Terms and Conditions

INTRODUCTION

Part of the ethos of our organization is to treat everyone fairly. For you, our customer, this means that we are committed to dealing honestly and openly with you every step of the way, from the moment you book with us, to the time you return home from your trip.

To start with we want to ensure that you fully understand the terms and conditions of your booking. We know that you are often presented with long detailed legal terms and conditions when you purchase items online and many people simply tick the box agreeing to the terms without bothering to read them, but you really do need to read and understand our terms.

We have done our best to make these booking terms easy to understand, and they are very important as they are the basis for your booking with Real Gap Experience. As part of the booking process, you must acknowledge in writing that you agree to them and the trip is sold to you subject to these terms and conditions.

RIHA TRAVEL is owned by Turkbang Tourism Textile Inş. Ve Gıd.San.Ltd.Şti. a Turkish Liability company whose registered office by TURSAB (A-Level Travel Agency) is at Zafer Mahallesi Kuzey Sokak. No:21-B YenibosnaBahçelievler  ISTANBUL/TURKEY

In the following booking terms and conditions, "we", "us" and "our" refer to RIHA TRAVEL. "You" and "your" refer to the customer whose name appears on the booking and for whom the trip is being arranged; "trip" includes all the arrangements we put in place for you overseas.

Riha Travel Agency is abbreviated to RT in the terms below.

BOOKINGS AND PAYMENTS

1. You can book with us by telephone, online, or in person. Bookings should be made by the person travelling, and you must be 18 or over to make a booking. Your booking must be made in the exact way your name appears in your passport and all personal details must be correct. You can book with travelling companion(s), but they should complete their own booking details and sign that they accept the terms and conditions. If you do book on behalf of someone else you must have their permission to share their accurate and up to date personal details with RT and confirm that you are agreeing to our terms and conditions on their behalf. You must check your confirmation and online account details carefully and report any incorrect or incomplete information to us immediately.
    
2. When you book a place on most trips you have the following options with regards to deposits and payments:
   1. Pay Deposit: Pay a deposit of %30 per programme booked, and then pay the balance of the trip fee at the begining of your tour. You can pay the booking deposit by credit card, wire transfer. Deposits are non refundable, and not transferable. However in the event that your trip choice or dates become unavailable for any reason, we will refund your deposit or transfer it to another trip of your choice.
      
      
   2. Pay in full: Pay in full at time of booking. The payment must be paid on credit card or Wire transfer.
       
       

1. If you book more than one trip at the same time as part of your travel itinerary, you may have to pay more than one deposit, depending which trips you choose.
    
2. You should not book flights or make any travel arrangements in conjunction with your booking until you have received confirmation from us. When your space is confirmed you will receive an email accepting your booking and we will also send you a second email which will include your log-in details for your personal online account, where you can access all of your pre-departure information. At that point a contract will exist between you and RT. Please review the confirmation and let us know if there are any details that need correction, for example the spelling of your name. You must give us your name exactly as it appears in your passport, including any hyphens.
    
3. If you fail to make a payment on time, either on the Depoist Payment or on the Full Payment, we will deem your trip cancelled and you will lose the deposit. If you wish to rebook a place back onto your trip, you will need to contact us in writing and you will be required to pay a new booking deposit for any trip you choose to rebook.
     

CHANGES TO BOOKINGS

1. If you wish to make any date changes to a booking after we have issued your deposit confirmation, you must inform us in writing by email. Changes made before we issue your confirmation are free. If you want to make a date change to your booking after we have issued a confirmation, provided it is made prior to 81 days before departure from your home country, we can make the change but there will be an administration fee of USD 50.
    
2. If you want to make changes within 81 days of departure please contact us in writing to request your change. If it is possible to make the change we will confirm how much this will cost. If it is not possible to make the change you have the option to continue with your original booking or cancel the trip.
    
3. If your change means that your trip price increases, you will need to pay the difference to us at the time of making the change. If your change means that your trip price decreases, we will refund you the difference.

CANCELLATIONS BY YOU

1. If you want to cancel your booking you must do so by email. Provided your written cancellation is received in our office prior to 81 days before departure from your home country there will be no cancellation charge other than the forfeiture of your deposit. If you paid in full at the time of booking your cancellation fee will be equal to the deposit you would have paid under the Normal Plan section. If you are on the payment plan you will lose your deposit and your first two monthly instalment payments.
   If your cancellation notice is received in our office within 81 days of departure the following cancellation terms apply:
   Cancellation received 50 - 84 days before departure: you lose 50% of trip cost
   Cancellation received 16 - 49 days before departure: you lose 75% of trip cost
   Cancellation received 0 - 15 days before departure: you lose 100% of trip cost
    
2. In the event there are unusual extenuating circumstances regarding your cancellation (such as the loss of an immediate family member) please write to us explaining the situation and we will do our best to deal fairly with you.
     
3. If you leave your trip before the end for any reason we will not be liable for any refund of the unused portion.

CHANGES OR CANCELLATIONS BY US

If we have to cancel your booking for operational reasons, for example if the minimum number of passengers required on the trip does not materialise, we will make a full refund of monies you have paid us for the programme, or offer you a suitable alternative trip. RT cannot be held liable for any flight refunds or change fees. We will not cancel a trip for minimum numbers reasons within 28 days of departure.

If we have to make a serious change to your trip, and you do not accept the changes, we will refund your monies in full. A serious change could be a change in departure date of longer than 3 days or a change in trip destination or duration. In the event we make a serious change, which you accept, unless the change is necessary because of events beyond our control we will compensate you as follows:

a.    Serious change arising less than 15 days before departure: we will pay you EURO 30

b.    Serious change arising less than 50 days before departure: we will pay you EURO 15

c.    Serious change arising 81 days or less before departure: we will pay you EURO 10

d.    Serious change arising more than 81 days before departure: no payment

EVENTS BEYOND OUR CONTROL

1. Force Majeure. If we have to cancel or make major changes to your programme because of events beyond our control we will not be liable to refund your monies or pay you compensation. We will do our best to offer you an alternative trip but we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do this. These events can include, but are not limited to: war, the threat of war, civil strife, pandemic, terrorist activities or the threat of terrorist activities, acts of governments or local authorities, strikes, industrial disputes, demonstrations, natural disasters, unnatural disasters such as explosions, or any similar event which is outside our control or the control of our suppliers.
    
2. As a responsible tour operator, we follow the advice issued by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (TMOCT). If the TMOCT issues an advisory against all travel to a country that you are booked to travel to with RGE, we will do our best to offer you an alternative trip or a refund of as much as we can claim back from our overseas suppliers on your behalf. If the TMOCT advises against all travel to certain parts of a country that you will be visiting on our programme, we will change your trip to avoid that part of the country.
    
3. We may have to make changes to your trip once your booking is confirmed or once you have departed, for a variety of reasons, depending on circumstances. You acknowledge that travel to many of our destinations can involve delays and other issues due to the nature of the country or the unsophisticated transportation infrastructure. Once you are on your trip we will only make changes for reasons concerning your personal safety or convenience, and there will be no refund for any activities or other parts of the trip which you might miss as a result of our changes. You acknowledge that travelling through some regions of the world in which we operate does involve potential delays and hazards and we cannot be held responsible for cancellations and changes that are beyond our control.

OTHER INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR BOOKING

1. On some trips we provide a "buddy list" with contact details of the other customers on your trip. Unless you tell us in writing that you do not wish other customers in your group to have your email address, we will include you on the list.
    
2. Details about your booking, including any outstanding payments, all appear electronically online on your Riah Travel account.  It is your responsibility to regularly check this webpage for changes, updates and other information about your booking. We cannot be held responsible for any problem resulting from you failing to keep up-to-date with your booking on your "Tiha Travel online account".
    
3. You must also complete all missing information in your online account at least 30 days before departure to ensure that we have enough time to finalise your travel arrangements.

DATA PROTECTION AND PRIVACY POLICY

RGE complies with the General Data Protection Regulations which form part of the Turkey 2021 KVKK Data Protection Act.

In order to process your booking and to ensure that your travel arrangements run smoothly and meet your requirements, we need to use the personal information that you provide. We take responsibility for ensuring that proper security measures are in place to protect your information.

We must pass your information on to the relevant suppliers of your travel arrangements such as airlines, hotels, and transport companies. The information may also be provided to public authorities such as customs/immigration if required by them or as required by law.

Controls on data protection may not be as stringent outside Europe as the legal requirement in the Turkey, or your country of residence. We will only pass information to any person responsible for part of your travel arrangements. Where you provide us with personal details, you consent to this information being passed on to such organizations, or companies responsible for your travel arrangements. If we cannot pass on this information, we cannot provide your travel arrangements.

RT complies with relevant data protection requirements and has in place an effective policy for protecting your privacy. The policy is available for you to see. The main points are:

1. We will collect and use the personal data you give us fairly and lawfully. Your data will include contact information, personal information and preferences, and will be used for us to gauge your suitability for the trip you are booking and to help us correctly make arrangements for your trip. We will pass on many of the details you give us to the overseas staff and suppliers so that they can properly prepare you for your trip.
2. To fulfill particular promotional activities we may need to share your details with approved 3rd parties. For any promotional activity we will provide details of participating 3rd parties and any options you have to receive correspondence from them.
3. Some of your data could be sensitive, such as your religion or health details. We require this data to ensure that your trip preparations can be properly made and you consent to its use.
4. You can request to see all the personal data we hold about you at any time, and we will show you. We will explain to you why we need the data and to whom it will be passed.
5. We will amend any data that changes, such as an address change or contact details.
6. You have the right to opt out of future marketing approaches from us but must inform us if you do not wish to be contacted.
7. The information you provide to us will only be held for as long as is necessary for the purpose for which it is collected.
8. We will not give away or sell your data to any organization other than the ones we deem necessary for the proper organization of your trip.

To request what information we hold about you, or to request your data be deleted at any time, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and our Data Protection Officer will deal with your request.

Our website pages use HTTPS security encryption.

The RT website uses cookies for the purpose of collecting data. Please see our Cookies page for further information.

FLIGHTS 

PASSPORT AND VISAS

It is your responsibility to ensure that your passport is up to date and not about to expire. You should have at least 6 months left on the passport past the date you plan to return to the TR or your home country, as some countries require this. We will offer you advice about whether or not you need a visa to enter any country on your trip, but we are not responsible for obtaining visas for you. We will provide you with the contact name and numbers of the consulate or embassy of the country for which you are required to obtain a visa and it is your responsibility to ensure that you receive a visa in your passport prior to travel. We cannot be held liable if the advice we have given you is superceded by very recent visa changes instituted by a country's embassy. You may choose to use a visa service to obtain visas for you at your own cost. We strongly advise you to regularly check with the relevant embassy to ensure that recent changes have not occurred. It is your responsibility to ensure that any visa granted to you does not expire while you are in that country, or even before you arrive if you are booking many months before travel. No matter where you are headed to, you must ensure that you have the correct entry documentation. Some countries require a yellow fever certificate or other inoculation. Your RT trip advisor can help you with advice about this, but we cannot be held responsible for any omissions or changes that occur. We advise you to review the websites for the embassy or consulate of each country you plan to visit for the latest regulations. If you are travelling to or via the USA or Canada, there are special electronic travel requirements for all non citizens.

Due to the covid 19 pandemic, some countries have added further entry requirements for international travellers, including (but not limited to) proof of negative PCR corona virus test, proof of full covid vaccination and/or quarantine periods upon arrival. You must ensure you comply with all requirements and have all relevant documentation to show airline and immigration officials in order to gain entry. These regulations are subject to regular amendments as the pandemic changes over time and it is your responsibility to keep yourself updated with any new requirements. We recommend you continually check the relevant TMOC and embassy websites as Riha Travel cannot be held responsible if you are unable to travel to your destination due you not adhering to the latest entry requirements.  

HEALTH & SAFETY

We are not medically trained and your Riha travel advisor cannot issue advice about whether a trip should be booked or not due to medical issues. You are advised to see your GP before you travel and seek their advice about inoculations and medicines you might need.

We do issue you with a checklist for what you should be prepared to pack and take with you, but these are guidelines only and we cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions.

If you suffer from a pre-existing medical condition (including any mental health issues) that may affect your ability to participate fully in the trip as described in our brochure and on the website, you must advise us at the time of booking your trip so that we can pass this information on to the trip coordinator overseas.

We may ask for a medical form to be completed by your doctor if you have any medical conditions before we can confirm your place on the programme. As such you should not book any flights or make any other travel arrangements until you have returned your medical form to Riha Travel and your place has been approved by the local team.

Riha Travel must receive the completed medical form back which confirms that you are fit to travel on your programme within 3 weeks of the form being sent or 14 weeks before your first trip start date (whichever comes first) in order for your trip to be fully confirmed. Riha Travel are not responsible for any fees your doctor may charge you for completing the form.

If you fail to return the completed medical form to us within 3 weeks of being sent the form or 14 weeks before your first trip start date (whichever comes first), or if you only declare a medical condition to us after your booking as been confirmed, we reserve the right to cancel your place on the trip if we have concerns about your health and safety on the programme. In this case our standard cancellation terms and conditions will apply.

It is your responsibility to take any medicines you may need with you. In the event that you cannot participate in any part of the trip because of a medical condition or you fail to disclose a medical condition to us whilst on the trip, we will not be able to refund any portion of the trip fee.

At the time of booking, or before you depart for you trip, we will ask you to provide us with the name and number of someone who we can contact in case of emergency. We reserve the right to contact this person in the event that Riha Travel or a member of the local staff are concerned about your welfare, or the welfare of others on your trip due to your actions or behaviour.

In response to the covid 19 pandemic, for the safety of our travellers, at the start of some trips you may be required to show evidence that you are fully vaccinated (14 days after your second dose) against covid-19 and/or show evidence of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of the start date in order to join the programme. 

OUR RESPONSIBILITIES AND LIABILITIES

Our responsibility to you is to provide you with the services that you have booked with us, whether provided by RT directly, or our overseas suppliers and subcontractors. We coordinate with overseas suppliers and subcontractors to the best of our abilities to ensure that the information we give you is correct. We will not make misleading statements and we will use care and skill in making the arrangements for your trip. Once we have provided the information about your trip to you, and you have booked, we will provide you with further details, such as specifics about airport transfers, accommodations and other matters.

We check the information that we provide to you carefully, but things can change and any errors or omissions are inadvertent and we cannot be held responsible for them, other than to refund you for any services which you have not received as a direct result of our negligence. We cannot be held responsible for changes made to your trip as a result of weather, political or terrorist threats or other events beyond our control.

We will update the information on the RT online account and it is your responsibility to check this for changes once we have notified you. We are not responsible where the failure to perform the services for your trip is neither due to us or our sub-contractors or suppliers but is attributable to you or a third party unconnected to us and is unforeseeable or unavoidable, or is due to circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even though we exercised all due care and attention. We are not responsible or liable for an event which we, our employees, agents, suppliers and subcontractor could not, even with all due care, have foreseen or forestalled.

In the event you suffer a serious emergency overseas which cannot be resolved locally, you should call our Turkish emergency hotline which will be given to you in your pre-departure information and is available 24/7.

IF YOU WANT TO COMPLAIN

If you are unhappy with the services we provide to you before you depart the UK please contact your RT trip advisor by email or telephone. In the event the trip advisor cannot solve the problem or satisfy you, please email our Customer Service Manager outlining the problem and what you expect us to do about it. We will do our best to resolve the issue fairly.

We do not accept any complaints by an individual, or individuals which purport to be on behalf of the group. We need to receive any complaints from everyone who is complaining, individually.

When dealing with complaints RT cannot accept online chats, Facebook messages, text messages etc as an appropriate means of communication. You must email our Istanbul office on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or email your travel co-ordinator. 

If you think we have failed in our services to you while you are overseas, you must first discuss the issue with the local staff who will do their best to solve the problem. If the problem is not solved, or if the local staff are part of the problem, please email our Customer Service Manager in the TR, or call the Istanbul office on +90 212 522 60 797. Our office is open 09:00 - 17:30 Monday to Friday. We will do our best to resolve your problem fairly. Please do not use our 24/7 hotline for non emergencies.

You must give us an opportunity to fix any problem when it happens, so you must contact us within 48 hours of any problem if you would like us to take any action. We do not make any compensation payments or refunds if this procedure is not followed.

If you do not speak with our local staff, or email us in the ISTANBUL office, we cannot be held responsible for any issues you complain about, because you will not have given us the opportunity to put the matter right.

Standards of accommodation, cleanliness, hygiene, health and safety and other services may be quite different from what you are accustomed to at home in the TR, and you should be prepared for this. We will do our best to prepare you for the likely standards you will encounter before you depart, but we cannot be held liable for any refunds as a result of complaints about standards which we have adequately described.

RT CODE OF CONDUCT

1. You agree to abide by these RIHA TRAVEL terms and conditions.
2. You agree to comply with the laws and regulations of the country(s) you visit on your trip, including drug and alcohol regulations and social conventions.
3. Your trip will have specific guidelines concerning the behaviour expected from you and you agree to comply with these. You will be advised of these before you depart and again when you are in your destination.
4. If you commit illegal acts, or if in the opinion of our local coordinator your behaviour is seriously unacceptable in any way and is disrupting the smooth progress of your trip or threatening the safety or enjoyment of the other participants, we will issue a warning to you. If you disregard this warning, or the initial breach of conduct is serious enough, you may be removed from the trip. If this happens, we will not be responsible for any refund to you, nor for any travel arrangements to get you back home. Further, we may claim expenses from you for any related costs that we incur as a result of your behaviour. 

ACCEPTANCE OF RISK

1. If you participate in an activity that is not specifically included in the trip provided by us, you do so at your own risk. If you have any complaint or suffer any injury or illness as a result of your participation in this activity we cannot be held responsible and your claim should be directed to the local supplier. In the event that you do not receive satisfaction, and we believe your claim is valid, we may help you pursue your claim, but we cannot be held responsible for any outcome and we may ask you to contribute to our costs in this regard.
2. Our trips operate in a variety of places around the world, some of which may be or may become politically unstable, suffer extreme weather, disease or other conditions which could cause you discomfort or even a risk to your safety. In booking your trip, you accept that this kind of trip can involve such hazards, and changes or disruption to your trip may occur. In the event you do not receive a specific part of your trip because of any event or condition beyond our control, we may decide to issue a partial refund for services lost, but we are not obliged to do so.
3. It is not possible for us to be responsible for events or the actions or failures of people and organizations over whom we have no control, and no claim can be made against us in this regard. We accept your trip booking on the basis that you agree and understand that there may be risks associated with the trip. We cannot be held liable or responsible for any delays, accidents, damage, loss, health issues or other issues resulting from the failure of people and organisations other than our own staff.
4. Some trips are entirely operated by third parties. We vet these third parties and arrange trips with them on your behalf, but any liability for claims you may wish to make against them lies with the third parties and not Riha Travel, although we will help you with claims in the event that we deem your claim fair and reasonable.

APPLICABLE LAWS AND JURISDICTION

No matter where you live, your booking with us is accepted under Turkish law and the Courts of Turkey shall have the exclusive jurisdiction to decide on any disputes between us.