Terms and Conditions

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The Contract

The person or organisation making the booking on behalf of persons participating on the tour / safari does so on behalf of all such persons on the tour / safari (hereafter referred to as “the tour”), and all are bound by the booking conditions.  All bookings are made with CH Badenhorst trading as Birding and Wildlife Safaris.  No person has any authority on the company’s behalf to vary the booking conditions.

Payment / Acceptance of Booking

A non-refundable deposit of 30% of the tour price is payable to Birding and Wildlife Safaris on confirmation of the booking.  Any variance to the deposit amount or payment date will be advised at the time of booking.  Acceptance of the booking will be confirmed in writing at which time a contract comes into existence.  The balance of the tour price is due 8 weeks prior to departure date.  Should the final payment fail to reach us by the date specified, we reserve the right to treat the booking as cancelled.  If a booking is made 8 weeks or less prior to the departure date the full amount is then payable on booking.

Due to the revised South African National Parks (hereafter referred to as “SANParks”) Terms & Conditions the exact deposit requirement will vary according to booking time frame and the proportion of the tour spent in SANParks accommodation.

Cancellation after Payment of the Full Tour Price

Any cancellation must be in writing.  The date on which the letter is received by us will determine the cancellation charges applicable.  The cancellation charges are expressed as a percentage of the balance of the tour price after the non-refundable deposit have been deducted and are as follows:

Less than 8 weeks before departure       50 %

Less than 6 weeks before departure       80 %

Less than 4 weeks before departure       100 %

Whenever a "government enforced lockdown is implemented due to a pandemic" in either the departure or destination country before a trip commence we encourage clients to postpone the trip to a later date. The postponement will be at no cost to the customer except if domestic flights have been paid already we have to adhere to the terms and conditions of the airline which may or may not include an additional cost to change flight dates.

If a client prefer not to postpone but to cancel a booking due to a "government enforced pandemic lockdown" after paying a deposit, or the full amount of the trip, we will try by all means to collect as much of the moneys that have been paid to the booked accommodations and the domestic airlines in the itinerary. In any case we will provide any details required from your travel insurance to assist in your travel insurance claims.

Tour Price

Prices quoted are based on costs at the time of quoting.  However, external factors beyond our control may affect exchange rates, transportation and accommodation rates and Birding and Wildlife Safaris reserve the right to alter the price of any tour and forward an amended invoice.  Where the increase is more than 10% of the total tour cost, you are entitled to cancel the booking and receive a full refund, provided we have received notification within 10 days of the date reflected on the amended invoice.

Cancellation by Birding and Wildlife Safaris

Should we be forced to cancel a tour for any reason, all monies paid to the company will be refunded in full.   We shall not, however, be liable for any incidental expenses incurred by persons booked on the tour or their agents.

Flexibility

The type of tour we offer requires flexibility and we must allow for alternatives on occasions.  The itinerary prepared by Birding and Wildlife Safaris will be adhered to as far as possible but we reserve the right to make amendments in the interests of the group as a whole and the itinerary, amenities and mode of transport may be subject to alteration without prior notice due to local unpredictable or unforeseen circumstances or events, such as severe weather conditions, etc.

Insurance

It is essential that all persons participating on one of our tours be covered by insurance prior to departure.  This insurance must cover personal accident, medical expenses, loss of effects, repatriation costs, cancellation and curtailment expenses and all other expenses which might arise as a result of loss, damage, injury, delay or inconvenience.  This insurance cover should be arranged at the time of payment of the deposit to cover you for cancellation from that time.

Responsibility

The nature of travel is sometimes adventurous and tours may involve some amount of personal risk, including injury, disease, loss or damage to property, inconvenience and discomfort.  Neither Birding and Wildlife Safaris nor any person acting for, through or on behalf of us shall be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever arising from any cause whatsoever, whether occasioned by negligence or not.

Health

Some itineraries include travel to areas where there is a chance of contracting malaria.  Anti-malaria precautions should be commenced prior to departure.  Consult your doctor for specific advice.

Dietary Requirements

Participants on a Birding and Wildlife Safaris tour are requested to advise us before departure of the tour of any special dietary requirements.

Guides

If one of our guides is unable to lead a tour due to illness or other reasons beyond our control we reserve the right to substitute with another guide.

Passport and Visas

The onus is upon persons participating on a tour to ensure that all passports and visas are valid for the countries visited and the expiry date of passports exceeds 6 months prior to departure from the countries visited.  Birding and Wildlife Safaris cannot be held responsible for any visas, etc not held by participants or for invalid or expired passports.

Delays

Birding and Wildlife Safaris cannot be held liable for any delays due to airlines not running to schedule or due to a change in schedule

This agreement is made subject to and shall be governed by and construed according to the laws of the country in which the tour takes place.

Banking Details

Bank: First National Bank

Bank Address: R40 road, Hoedspruit Wildlife Centre, Hoedspruit, 1380

Acc name: CH Badenhorst

Acc number: 62358504217

Branch code: 270652

SWIFT code: FIRNZAJJXXX or FIRNZAJJ

IBAN codes are not used in South Africa