The Fine Print!

Sabi Sands Lodges Reservations is an independent tour operator and is owned and marketed by "African Travel Consultants Group"

1. RESERVATIONS AND PAYMENTS

1.1 Reservations can be made by contacting The Reservations Department, Sabi Sands Lodges Reservations - African Travel Consultants, hereafter referred to as the "Company," through the central reservations center in Cape Town, South Africa.

1.2 Safaris are booked and confirmed only on receipt of a 30% advance payment of the basic program rate (there are, however, some exceptions of suppliers and operators who require a deposit of up to 50%). This advance payment is due within seven (7) days of confirming the arrangements. There shall be no binding contract until the advance payment has been received by African Travel Consultants. Failure to remit your advance payment on time will result in an automatic cancellation of any confirmed services and the possible inability to reinstate the booking. When African Travel Consultants receives your advance payment, a booking reference number will be assigned and noted on your original invoice. This number shall be deemed to constitute acceptance and confirmation of the booking. Your wire transfer authority will act as your receipt.

1. i) If African Travel Consultants is NOT making your complete travel arrangements for you, it will be necessary to furnish us with a copy of the CONFIRMATION OF YOUR TRANSPORTATION ARRANGEMENTS before we confirm our portion of your travel plans. African Travel Consultants cannot be liable for any penalties or losses incurred as a result of voluntary or involuntary changes to transportation schedules. It should be noted that African Travel Consultants will do everything in its power to fulfill all its contracted services based on the circumstances. African Travel Consultants will assist and act in clients best interest to minimize cancellation fees and delays.

1.3 The balance is due no later than sixty (60) days prior to commencement of the program. If the balance has not been received by that date, African Travel Consultants shall be entitled in its discretion to treat your reservation as canceled, and consequently to forfeit such part of the advance payment as determined solely by African Travel Consultants.

1.4 Any reservation made within sixty (60) days of commencement of a program may be accepted provided space is available, payment in full is received, and provided that confirmation documents can be delivered prior to departure.

1.5 African Travel Consultants will not provide tickets, coupons, vouchers or documents until full payment has been received. All deposits paid are paid on behalf of guests and all funds received will be always the property of clients traveling. 

1.6 African Travel Consultants will not accept responsibility for wire transfer and/or overnight mail charges.

1.7 No client will be permitted into the field without payment in full being received by African Travel Consultants for all services booked & confirmed.

1.8 Special airfares are capacity controlled and often sold out months in advance. In addition, many accommodations offered by African Travel Consultants have limited capacity. It is essential to make reservations well in advance to ensure your preferred arrangements.

1.9 It should be noted that when clients are only booking accommodation in one or two safari lodges, the cancellation policy of the lodge/s booked will stand as the governing terms and conditions of the said reservation.

2. CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS

2.1 Any cancellation of a booking must be in writing and shall only be effective upon its acknowledged receipt by African Travel Consultants. If written notification is received prior to 8 weeks before departure, your deposit is forfeited. If your cancellation is made within 8 weeks of departure, cancellation charges will be levied. The scale of charges, expressed as a percentage of the tour price, is as follows: More than 8 weeks notice - deposit forfeited (30% of tour fare) - Less than 8 weeks notice - deposit 30% plus 30% of the balance - Less than 4 weeks notice - deposit 30% plus 60% of the balance - Less than 3 weeks notice - deposit 30% plus 80 %  - Less than 2 weeks notice - 100%.

2.2 If you are a "no show," African Travel Consultants shall be entitled to treat your reservation as canceled without having given African Travel Consultants any notice, and the provisions of Paragraph 2.1 shall apply. (Please note that if the reason for cancellation falls within the terms of any holiday insurance policy held by you, such charges will normally be refunded by the insurance company, subject to the terms of the insurance).

2.3 Any request to amend or change a booking once it has been confirmed may be accommodated subject to space availability. If African Travel Consultants is able to assist, an administrative fee of $50 per change will be assessed. These fees will be added to your final invoice.

2.4 No refunds are given:

(1) for lost travel time or substitution of facilities, (2) for itineraries amended after departure, (3) for circumstances arising beyond African Travel Consultants’ control, necessitating alternative arrangements being made to ensure the safety and/or further participation and enjoyment of your program, (4) if you do not appear for any accommodation, service, sightseeing or trip segment without notifying African Travel Consultants, or (5) if you leave your program after it has begun, or miss any scheduled sightseeing, activities, meals or accommodations, (6) if you suffer loss of services or inconvenience as a result of traveling without the correct documentation, including passports, visas and inoculation certificates.

** It should be noted that African Travel Consultants will do its best to assist clients with their refund process and in most cases, the cancellation policy of the relevant lodge/camp/hotel/service provider will apply. We encourage our clients to take adequate travel insurance cover.

3. FOR YOUR INFORMATION

3.1 The information contained on this site is an invitation to do business and not an offer. African Travel Consultants and all affiliate websites act herein as agents for our respective business partners and therefore any agreement resulting from the acceptance of an order is deemed to be an agreement between the relevant business partner and yourself.

3.2 African Travel Consultants acts as booking agent for hotels, airlines, air charters, bus companies, ground transportation, boat purveyors or owners, and other independent contractors providing accommodations, transportation, and/or other services abroad. Each of these companies is an independent corporation with its own management and is not subject to the control of African Travel Consultants, including, but not limited to, various overseas ground operators.

3.3 All bookings like those described above are accepted by African Travel Consultants, as agent for independent overseas ground operators. The transportation, accommodations and other services provided by the ground operators are offered subject to the terms and conditions contained in the tickets, exchange orders or vouchers issued by them and/or their suppliers. Because African Travel Consultants does not have the right to control the operations of the independent operators and their suppliers, IT CANNOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY PERSONAL INJURY OR PROPERTY DAMAGE which may arise out of these services. African Travel Consultants reserves the right to cancel any itinerary or any part of it, to make such alterations in the itinerary as it deems necessary or desirable, to refuse to accept or to retain as a member of any program any person at any time, and to pass on to program members any expenditure incurred by delays or events beyond its control. In case of any appreciable variation in its cost, African Travel Consultants reserves the right to adjust its rates.

3.4 The website www.sabisandslodges.com is an independent tour operators, owned and operated by African Travel Consultants Pty Ltd – based in Cape Town, South Africa.  Registration number 2015 / 104132 / 07.

4. RISKS

4.1 African Travel Consultants draws your attention to the fact that there are certain inherent risks involved in participating in the type of trips sold by African Travel Consultants. African Travel Consultants will ask you to sign a Release to acknowledge this warning and also to release and hold harmless African Travel Consultants from any damages that may result.

4.2 It is your sole responsibility to take all appropriate medical advice prior to departure as to whether or not you are fit enough to undertake the trip booked. African Travel Consultants shall not be liable for illness, injury or death sustained on a program sold by African Travel Consultants which is not due to the gross negligence of African Travel Consultants, its officers, employees, authorized representatives or agents whomsoever.

5. FORCE MAJEURE

5.1 "Force Majeure" means, in relation to African Travel Consultants, any circumstances beyond the reasonable control of African Travel Consultants (including, but without limitation, acts of God, explosion, flood, tempest, fire or accident, war or threat of war, sabotage, insurrection, civil disturbance, or requisition, sickness, quarantine, government intervention, weather conditions or other unexpected occurrences).

5.2 If African Travel Consultants is affected by Force Majeure it shall forthwith notify you of the nature and extent thereof.

5.3 African Travel Consultants shall not be deemed to be in breach of these terms and conditions or otherwise be liable to you, by reason of delay in performance, or by non-performance, of any of its obligations hereunder to the extent that any such delay or non-performance is due to any Force Majeure.

5.4 If African Travel Consultants is affected by Force Majeure it shall be entitled to, and may in its sole and absolute discretion, vary or cancel any itinerary or arrangement in relation to the trip. Payment of any refund by African Travel Consultants to you as a result of the non-performance of any of African Travel Consultants' obligations hereunder shall remain in its sole and absolute discretion although African Travel Consultants shall use its reasonable endeavors to reimburse you where possible. However, African Travel Consultants shall be entitled to deduct from any refund recoverable the reasonable actual and potential costs to African Travel Consultants of the Force Majeure.

5.5 Regarding civil unrest, once African Travel Consultants has investigated the prevailing situation as it deems fit, it shall remain in African Travel Consultants' sole and absolute discretion whether to proceed with the trip. You may in such circumstances cancel the trip. However, if, after having made all reasonable and proper inquiries, African Travel Consultants is of the opinion that the trip may proceed, no refund will be payable to you and the provisions of Paragraph 2 shall apply.

6. INSURANCE

6.1 African Travel Consultants strongly recommends that clients obtain the following types of insurance which are commercially available: Accidental death and disability, Emergency medical evacuation, Trip cancellation, Major Medical and Loss of personal effects.

7. SURCHARGES & EXCHANGE RATES

7.1 African Travel Consultants cannot be held liable when, through circumstances beyond our control, a third party supplier imposes a price increase on their product/s after the client has paid any monies toward such services. However, African Travel Consultants shall act in the interests of the client to ensure any such surcharge be not applicable to the client or that the client be given the option of canceling the arrangement without penalty or prejudice to the client or African Travel Consultants.

It should be noted that such situations are extremely rare.

7.2 When credit card payments are processed, the exchange rate is based on the mid market rate as displayed on www.xe.com or Google Currency Exchange tool on the day of transaction of payment.

8. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

These terms and conditions govern the relationship between African Travel Consultants and you, to the total exclusion of any other terms and conditions. No alteration to the terms and conditions may be made by any of African Travel Consultants employees, authorized representatives or agents, unless in writing by an authorized officer of African Travel Consultants. All decisions and matters subject to African Travel Consultants’ discretion shall be made by an authorized officer of African Travel Consultants.

9. CARRIAGE BY LAND. SEA AND AIR

9.1 Carriage by Land, Sea and Air is subject to the terms and conditions of the carrier with whom you travel and to international conventions, some of which may limit liability. Land, Sea and Air travel are also subject to operational decisions of carriers and air and sea ports which may result in cancellations, delays or diversions, over which African Travel Consultants has no control and for which African Travel Consultants accepts no liability whatsoever.

9.2 The passenger contract in use by the airline carriers concerned, when issued, shall constitute the sole contract between the transportation companies and the purchaser of these programs and/or the passengers. The co-operating carriers working with African Travel Consultants are South African Airways, Air Namibia, British Airways, Air Zimbabwe, and Air Botswana along with all IATA and ARC carriers.

9.3 CHARTER FLIGHTS

9.3.1 Charter flights booked with specific departure times are strictly adhered to, and a "no shows" will be charged in full. Incoming passengers coming off private or scheduled flights arriving 30 minutes or more after scheduled arrival times will be treated as "no shows" and charged accordingly.

9.3.2 It is an expressed condition that passengers' luggage is limited to 12kg. Only soft hold-all type bags will be permitted.

10. BAGGAGE

Temporary or permanent loss of baggage is the responsibility of you or the carrier.

11. TRAVEL DOCUMENTS, VISAS AND VACCINATIONS

It is your responsibility to ensure that passports, visas, travel permits, health certificates, inoculations, international driving license, or other documentation required for the trip are obtained and are in order. It is your responsibility to meet any additional costs incurred either by yourself (or by African Travel Consultants on your behalf) as a result of any failure by you to comply with such requirements. African Travel Consultants may offer advice on such matters, but the onus is on the client to fully acquaint themselves with any necessary visa and inoculation requirements. African Travel Consultants may not be held liable for any failure on the part of a client to be in possession of the correct travel documentation.

12. SPECIAL REQUESTS

You must advise African Travel Consultants in writing of any special requests; e.g. diet, facility or physical handicap, when you submit your reservation request to African Travel Consultants. African Travel Consultants will meet such requests, if possible.

13. INFORMATION IN THE TRAVEL PROPOSALS

All information given in African Travel Consultants’ travel proposals is, to the best of African Travel Consultants’ knowledge, correct at the time of going to print but African Travel Consultants reserves the right to change same. The information provided in this travel proposals convey typical scenes experienced and details on each destination; but the subject matter may not necessarily be experienced in the exact detail thereof while visiting that destination.

14. DISPUTES

If you have any cause for complaint while traveling, you must immediately bring it to the attention of African Travel Consultants’ local representative. 

15. CONSENT

The payment of the advance payment OR any other partial payment for a reservation on a safari constitutes consent to all provisions of the conditions and general information contained in African Travel Consultants’ Internet Pages, Brochures, Invoice and Travel Documents. The terms under which you agree to take these safaris cannot be changed or amended except in writing signed by an authorized officer of African Travel Consultants.

16. CONDITION OF BOOKING

You shall comply with the instructions of African Travel Consultants’ representatives at all times. No Client shall be accepted or be permitted to continue on a program while their status or mental or physical condition is, in the opinion of any representative of African Travel Consultants, such as to render them incapable of caring for themselves or make themselves objectionable to other Clients or become a hazard to themselves or other Clients and African Travel Consultants will not be responsible for expenses by such persons precluded from completing the program for this reason.

17. NOTICE OF ENFORCEABILITY

Please remember, when you book travel related services with African Travel Consultants, you are entering into a binding agreement that assumes all terms and conditions are fully understood as stated ion our pages.

18. YOUR AIRLINE RESERVATION AGENT'S RESPONSIBILITY

At African Travel Consultants, we are very proud of our relationship with the travel trade throughout the world. To facilitate the reservations process for you, African Travel Consultants requests your Travel Agent to provide you with thorough communications and all necessary documentation pertaining to your Air Ticket bookings, which are NOT made or paid for via one of our websites. The Air Schedules displayed on our site are for information only. The onus is on the traveler to ensure that these tickets are booked and paid for via your local Booking Agent.

19. YOUR PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

The onus is on all individual/s concerned to fully acquaint themselves with the Terms and Conditions document and all matters such as visas, required documentation, payment schedules and cancellation policies. African Travel Consultants will assist you to the best of its ability in providing answers and information pertaining to your booking/s. Should you not find the information required on the site, the onus is on the individual to forward any and all such requests to African Travel Consultants, which shall endeavor to the best of their ability to assist the traveler.

It Should be noted that www.sabisandslodges.com is owned and operated by "African Travel Consultants Group"