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GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS |
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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 five distinct advantages:
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). Because your reservations are handled by a Namibian-registered safari operator, NO deposit will be necessary before the 30-days TWO EXCEPTIONS!! 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. Secondly, ANY reservations made along the Namibian coast for accommodation during December/January of any year, will require a non-refundable deposit of 50% to the lodging venues involved. This period is the high season at the coast, and HAN has allowed this ruling to protect their members (the accommodation facilities) against the many cancellations and changes received during this period. 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 1. Either browse our site & sample itineraries, or go directly to our Information Request Form 2. 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, if ever, 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 regard 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. 4. CANCELLATION POLICY - We again adhere to this policy in accordance with the guidelines as set out by HAN. ANY cancellation made before the 30-day due date for full payment, will carry zero costs. For all other cancellations, a percentage of the payment will be retained to cover cancellation- and administration costs at the various venues involved, as follows: 28 - 22 days prior to arrival 25% 21 - 15 days prior to arrival 50% 14 - 07 days prior to arrival 75% 07 days or less prior to arrival plus Non-arrivals 100% INSURANCE GUIDELINES: a) Health InsuranceIt is suggested that you obtain 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/non-hosted safari. BASIC RESPONSIBILITIES AND CONDITIONS OF SOUTHERN SKIES 1. 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). 2. 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. 3. The safety & comfort of-, & personal service to 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. 4. 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
B. INcluded in the safari prices quoted:
* 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. |