Terms & Conditions

1. About Liminal and these Terms

1.1 We are Liminal Journeys Limited, a company incorporated in Hong Kong Business Registration number 80297201. Our registered office is Unit 1603, 16/F, The L. Plaza, 367-375 Queen’s Road Central, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. We trade under the name “Liminal”.

1.2 These terms and conditions (“Terms”) govern the relationship between you (the “client”) and Liminal whenever you engage us to design, curate, advise on or arrange a journey. A travel engagement is also governed by your engagement letter (the “Statement of Work” or “SOW”, a template of which is at Annexe A), our Privacy Policy, Cancellation and Refund Policy, Cookie Notice, and the separate terms of each underlying travel supplier, including but not limited to destination management companies, hotels, lodges, airlines, charter operators, transfer providers, restaurants, guides, photographers, videographers, equipment hire, expert co-hosts, activity providers, wellness practitioners, host travel agencies or any other suppliers that may be engaged to provide services to you (each a “Supplier”),with whom you contract (or with whom we contract on your behalf as your disclosed agent).

1.3 By signing the SOW, paying any portion of any invoice we issue, or otherwise instructing us to begin work, you confirm that you have read and accepted these Terms.

2. The nature of our service and who we serve

2.1 Liminal is a travel design studio and adviser. We are engaged for our judgement, our taste and our project management. We are not a tour operator and we are not a "principal" or "organiser" within the meaning of any package-travel regulation. Where we issue a single invoice covering more than one travel component, we do so as your disclosed agent for the underlying Suppliers identified to you in writing in the booking confirmation, and not as principal.

Hong Kong scope of service

2.2 Liminal Journeys Limited is incorporated in Hong Kong but our travel business activities are not carried on in Hong Kong and our travel services are not offered into, out of, or to residents of Hong Kong. Specifically:

We do not arrange travel into Hong Kong as a destination, whether on its own or as a component of a multi-destination itinerary;
We do not arrange travel, accommodation, sightseeing, meals, shopping trips, or local transportation for visitors to Hong Kong;
We do not arrange outbound travel from Hong Kong;
We do not solicit, accept or process bookings or enquiries from persons ordinarily resident in Hong Kong; and
We will decline or refer onward any enquiry that on its face falls within 2.2 (a), (b) or (c).

2.3 Our travel services are offered exclusively to clients ordinarily resident outside the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for travel to destinations outside Hong Kong. By engaging us, you confirm that you are not ordinarily resident in Hong Kong and that your itinerary does not include Hong Kong as a travel destination (including a transit stop). We may ask you to confirm your country(ies) of ordinary residence in writing before issuing an SOW, and we may decline or terminate any engagement where this confirmation is not given or is later shown to be incorrect.

2.4 On the basis described in clauses 2.2 and 2.3, our engagement is structured to fall outside the scope of the Travel Industry Ordinance (Cap. 634) and the licensing administered by the Travel Industry Authority of Hong Kong, and Liminal does not hold and is not required to hold a Hong Kong Travel Agent Licence.

Other regulatory status

2.5 We do not hold an Air Travel Organiser's Licence (“ATOL”), an Association of British Travel Agents (“ABTA”) membership, or an Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust (“ABTOT”) bond. Where flights are required, they are booked and ticketed through a US-based host travel agency under our advisor relationship; the host agency holds the ticketing credentials and the relevant consumer financial protection.

2.6 Each travel component within your journey is delivered by an independent third-party Supplier. We do not own, operate, control or staff any of these Suppliers and we do not take title to or assume operational risk in any travel service.

3. Engagement and design fees

3.1 Each engagement begins with an SOW (template at Annexe A) recording the design tier, the scope of work, the milestones, the fees, the commercial model that applies (see clause 5) and the payment schedule. The four design tiers below describe our standard pricing principle; the tier, milestones and fee for any given engagement are agreed on a case-by-case basis in the SOW to reflect the complexity of the trip:

Tier 0 — introductory consultation, complimentary; no SOW required — Complimentary

Tier 1 — single-trip itinerary design — EUR 750–1,500

Tier 2 — multi-leg or expert-curated itinerary — EUR 2,500–5,000

Tier 3 — multi-week, multi-property or cohort-retreat design — EUR 5,000–10,000+

3.2 Design fees are typically invoiced in two equal stages: 50% on itinerary sign-off, and the remaining 50% no later than 60 days before the journey is due to commence. Where the journey commences within 60 days of itinerary sign-off, the full design fee is invoiced on sign-off. The SOW will state the exact schedule, the currency and the payment route, and may agree a different schedule where the engagement so requires.

3.3 Once you have signed off the itinerary, the design fee is non-refundable. The fee compensates the work we have already performed; it is not a deposit on the trip.

3.4 Where you ask us to take on additional work outside the SOW, we will set out the additional time and fee in writing before performing it. We will not proceed without your written approval.

4. Your contract with each Supplier

4.1 Each travel component within your journey is delivered by an independent third-party Supplier. The applicable contractual route is one of the following, and will be identified on each booking confirmation:

Direct Supplier contract — you contract directly with the Supplier on the Supplier’s own booking terms (typical for hotels booked through a destination management company, charter operators, restaurants, guides and activity providers, and for flights ticketed by our host travel agency). We act as your disclosed agent to negotiate, present, confirm and administer the booking on your authority. We are not a party to the underlying contract.
Liminal-invoiced component — where commercially appropriate, and where the Supplier’s terms permit, we may issue a single invoice covering one or more components and settle the Supplier directly. In such circumstances, you acknowledge that Liminal's role is limited to facilitating the booking and payment process and that Liminal does not provide or perform the underlying Supplier services. You appoint and authorise Liminal to act as your disclosed agent for the purpose of arranging and remitting payment to the relevant Supplier, and Liminal acts as the relevant Supplier's disclosed agent solely in relation to invoicing, billing and payment collection. The Supplier remains the principal performing the service, and the Supplier’s own booking terms (deposits, cancellation, force-majeure, conditions of carriage, liability) continue to apply to you. The fact that we issue the invoice does not make Liminal the operator or principal of the service.

4.2 Flights, where included in your journey, are booked and ticketed by our chosen host travel agency under our advisor relationship. The host agency’s terms apply to ticketing and to any post-booking changes; the airline’s conditions of carriage govern the carriage itself.

4.3 We will use reasonable care and skill in selecting Suppliers and in confirming bookings. We do not, however, accept responsibility for the acts or omissions of Suppliers, or for events beyond their reasonable control. Your remedies for non-performance by a Supplier run against the Supplier directly and (where applicable) your travel insurer; clause 10 sets out the limits on our own liability.

4.4 We reserve the right, in consultation with you, to substitute a Supplier of equivalent or better standard where the originally-selected Supplier becomes unable to perform, ceases to meet our quality standards, or where a force-majeure event makes substitution necessary. Any unavoidable price difference is for your account; any cost saving is passed to you.

5. Pricing, commercial model and disclosure

5.1 Liminal operates two commercial models, used either separately or in combination on a given engagement:

Advisory model — you pay Liminal a design fee for our work and you settle each travel component directly with the Supplier (or via our host travel agency for flights). On this model, Liminal additionally receives a commission paid by the destination management company, hotel or other Supplier, and a fare-share from our host travel agency on flights. Commission and fare-share are paid by the Supplier out of the rate quoted to you; they do not increase the price you pay.
Transactional model — for selected components, Liminal contracts with the Supplier on confidential net or wholesale terms and invoices you a single combined price that includes our margin. On this model you do not receive a separate component-by-component price breakdown for the items concerned, and Liminal’s commission, mark-up or net-to-retail spread is not separately disclosed beyond the all-in price quoted to you. For the avoidance of doubt, Liminal acts as your disclosed agent for the named underlying Supplier (see clause 4.1(b)).

5.2 The SOW and each booking confirmation will identify, for each component, which model applies. Where the Transactional model applies to a component, the booking confirmation will name the underlying Supplier and will summarise the Supplier’s cancellation, change and force-majeure terms so you know where you stand.

5.3 We will not apply both an advisory mark-up and a Supplier commission to the same component, and we will not double-charge for the same work. Where a component would otherwise be eligible for both, the SOW will record which applies.

5.4 All Liminal invoices are denominated in the currency stated on the SOW. Available currencies are EUR, GBP, USD and HKD, subject to confirmation in the SOW. Any bank charges, foreign exchange conversion costs, and payment processing fees incurred in connection with payment shall be borne by you..

5.5 Where Supplier prices are quoted to us in a currency other than the SOW currency, we will quote you a fixed price in the SOW currency calculated using the exchange rate on the date of quotation, with a reputable foreign-exchange buffer. Materially adverse exchange-rate movements between quotation and Supplier settlement may result in a price adjustment, which we will discuss with you in writing before it is applied.

6. Information you provide

6.1 You represent and warrant that:

the information you give us is accurate and complete: full legal names as they appear on travel documents, dates of birth, passport numbers, visa status, dietary requirements, allergies, mobility and accessibility needs, relevant medical conditions, and emergency contacts. Material omissions or errors can cause cancellation, denied boarding, denied entry, or worse — and the cost of remedying them sits with you.
you have authority to provide the information required for everyone in your travelling party, including any child’s information where the consenting parent or guardian is responsible for providing accurate information for them.
your country(ies) of ordinary residence as stated on the SOW is true and accurate (see clauses 2.2 and 2.3), and where you become a Hong Kong resident, you will inform us in writing immediately; we may need to restructure or terminate the engagement.

7. Documents, visas, health and insurance

7.1 You are responsible for ensuring that you and every person travelling with you holds a valid passport, all required visas and entry permits, the correct vaccinations and any prescribed prophylactic medication. We are happy to provide general guidance on visa, entry and health requirements based on the destinations in your itinerary — including signposting to official sources and, where helpful, to specialist visa-application services — but we do not file applications on your behalf and final responsibility for documents and applications rests with you.

7.2 You are required to hold comprehensive travel insurance, in force from the date your journey commences (or earlier where cancellation cover is required) until the date you return home. As a minimum the cover must include:

emergency medical treatment overseas to a limit of not less than USD 1,000,000 (or equivalent);
medical evacuation and repatriation to a limit of not less than USD 500,000 (or equivalent);
trip cancellation, curtailment and interruption to a limit not less than the total non-refundable cost of your journey;
baggage and personal effects; and
cover appropriate to any adventure, expedition, water or mountain activities included in your itinerary.

We will not commence on-the-ground delivery, and we may suspend the engagement, until you confirm in writing the insurer, policy number and policy limits.

7.3 For destination-specific advisories — public-health, security, weather, political — please consult the official travel advisories published by your government (for example, the FCDO for the UK, the US Department of State for the US, the Auswärtiges Amt for Germany, and the equivalent authority in your country of residence). We are not authorised to give official advice and can direct you to these sources.

7.4 Wellness components of your journey — spa programmes, retreats, breathwork, fasting, IV therapy, plant medicine where legal, traditional medicine treatments, fitness training, expedition activities — are delivered by third-party practitioners and providers under their own terms. Nothing we say or write constitutes medical, psychiatric, dietary or therapeutic advice. You confirm that you are medically and psychologically fit to undertake the activities in your itinerary, that you have disclosed to us and to each relevant Supplier any medical condition, medication, pregnancy, allergy, mental-health condition or recent treatment that could be affected by those activities, and that you have taken (or will take) independent medical advice before participating in any wellness activity in respect of which medical advice would ordinarily be appropriate.

8. Cancellation and changes

Cancellation by you

8.1 If you cancel the engagement before itinerary sign-off, we will refund any unearned portion of your design fee at our sole reasonable discretion. From itinerary sign-off, the design fee is non-refundable. Liminal may at its sole and reasonable discretion waive or reduce any cancellation charge — including in cases of long-standing client relationships, force majeure, or other exceptional circumstances. Any such waiver is granted on a case-by-case basis, requires our written confirmation, and creates no precedent or entitlement for future engagements.

8.2 Cancellation of travel components booked under the Advisory model (clause 5.1(a)) is governed by the relevant Supplier’s terms. We will recover any amounts the Supplier permits, less any non-refundable element. You should expect that hotel deposits, charter deposits, non-refundable airfares and certain DMC payments will not be recoverable.

8.3 Cancellation of travel components invoiced by Liminal under the Transactional model (clause 5.1(b)) is governed by the Liminal cancellation tiers below, which apply to the Liminal-invoiced amount for the affected component(s). These tiers reflect the irrecoverable cost we incur to the underlying Supplier; where the underlying Supplier’s terms are stricter than the tiers below, the stricter Supplier terms apply and will be summarised on your booking confirmation.

More than 90 days: 25% of the Liminal-invoiced amount

61–90 days: 50% of the Liminal-invoiced amount

30–60 days: 75% of the Liminal-invoiced amount

14–29 days: 100% of the Liminal-invoiced amount

Less than 14 days: 100% of the Liminal-invoiced amount

8.4 We will summarise the cancellation position of every booked component on each booking confirmation so you know where you stand at every stage.

Cancellation by Liminal

8.5 We may terminate the engagement immediately on written notice if you are in material breach of these Terms, if you fail to pay any sum when due (and have not cured the failure within 7 days of notice), if your engagement would breach applicable law, sanctions, anti-money-laundering rules or other regulations, if you are or become a person to whom we cannot lawfully provide services under clause 2 (in particular if you become ordinarily resident in Hong Kong), or if continued performance would in our reasonable judgement expose us to material legal or reputational risk. In such cases we will refund any unearned portion of the design fee and any Liminal-invoiced component amount that has not yet become a non-refundable cost to us.

Re-planning

8.6 Where you ask us to re-plan a cancelled itinerary or build a substitute trip, we will charge for the additional design work at our then-current Tier rate. We will agree the scope and fee in writing before starting.

9. Force majeure

9.1 Neither party is liable for any failure or delay in performance to the extent it is caused by a force-majeure event. For the purposes of these Terms, a “force-majeure event” means any event, circumstance or cause beyond the reasonable control of the affected party, whether foreseeable or unforeseeable, including (without limitation):

war, armed conflict, invasion, act of a foreign enemy, military action, hostilities (whether declared or undeclared), civil war, rebellion, revolution, insurrection, civil commotion, riots or acts of terrorism, sabotage or piracy;
natural disasters or extreme weather events, including earthquake, flood, hurricane, typhoon, storm, volcanic eruption, tsunami, wildfire or other acts of God;
epidemic, pandemic, endemic disease outbreak, public health emergency, quarantine requirement or other health-related restriction imposed by a competent authority;
any law, regulation, order, sanction, embargo, export control, travel restriction, border closure, visa restriction, lockdown, evacuation order or other action taken by a governmental, regulatory or international authority;
any official government advisory against travel to, from or within a destination relevant to the Services or the traveller's itinerary;
closure of airspace, airports, seaports, transport hubs or transportation routes, or the cancellation, suspension or material disruption of commercial transportation services;
strikes, lockouts, labour disputes or other industrial action (other than those affecting only the affected party's own workforce), including where they affect airlines, airports, rail operators, hotels or other major travel-service providers;
insolvency, bankruptcy, administration, liquidation or cessation of business by any airline, hotel, ground operator or other material Supplier involved in the provision of the Services;
interruption, failure or material disruption of utilities or infrastructure, including telecommunications, internet services, cloud services, power supply, banking systems, payment networks or transportation infrastructure;
cyber-attacks, ransomware attacks, widespread system failures or other significant technology-related incidents affecting the provision of the Services; and
any other event or circumstance beyond the reasonable control of the affected party that prevents, hinders or materially delays the performance of its obligations under these Terms.

9.2 Where a force-majeure event prevents performance, the design fee remains payable in respect of work performed (the design fee compensates work, not the trip). Refunds of Supplier amounts under the Advisory model, and of Liminal-invoiced amounts under the Transactional model, are made only to the extent the Supplier itself refunds, credits or defers the underlying booking; we will negotiate the most favourable client outcome the Supplier will offer (most ultra-luxury Suppliers will offer to defer rather than refund). We will use reasonable endeavours to assist you in re-planning the trip; the time-and-materials fee for re-planning will be agreed before we proceed.

10. Limitation of liability

10.1 Subject to clause 10.4, our total aggregate liability to you under or in connection with an engagement, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), restitution or otherwise, is capped at the greater of (a) the design fees actually paid by you to us under the relevant SOW, or (b) the gross margin actually retained by Liminal on Liminal-invoiced components for that engagement.

10.2 We are not liable for any indirect, special, consequential or punitive loss, loss of profit or business, loss of opportunity, loss of enjoyment, loss of data, or loss arising from third-party claims, in each case howsoever arising.

10.3 We are not liable for the acts or omissions of any Supplier or the consequences of those acts or omissions, including delay, denial of carriage or boarding, Supplier insolvency, theft or loss in Supplier care, Supplier accidents and Supplier injury claims. Your remedies in those circumstances run against the Supplier directly and (where applicable) your travel insurer.

10.4 Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for:

death or personal injury caused by our negligence;
fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation;
any other liability that cannot be excluded by law in the jurisdiction in which you have your habitual residence — in particular, your statutory rights under the UK Consumer Rights Act 2015 and any equivalent EU Member State consumer-protection legislation.

11. Indemnities

11.1 You will indemnify and keep us indemnified against any loss, claim, demand, damage or cost (including reasonable legal fees) we suffer arising from:

any breach of these Terms
any inaccuracy in the information you provide (including any incorrect statement of ordinary residence(s) under clause 2.3);
misconduct by you or any traveller in your party;
breach by you of any law or Supplier rule;
any third-party claim arising from your acts or omissions.

12. Intellectual property and confidentiality

12.1 All proposals, itineraries, mood-boards, Supplier introductions, written content, visual content and curation deliverables that we produce remain our intellectual property. You receive a personal, non-transferable licence to use them for the purpose of your trip and for your own personal use, including non-commercial sharing on your personal social media channels. You may not copy or reproduce our deliverables for commercial use, share them with a competing travel advisor, or republish them in a manner that misrepresents Liminal’s involvement or uses our brand assets without our prior written consent.

12.2 The identities, contact details, pricing, proposals, itineraries and other information relating to Suppliers introduced by us constitute our confidential and proprietary information. You agree not to use such information to bypass or circumvent us. For a period of eighteen (18) months after we introduce a Supplier to you, you must not, directly or indirectly, enter into any agreement or arrangement with that Supplier (or any affiliate, representative or related entity of that Supplier) for travel services that are the same as, similar to, derived from, or connected with the travel arrangements proposed by us, except through our services. If you breach this clause, we reserve the right to recover from you our lost commission, fees, profits and all reasonable costs incurred as a result of the breach.

12.3 We treat your personal information confidentially in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Where we wish to use trip-related photography, video or testimonial content of yours for our own marketing, we will obtain your written consent first. Consent may be given by email, may be qualified (for example, restricting use to specified channels or excluding images of children), and may be withdrawn at any time on reasonable notice.

12.4 Under our Privacy Policy, you may exercise certain rights in relation to your personal data. However, where the exercise of those rights prevents us or any Suppliers from collecting, processing, using or retaining personal data necessary to provide the relevant services, we may be unable to perform some or all of the services. In such circumstances, we reserve the right to suspend or terminate our services to you with immediate effect, and shall not be liable for any failure or inability to provide our services arising from the exercise of your rights pursuant to our Privacy Policy and any application data laws.

13. Anti-bribery, sanctions and anti-money-laundering

13.1 Both parties will comply with applicable anti-bribery and sanctions laws — including the Hong Kong Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (Cap. 201), the UK Bribery Act 2010, the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and applicable sanctions regimes (UN, OFAC, OFSI, EU).

13.2 For trips with a total component value above EUR 10,000 (or equivalent), and as a matter of course where Liminal will issue a combined invoice under clause 4.1(b), we may ask you to confirm beneficial ownership and source of funds and to provide standard identity verification documents. We may decline or terminate the engagement if you do not respond, or if our screening surfaces a sanctions or politically-exposed-person concern.

14. Complaints and dispute resolution

14.1 If something is not right during your trip, please tell us in real time so we can attempt to remedy it on the ground. Your dedicated Liminal contact and the WhatsApp number on your travel pack are available 24 hours a day.

14.2 If you wish to raise a formal complaint after the trip, please write to us at complaints@liminal-journeys.co within 28 days of return. We will acknowledge within 5 business days and respond substantively within 28 days.

14.3 If any dispute, controversy, claim or disagreement arising out of or in connection with these Terms, including any question regarding their existence, validity, interpretation, performance, breach or termination (a "Dispute"), cannot be resolved through good-faith negotiations, the parties shall first attempt to resolve the Dispute by mediation in accordance with the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre ("HKIAC") Mediation Rules then in force.

If the Dispute is not resolved within 30 days of the appointment of a mediator, or such longer period as the parties may agree in writing, the Dispute shall be finally resolved by arbitration administered by the HKIAC in accordance with the HKIAC Administered Arbitration Rules then in force.

The seat of arbitration shall be Hong Kong. The tribunal shall consist of one arbitrator. The language of the arbitration shall be English. The arbitral award shall be final and binding on the parties.

15. Governing law and jurisdiction

15.1 These Terms and any non-contractual obligations arising out of or in connection with them shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Hong Kong.

15.2 Nothing in these Terms prevents either party from seeking interim, interlocutory or injunctive relief from any court of competent jurisdiction or taking any action necessary to enforce an arbitral award.

15.3 Nothing in these Terms operates to exclude or limit any mandatory consumer protection rights that you may have under the laws of your country of habitual residence.

16. General

16.1 These Terms, together with the SOW, the Privacy Policy, the Cancellation and Refund Policy, the Cookie Notice and any Supplier terms, contain the whole agreement between us. Any change to these Terms must be agreed in writing.

16.2 If any provision of these Terms is held to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force.

16.3 We may amend these Terms from time to time to reflect changes in applicable laws, regulatory requirements, our Suppliers or our services. We will notify you of any material amendments in writing. The amended Terms will take effect on the date specified in the notice.

16.4 No third party has any right under the Hong Kong Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Ordinance (Cap. 623) to enforce any provision of these Terms. The exclusion of this Ordinance is intended to apply.

16.5 Notices may be sent by email, with deemed receipt the next business day; the email address for service on Liminal is legal@liminal-journeys.co.

16.6 Electronic signatures and click-wrap acceptance are valid and binding under the Hong Kong Electronic Transactions Ordinance (Cap. 553).

16.7 Where these Terms are translated into a language other than English, the English version shall take precedence and is the controlling version in the event of conflict.