Frequently Asked Questions!
Find what you are
looking for
GENERAL
We do not cater to Pre-Packaged Group Tours – We offer innovative tour itineraries, personalized and prompt service, and bespoke holidays keeping in mind your psyche, tastes, and interests that meet your budget.
Quality Supply – We believe in genuineness, in building vacations true to our travellers’ hearts. And, that’s what you’ll see when you hear about the countless reviews of our trips by customers all over India.
Mobile Concierge – With our 24×7 helpline we will help you no matter what happens, whenever. Booking info, travel itinerary or just editing your details, we can help you deal with anything and everything all the time.
Hind Musafir Agency (HMA REtreats) brings to you a whole new experience of hassle-free holidays. Together, let’s turn your dream holiday into a reality! Over the past 70 years, we have been Rewarded by most of our travelers who have trusted us and appreciated our efforts. Service is a huge part of what we do, and we like to make it as personalized as possible. You will be allotted your own dedicated Vacation Architect from start to the end of your holiday. Our Vacation Architects will help you curate your holiday, sort out all the travel arrangements (Airtickets, Visas, Hotels, Sightseeing, Transfers etc…) and address all your concerns. Please give us a call or feel free to walk in our office to get to know us more !
Bookings will be processed only after receipt of a minimum Booking Deposit (will vary on the holiday chosen) & coloured Aadhar Card copies ready for Domestic Travel & coloured Passport Copies (with a minimum validity if 06 months after return to India) of all travellers (adults as well as children). Coloured PAN Card copy will have to be submitted at the time of final payment clearance & prior to the holiday departure.
Once you pay us the Booking Deposit to Hind Musafir Agency (HMA REtreats), we initiate the booking process with all our service providers. We usually come to know the final status of availability within 24 – 48 Hours and only when we receive the same from all our service providers, the same is conveyed to you via email. In a scenario, if the quoted Hotel and Airline Seats on which the HMA REtreats Offer was based are not available we will provide you with alternate options with or without any extra charges. Only once the revised Offer is approved by you, will we go ahead and continue the booking process.
During mass events such as Festivals, Trade Events, Long Weekends etc… Some hotels announce a No Sale period, this is usually termed as a Black Out Period. Most of the time, rooms at such hotels are pre-sold well in advance. If rooms are still available at these Hotels, they will levy heavy High Season surcharges for the same period. Infact, some hotels levy Weekend Surcharges throughout the year as well. Hence we strongly recommend booking your holiday well in advance.
ROE stands for Rate Of Exchange which is the value of one country’s currency equivalent in another country’s currency. ROE is always dynamic & changes twice daily. Tour operators advise the rates based on daily rate sheets received from authorized foreign exchange dealers. ROE seen in banks is the reference rate for inter- bank dealing and transactions which would always be different and lower than Cash – selling rate that is applicable only to purchasers of foreign currency from authorized exchange dealers and not to tour operators.
We believe in letting every person have the best experience they can have. Which changes with every individual. Whatever your idea of a peaceful and perfect vacation is, we are more than happy to help you with them. While we do not entertain any changes while you are ontour, you may please feel free to contact us at retreats@hmatravel.com if any amendments are required prior to reconfirming all your services.
As a rough estimation, we would recommend that you carry a minimum of USD 100 – 150 or equivalent in the local Foreign currency per person for each day that you will be away. Of course, this amount will vary according to the destination and your style of traveling.
Although it is not mandatory in most countries, it is customary to offer tips to coach / private car drivers, tour guides, hotel attendants etc. on a per person per day basis which could range from USD / Euro 5 -7 or any local currency equivalent to this value. This is the bear minimum expected but you may please feel free to hand over higher tips as per your discretion.
It is advisable to always carry coloured photocopies of all your travel documents like passports with visa stamp, air-tickets and overseas insurance policy document and extra coloured passport size copies of your photograph. Please do not carry any valuables like Jewellery, Electronic Gadgets, FOREX Cash etc… on person and it is better to avail a safe deposit locker facility in the hotels (available at a nominal charge). Do not forget to share your local (overseas) contact no. with us prior to your departure.
Yes – you will have to make full & final payment towards your holiday at least 30 days prior to the scheduled holiday departure date. We do not offer any credit facility to anyone.
Immediately file an official report for Lost Passport with the local Police Station & Indian Mission in the foreign country. They shall also help you to apply for a new passport. If you lose your passport while travelling abroad, you shall also end up losing any visa that you might have. So, you can get your visa back by visiting the respective country’s embassy that issued your visa in the first place. Once again for this process, you need a copy of your old visa and the police report filed. Also, you need your new replacement passport. Please keep supporting documents ready – Coloured Photocopy of lost passport (front and back pages), Photocopy of passport lost or stolen police report, Self Passport size photos (4 to 6), Photocopy of air tickets and all valid visas. If you’re cool and collected, you can overcome this situation sooner and in a stress-free manner.
When we provide you with the Holiday Confirmation Vouchers we mention the contact name and number of our service provider in the respective destination of your travel. However apart from the contact no. of your own Vacation Architect, you will always have a dedicated HMA Support Team available for you — 24×7.
STAY
Double share or Twin share basis means occupancy of 02 Adults in the same room. If you are provided two separate single beds, it will be called a Twin room & if you are provided 1 Single King size bed, it will be called a Double room. Same is subject to availability at the time of booking. In case of any specific requirement, please do let us know in writing.
EPAI Stands for European Plan (Room only basis with Hotel Taxes inclusive), CPAI Stands for Continental Plan (Room with Breakfast and Hotel Taxes Inclusive), MAPAI Stands for Modified American Plan(Room with Breakfast and One Major Meal either lunch or Dinner and Hotel Taxes Inclusive ), APAI Stands for American Plan (Room with Breakfast and All Meals i.e. Breakfast, lunch & Dinner and Hotel Taxes inclusive).
Though your accommodation is pre-paid as mentioned in the confirmation voucher shared with you and produced to the accommodation upon check in, it is customary for them to collect the security deposit during the check-in process in the form of an International Credit Card guarantee or a FOREX cash deposit, in order to secure its interest in the event of any guest using any services or incidentals at the accommodation or any damage caused to the property and assets as these are not covered in the confirmation voucher and hence needs to paid for separately before check out.
Up to two children under 12 years’ age can be accommodated in the parents’ room, with one extra bed at an additional charge. Kindly state your request for an extra bed at the time of booking as not all room categories can accommodate an extra bed. If a child is above 12 years of age, a separate room will be required at the parent’s applicable room rate. (An extra bed in the parents’ room shall not be provided for anyone over 12 years of age)
The term City Taxes/Tourism Fee/Green Tax is used in reference to the local tourist taxes that have been introduced in many countries around the world. Generally the tax is in a Foreign Currency and amount corresponding to the hotel star rating levied on a set Number of nights: this taxable number of night’s threshold varies from place to place. It must be paid locally, and cannot be prepaid in India.
During mass events such as Festivals, Trade Events, Long Weekends etc… Some hotels announce a No Sale period, this is usually termed as a Black Out Period. Most of the time, rooms at such hotels are pre-sold well in advance. If rooms are still available at these Hotels, they will levy heavy High Season surcharges for the same period. Infact, some hotels levy Weekend Surcharges throughout the year as well. Hence we strongly recommend booking your holiday well in advance.
SIGHTSEEING TOURS/TRANSFERS
Seat In Coach (SIC) – Seat In Coach transfers / tours are conducted in shared vehicles. In most countries, you will be required to go to a designated Meeting Point at a specified time and join the transfer/tour. Seat In Coach transfers / tours are cost effective as compared to Private transfers / tours.
Private (PVT) – You will have an exclusive vehicle only for your family/co-travelers for transfers/tours. You will always be picked up and dropped off at the Hotel Lobby. Since the vehicle and driver will be at your exclusive service, any cancellation/amendments will incur charges.
Although it is a Private holiday, the services confirmed will be from point to point basis only as per the pre-confirmed holiday Itinerary, unless otherwise specified in the package. If you need a vehicle at disposal for your entire holiday / specific portions of your trip, please do let us know we would be happy
to cater to the same.
Whenever entrance fees are included in a particular sightseeing visit, it will be explicitly stated in the daywise itinerary and confirmation vouchers. In case, your Vacation Architect can also inform you regarding the same prior to booking – just ask!
We are glad you asked! We do offer a wide range of child-friendly & senior citizen friendly activities. Yes – we can arrange a Stroller and Wheelchair at a supplement charge, if requested well in advance. Please do send us an email on retreats@hmatravel.com to know more.
This is a rare event at Hind Musafir Agency (HMA REtreats), as we only work with top 5 partners in every destination. If sudden changes in weather or other such unforeseen events lead to cancellation, you will be refunded the amount for the experience as per the cancellation policy of the service provider. Also, if there is sufficient heads up, we try to give you an equally exciting option, based on your interests.
Our normal refund policy is 15 working days from the date of return to the Home Country. In case there’s a delay beyond this time, your Vacation Architect will keep the customer informed.
