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Thanks for entering Lonely Planet's Plan your Trip promotion. Here's some important stuff you should know.

Who's running the show?

The promoter is Lonely Planet Publications Pty Limited (ABN 36 005 607 983) of 90 Maribyrnong Street, Footscray, Victoria 3011 Australia. Our friends at World Nomads (ABN: 92 090 414 350) of Level 13 Suite 6, World Tower, 87-89 Liverpool Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia, Altrec, Inc, 135 Lake St. S. Suite 1000, Kirkland, WA, 98033, USA, and AllSafeTravels Inc of 370 Speedvale Avenue West, Suite 1, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1H 7M7, are our promotional partners. Information about the prizes and how to enter forms part of these conditions of entry. By entering the promotion, you agree that these conditions of entry apply to your entry and that Lonely Planet's decisions (as the promoter) will be final. Any changes will be published on the Lonely Planet website at www.lonelyplanet.com.

Can I play?

The laws in some places don't allow Lonely Planet to run this promotion, in which case the promotion and these conditions of entry are void in those places. Also, you can't enter this promotion if you (or your immediate families or housemates) are employed by Lonely Planet, World Nomads, Altrec, AllSafeTravels, or their subsidiaries and affiliated companies. If you are under 18, you have to get permission from your parents or legal guardian to enter.

How do I play?

Entry is via the Lonely Planet website only. To enter, go to www.lonelyplanet.com/bookings/travelChecklistComp.do enter your details in the entry form and tell us (in 30 words or less) your best travel tip. You don't have to buy anything to enter. You can enter between 12pm AEDT on Monday 4 February 2008 and 12pm AEST on Wednesday 3 April 2008. Multiple entries are accepted. Your entry is received at the time Lonely Planet receives it. If your dog eats your entry, it's not Lonely Planet's fault. If your entry gets lost in cyberspace or doesn't arrive for any other reason, that's not Lonely Planet's fault either. Lonely Planet might have to change the dates of the promotion, but only if it's totally unavoidable (and we'll let you know if we do).

How do you pick the winner?

Well, there's 2 ways you can win.

  1. Every Monday during the competition period (except for 4 February, when the competition commences), Lonely Planet will give a prize to the best travel tip submitted during the previous week. Weekly winners will be selected on each of 11 February, 18 February, 25 February, 3 March, 10 March, 17 March, 24 March and 1 April.
  2. At the end of the competition period, all entries (including those chosen as weekly winners) will be judged by a panel of 3 judges, including one independent judge. Two judges will review all eligible entries, and will select a shortlist of 20 entries from which the third (independent) judge will determine the best overall travel tip. This unenviable task will happen in a small, dark room at 90 Maribyrnong Street, Footscray, Victoria 3011 Australia, on Friday 9 May 2008.

The judges' decision is final (so there!) and no correspondence will be entered into, even if you think that sucks. Lady luck has nothing to do with this promotion.

Lonely Planet can cancel or modify the promotion if there are compelling technical or administrative reasons which it cannot control. If that happens, Lonely Planet will pick a winner from all eligible entries received at that time.

What can I win?

  1. First prize consists of:
    • An STA Travel Voucher to the value of US$2,500 (or equivalent in Australian dollars or pounds sterling – provided by Lonely Planet), which the winner can use towards purchase of any products or services sold by STA Travel. The voucher can only be redeemed via STA Travel branches and telesales, and wholesale partners or franchise partners of STA Travel, as listed on www.statravelgroup.com. The voucher cannot be redeemed via the Internet. The voucher is valid for bookings made up to 1 year from date of issue (travel must be undertaken within 1 year of expiry of the voucher). The voucher is subject to STA Travel's standard terms and conditions. No refund will be provided after bookings are confirmed.
    • Up to 6 months travel insurance to keep you safe on your adventures, valid for use within 12 months of winning the prize (provided by World Nomads – approximate retail value US$425).
    • 80GB video iPod (provided by World Nomads – approximate retail value US$349.00)
    • A selection of Lonely Planet books including Lonely Planet Bluelist 2008, The Travel Book (hardcover), The Cities Book and a guidebook of the winner's choice (provided by Lonely Planet – approximate retail value US$160).
    • Osprey Meridian 28 Luggage (provided by Altrec – approximate retail value $300).
    • A subscription Travel Alert service which will keep you informed about changes to all forms of travel safety information that could affect you both before and during your trip (provided by AllSafe Travels Inc – approximate retail value US$8.95. Note that the winner's telephone carrier may charge additional costs to use this service).
  2. Two runners-up will each receive:
    • Up to 6 months travel insurance to keep you safe on your adventures, valid for use within 12 months of winning the prize (provided by World Nomads – approximate retail value US$425)
    • Lonely Planet Bluelist 2008 (provided by Lonely Planet – approximate retail value US$22.95).
    • Osprey Meridian 28 Luggage supplied by Altrec – approximate retail value US$300.
    • A subscription Travel Alert service which will keep you informed about changes to all forms of travel safety information that could affect you both before and during your trip (provided by AllSafe Travels Inc – approximate retail value US$8.95. Note that the winner's telephone carrier may charge additional costs to use this service).
  3. Weekly winners will each receive a copy of Lonely Planet Bluelist 2008 (provided by Lonely Planet – approximate retail value US$22.95).

Total prize value is approximately US$5440.35. These prize values are accurate at the start of the promotion, and any change after the promotion begins is beyond our control.

If you do win...

You can't exchange the prizes for cash, or ask us to give it to someone else (not that you'd want to!). If for some terrible reason Lonely Planet cannot award the prizes as described, we'll substitute it either for cash or another prize of comparable value (but we'll decide which).

You'll be responsible for all travel costs, taxes, insurance, transfers, visas, personal expenses and any other expenses, fees and costs connected with that prize that are not included in the prize description. The winners are also responsible for all transportation to the point of departure, including accommodation costs prior to and following travel.

If, in order to take the prize, you're lucky enough to need a valid passport and/or other necessary travel documentation and visas, you'll need to sort those out for yourself (including finding out what documents you need). If you're under 18, we're afraid you'll have to take one of your parents or a legal guardian with you.

Before we can give you your prize, you'll have to sign a "release", which says that if anything goes wrong with your prize once it's been awarded, you agree that Lonely Planet and its promotional partners won't be responsible (unless the law says otherwise). If the prize description says you can take a friend, you'll need to get your friend to sign a release too.

Of course, if you win a prize, you'll be good and comply with all relevant laws, rules and regulations.

How do I find out if I won?

We'll give the winner the good news by email and their name(s) will be published on the Lonely Planet website within 2 days after selection. If you're riddled with curiosity, send us a stamped, self addressed envelope (including the name of the promotion) to us within 3 months of the date of selection of the winner, and we'll write back and tell you who won.

Lonely Planet will do its best to find the winners. But if we can't, or if the winners haven't accepted the prize by Friday 8 August 2008, the next best entry will be declared the winner.

What happens to my entry?

On submission, your entry becomes the property of Lonely Planet, and you give Lonely Planet a worldwide, irrevocable licence to reproduce, publish, adapt, communicate and broadcast all or part of it in any form and media, and to sublicense those rights (including to our related companies, licensee publishers and partners). You also consent to us editing, re-using, storing, reproducing and communicating your entry in any medium. We'll decide whether you should be attributed.

Lonely Planet and its promotional partners will only use the personal information contained in your entry to conduct the promotion and award the prize (but if you've told Lonely Planet that you want to receive stuff from us and/or our promotional partners, we'll use your personal information for that too). If you win a prize, Lonely Planet can use your name and photograph for future marketing purposes unless you tell us not to. You can view Lonely Planet's privacy policy at www.lonelyplanet.com/privacy/, World Nomads' privacy policy at www.worldnomads.com/privacy.aspx, Altrec's privacy policy at www.altrec.com/helpdesk/cs.yourinfo.jhtml, and AllSafeTravels' privacy policy at www.allsafetravels.com/PrivacyPage.aspx

Good luck!

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