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Booking Terms & Conditions

Please read carefully the below booking terms and conditions.

By confirming the booking you agree to hold harmless and release from any liability Tahi Tonga and all of its owners, employees and associates.

All our tours are subject to the weather, sea conditions, wildlife behaviour and minimum numbers to operate.

Confirming the booking is accepting the following terms:

PAYMENT

OFFLINE BOOKINGS: A 25% non-refundable booking deposit is taken shortly after the time of booking. Payment of this fee secures your spot on a specific date and covers booking administration costs. This deposit is non-refundable under any circumstance.

The balance of payment is taken prior to trip departure. Payment is currently accepted by card, cash (Tongan Pa’anga) and by advance payment link.

DIRECT ONLINE BOOKINGS: Full payment is taken at the time of booking including a service fee. Please refer to the cancellation policy below.

CHARTER & GROUP BOOKINGS: Balance payment is due 30 days prior to trip departure.

FEES & TAXES

All prices are in Tongan Pa’anga and are inclusive of Tongas local taxes. Service Fees, Bank Fees and exchange rate differences are an additional cost and are the responsibility of the purchaser.

CANCELATION POLICY
  • Any Booking Fees, Service Fees, Bank Fees and exchange rates differences are always non-refundable and are the responsibility of the purchaser.
  • 25% deposit is non-refundable.
  • 14 Days (or more) Cancellation: 75% refund applies if cancelled at least 14 days before the booking start date
  • 7 Days Cancellation: 50% refund if cancelled at least 7 days before the booking start date
  • 48 Hours Cancellation: 25% refund if cancelled at least 48 hours before the booking start date
  • Cancellations, changes and no-shows within 48 hours of trip departure will be charged for the entire trip.
 

Cancellation policy applies to situations beyond your control. Appropriate travel cancellation and medical insurance is highly recommended.

Online bookings refunds are made directly back to the card you paid with in the Tongan Pa’anga amount excluding any service fees and exchange rates differences. 

All refunds are made in Tongan Pa’anga only.

CANCELLATIONS MADE BY TAHI TONGA

If Tahi Tonga needs to cancel / adjust a trip due to unforeseen circumstances, or forecast conditions being deemed to be unsafe, this may be at very short notice.

Due to limited numbers on our tours we may not be able to move you onto another tour. A full refund in Tongan Pa’anga (less any bank, service or booking fees and exchange rate differences) applies if we cannot re-accommodate you.

If you had cancelled prior to us making a notification of cancellation, no refund will apply.

Should weather conditions change during a tour that you are on, or something happens, resulting in the tour ending early (and in the case of a whale tour you not seeing any whales); a partial refund may apply, at the discretion of management.

Please note that conditions vary daily, and unless conditions are beyond our safety limits, you can expect to go out.

DEPARTURE LOCATION & TIME

Passengers should report to Faua Wharf (behind Ngutulei Restaurant) on Vuna road. Report times may vary. Please check your report time if you are unsure. Should you not arrive on time for departure you are still required to pay the full amount.
Here is a link to the the reporting location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/M5n7jkUj58SQJ5VN9

INFORMATION REQUIRED

It is the responsibility of the guest to confirm with us in writing all food allergies, dietary requirements, medical & mobility concerns and abilities.

SEASICKNESS

Because our tours take place on the open ocean, sea conditions vary and can change. If you suffer or may suffer from motion sickness, it is advisable that you take something to prevent seasickness.

Sourcing suitable medication in advance from a pharmacy or from your doctor and taking it before (even the night before) your tour may make the tour more enjoyable. Even with the help of medication, there is no guarantee against the effects of motion sickness. Seasickness is not grounds for seeking a refund for the tour.

CHILDREN

All children aged under 14 years must be accompanied by an adult, who must take full responsibility for that child, in the water, on land and on board the boat at all times.

For whale swim tours we recommend a minimum age of 8 years old, due to the length of time spent on the boat, and the nature of the activity. Children will need to be confident in the water and comfortable spending the day onboard. Crew reserve the right to not allow a child to enter the water if they deem conditions to be high risk. This is not grounds for seeking a refund for the tour.

Please enquire with management about taking children under the age of 8 years old.

HEALTH & SAFETY

Tahi Tonga requires that all passengers:

  • Consider themselves medically fit to be able to participate in a tour.
  • Comply with all instructions given by the crew.
  • Act in a respectful and safe manner onboard, in the water and on land.
  • Comply with local laws, regulations and guidelines. For whale swimming this includes but is not limited to:
    -No duck diving or free diving while swimming with the whales
    -No approaching within 5 metres of a whale
    -No attempts to touch a whale
  • Understand that should they (or someone they are responsible for) act in a manner that is deemed not to comply with guidelines, regulations, local laws or is deemed to be a safety risk, they will no longer be able to participate in the activity. This is not grounds for seeking a refund.
  • Acknowledge that as with any outdoor or ocean-based activity there are inherent risks and thereby take full responsibility for their health and actions, releasing Tahi Tonga from any claim, action and/or liability.
 
Additional Terms & Info Specific to Swimming with the Whales
SWIMMING ABILITY REQUIRED

The whale swim excursion is an open ocean experience. For maximum enjoyment, swimmers should be fit and confident in the ocean and have a reasonable level of snorkelling experience (using snorkel, mask and fins).

Our crew will work with you to accommodate your ability in the water, however requiring assistance will limit your experience and potentially your time in the water. You are required to accept the limitations if assistance is required, and that these limitations are not grounds for a refund.

You are also required to advise the crew of any limitations prior to entering the water for safety and so they can best accomodate you.

Guests will need to be able to climb a ladder under their own power to get out of the water and onto the boat.

WHALE BEHAVIOUR

Watching and swimming with humpback whales is a wildlife encounter in the whales natural environment. While we have a high success rate, sightings and swims vary largely from day to day. Sometimes sea conditions, seasonal timings or whale behaviour can result in only a short encounter, or us not being able to swim with or watch the whales at all. As we still incur operating costs, refunds are not provided if you do not get to watch or swim with the whales.