local government taxes or entrance fees (unless specified otherwise) and compulsory service charges. Meals are only included where specified.

What the Surface Price Excludes: Local government taxes or entrance fees (unless included), travel insurance, passport, visa and vaccination charges, excess baggage charges, meals (unless included), à la carte dishes, snacks, drinks, tips, laundry, telephone calls, optional excursions and anything else of a purely personal nature. Important: Operators of first-class liveaboards often suggest a tipping level equivalent to 10% of the cruise cost. Naturally, what you elect to give to the usually very hard-working crew is entirely up to you.

Airfares: The airfares quoted in this brochure are usually the least expensive economy class fare category available with the airline concerned on the dates listed. In the event that this fare category is already full at the time you wish to make a booking, we will offer you the least expensive available alternative we can find. You will then have the option to accept or decline the alternative airfare before your booking is finally confirmed by us. In addition, as the brochure goes to press many months before the period in question, airfares and dates of applicability frequently change in the meantime, so prices and dates listed should be considered as indications only. We will quote you the airfare applicable, including all pre-payable taxes, at the time of booking. Important: Some less developed countries still levy airport departure taxes in cash, rather than have these included in air ticket prices. Where any such taxes are known to us we will alert you in the holiday information we provide to you before departure.

Alternative Flight Arrangements: As well as the competitive round-trip, economy class fares listed in our brochure, our own 'in-house' reservation system allows us to to access all kinds of airfares and make bookings on flights worldwide. We have very extensive experience in catering for even the most demanding itineraries that visit the most obscure airports in the most far-off places! If you would like to travel from a starting point other than London, travel with another airline, travel by a different route, upgrade to business class or combine your diving holiday with a complicated business trip or non-diving holiday, we can cater for your requirements. Just give us a call.

Alternative Surface Arrangements: We will be pleased to arrange diving-holiday-related reservations at hotels, resorts, dive centres and liveaboards not featured in our brochure where we are confident of their quality and reliability. Our experienced office can make bookings almost anywhere on Earth! Please contact us.

Joining Holidays Overseas: Divequest holidays are available to those who wish to make their own air travel arrangements. Prices for 'surface-only' arrangements are given for all our holidays.

Restrictions on Participation: All those who book the diving element of a holiday should be fully qualified Open Water divers, and hold either PADI, BSAC or other recognized certifying agency qualifications which should be indicated on your booking form. All diving clients warrant that they have no health problems or other physical limitations (such as a history of lung disorders, asthma, epilepsy, diabetes or recent surgery) which would limit their participation in a diving holiday and agree to discontinue diving if respiratory congestion or a head cold takes place during the holiday. If any client has any medical condition contrary to these requirements they must produce, prior to booking, a medical certificate indicating their fitness for diving. Anyone failing to notify us at the time of booking of any such limitations faces the risk of losing the diving element of the holiday. If you have any doubts about your ability to participate fully in a holiday then please contact our office before making a booking.

BOOKING & PAYING FOR A HOLIDAY

Provisional Bookings: It is sensible to telephone us on 01254-826322 (international: +44-1254-826322) or email us at [email protected] to check if there is space available on the holiday of your choice, and on any flights you require, before sending your booking form to us. We will be more than happy to hold open space for you for up to 7 days in order to give you sufficient time to send in your booking form and deposit.

Definite Bookings: To make a definite booking you must either complete and sign our standard booking form and post it to us, or complete the on-line booking form at our website www.divequest.co.uk and transmit it to us (or print it out and mail it to us). You also need to pay us the required total deposit per person, as specified in the holiday description (see Payments section below). If you are unsure of the deposit amount required (e.g. in the case of complicated itineraries) please check with our office.

If submitting an on-line booking form and paying the deposit by a credit or charge card displaying the Visa or MasterCard logos, you can, if you are concerned about security, telephone your card details to us.

On receipt of your booking form and deposit our official confirmation will be sent to you. If booking less than two months before the date of departure of the holiday please contact our office before sending any payment: we may well require you to send full payment.)

The person signing the booking form warrants that he/she has the authority to make the booking on behalf of all other persons included on the booking form. (On-line booking forms are deemed to have been signed by the persons submitting them.)

For your own protection we strongly recommend that when you make a booking you hold travel insurance that will cover you for medical/repatriation expenses and for cancellation/curtailment charges in the event you have to cancel due to the illness of yourself, a travelling companion or a close relative. If you do not already have travel insurance you should take this out as soon as possible. Divequest no longer provides travel insurance, but we are happy to provide information about suitable schemes available for United Kingdom residents (see the Travel Insurance section at the end of this brochure).

Group Bookings: We are always very happy to handle group travel arrangements for groups of friends, dive clubs, underwater photography societies etc. For groups of 10 or more (making the same travel arrangements) we can typically provide one free place at the resort or on the liveaboard (although certain liveaboards will provide a free place with groups of 7-9). Please note that a free place on flights is only available for groups of 20 or more.

Late Bookings: Whilst emphasizing the desirability of making your holiday booking at the earliest opportunity, it is often possible for us to accept late bookings, although the choice of available flights and accommodations may be limited. This is especially true of the busy Easter, July/August and Christmas/New Year periods (flights for the latter period are often full 6 months ahead!).

Final Invoice: This will be sent approximately three months before departure (four months before departure for group bookings on liveaboards) and payment must be received by us within 21 days of the date of issue of this invoice. We reserve the right to treat the holiday as cancelled and levy appropriate cancellation charges if the balance is not received by the due date.

Payments: United Kingdom residents should preferably send a personal cheque (or building society/bank cheque) made out to Divequest. Cash can also be accepted, but please be sure to send this by registered post.

We can also accept payment by a credit or charge card displaying either the Visa or the MasterCard logo, but there is a 2% handling charge, to cover the card company's charges, if you pay by this method.

Overseas residents can make Pound Sterling payments by any of the following methods:

1. Send us a personal cheque (or bank cheque) made out in Pounds Sterling and drawn on a United Kingdom bank account. This should be sent to our office by airmail or courier service.

2. Have your bank make a wire transfer of the required amount in Pounds Sterling direct to the Divequest Pounds Sterling account (number 40764885) at the National Westminster Bank PLC, 11 Spring Gardens, Manchester M60 2DB, England, U.K. (Bank code: 01-10-01.) Important: When you send the transfer you must instruct your bank that all bank charges (at both ends of the transaction) are charged to you.

3. Use a credit or charge card displaying either the Visa or the MasterCard logo, but there is a 2% handling charge, to cover the card company's charges, if you pay by this method.

CANCELLING, ALTERING

OR TRANSFERRING A BOOKING

Subsequent Cancellation: Any cancellation by you of a definite booking must be notified to us in writing (fax or email are acceptable) and will take effect on the day that this is received by us. The following scale of cancellation charges will normally be applied, based on our estimated expenses and losses suffered as a result of your cancellation:

Over 70 days before departure: 100% of total deposit paid

1-70 days before departure: 100% of final holiday price

Day of departure or later: 100% of final holiday price

Occasionally a holiday may have different cancellation conditions: any such variations will be detailed in the individual holiday description.

If the reason for your cancellation falls within the terms of your holiday insurance the cancellation charges will normally be refunded by your insurance company (less any excess applicable).

In the event you have no choice but to cancel your booking for a valid reason that is not covered by your travel insurance, we will try to be as flexible and helpful as we can. In the case of cancellations received more than 70 days before departure we may be able to grant a partial credit. However, please bear in mind that even for early cancellations there may well be a high level of irretrievable expenses (especially if your tour involves air arrangements). Within 70 days of departure (or longer in the case of cruises) we are usually not in a position to grant any credit.

Altering a Booking: For alterations (as opposed to additions) made subsequent to the time of original booking we reserve the right to levy a £50 administration fee for each alteration in addition to any charges that may be levied by the airline, dive operator or hotel etc in connection with any alteration. (Kindly note that late alterations to flights are likely to be very costly.)

Transfers: If you wish to transfer your booking to another holiday this will normally be treated as a cancellation and rebooking, and the appropriate cancellation charges will apply.

Substitution: Should you be prevented by reasonable cause (such as illness) from proceeding with your holiday you are free to find a substitute, provided we receive written notification. Within two months of the holiday departure date we may not be able to accept a substitution as within this period the airline may not accept a change of name, or there may not be sufficient time for the substitute to complete visa, health or other travel requirements. Any additional costs incurred as a result of a substitution (such as airline cancellation and reticketing charges) are your responsibility. We reserve the right to reject any substitute should we have reasonable grounds for doing so.

Unused Services: No refund or compensation is payable for any unused accommodation, flight, service or feature provided during the holiday, nor are these exchangeable or assignable to others. If clients make any alterations to any portion of their holiday, such alterations will be completely at their own expense. Clients who do not complete the diving element of their holiday, for any reason, cannot be refunded by us for the unused portion of the diving.

Flight Delays & Missed Flight Connections: If you are seriously delayed departing from London or another United Kingdom Airport your accommodation, meal and hotel transfer needs will normally be looked after by the airline concern. Kindly note that your tour operator does not carry responsibility for such expenses. Further, most travel insurance policies will allow you to cancel your holiday and obtain a full refund (less any excess applicable) after a certain duration of delay (but you should of course check your policy first!). If you miss an onward connection overseas through a flight delay the insurance situation is usually very different: in this event many insurance policies do not allow you to cancel your holiday and return home, obtaining a holiday curtailment refund afterwards. If you elect to do this all expenses and losses involved are likely to be your own responsibility, so you should check your travel insurance very carefully before opting to take such drastic action! In the event the missed connection is with the same airline, the airline concerned will normally cover any accommodation, meal and hotel transfers involved during the wait for the next onward flight by that airline that has space available, but if the missed connection is with another airline, and provided the flight delay is due to circumstances outside their control or unanticipated events (see below), neither airline, nor your tour operator, carries any financial responsibility and all costs involved are your own responsibility. In such circumstances we will, of course, do our utmost to assist you resume your holiday. Please contact us as soon as possible if you miss a connection and cannot resolve the problem locally. Circumstances outside the airline's control or unanticipated events include technical or maintenance problems, government action, industrial dispute, war or threat of war, civil strife, terrorist activity, riot, natural or man-made disaster, and severe weather conditions.

Missing the Boat: If for any reason you are delayed in transit and fail to reach a liveaboard boat by the scheduled time of departure, you will be responsible for all costs involved in catching up with the boat (should this be possible to arrange locally), staying at onshore accommodations, alternative diving arrangements etc. In such circumstances we will, of course, do our utmost to assist you resume your holiday. Please contact us as soon as possible if you miss a liveaboard's departure and cannot resolve the problem locally. If you are worried by the thought of a flight delay, which can happen with even the most reliable airlines, causing you to miss your liveaboard's departure, we would recommend you travel out at least a day early. Please be sure to make this request at the time of booking if we are handling your air travel.

PRICE CHANGES, HOLIDAY

CANCELLATIONS & ALTERATIONS

Surcharges: We would like to offer complete price protection but in these days of rapid changes in exchange rates and rates of inflation we cannot guarantee prices up to a year or more after the date of publication of this brochure. We reserve the right to increase the price of your holiday in the event of substantial cost increases stemming from negative changes in the value of the Pound Sterling and/or increases in transport costs (including the cost of fuel) or government taxes, fees, dues or levies. We will absorb any cost increases stemming from the above up to an amount equivalent to 2% of the brochure price of the holiday in question but we may have to pass on any additional increases to you in part or in full. Prices in this brochure are based on the exchange rates prevailing on 23rd August 2002. In the great majority of countries visited by Divequest holidays the local tour operators charge for their services in US Dollars rather than the local currency in order to protect themselves against sharp devaluations caused by local inflation. On 23rd August 2002 the US Dollar exchange rate was £1.00 = US$1.52 (similarly £1.00 = Euro 1.56, Australian $2.78). No surcharge will be made within 30 days of departure. If there is a surcharge and this exceeds 10% of the original price of the holiday as indicated in our brochure, you may cancel your holiday and receive a full refund providing you notify us in writing (fax or email are acceptable) and this notification is received by us within 14 days of the notification of the surcharge. Prices may be revised downwards as well as upwards.

Holiday Alteration or Cancellation: This brochure was prepared many months before the date of operation of the holidays it features and variations may occasionally have to be made to published details. Where alterations are necessary they are usually of a minor nature and will not materially affect the enjoyment of your holiday or your ability to travel. Examples of changes of a minor nature that can be expected from time to time include rescheduling of flight departure or arrival times, substitution of Gatwick for Heathrow or vice versa, change of airline or aircraft type, variations in itinerary that have no significant effect and slight changes to accommodation. Such minor changes are not grounds for cancellation without charges. Occasionally major alterations are necessary. Examples of major alterations are changes to the holiday dates, changes to the holiday duration (by more than 18 hours), significant changes to the holiday itinerary or the substitution of a distinctly different grade of accommodation for a significant portion of the holiday. Naturally we will do our utmost to notify you before departure in the event of any major alteration. We may have to alter or even cancel your holiday in the event of circumstances outside our control: for example, technical or maintenance problems with transport, changes imposed by rescheduling or cancellation by air or sea carriers, government action, industrial dispute, war or threat of war, civil strife, terrorist activity, riot, natural or man-made disaster, and severe weather conditions. In the event that we have to cancel a holiday due to circumstances outside our control we shall be entitled to deduct all reasonable expenses incurred by us in connection with your holiday from the money refunded to you (although naturally we shall endeavour to keep any such charges to a minimum). Liveaboard operators are dependent on reaching a certain level of support for each cruise and reserve the right to cancel the cruise if the minimum viable number of participants is not reached. If any cruise is cancelled due to insufficient support you will receive a full refund. The same conditions apply to our group holidays and certain other holidays which require a minimum number of participants to operate. Major alterations made before or after departure due to circumstances outside our control are not grounds for cancellation without charges and any additional costs that may arise are your responsibility. If a major alteration is made which is not due to circumstances outside our control and which clearly results in a significant reduction in the quality of your holiday we shall offer you an appropriate rebate. Major alterations which result in a price increase may also occur. In either event you may either agree to proceed with the holiday as modified and accept the rebate/price increase or, if you prefer, you may cancel your booking and receive a full refund provided you give us written notification within 7 days (by fax if necessary). If we have to cancel your holiday, or make a major alteration, for reasons other than circumstances outside our control we will provide compensation of £25 per person for cancellations/alterations notified between 30-60 days before departure and £50 per person for cancellations/alterations notified less than 30 days before departure. No compensation will be paid in the event of cancellations/alterations notified more than 60 days before departure.

OTHER INFORMATION

Aircraft Types: We are not in a position to state the aircraft types which will be used during our holidays.

Dive Sites and Marine Life: We at Divequest pride ourselves on the quality and quantity of research that goes into planning each holiday. Because of this, our brochure offers detailed descriptions of certain dive sites available at each destination in order to illustrate the type and variety of diving available. However, we are unable to guarantee that you will be able to dive any specific dive site at any given destination. One of the most rewarding aspects of diving is the discovery of the many beautiful and fantastic marine species.We try to give a fair idea of the kind of species which are known to occur at particular dive sites. Occurrences of less common species are subject to the whims of 'Mother Nature' and we cannot guarantee that particular species will be present on any specific dive, or at any time of the year.

Diving Equipment: Cylinders (usually 12 litre), weights and weight belts are provided by our dive operators. Equipment hire is normally available unless indicated otherwise in the individual holiday description. Please note that diving computers are not usually available for hire.

Surface Intervals: Most travelling recreational divers now 'computer dive' and many do not dive very deep: in consequence some dive shop or liveaboard operators now permit very short surface intervals, sometimes as little as 30 minutes or even less. If you intend to dive deep on a regular basis you may find that the surface intervals allowed between dives do not meet your personal preferences. We would advise any diver planning to dive deeply on a frequent basis to consult with the dive operator before a problem arises.

Diving Waivers: All liveaboard and shore-based dive operators will require you to sign a waiver prior to diving which effectively absolves them from any blame or liability whatsoever in the event of an accident. Whether such waivers would be upheld in a court of law, regardless of the circumstances surrounding a particular incident, is a moot point, but the reality is that if you decline to sign the waiver you are very unlikely to be allowed to dive! Please note that bookings are only accepted by us on the basis that you will sign the relevant waiver(s). If you wish to see a copy of the waiver prior to booking we will do our best to obtain a copy from the operator concerned, but please bear in mind that this can be time consuming and your accommodation and flight options may expire before it arrives. Please note that, once a booking has been confirmed, we cannot accept a cancellation without charges owing to disinclination to sign a diving waiver.

Passports, Visas and Vaccinations: You are responsible for ensuring that you bring with you a valid passport (which should have at least 6 months left to run at the commencement of the holiday) plus, where necessary, a valid visa. The holiday information we will send you will provide clear instructions about any visa requirements for British nationals, but you are normally responsible for obtaining your visa direct from the appropriate embassy or consulate. Nationals of other countries should enquire locally about possible visa requirements.

Computerized Mailing List: All names and addresses on the Divequest mailing list are stored on computer files. These files will most definitely not be passed to any other party, for advertising purposes or for any other reason, but should you object to having your name and address stored in this way please inform our office and we will remove your entry.

Complaints: In the event that you have cause for complaint you should notify the management of the dive centre, the management of the accommodation or our office (where appropriate) as soon as possible so that we may do our best to assist you. On a Divequest group holiday, you should notify the leader as soon as possible. If a problem remains unresolved in spite of prompt notification then you should make a complaint in writing to our office within 28 days of the completion of the holiday.

Liability: We have taken all reasonable steps to ensure that the holidays published in this brochure have been properly arranged and that the travel agents, vehicle operators, hotels, restaurants, dive centres, liveaboard operators and other organizations we use are reputable. We will accept liability for matters which arise as a direct result of our negligence and/or breach of our contractual duty to exercise care in making arrangements for you, including acts or omissions by our employees or agents. Further we will accept liability for any negligent act or omission by our suppliers, who may operate elements of your holiday arrangements. We will accept full liability for death, personal injury or illness arising out of our negligence or that of our employees, agents or suppliers. In the case of any other loss or damage suffered as a result of our negligence or that of our employees, agents or suppliers we limit the maximum extent of our liability to twice the amount paid for the holiday in question. However, we cannot accept responsibility for claims arising out of carriage by air, sea or land, or provision of hotel accommodation. We have no control over the carriers or providers concerned and you are subject to their terms and conditions, which are governed by international conventions which exclude or limit liability in respect of death, injury, delay and loss or damage to baggage. It is also important to note that operational decisions may be taken by air or sea carriers, or airport authorities, that result in delays, diversions or rescheduling. We have no control over such decisions and are therefore unable to accept responsibility for them.

Bonding & Financial Security: The air holidays in this brochure are ATOL Protected, since Birdquest Ltd trading as Divequest holds an Air Travel Organiser's Licence granted by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is 2937. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking. For further information, visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk. Please note that, for non-United Kingdom residents who are booking with us from overseas, ATOL cover only applies if you book holiday arrangements through us that commence with a flight originating in London or elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

It is very important that you obtain insurance cover against the usual risks associated with travel, from the time of booking your holiday until the time you return home. If you are in a position to take out travel insurance you would be very ill-advised to travel without it. Please ensure that your insurance provides adequate protection against the two major concerns: medical/repatriation expenses while abroad and cancellation/curtailment charges in the event that you, a travelling companion or a close relative fall ill either before or during the holiday.

Divequest no longer provides travel insurance. The reasons for this are simple. Firstly, the 'single-trip' premiums charged by United Kingdom insurance companies for travel insurance schemes for small specialist tour operators have increased so much in recent years that they are now much higher than the rates offered by many widely availably high street travel insurance schemes. What is more, the annual cover rates now available through such schemes make single-trip cover seem positively bad value. Most of those travelling abroad more than once a year will find that taking out an annual travel insurance policy is much the simplest and most cost-effective option. Secondly, for a variety of technical reasons, United Kingdom insurers are increasingly unwilling to insure those living outside the United Kingdom.

Important: We strongly recommend that all divers take out specialist diving medical and evacuation insurance cover. In our opinion this is far superior to the cover provided by 'regular' travel insurance companies, who generally have little experience catering for diving emergencies.

We believe that Divers Alert Network or DAN offer the best cover, including access to diving medical specialists 24 hours per day. If you have such cover you will only need regular travel insurance cover for your holiday (so you only need pay the 'without diving cover' premium) and you will be covered for diving to the maximum depth permitted by your certifying agency. Contact:

DAN Europe (United Kingdom & Ireland)

PO Box 5072, Leicestershire LE9 4ZQ, United Kingdom. Tel: 0870-8728888. Fax: 01455-271119. Email: [email protected]

(There are also DAN offices in North America and in most other European countries.)

Another reputable specialist diving cover provider is Dive Master, who offer a wide variety of combined diving and travel insurance policies. Contact:

Dive Master Insurance Consultants Ltd

17-23 Rectory Grove, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex SS9 2HA. Tel: 01702-476902. Fax: 01702-471892. Email: [email protected]. Website: www.dive-master.net

The following widely available insurance schemes, offered by reputable companies, have come to our attention and seem to offer good cover at very competitive rates for United Kingdom residents for both single-trip and annual policies (some also provide scuba diving cover, but check for depth/duration limitations):

Abbey National

Abbey National House, 2 Triton Square, Regent's Place, London NW1 3AN. Tel: 0800-0286101. Website: www.abbeynational.co.uk

Bradford & Bingley Travel

PO Box 132, Leeds LS11 9YY. Tel: 0800-435642.

Natwest Insurance

Waterhouse Square, 138-142 Holborn, London EC1N 2TH. Tel: 0800-0515051.

Sainsbury's Bank

33 Holborn, London EC1N 2HT. Tel: 0845-3003190. Website: www.sainsburysbank.co.uk

Tesco Travel Insurance

Tesco Personal Finance Ltd, 42 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh EH2 2YE. Tel: 0845-3007700.

There are of course numerous other providers of travel insurance and no doubt some are offering even better cover at even lower rates. If you find such a supplier, and you are happy with their service, please let us know. We will be delighted to include them in the list.

Important: Divers, especially underwater photographers, carry a lot of expensive equipment. Regular travel insurance does not provide sufficient cover and so, if you are not already covered under your household policy, we recommend you take out specialist insurance cover for your equipment.