Terms and Conditions

These Voluntourism Trips are run by Serve The World Today, LLC (“Serve The World Today”), an independent company. The trips are not run by Hug It Forward and Hug It Forward is not liable for any loss, accident, injury or other incident that may arise on a trip. In consideration for the agreement of Serve The World Today to allow you to participate in a bottle school voluntourism trip, you hereby agree to the following terms and conditions:

  1. Disclosure: You understand and acknowledge that during the Voluntour in which you will participate, certain risks and dangers may arise, including, but not limited to, acts of God, the hazards of traveling in unsafe or politically unstable areas or under unsafe conditions, the dangers of civil disturbances, war, extortion, kidnapping, and terrorist activities, the forces of nature, dangers and risks inherent in volunteer activities in underdeveloped countries, dangers and risks of travel by bus, boat, automobile, train, ship, aircraft, or other means of conveyance, local law enforcement activity, and accident or illness in remote places without access to medical facilities, transportation, or means of rapid evacuation and assistance.
  2. Insurance: It is a condition of your participation in the Voluntour that you purchase travel insurance, which will protect you in the event of a trip being cancelled, or if you are unable to attend a trip because of illness, as well as protection from medical and other emergencies that may occur during a trip. This can be purchased via the vendor of your choice as long as it meets our minimum requirements, and you will be required to submit a copy of your policy to Serve The World Today prior to travel. Serve The World Today may provide hosts for Voluntours but does not guarantee any on site assistance with emergency medical or other needs. More info about travel insurance and our minimum requirements.
  3. Vaccinations: It is a condition of your participation in the Voluntour that you conduct your own due diligence on vaccinations. Neither Serve The World Today nor Hug It Forward can give you medical advice on vaccinations.
  4. Disclaimer: Serve The World Today and Hug It Forward shall not be responsible for any injuries, damages, or losses caused by or arising out of or in connection with any of the above risks and dangers or any other actions, omissions, or conditions outside Serve The World Today and Hug It Forward’s control.
  5. Release: YOU DO HEREBY EXPRESSLY ASSUME ALL OF THE RISKS AND DANGERS NOTED IN THE DISCLOSURE PARAGRAPH ABOVE, and YOU DO HEREBY EXPRESSLY AGREE TO FOREVER RELEASE, DISCHARGE AND HOLD SERVE THE WORLD TODAY AND HUG IT FORWARD and their agents, employees, officers, directors, associates, affiliated companies, guides, group leaders, and subcontractors HARMLESS against any and all liability, actions, causes of actions, suits, claims, and demands of any and every kind and nature whatsoever which you now have or which may hereafter arise out of or in connection with your trip or participation in any activities arranged by Serve The World Today. THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT SHALL SERVE AS A COMPLETE RELEASE AND EXPRESS ASSUMPTION OF RISK for yourself, your heirs, assignees, administrators, and executor. YOU HAVE READ AND FULLY UNDERSTAND THE PROVISIONS AND THE LEGAL CONSEQUENCES OF THIS RELEASE AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK, AND YOU HEREBY AGREE TO ALL OF ITS CONDITIONS. SERVE THE WORLD TODAY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU HAVE YOUR ATTORNEY REVIEW THIS RELEASE PRIOR TO SIGNING IT.
  6. COVID-19: The COVID-19 pandemic is a dynamic situation and thus, requirements to enter Guatemala are constantly changing. It is your responsibility to understand what is required to enter Guatemala, as well as be prepared with a travel insurance policy that provides the level of coverage that you feel comfortable with; requirements can change and you may no longer feel comfortable fulfilling what is required to enter Guatemala. If entry requirements change and you no longer feel comfortable attending the trip, no refund will be offered and you will instead need to contact your travel insurance company for reimbursement. For this reason, we highly recommend that in addition to the required coverages (at least $10,000 of Emergency Medical/Dental and at least $50,000 of Emergency Evacuation) you also purchase a policy that includes CANCEL FOR ANY REASON and TRIP CANCELLATION. We also recommend that you call different travel insurance companies and discuss hypothetical situations so you know exactly what to expect if you have to file a claim.
  7. You must pay in full in order to reserve your place on a trip. We have limited space on each trip and we cannot hold a place for you if you have not paid.
  8. If you pay a non-refundable deposit to reserve your place on a trip (available on selected trips only), you commit to go on the trip. The balance must be paid in full by the agreed date, else you will lose your deposit. After paying a deposit to reserve your place on a trip, the deposit may only be returned if the trip is cancelled by Serve The World Today.
  9. If Serve The World Today determines that it is unsafe to go on a trip, for whatever reason, no refund will be offered: you will be given a credit and priority booking for another trip within 12 months. You will be responsible for any flight change fees if a trip is postponed for safety reasons.
  10. When accompanied by a legal guardian, children as young as 8 years old are permitted to come on the bottle school trip. If you would like to bring your child on a bottle school trip and they are under the age of 10 years old, please contact adam@hugitforward.org to discuss further considerations. Accompanied minors are always welcome and pay full price.
  11. Single, Double, Triple and Quadruple rooms are available at both hotels. Sharing a room may be necessary, but roommate requests are accepted. Families can request to room together.
  12. Private or shared transfer between Guatemala City airport (Airport code: GUA) and Antigua are included in the cost of your trip, if you arrive on the stated start and end dates of your trip. If you arrive or depart one or more days before or after the start or end dates of your trip, we can arrange transfers and hotels for you, and you will be responsible for the cost. Please note that we do not encourage you to arrive early or stay late and if you do, you are assuming full responsibility for anything and everything that may occur outside the regularly scheduled trip, regardless of whether Serve The World Today or Hug It Forward is ultimately able to accommodate or assist you before or after the trip.
  13. If, due to rain or other extreme conditions, it is impossible to work on a bottle school site, the trip will still go ahead as scheduled and you will instead visit a community where a bottle school has already been built, where you will interact with children and the community.
  14. If you are not able to come on a trip, you may transfer your reservation to another person at any time up to 1 month before departure.
  15. If you cancel your trip more than 30 days before departure, you will receive a 50% refund.
  16. If you cancel your trip less than 30 days before departure, you will receive no refund and no credit, as reservations for your trip will already have been made in Guatemala. It will not be possible to transfer your reservation to another trip.