EXPLORE PLUS TRAVEL & TOURS 

Booking Terms & Conditions 

Please read the following booking conditions carefully, as they set out the terms and conditions of the contract  between you (“you” and “your” means all persons named on the booking form) and eXplore Plus Travel & Tours  (refers to as eXplore+ in the terms and conditions). We act as booking agents for the suppliers of the component  parts of the holiday we organise, and as such, bookings for their services will form a direct contract between you and  the relevant supplier and will be subject to that supplier's standard terms and conditions. 

FORCE MAJEURE 

EXPLORE PLUS TRAVEL & TOURS (eXplore+) and/or its agents regret we cannot accept liability or pay any  compensation where the performance or prompt performance of our obligations under our contract with you is  prevented or affected by or you otherwise suffer any damage, loss or expense of any nature as a result of "force  majeure". In these booking conditions, "force majeure" means any event which the supplier of the service/s in  question or we could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events may include actual or threatened  war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, fire  and all similar events outside our control. Advice from a Foreign Office to avoid or leave a particular country may  constitute Force Majeure. 

PAYMENTS 

To confirm your chosen holiday, a 30% deposit (group tour deposits might verify) [PLUS relevant tracking permits  costs for activities such as the gorilla, chimpanzee and golden monkey tracking] of the full itinerary cost (or full  payment if booking within 7 weeks of the start of your holiday) must be paid at the time of booking. The balance of  the holiday cost must be received by us not less than 7 weeks before the start of your holiday. This date will be  shown on your booking confirmation. While we endeavour to send reminders, it is ultimately your responsibility to  make payment of the balance 7 weeks prior. We reserve the right to treat the booking as cancelled by you if the  balance due is not paid when due. Deposits will be lost if the reason for cancellation is non-payment. Bookings  shall be considered full and paid up once the money reflects in our account. 

Prices quoted exclude any financial transaction charges. Please note that you are responsible for the cost of any/all  bank charges incurred in any of the payment processes. All payments must be made in the currency in which the  quotation was accepted. 

GENERAL CANCELLATIONS TERMS 

These cancellation terms will ONLY be waivered if clients cannot travel due to COVID 19 related terms as set out  below under COVID 19 FLEXABILITY TERMS. 

Should you or any member of your party need to cancel your holiday once it has been confirmed, the person must  immediately advise us in writing. Your notice of cancellation will only be valid when it is received in writing by us at  our offices. As we incur costs from the time we confirm your booking, the following cancellation charges will be  payable. Where the cancellation charge is shown as a percentage, this is calculated by the total cost payable by the  person/s cancelling. 

You will be liable to pay the following cancellation charges based on the period before the start of your holiday  within which written notification of cancellation is received by us: 

More than 91 days: 30% (deposit) 

90 to 60 days before travel: 50% 

59 to 0 days before travel (including after the trip has started): 100% 

Airfare cancellations: Where booking includes airfare/s and tickets are issued, the relevant cancellation charges are  levied by the airline. In some circumstances, this may be 100% of the total fare, regardless of when cancellation is  affected. Refund policies of the various carriers vary greatly. Tickets returned to eXplore+ will be presented to the  relevant airline for assessment. Should a refund be authorised, such refund will be made to you, after cancellation or administration charges have been deducted. Refunds may take up to 12 weeks to process although this time  frame cannot be guaranteed by eXplore+. 

Cancellation charges for special activity tracking permits: 

If your booking includes a gorilla, chimpanzee, or golden monkey tracking permit (we pay these fees to the relevant  authorities to secure the permits once we receive your money) the permit fees with being non-refundable as per the  booking rules of the relevant issuing authorities.

By the international policy adopted by tour operators eXplore+ reserves the right to cancel any tour before  departure in which event the entire payment will be refunded without any further obligation on the part of the  Company. 

COVID FLEXABILITY TERMS 

Anyone (including fellow travellers) who cannot travel due to COVID 19 travel restriction 30 days and more prior to  departure can postpone their trip on the following terms: 

• Clients can postpone their travel to any time or season for up to 12 months from the original travel date. Rules  around the postponement are subject to third party supplier negotiation and will be dealt with on a case-by-case  basis. 
• If the client prefers to travel during a different month/season (e.g., high, standard, low season) prices will be  adjusted according to the month/season they reschedule to travel. 
• Should a client need to postpone their travel to a future date, please note that airline tickets are subject to  airline regulations and re-booking terms. 
• If the postponed booking, according to your new travel dates is of greater value, you will need to pay the  difference. 

Our ability to postpone bookings less then 30 days of date of departure is subject to the terms and conditions  offered by our suppliers. We always aim to negotiate the most favourable terms with our suppliers but where they  offer less flexible terms and conditions, we will communicate this clearly at the time of request to postpone. 

Cancellation charges for special activity permits: 

Suppose your booking includes a gorilla, chimpanzee, or golden monkey trekking permit (we pay these fees to the  relevant authorities to secure the permits once we receive your money). In that case, the permit fees are non refundable per the relevant issuing authorities’ booking rules. 

The Rwanda Gorilla Trekking special permits of US$500 is also non-refundable. Clients can postpone their dates to  travel while the special is available – until 31 December 2022. 

Once a booking has been postponed to new dates, our standard cancellation and payment terms and conditions will  apply to the new travel dates. 

PARK FEES & TAXES 

Park Fees, fuel, government taxes & VAT are statutory rates and are subject to change without prior notice at the  discretion of authorities. eXplore+ reserves the right to increase the tour prices to cover increases in such fees  which are beyond our control (even after your packages is paid in full). Proof/confirmation of any increases that are  beyond our control will be shared as confirmation. 

SPECIAL REQUESTS AND MEDICAL CONDITIONS / DISABILITIES 

IF you have any special request, you must advise us at the time of booking. Although we will endeavour to pass any  reasonable requests on to the relevant supplier, we regret we cannot guarantee any request will be met. Failure to  meet any special request will not be a breach of contract on our part. If you or any member of your party has any  medical conditions or disability which may affect your holiday or has any special requirements as a result of any  medical condition or disability, please tell us before you confirm your booking so that we can assist you in  considering the suitability of the arrangements and/or making the booking. You must also promptly advise us if any  medical condition or disability which may affect your holiday develops after your booking has been confirmed. 

BEHAVIOUR & DAMAGES 

If eXplore+ considers any client as an unsuitable person for any tour, it may in its absolute discretion, cancel such  client’s booking or decline to carry such person further. It is your responsibility to ensure that you and the members  of your party travelling with you do not behave in a way which causes offence or danger to others or which risks  damage to property belonging to others. In such circumstances all suppliers (e.g., hotel managers, airline pilots) and  eXplore+ have the right to terminate arrangements made on your behalf, in which case eXplore+ responsibility to you  ceases immediately. Therefore, eXplore+ will not be liable for any refunds, payment of compensation or  reimbursement of any cost or expenses incurred as a result. Further, you will be liable to reimburse eXplore+ or the  supplier for any expenses whatsoever that it incurs as a result of such behaviour. 

All baggage including personal items is at all times and in all circumstances at “owner’s risk”. 

CHANGES / UNSCHEDULED EXTENSIONS 

Should you wish to make any changes to your confirmed holiday, you must notify us in writing. A change of holiday  dates and other substantial changes (particularly if 7 weeks or less before the start of your holiday) will generally be  treated as a cancellation of the original booking and rebooking in which case cancellation charges might apply.  Changes may result in the recalculation of the holiday price where, for example, the basis on which the price of the  original holiday was calculated has changed. 

In the unlikely event of there being an unscheduled extension to the holiday caused by flight delays or due to “force  majeure” (see above), which is beyond the control of eXplore+, it is understood that expenses relating to these  unscheduled extensions will be for your account. 

PROTECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION ACT (POPIA) 

eXplore Plus Travel & Tours is fully compliant to the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) as required by  South African law. Any personal information you send to eXplore+ will only be used for the purpose intended and to  enhance your experience on our tours. We will not disclose your personal information to any party which is not part  of eXplore+ or its partners who are involve in your booking without consent. 

By signing our booking conditions, you confirm that you are the responsible party acting on behalf of the other  people whose names appear on this booking form, and you have their consent to send us their personal Information. Your details have been added to our database for future product updates and specials. Should you wish to  unsubscribe at any point, you will find a link at the bottom of our communications to unsubscribe. Should you like to know more about our POPIA policy please contact us directly. 

TRAVEL INSURANCE 

We consider adequate and appropriate travel insurance to be ESSENTIAL. Your travel insurance must cover death,  personal injury, medical expenses, rescue and repatriation (including the flying doctor service) in the event of medical  need/death, cancellation, curtailment and adequate cover for loss or damage to personal belongings (including  valuable items such as photographic equipment). eXplore+ will not be responsible or liable if the client fails to take  adequate insurance cover or at all. Once the insurance has been confirmed and paid for, the client will be issued with  a policy document of the insurer. It is a complex document, which must be READ BEFORE you initiate your travel so  that you can address any queries you may have to the insurer BEFORE your departure and please take the documents  with you on holiday. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance cover you purchase is suitable and adequate  for your particular needs. As we act as a third party (only selling the travel insurance), we therefore not allowed to  offer any advice on travel insurance policies wording, cover, etc. 

If declining travel insurance offered by us, you’re wavering eXplore Plus from any responsibility should anything  happen to you whilst travelling. 

TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN 

New Immigration Amendment Act 

The new regulations, effective on 01 June 2015, require that all parents arriving, transiting, and departing from SA  produce an unabridged birth certificate for their children. Families not in possession of these documents will be  refused to travel. In the case where only one parent is travelling with the children, consent in the form of an affidavit  from the other parent registered is required. Alternatively, either a court order granting full parental responsibilities  and rights, or a death certificate of the other parent must be produced. 

PASSPORTS, VACCINATIONS, VISAS & INOCULATIONS 

It is entirely the client's duty to ensure that all passports & visas are current, valid, obtained on time and that any  vaccinations, inoculations, prophylactics (e.g., for malaria) and the like, where required, have been obtained.  Requirements can change, and it is the Clients' responsibility to ensure that they comply with current passport, visa  and health requirements and take all necessary documents with them to gain access to any country or region which  forms part of the tour. The Client will be solely responsible for any cost, loss or damage which he or the Company  incurs as a result of a failure to obtain all necessary passports, visas and/or vaccinations. Please note that anyone  travelling abroad is obliged to have a valid passport with a minimum of 6 months validity from the date of return with at least 3 blank pages. 

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS 

Documents (vouchers, itineraries, tickets, etc.) are only prepared for receipt of full payment of the package price. It  is essential that you check all details of your travel documents (including your itinerary) when you receive it. If there are any inaccuracies on any of your travel documents, or should you have any further queries, you should contact us  immediately. eXplore+ will not be liable for any delay and/or loss occasioned as a result of any inaccuracies on any  travel documents once you tour commenced. 

BREAK-AWAYS & REFUNDS 

Except for verifiable extenuating circumstances, refunds are not made for any missed tour services. While it is possible  to break away from the planned holiday itineraries, it is understood that such breakaways will be for the passenger’s  account and there will be no refunds under any circumstances for unused services unless prior arrangements have  been made with eXplore+. Refunds will not be made for remaining sightseeing trips or meals. 

COMPLAINS 

In the unlikely event that you have any reason to complain, or experience any problems with your holiday while away,  you must immediately inform the supplier of the services in question. If you are still dissatisfied, you must notify  eXplore+ immediately to enable us to resolve the problem. Failure to give us the opportunity to resolve any problem  at the time it occurs may result in either a reduction or complete extinction, of any rights which you may have to claim  compensation. If you remain dissatisfied, however, you must write to us within 7 days of your return giving your  booking reference and full details of your complaint. 

Physical address: Opal Crescent, Pebble Rock Golf Village, Kameelfontein, South Africa, 0129

Postal address: Postnet Suite 274, Private Bag X4, Menlo Park, Pretoria, South Africa, 0102