Meals
Longer tours will include breaks for meals, as indicated in the tour description. We enjoy taking time for a “sit-down” lunch or dinner at a local restaurant of interest to allow tour participants to get to know each other. Meals are not included in the cost of the tour, and participants are responsible for payment of their own meals. Participants are always welcome to bring their own lunch if preferred due to food allergies or other concerns. When a good local restaurant is not in close proximity, we will sometimes ask that participants bring a picnic lunch. We also encourage participants to bring snacks and water on tours that do not extend across mealtimes.
Lodging
For tours involving overnight travel, we will plan lodging in comfortable hotels/motels, negotiate a discount for the group whenever possible, and provide participants with the information necessary to book their reservations in advance, at their own cost.
Participants are expected to stay at the pre-selected lodging location in order to ensure that activities are well-coordinated and occur on time. Should any participant choose to make alternate lodging arrangements, he/she will be responsible for transportation to and from the group lodging location to the alternate location, and will be expected to be on-time for all activities or risk not being included.
Tour Cost
The price for tours includes all travel as noted in the itinerary and the services of the leader(s). As noted above, the costs of snacks and meals are not included, and are the responsibility of the participant. Participants are responsible for the cost of lodging on overnight tours, as well as any associated amenities such as room service, laundry service, snacks, etc. Gratuities for tour leaders, boat captains, etc. are at your discretion.
Expectations
Participants should be able to complete gentle walks, ride in any seat in tour vehicles, and meet the simple schedule of the tour. We reserve the right to send home persons unable or unwilling to conduct themselves in a manner compatible with the satisfactory operation of the tour.
Please note that we do not allow the collecting of any living plants or animals during any tour, and only allow collecting of other materials (such as shells, driftwood, etc.) as allowed by law and based upon available space in the tour vehicle.
Registrations are accepted in order of their receipt, and may be made online here. Payment is due in full at the time of registration unless otherwise noted. Registration will not be considered complete, and no place will be held, until payment has been received. Payment must be made in US dollars by credit card (MasterCard, Visa, or Discover) or ACH bank transfer.
Refund Policy
All deposits and payments are non-refundable except when registrations occur after a tour is already full, or in the case of cancellation by BIRDING FOR FUN. Please note that we reserve the right to cancel all or part of a tour at any time if we feel that the health and/or safety of our participants is at risk, or if minimum participation requirement as outlined in the tour description has not been met.
Please note that tour leaders may make itinerary adjustments during the course of tours if local conditions warrant. If significant changes to itinerary or mode of operation are forced upon us while a tour is in progress—for example, by a weather delay or political crisis—BIRDING FOR FUN will adjust the tour to meet the needs of the situation as best we can; however, BIRDING FOR FUN is not responsible for any additional costs incurred. These costs, if any, are at participant’s expense.
If a registrant cancels a booking of a daytime guided tour more than 24-hours before its scheduled start time, BIRDING FOR FUN permits a one-time penalty-free transfer to a subsequent tour which begins within 2 months of the date of cancellation. If the registrant cancels the subsequent tour, the original deposit will not be refunded or transferred. No refunds or transfers are available for cancellations that occur less than 24-hours before the tour’s scheduled start time.
If a registrant cancels a booking of a tour involving overnight travel more than 2 weeks prior to the start date of the tour, BIRDING FOR FUN permits a one-time penalty-free transfer to a subsequent tour involving overnight travel which begins within 15 months of the date of cancellation. If the registrant cancels the subsequent tour, the original deposit will not be refunded or transferred. No refunds or transfers are available for cancellations that occur less than 2 weeks before the tour’s scheduled start date.
Liability
While BIRDING FOR FUN makes every effort in its attempt to provide its clients and staff with a safe travel environment, we expect our clients to take reasonable and prudent care for their own safety and to recognize that BIRDING FOR FUN cannot guarantee anyone’s personal safety. For these reasons, we are willing to provide you with the tour opportunity you have requested only if you accept your personal responsibilities. For tours involving overnight travel, we require that you release us from liability for your safety within the limits of the law by entering into the Assumption of Risk and Liability Release Agreement that will be emailed to you upon registration.
Birding for Fun 