Socotra Travel Center (Socotratravels.com)

Forbidden Items

Socotra Travel Center tours, in compliance with international law, the laws of Yemen, and the rules of the Socotra National Park, prohibit passengers from carrying – either upon their person or in their baggage – any object or material of any nature that may be considered dangerous to the security of other passengers, the crew, the vehicle, travelers or the general public, including but not limited to: explosives, weapons of any kind including those used for sport, flammable objects while participating in any of Socotratravels.com’s tours.

Furthermore, protecting the Socotra environment from introduced species is a serious business, which is why the Socotra National Park forbids visitors from transporting biological items, including, but not limited to: flowers, plants and seeds grown elsewhere into the Socotra National Park. Passengers should not attempt to bring (and tour companies should not advise their passengers they may bring) items such as roses or tropical flowers purchased in the mainland to the Socotra Islands as these will be confiscated and the offender fined.

Illegal Substances:

As well as being against the laws of Yemen, the transport or use of any illegal substance, including illicit drugs, is expressly forbidden while on a Socotratravels.com tour.
Penalties are severe for the discovery of illegal drugs and controlled substances on board a vessel in the Socotra Islands, in the vehicle during land transportation in Socotra or mainland Yemen, or in luggage at airports. Therefore, if such substances are used by, or found to be in the possession of any passenger, they will be expelled from the tour without refund and be subject to arrest and prosecution under the law. The possession of even minor amounts of any illegal substance can lead to charges of trafficking resulting in the offender serving over 6 months of jail time before coming to trial where there is no true presumption of innocence and the burden of proof rests with the defendant.

The Socotra Heritage Site:

Socotra Travel Center trips to the Socotra Islands take place within and under the auspices of the Socotra Governorate, which stipulates that without exception, all its rules and regulations must be followed by all visitors, whose responsibility it is to know and obey Socotra Eco-system rules.
All Socotra Travel Center tours are led by certified guides who inform visitors of the Socotra Governorate rules as well as enforce them. The Socotra Governorate and Socotra Travel Center, through the authority of the Socotra Governorate police, reserve the right to deny any visitor, in violation or disregard of Socotra Governorate rules, the ability to disembark upon or visit any Socotra National Park landing site or dive site. Such violation may cause a visitor to be disembarked at the nearest port of call offering transportation from the islands back to the mainland without recourse to refund.

Medical & Health

Participants have the responsibility to select a trip appropriate to their abilities; Socotratravels.com will not pay for any cost resulting from the inability to do so.
Trip members need to be in good health and good physical condition to be able to fully enjoy an expedition to the Socotra and/or mainland Yemen. Experiencing the Socotra Islands may involve being on a boat with slippery decks and wave activity as well as frequent transfers ashore to landing sites, or to dive sites, aboard small boats requiring some physical effort and balance. Some of the landings are on stone jetties with wet, slippery lava rocks, while others take place on sandy beaches with some surf. Daily nature hikes may include walking on irregular and elevated terrain including boulders. Briefings will be given by your guide in advance of the landings to help you determine levels of difficulty. Having a good sense of balance and being relatively sure-footed is a requirement of Socotratravels.com’s tours.

Traveling through the highlands of Socotra Islands may involve experiencing high altitudes typically between 500 and 1,600 meters above sea level. If a passenger suffers from any medical condition that might impact their travel experience, they should consult with their physician before participating in a Socotra or mainland Yemen expedition to ensure that they are fully capable of undertaking the trip. In addition, passengers must advise Socotra Travel Center of their condition and associated medical needs at least 30 days prior to the trip once they have been given the medical go-ahead from their doctor. Socotra Travel Center reserves the right not to accept passengers on its trips based on medical and health issues.

Socotratravels.com’s ultimate aim is safety and to ensure that each passenger it accepts on its tours is properly capable of participating in the tour so as not to jeopardize their safety or the safety of other passengers and crewmembers.

Insurance

It is good practice for travelers to purchase a comprehensive travel insurance policy. Most importantly, a travel insurance policy should include medical coverage along with coverage for emergency evacuation. Medical evacuation costs can range from tens of thousands of dollars, so this coverage is essential for passengers to manage the risk of such expenses where their health and safety are concerned. Passengers not having this coverage will be required to cover their own medical evacuation costs under most circumstances of COVID-19. In addition, policies should include trip cancellation, trip interruption, and baggage loss. Though it is unlikely, there are various reasons that may cause trip interruption/cancellation including but not limited to: actions of the Socotra Governorate Authorities, actions of the Yemen or international authorities, weather conditions, mechanical and operational problems, international or domestic airline problems, and other unforeseen circumstances. For these and other reasons, it is a condition of purchase that all passengers have a comprehensive insurance policy covering at a minimum appropriate medical costs, trip cancellation, and trip interruption coverage.

Visa and Documentation

A valid passport is required for travel to mainland Yemen and the Socotra Islands. Your passport must have an expiration date of more than 6 months after the date of departure from Yemen. If your passport expires within 6 months of departure from Yemen, you may not be let into the country and you may lose all tours, services, etc., purchased for your trip. Most tourists are allowed to stay up to 90 days within a year – frame. Passengers should check with the Yemen consulate or embassy in their country the latest regulations prior to leaving and see if they need a visa to enter Yemen.

Socotratravels.com cannot under any circumstances guarantee your entry or that your visa application will be accepted. However, in our experience refusals are extremely rare. Visa and passport information is given in good faith and is accurate to the best of our knowledge.

Responsibility of Travelers: In addition to obeying Socotra Governorate Authority rules and the rules of other National Parks visited in mainland Yemen, travelers have a responsibility to Socotra Travel Center, its crew members, and other passengers as well as Socotra guides.

Travelers are responsible for comprehending the conditions explicitly and implicitly communicated in the trip itinerary, this document, and pre-trip information, as well as information communicated by guides and crewmembers throughout their tour, following normal patterns of social behavior, not to impede trip operations, and observing all safety requirements without exception, while acting appropriately and respectfully toward crewmembers and all personnel offering tour services. Socotratravels.com reserves the right to disembark or refuse passage to any passenger at any time, without recourse to refund or reimbursement, who is believed to be dangerous to himself or acts in a hostile and/or disruptive manner, whose actions impede trip operation or the enjoyment of other passengers, who flagrantly displays disregard for the welfare of other passengers, crewmembers, and wildlife or for failing to adhere to the above-stated responsibilities.

Socotratravels.com shall not be held liable for the actions or activities of any passenger who consumes purchases or obtains, by any means, alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs.

Minors: socotratravels.com may accept children as passengers (over 6 years old). However, socotratravels.com refuses all and every liability for any accident that might occur to minors. Children are under the sole responsibility of their parents or legal guardian(s).

Pregnant Women:

socotatravels.com will accept pregnant women who present appropriate medical certificates, given that their pregnancy period does not exceed three months. Please follow your physician’s medical advice. Socotratravels.com accepts no liability.

Indemnification from passenger:

Each passenger agrees to compensate for all penalties, fines, charges, losses, and/or expenses incurred or imposed by virtue of any act, omission, or violation of law by the passenger and for all damage to the property caused by willful or negligent act or omission on the part of the passenger.

Socotra Travel Center Pre-Trip Information:

In addition to the specific terms and conditions herein, socotratravels.com makes available to passengers pre-trip information via our website or via direct emailing to passengers. Our pre-trip information is regularly updated to reflect changes to better prepare passengers for their trip to mainland Yemen and the Socotra Islands. Socotratravels.com’s pre-trip information should be read by all passengers to better prepare them for their trip.

Pricing: Socotratravels.com reserves the right to change prices in the event of any price increases beyond our control including, but not limited to, the price of fuel and/or fluctuations in government taxes.

Special Promotions, Discounts Commissions & Bonuses: Socotra Travel Center may offer limited coupon promotions, discounts, over commissions, and bonuses. All such incentives and rewards are conditional on the agent/client adhering to Socotra Travel Center’s terms and conditions. In particular, failure to strictly adhere to payment policies (eg. Payment of final amounts due 60 days prior to departure date) may, at the discretion of Socotra Travel Center, result in any special coupon promotions, discounts, commissions, and bonuses being withdrawn from any reservation and as such the standard rack rates and commissions will apply and any bonuses, etc not being paid.

Naturalist Guides: Socotra Travel Center tours are always conducted in the English language. While our naturalist guides can offer explanations in another language from time to time, they cannot provide their daily briefings or explanations in two languages as this is very time-consuming and alters the rest of the group’s experience. For all guests who require services in a language other than English, we can, at the guest’s specific timely request, hire the services of a translator or an additional guide at the guest’s expense.

For private charters requiring guided services in a language other than English, Socotatravels.com will do its best to find a guide who speaks that language to be hired for the week at no additional cost. If a guide who speaks the required language is not available, a translator will have to be hired at the expense of the chartering party.

Substitution: Socotra Travel Center reserves the right to substitute vehicles and/or other travel services including, but not limited to, land accommodations and excursions if it deems necessary due to force majeure, mechanical failures, or lack of participants booked on a specific departure in addition to other reasons including, but not limited to, the directives of the Socotra Governorate. In such cases, socotratravels.com will make every effort to find a similar category of Socotra-based vehicles and tours as an alternative.

Socotratravels.com reserves the exclusive right to offer affected travelers a substitute program that includes some land-based accommodation and excursions, both in the Socotra and Yemen mainland, which travelers may be offered in combination with or without additional refund depending on circumstance. If affected passengers accept any substitution, the offered substitution will encompass the full extent of the offer with the understanding that by accepting any such offer the passenger waives any further right to substitution, refund, or additional compensation of any kind and may be asked to sign an agreement to this effect at the time substitution is made. If affected passengers choose not to accept the substitution offered, socotratravels.com reserves the right to cancel their trip (or the remainder of the trip) and provide a refund pro-rata per night not used and in such cases, Socotratravels.com’s responsibility is limited to the net price pro-rata it was paid for the tour package, exclusive of any commissions socotratravels.com may have paid to, or mark-ups added by, its tour sellers as the full extent of the refund.

Refunds and Replacement Policy:

On the very rare occasion, that socotratravels.com deems it necessary to cancel tours and is not able to offer any substitution options, it reserves the right to cancel the tour in total and offers affected travelers either of the following options:

• A refund of the full amount socotratravels.com was paid for the tour/service, including the refund of any unused services such as airfare between mainland Yemen and Socotra.

• A replacement trip to be offered at a later date in accommodations of equal or greater value and replacement of any unused services such as hotels and excursions.

Furthermore, at times socotratravels.com may deem it necessary to alter the itineraries of its Socotra or mainland tours, due to any circumstances or flight cancelation or failure or breakdown, the discretion of the Socotra Governorate, the forces of nature, civil disturbance and other reasons, both within and beyond its control, in which case Socotra Travel Center may seek to offer its travelers substitute excursions of similar or equal value and/or refunds, but is under no obligation to do so when subject to the conditions stipulated below in the “Inability to Perform” clause:

The cost of intervening hotels, meals, and transportation associated with substitutions is subject to socotratravels.com limits. Expenses beyond the stated limits and/or any items not expressly covered in the limits, such as the use of additional hotel services, are the sole responsibility of the traveler and not socotratravels.com.

When offered by socotratravels.com, any refunds, substitutions or replacements will encompass the full extent of the offer with the understanding that by accepting any such offer the affected passenger waives any further right to substitution, refund, or additional compensation of any kind and may be asked to sign an agreement to this effect at the time substitution is made.

In all the above-mentioned cases in which socotratravels.com pays a refund, either in total or pro-rata, its responsibility will be limited to tours or parts of tours purchased directly from socotratravels.com and also be limited to the amount it was paid. Costs associated with changes to services not purchased directly from socotratravels.com will not be covered by Socotratravels.com.Just as socotratravels.com runs business risks associated with operating its tours and may find itself in the position of having to pay net refunds for the reasons mentioned, in purchasing tour products from socotratravels.com, its tour sellers assume the risk of bearing the responsibility for refunding the cost of commissions and any additional mark-ups they may have charged to their customers (over the net costs paid to socotratravels.com) when the payment of such refunds become necessary for the above-mentioned reasons. Accordingly, socotratravels.com is not responsible for any loss related to the marketing costs of its tour sellers.

If a passenger requests a cash refund due to an incident, problem, malfunction, etc., for which Socotra Travel Center accepts responsibility, any such refund must be approved by Socotratravels.com’s finance department. Once the refund has been approved, payment will typically be sent in no less than 1 week from the time of the complaint. In cases where Socotratravels.com’s tour sellers are involved, socotratravels.com will seek to resolve the issue via the tour seller in the form of trade credit to the tour company, who can then pay the traveler directly.

Inability to Perform:

We will endeavor to guarantee tours as far in advance as possible; however, some tours (Especially land-based or group tours) cannot be guaranteed until 45-60 days prior to departure. Should the passenger’s program be canceled due to lack of enrolment, you will be contacted as soon as possible after socotratravels.com is notified of the cancellation. The program can be re-booked at no charge!

Socotratravels.com shall not be liable for debacle or inability to perform its tours of the Socotra Islands and tours of mainland Yemen and by reasons of strikes or industrial action, mechanical breakdown, fire, explosion, collision or damage to the hull or accommodations and fittings of its pots, war, riot, acts of terrorism, civil commission, inability to obtain supplies and other circumstances beyond its control, including answering any distress call or any action necessary to save or preserve life.

Socotratravels.com may, due to circumstances of force majeure, or unexpected events, vary the time of day of the departures of its tours or alter its tour programs and itineraries without advance notice for the abovementioned reasons including changing weather and the forces of nature, wildlife nesting habits, the vehicle’s safety, the safety of its passengers and crew, the discretion of the Socotra Governorate Authorities and technical reasons. Under the aforementioned conditions, socotratravels.com is under no obligation whatsoever to provide a substitution, replacement of services, or refund to any of its passengers so affected. It is important to note that under circumstances where the Inability to Perform clause applies, then the Inability to Perform clause, at the discretion of socotratravels.com, takes precedence over other clauses within these terms and conditions. Specifically, “Substitute flights”, “Substitute Land Programs”, “Tour Package Cancelation”, “Itinerary Change” and “Substitute Costs” clauses do not apply.

Complaint:

Any complaint the Traveler has while on holiday must be brought to the immediate attention of socotratravels.com or its representative to rectify the matter. In such cases where satisfaction is not reached the complaint must be put in writing to Socotratravels.com. Such formal complaints must be received between 15 and 30 days after the end of the tour, depending on the service provider. Complaints received after that date will not be accepted by Socotratravels.com.

Photography / Video:

Unless specifically requested otherwise by the passenger/traveler prior to the end of a tour, socotratravels.com may take photographic or film records of any of our trips and its participants and may use such records for promotional and/or commercial purposes.

Special Diets:

Socotratravels.com offers a varied menu, including international and local cuisines, designed to accommodate a variety of dietary needs including vegetarians. However, travelers with special dietary needs are asked to request the latest menu offered by socotratravels.com, and in such cases that the stated menu does not meet their needs convey to Socotratravels.com their specific dietary needs. It is the responsibility of travelers (and the tour company or individual booking them on a Socotratravels.com tour) with specific dietary needs not addressed in our menus to inform Socotratravels.com of their additional requirements at least 30 days prior to the start of the tours. Those general and specific needs not clearly conveyed to socotratravels.com cannot be met. Every reasonable effort will be made to cater to such requests within reason, subject to availability of products in Yemen though Socotratravels.com retains the right to refuse to cater for such special needs.

Snorkeling or Diving:

Travelers’ participation in water sports including scuba diving, snorkeling, sea excursions, etc. is done at the discretion of the traveler who assumes all inherent risk.

Beneficiary Entitlements: If a trip is purchased from Socotratravels.com in the name of a third person to be the beneficiary that person is also bound to all statements and conditions contained herein.

Booking Policies:

The following payments are required to confirm reservations for FITs:

At the time of booking a deposit of 50% of the total tour price.

• A minimum of 90 calendar days prior to the departure date of the remaining balance (70% of the total price).

• All transactions must be in United States dollars (U$D). Any expenses for transferring the funds must be covered by the client and included in payments made.

• Note: All flights require different payments to confirm reservations and specific payment terms at the time of your booking.

• Charters for all flights also have special payment terms to confirm reservations and specific payment terms at the time of your booking.

• All payments indicated above must be received, credited, and cleared in bank accounts by the specified due date or the reservation may be released and deposits forfeited. The price of a tour is normally based on double occupancy (2 persons sharing a room or tent). If a person does not want to share and wishes to secure a room or tent for themselves, they can do so by paying an additional single supplement fee.

Socotratravels.com reserves the right to refuse name changes on bookings. These are standard policies; however, under some circumstances, specific hotels, tours, and other services may have different booking policies. In such cases, your trip advisor will be in communication with you regarding these variations.

To issue final confirmation Socotratravels.com also requires:

• Traveler’s complete names

• Copy of Passport/numbers (& passport copy in case of children)

• Nationality

• Date of birth

• Marital Status

• Dietary or medical restrictions

This information is required as a part of the procedures to enter the Socotra Governorate and for booking the Yemen mainland to Socotra Island flights. Failure to provide the above information on time may result in delays and possibly passengers missing the tour completely. Socotra Travel Center will not accept responsibility or provide refunds if the above information is not provided in its entirety and on time.

Cancellation Policies:

All cancellations must be done in writing.

For FITs:

If a cancellation is received more than 90 days prior to the tour departure date a penalty of 30% of the payment will be retained as a cancellation fee. In the case of a cancellation received less than 90 days before the boat departure, the full amount will be retained. Note: All flights have different cancelation terms that can be obtained from the carrier.

Similarly, all Charters have special cancelation terms that can be obtained from your trip advisor.

No refund will be provided for cancellations due to canceled, delayed, or missed flights. Socotra Travel Center strongly recommends passengers obtain trip cancellation/ interruption insurance to better protect themselves; such insurance should also have coverage for medical evacuation.

Legal Origin of Funds:

Traveler/customer declares that all funds paid to confirm their tours or flights with Socotra Travel Center are of the legal origin or precedence and destination.

Release of Liability & Assumption of Risk: In paying a deposit (Down Payment) to participate in a Socotratravels.com tour, either directly to Socotratravels.com or indirectly via one of Socotratravels.com’s resellers, travelers acknowledge and agree to the following, and any tour company or individual selling Socotratravels.com’s tours (reseller) agrees to the following and to transmit the following information to those passengers whom they book on a Socotratravels.com tour and to assume full responsibility for failure to communicate this information to travelers which they book with Socotratravelers.com.

Travelers (participants) taking part in a Socotra Travel Center trip do so in the full knowledge that their expedition to the Socotra Islands and mainland Yemen with Socotratravels.com and/or the remote areas visited by their trip inherently involves risks and dangers including, but not limited to, the forces of nature, the unpredictable behavior of wild animals, civil unrest, terrorism, roads, trails, hotels, travel by vehicles including taxis, buses, airplanes, and ocean-going vessels, 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 Socotratravels.com, 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, injury or illness in a remote area without access to emergency care, rapid evacuation, adequate medical facilities or availability of medical supplies.

Trip participants (tourists) acknowledge that the enjoyment and excitement derived from an expedition and/or adventure trip comes in part from the inherent risks incurred when traveling including exposure to the activities offered during a Socotra Travel Center tour such as, but not limited to, swimming, hiking, sea kayaking, snorkeling, boat excursions, and scuba diving, which are all enjoyed with the participant’s voluntary participation.

Fully understanding these risks and that the cost of a Socotratravels.com trip is based upon participants fully accepting the conditions stated and implied herein, as lawful consideration for being permitted by Socotratravels.com, and/or any of its affiliated organizations, to participate on a Socotratravels.com trip and take part in the trip’s corresponding activities 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 Socotratravels.com and its owners, agents, contractors, affiliates, and employees from and against any and all liability arising from their participation in the tour or expedition.

Trip participants further agree that this release shall be legally binding upon themselves and all minors under the age of 21 traveling with them, their heirs, successors, assigns, and legal representatives; they intend to fully assume all the risk of travel and to release Socotratravels.com  from any and all liabilities to the maximum extent permitted by law.

Special Liability Release Regarding Land Services: Socotratravels.com, including its employees, agents, contractors, guides, associates, directors, officers, and shareholders, hereinafter referred to as Socotratravels.com, gives notice that some of the services it provides in connection with its land services, including transportation, hotels and other forms of accommodations, restaurants, and other services are often purchased from various independent suppliers not always affiliated with Socotratravels.com. While Socotratravels.com seeks to work with the most appropriate suppliers available, Socotratravels.com has only a limited ability to control the operations of these providers.

Therefore, those passengers and/or tour companies or tour providers arranging land travel services through Socotra Travel Center do so upon the express condition that Socotratravels.com shall not be liable for any delay, cancellation, miss-flight, inconvenience, expense, irregularity, bodily injury, or death to a person or damage to property, occasioned through the conduct of default of any company, individual or other party engaged in providing these services. Each of these suppliers is subject to the laws of Yemen and their liability may be limited by their tariffs, conditions of carriage, tickets, vouchers, international conventions, and agreements.

Tour passengers release Socotratravels.com from any and all claims of loss or damage to baggage or property, for personal injuries or death, for loss or delay arising out of the act, omission or negligence of any independent contractors or third party supplier such as air carriers, exclusions, hotels restaurants, transportation providers and other service or facilities.

Socotratravels.com is not responsible for incidents such as airline cancellations, re-routing, or any disruptions of schedule, service, or accommodation.

Socotratravels.com generally acts as an agent for individual hotels, and other tour services and therefore typically assumes no responsibility caused for injury, loss, or damage to person or property in connection with any service resulting directly from acts of God, detention, annoyance, delays, expenses arising from quarantine, strikes, thefts, pilferage, force majeure, failure of any means of conveyance to arrive or depart as scheduled, civil disturbances, terrorism, government restrictions or regulations, any discrepancies or changes in transit or hotel services over which it has no control. Responsibilities are limited to those of an agent, and compensation is limited to those described by individual trip cancellation policies.

Variation of conditions of terms and conditions: No employee, servant, or associate of Socotratravels.com may vary any of the above booking conditions without written consent from the board of directors. We reserve the right to change these terms and conditions in the future.

Contact Information:

Socotratravels.com info@Socotratravels.com