TERMS & 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.

How to Book

a) Fill out the reservation forms and send them to Zikomo Safari. together with a non-refundable deposit of 20% of safari itinerary cost. On receipt of your signed reservation form and deposit, we will, subject to availability, reserve your place on your selected safari itinerary. Once you receive your confirmation invoice, your reservation is confirmed and accepted by us.
b) Final payment is due to Savuti not later than 8 weeks prior to departure. On receipt of your full payment, we will send vouchers, safari information, clothing lists, etc. Please ensure that you receive the information before you leave on safari.

Cancellation

Cancellations are only effective on receipt of written notification. If cancellation is prior to 8 weeks before departure your 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 ~ 60%; 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.

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.

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 dependants/travelling companions for the duration of their trip to Africa. This insurance should include cover in respect of, but not limited to, the following eventualities: can-cellation or curtailment of the safari, emergency evacuation expenses, medical expenses, repatriation expenses, damage/theft/loss of personal baggage, money and goods. Savuti, including their representatives, employees and agents will take no responsibility for any costs, losses incurred or suffered by the guest, or guest’s dependants or travelling 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. Savuti can upon request provide insurance quotes for both RBC Insurance and Travel Guard Insurance. Guests not wishing to purchase compre-hensive travel and medical insurance, will be asked to sign a liability release form.

Methods of Payment

We accept MasterCard, Visa, Canadian and US cheques, Wire transfers, Money Orders and Bank Drafts.

Baggage

For safety and because space is restricted, baggage in some charter aircraft is restricted to a maximum of 15 kg per person in a soft bag. This includes camera equipment and carry-on baggage. Should guests arrive with excess baggage without prior warning their baggage could be delayed, as we may have to fly the baggage into camps at a later stage at considerable extra cost to you. However, should the guests know in advance that the baggage will exceed the limit; we can usually book an extra seat for the bags on the aircraft, at an additional cost to them.

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 Savuti, nor their employees, can be held responsible for any injury or incident on the safari. Please note that most safari camps in Africa are not fenced.

Passport & Visas

The onus is upon the guest to ensure that passports and visas are valid for the countries visited. Savuti and their staff cannot be held liable for any visas, etc. not held by the guests, nor the cost of visas.

Health

Tropical Disease precautions should be commenced prior to departure. Please consult our doctor for specific advice. If you are a contagious-disease carrier, you must let us know when booking your safari.

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, paddlers and to staff; any excursion not related to the safari; optional meals in Victoria Falls and the bigger towns and cities; scheduled airfares; transfers and departure taxes.

Responsibility

Neither Savuti 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 behaviour 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.

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. Such conditions may be brought about by seasonal rainfall on bush tracks, airfields and in game areas, by game migrations from one region to another, or airline or other booking problems, etc.

Refunds

Whilst the Company uses its best endeavours 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.

Flights

The Company can book scheduled airline flights to, from and within Africa via a flight consolidator. However, please note that a service fee will apply. 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.

Airline Clause

The airlines concerned are not to be held liable for any act, omission or event during the time the passengers are not on board their planes or conveyance. The passengers’ tickets in use by the airline or by other carriers concerned when issued shall constitute the sole contract between the airlines and the purchaser of these tickets and/or passengers. Please note that we subcontract the flying services to independent charter operations, and they are responsible for the flying.

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.

Delays

We cannot be held liable for any delays or additional costs incurred as a result of airlines not running to schedule.

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.

Agreement

This agreement is made subject to and shall be governed by and construed according to the laws of the country in which the safari takes place. The company only makes your travel arrangements and acts merely as an agent for the operating companies.

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 reservation 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 director of the Company.

Age limits in Camps and Lodges

We have no upper age limits in our camps but we respectfully request that only physically active people join these safaris! Camps do vary with respect to minimum age requirements. We will be able to advise which properties and operators allow younger children. Cross~ Country and Walking Safaris have a lower age limit of 12 and a maximum of 65, 70 or 75, depending on the level of difficulty of the safari.