Effective Date: 01 August 2026
HolidayBuddie® ("HolidayBuddie", "we", "our", or "us") uses cookies and similar technologies to keep the platform secure, remember your preferences, understand how the service is used, and support our location features.
This policy explains what cookies we use, why, how location works, and the choices you have.
We set only strictly necessary cookies before you make a choice. When you first visit HolidayBuddie.com you'll see our cookie banner, and no analytics cookies run until you accept them. You can change or withdraw your consent at any time using the "Cookie Settings" link in our footer (see Section 6). If you don't make a choice, we treat that as a refusal and only strictly necessary cookies run.
1. Data Controller
The data controller responsible for your personal information is HolidayBuddie, operated by Naturforsker, No 108 / 12 A, Bhagavan Nagar, Tiruvannamalai – 606603, Tamil Nadu, India.
For any question about this policy or your data rights, contact support@holidaybuddie.com.
2. What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device (computer, tablet or mobile) when you visit a website. They let a site recognise your device, keep you logged in securely, remember your preferences and measure performance.
They fall into two types by lifespan: session cookies, which are deleted when you close your browser, and persistent cookies, which remain until they expire or you delete them.
3. Cookies we use
A. Strictly necessary cookies — always active. These are essential for the platform to work and can't be switched off. They don't require consent because the service cannot function without them.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHPSESSID / session_id | HolidayBuddie | Maintains your session while you browse | Session |
| jwt_token | HolidayBuddie | Security token that protects against cross-site request forgery | Session |
| cookieconsent_status | HolidayBuddie | Remembers your cookie consent choice | Until logout |
B. Analytics cookies — only with your consent. We use Google Analytics to understand how people use HolidayBuddie so we can improve it. The information is aggregated and used for statistical purposes; we do not use it to identify you personally. These cookies are set only after you accept them.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | Google Analytics | Distinguishes unique users by assigning a randomly generated identifier | 2 years |
| _gid | Google Analytics | Distinguishes users; stores a unique value per page visited | 24 hours |
| _ga_[ID] | Google Analytics (GA4) | Maintains session state in Google Analytics 4 | 2 years |
Legal basis: your consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR). You can withdraw it at any time via Cookie Settings. We use no other analytics or tracking tools.
C. Marketing and advertising cookies — not currently used. We do not currently use any marketing or advertising cookies. We serve no third-party ads and do not share your data with advertising networks. If this changes in future, we will update this policy and add these cookies to our banner — and none will run unless you actively turn them on.
4. How location works
Location is central to HolidayBuddie, so we want to be precise about it.
Location comes from your device, not from cookies. When you choose to enable it, we use your device's or browser's location services. Your device asks your permission first, and you can turn it off at any time in your device settings.
We only ever show an approximate radius — never an exact pin. Other users see roughly how far away you are. They never see your precise coordinates, your address, or the street you're on.
We use it only to run the service — to show you people nearby and power search and map features — and keep it only as long as needed to do that.
Consent is separate and explicit. Precise location is treated as sensitive data. Enabling it is your choice, the service works without it, and turning it off stops it immediately. A cookie is used only to remember your location preference — it does not store your location itself.
5. Third-party services
Some services we rely on may set their own cookies under their own privacy policies, which we don't control: Google Analytics (as described above, only with your consent), and our payment providers PayPal and Razorpay, which set cookies during checkout to process your payment securely and are needed only if you make a payment. We'd encourage you to review those providers' privacy policies. We do not currently embed third-party maps or video that set cookies; if we add any, we'll update this policy.
6. Your choices
Cookies on HolidayBuddie can be managed in two ways. On our site, use the "Cookie Settings" link in the footer to reopen your preferences at any time — switch any category on or off and save; changes take effect immediately, and cookies you turn off are stopped and cleared straight away. In your browser, every browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge) also lets you view, block and delete cookies directly.
You can also control location through your device or browser permissions, and opt out of Google Analytics using Google's official browser add-on.
Withdrawing consent doesn't affect processing that already happened while it was active, but no new data is collected afterwards. Disabling strictly necessary cookies will stop parts of the platform working.
7. Legal basis
| Category | Legal basis | Consent needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Strictly necessary | Legitimate interest — Article 6(1)(f) GDPR | No |
| Analytics | Consent — Article 6(1)(a) GDPR | Yes |
| Marketing / advertising (if introduced) | Consent — Article 6(1)(a) GDPR | Yes |
8. Google Analytics — additional information
We use Google Analytics to see how our site and app are used, which helps us improve structure, content and usability. It may collect: pages visited and time spent, how you reached the site, approximate location (from an anonymised IP), browser, device and operating system, and interactions such as clicks and scrolls. Where supported, IP addresses are anonymised so the full address is not stored by Google.
9. Age
HolidayBuddie is for people aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly set cookies for or collect data from anyone under 18.
10. International transfers
HolidayBuddie operates globally and may process data across jurisdictions. We comply with applicable privacy laws, including the GDPR, UK GDPR, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA), and India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Where personal data is transferred internationally, we apply appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses.
11. Updates
We may revise this policy to reflect legal, technical or operational changes. Material changes will be notified on the platform, and the Effective Date above shows the latest revision.
12. Related policies
Privacy Policy · Terms & Conditions · Non-User Policy
