Privacy Policy

Seren Lanka Travels (“we”, “us”, “our”) is a tourism company operating in Sri Lanka that arranges private tours, tailor-made itineraries, transfers and vehicle hire with a driver.

We are responsible for deciding how and why the personal information described in this policy is used. You can contact us about anything in this policy using the details in the final section.

This policy applies to personal information we collect when you visit our website, send us an enquiry through a website form, contact us by WhatsApp, other messaging apps, email or phone, and when you book and travel with us.

It should be read together with our Terms & Conditions. It does not cover other websites that we link to – those websites have their own privacy policies.

• Contact details – your name, mobile number, email address, preferred contact method and, if you choose to give them, a messaging-app username or profile link.
• Trip details – travel dates, length of stay, number of travellers, the number and ages of any children, destinations, experiences, accommodation and transport preferences, budget, and anything you add as a special request.
• Transfer details – pickup and drop-off locations, dates and times, flight numbers, passenger and luggage numbers and child-seat requests.
• Booking details – the names of the travellers in your booking, records of the payments you make to us, and any information a hotel or other provider requires to complete your booking, which we will ask for at the time.
• Information you choose to share – for example dietary needs, mobility needs or a medical condition that may affect your trip. Please only share this if you want us to take it into account; we use it solely to plan a suitable journey.
• Technical information – when you use our website, our servers automatically record technical details such as your IP address, browser type and the pages requested.

Our website forms never ask for passport scans, card or bank details, or medical documents.

• From you – when you complete a form on our website, message us, email or call us, or speak with our team or your driver.
• From the person who books for you – if a family member, friend or group leader makes a booking that includes you.
• Automatically – through server logs and similar technologies when you use our website (see “Cookies and third-party content”).
• From our providers – for example when a hotel or activity operator tells us about a change that affects your booking.

• To respond to your enquiry and prepare a personalized itinerary and quotation.
• To arrange and deliver your booking – including passing the necessary details to your driver, hotels and activity providers.
• To communicate with you before, during and after your trip, using your preferred contact method where possible.
• To manage payments, keep records and meet our accounting, tax and other legal obligations.
• To look after your safety and support you if something goes wrong during your journey.
• To protect our website and forms from spam, fraud and misuse – for example by limiting repeated form submissions from the same connection.
• To understand how our website is used, so that we can improve it and our services.

We only send you marketing messages if you have asked to receive them, and you can stop them at any time. Sending us an enquiry does not sign you up for marketing.

We only use your personal information where we have a lawful reason to do so. Depending on the situation, this will be because:

• it is needed to take the steps you ask us to take before a booking – such as preparing a quotation – or to carry out your booking;
• it is in our legitimate interests to run, protect and improve our business, and those interests are not outweighed by your rights;
• we have a legal obligation to keep or share the information; or
• you have given your consent – for example to receive marketing, or to our use of optional information you choose to share. You can withdraw consent at any time.

We share only the details each party needs, and only for the purposes described in this policy:

• Drivers and guides who look after you on your tour or transfer.
• Hotels and travel providers – such as safari and activity operators, park authorities, boat operators and railway or transport providers – needed to deliver what you have booked.
• Technology providers who host our website and run our email and messaging services. They process information on our behalf and may not use it for their own purposes.
• Professional advisers such as accountants and lawyers, where needed to run our business.
• Authorities – such as the police, courts or government bodies – where the law requires us to share information.

We do not sell or rent your personal information, and we do not share it with third parties for their own marketing.

Many of our guests prefer to talk to us on WhatsApp. The WhatsApp buttons on our website open WhatsApp with a suggested message – nothing is sent to us until you choose to send it.

When you contact us through WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, WeChat or another app, your messages are also handled by that app’s provider under its own privacy policy and terms. We use the information you send us in line with this policy.

Our website uses technologies that are necessary for it to work securely and reliably. We may also use analytics tools to understand, in aggregate, how visitors use our website so that we can improve it. Where the law requires your consent for any non-essential cookies, we will ask for it first.

Some pages show embedded content from other companies – for example maps provided by Google Maps. When you view these pages, the provider may collect information about your visit under its own privacy policy.

You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. Some parts of the website may not work as intended if you do.

Full details are in our Cookie Policy.

Most of our guests travel to Sri Lanka from abroad, and some of the technology providers we use – for example for website hosting and email – may store or process information outside Sri Lanka. Where this happens, we take reasonable steps to make sure your information remains protected.

We keep personal information only for as long as we need it for the purposes described in this policy:

• Enquiries that do not lead to a booking are kept only for as long as needed to respond and follow up, and are then deleted.
• Booking and payment records are kept for as long as needed to deliver your trip, handle any questions or claims, and meet our accounting, tax and legal obligations.

When information is no longer needed, we delete it or anonymize it so that it can no longer identify you.

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information. Our website is served over an encrypted (HTTPS) connection, access to enquiries and bookings is limited to the people who need it, and our providers are required to keep your information confidential.

No method of sending information over the internet is completely secure, so please avoid sending highly sensitive information unless it is needed. If a data breach affects your information, we will inform you and the relevant authorities where the law requires us to.

Depending on the law that applies to you – including Sri Lanka’s Personal Data Protection Act, No. 9 of 2022, and the data protection laws of your home country – you may have the right to:

• ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you;
• ask us to correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete;
• ask us to delete your information where we no longer need it;
• object to or ask us to restrict certain uses of your information;
• withdraw your consent where we rely on it; and
• complain to a data protection authority if you are unhappy with how we have handled your information.

To make a request, contact us at info@serenlankatravels.com. We may need to confirm your identity before acting on a request. We will respond as soon as we reasonably can and within any time limit the law sets, and we will not normally charge a fee.

Our website is intended for adults planning travel. We collect information about children – such as their ages, and names where a booking requires them – only from their parents, guardians or the adult making the booking, and only to plan and deliver a suitable journey.

If you give us information about other people – for example the members of your group – please make sure they are happy for you to share it and that they know where to find this policy.

We may update this policy from time to time, for example when our services or the law change. The latest version is always published on this page, with its date shown at the top. If we make a significant change, we will make it clear on our website.

If you have a question about this policy or how we use your information, or you would like to exercise any of your rights, please email info@serenlankatravels.com or use the WhatsApp and phone options below.