General regulations - group tours

These group tours have pre-arranged schedule and itinerary, and people can join them on a per-person basis. Depending on the tour, minimum numbers apply and those tours may be cancelled if there are not enough participants. These tours are generally scheduled 3-6 months in advance, please check the tour schedule for details.

Fees and payment

Fees for scheduled group tours are per person. The tours have a limit of 12-20 participants, depending on the tour. You are recommended to book well in advance to secure your place. Groups are intentionally kept small to ensure quality of the tour, and in some cases the numbers are restricted due to boat capacities.

Payment can be settled online using PayPal, credit card (via PayPal - no PayPal account needed) or offline by local bank transfer to my HSBC account. Bookings are only final when payment has been received. Walk-in customers may be entertained subject to availability.

To book a tour: navigate to the desired tour, on top of the page is a list of upcoming dates for that tour. Click "Book now" at the date you're interested in, and follow the on-screen instructions for booking and payment.

Includes and excludes

Always included is the guide fee and rent of equipment such as the boat, snorkelling gear or kayaks, where applicable. Other transport such as public bus/minibus may not be included, please check the check the description of the respective tour. Food and drinks are excluded.

Cancellations

• 7 days or more before start of tour: full refund.
• Before start of tour: 50% of the amount paid as credit towards any future tour booking (no cash refund).
• After that: no refund.

Payments made by PayPal or credit card will be refunded the same way. Otherwise, refund can be issued to a Hong Kong local bank account.

General regulations - private tours

Fees for private tours are on a per group basis, and only for your group, no outsiders will be joining your tour. Please state your group size when making an enquiry. Some itineraries incur a per-person cost for things like equipment rental or public transport fares. When you receive my quotation, all such extra costs will be listed clearly.

To make a booking, please contact me by e-mail or phone. During this conversation I will create a personalised itinerary for you. Bookings should be made at least one day in advance, and are subject to availability. A booking is only final when payment has been received (can be done via PayPal or local bank transfer).

Cancellations (private tours)

• 7 days or more before start of tour: full refund.
• Until 48 hours before start of tour: 50% refund.
• After that: no refund.

Other important information

As this are all outdoor activities, they are weather dependent. A tour will not go ahead if any of the following weather warnings is in force:

• Tropical cyclone warning signal 8 or higher.
• Rainstorm warning Red or higher.

Water based tours will be cancelled in case of any of the following weather warnings in force:

• Tropical cyclone warning signal 3 or higher.
• Rainstorm warning Amber or higher.

In other situations, tours may be cancelled, amended or cut short subject to the actual weather conditions.

In case the tour has to be cancelled due to bad weather, you may opt for either a full refund or to reschedule the planned tour to a later date. No refund available in case a tour has to be amended or cut short due to unexpected changes in weather conditions.

Participate at your own risk

By booking, you agree that you participate in these activities fully at your own risk. You also declare that your fitness is sufficient to engage in the activities as listed in the tour description. The organiser disclaims any liability for injury or loss of limbs or life caused by the activities engaged in.

These tours are targeting the English-speaking population of Hong Kong, and are open to all Hong Kong residents.

Safety protocol

Safety is of utmost importance, both during the planning and the operational stages of a tour. To keep everyone safe and have a happy ending to all tours, the following safety protocol is adhered to.

General information

• All tours are rated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 the easiest and 5 the hardest. The difficulty and expected amount of physical activity is given in the tour description to allow participants to judge whether they can handle this or not.
• Tide and climate information are part of the planning process. More physically demanding tours are organised in the cooler seasons.
• Tours will be cancelled in case of bad weather: snorkelling and boat tours in case of rainstorm amber or above and in case of tropical cyclone signal T3 or above, all tours in case of rainstorm red or above and in case of tropical cyclone signal T8 or above. Tours may be cut short or amended in case of sudden changes in the weather conditions. The weather will be continuously assessed using the latest forecasts by the Hong Kong Observatory and by observing the local conditions.
• All the tours are designed with beginning hikers in mind.
• Boats used for transport are all licensed to carry passengers, and may not carry more passengers - including the guide - than the licensed capacity. The boat operator has the last word on the route taken, and routes may be changed based on local weather conditions.
• People participating in snorkelling events must be able to swim 50 meters unaided, and all children must be accompanied by a responsible adult, preferably a parent.

Planning

• Hikes all follow established trails, and all routes have been done by the guide at least once before it is used for a tour.
• All participants will be informed through the tour description before booking and upon start of the tour of any requirements of special abilities, such as being able to swim.

Start of tour

• Visual check of the participants to make sure they wear suitable shoes and other clothing.
• Reminder to bring sufficient drinking water and snacks, and when and where during the tour they can restock.

During the tour

• Keep the group together. Call upon members that go too fast to slow down, wait for members that are slower.
• Have regular breaks, particularly after physically challenging parts such as a steep ascend and when the weather is hot.
• Keep an eye on the weather - both local and more general through weather warnings issued by the Observatory. Amend the route if necessary to avoid danger caused by inclement weather.
• Keep an eye on the group members - make sure they can all keep up without having to overstrain themselves.