Booking and Cancellation Policy

Booking

Fill out the reservation form and send it to your agent together with a non-refundable 20% deposit of the tour fair. On receipt of your signed reservation form and deposit, we will reserve your place on the selected safari.
When we send off your conformation invoice to the travel agent or directly from Zontanos Travel and Safari (If you have booked directly) your booking is confirmed and accepted by us.

Final payment is due 8 weeks to your travel agent or directly to us, not later than 8 weeks prior to your departure. On receipt of your final payment *(Full)* we will send vouchers, safari information clothing list etc. Please ensure you receive this information before you leave on safari.

Cancellations

Cancellations are only effective upon 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 the charges, expressed as a percentage of tour charges (Prices )is as follows :

More than 8 weeks’ notice – deposit forfeited
Less than 8 weeks’ notice – Deposit + 25%
Less than 4 weeks’ notice – 50%
Less than 3 weeks’ notice – 60%
Less than 2 weeks’ notice - 100%

Should you fail to join on a safari or join it after the departure / or leave it prior to its completion, no safari refund can be made.

If you change your booking

After your booking has been confirmed, should you wish to change to an earlier departure date, you may do so subject to availability. Normal cancellation fees apply should you wish to postpone your departure

Baggage

For safety and because space is restricted baggage in a charter aircraft is restricted to a maximum of 12 kgs 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 in the baggage to the safari destination at a considerably extra cost to you the guest? However should the guest 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.

Wild Animals

Please be aware that these safaris may take you into close contact with wild animals. Attacks by wild animals are rarebit no safari in to the African wilderness can guarantee that this will not occur. Neither the company nor their employees nor agents can be held responsible for an injury or incident on the safari

Passport and Visas

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

Health

Anti –Malaria 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.

Not Included

Insurance cover for cancellation and curtailment
Medical
Baggage and money
Emergency evacuation back home
Beverages in certain areas
Personal laundry at certain camps and sites
Gratuities to guides and staff
Any excursion not related to the safari
Optional meals in Victoria falls and the bigger towns and cities
Scheduled air fares
Transfers and departures

Responsibility

Neither Zontanos Travel and safari (The company) 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 brochures 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 alterations 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 any interference or any other cause whatsoever , the extra expenses incurred as a result thereof shall be responsibility of the passenger.

The company may at its discretion and without liability or cost to its self, terminate or cancel the guests 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 making the 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 to make a payment, he/she 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.

Photography

The company reserves the right without further notice to make use of any photography or film taken on the tour or safari by our photographers without any payment or permission. We guarantee that no photographs of a compromising nature will be used.

Changes to schedules

Although every effort is made to adhere to schedules it shall be borne in mind that the company reserves the right and is in fact obliged to occasionally change routes and camps on safaris as directed by changing conditions, such as conditions that may be brought about by seasonal rainfall on bush tracks, airfields and 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 excursion or accommodation 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.

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 Southern Africa. This insurance should include cover in respect of , but not limited to the following eventualities :

Cancelation or curtailment of the safari
Emergency evacuation expenses
Medical expenses
Repatriation expenses
Damage /Theft /Loss of personal baggage
Money or goods

Zontanos travel and safari, including their representatives, employees and agent s will take no responsibility for any costs, losses incurred or suffered by the 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 carry the relevant insurance cover.

Airline Clause

The airlines concerned are not to be held liable for any act, omission or event during or when the passengers are not on board their planes or conveyance. The passenger’s tickets in use by the airline or by other carriers concerned when issued shall constitute the sole contract between the airline and the purchaser of these tickets and / or passengers. Please not 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 the prices published. Should increases be forced on us by airlines, exchange rates etc, we reserve the right to surcharge without notice to a maximum of 10%of the tour fares.

Delays

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