TERMS &
CONDITIONS

LTD ‘Rubythroat Birding Tours’ is a registered tour operator company in Kazakhstan. Business Identification Number 130740019834.

These require a booking form and a non-refundable deposit. Booking requests with deposits will be considered in order of their receipt. A booking form is accepted, and acceptance becomes definite only from the date that Rubythroat Birding Tours has confirmed acceptance in writing and a down payment of 20% of the tour price, and issued a confirmation invoice. At this point, a contract between the applicant and Rubythroat Birding Tours comes into existence.

All participants are responsible for and must have a passport, valid for at least six months beyond the end of the tour. Also, participants must obtain any necessary visas and vaccination certificates required for the journey. Because of changing requirements, and the fact that the tour details are published so far in advance, Rubythroat Birding Tours does not always specify the requirements. Participants will be advised of visa requirements in sufficient time. As Rubythroat Birding Tours is not medically qualified, it is the participants’ absolute responsibility to seek medical advice regarding vaccinations and medication. Any medical information supplied in our brochure, or subsequent correspondence, must be considered as a guide only.

The tours of Rubythroat Birding Tours do not typically entail strenuous activity; however, if this cannot be avoided, it will be made clear in the tour information. Nevertheless, participants must be able to complete moderate walks of several miles a day, sometimes on uneven or slippery surfaces, to meet the schedule of the tour. If you have any health problems or physical limitations, you are required to advise Rubythroat Birding Tours before booking. To cater to the needs of all levels of birdwatcher, the tours of Rubythroat Birding Tours sometimes involve long days in the field and travelling long distances. Subject to the itinerary of the trip; however, Rubythroat Birding Tours can usually arrange for a half or a full day’s rest for those who wish to opt-out at any time. Small groups do, of course, call for consideration from all to ensure that everybody enjoys the tour. Your cooperation in not participating in any antisocial behaviour, such as smoking in the bus, is therefore expected. Rubythroat Birding Tours reserves the right to send participants home at their own expense. Any person who will not acceptably conduct themselves during a tour runs the risk of being dismissed.

In the erratic global financial markets of today, it is difficult to predict foreign currency exchange rates over the long term or at the time of operation of a tour. Tour prices are based on the rate of exchange at the time of itinerary publication. If exchange rates change drastically, it may be necessary to implement a surcharge. If a surcharge is required, every effort will be made to minimize the amount. In many cases, these additional foreign exchange rate surcharges are passed on to RBT by its vendors and suppliers.

The booking is official when RBT has received a down-payment of 20% of the tour price. Suppose full payment is not received 150 days before departure, in that case, Rubythroat Birding Tours reserves the right to treat the booking as cancelled and charge a cancellation fee.

Cancellation penalties and refunds are based on the following schedule. If cancellation is made 150 days or more before the tour departure date, a cancellation fee in the form of the deposit will be charged unless the deposit is transferred to a new registration for another RBT tour that will operate within the next 12 months. If cancellation is made fewer than 150 days before departure date, no refund is available. This policy and fee schedule also applies to pre-trip and post-trip extensions. We strongly recommend the purchase of trip cancellation insurance for your protection.

In no event shall Rubythroat Birding Tours be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities; it being understood that the Rubythroat Birding Tours shall use reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the tourism industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.

An expert, dedicated leader, will accompany every trip. They will work hard to create the best possible tour experience for you. Each of them is a specialist in their respected field and therefore offers extra value to the trip. Our guides are equipped with a Swarovski telescope, binoculars, interesting literature on birds, plants, mammals or the local culture as well as a speaker and iPod full of bird sounds.

All our full-time RBT leaders are equipped with top of the line Swarovski materials, both binoculars and telescopes. Rubythroat is an official SWAROVSKI Optik dealer in Kazakhstan. We can provide you with a good deal on any purchase you may wish to make. Before you start your birding trip, it is possible to be met at the airport by your leader and brand-new equipment from Swarovski. What a way to start your journey! Contact the RBT office for more details. This offer is only available in Kazakhstan.

For each trip, we offer a detailed checklist of the bird species possible during the tour. The taxonomy is based on the updated versions of Clements. For some destinations, we also include lists for mammals, butterflies and plants to increase the experience.

We think that a combination of a good location and excellent accommodation is vital for a successful, comfortable trip. It is not always easy to find suitable accommodation in the remote areas we visit. We try, as much as possible, to use modern hotels located in or near the bird sites. Some locations may be more basic, varying from simple guesthouses to tent camps. In these instances, accommodations are described in the itinerary. Transportation during tours is generally in 4WD or comfortable buses.

The costs for international flights are not included in the tour price showcased at the top of the PDF files, as clients joining us are usually from all over the globe. For most of our tours, we use scheduled flights. On a few of our trips, we use privately chartered planes to take us to ultimate destinations that are not catered by scheduled flights. On these occasions, the costs of the flights are included in the tour price of Rubythroat. The inclusion of these flights will be explicitly mentioned in the write-up of the tours. In every case, we use ECONOMY class seats, and we provide you with a return ticket that has been paid for in full before the start of the tour.

We believe that excellent communication before the journey is essential for a successful trip. We encourage our customers as much as possible to supply us with specific information about their wishes and desires before a tour so everything can be considered. When there is an agreement with the customer, a comprehensive information package containing detailed maps and directions as well as practical and background information will be provided to all participants in the group. During your tour, there will always be a staff member from Rubythroat Birding Tours available by telephone or by e-mail. Contact with your home will, therefore, always be possible. All of our tours, including private, are always accompanied by an employee of Rubythroat Birding Tours. After the trip, all participants will receive an evaluation form. We hope that you will provide us with constructive criticism so that we can keep improving our tours. This way we can make sure to meet our customer’s demands even better in the future.

Should you be dissatisfied with any aspect of your tour, please inform the leader straight away. If the leader is unable to solve the problem to your satisfaction, please notify the Rubythroat Birding Tours office in writing as soon as you return home.