1. Booking Procedure:
A provisional booking will be made by us, on your request, at the lodges and camps you wish to visit. We will hold this for 14 days, thereafter we require a 25% non-refundable deposit to be made in order to confirm the booking. Upon receipt of the balance of payment, you will receive your vouchers, itinerary and additional information as confirmation of your reservation. We will then require your rooming lists, dietary requirements, estimated time of arrival and departure. PAYMENTS WILL BE REQUIRED IN FULL from 90 DAYS FROM TRAVEL DATE.
If we are doing a Lodge booking for you, all safety/transport details will be provided by us. If we are doing a FULL Self-drive itinerary for you (vehicle hire, campsites, national parks, activities etc), then we will provide all information. But if doing campsite/national parks bookings on your behalf on an itinerary provided to us by yourselves – then you are responsible for all logistics and planning. It will not be our responsibility to provide all details (safety, distances, GPS coordinates etc). We are available for any advice/help but are not responsible if you travel without all information (unless being paid to do so, on a FULL self-drive package).
A once of fee of BWP600.00 will be charged for our services
2. Foothills Cancellation Policy:
Cancellations are only effective on receipt of written notification.
The scale of charges, expressed as a percentage of the tour and invoice price, is as follows:
- 60 or more days’ notice – Deposit (25%) forfeited,
- 59 to 30 days’ notice – 50% forfeited
- Less than 30 days’ notice – 100% forfeited.
NB: We are not liable, for any cancellation Refund , however any Refund available ,will be
considered as per each company's Policy.
Should a guest fail to arrive on the travel date, without notice - no refund will be due/made.
NB: ALL REFUNDS EXCLUDES THE BOOKING FEE OF BWP600
NB: ALL REFUNDS EXCLUDES THE 5% SURCHARGE FOR PAYMENTS MADE BY CARD
.
Please note, any Government levies or fees (National Parks & Government camping fees) will not be refunded in any
way if paid to the Botswana Government on your behalf, at any stage. (the same being true for Khwai Community
Campsites, Mababe Community Trust Campsites, Tshaa, Dizhana, Dijara & Mbudi Campsites)
3. Refunds:
Whilst the Company endeavors to ensure that all anticipated accommodation is available as planned, there shall be no claim of any nature whatsoever against the Company for a refund either in the whole or part, if any accommodation or excursion is unavailable and a reasonable alternative is not found by the Properties booked. If the guest is unable to use any service provided in the itinerary, then there are no refunds due. Refunds will not be made if the client has expressed concern with regards to wildlife populations, weather conditions, or accessibility to the various amenities in the surrounding areas. Foothills Travel reserves the right to change the itinerary of the tour should certain campsites, lodges or National Parks become unavailable for whatever reason. The booking will be substituted with another option of similar value. Foothills Travel takes no responsibility if products bought and lodges booked are not at your expectations due to marketing and advertising by the lodge owners. As a busy safari business, refunds will be made at a time suitable for us, but within 6 months from date of travel.
4. Prices:
We do our utmost to keep to the prices published and accurate from various Properties. Should increases be forced on us by airlines, exchange rates, etc, we reserve the right to surcharge without notice. Our Safari Lodge prices include all meals as stated on your booking form. Drinks are only included if stated as so. Guests are not permitted to bring their own food or drinks into our Lodges. There are cash bars available at most our lodges and our boat stations. This excludes the campsite, as campers are allowed their own drinks and meals. Meals are available at our lodges for campers, at the prices stipulated by the Camp Managers of those businesses.
5. Age Limits in Camps and Lodges:
There are age limits at some Lodges and Camps. However, if you have children you will be advised accordingly. Children may be allowed to share accommodation at different rates with their parents in lodges that accept children. Rules and Regulations will be clearly stated by us on your booking sheet. Failure to state the correct age of children will be the responsibility of the Client and not Foothills Travel and penalties charged by the different lodges will be for the Client’s account. Some lodges require you to pay for private, separate vehicles from other clients. We will let you know which lodges require this, at the time of booking.
6. Travel itineraries:
We require your estimated time of arrival at our Lodges. This is due to the fact that any bush experience here to the lodges is done via dirt roads. If guests get stuck in the sand, we advise that you wait in your vehicles for our Lodge Managers who, if given correct estimated arrival times by guests, can come and look for you. 4x4 vehicles in Botswana are required and this has been advertising and advised by us. If you wish to travel without 4x4, travel is done at your own risk and no refund will be given for guests unable to complete their travels due to road conditions.
7. Campsite:
National Park campsites hold a maximum capacity of 8 persons (& 3 vehicles) per campsite and we will confirm this with you on booking. In our High Season, or over Public Holidays, please note that the rights of the various campsite owners are reserved, in having to share spacing between groups. This will not fall on the responsibility of Foothills Travel. Guests may have to share an ablution block (Ablutions include a Toilet cubicle with flushing seated toilet).
If you get to any campsite and have to share with other travelers, due to any unfortunate incident – this will not be our responsibility (the responsibility falls soley on the campsite operator and our duty to you is to help communicate between yourselves. We are not responsible for any double bookings – we do not operator these booking sheets.
Failure to state the correct number of persons travelling will be at the Client’s expense and we will take no responsibility or penalty for this. Taking extra people with you on holiday (unpaid for) will not be on our account.
A staff member of the campsite will come around to clean your campsite and remove refuse, please do not litter in the campsites or surrounding self-drive game routes. Self-drive game routes are specifically marked in some game concessions, due to the Concession rights, and the Lodge Managers will point these out to you. Guests are not allowed to drive on unmarked roads for their safety.
Most campsites have a tank to supply water to the site (Please Note: Not suitable for drinking), a Shower cubicle with pull-up bucket shower (fire buckets are provided to heat up shower water) and a centre cubicle with hand basin, tap with running cold water and in the National Parks, full ablution cemented buildings are provided. Hot water is often provided, but not guaranteed and we take no responsibility for this whatsoever. Buying firewood BEFORE you reach any National Park campsite is your own responsibility. You may not collect firewood inside any National Park by law.
Camps are unfenced and dangerous animals can, and do, wander through the camps. Children are to be supervised at all times. Do not approach any wild animals too closely. It is dangerous. Never feed any animals, however inquisitive they appear to be. Walking, unless on a pre-arranged guided tour, is not allowed.
8. Payment:
All bank charges for bank transfers are for the customers’ account. Payment may be made by cash, credit card (with use of our Virtual Card Service (VCS) Online System and at a 5% bank surcharge), or bank transfer. Please ensure a copy of the payment receipt is copied to us, via email
9. Baggage (If using light charter aircraft for inward or onward add-ons):
For safety and because space is restricted, baggage in charter aircraft is restricted to a maximum of 20kg per person in a soft bag. This includes camera equipment and carry-on baggage. Baggage on charter flights must be in SOFT bags.
10. Insurance / Travel and Medical:
It is a condition of booking, that the sole responsibility lies with the guests to ensure that they carry the correct comprehensive travel and medical insurance to cover themselves, as well as any dependents/travelling companions for the duration of their trip to southern Africa. This insurance should include cover in respect of, but not limited to, the following eventualities: cancellation or curtailment of the safari, emergency evacuation expenses, medical expenses, repatriation expenses, damage/theft/loss of personal baggage, money and goods. The Company, including their representatives, employees and agents will take no responsibility for any costs, losses incurred or suffered by the guest, or guest’s dependents or travelling companions, with regards to, but not limited to, any of the abovementioned eventualities.
11. Responsibility:
Foothills Travel nor any person or agent, through or on behalf of the Company shall be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever arising from any cause whatsoever and, without restricting the generality of the foregoing, shall specifically, not be responsible for loss or damage arising from any errors or omissions contained in its brochure or other literature, loss or damage caused by delays, sickness, theft, injury or death. In addition, the Company shall have the right at any time at its discretion to cancel any safari or the remainder thereof or make any alteration in route, accommodation, price or other details. In the event of any safari being rendered impossible, illegal or inadvisable by weather, strike, war, government or interference or any other cause whatsoever, the extra expenses incurred as a result thereof shall be the responsibility of the passenger. The Company may at its discretion and without liability or cost to itself at any time cancel or terminate the guest’s booking and in particular without limiting the generality of the foregoing it shall be entitled to do so in the event of the illness or the illegal or incompatible behaviour of the guest, who shall in such circumstances not be entitled to any refund. The person making any booking will, by the making of such booking, warrant that he or she has authority to enter into a contract on behalf of the other person/s included in such a booking and in the event of the failure of any or all of the other persons so included to make payment, the person making the booking shall by his/her signature thereof assume personal liability for the total price of all bookings made by him/her.
12. Indemnity:
All guests are required to complete and sign an Indemnity Form on day of arrival at most lodges. These should be completed in truth, and for your safety.