Booking Conditions

Our Cancellation Policy

Our cancellation charges are determined by the fact that once we have booked with hotels and safari camps / lodges and with local airlines, they will charge us a cancellation fee if we cancel a booking. We try to keep such charges to a minimum and they are as follows, as a percentage of the total invoice charges:

Bookings cancelled or amended from time of booking up to 120 days before commencement of the safari incur a 25% cancellation charge.
Cancellation or amendment less than 120 days and up to 60 days prior to commencement of the safari: 35% cancellation charge.

Cancellation or amendment less than 60 days but up to 30 days prior to commencement of the safari 50% refund, 50% cancellation charge.
Cancellation or amendment less than 30 days but up to 15 days prior to commencement of the safari: 25% refund, 75% cancellation charge.
Cancellation or amendment less than 15 days or more than 3 days prior to commencement of the safari: 10% refund and 90% cancellation charge.

Cancellation or amendment 3 days or less before commencement of the safari – nil refund, 100% cancellation charge.
Please note that any refunds due to you in the event of cancellation can be credited only to the original card used for making the initial payment, if within 6-months of paying. If longer than 6-months refunds will be made directly to the travelers bank account.

Above cancellation terms are for Kenya and Tanzania and primarily apply to Porini Camps in Kenya and Nimali camps in Tanzania; other accommodation bookings will be subject to the terms and conditions of the relevant supplier(s). Terms for other countries will be advised at time of booking.

(For Botswana, the local operator’s terms are: The deposit is non-refundable. Cancellation or amendment less than 45-90 days of the safari 50% refund, 50% cancellation charge. Cancellation 44 days or less before commencement of the safari – nil refund, 100% cancellation charge.)

Travel Insurance

It is essential each member of your party has adequate and comprehensive travel insurance covering cancellation or curtailment, as well as medical expenses, emergency travel, personal accident, personal baggage and money loss.

This should be arranged at the time of confirmation and deposit payment to cover you for cancellation from the time of booking. Please note that it is your responsibility to take out insurance, with the cost for your account, and that Gamewatchers Safaris Ltd cannot be liable in any way whatsoever should you fail to do so. We request that you provide us with your insurance provider’s name, together with the policy number and the insurance company’s emergency contact telephone number in case of any emergency whilst you are traveling.

Payment of deposit and balance

Payment terms: 25% deposit per person at the time of booking. Balance due 60 days prior to commencement of arrangements. Payments (deposit & final balance) may be made by direct bank transfer to our Nairobi bank account (details will be included with our confirmation invoice) or by credit card (see below). For all overseas customers resident outside of Kenya, payments are made at the prices shown on our invoice in US$ to our US $ bank account in Nairobi or by credit card in US$.

Payment by credit / debit cards

We can also accept payment by credit card (Visa or Mastercard) through our secure online payment system or through the PayPal system. Once your booking is confirmed and your sales consultant has emailed you the invoice, you will then receive an email from Gamewatchers Safaris with a link that directs you to our secure online payment system, where you can enter your details and process your payment. No transaction fee is added by us for payment of the deposit by debit or credit card or by PayPal.

There is also no transaction fee charged if the full invoice amount is paid at once by credit card or by PayPal. However your credit card company may add their own handling fee for processing a payment outside your home country. If the final balance is paid by credit card or PayPal then a transaction fee of 3% is added to the amount of the balance to cover the credit card processing charges. Payment can also be made by debit card in the same way as credit cards but the banks in Kenya apply the same transaction fee for debit cards as for credit cards, so a fee of 3% is also added for payment of the final balance by debit card.

Responsibility

Travel carries some measure of inherent risk including, but not limited to, the hazards of traveling in underdeveloped areas where road conditions and other facilities may be poor or lacking; the forces of nature; and accident or illness in remote regions without means of rapid evacuation.

Bookings are accepted on the specific condition that Gamewatchers Safaris Ltd and its team of independent overseas Safari Consultants act only as agents of the passenger in all matters relating to hotels, sightseeing tours, restaurants, all forms of transportation and other services which may be included in these tours. Gamewatchers Safaris Ltd may purchase these services from suppliers and other independent contractors, without warranties and representations from them and thus such services are not subject to its control.

The right is reserved to substitute hotels of comparable status and to make any changes in the itinerary where deemed necessary or caused as a result of adverse road or weather conditions, disruptions to airline schedules or any other valid reason.

While all precautions are taken to ensure the passenger’s safety and enjoyment on these tours, Gamewatchers Safaris Ltd and/or its agents and suppliers shall not be liable for death, injury, delay, loss or damage arising from any cause and in any manner whatsoever or change of itinerary or act, including any acts of terrorism, acts of God and government, neglect, accident, error or omission caused by any of these suppliers or independent contractors, their employees, representatives or any event beyond the control of Gamewatchers Safaris Ltd. All baggage is carried at the passenger’s own risk, and Gamewatchers Safaris Ltd reserves the right to exclude certain baggage at its discretion. The airlines used to provide safari flights are subject to international air conventions limiting their liability; the limitations of liability are contained on the reverse side of the airline ticket and form part of the terms and conditions of this package.

It should be noted that the types of vehicles used for safaris on rough roads in East Africa are different from tour vehicles on the highways in developed countries and normally they do not have air-conditioning other than the standard ventilation fan. The Safari Landcruisers used throughout Africa for overland road safaris on the main highways beyond the parks are of a standardised design with sliding passenger windows. Open-sided safari viewing vehicles may be used inside the parks and conservancies. In most of the safari lodges where electricity is provided by a generator, these are turned off late at night until the following day. Water from taps in bathrooms is not suitable for drinking and bottled water is provided for drinking and cleaning teeth. The roads between the parks may have rough stretches and the overland journeys can be lengthy as tour vehicles are limited to a maximum speed of 50 miles per hour, so flights between camps are always recommended in preference to long road transfers.

Law and Jurisdiction

These Booking Conditions are governed by the laws of Kenya and any action arising under them, or in any way connected with the travel arrangements booked, may be brought only in a court in Kenya.