Our Booking & Cancellation Policy

Booking Process

• You decide on an itinerary
• Bantu Pori checks lodge availability on safari and in Zanzibar
• We revise the itinerary and pricing if necessary
• Bantu Pori emails you an invoice, detailed itinerary and packing lists
• You pay the deposit
• Bantu Pori pays deposits on services in Tanzania
• Bantu Pori emails additional information about your trip including trip logistics, tipping guide, and emergency contact information
• You pay the balance 14 days prior to trip start date
• Bantu Pori emails final crew lists and any updates several days prior to the start of your trip

We arrange in-country travel including airport transfers, domestic flights, and hotel stays. We recommend that you purchase trip cancellation and emergency evacuation insurance.

Please visit World Nomads for a comparative review of insurance policies.

PRICES

All prices are in US dollars (US$) per person. Prices are based on costs at the time of publication. In creating your desired tour and itinerary, we may use independent suppliers. We reserve the right to change published prices at any time before booking is confirmed. In case the price increases for more than 5% (for entry fees, accommodation, fuel, etc.), we reserve the right to adjust the rates.
Prices in general include park entrance fees (except where specifically indicated otherwise), service charges, ground transportation, camping/lodge/hut costs, full board/a cook (three meals every day while on tour – with full board safaris you will start the tour on the first day with a lunch and finish it on the last day with a lunch), government taxes, English speaking drivers/guides/porters (also possible in other language – make sure to request a driver/guide/porter in other language before finalizing your booking), camping equipment, 4×4 vehicle, all expenses for drivers and vehicles while on tour (i.e. transfers, drive to camp/lodge/hut, game drives), unlimited game viewing within park opening hours, if not otherwise stated in your tour and itinerary.
Items of personal nature are excluded from our prices. Excluded from our prices as such are: airport taxes, landing fees (for charters), phone calls, Visas, toiletries, tips to drivers and porters, souvenirs, soft drinks, bottled water, alcoholic beverages, laundry, cigarettes, accommodation and meals before and after the tour/safari/itinerary, travel and personal insurance, any tour service requested that is not specifically stated in the itinerary, any other extras.

RESERVATION AND PAYMENT

After booking you will receive an invoice from Bantu Pori Journeys.
At receiving our invoice, you will have to pay a non-refundable deposit of 10%, for camping safaris, trekking tours and Kilimanjaro or other climbs. The non-refundable deposit for lodge safaris or hotel reservations is 15%.In case you booked only an accommodation with Bantu Pori you will need to pay the full price upon confirmation. All deposits need to be paid within 14 days of receiving our invoice to our bank account. We will consider only the actual amount transferred to our bank account as paid, all additional money transfer costs need to be paid by the client.
The remainder of the price needs to be paid minimum 2 weeks, 3 weeks for lodges and hotels, before the beginning of your tour. The client needs to make the payment in time; otherwise we reserve the right to cancel your bookings.

BOOKING CONDITIONS

Bookings should be made as early as possible to guarantee the desired tour, itinerary and departure day. Booking and reservation can be done by E-mail, by telephone or by using the booking form on our web page. Bookings made by telephone will be reserved for 5 working days with no obligation. With telephone reservations, you will still need to confirm your booking with sending us the completed booking form by e-mail or post with the proper deposit within 5 days, or otherwise your telephone reservation will not be accepted. Your booking is fully confirmed when we receive 30% of the non-refundable deposit on our bank account. Booking and our confirmation are considered as a binding contract between you and Bantu Pori Journeys. The client must be over 18. In case the client making a booking with Bantu Pori Journeys, is doing the booking for a group of passengers and not only for him/herself, the client warrants that he/she has all authority to signing a contract on behalf of all other persons mentioned in the booking form.
It is the client’s responsibility to inform other passengers, for whom they are signing or sending the booking form, about all the bookings and about our terms and conditions. All clients must read the terms and conditions on our web page. With the signing of the contract, the client confirms that he/she and all other passengers mentioned on the booking form have read, understood and agree to all of the terms and conditions of the tour. All of the passengers mentioned on the booking form agree to our payment conditions (payment of the deposit or any other partial payment or provisions for reservation, cancellation fees, etc.), whether they have directly signed the contract or not.
Before booking please make sure you have the correct names of all the passengers traveling with you. For tours and safaris you will also need to give us the information about each client’s nationality and date of birth. It is your responsibility to make sure that you have the correct names, nationality and dates of birth for each client who is traveling with you. Confirmed tours and itineraries cannot be transferred to any other date. You must check what is included in the price and inform us before booking if you do not agree or if something is not clear. Later complaints after booking will not be considered.

LATE BOOKING

For last minute reservations and bookings, less than 2 weeks before arrival, you will have to pay the remaining balance in cash at arrival and before your tour starts. Lodges and hotels are excluded from this rule, where full payment is necessary for a reservation. With late bookings the price of the itinerary might adjust, in case that at the time deposit is received accommodation at one or more hotels, huts or lodges might be fully booked. If that happens we will try to find proper accommodation in the same category. In that case the client needs to pay the difference.

CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS: CANCELLATION BY YOU

If you have to cancel your booking before departure, you must notice Bantu Pori Journeys in writing. The day we receive your written cancellation is considered as the cancellation date. All cancellations will be charged with a cancellation fee, depending on the number of days before the departure date. You will get a refund minus the cancellation fees charged by Bantu Pori Journeys plus any additional non-refundable cancellation fees and money already paid in advance to hotels, airlines and local operators. We strongly recommend you take cancellation insurance for the total itinerary cost. Also the failure to deliver the complete payment by the due date will be considered as cancellation by the client. In this case we will also apply cancellation fees as stated below. The cancellation fees are as follows: 41 – 60 days: 30% of total invoice 31 – 40 days: 40% of the total invoice 21 – 30 days: 50% of the total invoice 11 – 20 days: 60% of the total invoice 02 – 10 days: 70% of the total invoice Within 48 hours and after commencement of holidays: 100% of the total invoice, no refund.

CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS: CANCELLATION BY US

We reserve the right to cancel any arrangements. Should this happen we will arrange an alternative choice for you, with paying or receiving a refund regarding the price difference or a full refund of all sums already paid. If we have to stop the tours after departure because circumstances of acts of God or force majeure, we cannot make any refunds or give you any compensation for unused services or any additional costs on your behalf. If any already paid service or transportation has been canceled by Bantu Pori Journeys , you will get the whole refund for all sums paid to Bantu Pori Journeys for the canceled service. You will get a refund for canceled services by Bantu Pori Journeys within 20 days after cancellation and within 30 days for canceled services by sub-contractors or after receiving money from sub-contractors.
Subject to refund are all sums paid by clients minus the airline ticket cancellation charges and non-refundable deposits for parks, hotels and other services included in your itinerary. We give no partial refunds for any unused portions of your tour, also if any parts of the service or climb are not utilized. If during any climb the client has to be brought down of the mountain for any injuries and therefore does not complete the climb, no refund will be issued for the unused service or climb. In this case the client needs to pay all extra costs. Also any unused portions of your safari or tour after departure are not subject to a refund. No refunds will be paid, if the client wishes to stop the trip after departure or does not wish to use any arranged, booked and already paid services.

ALTERATION

We reserve the right to alter any arrangements or cancel a scheduled operation should it be obligatory in case of air schedule, poor road conditions, weather conditions, security matters, border closures or any other reason beyond our control. The local conditions in Africa are not always predictable and from time to time delays and diversions from the planned rout can happen. We will do our best to please you and minimize inconveniences but cannot be responsible for matters clearly beyond our control.

LIABILITY AND OUR RESPONSIBILITIES

Bantu Pori Journeys, its agents and sub-contractors act only as the passenger’s agents in matters relating the tours, itineraries, hotel accommodation, transportation etc., and shall not in any way be liable for injury, death, illness, delays, subsequent missing of ship, air or train connection, inconveniences arising from unannounced alteration of ship, air or train schedules, weather conditions, loss or damage to personal property whether resulting from but not limited to force majeure or acts of God, civil unrest or revolt, acts of war, strikes or other labor activities, animals, any criminal or terrorist activities.
The company is also not responsible for any overbooking or downgrading of any services or accommodation, mechanical or other failure of any means of transportation or failure of any transportation resulting in arrival or departure delay. The company’s liability towards passengers carried in their own vehicles is under domestic law of the country where the safari takes place and no other country. All claims are subject to the law of the courts of the country where the action happens. In case of a car damage or breakdown, a rescue vehicle will be provided and any lost time will be compensated either with an additional day or a refund according to the time lost. Bantu Pori Journeys, reserves the right to employ independent suppliers or sub-contractors for all or part of the arranged services.
The company cannot be responsible for loss or damage to any luggage or equipment carried while on tour. Bantu Pori Journeys, can not be responsible for any willful or negligent act or inaction of any person or entity clearly not in their control, or of any other sub-contractors or third party not under their control. Please keep in mind that we are only responsible for those services which were arranged, agreed and/or provided on your behalf. Any services which you arrange on your own are out of our liability and responsibility.

COMPLAINTS

If you have any complaints while on tour, you must talk to the guide, the supplier of the service or other local representative to clarify any problems or situation. We advise you to immediately address the problem to our representatives and supplier of service right at the spot, since they will do their utmost to find the best possible situation to your problem. Please keep in mind that, it is unreasonable to complain on return, if you have not taken any actions whilst still on tour. Should you upon departure still remain dissatisfied, feel free to send us a detailed complaint about the problem within 28 days of the end of our services mentioned in the contract.
Only detailed complaints (problems or situation which caused your dissatisfaction and the exact date must be mentioned, as well as solutions given to you to solve the problem and actions taken while still on tour must be mentioned) will be accepted.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Bantu Pori Journeys reserves the right to take photos, film material and images of its travels and individual participants while on tour. The clients and tour participants grants Bantu Pori Journeys all permission to do so and to use the material for commercial or promotional purposes. In case you disagree with this you should send us a written notice at time of booking your tour.

PRINTING

Bantu Pori Journeys is not responsible for any possible printing errors in their brochures/leaflets/catalogs etc.