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GENERAL TERMS &
CONDITIONS
Dear
prospective Guest
These
general terms & conditions apply to all safaris & transactions
undertaken with Southern
Skies - Personal Safari Hosts. We tried to keep it as
simple as possible, yet still cover all
the aspects of your negotiations with us. All our safaris are professionally
planned and executed
with the utmost care - with your safety, comfort and personal preferences in
mind. All those who
have gone before will vouch for the excellent value for money received from Southern
Skies.
Direct
booking with us, using the Internet, guarantees four distinct advantages:
-
Quick & effective personal response to your enquiry - normally within 24
hours
-
A reduced price is quoted as no travel agent's commission is involved
-
The entire communication/negotiation process takes place via Internet &
e-mail
-
Payments are hassle-free and easily executed via electronic money transfers
(With retrievable records available to both sender and
receiver).
We
strictly adhere to the rules & regulations as set out by the Hospitality
Association of Namibia.
However, we do NOT require or discuss payment in any form until such time as
negotiations are
complete and you, the guest, are 100% satisfied with the suggested itinerary
& quotation of your
requested safari. Only after a written booking form had been accepted and
signed by you, do
the rules & regulations of HAN apply.
This
signed booking form will authorize Southern Skies to start the
reservation process at all
the accommodation venues included in the accepted itinerary. You will be kept
informed of the
progress on a continuous basis until all written confirmations have been received
from the lodging
establishments. 30 Days prior to the departure of your safari, 100% of the
quoted and accepted
safari price must be paid to Southern Skies, in order to secure your confirmed
bookings.
(The HAN
Law & Regulation protects the accommodation establishments by allowing them
to
cancel any
confirmed booking for which the 100% payment was not received on the due date,
and allocate it
to another applicant).
ONE EXCEPTION!!
Where venues of the Namibia Wildlife Resorts (Para-Statal) are
included in an itinerary, this portion of the accommodation costs
must be transferred together with the signed Booking Form. The reason
being that these
venues are somehow not bound by the HAN regulations, and require FULL PAYMENT
within 48 hours after confirmation of a reservation. Where such venues are
included in
an itinerary, it will be pertinently stated on the relevant Booking Form,
clearly indicating
the amount involved for each individual itinerary.
We now
invite you to come and share a few days of glorious sunshine with us, here in
Namibia.
Your
friendly Southern Skies team
PROCEDURES
- for new enquiries
BOOKING A SAFARI WITH SOUTHERN SKIES
-
Either
browse our site & sample itineraries, or go direct to our Information
Request Form
-
Basic
information such as: intended dates of arrival and departure;
Your name and those of your travel companions;
E-mail address, fax- or telephone number . . .
. . . and the other information fields on our Information Request Form, are
all we need to
compile a tailor-made safari itinerary for you.
BASIC RESPONSIBILITIES & CONDITIONS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL GUEST
1. As soon as you've decided on the period you wish to visit
Namibia, and/or the number
of
days available to you, a reservation must be secured with an airline of your
choice &
tickets obtained.
This will ensure that you can provide Southern Skies with specific
dates and we can build a
safari of choice around these dates. Obtaining airline tickets to
suit any specific,
pre-determined safari date, is very seldom to never possible. Southern
Skies does NOT include
airline ticket prices in their safaris, and do NOT arrange flights
or
flight reservations.
Should you encounter problems with arranging this yourself, your
local, or any, Travel Agent could
be of assistance.
2.
All passport
holders should verify with their travel agent or relevant consulate concerning
visa entry
requirements. If you are extending your journey to, or pre-visit, other
countries,
please establish
entry requirements for those countries as well.
Before
departure from your
country of residence, the validity of
passports, visas
and/or any
other travelling documents
should be checked. It would be quite impossible
for Southern
Skies to assist in this regard,
therefore we can not be held responsible
for consequences or errors
arising from invalid
travel documents.
3. It is your sole responsibility to
ensure that you carry the correct comprehensive travel and
medical insurance
to cover yourself, as well as any dependants/travelling companions for
the duration of
your trip to
Namibia, and anywhere else within
Southern Africa, while on
a Southern Skies
safari. This insurance should include cover in respect of, but not limited
to, the following
eventualities: cancellation or curtailment of the safari, possible emergency
evacuation
expenses, medical expenses, repatriation expenses, damage/theft/loss of your
personal baggage,
money and goods.
Southern Skies – Personal Safari Hosts,
including
their
representatives, employees & agents will take no responsibility for any costs,
losses
incurred or
suffered by the guest, or guest's dependants and/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 be carrying the
relevant insurance cover.
None of
Southern Skies’
agents, staff
or
associates can be
held responsible or liable for loss, damage, or theft of personal luggage
and belongings, nor
can they be held liable for personal injury, accident or illness.
Please ensure that you and your belongings are adequately insured before your
departure.
Insurance is
compulsory when participating in any of our
safaris.
Although we could be of
assistance in
obtaining a policy for you in Namibia,
it is better to purchase a policy locally,
as this will cover
repatriation back to your home country.We suggest
that you enquire &
make arrangements at home to avoid one of the above spoiling a
well-deserved holiday.
INSURANCE GUIDELINES:
a)
Health Insurance
It is compulsory to have full medical, emergency evacuation and repatriation
cover for
the period of time
you are away.
b) Cancellation and Curtailment
You might have to cancel or curtail your journey due to unforeseen
circumstances. If for
any reason
you cancel a trip close to departure date, you could lose the entire cost of
your holiday.
Should you have to leave before your holiday is finished, we cannot refund
you the cost
of the portion of the package you do not complete, as payment to all lodging,
services &
other expenses are paid by us in advance. In the eventuality of this happening,
insurance may
cover you, depending on the reason for cancellation and curtailment.
c) Baggage & Money Insurance
It is advisable to take out baggage and money insurance especially if you are
carrying a
lot of cash
or expensive and valuable camera equipment. You should always carry such
equipment as
"carry-on" luggage. Do not put anything of value, including vital medication,
in your
checked-in baggage!
d) Claims
If you anticipate an insurance claim upon your return, be sure to document as
accurately
as possible
any accident, injury or loss. Doctor's notes & police reports will aid any
claim.
INDEPENDENT TRAVEL OPTIONS (SELF DRIVE):
Indemnity / disclaimer
Although
Southern Skies shall perform all advance reservations for camping sites or other
accommodation, plus car hire, on behalf of the guest(s), the guest(s) will be
required to sign
a document,
indemnifying Southern Skies of all responsibilities, including but not
restricted to,
vehicle
break-downs; accidents;
lack of service or unacceptable conditions encountered at
included
venues, or any mishap experienced by guests during such an
unguided/-hosted safari.
BASIC RESPONSIBILITIES AND CONDITIONS OF SOUTHERN SKIES
-
Southern
Skies, as safari operator, acts as mediator between our guests and the
lodging
venues visited. Although great care is taken in selecting suitable
accommodation venues for
our safaris, based on the interests and preferences of our guests, we are
not
responsible for
a lack of service or unacceptable conditions encountered at these venues on a
particular visit.
(This also holds true for any independent travel option arranged by Southern
Skies).
-
Unforeseen
circumstances can be experienced in any field of endeavour, and they often
are.
Southern Skies therefore retains the right to make emergency
itinerary changes if or when
such circumstances occur. We will always attempt to find the best
alternative in such cases,
be it itinerary routes or places of accommodation.
-
The
safety, comfort & personal service of our guests are the foundations on
which our
reputation is built. To maintain this service, our reputation, and to
ensure the safety of
each
individual as well as the group, the only member of a party allowed to
make a decision,
is your host. They are all well-trained, qualified, experienced and
well-versed in the various
Park rules & regulations, as well as general conduct in the preservation
of our heritage. Any
individual who refuses to accept these decisions, places the group in danger
or otherwise
compromises the normal running of the safari, will be expelled from the
group - immediately.
In such a case, this individual will forfeit any refund or claim for
compensation.
-
All
our prices and quotations will be offered in South African Rand (ZAR) which
deals at a
1:1
ratio with the Namibian Dollar (N$). We have decided on this currency
quote as the
International Currency Exchange rates vary too much and too often, sometimes
on a daily
basis. This will
enable us to "fix" our rates per safari for a specified period -
normally from
the 01 November
to the 31 October the following year.
GENERAL GUIDELINE TO EX- AND INCLUDED ITEMS PER QUOTED PRICE
(Only for hosted safaris.
These items are excluded for all self drive options)
A.
EXcluded
from the safari prices quoted:
- Airport taxes and return air
tickets to and from Namibia
- Pocket money and/or private/personal spending
- Purchases of any souvenirs, gifts, mementos or payment of gratuities
- General travel insurance – normally issued at point of departure
- Personal toiletries &
accessories, binoculars, cameras, films, discs, cartridges & batteries
- Optional
activities offered by private operators, not part of in-house activities
at lodgings
- Foodstuffs, drinks and beverages privately acquired
by guests, from licensed
establishments
(This includes ANY alcoholic drinks or other beverages, not automatically
included with meals)
- Any requested deviation
from the itinerary after acceptance - including route and/or
accommodation
B.
INcluded
in the safari prices quoted:
- Transfers from- and
to Namibia's International airport
during arrival &
departure
- Suitable
vehicle with driver, fuel, oil, maintenance and unexpected emergency repairs
- Drinks,
snacks & beverages available in the safari vehicle while
en-route
- All
entrance fees, permits and
local
guide fees required by Resorts, Nature
Reserves
and establishments visited (as included in each relevant itinerary)
- Full
time experienced host/guide for the duration of the safari
- Usually
most activities at lodging facilities, except for optional,
adrenalin activities - such
as those offered by private operators
in Swakopmund
-
We
do carry a set of reference material on all our vehicles. However, if you are
a keen
birder, we recommend that you bring your OWN, preferred bird book.
- Your
own, personalized sighting Check List, to keep track of Namibian Animals,
Birds
and Trees, viewed while on safari - issued as one Check List
per shared accommodation
The above lists are
general guidelines, detailed items to be either excluded or included will
be
attached with each specific safari itinerary and quotation, subject to the type
of safari chosen.
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