Terms & Conditions

Community Portal: shergaon.in is a community-based facilitation portal established to promote sustainable, eco-friendly tourism, cultural preservation, and local livelihood development in Shergaon (Seinthuk), West Kameng District, Arunachal Pradesh.

Operations & Management: The Website is operated and maintained by the Shergaon Community with support of Garung Thuk NGO and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).

Facilitation Role: The Website acts solely as an informational directory and facilitation platform to connect travelers with independent, locally owned homestay providers.

Facilitator Role Only: The Website, Garung Thuk NGO, and the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) function purely as community facilitators. Neither the Website, Garung Thuk NGO, nor WTI operate, own, manage, or control any of the listed homestays, transport services, or local tour activities.

Direct Host-Guest Contract: Any agreement, booking, or interaction for accommodation, meals, guided tours, or activities is strictly a direct relationship between the Homestay Owner / Local Service Provider and the User.

Exclusion of Accountability: Garung Thuk NGO, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), and shergaon.in (including their officers, employees, and volunteers) shall NOT be held accountable or liable for:

• Any personal injury, illness, accident, loss of life, or property loss/damage experienced by Guests during their travel to or stay in Shergaon.
• Any deficiency in service, quality of accommodation, food hygiene, or behavioural disputes between the Host and the Guest.
• Room alterations, or service disruptions caused by weather conditions, landslides, road blockages, natural disasters, or government travel restrictions (such as Inner Line Permit checks).
• Any financial transactions or secondary arrangements made directly between the Guest and the Homestay Owner outside the official portal procedures.

Green Tax / Green Charge: A nominal, mandatory or voluntary Green Tax (Eco-Levy) collected during the online reservation process is dedicated strictly to the green welfare, environmental protection, and sustainable community development of Shergaon.

Conservation Fund Management: 100% of the net proceeds collected from the Green Tax are deposited into the Garung Thuk Account managed by the community team. These funds are deployed exclusively for:

• Wildlife camera trapping, forest patrolling, and biodiversity conservation in the Seinthuk Community Forest.
• Village waste management, plastic reduction drives, and river cleanliness projects.
• Education for local school children and community-led conservation awareness.

Booking Advance: The non-refundable deposit collected via the platform is utilized to secure host availability and cover essential website server maintenance, payment gateway fees, and community administration costs.

Deposit Requirement: Bookings are confirmed only upon receipt of the initial advance booking deposit and Green Tax facilitated through the portal.

Balance Payment: The remaining balance for accommodation, food, and local services must be settled directly by the Guest to the Homestay Owner in cash or via direct UPI transfer during or at the conclusion of the stay.

Non-Refundable Policy: Advance booking deposits and Green Tax charges are non-refundable. This policy protects micro-entrepreneurs and rural families from financial loss due to last-minute cancellations.

Rescheduling: In cases of unforeseen emergencies or road closures, Guests may request a date rescheduling up to 7 days prior to their arrival date, subject to room availability with the host family post discussion and confirmation from homestay owner.

Permit Compliance: Guests are solely responsible for obtaining a valid Inner Line Permit (ILP) (for Indian nationals) or Protected Area Permit (PAP) (for foreign nationals) required to enter Arunachal Pradesh. Failure to produce a valid permit at check-gates or to the host family will result in denial of entry without refund.

Respect for Local Traditions: Guests must respect the culture, language, dress codes, and traditional customs of the Sherdukpen community.

Environmental Responsibility: Shergaon is an eco-sensitive heritage village. Guests must strictly adhere to local environmental rules:

• Single-use plastics and open littering are strictly prohibited.
• Disturbing wildlife, bird habitat destruction, or unauthorized collection of flora/fauna is strictly forbidden.
• Open campfires are restricted to designated areas approved by the host family.