Booking conditions

These are the conditions on which we accept a booking. You will be given them in full, and asked to accept them, before anything becomes payable.

TODO: this is the document that most needs a South African travel attorney before launch, and it must be checked against SATSA's member requirements and against the Consumer Protection Act. The structure below reflects how we intend to operate and every figure marked TODO is still to be set.

1. The contract

The contract is between you, the lead traveller named on the itinerary, and Cape Compass Travel (Pty) Ltd. It comes into effect when you accept a written itinerary and we receive your deposit. The lead traveller confirms they have authority to accept these conditions on behalf of everyone in the party.

2. What is included

Exactly what your written itinerary lists as included, and nothing else. Where an activity appears in the excluded list it is optional and payable locally unless we have agreed otherwise in writing.

3. Deposit and payment

A deposit of TODO per cent is payable on confirmation. The balance is due TODO days before arrival. For bookings made within TODO days of arrival the full amount is payable on confirmation. Certain lodges and internal flights require non-refundable payment at the time of booking, and where that applies we will tell you before you pay.

4. Prices

The single total on your itinerary covers everything listed as included. Because our costs are in South African rand and many guests pay in sterling or dollars, we state the currency of your quotation on the itinerary and hold it for TODO days.

5. Changes by you

We will accommodate changes wherever we can and at no charge from us. Changes made after confirmation may attract supplier charges, which we will pass on at cost and show you before proceeding.

6. Changes by us

We reserve the right to substitute accommodation, guides or the order of days where safety, weather, road conditions or supplier failure require it. Any substitute will be of an equivalent or better standard. Day-to-day reordering of an itinerary by your guide in response to weather is normal and is not a change for the purposes of this clause.

7. Cancellation by you

Cancellation charges are calculated on the number of days before arrival: TODO schedule. We strongly recommend cancellation insurance covering the full value of the trip.

8. Cancellation by us

We will not cancel a confirmed trip except for reasons of force majeure or your failure to pay. If we do, you will be offered an alternative or a full refund of all monies paid to us.

9. Insurance

You must hold travel insurance for the full duration of the trip, covering medical expenses, emergency repatriation, cancellation and curtailment. We will ask for your policy number before departure. We are not able to accept a booking without it.

10. Passports, visas and health

Ensuring that you hold valid travel documents is your responsibility. South Africa has specific documentary requirements for children under eighteen, including unabridged birth certificates in some circumstances, and we will tell you what applies to your party. Advice on vaccinations and antimalarials must come from a travel clinic or your doctor, not from us.

11. Our liability

We accept responsibility for the proper performance of the services we contract to provide. We are not liable for the acts or omissions of third-party suppliers where those are beyond our reasonable control, nor for loss caused by force majeure. Nothing in these conditions limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be limited.

12. Your responsibilities

You agree to follow the safety instructions of your guide, of field guides on game drives, and of licensed activity operators. We may decline to continue with any traveller whose behaviour endangers themselves or others, and no refund would be due in that event.

13. Complaints

Tell your guide at the time, so that we have the opportunity to put it right while you are still here. If it is not resolved, write to us within twenty-eight days of returning home.

14. Financial protection

TODO: set out the SATSA bonding position and any client deposit protection here. It is one of the strongest reasons to book with an accredited operator and it should not be buried.

15. Governing law

These conditions are governed by South African law.