African Travel Advisory and Warnings

All international travel, but especially travel in Africa is fraught with uncertainties and inefficiencies and flexibility is required.  Unexpected things are likely to happen, minor inconveniences will occur, and major disruptions happen on rare occasions.  If you are unwilling to accept uncertainties and changes you should not travel to Africa.  Likewise, costs of travel to Africa are high, prices and currencies fluctuate, and those who lack the resources to respond to emergencies or to cover unanticipated costs or the costs of unexpected changes should reconsider their plans.  Please check State Department travel advisories for more detailed information about current circumstances in each country to which you will travel.  Cape to Cairo will bear no liability for costs or refunds associated with disruptions, and the traveler is warned to take out trip insurance.

Cape to Cairo is not responsible for costs incurred due to missed, canceled, or delayed flights, which will be born by the traveler.  In particular Cape to Cairo is not liable for follow-on  affects  arising from the failure of any particular operator, such as the non-departure of a boat or plane. Any cancellations arising thereof will be completely the responsibility of the traveler. It remains the traveler's sole responsibility to arrive and depart and travel between locations on the itinerary. The traveler must check with local operators the exact times and schedules for transport. There are only a few departures on which a failure can cause serious follow-on effects,  we always try to construct trips which avoid such risks; and will try to make you aware of any such possibilities. 

Booking and Payments: 

There is no agreement between you and Cape to Cairo to provide any service for which we have not received and accepted payment from you.

Upon your inquiry we will provide an itinerary and at your request obtain provisional reservations and a price quotation.  For individuals and small groups we do not charge deposits or fees prior to sending you an itinerary that you accept.

Deposits

Provisional availability generally expires within two weeks. In order to confirm your itinerary we must receive required deposits against the itinerary and payment in full for all required airline reservations, at which point we will then confirm arrangements with the tour operators and issue any required international tickets or tickets for scheduled flights.

Deposits will  be as stated on your invoice, but are generally 20-30% of the published tour price.  After confirmation, payment in full is generally required 60 days prior to travel for land arrangements, though some operators will require payment in full prior to this time, which will be stated on your invoice.

The contract for services is  formed in Washington, D.C. once we have received deposits at our place of business and after we have confirmed the reservations with tour operators.  Neither price nor availability can be guaranteed by us or the operator until deposits are received and final confirmations are provided. If we are unable to confirm an  itinerary at the price quoted, and you have indicated unwillingness to pay the difference we will return your deposit or payments. 

Payment of a deposit against an itinerary will indicate your acceptance of that itinerary including any cancellation penalties associated with it, including the forfeiture of your deposit if you cancel. IPlease  ensure that you understand the itinerary fully, including the location of each lodge and hotel where you will be staying. While we will recommend specific tours, lodges, and hotels, ultimately you must bear responsibility for ensuring that the planned itinerary conforms to your travel objectives, including price, quality and location, and if you have specific concerns you must raise them with us in the planning process.

In accepting an itinerary you agree to accept the terms and conditions of the tour operators and agents who will provide your tour or safari.  This includes acceptance of the requirements to follow the direction of safari guides and tour operators in matters of safety or to avoid creating a nuisance to other travelers.  You can expect to have to sign liability waivers with each tour operator you travel with.  Failure to abide by such terms and conditions, including directions of our guides and rules for safety and protection of wildlife and the environment can result in termination of your tour with full cancellation penalties and additional travel expenses that you must bear.

Airfares and availability are not guaranteed until ticketing under IATA regulations.  Delaying payment of advanced purchase tickets can lead to loss of ability to obtain the desired fare or to travel on the date required.

Prices

Prices on our website were believed accurate at the time they were posted, but should be taken as guidelines only, and we must confirm each tour price with the operators who will provide it.  Most tours are quoted to us in US Dollars per person sharing. Single supplements will apply for individuals traveling alone or staying in separate accommodations.  For tours that are quoted to us in foreign currencies, we quote prices in US Dollars at prevailing exchange rates available to us through American Express.  We reserve the right to amend prices at any time to reflect currency exchange rate fluctuations.  While it is rare that we must alter a price after confirmation, adverse currency moves of as much as 10% do occur very occasionally.  Please note that exchange rates for small transactions (less than $1Million) can differ from officially quoted exchange rates by 4% or more.

Our safari arrangements are generally "all inclusive," but such price quotations are not a guarantee that of any particular total travel cost.  Tips and gratuities are always extra, and the inclusion of drinks and laundry will always be per the standard provisions of the lodges and hotels where you are staying unless you make specific provisions with us.  Hotels are on a bed and breakfast basis unless otherwise stated.  There will frequently be additional meals that you must purchase at transit stops or at hotels.  Transfers are included if so stated on your itinerary but not otherwise.

Cancellation penalties and refunds:

Discounted airfares carry substantial penalties for cancellation, according to the policies of the issuing carrier.  Additional processing fees may be charged by Cape to Cairo by our terms and conditions for airline ticketing. 

For land arrangements, once confirmed the deposit will be forfeit in the event of cancellation.

Above that any refunds will follow the policies of individual tour operators per agreements between them and Cape to Cairo at the time of booking.  The following cancellation penalties will generally apply:

• Prior to 60 days: forfeiture of all deposits as stated above
• 60 - 30 days  -  forfeiture of 60% of the tour cost. 
• less than 30 days - usually full forfeiture of all money paid. 
• No show - if you fail to arrive, or cancel or modify any portion of your trip en route full cancellation penalties for the applicable portion of the trip will apply in addition to any new charges.

Any refunds will only be available when returned to Cape to Cairo by the tour operators. Cape to Cairo is not responsible for currency losses for any funds transmitted overseas and subsequently returned for refund.

Regardless of representations made by third parties to this agreement, Cape to Cairo may not be held liable for the return of forfeited cancellation penalties or fees, or the the refund of payments that have not been returned to Cape to Cairo.  While Cape to Cairo will restore any funds returned to us above stipulated fees and penalties, Cape to Cairo makes no representation that travelers have any expectation of refunds for cancelled or altered travel.

Tour deviations

Travel in Africa is fraught with difficulties and unexpected occurrences, including flight cancellations, schedule changes and delays, impassable roads due to weather, and lodge or camp unavailability due to drought, flooding, or other unanticipated events.  These are conditions that are unforeseeable by us and by the ground operators at the time of booking.  Cape to Cairo and every agent or tour operator working with your itinerary reserves the right to modify your itinerary, including changing the order or routing of your itinerary and substituting camps, lodges and tours of equivalent quality as conditions require.  In our experience, this is a very infrequent occurrence.

Itinerary modifications

While we and our operators will generally attempt to accommodate reasonable modifications to your itinerary, after payment of the deposit, any changes requested by you are  subject to pro rata forfeiture of deposits, up to and including full cancellation fees. Any reasonable modification would include that the tour be with the same operator, of an equivalent value, and not cause significant opportunity costs.  Most operators will accommodate at most one substantial change without cancellation fees or penalties of some description, and we reserve the right, if changes are frequent or burdensome to charge a $300 transaction charge for each new itinerary generated. 

Late changes or changes en route at your request are difficult to accommodate and must be worked out with the ground operator at your expense.  You will incur no show penalties for each canceled arrangement and will not be able to apply credits for payment at one property to another property unless expressly accepted by the lodges/facilities or operators involved. 

Overland travel costs in Africa are very expensive because vehicles, safari vehicles especially, are very expensive and fuel costs are high.  En route deviations from an established itinerary, including modification of the number, type, location or duration of game drives may invoke additional costs that must be settled with the tour operator.

Passports, visas, and inoculations:

These are the responsibility of the traveler.  Requirements constantly change, and therefore you must consult both the consulates of the countries that you will visit and travel advisories issues by the U.S. Department of State.  These advisories will also provide the traveler with information regarding safety concerns in the countries to be visited.  Some African countries will charge visa fees upon arrival, if you have not already obtained a visa, as well as airport departure fees that must be paid in US$.  You must have sufficient hard currency to pay these fees.  Please check State Department travel advisories for each country to understand these fees.  They constantly change and we cannot keep up to date with all of them. 

In general, passports must be valid for a minimum of 6 months after your scheduled return.  You must have sufficient blank pages in your passport for visas and for entry and exit stamps.

Health concerns should be discussed with your physician prior to departure. The Center for Disease Control provides comprehensive information. It is generally the case that a passport must be valid for at least 6 months after your planned return.  Furthermore, you must have sufficient pages in your passport for visas and entry/exit stamps.

The game parks in Southern and East Africa are in malarial areas.  Prophylactics should be taken, targeted to the strains that occur in the areas you will be visiting.  You are advised to consult with your physician before departure, and with a pharmacist in the country where you will be traveling.

Insurance:

International travel carries substantial risks due to delay, disruption and distance from medical care.  The traveler is emphatically advised to take out travel insurance covering trip cancellation/disruption and medical emergencies in order to cover nonrefundable tickets and prepaid land arrangements. We and all of our subagents and tour operators require that you have your own insurance to cover costs due to any medical or personal emergency, nor will they or we take responsibility for costs incurred by disruptions, delays or defaults of operators beyond their control. We and our subagents bear no responsibility for such costs incurred by you.

With heightened concerns about terrorism you should review  Department of State Travel Advisories and the terms and conditions of any travel insurance that you subscribe to which you have subscribed.  Insurance may provide some limited protection against default by operators as well as some protection against the impact of terrorism, but you must review the terms of the policy carefully.

Defaults by operators

Neither we nor our subagents can bear responsibility for any defaults beyond our control. We work with tour operators and airlines that have proven records of reliability and are known to us personally.   In our experience we have had no defaults by any land operators.  During the past five years we know of three small African airlines (in Southern Africa) that have gone bankrupt and one international carrier that has ceased operation on short notice.  The resulting inconvenience to our clients have been minor in each case, but there have been some unanticipated last minute cost, schedule changes and/or delays upon return.   The alternative to scheduled inter-African flights on smaller carriers is to arrange for private charters with reliable companies, but this is very expensive. 

Participation Clause [assumed risk] and waiver of liability 

All activities are participated in on a voluntary basis by the participants with the knowledge of the dangers involved and the participant will agree to accept any and all risks. 

During your participation in any tour, certain risks and dangers may arise, including but not limited to: the hazards of traveling outside the U.S., travel in bush areas, travel by boat, train, canoe, raft, automobile, aircraft or other means of conveyances, the forces of nature, crime, terrorism, war and political unrest and accident or illness in remote areas without means of quick evacuation or medical facilities.  There are certain activities such as but not limited to hot-air ballooning, low-level flights, walking safaris, canoe trips, white-water rafting, horseback and gorilla trips that have a certain degree of danger and carry with them inherent risks. Outside of the United States, none of the operators of your tour are subject to U.S. safety regulation and no particular level of safety standards are assured by Cape to Cairo. 

In particular, travel in remote parts of Africa involves travel over rough roads with the risk of accident.  Deadly attack by wildlife, though very rare, does occur.  Airline charter transfers involve landing on bush landing strips in small aircraft, and carries substantially higher risk of accident than on scheduled commercial flights. Safari camps and lodges are usually in unfenced areas of wildlife parks with the presence of wild animals in and around the campsite, particularly at night.  Debilitating injury and death can result from the attacks of wild animals. Canoeing will be in rivers with hippos and crocodiles.  Mountain climbing involves special risks including altitude sickness.

By acceptance of vouchers, contracts, and tickets, the traveler agrees to the foregoing and also agrees that Cape to Cairo will not become liable for any loss, injury or damage to personal property or otherwise in connection with accommodations, transportation or other services resulting directly or indirectly from any acts of God, dangers incident of the bush, the sea, by fire, machinery or equipment, or act of government or other authorities, actual or intended, wars whether declared or not, hostilities, civil disturbances, strikes, riots, thefts, sickness, quarantines, medical or customs regulations, defaults, delays or cancellation or of changes in itinerary from any causes beyond the control of Cape to Cairo.  The traveler accepts that international law or the laws of the countries in which he is traveling may provide for substantially lower liability in the event of injury or loss than that provided by the United States.

It is here by agreed to between the participant and Cape to Cairo that no claims will be made against Cape to Cairo for bodily injury, emotional trauma, death and/or property damage, however caused, as a result of the travelers participation in airline travel, land travel, safaris, tours and related activities.  Cape to Cairo will be released from all claims, actions, and demands that may occur for bodily injury death or property damage rising from participation in a tour.  The release of liability and assumption of  risk agreement is entered into on behalf of all members of the family participants including any minors.  This agreement is binding on your heirs, legal representatives and if any portion of the agreement is unenforceable, the remaining portions shall remain in full force and effect.

It is agreed to between the parties that this contract is formed in the District of Columbia and subject to the laws of the District of Columbia. In the event a lawsuit is filed, the travelers agree to do so solely in the District of Columbia.

Terrorism Clause: The well-known and very real risks of terrorism may impact any international travel. You must specifically check to ensure that any travel insurance you take out provides protection for travel disruption due to terrorism or international responses thereto.  Many African tour operators, but by no means all or even a majority, have agreed to waive cancellation penalties in the event of travel disruption due to acts of terrorism. In those cases, the traveler will be afforded the option of rebooking his tour within one year of travel.  Others may charge rebooking fees or full cancellation penalties.  

Should you be affected we will try to minimize the costs and impacts to you of rebooking. The traveler will be responsible for any costs incurred by the necessity of rebooking travel.  Minimum fees to re-issue airline tickets as well as any penalties charged by airlines on airline tickets will always apply, regardless of representations made by third parties.