Terms & Conditions

Draft for review — not yet legal advice. Have a practising advocate review before publishing.

Last updated: [DATE] · Applies to ecohikes.in and all bookings made through it

1. Who we are

EcoHikes ("EcoHikes", "we", "us", "our") is an outdoor experience organisation based in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India, founded by Naveen Rongali. We curate and operate trekking, hiking, camping, travel, expedition, tribal festival, and farm and educational experiences under two collections: EcoHikes (Eastern Ghats and nearby regions) and Soul Free Journeys (Himalayan experiences).

(verify: registered legal entity name, form — proprietorship/LLP/Pvt Ltd — registered address, GSTIN. These must appear here once confirmed.)

By browsing ecohikes.in ("the Website") or booking any experience, you agree to these Terms & Conditions, our Privacy Policy, and our Cancellation & Refund Policy. Each participant must additionally sign the Participation Agreement (Acknowledgment of Risk) before joining any experience.

2. What we provide

Each experience page describes what is included and excluded for that experience (guidance, camping equipment, meals, permits, transport, first aid, etc.). Only what is listed as included on the experience page and in your booking confirmation forms part of our service. Anything not listed — personal gear, personal insurance, travel to the starting point unless stated — is your responsibility.

3. Booking and payment

1. A booking is confirmed only when (a) you complete the booking form, (b) full payment or the stated advance is received through our payment partner (Razorpay), and (c) we send a written confirmation by email or WhatsApp.

2. Prices are in Indian Rupees and include applicable taxes unless stated otherwise. We may revise prices for future bookings at any time; confirmed bookings are not affected.

3. If an experience requires a balance payment before departure, the due date will be stated at booking. Failure to pay by the due date may be treated as a cancellation by you under the Cancellation & Refund Policy.

4. You must provide accurate details for every participant — full name, age, contact, emergency contact, and any medical information we ask for. Incorrect details that affect permits or safety can lead to refusal of participation without refund.

4. Eligibility and fitness

1. Participants below 18 years may join only with the written consent of a parent or legal guardian, and only on experiences where the minimum age stated on the experience page permits.

2. Every experience carries an intensity level (shown on the experience page). You are responsible for honestly assessing your fitness against the stated requirements and completing any fitness declaration we ask for.

3. You must disclose medical conditions that could affect your safe participation (including heart conditions, asthma, epilepsy, recent surgery, pregnancy, allergies). Our leaders may, in consultation with you, decline participation on safety grounds; where we do so on the basis of information you failed to disclose at booking, no refund is payable.

5. Your responsibilities on an experience

1. Follow the instructions of the trek leader, guides, and local community hosts at all times. Their decisions on safety, route, pace, and turnaround are final.

2. Alcohol, tobacco, and recreational drugs are prohibited during experiences. Arriving intoxicated or consuming these during an experience is grounds for removal without refund; onward travel costs after removal are yours.

3. Respect local and tribal communities, their customs, and their spaces. Photography of community members requires their consent.

4. Follow Leave No Trace practices. Littering, damaging vegetation, disturbing wildlife, or lighting unauthorised fires are grounds for removal without refund and you are liable for any penalty imposed by forest or local authorities.

5. Carry the mandatory gear listed for the experience. Leaders may decline participation at the start point if you arrive without mandatory items (no refund).

6. Our rights to change or cancel

1. Itinerary changes. Routes, campsites, and schedules in outdoor environments are subject to weather, permits, trail conditions, and safety judgment. We may modify an itinerary before or during an experience. Reasonable changes made in good faith for safety or operational reasons do not entitle you to a refund.

2. Cancellation by us. If we cancel an experience before it begins (for example: insufficient group size, permit refusal, unsafe conditions), you may choose between a full refund of the amount paid or a credit voucher as set out in the Cancellation & Refund Policy.

3. Interruption during an experience. If an experience must be cut short for safety, weather, or governmental/forest department orders, we will make reasonable efforts to bring the group to safety. Costs already incurred are not refundable; any goodwill credit is at our discretion, as set out in the Cancellation & Refund Policy.

4. Removal of a participant. We may remove a participant who endangers themselves or others, breaches Section 5, or is unable to continue safely. No refund is payable and evacuation/onward travel costs are the participant's.

7. Force majeure

We are not liable for failure or delay in performing our obligations caused by events beyond our reasonable control — including extreme weather, landslides, floods, earthquakes, forest fires, epidemics or pandemics, government or forest department orders, permit withdrawals, strikes, civil unrest, or road/rail/air disruptions. In such cases the Cancellation & Refund Policy's force majeure provisions apply.

8. Gift cards

1. EcoHikes gift cards are available in denominations from ₹500 to ₹25,000.

2. Validity: 3 years from the date of issue. Expired cards cannot be redeemed, extended, or refunded except where required by law.

3. Gift cards are redeemable against any EcoHikes or Soul Free Journeys experience booked through the Website; they are not redeemable or exchangeable for cash, and no cash change is given (residual balance stays on the card for future use within validity).

4. If a booking paid partly or fully by gift card is cancelled, refunds of the gift-card portion are returned as gift-card balance, not cash.

5. Gift cards are transferable but may not be resold commercially. We may cancel cards obtained fraudulently.

9. EcoHikes Circle

The EcoHikes Circle is a community initiative currently at announcement stage. Submitting the interest form creates no membership, payment obligation, or entitlement on either side. Membership terms, fees, and benefits will be published separately when the Circle opens; indicative figures shown on the Website are subject to change.

10. Content, photos, and intellectual property

1. All Website content — text, photographs, videos, maps, route descriptions, logos — belongs to EcoHikes or its licensors. You may not reproduce it commercially without written permission.

2. During experiences our team may photograph and film. Our use of images of participants is governed by the consent you give in the Participation Agreement and the Privacy Policy — including your right to opt out.

3. If you submit content to us (blog posts, photos, reviews), you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to publish it with credit, and you confirm it is your own work.

11. Reviews and community conduct online

You may not post unlawful, defamatory, or misleading content on our Website, forms, or community spaces. We may moderate or remove such content.

12. Limitation of liability

1. Outdoor and adventure activities carry inherent risks that cannot be eliminated even with reasonable care. Your participation is subject to the Participation Agreement.

2. Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot be excluded under Indian law, including liability arising from our proven negligence or wilful default.

3. Subject to the above, our aggregate liability arising out of or in connection with a booking is limited to the amount you paid us for that booking.

4. We are not liable for indirect or consequential losses — missed flights or trains, hotel costs, loss of income — arising from itinerary changes, delays, or cancellations.

5. Personal belongings are carried at your own risk throughout.

13. Insurance

Prices do not include personal accident, medical, or evacuation insurance unless the experience page says otherwise. We strongly recommend — and for Himalayan experiences above [ALTITUDE, e.g. 3,000 m] we require (verify: confirm whether to mandate) — that each participant carries adventure-sports-appropriate travel insurance covering emergency evacuation.

14. Grievances

Write to mail@ecohikes.in with your booking reference. We will acknowledge within 48 hours and aim to resolve within 15 days. Our Grievance Officer under applicable IT and data protection rules is Ravi Gutamentla (mail@ecohikes.in, +91 93465 66101), also named in the Privacy Policy.

15. General

1. Governing law and jurisdiction. These Terms are governed by the laws of India. Subject to any mandatory consumer-law rights you hold under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 (which lets consumers approach the consumer commission where they reside), courts at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh shall have jurisdiction.

2. Severability. If any clause is held unenforceable, the rest survive.

3. Changes to these Terms. We may update these Terms; the version in force at the time of your booking applies to that booking.

4. Entire agreement. These Terms, the experience page for your booking, the Cancellation & Refund Policy, the Privacy Policy, and your signed Participation Agreement together form the whole agreement.

Contact: EcoHikes, [registered address], Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh · [phone] · [email]