Wild Wings Safaris Terms & Conditions

Below are our standard terms and conditions, before the Coronavirus outbreak. A more flexible, temporary set of terms and conditions taking into account the uncertainties regarding Covid-19 can be found at the following link. Currently, for all new bookings made until the end of April, our more flexible temporary terms and conditions will apply, with a more relaxed cancellation policy so you can book with confidence, without putting your money at risk.

The following terms and conditions apply to all bookings made through Wild Wings Safaris and confirmed before 16 March 2020.
(c) 2019 Wild Wings Safaris - All Rights Reserved.

Provisional booking

All bookings made by us will be considered provisional until availability has been confirmed and the required deposit has been received. Should your requested safari or the preferred accommodation or travel dates be unavailable at the time of your booking, we will try to find a suitable similar alternative for you. A rate amendment may result from such an alternative.

Rates amendments

Wild Wings Safaris reserves the right to amend the quoted rate in the event of preferred accommodation being unavailable, fluctuations in exchange rate, or unforeseen price increases by third party suppliers like the National Parks Board, accommodation providers or the government.

Deposit

A deposit of 30% of the full price is required at the time of making your booking. On certain bookings or special offers, a deposit of 50% may be required. If we fail to receive your deposit within 7 days, your provisional reservation will lapse. A booking can only be confirmed once we have received the deposit.

Balance

The balance is payable at least 7 weeks (49 days) prior to departure. If your booking includes a Kruger National Park safari, we will need to make final payment to Sanparks for your accommodation 45 days prior to departure. If you are booking within 7 weeks of departure, the full price will be payable at the time of making your booking. Failure to pay the balance may result in your booking being cancelled and the deposit forfeited. All transaction fees, including wire transfer costs, cash deposit fees, foreign exchange conversion fees and bank routing fees are for your account. The full quoted amount needs to clear into our account. If you pay by credit card, we absorb the credit card fees and no credit card surcharge will be added.

Your contract and protection as customer

You have the choice of contracting with Wild Wings Safaris UK Ltd (our UK company) or Wild Wings Safaris (Pty) Ltd. (our South African company). These are separate legal entities, operating as one brand. If you prefer to pay in GBP into our UK bank account, you will be contracting with Wild Wings Safaris UK Ltd, which is subject to UK consumer protection laws and travel trade regulations. Our UK office is a member of ABTA and protected by Financial Failure Insurance through Advantage, underwritten by Mapfre. If you prefer to pay in ZAR into our SA bank account, you will be contracting with Wild Wings Safaris (Pty) Ltd., which is subject to South African consumer protection laws and travel trade regulations. Our South African office is a member of SATSA and is fully bonded through the SATSA bonding scheme. Both companies are covered by extensive public liability and passenger liability insurance, underwritten by Lloyd's of London.

Cancellation

Should you need to cancel your booking or any part of it for any reason, the following cancellation fees will apply, regardless of the reason for cancellation:

Cancellation 61 days or more prior to departure - 15% of the full price (half of the 30% deposit)
Cancellation 60 days to 49 days prior to departure - 30% of the full price (full deposit)
Cancellation 48 days to 31 days prior to departure – 50% of the full price
Cancellation 30 days to 15 days prior to departure - 75% of the full price
Cancellation 14 days or less prior to departure - 100% of the full price

Important Note: Third parties that we have paid already (any lodge, hotel or other supplier) may have stricter cancellation penalties, in which case the third party’s cancellation policy will apply.

Your travel plans are made entirely at your own risk and Wild Wings Safaris will not accept responsibility for any missed flights, problems with visas or travel documents, flight cancellations, delays, lost baggage, transport or traffic delays, bad weather, illness or medical problems, family matters or bereavement, or any other circumstances that may necessitate cancellation or amendments to your travel plans. Please ensure you purchase comprehensive travel insurance with adequate cancellation and curtailment cover for any eventuality.

Changes to confirmed bookings

Changes to confirmed bookings can be requested but they may result in a rate amendment (e.g. a change of dates may result in a change of rates). Changes will only be made if the change is possible and does not inconvenience other clients.

Changes made by us

Every effort will be made to provide the accommodation, services and activities as described and quoted to you. In the unlikely event that unforeseen circumstances necessitate a change in the program, we will notify you as soon as is reasonably possible and discuss suitable alternatives with you. We cannot be held responsible for adverse weather conditions, traffic problems, vehicle breakdowns or any other unforeseen circumstances that may lead to the cancellation of certain activities. We reserve the right to change accommodation, vehicles, transport, meals, guides, activities and other program details as conditions dictate, and will always aim to offer an alternative of similar value should any changes be necessary.

Refund policy

Certain activities on your itinerary may be weather dependent, and might have to be cancelled if the weather is not suitable, or for another reason. Examples might include hot air balloon flights, shark cage diving, Table Mountain cableway, Robben Island whale watching boat trips, bush dinners, etc.

If it is possible to reschedule the activity to another day on your itinerary, we will try that first (in partnership with the supplier of the activity). Normally there will be no additional cost to reschedule to another day, unless there are price differences outside of our control such as a change to high season rates by the supplier.
If it is not possible to reschedule, we will attempt to secure a refund or partial refund from the supplier or third party operator, on your behalf.
If the supplier does not offer a refund, we will not be able to offer you any refund either. Some suppliers (such as Robben Island or Table Mountain for example) are known to offer no refunds at all for weather cancellations. This is one reason why you should purchase decent travel insurance.
For those suppliers where we are able to secure some kind of refund, we will refund to you whatever net amount we were able to secure from the supplier, less 5% admin fees to cover our transaction costs. Please be aware upfront that you will not receive a full refund for any cancelled activity.
For missed flights or transfers, late arrivals or no-shows, and last-minute cancellations or amendments requested by you, no refund will be made. Please ensure that you have comprehensive travel insurance in place with minimal excess.
Refunds can only be made in the currency you paid, back to the same credit card that you paid with. Refunds by bank transfer will only be done if the trip was paid for by bank transfer, and transaction costs may be deducted by your bank. Fluctuations in exchange rate may cause the amount you receive in your currency to be less than you expected, or what you originally paid.

Excluded items and spending money

Please take careful note of what is included and what is excluded from the price. Your quote and booking confirmation will stipulate which items are included and excluded in the price. There are no hidden fees. Unless otherwise stated, items that are normally excluded are your international flights, airport taxes, visas and border crossing costs, certain meals, alcoholic drinks, personal expenses, gratuities and optional extra activities. Please ensure that you have enough spending money in cash to pay for these items as needed. Payment for optional extras can be made in cash or in most cases by credit card. Credit cards are accepted widely but not everywhere. Foreign currency can readily be exchanged at the airport and in most banks. USD is accepted almost everywhere. Tipping is optional and will be left to your own discretion. It is customary to tip the guide if you received good service, but not compulsory. Your booking confirmation and safari info sheet will contain guidelines and more details.

Insurance

All clients are required to arrange their own comprehensive travel insurance and medical emergency insurance. Failure to do so will not influence our cancellation and refunds policy. We advise you to take note of the details of your insurance policy to ensure that it has adequate cancellation and curtailment limits and covers any eventuality. Please add your insurance details on your booking form. For your peace of mind, Wild Wings Safaris is covered by extensive public liability, passenger liability and bonding insurance (financial failure insurance).

Health requirements

No compulsory vaccinations are required for travel to South Africa, but if you plan to visit other destinations in Africa as well, please consult with your travel clinic or doctor regarding vaccinations. For example, a Yellow Fever vaccine may be required to enter South Africa if you have travelled to countries where Yellow Fever occurs. We recommend that you take anti-malaria tablets as prescribed by your doctor, pharmacist or travel clinic. If you suffer from any medical conditions that may affect you or your participation on this tour, please inform us about this on your booking form. You are responsible for bringing any prescription medication you may need. We accept no responsibility for any medical conditions, illnesses, allergic reactions or related incidents that may occur during your tour, even if we have been fully informed about your condition.

Indemnity

Wild Wings Safaris and its staff accept no liability or responsibility for any damage, injury or loss of any kind whatsoever, including but not limited to death, disability, injury, property theft or damage, missed flights, missed accommodation, cancellation of your safari or any other such incident as may arise on your trip. By booking your trip through Wild Wings Safaris you agree that you are aware of the inherent risks associated with travel and you further agree to indemnify Wild Wings Safaris from any claim or liability which may result from any kind of loss, injury or accident which may occur during or after or as a result of your tour. You are participating on this tour entirely at your own risk. Please ensure you have adequate health insurance and comprehensive travel insurance in place to cover any eventuality.

Travel documents

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have all your necessary travel documents, including passport (valid for at least 6 months beyond date of safari with at least 2 blank pages), visas, cash, flight tickets and insurance policy. Visa policies may change at short notice and it is the traveller’s responsibility to check visa requirements. Please note that an unabridged birth certificate is needed for all children under 18 (see below). Passports and visas need to be applied for well in advance, if applicable. Please read your booking confirmation document carefully and bring it along on your safari.

Requirements for children

If you are travelling with children under 18, please be aware that South Africa passed new immigration regulations to combat child trafficking with effect from 1 June 2015, requiring all minor children to travel not only with a valid passport but also an unabridged birth certificate (full birth certificate showing details of both parents). Please apply for this in advance if you don't have their unabridged birth certificate. We have been informed by Home Affairs that a certified copy is acceptable, but some airlines do not accept certified copies, so best to bring the original. In addition, if only a single parent is travelling with a minor, you will need written consent from the other parent in the form of an affidavit, or a court order granting full custody, or a valid death certificate. Adopted children require official proof of adoption.

Behavior

You are expected to act within the confines of the law and take your fellow travellers into consideration. If you behave in such a way as to endanger our staff or other passengers or cause damage to property, we reserve the right to terminate your safari without further liability.

Expectations

We will discuss your expectations with you in the process of booking and conducting your safari, and will strive to meet them as far as is realistically possible, but we make no guarantees with regard to expected weather, game viewing or animal sightings, exact travel times, or any other unpredictable factors that may affect your expectations or safari experience. We are proud of our excellent reputation and will do our best to offer you the best possible experience.