BOOKING TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Tootles Adventures is a tourism-registered company in Zimbabwe. The following terms as used in these Booking Terms and Conditions shall be considered synonymous: safari, tour, and trip, all of which refer to the travel arrangements being booked with Tootles Adventures. Additionally, the following terms: client, guest, participant, member, passenger, and traveler all refer to you, as the traveler.
Acceptance (required at or before the final payment due date)
Reservations and Payments
Standard policy for the majority of Tootles Adventures’ third-party suppliers is that a provisional booking will be held for a period of 21 days only, after which a response is required on whether to confirm or release the space. Payment of a non-refundable deposit of 30% of the total travel quotation is required in order to confirm your reservation. After receipt of your deposit, we will, subject to availability, make a reservation for your trip. The balance of the trip is due not later than 42 days prior to the date of travel.
Upon receipt of your full payment, we will send travel vouchers, tour information, clothing lists, etc. All prices are quoted in U.S. dollars and must be paid in U.S. dollars or the equivalence in Rands.
Cancellation, Forfeiture, and Refund Policy
Tootles Adventures reserves the right to cancel departures for any guest whose full payment is NOT received on or before the final deadline at 61 days prior to the date of commencement of the tour. Tootles Adventures reserves the right to adjust the price of its tour packages on account of increases beyond our control such as fuel price, National Parks / Government levies. Tootles Adventures will not be held responsible for cancellations arising from delays/changes/cancellations in international / charter flight times & bookings and we strongly recommend that guests take out adequate travel insurance to cover the cost of the tour in this event.
Cancellations made after confirmation email & deposits are subject to the following cancellation fees:
- 57+ days prior to the date of travel – Deposit is forfeited
- 29 – 56 days prior to the date of travel – 45% is forfeited
- 22 – 28 days prior to the date of travel – 50% is forfeited
- 15 – 21 days prior to the date of travel – 60% is forfeited
- 0 – 14 days prior to the date of travel – 100% is forfeited
- No-shows will be charged in full
If a guest is sick and can provide a valid Doctor’s Note a 100% refund will be given on transfers and activities by Tootles Adventures. In all cases where subcontracted services are booked, the supplier’s cancellation terms will apply. We will advise you of third-party cancellation policies but in most cases, they are similar to the ones above.
Should you fail to travel on scheduled dates or reduce your travel days no refund will be made. There will be no refunds from Tootles Adventures for any unused portions of your travel. The above policy applies to all travel arrangements made via Tootles Adventures.
Insurance
It is a condition of booking that the sole responsibility lies with the guest to ensure that they carry the correct comprehensive travel and medical insurance to cover themselves and their traveling companions for the duration of their tour. This insurance should include coverage in respect of, but not limited to, the following eventualities: cancellation or curtailment of the tour, emergency evacuation expenses, medical expenses, repatriation expenses, damage, theft, or loss of personal baggage, money, and goods.
Tootles Adventures will take no responsibility for any costs for losses incurred or suffered by the guest, or traveling companions, with regards to, but not limited to, any of the above-mentioned eventualities.
Guests will be charged directly by the relevant service providers for any emergency services they may require and may find themselves in a position unable to access such services should they not be carrying the relevant insurance coverage.
Medical Information / Liability Release
Participation on a safari or tour requires that you be in generally good health. All guests must understand that while a high level of fitness is not required, a measure of physical activity is involved in all African safaris and tours. It is essential that persons with any medical problems and/or related dietary restrictions make them known to us well before departure. Anti-malaria precautions should be taken, and these are the sole responsibility of the client. Any required inoculations must be recorded by the client’s health practitioner on a valid vaccination certificate which the client must carry in his/her possession throughout the tour. Tootles Adventures will not assume responsibility for the accuracy of any medical information. You should consult your doctor or pharmacist for up-to-date requirements and personal recommendations. By forwarding the tour deposit, the guest certifies that he/she does not knowingly have any physical or other conditions of disability that would create a risk for him/her or other tour participants. A Liability Release and Assumption of Risk Agreement must be signed by each tour participant prior to the commencement of a tour. Participation by any tour participant will be declined in the absence of the signed Liability Release Form, with no tour fee refund.
Payment for Your Tour
Once your place on the tour has been confirmed, you will be sent an invoice with payment instructions. You can pay with a credit card using a secure website, and bank charges (estimated to be 3.5%) are to be paid for by customers. We require a 10% non-refundable deposit. If your travel starts within 60 days of booking, full payment will be required at the time of booking. The balance after paying the deposit is due 60 days before departure. The price paid for our holidays is no longer subject to change. Once you have paid we will guarantee that the price will not increase, whatever the circumstances. Our air ticketing department will deal directly with you for your flight.
Travel Insurance
It is a condition of joining any of our tours that you must have valid travel insurance. It must indicate that you have covered (at least) medical expenses and emergency repatriation in the event of illness or injury. We strongly recommend that your policy includes curtailment, personal effects, and cancellation protection as all deposits paid are non-refundable. You will also need to ensure your travel policy covers you for all activities you intend to do whilst on tour.
Visa Requirements
The passport must be valid for the period of your stay. Make sure there are some extra available pages in your passport. For most nationalities, a tourist Visa can be obtained on arrival at a fee of between USD 30 and USD 70 payable in cash. The visa is valid for a maximum of 1 month. Keep the address of your first hotel at hand as you need to enter this on your entry form. For more information on visa requirements, check the following website: https://www.evisa.gov.zw/.
Disclaimer: It is your responsibility to make sure all the necessary visa and health requirements are fulfilled. We will advise you to the best of our ability but cannot be held responsible for any omissions in terms of visa and health requirements.
Why choose Tootles Adventures
You feel safe in our hands. Our tour leaders and drivers have expert local knowledge and our tours are designed to take you off the beaten track to see the most exotic, inspiring and dramatic places.
- Pioneering small group adventures, private journeys & tailor made holidays.
- Tour leaders who you can trust.
- Responsible travel is and always has been one the driving principles of Tootles Adventures.
- We are passionate about sustainable travel and work hard to create tours where your holiday delivers real benefits to the local communities. We minimise our impact by travelling in small groups, respecting local cultures and tradition.
Families with Children
Children under 12 years of age are discounted 10% of the adult rate. Families with more than one child may qualify for additional discount.
Whilst families with children are welcome for independent date tours, we will not mix families with children with other adult groups on the set date departures unless by general consent. Children under the age of 16 years are not permitted to join ‘walking safaris’ on long distance walks in the bush. Children may walk in the bush on shorter walks at their guide’s discretion. Children younger than 12 years of age are not permitted to walk except very short field walks in and around camp / vehicle. The guide will only walk with children under the age of 16 years IF he deems it safe to do so.
Group Capacity
MINIMUM 2 GUESTS | MAXIMUM 12 GUESTS
Set Departures
The set departures are mixed group tours. Independent date tours are exclusive to groups of 4 guests or more.
Where possible big groups are booked in at the same lodge in Victoria Falls but may be split on account of availability where necessary.
Bookings
Tours are reserved upon receipt of a non-refundable 20% deposit of the total invoice amount. The tour is confirmed, i.e. departure is confirmed on receipt of the full invoice no later than 61 days prior to the tour start date.
Abbreviation Key
B&B = Bed and Breakfast
DBB = Dinner, Bed and Breakfast
FB = Full Board
Cash Bar = drinks at own expense