Outside the Square Travel Adventures Limited
Terms and Conditions effective from 1 December 2025
Contents
What we Do
Outside the Square Travel Adventures Limited (OTS, we/us) is a New Zealand owned company that brings people (Travellers) together to enjoy a unique travel-community experience for the “almost independent” gay traveller and their friends.
We research travel locations, source and book accommodation and transport on your behalf using third party operators and seek out the gems of local restaurants and attractions that help make your holidays special.
These are the terms and conditions between OTS and the Traveller, which have effect upon payment of the deposit for the adventure tour trip that the Traveller has booked. OTS reserves the right to update its terms and conditions.
Any updates will be advised directly to Travellers with further notification at https://www.ots-adventures.com/terms-and-conditions.html
Travellers agree to abide by all terms and conditions of OTS, its officers, employees, agents, and tour guides while on the tour as advised at www.ots-adventures.com
Our promise to you
OTS has the responsibility for providing a coordinating guide for the tour trip and ensures that any guide is properly equipped to deal with and resolve issues that may arise during any adventure. Should OTS need to substitute any accommodation, tour, transportation, or service, we will endeavor to provide you with a comparable alternative in time, price and quality.
Payments for your tour
Deposits. Deposits vary from tour to tour, and the timing and amount of these deposits are advertised on our website. Most deposits are USD$500 to USD$1,000 or Euro 500 to E1,000.
Deposits are non-refundable, as we incur costs in arranging and confirming trip details with hotels and ground operators from the moment a deposit is made.
Final payment. Full payment for each tour trip adventure is required no later than 60 days prior to the commencement of the adventure. Failure to make this payment may result in the cancellation of your tour place (and the loss or your deposit) on the trip, without OTS having any obligation to provide you with a replacement tour adventure.
OTS cancellation policy
If you cancel within 90 days of tour commencement
If you cancel your reservation within 90 days of the commencement of the trip, this will result in no refund of any payments being made to you.
OTS highly recommend you take out your travel insurance prior to paying in full to cover you should the unexpected happen.
Goodwill Credit -If you cancel over 90 days before tour commencement
If we receive written notice of cancellation more than 90 days before the advertised commencement date of your tour OTS, offers the Traveller a goodwill credit.
OTS tour price
Tour prices are finalised once OTS receives your deposit. However, due to the nature of adventure travel and the prices of the resources and services on which it depends, the published price of any trip is subject to change at any time, before or after booking confirmation, up to 30 days before the departure.
Note, all government or quasi-government fees and taxes are subject to change without notice at any time, and OTS reserves the right to add a surcharge for these fees and taxes whether the Traveller has a confirmed booking under deposit or made final payment.
Currencies accepted for payment
Tour trip payment currencies are specified on the website. Payments to OTS can be made in United States dollars ($USD) and European Union Euro (€). In some cases New Zealand ($NZD), Australian ($AUD), UK (GBP) currencies may be advertised. Bank, transfer fees and currency conversation costs are at the sole expense of the Traveller. Any refund or goodwill credit made by OTS to the Traveller will be made in the same currency as the initial payment.
Travel insurance
For OTS tour trips travel insurance is mandatory to cover any unforeseen circumstances or event that may arise. These events include, but are not limited to; cancellation fees, medical and curtailment expenses, loss of luggage, early departure from tour due to death or illness.
You will need to provide OTS with a copy of Traveller’s insurance policy certificate and insurance company emergency contact details.
Your insurance needs to provide cover for
OTS strongly advises you to obtain independent advice as to your insurance requirements. Credit card insurance policies have exclusions and limitations. Please carefully check the policy of these insurance products and ensure you have the required cover.
Tour trip non-completion
If you do not complete the tour trip or, decide not to continue with any tour trip once commenced, for any reason whatsoever including any medical reason, no refund will be made to you.
Individual travel insurance is compulsory to join our tour trips and may cover you for loss in the event of a medical matter or emergency (see our insurance section above).
Itinerary changes
OTS reserves the right to make changes, at OTS’s sole discretion, to their itineraries or cancel any tour trip at any time, including any tour trip where confirmation has been provided.
Itineraries are subject to alteration without notice are intended as a guide only. Alterations may come about due to such events as; road or weather conditions, strikes, public holidays, local festivals and cultural or other reasons.
Due to the nature of the terrain and remote areas, weather fluctuations can adversely affect road conditions that may necessitate alterations to itinerary with little or no notice.
Any additional expense incurred by the Traveller is not OTS’s responsibility. OTS will make best efforts but cannot give a guarantee as to the exact arrival and departure times for carriers and operators used by OTS in the tour. OTS will not be liable for failure of any other services or attractions beyond its control.
Disasters and other eventsNatural disasters, political instability, terrorism, weather, cultural conditions, or other external events can impact tour plans. It is imperative that Travellers check the most up-to-date information from your country’s travel advisory websites.
OTS has no liability for any costs or losses suffered by you as a result of cancellation, whether directly or indirectly, related to the cancellation.
Your fitness, mobility and medical emergencies
OTS offers tour trips that are designed for Travellers aged between 40–75 years who are fit and mobile. You warrant to us that you are fit and mobile to complete the tour trip, and that you will abide by the code of conduct required by OTS for each of its trips.
OTS reserves the right to decline to allow you to embark on a tour, should, in the sole opinion of the OTS guide or officer, determine your circumstances are such that you should not embark on the tour.
No Traveller shall be permitted to embark, or continue on a tour trip, while their mental or physical condition is, in the opinion of any representative of OTS, such as to render them incapable of caring for themselves, or whereby they become objectionable to other Travellers, or they become a hazard to themselves or others. OTS will not be responsible for expenses resulting in such persons being precluded from embarking upon and/or completing the tour.
Travellers understand that in an emergency while on the tour, medical care or surgical treatment may be necessary. Should an emergency occur, and the Traveller is unable to give any instructions to medical personnel, the Traveller hereby consents to emergency medical treatment. In the event OTS is unable to contact Traveller’s emergency contact person OTS may make any reasonable decisions necessary in the event of that medical emergency.
Personal Information OTS obtains information from you that is personal information which is required to ensure that accurate information is forwarded to the providers of accommodation and/or services.
Any personal information held by OTS will only be disclosed to third parties to facilitate the tour adventure. You consent to the use of any photographic and/or other image of yourself in OTS marketing material. If you wish us to remove any image please contact us.
Luggage
OTS tour trips are designed to accommodate only one piece of luggage per person for transportation purposes, and insofar as internal land travel is concerned. It is your responsibility to meet the airline requirements for all air travel.
Important Information Exclusion of Liability
OTS are dependent on third party suppliers of accommodation and/or services. We do not provide these ourselves. We cannot accept responsibility for the failure of those parties to provide services as contracted and/or otherwise. OTS tour trips include the third-party services such as hoteliers, airlines and tour excursions. While OTS takes all reasonable care in selecting these operators, it cannot accept responsibility for those operators' conduct or the conduct of their representative employees, or agents or for any ramifications of that conduct.
While OTS will take all reasonable steps to provide an enjoyable trip, it accepts no liability for any loss of enjoyment, injury, damage and/or loss of any nature experienced by Travellers and/or for any loss economic, direct and/or indirect, whether of a non-pecuniary nature and/or otherwise.
On trips including activities such as trekking, climbing, swimming, snorkelling and the like. Travellers accept that a degree of risk is involved with such activities which are assumed by the tour Traveller. The tour Traveller agrees that OTS shall have no liability arising out of the Travellers’ participation in such activities.
Travellers are solely responsible for any damage or loss suffered as a result of consumption of alcohol or drugs, failure to follow OTS instructions, or departure from the group itinerary of the tour.
To the extent allowed by law, OTS excludes all and any warranties insofar as the services of OTS are concerned including, but not limited to, actions in contract, tort and under the New Zealand Consumer Guarantees Act, the Fair Trading Act and any other enactment.
Travel to the tour - Passport, Visas, Airfares and travel documentation
Travellers are responsible for organising the airfares to and from tour departure points, passport, visas, travel documentation and requirements for the travel to ensure they arrive at the OTS tour stated meeting point by the stated date of departure.
Failure to meet the departure point on time may incur additional transport costs to catch up and meet the group. OTS shall have no liability for any of these costs and shall have no liability should you be detained in any country and/or should you need for any reason to be repatriated to your home country.
Your passport should have at least two blank pages and should be valid for at least six months after your planned departure from the country you are visiting. Passport and visa requirements can change at any time, and travellers should always check their country-specific requirements for traveling abroad.
Tour minimum numbers
As is normally the case with group tours, a minimum number of bookings are required for a tour to be financially viable, and to have a pleasant group atmosphere.
In the event that adequate numbers cannot be achieved, it may be necessary for OTS to cancel or re-schedule a departure and to offer the nearest possible alternative date. The date on which the decision is made whether a tour will operate is usually 120 days before the scheduled departure date.
Transferring your tour to another Traveller
OTS tour trips may be transferred to another guest at the sole discretion of OTS. On these rare occasions there may be a service fee. Note, that any airline tickets or other travel tickets you have purchased are not likely to be transferrable due to the carrier’s restrictions. This is beyond OTS’s control.
Traveller’s indemnity to OTS
The Traveller agrees to indemnify OTS against any loss that OTS may incur as a result of any act and/or omission on the part of the Traveller and shall pay such monies as required to satisfy any claim and/or loss (including legal costs on an indemnity basis) incurred by OTS, with such payment within seven days of such act or loss. This shall be a continuing obligation.
Should OTS be required to enforce any rights under these terms and conditions, the Traveller agrees to meet the actual costs/loss incurred and any costs incurred by a solicitor in enforcing the rights on an indemnity basis.
Complaint policy and procedure
Sometimes things can and do go wrong. It is our OTS commitment to putting things right. The sooner we hear about your issue the faster we can put it right!
We have a simple process for putting things right:
Any dispute or difference arising out of, or in connection with, tour contracts and arrangements, or the subject matter of these contracts or arrangements, including any question about its existence, validity or termination, may be referred by OTS to and resolved by arbitration by a New Zealand-based dispute resolution service.
Limitation of Liability and Governing Law
To the maximum extent permitted by New Zealand law, Outside the Square Travel Adventures Ltd
shall not be liable for any injury, loss, or damage caused by the negligence or default of third-party
service providers or for events beyond our reasonable control (Force Majeure).
OTS is an incorporated New Zealand-based limited liability company NZBN 9429052953217, owned
by the founder Richard Clowes. All obligations between the Traveller and OTS shall be determined in
accordance with New Zealand law, and the Traveller agrees that any litigation must only occur
within the New Zealand legal system.
- What we Do
- Our promise to you
- Payments for your tour
- OTS cancellation policy
- If you cancel within 90 days of tour commencement
- If you cancel over 90 days before tour commencement
- OTS tour price guarantee
- Currencies accepted for payment
- Travel insurance
- Tour trip non-completion
- Itinerary changes
- Disasters and other events
- Your fitness, mobility and medical emergencies
- Personal Information
- Luggage
- Important Information Exclusion of Liability
- Travel to the tour - Passport, Visas, Airfares and travel documentation
- Transferring your tour to another Traveller
- Traveller’s indemnity to OTS
- Complaint policy and procedure
- Governing Law
What we Do
Outside the Square Travel Adventures Limited (OTS, we/us) is a New Zealand owned company that brings people (Travellers) together to enjoy a unique travel-community experience for the “almost independent” gay traveller and their friends.
We research travel locations, source and book accommodation and transport on your behalf using third party operators and seek out the gems of local restaurants and attractions that help make your holidays special.
These are the terms and conditions between OTS and the Traveller, which have effect upon payment of the deposit for the adventure tour trip that the Traveller has booked. OTS reserves the right to update its terms and conditions.
Any updates will be advised directly to Travellers with further notification at https://www.ots-adventures.com/terms-and-conditions.html
Travellers agree to abide by all terms and conditions of OTS, its officers, employees, agents, and tour guides while on the tour as advised at www.ots-adventures.com
Our promise to you
OTS has the responsibility for providing a coordinating guide for the tour trip and ensures that any guide is properly equipped to deal with and resolve issues that may arise during any adventure. Should OTS need to substitute any accommodation, tour, transportation, or service, we will endeavor to provide you with a comparable alternative in time, price and quality.
Payments for your tour
Deposits. Deposits vary from tour to tour, and the timing and amount of these deposits are advertised on our website. Most deposits are USD$500 to USD$1,000 or Euro 500 to E1,000.
Deposits are non-refundable, as we incur costs in arranging and confirming trip details with hotels and ground operators from the moment a deposit is made.
Final payment. Full payment for each tour trip adventure is required no later than 60 days prior to the commencement of the adventure. Failure to make this payment may result in the cancellation of your tour place (and the loss or your deposit) on the trip, without OTS having any obligation to provide you with a replacement tour adventure.
OTS cancellation policy
If you cancel within 90 days of tour commencement
If you cancel your reservation within 90 days of the commencement of the trip, this will result in no refund of any payments being made to you.
OTS highly recommend you take out your travel insurance prior to paying in full to cover you should the unexpected happen.
Goodwill Credit -If you cancel over 90 days before tour commencement
If we receive written notice of cancellation more than 90 days before the advertised commencement date of your tour OTS, offers the Traveller a goodwill credit.
- The goodwill credit is 100% of your deposited amount and is transferable as a goodwill credit towards the final invoice payment for another OTS tour adventure.
- Deposits that transfer into such goodwill credits expire three years from the date of the original deposit made and will remain on file for this period only, then expire.
- Using your goodwill credit: This goodwill credit can be applied only to any final invoice payment amount for a future tour, subject to the time expiry above. Goodwill credits can only be applied once, at which stage the obligations under this goodwill credit policy cease. Goodwill credit cannot be applied to the deposit for a new tour.
- Transferring a goodwill credit: If you are unable to use the goodwill credit yourself, it can be gifted to a friend or family member whom you introduce to OTS and, for whom you make the initial booking. This introduction must be for a new OTS client (not an existing or returning OTS client), and the goodwill credit will be applied to the final payment of their new booking as a "GIFT from you."
OTS tour price
Tour prices are finalised once OTS receives your deposit. However, due to the nature of adventure travel and the prices of the resources and services on which it depends, the published price of any trip is subject to change at any time, before or after booking confirmation, up to 30 days before the departure.
Note, all government or quasi-government fees and taxes are subject to change without notice at any time, and OTS reserves the right to add a surcharge for these fees and taxes whether the Traveller has a confirmed booking under deposit or made final payment.
Currencies accepted for payment
Tour trip payment currencies are specified on the website. Payments to OTS can be made in United States dollars ($USD) and European Union Euro (€). In some cases New Zealand ($NZD), Australian ($AUD), UK (GBP) currencies may be advertised. Bank, transfer fees and currency conversation costs are at the sole expense of the Traveller. Any refund or goodwill credit made by OTS to the Traveller will be made in the same currency as the initial payment.
Travel insurance
For OTS tour trips travel insurance is mandatory to cover any unforeseen circumstances or event that may arise. These events include, but are not limited to; cancellation fees, medical and curtailment expenses, loss of luggage, early departure from tour due to death or illness.
You will need to provide OTS with a copy of Traveller’s insurance policy certificate and insurance company emergency contact details.
Your insurance needs to provide cover for
- personal accident,
- medical expenses,
- emergency repatriation,
- personal liability,
- as well as insurance cover for any adventure activities that are not covered under a standard insurance policy.
- any unforeseen circumstances which may arise including cancellation fees and costs, curtailment expenses,
- loss of luggage,
- early departure from tour due to death or illness.
OTS strongly advises you to obtain independent advice as to your insurance requirements. Credit card insurance policies have exclusions and limitations. Please carefully check the policy of these insurance products and ensure you have the required cover.
Tour trip non-completion
If you do not complete the tour trip or, decide not to continue with any tour trip once commenced, for any reason whatsoever including any medical reason, no refund will be made to you.
Individual travel insurance is compulsory to join our tour trips and may cover you for loss in the event of a medical matter or emergency (see our insurance section above).
Itinerary changes
OTS reserves the right to make changes, at OTS’s sole discretion, to their itineraries or cancel any tour trip at any time, including any tour trip where confirmation has been provided.
Itineraries are subject to alteration without notice are intended as a guide only. Alterations may come about due to such events as; road or weather conditions, strikes, public holidays, local festivals and cultural or other reasons.
Due to the nature of the terrain and remote areas, weather fluctuations can adversely affect road conditions that may necessitate alterations to itinerary with little or no notice.
Any additional expense incurred by the Traveller is not OTS’s responsibility. OTS will make best efforts but cannot give a guarantee as to the exact arrival and departure times for carriers and operators used by OTS in the tour. OTS will not be liable for failure of any other services or attractions beyond its control.
Disasters and other eventsNatural disasters, political instability, terrorism, weather, cultural conditions, or other external events can impact tour plans. It is imperative that Travellers check the most up-to-date information from your country’s travel advisory websites.
OTS has no liability for any costs or losses suffered by you as a result of cancellation, whether directly or indirectly, related to the cancellation.
Your fitness, mobility and medical emergencies
OTS offers tour trips that are designed for Travellers aged between 40–75 years who are fit and mobile. You warrant to us that you are fit and mobile to complete the tour trip, and that you will abide by the code of conduct required by OTS for each of its trips.
OTS reserves the right to decline to allow you to embark on a tour, should, in the sole opinion of the OTS guide or officer, determine your circumstances are such that you should not embark on the tour.
No Traveller shall be permitted to embark, or continue on a tour trip, while their mental or physical condition is, in the opinion of any representative of OTS, such as to render them incapable of caring for themselves, or whereby they become objectionable to other Travellers, or they become a hazard to themselves or others. OTS will not be responsible for expenses resulting in such persons being precluded from embarking upon and/or completing the tour.
Travellers understand that in an emergency while on the tour, medical care or surgical treatment may be necessary. Should an emergency occur, and the Traveller is unable to give any instructions to medical personnel, the Traveller hereby consents to emergency medical treatment. In the event OTS is unable to contact Traveller’s emergency contact person OTS may make any reasonable decisions necessary in the event of that medical emergency.
Personal Information OTS obtains information from you that is personal information which is required to ensure that accurate information is forwarded to the providers of accommodation and/or services.
Any personal information held by OTS will only be disclosed to third parties to facilitate the tour adventure. You consent to the use of any photographic and/or other image of yourself in OTS marketing material. If you wish us to remove any image please contact us.
Luggage
OTS tour trips are designed to accommodate only one piece of luggage per person for transportation purposes, and insofar as internal land travel is concerned. It is your responsibility to meet the airline requirements for all air travel.
Important Information Exclusion of Liability
OTS are dependent on third party suppliers of accommodation and/or services. We do not provide these ourselves. We cannot accept responsibility for the failure of those parties to provide services as contracted and/or otherwise. OTS tour trips include the third-party services such as hoteliers, airlines and tour excursions. While OTS takes all reasonable care in selecting these operators, it cannot accept responsibility for those operators' conduct or the conduct of their representative employees, or agents or for any ramifications of that conduct.
While OTS will take all reasonable steps to provide an enjoyable trip, it accepts no liability for any loss of enjoyment, injury, damage and/or loss of any nature experienced by Travellers and/or for any loss economic, direct and/or indirect, whether of a non-pecuniary nature and/or otherwise.
On trips including activities such as trekking, climbing, swimming, snorkelling and the like. Travellers accept that a degree of risk is involved with such activities which are assumed by the tour Traveller. The tour Traveller agrees that OTS shall have no liability arising out of the Travellers’ participation in such activities.
Travellers are solely responsible for any damage or loss suffered as a result of consumption of alcohol or drugs, failure to follow OTS instructions, or departure from the group itinerary of the tour.
To the extent allowed by law, OTS excludes all and any warranties insofar as the services of OTS are concerned including, but not limited to, actions in contract, tort and under the New Zealand Consumer Guarantees Act, the Fair Trading Act and any other enactment.
Travel to the tour - Passport, Visas, Airfares and travel documentation
Travellers are responsible for organising the airfares to and from tour departure points, passport, visas, travel documentation and requirements for the travel to ensure they arrive at the OTS tour stated meeting point by the stated date of departure.
Failure to meet the departure point on time may incur additional transport costs to catch up and meet the group. OTS shall have no liability for any of these costs and shall have no liability should you be detained in any country and/or should you need for any reason to be repatriated to your home country.
Your passport should have at least two blank pages and should be valid for at least six months after your planned departure from the country you are visiting. Passport and visa requirements can change at any time, and travellers should always check their country-specific requirements for traveling abroad.
Tour minimum numbers
As is normally the case with group tours, a minimum number of bookings are required for a tour to be financially viable, and to have a pleasant group atmosphere.
In the event that adequate numbers cannot be achieved, it may be necessary for OTS to cancel or re-schedule a departure and to offer the nearest possible alternative date. The date on which the decision is made whether a tour will operate is usually 120 days before the scheduled departure date.
Transferring your tour to another Traveller
OTS tour trips may be transferred to another guest at the sole discretion of OTS. On these rare occasions there may be a service fee. Note, that any airline tickets or other travel tickets you have purchased are not likely to be transferrable due to the carrier’s restrictions. This is beyond OTS’s control.
Traveller’s indemnity to OTS
The Traveller agrees to indemnify OTS against any loss that OTS may incur as a result of any act and/or omission on the part of the Traveller and shall pay such monies as required to satisfy any claim and/or loss (including legal costs on an indemnity basis) incurred by OTS, with such payment within seven days of such act or loss. This shall be a continuing obligation.
Should OTS be required to enforce any rights under these terms and conditions, the Traveller agrees to meet the actual costs/loss incurred and any costs incurred by a solicitor in enforcing the rights on an indemnity basis.
Complaint policy and procedure
Sometimes things can and do go wrong. It is our OTS commitment to putting things right. The sooner we hear about your issue the faster we can put it right!
We have a simple process for putting things right:
- If you are travelling with us, and have a complaint, contact the tour leader as soon as possible with your issue or concern.
- If not travelling with us, and you have an issue, please email your concern as soon as possible, to Richard Clowes, Founder at [email protected]
- If Richard cannot resolve the matter, we will undertake an internal review. Our complaint manager is Andrew Gunn, OTS Director [email protected] who will undertake a full internal review of the complaint matter. Andrew has had extensive experience in complaint response and resolution.
Any dispute or difference arising out of, or in connection with, tour contracts and arrangements, or the subject matter of these contracts or arrangements, including any question about its existence, validity or termination, may be referred by OTS to and resolved by arbitration by a New Zealand-based dispute resolution service.
Limitation of Liability and Governing Law
To the maximum extent permitted by New Zealand law, Outside the Square Travel Adventures Ltd
shall not be liable for any injury, loss, or damage caused by the negligence or default of third-party
service providers or for events beyond our reasonable control (Force Majeure).
OTS is an incorporated New Zealand-based limited liability company NZBN 9429052953217, owned
by the founder Richard Clowes. All obligations between the Traveller and OTS shall be determined in
accordance with New Zealand law, and the Traveller agrees that any litigation must only occur
within the New Zealand legal system.
Terms and Conditions - Outside the Square Travel Adventures Limited – effective from 1 December 2025