The Surprising Backpackers

Website Disclaimer, Privacy Policy & Cookie Policy

Last updated: 23 March 2026

Contact: hello@thesurprisingbackpackers.com

Website: www.thesurprisingbackpackers.com

WEBSITE DISCLAIMER

1. General Information

The Surprising Backpackers (“the Blog”, “we”, “us”, “our”) is a personal travel blog operated from the United Kingdom. All content is published for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only.

Whilst we make every effort to ensure information is accurate and current at the time of publication, we give no warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of any information provided. Travel information — including prices, opening hours, entry requirements, visa conditions, safety situations, and operational status of businesses — can change rapidly and without notice, particularly across the many different countries and regions we cover.

You should always verify information independently through official government sources and reputable local contacts before making any travel decisions. 

2. International Travel Information

This Blog covers destinations across multiple countries and continents. Laws, customs, health risks, safety conditions, and practical realities vary enormously between countries and can change at any time. Information accurate for one destination may not apply in another.

Before travelling to any destination mentioned on this Blog, you should:

  • Check the UK Government’s official Foreign Travel Advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice for your specific destination(s)
  • Verify passport validity requirements — many countries require six months’ validity beyond your travel dates
  • Check entry requirements including visas, electronic travel authorisations (ETAs), and reciprocal travel agreements
  • Review vaccination and health requirements with your GP or a registered travel health clinic
  • Obtain comprehensive travel insurance covering the specific countries and activities you plan to undertake — including medical evacuation cover where relevant
  • Research local laws and customs — behaviour that is perfectly legal in the UK may be a criminal offence elsewhere
  • Be aware that the quality of infrastructure, medical facilities, and emergency services varies significantly between countries and regions

We are not travel agents, licensed tour operators, medical professionals, or legal advisers. Nothing on this Blog constitutes professional travel, medical, legal, or financial advice. We accept no responsibility for any loss, injury, illness, or inconvenience sustained by any person as a result of information or recommendations published on this Blog.

3. Our Reviews & Opinions

All views, ratings, and opinions expressed on this Blog are entirely our own, based on our personal experiences at the time of our visit. We make no claim that any establishment, service, or experience will be the same for other visitors, or that standards will remain consistent over time.

Businesses and attractions — including restaurants, hotels, tour operators, and transportation providers — can change ownership, management, pricing, and quality. A positive review does not constitute an ongoing endorsement. We strongly recommend reading multiple recent reviews from a variety of sources before making bookings or spending decisions.

4. Editorial Independence & No Commercial Arrangements

At present, we operate entirely independently. We do not accept payment, commission, free products, complimentary accommodation, services, upgrades, or any other benefit in exchange for coverage or a positive review. We have no affiliate relationships and earn no income from this Blog.

Should this change in the future — for example, if we introduce affiliate links, accept sponsored content, or receive complimentary services — we will clearly disclose all such commercial relationships in accordance with:

  • The UK Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) Code
  • The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) guidance on online reviews and endorsements
  • The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) requirements

Any sponsored posts, affiliate links, or gifted experiences will be clearly labelled (e.g. “AD”, “Sponsored”, “Gifted”, or “Affiliate Link”) so you can always distinguish paid content from our independent editorial content.

5. Copyright & Intellectual Property

All content on this Blog — including text, articles, photographs, images, graphics, and the Blog’s overall design — is our original work and is protected by copyright under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (UK) and under international copyright law, including the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (to which over 180 countries are signatories). This means our copyright is recognised and enforceable in the vast majority of countries worldwide.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, you may not:

  • Copy, reproduce, republish, upload, post, transmit, or distribute any content from this Blog in any form without our prior written permission
  • Use our photographs or images on any website, social media platform, publication, or commercial material without express written consent
  • Modify, adapt, translate, or create derivative works based on our content
  • Remove or alter any copyright notices, watermarks, or attribution information from our images or content

Limited personal, non-commercial use — such as printing a single copy for personal reference — is permitted, provided the content is not altered and all copyright notices are retained.

If you would like to share, quote, or reproduce any content, please contact us at thesurprisingbackpackers@gmail.com. We are generally happy to permit short quotations with proper attribution and a link to the original article.

To report unauthorised use of our content or images, please contact us at thesurprisingbackpackers@gmail.com.

6. External Links

This Blog may contain links to third-party websites for reference or convenience. These links do not constitute an endorsement of those websites or their content. We have no control over external sites and accept no liability for any loss or damage arising from your use of them. You visit external sites entirely at your own risk.

7. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we exclude all liability for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential loss or damage arising from your use of, or reliance on, any information on this Blog — including but not limited to: loss of income, loss of data, personal injury, illness, loss of property, or disruption to travel plans.

Nothing in this Disclaimer limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded under English law.

8. Governing Law

This Blog is operated from the United Kingdom. This Disclaimer is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

We make no representation that content on this Blog is appropriate or available for use in any particular country. If you access this Blog from outside the UK, you do so on your own initiative and are responsible for compliance with your local laws.

9. Terms of Use

By accessing and using this Blog, you agree to be bound by this Disclaimer together with our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy, all of which are available on this website. These three documents collectively govern your use of this Blog. If you do not agree with any part of these terms, please do not use this website.

PRIVACY POLICY

This Privacy Policy explains how The Surprising Backpackers (“we”, “us”, “our”) collects, uses, stores, and protects your personal data. We are based in the United Kingdom and are committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are & How to Contact Us

Data Controller: The Surprising Backpackers

Email: hello@thesurprisingbackpackers.com

Website: www.thesurprisingbackpackers.com

As a small, independently operated blog, we will review our obligations to register with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) as our activities develop. We are fully committed to handling all personal data responsibly and in line with UK GDPR principles at all times.

2. What Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that you voluntarily provide to us. This may include:

  • Your name — if you contact us or subscribe to our newsletter
  • Your email address — if you contact us or sign up to receive updates
  • The content of your message — if you contact us via a contact form or email

We do not collect sensitive personal data and ask that you do not send us any.

3. How We Collect Your Data
  • When you complete a contact form on our website
  • When you email us directly
  • When you subscribe to our newsletter or mailing list

Our website platform uses cookies or similar tracking technologies. This is disclosed below in a separate Cookie Policy. You will be given the opportunity to accept or decline non-essential cookies before they are set, in accordance with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).

4. Why We Use Your Data (Lawful Basis)
  • Responding to your enquiry — We use your name and email to reply to your message (Lawful basis: Legitimate interests / Contract performance)
  • Sending our newsletter — Only where you have given us explicit consent. You may withdraw consent and unsubscribe at any time (Lawful basis: Consent)
  • Complying with legal obligations — We may need to retain data to comply with applicable law (Lawful basis: Legal obligation)
5. Newsletter & Email Marketing

If you subscribe to our newsletter, your name and email will be stored by Kit, a reputable third-party email platform. That platform processes your data on our behalf under a data processing agreement. We will never send unsolicited emails. Every email will include a clear unsubscribe option.

6. How Long We Keep Your Data
  • Contact enquiries: Retained for up to 12 months after correspondence ends, then deleted
  • Newsletter subscribers: Retained while you remain subscribed. Upon unsubscribing, your email will no longer receive communications. If you wish to have your data permanently deleted please contact us at hello@thesurprisingbackpackers.com and we will process a full removal request. 
7. Sharing Your Data

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. We may share it only:

  • With our newsletter platform, solely to send emails you have consented to receive
  • With our website hosting provider, for the technical operation of the site
  • If required to do so by law or a regulatory authority

Some third-party providers may be based outside the UK or EEA. Where this is the case, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as Standard Contractual Clauses or equivalent UK adequacy mechanisms.

8. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Right of access — Request a copy of the data we hold about you
  • Right to rectification — Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
  • Right to erasure — Ask us to delete your data (‘right to be forgotten’)
  • Right to restrict processing — Ask us to limit how we use your data
  • Right to data portability — Request your data in a machine-readable format
  • Right to object — Object to processing based on legitimate interests
  • Right to withdraw consent — Withdraw consent for the newsletter at any time

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@thesurprisingbackpackers.com. We will respond within one calendar month. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the ICO at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.

9. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data. However, no method of internet transmission is completely secure. We will always take every reasonable precaution, but we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Children's Privacy

This Blog is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with data without parental consent, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The ‘Last updated’ date at the top will reflect any changes. For significant changes, we will post a notice on our website. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

12. Governing Law

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of England and Wales and the UK GDPR. If you are accessing this Blog from outside the UK, your data will be transferred to and processed in the UK, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country.

COOKIE POLICY

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They allow the site to remember your actions and preferences so you do not have to re-enter information each time you visit. Cookies cannot run programs or deliver viruses to your device.

2. About This Policy

This policy explains which cookies are used on The Surprising Backpackers (“we”, “us”, “our”), why we use them, and how you can control them. We are based in the United Kingdom and operate in accordance with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR) and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). Under PECR, we must obtain your consent before placing any non-essential cookies on your device.

This policy should be read alongside our Privacy Policy, which explains how we handle any personal data that cookies may collect.

3. Cookies We Use

We use a small number of cookies, grouped into the following categories.

Strictly Necessary

These cookies are essential for our website to function and are set without requiring your consent. We use two strictly necessary cookies: one set temporarily by WordPress to check that your browser supports cookies (it is deleted as soon as the check is complete), and one set by our cookie consent plugin to store your cookie preferences so you are not asked again on every visit. No personally identifiable information is stored in either of these cookies.

Analytics

If you consent, we use Google Analytics to help us understand how visitors use our website — for example, which pages are most popular and how visitors navigate the site. Google Analytics sets cookies that collect anonymous statistical data. No information that personally identifies you is collected. If you prefer not to be tracked by Google Analytics, you can install the free Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

Marketing & Advertising

We do not directly use any marketing or advertising cookies. However, some third-party tools we use to operate this website (such as our email marketing service) may set advertising-related cookies as part of their own systems. These cookies are managed through our consent banner – they will only be set if you choose to accept them. Should we begin using advertising cookies directly in the future, we will update this policy accordingly.

4. Embedded Third-Party Content

As a travel blog, we embed content from third-party services directly in our articles — such as Google Maps to show locations, YouTube videos, and social media posts. When this content loads, the relevant third-party provider may set cookies on your device. We do not control these cookies, and they are governed by those providers’ own privacy policies.

Our cookie consent plugin is configured to block third-party content from loading until you have given your consent. If you decline non-essential cookies, embedded maps, videos, and social media content may not display, or may show a placeholder until consent is given.

The third-party services whose content may appear on our Blog, and whose cookies may therefore be set if you consent, include Google (Maps and YouTube), Meta (Facebook and Instagram), and Pinterest. We recommend reviewing their privacy policies if you wish to understand how they use your data:

  • Google: policies.google.com
  • Meta (Facebook & Instagram): facebook.com/policy
  • Pinterest: policy.pinterest.com
5. How to Manage Your Cookie Preferences

When you first visit our website, a consent banner will give you the option to accept all cookies, accept selected categories only, or decline all non-essential cookies.

If you wish to change your preferences after your initial choice, simply clear the cookies stored by our website through your browser settings. Once cleared, the consent banner will reappear on your next visit and you can make a fresh selection. Instructions for the most common browsers:

  • Chrome: Settings > Privacy and Security > Delete browsing data > Cookies and other site data
  • Firefox: Options > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data > Clear Data
  • Safari: Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data
  • Edge: Settings > Privacy, search and services > Clear browsing data > Cookies and other site data
  • On mobile browsers, check your browser’s Settings menu under Privacy or Site Settings

Please note that blocking or deleting strictly necessary cookies may affect how our website functions.

6. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the cookies we use or in applicable law. The ‘Last updated’ date at the top of this page will reflect any changes.

7. Contact Us

If you have any questions about our use of cookies, please contact us at hello@thesurprisingbackpackers.com.

If you are unhappy with how we handle your data, you have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.