Terms and Conditions

Below you will find our Booking Conditions, Important Information regarding our additional services and offers, and our Website Terms & Conditions.

Booking Conditions. 

1. Application of These Booking Conditions

Your contract with us is subject to these booking conditions. A contract will exist between us once you have paid your deposit (or such other fee as may be appropriate, for example where you are making a 'late booking') and we have issued you with our booking confirmation. If any part of our contract with you is found to be invalid or unenforceable, then the remainder of it will not be affected and will remain valid and enforceable.

When you make a booking you guarantee that you have the authority to accept and do accept on behalf of your party the terms of these booking conditions and agree on behalf of everyone travelling in your party to be bound by them. All bookings must be made by a person aged 18 years or over. Where your booking is for more than one person, the first-named person in your party aged 18 years or over will be treated by us as the 'lead name' for your booking. The lead name will be responsible for making all payments due to us in accordance with our contract.

Completion and submission by you of our Booking Form will be treated by us as confirmation that you have read, understood and accepted these booking conditions.

2. Data Protection

The protection of your personal information or data is extremely important to us. In order to respond to an enquiry, process and fulfil your booking or send you a brochure or other promotional material, we need to collect personal data from you. We will only process your personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy for or in connection with the purpose for which you have provided it (for example, arranging your holiday) or as you have consented to our using it (for example, to send you marketing material) or as permitted by data protection laws. Our Privacy Policy can be found here. Please read our Privacy Policy for full details. We take appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect against unauthorized or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data, which is appropriate to the harm that might result. Your personal data will be retained by us for the period referred to in our Privacy Policy.

You may ask us what personal data of yours is being held or processed, for what purpose and to whom it may be or has been disclosed. You may also withdraw your consent to receiving marketing material or other communications from us at any time by unsubscribing to our e-mails or otherwise contacting us. Please also let us know if you believe the personal data we are holding is inaccurate, out of date or incomplete. 

3. The Price of Your Tour/Holiday and Payment

You will be notified at the time of booking of the price of your holiday. What this price includes will be confirmed to you by us at the time of booking and set out in our booking confirmation. You will be required at the time of booking to pay us a non-refundable deposit, typically 20% of the quoted holiday price, and the full holiday price of a booking should be made at least 60 days prior to departure. In certain circumstances (depending on the nature of the booking) we will require a non-refundable deposit in excess of the usual 20%. On occasions, our suppliers require additional amounts up to full payment in advance (for example for Christmas bookings). On these occasions we will require additional payment in advance. Unless you are making a late booking, the balance owing must be paid to us no later than 60 days before your date of departure. If we do not receive the balance by this time, then we will treat the booking as cancelled by you and you will be liable to pay our cancellation charges.

We accept cheques, bank transfers and credit or debit card. There are no fees for any payment method. 

Whilst you are on holiday or before you depart you may, for example through our concierge service, book other holiday arrangements that do not form part of your holiday contract with us and which are not included in the price of your holiday, even though we may assist with arranging them. We reserve the right to pass on any charges levied on us from time to time by our suppliers in respect of any other holiday arrangements made by us or a concierge on your behalf.

Your tour/holiday price does not normally include:

• Visa fees, overseas airport departure charges payable locally, porterage, personal expenditure, hotel extras, fuel and extras for car hire.

• Taxes or compulsory charges introduced by governments, regulatory bodies or airlines after you have booked.

• Security charges introduced or increased after you have booked relating to transportation costs.

• Tour/Holiday insurance

4. Changes or Cancellation by You

(a) Transfers

You may transfer your booking to any other person satisfying all the requirements relating to your holiday notified to us by you in writing at least seven days prior to your due date of departure. Both you and the new traveler are responsible for paying all costs we incur in making the transfer. We will charge an administration fee as set out in (c) below for arranging the transfer and other costs or additional fees may also arise, which you will have to agree to pay before the transfer can be made. For example, many of our suppliers, particularly airlines, cruise companies and safari operators, do not permit us to change names or travel dates and impose full cancellation charges of up to 100%.

(b) Other changes

If you wish to make any other change to your booking at any time after our booking confirmation has been issued, we will try but cannot promise to meet your request. We require your authority in writing before we can make any change. If a change is requested in relation to a group booking we require the authority in writing of the lead name before we can make the change.

(c) Administration fee

In each of the above circumstances, an administration charge will be payable of $30 per person where your request is received by us 60 days or more prior to your date of departure and $50 per person where the request is received less than 60 days prior to your date of departure. This charge is non-refundable.

4.2. Cancellations

If you wish, following the issue to you by us of our booking confirmation, to cancel your booking or any part of it relating to any person (in the case of a group booking), we will require your authority in writing, or in the case of a group booking, the authority in writing of the lead name to do so.

Our cancellation charges will apply (see the table 'cancellation charges' at paragraph 4.3 below). These are calculated with reference to the date on which we receive your authority in writing. We will not refund to you any deposits, administration charges, insurance premiums or any other fees or charges made by us and paid by you relating to your tour/holiday in the event of cancellation by you.

We incur costs from the time you make your booking and you agree that if you cancel your booking you will compensate us for our losses and expenses, as per the table below. Our cancellation charges increase the nearer the cancellation is made to your departure date as we may not be able to resell your holiday without making significant price reductions, or at all.

We strongly recommend that you take out insurance cover for cancellation adequate to cover the value of your tour/holiday. If the reason for your cancellation is covered under the terms of your insurance policy, you may be able to reclaim these charges.

4.3. Cancellation charges

Number of days left before your due date of departure when your authority in writing is received by us. Cancellation charge (expressed as a percentage of the total holiday price):

60 days or more Deposit only

59 - 43 days: 40%
42 - 29 days: 60%
28 - 7 days: 90%
6 days or less: 100%

5. If We Have to Change or Cancel Your Tour/Holiday

5.1 Cancellation by Us

We reserve the right to cancel your booking. We will not cancel less than 8 weeks before your departure date, except for unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, or failure by you to pay the final balance or because the minimum number required for the package to go ahead hasn't been reached. Unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances mean a situation beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. The minimum number required will be provided to you with the holiday description, along with the time limit for us to tell you if the package has to be cancelled.

5.2 Changes to the Price

We can change your tour/holiday price after you've booked but only in certain circumstances:

Changes in the price of the carriage of passengers resulting from changes to the cost of fuel or other power sources, the level of taxes or fees imposed by third parties including tourist taxes, landing taxes or airports or exchange rates mean that the price of your travel arrangements may change after you have booked. However, there will be no change within 20 days of your departure.

We will absorb, and you will not be charged for, any increase equivalent to 2% of the price of your travel arrangements, which excludes insurance premiums and any amendment charges. 

Should you decide to cancel: 1) you must do so within the time period shown on your final invoice 2) We will provide a refund of insurance premiums paid to us if you can show that you are unable to transfer or reuse your policy.

6. Our Liability to You

You must inform us without undue delay of any failure to perform or improper performance of the travel services included in this package. 

If any of the travel services included in your package are not performed in accordance with the contract, or are improperly performed, by us or the travel service suppliers, and this has affected the enjoyment of your travel arrangements, you may be entitled to an appropriate price reduction or compensation or both. We will not be liable where any failure to perform or improper performance of the travel services is due to: 

(i) you or another member of your party; or (ii) a third party unconnected with the provision of the travel services in the package and is unforeseeable or unavoidable; or (iii) unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, which means a situation beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken.

Our liability, except in cases involving death, injury or illness, shall be limited to a maximum of three times the cost of your travel arrangements. 

If you have any special requirements (dietary or otherwise) you must inform us of these at the time of booking so that we can pass these onto our suppliers. We cannot guarantee that your requirements will be met, however, and we are not liable to you in the event that your wishes are not met. 

7. Your Responsibility

(a) It is your responsibility to ensure that you and everyone travelling with you have valid passports, appropriate visas and vaccinations. Your specific passport and visa requirements, and other immigration requirements are your responsibility and you should confirm these with the relevant Embassies and/or Consulates. We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel because you have not complied with any passport, visa or immigration requirements.

(b) You are responsible for ensuring that any existing medical conditions or disabilities which may require assistance are declared to us before you book your holiday or, if newly diagnosed, before your due date of departure so that we can pass these details on to our suppliers in good time. We are not in any circumstances liable if any carrier refuses you or any member of your party as a passenger as a result of any medical condition or disability. Women 28 weeks or more into pregnancy at the time of return travel must have a doctor's certificate confirming that they are fit to travel (note airlines normally require certification at 32 weeks). We are not liable for any costs, delays or illness resulting from your failure to meet any requirements.

(c) You are responsible for your behaviors and that of your party. We and our suppliers reserve the right to refuse your booking or the right to board or the right to travel and to remove you and/or any member of your party from any transport, accommodation or any part of your tour/holiday if you or any member of your party is drunk or under the influence of drink or drugs; if you are or we reasonably believe that you are in unlawful possession of drugs; or are behaving violently, disruptively, dangerously or irresponsibly or in any manner whatsoever which presents a risk to you or others or is causing a nuisance or annoyance to others. No refund will be given, or compensation paid, and no costs or expenses for which you become liable or which are incurred by you will be made by us or be recoverable by you from us in such circumstances. You may also become the subject of police inquiry or security measures or investigation and liable in the event that any offence is committed to criminal prosecution and penalties. You must fully cooperate with and follow any safety procedures and instructions given by any organization which is running the activities which you do while on your tour/holiday. It is possible that such organizations will require you to sign a waiver form in respect of the activity being carried out.

8. Complaints

Many of our trips take place in destinations where local conditions vary enormously, and the people we deal with on the ground may be less time-conscious or meticulous in planning than ourselves, and while we will do our best to ensure that the holiday goes according to plan, we ask that those who travel with us do so with a spirit of adventure, in a positive frame of mind, and in good humor.

9. Additional assistance

If you're in difficulty whilst on tour/holiday and ask us to help we will provide appropriate assistance, in particular by providing information on health services, local authorities and consular assistance; and helping you to find alternative arrangements and any necessary phone calls/emails. You must pay any costs we incur, if the difficulty is your fault.

10. Insurance

You must be fully insured for your tour/holiday and must make sure that all of the activities which you will be carrying out are covered by such insurance. This insurance must include adequate cancellation insurance to the value of your tour/holiday, emergency evacuation and repatriation costs in respect of all of your activities. Please note that the travel insurance provided by some credit card providers often only offers the minimum coverage and, whoever your insurer, you should always check for any exclusion of activities that you might be undertaking. In response to public concern, some insurers now offer specific insurance against cancellation, delay and abandonment due to volcanic ash disruption. This can be taken out as an add-on to some travel insurance policies or as stand-alone cover.

11. Excursions

Excursions or other tours that you may choose to book or pay for whilst you are on tour/holiday are not part of your package holiday provided by us. For any excursion or other tour that you book, your contract will be with the operator of the excursion or tour and not with us. We are not responsible for the provision of the excursion or tour or for anything that happens during the course of its provision by the operator.