Terms and Conditions

Summary

These Terms and Conditions apply to all tours booked/reserved through Wildfinder Tours & Safaris, a local company based in Arusha, Tanzania. They establish the contractual agreement between Wildfinder Tours & Safaris and you. It is essential to read and understand these Terms and Conditions carefully. By booking a tour with Wildfinder Tours & Safaris, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and agreed to be bound by them. You are deemed to have accepted these Terms and Conditions on behalf of all persons named in the booking. All members of the group thereby signal their consent to and compliance with these Terms and Conditions. The person who made the booking is designated as the primary contact for all other members named in that booking.

Deposits & Final Payments

Upon receipt of your signed booking form, Wildfinder Tours & Safaris will send you the invoice without delay. The deposit of 40% is due without undue delay upon receipt of the invoice and serves to initiate the essential booking procedures and preparations. Payment instructions will be provided by email. The remaining balance for the booked tour must be paid no later than 8 weeks before the start of the tour. For bookings made less than 8 weeks before the start of the tour, the full tour price (100%) is due with the invoice, likewise without undue delay. All payments to Wildfinder Tours & Safaris should be free of bank charges and credit card transaction surcharges.

Booking Agreement

Wildfinder Tours & Safaris will send you the booking form once all availabilities have been confirmed and you have confirmed the tour. These Terms and Conditions are enclosed with every booking form. You sign the booking form and return it to Wildfinder Tours & Safaris. With the signature on the booking form, the booking becomes binding and these Terms and Conditions take effect. Upon receipt of the signed documents, Wildfinder Tours & Safaris will send you a booking confirmation. If you sign the booking form, you must be at least 18 years old and undertake to provide Wildfinder Tours & Safaris with comprehensive and accurate information, as requested, in order to complete the booking. If you sign the booking form for a booking in which further persons are named in addition to you, you confirm that:

• You have the authority to make such a booking on behalf of all other persons named in the booking and have passed on all essential information to them.
• The information provided about all persons named in the booking is thorough and accurate, and you have obtained all necessary consents and permissions to share such information with Wildfinder Tours & Safaris.

Cancellation Terms

In the event of a cancellation of your tour, Wildfinder Tours & Safaris asks you to notify Wildfinder Tours & Safaris in writing. The cancellation fees apply from the signing of the booking form. To offset the estimated loss caused by your cancellation, cancellation fees per person will be charged as described below:

If Wildfinder Tours & Safaris cancels

Although it is extremely rare for Wildfinder Tours & Safaris to cancel a confirmed booking, it always endeavours to avoid such circumstances. However, Wildfinder Tours & Safaris reserves the right to cancel under certain conditions. Wildfinder Tours & Safaris will not cancel a confirmed holiday less than 60 days before departure unless it is forced to do so as a result of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond its control which could not have been avoided even with all due care. In the event that Wildfinder Tours & Safaris cancels your tour (except where you have failed to make payment or where force majeure applies), it will offer you the opportunity to purchase from it an alternative tour of a comparable standard, where available, within the same time frame. If the chosen alternative is cheaper than your original tour, Wildfinder Tours & Safaris will refund you the difference. If it is more expensive, Wildfinder Tours & Safaris will charge the difference. Alternatively, you are entitled to a full refund of all costs already paid to Wildfinder Tours & Safaris. Unfortunately, Wildfinder Tours & Safaris cannot refund any costs or losses incurred as a result of the cancellation.

Force Majeure

“Force majeure” refers to circumstances beyond the control of Wildfinder Tours & Safaris, including but not limited to acts of God, explosions, floods, storms, fires, accidents, war or threat of war, sabotage, insurrection, civil disturbance or requisition, sickness, quarantine, government intervention, weather conditions or other external events. In the event of force majeure affecting Wildfinder Tours & Safaris, the company will inform you promptly of the nature and extent of the situation. Wildfinder Tours & Safaris shall not be deemed to be in breach of contract or liable due to force majeure. Wildfinder Tours & Safaris regrets to inform you that it cannot offer any compensation if the proper performance of its duty is hindered by events which it or the service providers involved could not have foreseen or prevented even with all due care. Such events may include war, terrorist activities, unforeseen government measures, insurrections, civil unrest, natural disasters, border closures, industrial disputes, fire, road closures, theft, epidemics, quarantines, disruption to land and air traffic, extreme weather conditions and other similar events beyond the control of Wildfinder Tours & Safaris. If Wildfinder Tours & Safaris is affected by force majeure, the company reserves the right, at its own discretion, to amend or cancel reservations or arrangements in connection with the tours. Any refunds issued by Wildfinder Tours & Safaris due to non-performance will be made as far as possible. However, Wildfinder Tours & Safaris may deduct from a refund the reasonable actual and potential costs incurred by the company as a result of the force majeure event.

Travel insurance

Wildfinder Tours & Safaris does not offer travel insurance. It is therefore your responsibility to take out travel insurance in your home country that includes the minimum recommended cover for medical expenses, medical evacuation and repatriation. Wildfinder Tours & Safaris strongly recommends that you extend your insurance cover to include cancellation and all other costs that may arise during your trip due to loss, damage, injury, delay or inconvenience. When taking out travel insurance, you must ensure that the insurer is informed of the nature of the planned trip in order to secure adequate cover for the tour in question.

Medical conditions

You are required to provide accurate and relevant medical information to Wildfinder Tours & Safaris when booking your tour. It is your responsibility to assess your own suitability and ability to participate in a tour with Wildfinder Tours & Safaris. Wildfinder Tours & Safaris recommends that you consult your doctor regarding your fitness for the booked tour. Wildfinder Tours & Safaris recommends that you seek medical advice to discuss any necessary vaccinations, medical precautions or other health-related considerations for your entire trip with Wildfinder Tours & Safaris. Wildfinder Tours & Safaris’ adventure tours may include visits to remote or less developed regions of Tanzania where medical facilities may not meet the standards of your home country. The quality of medical facilities in these areas varies, and Wildfinder Tours & Safaris makes no representations or warranties regarding the standard of such facilities or medical treatments in these regions.

Special requirements

Wildfinder Tours & Safaris endeavours to accommodate your special requests, such as dietary and accommodation preferences. However, it is important to note that such requests do not form part of these Terms and Conditions or of the contract between you and Wildfinder Tours & Safaris. Wildfinder Tours & Safaris cannot be held liable for any inability to consider or fulfil such requests.

Prices, surcharges and taxes

The published prices may change until the time of booking. With the booking confirmation, the tour price stated there is fixed. After the booking confirmation, Wildfinder Tours & Safaris does not levy any surcharges and does not change the tour price, not even in the event of increased costs, taxes, fees or exchange rates.

Changes to the itinerary

By booking a tour with Wildfinder Tours & Safaris, you acknowledge the inherent flexibility required for adventure travel, particularly in Africa, and agree to reasonable changes to the itinerary and/or route by Wildfinder Tours & Safaris. You understand that the route, schedules, departure times, accommodation, itineraries, amenities and modes of transport may be changed without prior notice due to various circumstances or events. These circumstances may include illness or mechanical breakdowns, incidents at the destination, flight cancellations, strikes, political disputes, entry or border difficulties, extremely poor weather and other unforeseeable circumstances beyond the reasonable control of Wildfinder Tours & Safaris. You acknowledge that Wildfinder Tours & Safaris is not liable for such changes or adjustments. Wildfinder Tours & Safaris is not obliged to provide discounts or refunds for missed or unused services due to circumstances beyond its control, including termination of your participation in the tour due to your fault, negligence or breach of these Terms and Conditions. Although Wildfinder Tours & Safaris endeavours to ensure that the booked tour proceeds as planned, it cannot guarantee strict adherence to the agreed itinerary. Wildfinder Tours & Safaris therefore reserves the right to change the itinerary where necessary or advantageous. An attempt will be made to inform you of changes before the start of the trip; however, Wildfinder Tours & Safaris is not obliged to do so, nor is it obliged to make any refunds resulting therefrom. Wildfinder Tours & Safaris has no control over the management of the accommodation providers used on its tours. Wildfinder Tours & Safaris may therefore in certain cases be informed by its accommodation providers that reserved accommodation is no longer available due to circumstances beyond its control. In such cases, Wildfinder Tours & Safaris will provide alternative accommodation of at least the same or a higher standard.

Risk

You acknowledge that Wildfinder Tours & Safaris’ tour products involve adventure activities and may carry significant risks to health and/or safety. By participating, you assume all of these risks and release Wildfinder Tours & Safaris from any claims for losses, damages, injuries or death resulting from the inherent risks of travel, including adventure travel, visits to wild and remote areas and participation in the adventure activities described in the itineraries. The standards of hygiene, accommodation and transport in some destinations may be lower than in your home country or region.

You acknowledge that Wildfinder Tours & Safaris provides information or guidance on local customs, weather conditions, safety concerns, physical challenges or applicable laws at the destinations to the best of its knowledge and belief. However, Wildfinder Tours & Safaris shall not be liable if you fail to act in accordance with the information provided.

You must strictly comply with all relevant laws and regulations in Tanzania and at the destinations. Any violation or the commission of illegal acts may result in the immediate termination of the travel arrangements by Wildfinder Tours & Safaris without liability, and you shall have no right to a refund for unused services or for costs incurred as a result of the termination, including return travel, accommodation, meals and incidental expenses.

You agree to take appropriate safety measures during Wildfinder Tours & Safaris’ adventure trips, including the proper use of safety equipment such as seat belts, harnesses and helmets, and compliance with posted signs and warnings. Neither Wildfinder Tours & Safaris nor its third-party providers shall be liable for your failure to follow safety instructions or recommendations.

Complaints

If you experience problems during your trip, you should inform the company’s management immediately at info@wildfindersafaris.com or by telephone on +49 211 94289111. All complaints submitted after completion of a tour must be communicated in writing to Wildfinder Tours & Safaris within 30 days of completion of the respective tour.

Third-party providers

Wildfinder Tours & Safaris arranges travel services and other components of your tour product through accommodation providers, event organisers, airlines, coach companies, transfer operators, excursion providers, tour guides and other independent entities (“third-party providers”). Although Wildfinder Tours & Safaris exercises reasonable care in selecting third-party providers, it does not monitor or supervise them directly and therefore cannot be held responsible for their actions or omissions. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Wildfinder Tours & Safaris disclaims all liability and accepts no responsibility for claims, losses, damages, costs or expenses arising from inconvenience, loss of enjoyment, disappointment, distress or frustration, whether physical or mental, resulting from the acts or omissions of parties outside Wildfinder Tours & Safaris and its employees.

Liability

Wildfinder Tours & Safaris shall not be liable for damages, expenses, losses or claims attributable to your fault, to unforeseeable or unavoidable acts or omissions of third parties not connected with the provision of travel services, or to force majeure. Wildfinder Tours & Safaris accepts no responsibility for the loss, theft of or damage to your luggage or personal belongings during the tour. You are advised not to leave personal belongings unattended in public areas, on means of transport or elsewhere, and you are responsible for your effects and belongings at all times.

Photography & Marketing

Wildfinder Tours & Safaris reserves the right to use all photographs and videos taken during the tours for marketing or other promotional purposes. By participating in the tour, you hereby consent to the use of such photographs and authorise the company to retain the copyright for these materials.

Amendments

Wildfinder Tours & Safaris reserves the right to update and/or amend these Terms and Conditions at any time, with the amended Terms and Conditions published on the Wildfinder Tours & Safaris website. Such amendments take effect 10 days after their publication on the website. The latest conditions, in amended form, can be accessed at any time on the Wildfinder Tours & Safaris website or will be made available to you upon written request. You are deemed to consent to any amendments to these Terms and Conditions 10 days after their publication on the website. Wildfinder Tours & Safaris recommends that you review the Terms and Conditions before your trip to ensure you are familiar with the most current version.

The German version of this text shall prevail.