General Terms and Conditions:
Please read the following information to ensure that you fully understand all booking terms and conditions, how payments are made, our cancellation policy and our insurance waiver.
1. How to Book
Book online: Click here to view online bookings page.
• You can book online for day safaris, panorama route tours online.
• You can book by email send us your requests and we will forward you a payment link with details of services and payment link via secure credit card link managed by PayBridge.
• Bookings for overnight safaris - requires a minimum of a 50% deposit will be payable to book your tour. The balance payable 30 days before arrival.
• Day Tours are 100% payable on date of booking in order to confirm your service and are non-refundable 14 days before the tour.
2. Cancellation
Cancellations are only effective on receipt of written notification. Any cancellation your 50% deposit is forfeited. If your cancellation is made after the due date for full payment of your tour fare, charges will be levied. The scale of charges, expressed as a percentage of the tour prices, is as follows:
More than 8 weeks notice ~ Deposit forfeited;
Less than 8 weeks notice ~ Deposit plus 25%;
Less than 4 weeks notice ~ 50%;
Less than 3 weeks notice ~ 75%;
Less than 2 weeks notice ~ 100%.
Should you fail to join a safari or join it after departure or leave it prior to its completion, no safari fare refund can be made.
3. If you Change Your Booking
After your booking has been confirmed, should you wish to make any changes to your itinerary or wish an earlier departure date, we will make every effort to accommodate your requests based on availability. However, there may extra costs involved to accommodate your request. These costs are in addition to the fee quoted to your for your initial safari. Normal cancellation fees apply if you wish to postpone your departure.
4. Insurance
It is a condition of booking, that the sole responsibility lies with the guest to ensure that they carry the correct comprehensive travel and medical insurance to cover themselves, as well as any dependents / traveling companions for the duration of their trip to Africa. This insurance should include cover in respect of, but not limited to, the following eventualities: cancellation or curtailment of the safari, emergency evacuation expenses, medical expenses, repatriation expenses, damage/theft/loss of personal baggage, money and goods. African Big5 Safaris, including their representatives, employees and agents will take no responsibility for any costs, losses incurred or suffered by the guest, or guest’s dependents or traveling companions, with regards to, but not limited to, any of the above mentioned eventualities. Guests will be charged directly by the relevant service providers for any emergency services they may require, and may find themselves in a position unable to access such services should they not be carrying the relevant insurance cover.
5. Methods of Payment
1 We accept Master & Visa cards online via Paybridge payment system. All fees are included in your final amount as quoted.
2 EFT - Electronic Funds Transfer to FNB account in South Africa.
3 EFT - Electronic Funds Transfer to Commonwealth Bank account in Australia.
6. Baggage
Try to travel light we have options available for extra luggage that you want to store before you go on any overnight safari with us this must be arranged prior to your arrival.
7. Wild Animals
Please be aware that these safaris may take you into close contact with wild animals. Attacks by wild animals are rare, but no safari into the African wilderness can guarantee that this will not occur. Neither African Big5 Safaris, nor their employees, can be held responsible for any injury or incident on the safari.
8. Passport & Visas
The onus is upon the guest to ensure that passports and visas are valid for the countries visited. African Big5 Safaris and their staff cannot be held liable for any visas, etc. not held by the guests, or the cost of visas.
9. Health
Tropical Disease precautions should be commenced prior to departure. Please consult your doctor for specific advice. If you are a contagious-disease carrier, you must let us know when booking your safari.
10. Not Included
(This varies from itinerary to itinerary) Insurance to cover for cancellation and curtailment, medical, baggage and money, emergency evacuation back home; beverages in certain areas; personal laundry at certain camps; gratuities to guides, any excursion not related to the safari; optional meals and activities.
11. Responsibility
Neither African Big5 Safaris nor any person or agent acting for, through or on behalf of the Company shall be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever arising from any cause whatsoever and without restricting the generality of the afore-going shall particularly not be responsible for loss or damage arising from any errors or omissions contained in its brochure or other literature, loss or damage caused by delays, sickness, theft, injury or death.
In addition the Company shall have the right at any time at its discretion to cancel any safari or the remainder thereof or make any alteration in route, accommodation, price or other details and, in the event of any safari being rendered impossible, illegal or inadvisable by weather, strike, war, government or interference or any other cause whatsoever, the extra expenses incurred as a result thereof shall be the responsibility of the passenger. The Company may at its discretion and without liability or cost to itself at any time cancel or terminate the guest’s booking and in particular without limiting the generality of the afore-going it shall be entitled to do so in the event of the illness or the illegal or incompatible behavior of the guest, who shall in such circumstances not be entitled to any refund. The person making any booking will, by the making of such booking, warrant that he or she has authority to enter into a contract on behalf of the other person included in such a booking and in the event of the failure of any or all of the other persons so included to make payment, the person making the booking shall by his/her signature thereof assume personal liability for the total price of all bookings made by him/her.
12. Changes to Schedules
Although every effort is made to adhere to schedules it should be borne in mind that the Company reserves the right and in fact is obliged to occasionally change routes and camps on safaris as dictated by changing conditions. Seasonal rainfalls may bring about such conditions, by game migrations from one region to another, or airline or other booking problems, etc.
13. Refunds
Whilst the Company uses its best endeavors to ensure that all anticipated accommodation is available as planned, there shall be no claim of any nature whatsoever against the Company for a refund either in the whole or part, if any accommodation or excursion is unavailable and a reasonable alternative is not found. If the guest is unable to use any service provided in the itinerary, then there are no refunds due.
14.Flights
International & domestic flights must be booked by the client themselves. We cannot be held responsible for any schedule changes; flight delay or flight cancellations that occur to your flights and that consequently affect your travel arrangements.
15. Prices
We will do our utmost to keep to the prices as quoted. Should increases be forced on us by airlines, exchange rates, etc., we reserve the right to surcharge without notice.
16. Delays
We cannot be held liable for any delays or additional costs incurred as a result of airlines not running to schedule.
17. Guides
If one of our guides is unable to take a safari due to illness, etc. we reserve the right to substitute with another guide.
18. Agents
This agreement is made subject to and shall be governed by and construed according to the laws of South Africa in which the safari takes place. African Big5 Safaris makes your travel arrangements and acts merely as an agent for some of the products not conducted by African Big5 Safaris themselves example, Kruger National Park accommodation. Night drives & bush walks, Helicopter flights & Elephant rides.
19. Consent
The payment of the deposit OR any other partial payment for a reservation on a safari constitutes consent by all guests covered by that payment to all provisions of the conditions and general information contained in this document whether the guest has signed the indemnity form or not. The terms, under which you agree to take these safaris, cannot be changed or amended except in writing signed by an authorized person from African Big5 Safaris.
20.Age limits on safari with us:
No Children under the age 6 years old can go on our safaris for safety reasons.
