Terms & Conditions

Agreement and Definitions

These Terms and Conditions apply to travel services arranged or provided by Sokwe Africa Safaris, referred to in these terms as “Sokwe Africa Safaris”, “we”, “us” or “our”. The person making the booking is referred to as the “lead traveller”. Every person included in the booking is referred to as a “traveller”, “guest” or “you”.

By asking us to confirm a booking, paying any deposit or other amount, or accepting travel documents issued by us, the lead traveller confirms that every traveller has read, understood and accepted these terms and has authorised the lead traveller to act on their behalf.

The lead traveller must be at least 18 years old and is responsible for providing accurate information, sharing all relevant documents with the group and ensuring payments are made when due.

Booking and Formation of Contract

An enquiry, proposed itinerary or quotation is not a confirmed booking. A binding booking is created only when we have received the payment requested in your invoice and have sent written confirmation of the booking.

Availability and prices may change before confirmation because accommodation, permits, park services, flights and other travel services are supplied by third parties. We will notify you if any material element changes before accepting your payment.

You must check names, travel dates, services and other details in your confirmation and tell us promptly if anything is incorrect. Names must match the travellers’ passports.

Special requests are not guaranteed unless we confirm them expressly in writing. This includes particular rooms, beds, views, dietary arrangements, accessibility needs and specific guides or vehicles.

Prices, Deposits and Payment

The currency, deposit, payment schedule and final balance date for your trip will be stated in your written quotation or invoice. Payments must be made in cleared funds using an approved payment method.

Unless your quotation says otherwise, prices are based on the number of travellers, dates, accommodation category, route and services specified in the confirmed itinerary. Changes to any of these may change the price.

Bank charges, card-processing fees, intermediary bank fees and currency conversion costs are the traveller’s responsibility unless we expressly state otherwise.

If payment is not received by the due date, we may treat the booking as cancelled by you. Before doing so, we will make reasonable efforts to contact the lead traveller using the details supplied.

Cancellation by You

The lead traveller must send any cancellation to us in writing. Cancellation takes effect when we receive the written notice.

The cancellation terms and charges stated in your confirmed quotation or invoice will apply. If no separate schedule is stated, you will be responsible for:

• Non-refundable deposits, permits and supplier payments already committed for your booking.
• Cancellation charges imposed by hotels, camps, airlines, transport providers and other suppliers.
• Reasonable administrative and transaction costs incurred in arranging and cancelling the trip.

We will deduct any recoverable amount from payments received and refund the remaining balance, if any, after suppliers have confirmed their charges. Refund timing may depend on the relevant suppliers and banks.

No refund is normally available for services a traveller chooses not to use after the journey has begun, including missed transfers, meals, accommodation, activities or park visits.

Changes Requested by You

Requests to change names, dates, route, accommodation, group size or other services must be made in writing. We will try to accommodate a request but cannot guarantee that suppliers will accept it.

You are responsible for any price difference, supplier charge, permit fee, cancellation cost or reasonable administrative cost caused by the change. A date change may be treated as a cancellation and new booking where suppliers do not permit amendments.

A traveller may not transfer a booking to another person without our written approval and the approval of the relevant suppliers.

Changes or Cancellation by Us

Travel in East Africa can be affected by weather, wildlife movement, road conditions, park rules, flight schedules, lodge operations and other circumstances. We may make reasonable changes to the itinerary where necessary for safety, practicality or the quality of the journey.

If we make a significant change before departure, we will tell you as soon as reasonably possible and, depending on the circumstances, offer a suitable alternative, a credit, or a refund of the affected services that we can recover from suppliers.

If a confirmed service becomes unavailable, we may substitute a service of a similar standard. A particular wild animal sighting, migration event, river crossing, weather condition or natural phenomenon is never guaranteed.

We may cancel a booking if required payments are not made, if minimum operational requirements stated in the quotation are not met, or if we reasonably cannot provide the journey safely or lawfully.

Force Majeure

“Force majeure” means an event beyond our reasonable control or the reasonable control of a supplier. Examples include extreme weather, flood, fire, natural disaster, epidemic or pandemic, war, civil unrest, terrorism, government action, border closure, travel restriction, strike, airport closure, major transport disruption and failure of essential infrastructure.

We are not responsible for failing to perform an obligation where performance is prevented by force majeure. We will take reasonable steps to assist and to recover unused supplier payments, but we cannot guarantee a refund of amounts that suppliers lawfully retain.

Additional accommodation, transport, meals, repatriation or other costs caused by such an event are the traveller’s responsibility and should be claimed from comprehensive travel insurance where covered.

Passports, Visas and Travel Documents

Each traveller is responsible for obtaining and carrying a valid passport, visa, vaccination evidence, permits, parental consent documents and any other document required for the complete journey, including transit countries.

Entry and health requirements can change at short notice. Information we provide is general guidance only. Travellers must verify current requirements with the relevant embassies, immigration authorities, airlines and official health authorities.

We are not responsible for loss, delay or additional expense caused by incomplete, expired or incorrect documents or by a traveller being refused entry, boarding or transit.

Health, Fitness and Travel Insurance

You must tell us before booking about any medical condition, disability, allergy, pregnancy, dietary requirement or other circumstance that may affect your participation or require special arrangements. We will handle health information confidentially and share it only where reasonably necessary to provide the services or respond to an emergency.

Travellers are responsible for seeking professional medical advice on vaccinations, malaria prevention, altitude, fitness and other health considerations relevant to their itinerary.

Comprehensive travel insurance is strongly required for every traveller and should be arranged as soon as the booking is made. Cover should include, where relevant:

• Trip cancellation, curtailment and interruption.
• Emergency medical treatment and evacuation, including from remote areas.
• Repatriation, personal accident, baggage loss and travel delay.
• Safari activities, trekking, altitude and any optional activities selected.

We may request evidence of adequate insurance. Choosing to travel without suitable cover is at the traveller’s own financial risk.

Adventure Travel and Wildlife Risk

Safaris, trekking and travel in remote natural areas involve inherent risks that cannot be eliminated completely. These may include encounters with wild animals, uneven roads and trails, isolation from medical facilities, altitude, insects, changing weather and participation in activities outdoors.

By booking, each traveller acknowledges the nature of the itinerary and accepts the ordinary risks associated with it. Travellers must follow reasonable safety instructions given by guides, rangers, accommodation staff and activity providers.

Wildlife is free-ranging. We do not guarantee sightings of any species or the timing or location of the Great Migration, calving, river crossings or other natural events.

Traveller Conduct and Participation

Travellers must behave responsibly and respect local laws, customs, communities, wildlife, other guests, staff and the environment.

We or a supplier may refuse or end a person’s participation if their conduct is unsafe, unlawful, abusive, seriously disruptive, damaging to wildlife or property, or likely to affect the enjoyment or welfare of others. In that situation, no refund is due for unused services and the traveller is responsible for resulting costs.

Children must be supervised by a responsible adult. Age, height, health or fitness restrictions may apply to certain activities, properties and trekking routes.

Travellers are responsible for damage or loss they deliberately or negligently cause to vehicles, accommodation, equipment or other property.

Third-Party Suppliers

We arrange services from independent suppliers such as hotels, camps, airlines, transfer companies, park authorities and activity operators. Those suppliers may apply their own conditions, safety requirements, baggage limits and cancellation rules.

We select suppliers with reasonable care. However, independent suppliers control the day-to-day delivery of their services and are responsible for their own acts and omissions to the extent provided by applicable law.

Flight times, aircraft type, baggage allowance and routing are controlled by the airline and may change. Delays or cancellations should be addressed under the airline’s applicable conditions and any available travel insurance.

Responsibility and Limitation of Liability

We will provide the services we directly control with reasonable care and skill. Nothing in these terms excludes or limits responsibility that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

Subject to applicable law, we are not responsible for loss arising from:

• The acts or omissions of the traveller or another member of their party.
• An independent and unforeseeable act or omission of a third party not connected with providing the contracted services.
• Force majeure or another event that could not reasonably have been avoided.
• Loss of enjoyment, business opportunity, profit or other indirect or consequential loss.
• Valuables, cash or baggage not kept securely or handled contrary to supplier instructions.

Any compensation will take account of sums recovered from suppliers, insurers or other responsible parties. Travellers must take reasonable steps to minimise any loss and cooperate with us in pursuing an appropriate remedy.

Problems and Complaints

If a problem arises during your journey, tell your guide, our local representative or the relevant supplier immediately so there is a reasonable opportunity to resolve it.

If the matter is not resolved locally, contact us as soon as possible:

• Email: bookings@sokweafricasafari.com
• Telephone or WhatsApp: +255 784 392 944

A formal complaint should be submitted in writing promptly after the journey and should include the booking reference, relevant facts and supporting documents. A delay in reporting a problem may affect our ability to investigate or provide a remedy.

Privacy, Communications and Media

We use personal information to respond to enquiries, arrange and administer bookings, process payments, communicate travel information, meet legal obligations and assist in emergencies. We may share necessary information with suppliers, authorities and professional advisers involved in providing the journey.

Operational communications about an enquiry or booking may be sent by email, telephone or WhatsApp using the details you provide.

We will not use an identifiable photograph or video of a traveller for advertising without consent. You may withdraw future marketing consent by contacting us, although withdrawal does not affect material already lawfully published or processing required to administer an existing booking.

Website text, photographs, branding, itineraries and design are owned by or licensed to Sokwe Africa Safaris and may not be reproduced commercially without written permission.

Governing Law and General Terms

These terms and the booking agreement are governed by the laws of the United Republic of Tanzania. The parties will first try in good faith to resolve a dispute through direct discussion. If it cannot be resolved, the courts with lawful jurisdiction in Tanzania may determine the dispute, subject to any mandatory consumer rights that apply.

If any provision is found invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in effect. A failure or delay in enforcing a right does not waive that right.

No person other than the travellers named in the booking and Sokwe Africa Safaris has a right to enforce the booking agreement, except where applicable law provides otherwise.

We may update these website terms from time to time. The terms accepted when a booking is confirmed will continue to govern that booking unless a change is required by law or agreed in writing.