Terms and Conditions
Travel Insurance
It is a pre-condition of participating in any overseas workshops with Astray that you take out travel insurance. This personal responsibility is in keeping with the recommendations of the Australian government’s Smart Traveller website.
We get that it’s an expense that sucks, but we’ve had so many guests in the past rely on it heavily to cover the thousands of dollars in medical bills they racked up (e.g. dog bites in Bali and the subsequent rabies treatment; doctor’s appointments in Japan, expensive mobile phones pickpocketed in Spain, etc.). We strongly encourage you to read over the policy wording of your insurance provider extremely carefully, as they’re sneaky AF, and you want to make sure you have the coverage you need (e.g. if you’re planning on skiing when you come to Japan with us in winter, make sure you have coverage for that high-risk adventure activity)!
What’s most essential is comprehensive medical and dental, but you should also consider a policy with pre-trip cancellation benefits, because if you need to cancel past our refund date for whatever reason (e.g. you get sick or injured), you should be able to recover your funds through your insurance provider.
Note that we have public liability insurance, but this only covers us and you when you are in our direct care during a class or workshop.
Service Providers
During a workshop program, we endeavour to recommend tours, accommodation, activities and equipment hire that will meet your expectations. However, we take no responsibility for any matters that arise with regard to or during individual tours or arrangements with individual service providers. To the extent permitted by law, we will not be responsible to you for any loss, expense or damage that you may suffer during any particular tour, accommodation or travel, no matter the cause. These matters are the responsibility of each individual service provider and you agree that you will not hold us liable in any such circumstance.
Passports and Visas
It is your responsibility to fulfill the passport, visa and other immigration requirements for all transiting and stopover destinations applicable to your workshop’s itinerary. You should confirm these with the relevant high commissions, embassies and/or consulates. We do not accept any responsibility in the case of a guest being unable to travel due to not complying with any such requirements.
Travel Advice and Vaccinations
Australian residents should refer to the travel advice posted by the Department of Foreign Affairs at www.dfat.gov.au or www.smartraveller.gov.au for the country you intend to visit: Indonesia, Japan or Spain. Overseas residents should check with their country’s relevant government department. Vaccinations may be required for some or all of the places you are intending to visit. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have arranged all necessary vaccinations for your itinerary.
Cancellation and Change of Mind Policy
If ever Astray has to cancel a workshop due to it not being able to go ahead, which we have had to do before during the COVID pandemic, all workshop expenses paid by guests will be fully refunded, regardless of whether or not Astray is able to be refunded from the vendors.
If a workshop goes ahead, our cancellation and refund policy differs. In keeping with Australian consumer law, the initial deposit for any program is non-refundable as soon as it is paid. This is to cover the cost of admin and bank fees, as well as upfront fees we have to pay to reserve a guest’s place (especially with regards to accommodation!).
Once the full cost of an overseas program has been paid, the trip is fully refundable less the deposit until 60 days before the program begins. Once the full cost of a domestic program has been paid, the trip is fully refundable less the deposit until 28 days before the program begins. After that, Astray has no change of mind policy and reserves the right to retain 100% of the program’s cost. This is because all program expenses are paid in advance on the date stipulated above by Astray, and the majority of our providers have no flexible refund policy. Furthermore, it would be impossible to secure a worthy replacement guest at such short notice, even if reasonable attempts were made.
For cancellations closer to the start date, we recommend guests contact their travel insurance provider.
This cancellation policy will apply in all cases where a workshop or program is able to run. For example, if a guest is unable to start a workshop on time due to an “Act of God” (for example, a volcano has erupted and the guest’s flight is cancelled) and the program still runs in the guest’s absence, they will be unable to recover the cost of their trip.
Waiver
Astray has comprehensive public liability insurance; however, all guests are required to sign a waiver acknowledging and taking responsibility for the inherent risks that accompany participation in an Astray program. Guests will need to agree to indemnify and hold harmless the releases against all liability for any personal injury or illness, loss or damage to property, or costs, including court costs and legal fees that may result from or arise out of their participation in our workshops. Furthermore, they must agree that Astray may capture and use video recordings and photographs of them over the course of the program and may use their image and (if permission obtained prior) written testimonial in all media, be it commercial, promotional or otherwise.
Terms and Conditions
Travel Insurance
It is a pre-condition of participating in any overseas workshops with Astray that you take out travel insurance. This personal responsibility is in keeping with the recommendations of the Australian government’s Smart Traveller website.
We get that it’s an expense that sucks, but we’ve had so many guests in the past rely on it heavily to cover the thousands of dollars in medical bills they racked up (e.g. dog bites in Bali and the subsequent rabies treatment; doctor’s appointments in Japan, expensive mobile phones pickpocketed in Spain, etc.). We strongly encourage you to read over the policy wording of your insurance provider extremely carefully, as they’re sneaky AF, and you want to make sure you have the coverage you need (e.g. if you’re planning on skiing when you come to Japan with us in winter, make sure you have coverage for that high-risk adventure activity)!
What’s most essential is comprehensive medical and dental, but you should also consider a policy with pre-trip cancellation benefits, because if you need to cancel past our refund date for whatever reason (e.g. you get sick or injured), you should be able to recover your funds through your insurance provider.
Note that we have public liability insurance, but this only covers us and you when you are in our direct care during a class or workshop.
Service Providers
During a workshop program, we endeavour to recommend tours, accommodation, activities and equipment hire that will meet your expectations. However, we take no responsibility for any matters that arise with regard to or during individual tours or arrangements with individual service providers. To the extent permitted by law, we will not be responsible to you for any loss, expense or damage that you may suffer during any particular tour, accommodation or travel, no matter the cause. These matters are the responsibility of each individual service provider and you agree that you will not hold us liable in any such circumstance.
Passports and Visas
It is your responsibility to fulfill the passport, visa and other immigration requirements for all transiting and stopover destinations applicable to your workshop’s itinerary. You should confirm these with the relevant high commissions, embassies and/or consulates. We do not accept any responsibility in the case of a guest being unable to travel due to not complying with any such requirements.
Travel Advice and Vaccinations
Australian residents should refer to the travel advice posted by the Department of Foreign Affairs at www.dfat.gov.au or www.smartraveller.gov.au for the country you intend to visit: Indonesia, Japan or Spain. Overseas residents should check with their country’s relevant government department. Vaccinations may be required for some or all of the places you are intending to visit. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have arranged all necessary vaccinations for your itinerary.
Cancellation and Change of Mind Policy
If ever Astray has to cancel a workshop due to it not being able to go ahead, which we have had to do before during the COVID pandemic, all workshop expenses paid by guests will be fully refunded, regardless of whether or not Astray is able to be refunded from the vendors.
If a workshop goes ahead, our cancellation and refund policy differs. In keeping with Australian consumer law, the initial deposit for any program is non-refundable as soon as it is paid. This is to cover the cost of admin and bank fees, as well as upfront fees we have to pay to reserve a guest’s place (especially with regards to accommodation!).
Once the full cost of an overseas program has been paid, the trip is fully refundable less the deposit until 60 days before the program begins. Once the full cost of a domestic program has been paid, the trip is fully refundable less the deposit until 28 days before the program begins. After that, Astray has no change of mind policy and reserves the right to retain 100% of the program’s cost. This is because all program expenses are paid in advance on the date stipulated above by Astray, and the majority of our providers have no flexible refund policy. Furthermore, it would be impossible to secure a worthy replacement guest at such short notice, even if reasonable attempts were made.
For cancellations closer to the start date, we recommend guests contact their travel insurance provider.
This cancellation policy will apply in all cases where a workshop or program is able to run. For example, if a guest is unable to start a workshop on time due to an “Act of God” (for example, a volcano has erupted and the guest’s flight is cancelled) and the program still runs in the guest’s absence, they will be unable to recover the cost of their trip.
Waiver
Astray has comprehensive public liability insurance; however, all guests are required to sign a waiver acknowledging and taking responsibility for the inherent risks that accompany participation in an Astray program. Guests will need to agree to indemnify and hold harmless the releases against all liability for any personal injury or illness, loss or damage to property, or costs, including court costs and legal fees that may result from or arise out of their participation in our workshops. Furthermore, they must agree that Astray may capture and use video recordings and photographs of them over the course of the program and may use their image and (if permission obtained prior) written testimonial in all media, be it commercial, promotional or otherwise.