Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Bhumivox Experiences Private Limited (“Bhumivox”, “we”, “our” or “us”) is an Indian travel company specialising in thoughtfully curated heritage, cultural, historical and civilisational journeys.

We organise published departures, private journeys, family travel, group experiences and customised programmes for institutions and other organisations.

Our journeys may take place across India, Sri Lanka and other destinations as our offerings expand.

Bhumivox is responsible for the personal information it collects and processes in connection with its commercial travel activities, website, enquiries, bookings and business relationships.

Our official website is www.bhumivox.com.

2. Who This Privacy Policy Covers

This Policy applies to individuals whose personal information we receive through our website, communications, services or professional activities. This includes:

• Website visitors and people making travel enquiries.
• Individual travellers, families and people enquiring or booking on behalf of others.
• Parents, guardians and children participating in family journeys.
• Private groups, community groups and group organisers.
• Schools, colleges, universities and other educational institutions.
• Corporate clients, professional delegations and institutional representatives.
• Travel agents, hotels, transport operators, suppliers and business partners.
• Media representatives, speakers, collaborators and people contacting Bhumivox professionally.
• Emergency contacts and other individuals whose information is supplied for legitimate travel-related purposes.

Where an organisation contacts us, we may process the professional contact information of the individuals representing that organisation.

This Policy applies to information collected through our website, enquiry forms, email, telephone, WhatsApp, booking communications and other Bhumivox-related interactions.

3. What Personal Information We Collect

The information we collect depends on your relationship with Bhumivox and the services you request.

A. When You Make an Enquiry

We may collect:

• Your name.
• Email address and phone or WhatsApp number.
• Preferred method of communication.
• Journey or destination of interest.
• Preferred travel dates.
• Approximate group size.
• General travel preferences.
• Information you voluntarily share in your enquiry.

We do not ordinarily require passport documents, detailed medical information or children’s identity documents merely to respond to an initial enquiry.

B. When You Book a Journey

Depending on the journey, we may require:

• Full names of travellers.
• Age or date of birth where necessary.
• Contact information.
• Relevant identification details.
• Travel dates and itinerary requirements.
• Accommodation and room-sharing preferences.
• Meal and dietary requirements.
• Billing details and payment information.
• Emergency contact details.
• Other information reasonably required to arrange the booked services.

Information requirements may vary depending on the destination, accommodation, transport arrangements and applicable regulations.

C. International Travel, Flights and Visas

For international journeys, including our Sri Lanka programmes, we may need additional information such as:

• Passport details and copies.
• Nationality and date of birth.
• Passport validity and expiry dates.
• Flight-booking information.
• Visa or electronic travel authorisation information.
• Other documents required by airlines, immigration authorities or visa-processing arrangements.

We use this information for the relevant travel arrangements and share it with appropriate parties only as necessary for those purposes or as otherwise permitted by applicable law.

D. Health, Dietary and Accessibility Requirements

We may request limited information about dietary requirements, mobility assistance, accessibility needs or health-related arrangements where relevant to the journey.

For example, we may need to know whether a traveller requires wheelchair access, particular meal arrangements or assistance during travel.

We seek practical information needed to make arrangements rather than unnecessary details about a person’s medical history, religious beliefs or personal circumstances.

Where information must be shared with a hotel, transport provider or other travel partner, we aim to limit that sharing to what the provider needs to fulfil the request.

E. Institutional and Business Enquiries

For schools, universities, companies, suppliers and professional collaborations, we may collect:

• Representative’s name and designation.
• Organisation name.
• Professional contact information.
• Nature of the proposed programme or collaboration.
• Group details and relevant operational requirements.
• Information necessary for proposals, contracts, invoicing or service delivery.

F. Website and Technical Information

When you visit our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically, including:

• Internet Protocol (IP) address.
• Browser and device information.
• Pages visited and website interactions.
• Referring websites.
• Campaign or referral information.
• Landing-page URLs and relevant technical identifiers.
• Cookies, local storage and session storage data.

Further information is provided in Section 10.

G. Information Received From Others

We may receive information from group organisers, family members, travel agents, institutional representatives, referral partners, payment providers or other parties involved in arranging a journey.

Where you provide another person’s information, including that of a family member or fellow traveller, you should have appropriate authority to do so and inform the individual wherever reasonably possible.

4. How We Use Your Information

We process personal information for legitimate and clearly identified activities connected with our services, subject to applicable legal requirements:

• Responding to Enquiries: To answer questions, provide journey information, prepare quotations, arrange consultations and respond to requests.
• Planning and Operating Journeys: To organise accommodation, transportation, meals, flights, visas, site visits, guides, activities and other services included in a journey.
• Booking Administration: To manage reservations, payment confirmations, invoices, cancellations, refunds, itinerary changes and related customer support.
• Traveller Safety and Assistance: To communicate important travel information, support reasonable accessibility requirements, contact emergency representatives where necessary and respond to urgent travel-related situations.
• Institutional and Business Relationships: To develop proposals, coordinate group programmes, communicate with suppliers, manage partnerships and fulfil relevant business obligations.
• Website and Service Improvement: To understand enquiries, assess the effectiveness of our website and communications, improve our journeys and maintain website functionality.
• Optional Marketing: To send promotional information, journey announcements and other marketing communications where we have the necessary permission or another applicable lawful basis.
• Legal and Administrative Requirements: To maintain records, comply with applicable laws, respond to lawful requests, address disputes and protect legitimate legal interests.

Where consent is required for a particular activity, we seek the relevant consent. Other processing may be supported by different lawful grounds recognised under applicable law.

5. How We Share Personal Information

Operating a journey requires coordination with several organisations. We may share relevant information with the following parties when necessary:

• Travel and Accommodation Partners: Hotels, accommodation providers, transport operators, drivers, local coordinators, guides and other providers assisting with journey delivery.
• Airlines and Ticketing Providers: Where flights or other transport bookings form part of our services, necessary passenger information may be shared with the relevant providers.
• Visa and Immigration Services: Passport and application information may be shared with visa-processing services, government authorities or authorised intermediaries involved in the requested travel arrangements.
• Payment and Financial Services: Payment processors, banks and other financial institutions involved in receiving payments, issuing refunds or maintaining transaction records.
• Technology and Communication Services: Website hosting, email, messaging, booking, analytics and other technology providers that support our business operations.
• Insurance and Emergency Assistance: Where applicable, relevant information may be shared with insurance providers, medical assistance services or emergency responders when reasonably necessary.
• Legal and Government Authorities: We may disclose information where required by applicable law, lawful government requests, court orders or other valid legal processes.

Different recipients may have different legal responsibilities. Some provide services on our behalf, while others, such as airlines, financial institutions and government authorities, may independently determine how they process information under their own legal obligations and privacy policies.

We seek to limit information sharing to what is relevant and necessary.

6. Our Relationship With Historika Foundations

Bhumivox Experiences Private Limited and Historika Foundations are separate organisations with different responsibilities and purposes.

Bhumivox is a commercial travel company. Historika Foundations is an independent nonprofit organisation working in areas that include heritage research, documentation, mapping, conservation, public education and heritage-related initiatives.

Bhumivox supports Historika’s broader public-interest mission through its business commitment. This relationship does not mean that personal information collected by one organisation automatically becomes available to the other.

In particular:

• Booking a Bhumivox journey does not automatically enrol you in Historika’s mailing lists or programmes.
• Bhumivox does not automatically transfer traveller information to Historika for research, fundraising, volunteering, outreach or other independent activities.
• Personal information collected by Historika from donors, volunteers, students, researchers or programme participants is not automatically available for Bhumivox marketing or commercial use.
• Any proposed exchange or additional use of information between the organisations must have an appropriate purpose and lawful basis, with separate notice or permission wherever required.
• Chandru Ramesh’s involvement with both organisations does not, by itself, authorise the sharing or reuse of personal information between them.
• Likewise, use of identifiable traveller information in Chandru Ramesh’s independent research, publications, films, lectures or personal promotional activities would require an appropriate separate basis and permission where necessary.

Our support for heritage research and conservation does not depend on transferring your personal information to Historika.

For matters relating specifically to Historika’s independent activities, please use its separate contact channels through historika.org.

7. Children’s Privacy

Bhumivox welcomes families and may arrange journeys involving children, including programmes organised through schools and other institutions.

Because children may participate in our journeys, we may need to collect certain information about them for travel arrangements, accommodation, transportation, identification, safety or other legitimate requirements.

We aim to:

• Collect only the information reasonably necessary for the child’s participation.
• Involve parents or legal guardians and obtain appropriate consent where required.
• Handle children’s identity and travel documents carefully.
• Limit access to children’s personal information.
• Avoid using children’s personal information for behavioural profiling or targeted promotional activities.
• Seek separate parent or legal-guardian permission for identifiable promotional photographs or videos.

Where a school or institution supplies children’s information, we may require confirmation of the appropriate authority and parental or legal-guardian permissions. An institution’s involvement does not automatically replace consent or other safeguards required by law.

We do not regard participation in a family or school journey as permission to publish a child’s identifiable information or images for marketing purposes.

If you believe a child’s information has been provided or used without appropriate authority, please contact us immediately.

8. Communication by Email, Phone and WhatsApp

We communicate with travellers and other contacts through email, telephone, WhatsApp and other appropriate channels.

Individual Communication

We may use your preferred communication channel to respond to enquiries, confirm bookings, provide itineraries, communicate changes and assist you during your journey.

Communications conducted through third-party services, including WhatsApp, may also be processed by those platforms in accordance with their own privacy policies.

Traveller WhatsApp Groups

For some journeys, we may offer a WhatsApp group to help participants receive updates, coordinate activities and communicate with fellow travellers.

Participation is optional.

Before adding you to a group, we seek your agreement. Please be aware that other group members may be able to see your phone number, profile name, profile photograph and messages, depending on your WhatsApp settings.

If you prefer not to join a group, you may request essential journey updates through individual communication.

We ask travellers to respect the privacy of other participants and not distribute fellow travellers’ contact details, photographs or personal information without permission.

9. Photographs, Videos and Testimonials

Our journeys often include photography, videography, storytelling and documentation of places and experiences.

Photography may be undertaken for journey documentation and personal memories. However, participation in a journey does not automatically grant Bhumivox unrestricted permission to use a traveller’s identifiable image or personal story for promotional purposes.

Promotional Photographs and Videos

Where we wish to use recognisable photographs or videos of travellers in website content, advertising, social media or other promotional material, we seek appropriate permission separately.

Testimonials and Reviews

If you provide feedback or a review, we may request permission to publish it, together with your name, photograph or other identifying details, as applicable.

Providing feedback privately does not automatically authorise public promotional use.

Children in Photographs

Identifiable photographs or videos of children used for promotional purposes require an appropriate parent or legal-guardian permission process.

Withdrawal of Permission

You may contact us to withdraw permission for future promotional use of your identifiable photographs, videos or testimonials.

We will consider requests for removal from channels under our control, subject to applicable legal requirements and practical limitations. Content already printed, independently redistributed or published by third parties may not always be fully retrievable.

10. Cookies, Website Storage and Tracking

Our website uses cookies and other browser-storage technologies for website operation, technical functionality and understanding how visitors reach or interact with our services.

These technologies may include:

• Essential technologies: Used to support necessary website functions.
• Analytics technologies: Used to understand website traffic, visitor interactions and the performance of website content.
• Referral and campaign attribution: Used to understand how visitors reach our website, including through advertisements, search results, referral links or promotional campaigns.

Certain website scripts may collect campaign parameters, referring-page details and landing-page information, and retain relevant attribution information in browser local storage or session storage. Where integrated with enquiry forms, this information may help us understand the source of an enquiry.

Website URLs and tracking parameters can sometimes contain information that identifies an individual. We aim to minimise unnecessary collection and use of such information.

Your Choices

You can manage or remove cookies and stored website information through your browser settings. Depending on your browser, you may also restrict certain tracking technologies. Some website functions may be affected if necessary storage is disabled.

Where applicable law requires consent for particular non-essential tracking activities, those activities must be subject to the relevant consent requirements.

You may also contact us with questions about our website tracking practices or privacy choices.

For additional information, please read our Cookie Policy.

11. Marketing Communications and Your Choices

We distinguish between communications necessary to provide our services and optional promotional messages.

Service-Related Communications

If you make an enquiry or book a journey, we may contact you about:

• Responses to your enquiries.
• Quotations and booking arrangements.
• Payment confirmations and invoices.
• Travel documents and preparation information.
• Itinerary updates, changes and cancellations.
• Safety information and essential journey coordination.

These communications are connected with your enquiry or service.

Optional Marketing Communications

We may also offer promotional updates about new journeys, destinations, departures, special programmes or Bhumivox announcements.

Where marketing consent is required, it is separate from the consent or information needed to make an enquiry or booking.

You can decline optional promotional communications without preventing us from responding to your enquiry or providing essential booking services.

Unsubscribing

You may withdraw marketing permission or request that promotional communications stop by emailing travel@bhumivox.com or contacting us on WhatsApp at +91 73974 37437.

Please specify the communication channel you want us to stop using for promotional messages.

Where necessary, we may retain a limited record of your preference to avoid contacting you again for unwanted marketing. Withdrawing marketing permission does not prevent necessary communications concerning an existing booking.

12. Payments, Refunds and Financial Information

When you book a journey or make a payment, we may process the personal and financial information necessary to manage the transaction. Depending on the payment arrangement, this may include:

• Billing name and contact details.
• Invoice and transaction references.
• Payment amount, date and confirmation.
• Relevant bank-transfer or transaction information.
• Bank-account details supplied for refund processing.
• Information necessary for accounting, taxation or payment disputes.

Where an external payment service processes card transactions, that provider may handle payment-card credentials according to its own systems and privacy terms.

We do not require travellers to disclose card passwords, PINs or one-time passwords (OTPs) to Bhumivox staff.

Financial transaction records may need to be retained in accordance with applicable accounting, tax or legal obligations. Such retention does not mean that unrelated passport copies, medical information or other travel documents must be kept for the same period.

13. International Processing and Transfers

Bhumivox arranges journeys that may involve travel outside India, including Sri Lanka. Providing these services may require relevant personal information to be shared or processed internationally.

For example, information may be provided to:

• International airlines and ticketing providers.
• Overseas hotels and accommodation partners.
• Local transport operators and ground-handling partners.
• Visa-processing agencies and immigration authorities.
• Insurance or emergency-assistance providers, where applicable.
• International technology, hosting or communication providers.

We seek to disclose only information relevant to the service or legal requirement involved.

International recipients may be subject to privacy, immigration, aviation or other laws in their jurisdictions. Where personal information is transferred internationally, we will comply with applicable legal restrictions and safeguards, including any requirements relating to international data transfers.

14. How We Protect Your Information

We recognise the importance of protecting information entrusted to us, particularly identification documents, contact information, travel records and personal requirements.

We are committed to using reasonable technical, organisational and administrative safeguards appropriate to the nature of the information and the risks involved. These include measures intended to:

• Limit access to personal information to people with a legitimate operational need.
• Protect personal documents from unauthorised disclosure or misuse.
• Reduce unnecessary collection and duplication.
• Handle identification and travel documents with appropriate care.
• Restrict the unnecessary circulation of personal health, accessibility and emergency information.
• Address suspected unauthorised access or disclosure.
• Review information-handling practices as our operations develop.

Although we take information security seriously, no website, communication platform or electronic storage system can guarantee absolute security.

If you believe information entrusted to Bhumivox has been compromised, please contact us promptly at travel@bhumivox.com.

We will assess reported concerns and take appropriate action, including any notifications required by applicable law.

15. How Long We Retain Your Information

We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, subject to applicable legal requirements.

Different categories of information may require different retention periods:

• Booking and Financial Records: Retained as needed for accounting, taxation, legal compliance, contractual obligations and dispute resolution.
• Passport and Visa Documents: Retained only for the relevant travel arrangements and any applicable legal or operational requirement. These documents are not automatically retained for the same period as financial records.
• Health and Accessibility Information: Retained only for as long as reasonably necessary to support the relevant journey, address related matters or fulfil applicable obligations.
• Enquiries Without a Booking: Retained for a reasonable period to respond, follow up on the enquiry where appropriate and maintain necessary business records.
• Marketing Preferences: Retained while relevant to the permitted communications. Limited unsubscribe records may be retained to honour requests not to receive further marketing.
• Photographs and Testimonials: Retained and used according to the relevant purpose, permissions and applicable obligations.
• Website Analytics and Attribution Information: Retained according to the purpose of the relevant technology, its settings and applicable legal requirements.

When information is no longer required, we aim to delete it, anonymise it or otherwise dispose of it appropriately, taking into account practical and legal limitations.

You may contact us to request deletion of personal information, subject to applicable legal and operational requirements.

16. Your Privacy Rights

We respect your interest in knowing how your personal information is handled and in exercising control over it.

Depending on the applicable law and circumstances, you may have rights concerning:

• Access: Requesting information about personal data we hold or process concerning you.
• Correction: Asking us to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Erasure: Requesting deletion of information where applicable and where continued retention is not required or otherwise permitted by law.
• Withdrawal of Consent: Withdrawing consent for processing activities that depend on that consent.
• Grievance Redressal: Raising questions or complaints about our handling of personal information.
• Other Applicable Rights: Exercising additional rights available under the laws that apply to your information, including rights relating to nomination, portability, restriction or objection where legally applicable.

India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and its associated rules have phased commencement dates. Rights and obligations under that framework apply according to the provisions in force at the relevant time.

Individuals covered by other applicable data protection laws, including the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation where its territorial and other requirements are met, may have additional rights.

Bhumivox also welcomes reasonable requests for information, correction or deletion even where a particular statutory right is not yet operative, subject to applicable law and legitimate retention requirements.

How to Make a Request

Contact travel@bhumivox.com or WhatsApp +91 73974 37437.

Please explain the information or concern involved so that we can assist you. We may ask for reasonable verification of your identity or authority before disclosing, correcting or deleting personal information.

We will consider requests and respond in accordance with applicable legal requirements. Where a request cannot be fulfilled completely, we will explain the relevant limitation where appropriate.

17. Third-Party Websites and Platforms

Our website and communications may include links to external websites and services, including airlines, accommodation providers, payment services, WhatsApp, social media platforms and other travel-related resources.

These services may have their own privacy policies and information-handling practices.

Bhumivox does not control the independent privacy practices of unrelated third-party websites.

We encourage you to review the privacy information of relevant external services before providing personal information to them.

18. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our operations, services, technology, legal requirements or information-handling practices.

The latest version will be made available on this page with the applicable revision date.

Where a change materially affects how personal information is used, we will provide appropriate notice or obtain fresh consent where required by applicable law.

Certain updates, including those relating to legal compliance or security, may need to take effect without a fixed advance-notice period. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically.

19. Privacy Questions and Grievance Redressal

We welcome questions, concerns and complaints about how Bhumivox collects, uses, shares or protects personal information.

• Grievance Officer: Chandru Ramesh
• Organisation: Bhumivox Experiences Private Limited
• Email: travel@bhumivox.com
• Phone / WhatsApp: +91 73974 37437
• Office Hours: Monday–Saturday, 9:30 AM–6:30 PM IST
• Registered Office: Bhumivox Experiences Private Limited, 1/2C, Kannan Street, Korukkupet, Chennai – 600021, Tamil Nadu, India.

You may contact us regarding:

• Access to or correction of your personal information.
• Deletion or retention concerns.
• Withdrawal of consent.
• Marketing communication preferences.
• Children’s privacy.
• Traveller photographs, videos or testimonials.
• Suspected unauthorised disclosure.
• Any other privacy-related question or complaint.

We will review privacy complaints and provide a response in accordance with applicable legal requirements. Where applicable law provides a right to escalate a grievance to a regulatory authority, that right remains available.

20. Other Ways to Contact Bhumivox

We welcome enquiries from travellers, families, institutions, professional organisations and business partners.

For journey enquiries, existing bookings, private group travel, school or university programmes, corporate journeys, travel-trade partnerships, supplier relationships, media requests and professional collaborations, please visit our Contact Page.

You may also contact us directly at:

• Email: travel@bhumivox.com
• Phone / WhatsApp: +91 73974 37437
• WhatsApp Direct: Start a Conversation →

For matters specifically concerning the independent nonprofit activities of Historika Foundations, please visit historika.org.