Book My Houseboat
Terms and Conditions
These terms apply when you use this website and when we arrange a houseboat stay, a shikara ride or a tour for you. They set out who your contract is with, what our role is, and the limits of what we can be responsible for.
1. Our role, and who your contract is with
Book My Houseboat is a travel agency based in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. We do not own, operate or crew houseboats. We arrange your stay with the owner of the boat and are paid a commission by that owner.
The contract for your accommodation, meals and boarding transfer is between you and the houseboat owner. Our contract with you is for arranging that stay accurately, honestly and in writing. The same applies to shikara rides and tours, which are provided by their operators.
2. Quotes, rates and validity
No rate is published on this website. Every stay is quoted per enquiry, because owners set figures by season, length of stay and what is included.
A quote is valid only for the dates, boat, rooms and inclusions it names, and only for the period it states. Once that period passes, or the rooms are taken by another guest, the quote lapses and we will requote. A quote is not a booking; a booking exists when we confirm in writing that the owner is holding the rooms.
3. Payment
Payment terms are stated in your written quote, including what is paid in advance and what is paid to the owner on arrival. We do not ask for card details, a UPI PIN or an OTP over WhatsApp, by phone or by email.
Where the quote states that part of the stay is settled directly with the owner, that payment is made to the owner and is not held by us.
4. Guest obligations
You are responsible for the accuracy of the names, ages and guest numbers you give us, for carrying valid identification for every adult in your party, and for arriving in time for the transfer arranged for you.
Guest numbers cannot exceed the number the booking was made for. An extra guest who arrives unannounced is at the owner’s discretion and will be charged by the owner.
5. Conduct on the water
A houseboat is a family home as well as accommodation. We ask guests to respect the household, to keep noise down after dark, and to follow the owner’s directions on smoking and on the use of the kitchen and the deck.
Dal Lake and Nigeen Lake are working waterways. Do not swim from the deck, do not step between a shikara and a boat without the boatman’s help, and keep children within sight of an adult at all times. Nothing should be thrown into the lake.
Damage to a boat or its contents is settled with the owner. An owner may end a stay where conduct endangers people or property, and in that case the nights not taken are not refundable.
6. Liability
We are liable for our own failures in arranging your stay — a booking we confirmed but did not secure, or a quote we described wrongly. Where that happens we will arrange an equivalent boat or return the advance paid through us.
We are not liable for the acts or omissions of houseboat owners, shikara operators, drivers, guides or airlines, nor for loss, injury, illness or damage occurring during a stay or an activity provided by them. We are not liable for events outside our control, including weather, snow, floods, landslides, highway or airport closures, strikes, curfews, restrictions imposed by the authorities and interruptions to power or telecommunications.
Personal belongings remain your responsibility throughout. Nothing in these terms limits any liability that cannot be limited under Indian law.
7. Use of this website
The text, photographs and layout of this website belong to Book My Houseboat or are used with permission, and may not be copied or republished without our written consent.
Descriptions of boats and of the lake are given in good faith and are correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing. Where an operational detail depends on the boat, we confirm it with the owner before you book rather than state it here.
8. Governing law and disputes
These terms are governed by the laws of India, and the courts at Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising from them.
Before any dispute goes further, please raise it with us directly. Most matters are settled with a phone call to the owner on the day.
9. Contact
Book My Houseboat, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
WhatsApp and phone: +91 99067 37924
Email: bookmyhouseboat0@gmail.com