General Information

Booking Conditions
Before you book: please read carefully all our general information, the detailed information for your chosen trip, and the following booking conditions. Our trips are based on a minimum group size (shown under each trip) and will run once this number is reached.  If you have any queries before you book, please contact us to talk them through to your satisfaction.  Arrangements made over the phone are provisional only and must be confirmed by you with a completed booking form received within 10 days.
When you book: you (the client) are making a legally binding contract with us (EAST AFRICAN ADVENTURE LTD [EAA]), once we accept your booking.  You have read all our relevant information and booking conditions and you guarantee the correctness of the information you supply on the completed Booking Form.  Please include on your Booking Form any supplement items extensions special requests or extras and we will do our best to arrange them.  You sign the Booking Form and accept all the conditions on behalf of all others named in the booking, or added subsequently.  You send payment of your deposit of 10% of the trip cost per person subject to a minimum of £100 (or $200) per person.  If you book within 8 weeks of your departure date, the full trip cost is payable when booking.  Deposits are held until a contract exists when they become non-refundable.
Upon receipt of your booking we will issue a Booking Receipt that will detail your trip price based on current flight prices and exchange rates, or we will contact you should there be any problem with your booking.  If we do not hear from you with any queries within 10 days from date of Booking Receipt we will issue a confirmation invoice accepting your booking and a contract will then exist.  It is a condition of the contract that you and all other party members must have appropriate insurance (see below) either by buying insurance offered through us or by an equivalent policy.  It is recommended for your protection that this insurance is in force at the time of booking.  The English courts will settle any dispute arising from your contract, unless you are eligible to prefer the courts of Scotland or Northern Ireland instead.
After you have booked:
Your financial protection When you buy an ATOL protected air package from East African Adventure you will receive a confirmation invoice from us confirming your arrangements and your protection under our Air Travel Organiser's Licence number 9283.  In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking.  Not all holiday or travel services offered and sold by us will be protected by the ATOL Scheme.  Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking.  For further information, visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk.
Confirmation invoice will be issued by us when all booking details and trip prices can be confirmed and agreed and will state the date by which the balance is payable.
Payment of balance is due not less than 8 weeks before departure date.  No reminders will be sent.  If the balance has not been paid by the due date we reserve the right to cancel your booking and apply cancellation charges.
Trip prices advertised by us may be varied at any time, but your trip price (including flights - see below), national park fees and any other charges will be confirmed in your confirmation invoice.  Thereafter, the only surcharges that may adjust your trip price would result from the minimum group size not being reached, from cost changes caused by airlines (see 'Flights' below), from exchange rate movements or from Government action.  Our advertised prices are based on £1 sterling at an exchange rate of US$1.59 (from Financial Times at 3 August 2010).
We will refund any reduction in excess of 2% of the trip price (excluding insurance and amendment charges) resulting from the items above.  We will absorb any increase up to 2% of the trip price and will charge you for increases above 2%.  If surcharges increase your trip price as stated in the confirmation invoice by more than 10% and you do not accept this increase, you have the choice of transferring to another trip (see below) if available, or cancelling and receiving a full refund, excluding any charges for insurance or amendments; if you wish to cancel under this option you must do so within 14 days of the issue date of the final invoice.  If necessary, we will issue a final invoice or credit around 8 weeks before departure date but in any event there will be no adjustment to trip price within 4 weeks of departure.
Flights forming part of the booking are subject to the standard conditions of the relevant airline (which are available on request) and not ours.   Our advertised trip prices include estimated prices for international flights based on the best airline fare information available at the beginning of each year.  Air ticket prices vary according to time of year and the length of time between booking and flying - earlier booking generally leads to cheaper flight prices.  It is only after receipt of your booking that actual flight prices can be obtained and these will be included in the Confirmation Invoice.  We may also check the price and availability of special promotion air tickets from our preferred airline for your trip to see if savings could be obtained for you.  If so, we generally recommend in our Booking Receipt that you pay us immediately for your flights.  Once you have paid us for your air tickets, not only can we secure and book the best available flights for you, but also fix the prices and prevent any subsequent flight surcharges.
Travel insurance must include cover for cancellation and curtailment, medical expenses and repatriation, helicopter evacuation, injury, death, personal possessions and liability.  Every client joining one of our trips must have appropriate and adequate insurance cover for the whole trip.  We recommend it is in place at the time of booking and that you purchase the insurance we offer (see Insurance under General Information) which is tailored to our type of trip.  It is important you understand before you take out cover what is and what is not covered by the policy and it properly covers your participation in our trip.  If you offer alternative insurance cover for your trip you are responsible for its suitability as we do not check alternative policies.  Should it be necessary in a medical emergency for you to be rescued or evacuated, you will be responsible to pay for those costs.   You must ensure your insurance cover is sufficient for your baggage and personal possessions that are at your own risk: we have no responsibility for any damage or loss of your possessions.

Cancellation by us after confirmation but prior to departure is our reserved right in any circumstances.    If the minimum group size is not reached we may cancel the trip not less than 4 weeks before departure or give you the option to proceed on a requoted basis.  We may also cancel for reasons of Force Majeure, or non-payment of trip, or lack of or inadequate insurance cover.
If we cancel your trip or make a major change (see below) that you decide is unacceptable then you have the choice of either accepting an alternative trip if available (with an appropriate price increase or refund) or receiving a full refund.
If we cancel your trip for reasons other than above, we will pay you compensation based on the number of weeks that we notify you before departure.  More than 8 weeks - £nil;  between 8 weeks & 4 weeks - £20 (or $40);  between 4 weeks & 2 weeks - £35 (or $70);  less than 2 weeks - £50 (or $100).      Force Majeure means unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control and include amongst others war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather and environmental conditions, fire.
Changes by you after we have issued your confirmation invoice, including transferring to another trip, must be requested in writing by the person signing the booking form.  We will do our best to try to accommodate your request but cannot guarantee it.  An administration fee of £25 (or $50) plus any additional costs charged to us by our suppliers will be charged for each amendment to a confirmed booking or for transferring to another trip.  You are advised to request changes as early as possible as costs to change a confirmed booking often increase the closer to departure date.  Some suppliers, especially airlines, may charge not only a 100% cancellation fee but also the price of a new air ticket.  Please note that it is not possible to transfer to another trip later than 10 weeks before departure; any transfer request within the 10 week period will be regarded as a cancellation and the cancellation charges above will apply.
Changes by us may have to be made at any time and we reserve our right to do so.  Our trips are adventurous by nature and take place in Africa where local ways and culture often differ from ours.  When you book it is essential that you accept that you may have to show patience and flexibility during your trip and tolerance to change and its consequences.  We will always endeavour to do all we can to minimise disruption but, however well planned a trip, it may be necessary for our people on the ground to make minor changes (to a comparable standard subject to availability) according to local conditions and situations at the time.  Our trip itineraries should therefore be regarded as an indication of what is to be achieved rather than detailed contractual obligations.   Should a flight be delayed during your trip the policy and conditions of that airline will apply.  If a minor change is made we will endeavour to notify you as soon as possible before departure.
A major change to your trip is a change of departure airport (unless the substitute airport serves the same city), a change in your UK departure flight time of more than 24 hours (12 hours for trips of 10 days or less), or a change to a lower than expected grade of accommodation.  In the event of a major change we will notify you with your options (detailed above under 'Cancellation by us') and if you decide to cancel we will pay you compensation as above unless the major change is caused by Force Majeure.  All other changes are minor and minor changes carry no entitlement to compensation or cancellation without penalty.
During your trip, if a Force Majeure causes your trip to be cut short neither refund nor compensation will be made.
During your trip, if it has to be cut short for reasons other than Force Majeure we will endeavour to make suitable alternative arrangements subject to local circumstances at no extra cost to you.
Your responsibilities include supplying correct information on your Booking Form; (we will not be responsible for any bookings we make based on incorrect information supplied by you).  Taking out appropriate and adequate insurance cover for your trip and carrying proof of insurance with you.  Acknowledging and accepting the risks involved with adventure trips and your capability to undertake your trip: your booking is accepted on this understanding.  Informing us before you book of any medical condition or disability you have that may affect you or other group members on your trip; (we reserve the right to not accept your booking if in our reasonable judgement your trip is not appropriate for your disclosed condition or disability).  Informing us before you travel of any relevant change in your medical status; (if you advise of or if we discover medical problems we reserve the right to cancel your booking and give a full refund excluding compensation).  Checking with the relevant Embassy/Consulate and complying with all applicable passport, visa, immigration and health requirements that are specific to your trip and taking all necessary documentation with you; (we will not be liable for your non-compliance of any of these requirements and you will be responsible for any costs we incur resulting from your non-compliance).  Bringing all appropriate clothing and equipment with you; (we give clothing and equipment advice on our website).  Respecting your local accommodation and being liable for the cost of any repair or replacement you cause.
Our responsibility is the proper performance of our contract with you and is limited to the trip arrangements you have booked with us.    We or our suppliers are not liable if such underperformance is caused by you, by someone unconnected with the trip, or by anything beyond our control that neither we nor our suppliers could reasonably have foreseen or avoided even if exercising all due care.  If we are liable, except in cases of personal injury, illness or death, we will pay reasonable compensation according to your particular circumstances but limited to a maximum of twice your trip cost.  Our liability and/or compensation is also limited in accordance with the conditions of carriage of any company transporting you, and with relevant international conventions including the Montreal Convention, the Berne Convention, the Athens Convention and the Paris Convention.  Copies of relevant conventions are available from us on request.
We set a working itinerary for each trip.  If you are unable or decide not to follow the trip itinerary we are not responsible for supplying any alternative arrangements while you are absent from the group, and refunds will not be given for any unused services.
Regarding your flight arrangements, in certain circumstances (eg flight delay or cancellation) you may be entitled to compensation from an airline under the airline's conditions (copies available from the airline).  If so, responsibility is that of the airline and will not automatically entitle you to compensation from us.  If we are liable to you for any compensation, then any amount received by you from an airline will be deducted from our payment to you.
Authority of the trip leader on an adventure trip is fundamental to the safety and welfare of the group, and itinerary and ultimate success of the trip.  The leader's decision in such matters is final.  By signing our Booking Form you agree to abide by the authority of the leader, who represents us.  If in the opinion of the leader your behaviour is detrimental to the overall well-being of the group, or your personal well-being will be at risk by your continuing with the trip, you may be asked to leave the trip with no entitlement to refund or compensation.
Complaints must be made without delay to your trip leader at the time of a problem to give us the opportunity to investigate the cause and put things right.  Failure to do so may affect your rights under your contract.  If your complaint is not resolved satisfactorily you should make your complaint in writing to us within 28 days of your return.  We would hope to be able to settle a complaint amicably between us.  However, if we cannot settle amicably any dispute arising out of or in connection with this contract, the dispute may if you wish be referred to arbitration.  The appointment of a suitable arbitrator will be at the mutual agreement of both you and us.