Terms of Booking

How a booking is made

Every journey begins with an enquiry — a conversation, not a transaction. When you submit an enquiry through our website or by email, you are not placing a booking. You are opening a dialogue with a named member of our team, who will respond within 12 hours of our working day in Victoria (GMT+4).

Following that initial exchange, we will prepare a bespoke proposal covering your dates, accommodation, inter-island transfers, guides, and experiences. This proposal is not a confirmed booking. It is a detailed outline of what we would design for you, submitted for your consideration.

A booking is confirmed when you have reviewed and accepted the proposal in writing (by email or signed document), paid the required deposit, and received our written confirmation. Until all three conditions are met, your dates are not held and the itinerary is subject to availability.

Deposits and payment

We require a deposit of 30% of the total journey cost at the time of booking confirmation. This deposit is used to secure your accommodation, transfers, and guide allocation. Some partner properties — particularly private island buyouts and limited-capacity expedition vessels — require full payment at the time of booking; we will advise you clearly if this applies.

The remaining balance is due 60 days before your arrival date. For bookings made within 60 days of arrival, full payment is required at the time of confirmation.

Payments are accepted by bank transfer in USD, EUR, or GBP. We do not accept payment by cash. Payment card transactions can be arranged by prior agreement and may be subject to a processing fee, which we will advise in advance. All prices quoted are inclusive of any applicable local taxes unless we state otherwise in your proposal.

Cancellation by you

We understand that plans change. Our cancellation terms are designed to be fair to you while reflecting the real costs we incur when securing services on your behalf.

• More than 90 days before arrival: deposit retained; balance refunded in full.
• 60–90 days before arrival: 50% of total journey cost retained.
• 30–60 days before arrival: 75% of total journey cost retained.
• Fewer than 30 days before arrival: 100% of total journey cost retained.

For private island buyouts and expedition voyages to the outer islands, different cancellation terms may apply due to the nature of the commitment made by our partners. These will be set out clearly in your proposal before you confirm your booking. We strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance that covers cancellation for any reason.

Cancellation or amendment by us

Seychelles Travel Co. reserves the right to cancel or amend a confirmed journey in circumstances that are genuinely beyond our control — severe weather events, civil unrest, closure of a site by government or conservation authority, or failure of a key supplier for reasons we could not have anticipated.

In the event that we cancel a journey before departure, you will receive a full refund of all monies paid to us. Where we cancel after departure due to circumstances beyond our control — for example, a vessel mechanical failure or an island access restriction — we will refund the cost of the unused portion of your journey on a pro-rata basis and, where possible, arrange an alternative of equivalent or greater value.

We will not cancel a confirmed booking for commercial reasons. If we amend your itinerary because a specific element — a property, a vessel, a guide — becomes unavailable, we will always consult you before making changes and will not impose a material change without your agreement.

Travel insurance

Comprehensive travel insurance is mandatory for all journeys we arrange. Your policy must include, at minimum: medical expenses and emergency evacuation (the Seychelles outer islands are remote; medical evacuation to Mahé or beyond can be costly), cancellation cover, and personal liability. For diving and expedition guests, your policy must also cover the specific activities you will be undertaking.

We will ask you to confirm that appropriate insurance is in place before your departure. We can recommend insurance providers with experience in adventure and expedition travel if you need guidance, but we are not insurance advisers and the responsibility for ensuring adequate cover rests with you.

Our responsibilities

Seychelles Travel Co. acts as your agent and organiser. We design and coordinate your journey and we take responsibility for the standard of service we provide directly. We work only with partners — properties, vessels, guides, and operators — whose standards we have assessed in person and continue to monitor.

Where a service is provided by a third-party partner, that partner's own terms and conditions apply to that element of your journey. We will make those terms available to you as part of your booking documentation. In the event of a significant failure by a partner — service substantially below the standard represented — we will act as your advocate and, where possible, arrange an alternative or negotiate appropriate compensation on your behalf.

Seychelles Travel Co. is not liable for delays, changes, or failures caused by events beyond our control, including but not limited to: adverse weather, acts of government or regulatory authority, industrial action, natural disasters, or public health emergencies. Our liability in all other circumstances is limited to the cost of the services we directly arranged, and does not extend to indirect or consequential losses.

Your responsibilities

You are responsible for ensuring that all members of your party hold valid passports and any visas required for entry to the Seychelles. Seychelles operates a visitor's permit system on arrival — no advance visa is required for most nationalities, but we will confirm this for your party as part of your pre-departure documentation.

You are responsible for disclosing any medical conditions, mobility requirements, or dietary needs that may affect your safety or the design of your itinerary. We treat all such information in confidence and use it only to ensure your journey is appropriately designed and your guides are properly briefed. Failure to disclose relevant information may affect our ability to fulfil our duty of care.

Governing law and disputes

These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of Seychelles. Any dispute that cannot be resolved by direct conversation with our team will be referred to mediation before any formal legal process is initiated. We prefer conversation to litigation, and in the years we have been operating, we have always found a resolution.

If you have a complaint about any aspect of your journey, we want to hear it. Please contact us at hello@seychelles-travel.com. We will acknowledge within 24 hours and respond substantively within five working days.