TERMS & CONDITIONS

1. Definitions

“Authorised Agent” means any travel agent or website not owned or operated by the Company but authorised by the Company to facilitate a Guest’s Booking.
“Booking” means the Guest’s or Guest’s agent’s agreement to enter into a Contract with the Company for a Tour, subject to these Booking Conditions.
“Booking Conditions” means these booking conditions together with any relevant information contained in the Company’s brochures, on its Website, or in other written material provided by the Company, which collectively form the express terms of the Contract.
“Company” means Remote Films Ltd, trading as “Lens Explorers Journeys” and “Lens Explorers”.
“Confirmation Invoice” means the invoice issued by the Company to the Guest or the Guest’s Authorised Agent confirming the details of the Booking.
“Contract” means the legally binding agreement between the Company and the Guest for the Tour, as set out in the Confirmation Invoice.
“Group Tour” means a group experience or tour with an itinerary organised by the Company.
“Guest” means each person, including Minors, named on the Confirmation Invoice or to whom a Booking is transferred.
“Lead Guest” means the first-named Guest on the Booking, who acts on behalf of all persons named on the Booking.
“Minor” means any person under the age of 18.
“Privacy Policy” means the Company’s privacy policy, available on its Website.
“Tour” means the travel services booked by the Guest to be provided by the Company under the Booking. For clarity, the Company does not arrange or sell flights.
“Unavoidable and Extraordinary Circumstances” has the meaning set out in clause 14 of these Terms & Conditions.
“Website” means the web domain www.lensexplorersjourneys.com, including all related pages, documents, and links published by the Company.

2. Your Contract with Us

2.1 Your contract is with Remote Films Ltd, trading as Lens Explorers Journeys and Lens Explorers, registered in England under company number 7071939 (“we”, “us” or “our”).

2.2 These Terms & Conditions, together with your Confirmation Invoice and agreed Tour information, form the basis of your contract with us.

2.3 Your Booking is a package under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018.

3. Booking & Paying for Your Holiday

3.1 To secure your Booking, we require a minimum deposit of 15% of the total Booking cost, unless a lower amount is stated in any promotional offer or confirmed by us in writing. Some Tours may require a higher deposit; this will be advised at the time of booking. If you book within 75 days of departure, full payment is required at the time of booking, unless stated otherwise in writing or within promotional material.

3.2 If a deposit has been paid, the remaining balance is due 75 days before departure, or on another date agreed by us in writing. If payment is not received by the applicable due date, we reserve the right to cancel your Booking and retain your deposit.

3.3 We accept payment by bank transfer, cheque, and most major credit and debit cards. Payments can be made in British Pounds (GBP), US Dollars (USD), or Euros (EUR).

3.4 All Tours are subject to availability at the time of booking. If we do not accept your booking request for any reason, any deposit paid will be refunded in full.

3.5 Some Group Tours may require a minimum number of participants for the Tour to operate. Where a minimum applies, it will be stated in the Tour description on our Website and confirmed at the time of booking.

3.6 On receipt of your deposit (or full payment, where applicable), we will confirm your Tour and issue a Confirmation Invoice. A Contract will come into existence between you and us on the date we issue that Confirmation Invoice. We are not obliged to issue a Confirmation Invoice if an error is identified in pricing (see clause 5 below).

3.7 Please check all details carefully upon receipt of your Confirmation Invoice and any other documents, as they set out the services we have agreed to provide. Notify us (or your Authorised Agent, if applicable) immediately if any details are incorrect. It may not be possible to make changes later. Ensure that all names appear exactly as shown in the relevant passports, including middle names.

3.8 If you book directly with us, all correspondence will be sent to the Lead Guest’s address unless you specify otherwise. If you provide a business address, we may also request a residential address for emergency and security purposes.

3.9 If you book through an Authorised Agent, all communications will be made via that Agent, who will act on your behalf in relation to your Booking.

3.10 All payments made to an Authorised Agent in connection with your Booking are held by that Agent on behalf of the Company until the funds are forwarded to us. The Company is not responsible for any failure by an Authorised Agent to pass on payments correctly, except where required by law.

4. Special Requests & Accommodation

4.1 If you have any special requests (for example dietary requirements, room preferences, or particular facilities), please indicate these in writing at the time of booking (“Special Request”).

4.2 We will pass your Special Request to relevant suppliers but cannot guarantee that it will be fulfilled. We recommend checking directly with your hotel, or service provider once arrangements are confirmed, where relevant.

4.3 We will make every reasonable effort to accommodate Special Requests but cannot accept liability if a request cannot be met.

4.4 Any Special Request will only form part of your Contract if we confirm in writing that it will be guaranteed.

4.5 Accommodation Selection

We take care to select accommodation appropriate to each Tour, taking into account the Tour budget, availability, location and the character of the journey.

Where possible, we will discuss and fine-tune accommodation choices with you. If at any stage you would prefer an upgrade or alternative accommodation, please let us know and we will always do our best to accommodate your request. As we work within the agreed Tour budget, an additional charge may apply where your preferred accommodation exceeds that budget. We will advise you of any additional cost before making the change.

5. Pricing Policy

5.1 The price confirmed at the time of booking is the price that applies to your Tour. Advertised prices may change from time to time before a Booking is confirmed.

5.2 No price increases or decreases will be made within 20 days of your departure date.

Any increase to the price of a confirmed Tour is extremely unlikely and would only be considered as a last resort where significant circumstances outside our control materially increase the cost of providing your Tour.

5.3 Before accepting your Booking, we reserve the right to correct any pricing error or notify you of a price change. If the correct price is lower, we will charge the lower amount. If it is higher, we will let you know and you may choose whether to proceed with the Booking.

5.4 If we have accepted a Booking where there is an obvious pricing error that could reasonably have been recognised as such, we may cancel the Booking and refund any sums you have paid.

5.5 After your Booking has been confirmed, we may increase the price of your Tour only where there has been a change directly resulting from:

increases in transportation or fuel costs relating to your Tour;

increases in taxes or fees imposed by third parties, including local tourist taxes or entry fees to parks and reserves; or

changes in exchange rates relevant to your Tour.

If an increase resulting from these factors is more than 8% of the total price of your confirmed Tour, you may choose to:

accept the increase;

accept an alternative Tour, where available, with any appropriate price adjustment; or

cancel your Booking and receive a full refund of monies paid to us for the Tour.

If you wish to cancel for this reason, you must notify us within 7 days of being informed of the increase.

5.6 If the cost of your Tour decreases as a direct result of the same factors, you will be entitled to an appropriate price reduction. We may deduct reasonable administrative expenses from any refund and will provide evidence of those expenses if requested.

Please note that many of our suppliers operate in local currencies, and not every exchange-rate movement will result in a change to the cost of your Tour.

5.7 Prices are normally quoted per person and may be shown in British Pounds (GBP), US Dollars (USD), or Euros (EUR).

5.8 Tour durations are generally based on the number of nights of accommodation included and exclude your travel time to and from the starting and finishing points of the Tour, unless stated otherwise.

5.9 We aim to avoid single-room supplements wherever possible. Where one applies, this will be made clear to you.

5.10 We are not required to provide a detailed breakdown of the individual costs that make up the overall Tour price.

5.11 What Your Tour Price Includes

Unless stated otherwise in your itinerary or Booking Confirmation, your Tour price includes:

5.11.1 Accommodation: Accommodation included as part of your Tour.

5.11.2 Transportation: Ground or water-based transportation between locations specified in your itinerary, which may include private vehicles, transfers or locally chartered transport.

5.11.3 Meals: Meals as specified in your itinerary.

5.11.4 Sightseeing and Experiences: Sightseeing, activities and experiences specified in your itinerary, including guiding and entrance fees where stated.

5.11.5 Local Support: The services of a Lens Explorers representative and/or our appointed local partners, as appropriate to your Tour.

5.12 What Your Tour Price Does Not Include
Unless expressly stated in your itinerary, your Tour price does not include:
5.12.1 Flights (international or domestic), visas, passports, porterage, or travel insurance.
5.12.2 Optional excursions or sightseeing not specified in your itinerary.
5.12.3 Personal expenses, including drinks, laundry, room service, telephone calls, or similar.
5.12.4 Discretionary gratuities for drivers, guides, and hotel or camp staff.
5.12.5 Any government taxes or levies introduced after the date of your Confirmation Invoice.

Days before departure

Cancellation charge

75 days or more - Loss of deposit

60–74 days - 30% of total Tour price

30–59 days - 60% of total Tour price

15–29 days - 90% of total Tour price

14 days or less - 100% of total Tour price

6. Changes by Lens Explorers

6.1 We carefully plan each Tour, but occasionally changes may be necessary due to local conditions, availability or circumstances outside our control. We may therefore make reasonable changes to the itinerary, accommodation, transport, activities or timings where necessary.

6.2 Minor changes, such as a change of accommodation to a similar standard, a change in timings or a reasonable adjustment to the itinerary, will not normally affect your Booking. We will always do our best to maintain the overall quality and character of your Tour and will let you know about relevant changes as soon as reasonably possible.

6.3 If we need to make a significant change to an important part of your Tour before departure, we will let you know as soon as possible. You may then accept the change, accept a suitable alternative where available, or cancel your Booking and receive a refund in accordance with your applicable legal rights.

If, after your Tour has begun, a significant part of the agreed arrangements cannot be provided, we will do our best to make suitable alternative arrangements.

7. Cancellation by Lens Explorers

7.1 On rare occasions, we may need to cancel a Tour. This may include circumstances outside our control that prevent us from providing the Tour, or where payment has not been received by the agreed due date.

If we cancel your Tour for reasons other than non-payment by you, we will let you know as soon as reasonably possible and refund the monies you have paid to us for the Tour, or, where appropriate, offer you a suitable alternative.

7.2 Group Tours & Minimum Guests

Lens Explorers takes its commitment to operate confirmed Tours very seriously. To reduce the possibility of cancellations, we set our minimum group size at just 2 Guests and, wherever reasonably possible, will always try to operate a Tour even if numbers fall below the stated minimum.

If the minimum number is not reached, we may cancel the Tour and will notify you no later than 20 days before departure.

If we cancel for this reason, you may choose:

an alternative date or Tour, subject to availability and any applicable price difference; or

a full refund of monies paid to us for the Tour.

We cannot normally reimburse additional costs relating to arrangements you have made independently, such as flights, visas or travel insurance, but we will always do our best to minimise inconvenience.

7.3 Refunds
Any refund will normally be made in the same currency and to the same account or payment method originally used.

8. Our Responsibilities

8.1 We take reasonable care in planning and arranging your Tour and in selecting the accommodation, transport providers, guides and other local suppliers we work with.

8.2 Many of the services included in your Tour are provided by independent local suppliers. As the organiser of your Tour, Lens Explorers remains responsible for the proper performance of the travel services included in your Booking in accordance with the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018.

8.3 If you experience a problem with any part of your Tour, please let us know as soon as possible so that we have the opportunity to resolve it. Where an agreed service cannot be provided, we will make reasonable efforts to provide a suitable alternative.

8.4 We are not responsible for services or activities that you arrange independently and which are not included in your Booking.

8.5 We will not be responsible for loss, damage or other consequences resulting from your own actions, the actions of an unrelated third party, or unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances outside our control, except where the law provides otherwise.

8.6 Some of the activities available during our Tours involve the normal risks associated with travel and outdoor activities. You are responsible for following reasonable safety instructions given by Lens Explorers and our local suppliers and for ensuring that your travel insurance is appropriate for the activities you undertake.

8.7 Nothing in these Terms & Conditions limits or excludes any liability that cannot legally be limited or excluded, including liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence.

8.8 If you experience difficulties during your Tour, we will provide reasonable assistance where appropriate.

9. Your Responsibilities

9.1 Passports, Visas & Travel Requirements
You are responsible for ensuring that you have a valid passport and any visas, entry requirements or other travel documentation required for your Tour. We recommend checking the latest travel advice and entry requirements issued by your home government and the countries you are visiting.

9.2 Flights
Unless specifically stated otherwise, flights are not included in your Tour. You are responsible for booking your flights, checking flight details and allowing sufficient time to arrive at the agreed starting point of the Tour. Lens Explorers cannot be responsible for missed or delayed flights that we have not arranged.

9.3 During Your Tour
We ask all Guests to behave responsibly, respect local laws and customs, and follow reasonable safety instructions given by Lens Explorers, our guides and local suppliers.

9.4 Damage & Additional Costs
You are responsible for any damage or additional costs caused by your actions during the Tour.

10. Travel Insurance

10.1 Travel Insurance
All Guests must have appropriate travel insurance for the duration of the Tour. Your policy should include adequate cover for medical treatment, emergency evacuation and repatriation, cancellation and curtailment, personal belongings and the activities you intend to undertake during your Tour.

10.2 Insurance Cover
It is your responsibility to ensure that your insurance provides appropriate cover for you and your planned activities. We may ask you to provide evidence of insurance before departure.

10.3 Photography Equipment
As this is a photography-focused Tour, you may be travelling with high-value cameras, lenses and other equipment. For peace of mind, we strongly recommend specialist photography or camera equipment insurance that provides appropriate cover while travelling overseas.

You are responsible for the care, security and safe handling of your own photographic equipment throughout the Tour, including during travel, transfers and photography sessions.

11. Optional Desert Activities & Excursions

11.1 Certain optional activities that may be available during the Tour are not included in your Lens Explorers Tour package. These may include camel trekking, recreational 4x4 dune excursions and other locally provided adventure activities.

11.2 If you choose to participate in one of these activities, you will be contracting directly with the independent local activity provider responsible for operating and supervising the activity. Any charge for the activity will be separate from the Lens Explorers Tour price.

11.3 Lens Explorers may introduce you to a local provider, help with practical arrangements or accompany you during an activity, but this does not make the activity part of your Lens Explorers Tour package. The activity itself is provided, operated and controlled by the independent local provider.

11.4 Activities such as camel trekking and off-road 4x4 excursions involve inherent risks, including the possibility of accident, injury or damage to personal property. Participation is entirely optional. Please notify your travel insurance provider of any activities you intend to undertake before travelling and ensure that your policy provides appropriate cover for them.

11.5 Lens Explorers takes safety very seriously and goes to considerable lengths to work only with carefully selected local activity providers. However, these independently contracted activities are operated and controlled by the local provider, not Lens Explorers.

Lens Explorers is therefore not responsible for the operation or performance of an independently contracted activity, or for injury, loss or damage arising from the acts or omissions of the independent provider, except to the extent that responsibility cannot legally be excluded.

12. Health, Mobility & Fitness

12.1 Our Tours may involve walking, uneven terrain, hot or cold conditions, remote locations and areas where medical facilities may be limited. We will provide information about the general nature and physical requirements of your Tour so that you can decide whether it is suitable for you.

12.2 If you have any health, mobility or other requirements that may affect your ability to participate safely in the Tour, please let us know before travelling. We will always do our best to accommodate individual needs where reasonably possible.

12.3 You are responsible for ensuring that you are able to participate safely in the activities you choose to undertake. If you are uncertain, we recommend discussing the Tour with your doctor or other appropriate medical professional before travelling.

12.4 Pregnancy
If you are pregnant, or become pregnant after booking, please let us know as soon as reasonably possible, particularly where this may affect your participation in any part of the Tour. We will always do our best to accommodate your needs and, where necessary, discuss appropriate adjustments with you.

12.5 Minors
Our Group Tours are generally designed for Guests aged 14 and over. Guests under 18 must travel with a parent, legal guardian or other responsible adult. Where a Guest is under 18, please contact us before booking so that we can confirm that the Tour is suitable.

13. If Something Goes Wrong

13.1 If you experience a problem during your Tour, please let us know as soon as possible so that we have the opportunity to resolve it while you are travelling. We will always do our best to put things right.

13.2 If the matter cannot be resolved during the Tour, please contact us in writing after your return with details of the issue so that we can investigate and respond.

14. Unavoidable & Extraordinary Circumstances

14.1 Sometimes events outside our reasonable control may affect your Tour. These may include severe weather or natural disasters, war or civil unrest, terrorism, epidemics or pandemics, government restrictions, or other serious events that could not reasonably have been avoided.

14.2 If this happens, we will always do our best to minimise the impact on your Tour and make appropriate alternative arrangements where reasonably possible. However, we cannot be responsible for circumstances genuinely outside our control, except where the law provides otherwise.

15. Health Requirements & Other Important Terms

15.1 Health & Entry Requirements
You are responsible for complying with any health, vaccination, testing or other entry requirements that apply to your destination at the time of travel. We will do our best to make you aware of any important requirements we know about, but you should also check the latest official travel advice before departure.

15.2 Your Contract
These Terms & Conditions, together with your Confirmation Invoice and agreed Tour information, form the basis of your contract with Lens Explorers.

15.3 Validity of These Terms
If any part of these Terms & Conditions is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining terms will continue to apply.

16. Governing Law

16.1 These Terms & Conditions and your Booking are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any dispute arising from your Booking will be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.