Information We Collect
When you browse our website, enquire about a tour, or make a booking with Mountains Are Magical, we collect certain information to provide you with the best possible travel experience across Kashmir, Ladakh, and the greater Himalayan region. The information we collect falls into the following categories:
Personal Identification Information
- Full name, email address, and phone number provided through enquiry or booking forms
- Postal address when required for documentation such as permits or invoices
- Date of birth and nationality where required for Inner Line Permit applications or hotel check-ins
- Government-issued ID or passport details required for entry into restricted areas of Kashmir and Ladakh
Travel Preferences & Booking Data
- Preferred travel dates, group size, accommodation type, and activity interests
- Dietary requirements, accessibility needs, or any special requests you share with us
- Past booking history and tour feedback if you have travelled with us before
Payment Information
We accept payments via bank transfer, UPI, and select online payment gateways. We do not store your card number, CVV, or full banking credentials on our servers. All card transactions are processed through PCI-DSS compliant third-party payment processors. We retain only the transaction reference, amount, and date for our records.
Technical & Usage Data
- IP address, browser type, and operating system collected automatically when you visit our site
- Pages visited, time spent on pages, and links clicked (via analytics tools)
- Referring website or search query that brought you to mountainsaremagical.com
How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect solely for legitimate purposes related to operating a responsible travel agency. Specifically:
- Booking & Itinerary Processing: To confirm reservations, coordinate with hotels, houseboat operators, vehicle providers, and local guides across Kashmir on your behalf
- Permit Assistance: To apply for Inner Line Permits, Wildlife Sanctuary entry permits, and other government-mandated documentation required for your itinerary
- Personalised Recommendations: To suggest tour packages, seasonal destinations, and activity upgrades that match your stated interests and past travel history
- Communication: To send booking confirmations, itinerary documents, pre-departure briefings, and important travel alerts (weather, road conditions, curfews)
- Marketing (with consent): To send newsletters, seasonal offers, and destination guides to subscribers who have opted in; you may unsubscribe at any time
- Legal Compliance: To meet obligations under Indian tax laws, tourism regulations, and government requirements relating to domestic and international travellers
- Service Improvement: To analyse how visitors use our website and improve the booking experience, content quality, and customer support
Information Sharing
We respect your privacy and will never sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for commercial purposes. We share your data only in the following limited circumstances:
- Service Partners: Hotels, houseboats, guesthouses, transport providers, local guides, and activity operators in Kashmir who need your details (name, contact, ID) solely to fulfil your booking
- Payment Processors: Authorised payment gateways that handle transaction security; they operate under their own privacy and security policies
- Government Authorities: Tourism departments, police checkpoints, and permit offices as required by Indian law for traveller registration and permit issuance
- Legal Requirements: Courts, regulators, or law enforcement when we are compelled by a valid legal order or to protect the safety of our travellers and staff
All third-party partners are required to handle your data confidentially and use it only for the specific purpose for which it was shared.
Cookies & Tracking
Our website uses cookies — small text files stored on your browser — to enhance your experience and help us understand how visitors interact with our content.
- Session Cookies: Temporary cookies that expire when you close your browser; used to maintain your session state during a single visit (e.g., keeping your enquiry form data while you navigate between pages)
- Preference Cookies: Persistent cookies that remember your language preference, currency selection, and cookie consent choices on return visits
- Analytics Cookies (Google Analytics): We use Google Analytics to collect anonymised data on page views, visitor locations, and browsing behaviour. This data is aggregated and does not personally identify you. Google's privacy policy applies to data processed through this service
How to Opt Out
You can disable cookies at any time through your browser settings. You may also opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. Note that disabling cookies may affect some functionality of our website.
Data Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, accidental loss, or destruction:
- Our website is served over HTTPS with SSL/TLS encryption to secure data in transit
- Access to customer records is restricted to authorised Mountains Are Magical staff only
- Sensitive booking and payment information is stored in access-controlled systems
- We periodically review our data handling procedures to keep them current with best practices
However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee absolute security of information transmitted to our website. You share information at your own risk.
Your Rights
As a visitor or customer of Mountains Are Magical, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
- Correction: Ask us to correct any inaccurate or incomplete data we have on file
- Deletion: Request that we delete your personal data, subject to any legal retention requirements (e.g., financial records)
- Opt Out of Marketing: Unsubscribe from promotional emails at any time via the unsubscribe link in any marketing email, or by contacting us directly
- Data Portability: Request your data in a structured, commonly used format where technically feasible
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@mountainsaremagical.com. We will respond within 14 business days.
Third-Party Links
Our website may contain links to partner hotels, activity providers, travel blogs, and government tourism portals. These external sites operate independently of Mountains Are Magical and have their own privacy policies. We are not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or data handling of any third-party website. We recommend reviewing the privacy policy of any external site you visit through a link on our pages.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. When we make material changes, we will:
- Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page
- Send a notification email to customers who have an active booking or subscription with us
- Display a prominent notice on our website for a period of at least 30 days following the change
We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our website after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the way we handle your personal data, please reach out to us:
- Company: Mountains Are Magical
- Address: Kangan, Ganderbal, Kashmir — 191201, India
- Email:info@mountainsaremagical.com
- Phone / WhatsApp:+91 95963 54066
