Please read these Terms and Conditions carefully. By booking a tour with us, you are deemed to have agreed to these booking conditions (which constitute the entire agreement between you and African Encounters Ltd) and your booking will be accepted by us on this basis. The services to be provided are those referred to in your booking confirmation.
African Encounters operates safaris in regions where standards of accommodation, transport, safety, hygiene, medical facilities, and other infrastructure may, at times, be lower than those you would normally expect. Please bear this in mind when making your booking.
When assessing whether safaris will operate African Encounters uses information from our local partners in Africa, in conjunction with advice from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (www.safetravel.govt.nz).
By booking with us you acknowledge your decision to travel on an African Encounters safari is made after due consideration of relevant travel information that may be made available at any time and you agree to assume the risks associated with the trip.
Comprehensive travel insurance is mandatory on an African Encounters safari. You must provide us with your insurance details before departure and bring a copy of your insurance policy with you on tour.
Prices & Surcharges
The trip prices listed on our website are per person, based on double occupancy.
Our tour prices are based on US dollars and are subject to exchange rate fluctuations. The most up-to-date pricing in US dollars is available on our website, with a currency converter to show pricing in Australian dollars and New Zealand dollars.
Your Details
In order for African Encounters to confirm your travel arrangements, you must provide all requested details on the Booking Form. These include but are not limited to, full name as per passport, date of birth, nationality, passport number and expiry date, and any pre-existing medical conditions you have that may affect your ability to complete your travel arrangements. We also require international flight details to coordinate your arrival and departure transfers.
Age & Health Requirements
Our tours are suitable for travellers of reasonable fitness and mobility, and we have no upper age limit. However, all guests must satisfy themselves prior to booking that they are fit and able to complete the itinerary of their chosen tour. Please contact us if you wish to discuss this.
You MUST disclose prior to or at the time of the booking of a tour any medical conditions or allergies, including food allergies, that you suffer. Disclosure is important and relevant because it may affect our willingness to accept your booking, and may also affect any advice that we provide in relation to any proposed tour.
African Encounters are able to provide details on mandatory health requirements; however, we are not medical experts. It is your responsibility to ensure that you obtain proper and detailed medical advice at least two months prior to travel for the latest health requirements and recommendations for your destination.
Authority on Tour
At all times the decision of your African Encounters tour leader or representative will be final on all matters likely to affect the safety or well-being of any traveller or staff member participating in the tour. If you fail to comply with a decision made by a group leader or interfere with the well-being or mobility of the group, the group leader may direct you to leave the tour immediately, with no right of refund. You must at all times comply with the laws, customs, foreign exchange, and drug regulations of all countries visited, and you also agree to travel in accordance with our responsible travel guidelines.
How to Make a Reservation
Upon receipt of your completed Booking Form and a deposit of 20% of the total tour price, you will receive written confirmation of your booking and your comprehensive Essential Safari Information. A booking will not be accepted until the deposit has been received. This deposit is required by our suppliers in Africa to cover internal flights included in your itinerary, National Park fees and permits, and to secure accommodation, and is non-refundable. NOTE: For gorilla safaris an additional USD800 is required on booking to secure trekking permits.
If your trip departs in 180 days or more, you’ll have a 14-day “cooling-off period” after paying your deposit. During this time, you can cancel and receive your deposit back in full. Bookings made for trips starting in fewer than 180 days are not eligible for this cooling-off period.
Final payment is due 120 days prior to the tour start date. If this balance is not paid on or before the due date specified, African Encounters reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled.
Interest-free payment options are available on request, with full payment to be received 120 days prior to the tour start date.
PLEASE NOTE: All safaris (excluding international airfares) must be booked directly with African Encounters. We have in the past tried to accommodate working with third parties and have unfortunately experienced clients being given incorrect or misleading information. As your Africa travel specialists, we strive to ensure our clients can enjoy their safari without the stress and confusion resulting from incorrect information.
Cancellation Fees
Most cancellations happen due to unfortunate circumstances, such as sickness or bereavement, but we cannot adjust our policy for these circumstances. African Encounters have in the past tried to accommodate these events, but the cost of covering these cancellations was financially unsustainable. Sourcing replacement guests is difficult and campaigns to fill last-minute spots rarely succeed. For this reason: If you wish to be covered for cancellations, this must be organised with an external insurance provider.
Should your trip departure have to be cancelled or postponed by a force majeure (including but not limited to: weather causing delays or cancelled charter flights, fire, flood, volcanic eruption, pandemic, ongoing or newly introduced travel ban or government statement) African Encounters and its partner operators are not obligated to provide a refund or offer alternative travel services. Comprehensive Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance is mandatory for all our safaris, so that you are covered in the event of an unexpected change of plans.
Cancellation 180 days or more before trip departure: Full trip payment will be refunded, less your deposit.
Cancellation 179-120 days before trip departure: 50% of your trip payment will be refunded.
Cancellation 120 days or less before trip departure: No refund applies.
Any refund will be based on the payment originally received into our bank account – that amount is the gross amount on which any refund will be based. If the client leaves the tour voluntarily after its commencement, there will be no refund. There are no refunds for any part of the tour not used, including (but not limited to) meals, activities, or any other services included in the tour description.
Minimum numbers
African Encounters exclusive Signature Safaris are personally escorted in Africa by company founder and director Karen Platzer or a member of our team, for groups of 4 or more participants. For groups smaller than 4 people the tour will be locally guided by our partners in Africa.
African Encounters Small Group Departures are regular scheduled departures locally guided by our long-term partners in Africa and operate with a minimum of 2 participants.
Insurance
COMPREHENSIVE Travel insurance is mandatory for all our travellers and should be taken out at the time of booking. Your travel insurance must provide unlimited cover against personal injury, death, medical emergencies and medical evacuation, and unlimited repatriation expenses. We also strongly recommend it covers trip cancellation, curtailment, personal liability and loss of luggage and personal effects. We will not be responsible for any uninsured costs arising as a result of your safari being impacted by pandemics or illness.
You must provide your insurance details with a copy of your policy including emergency contact number and policy number to African Encounters before departure. Failure to do so may result in you not being able to join the trip.
Single Travellers
The trip prices listed on our website are per person, based on double occupancy. Single travellers do not pay the single supplement (which is charged by accommodation providers) providing they opt to travel on a “twin share” basis i.e. share a room with a fellow traveller of the same sex.
Single room option: We offer the option of booking a single room on request. In this case, the single supplement, as charged by our accommodation providers, will apply. Please note that, due to the size of the small camps and lodges we use, single room availability is very limited. Early booking is essential!
Special Dietary or Medical Requirements
We will do our best to accommodate specific dietary requirements, but cannot guarantee that we will successfully manage all dietary needs or be able to cater to specific allergies.
While African Encounters will do its best to accommodate medical requirements, the expectation is that clients will be responsible for their own arrangements. Clients are advised to bring their own personal medication / first aid kit.
Visas, Passports, Inoculations
Please ensure your passport is valid for at least 6 months after the tour finish date. Advice regarding visas or inoculations will be provided in your pre-departure information, however they are your responsibility, so please make sure you have the appropriate ones. You must carry a valid passport and have obtained all of the appropriate visas and travel documentation for the countries you will visit during your tour.
We are not responsible if you are refused entry to a country because you lack the correct passport, visa or other travel documentation.
Included
All meals, activities, accommodation, transport, and guides as stated in each tour’s itinerary.
Not Included
Visa fees, international flight costs, meals or activities not stated in the itinerary, airport taxes, personal items, vaccinations, tips or gratuities, laundry, telephone, minibar, personal travel insurance.
Photos & Marketing
You consent to African Encounters using images of you taken during the trip for advertising and promotional purposes in any medium we choose. You grant us a perpetual, royalty-free, worldwide, irrevocable license to use such images for publicity and promotional purposes.ment or other consideration.
Data Protection
Any personal information that African Encounters collects about you may be used for any purpose associated with the operation of the trip. The information such as health issues or dietary requirements may be disclosed to our service providers or other suppliers ONLY if that information is deemed necessary for the relevent purpose. We will otherwise treat your details as strictly private and confidentiaices in question, need to provide some of the client’s personal information to third parties, including overseas tour suppliers.
Complaints
We hope you won’t have any complaints but should you encounter any problem on your tour it is always better to try and solve it on the spot with your tour manager who will normally be able to take appropriate action. If at the end of the trip, you feel your complaint has not been properly dealt with you must notify us in writing within 30 days of the end of your tour.
Limitation of Liability
Travelling with African Encounters requires flexibility and understanding that changes may be made to the itinerary if circumstances necessitate. For any forced changes to itinerary or accommodation, we will endeavour to provide the closest possible equivalent available to us.
Any claim by you is excluded to the extent that it is for indirect or consequential loss, loss of profits or economic loss, however it arises, or for indirect, special, punitive or exemplary damages.
African Encounters works in partnership with ground operators, whose local expertise is invaluable to the execution of our tours. While we make every effort to work with reliable and reputable third-party operators, African Encounters cannot assume responsibility for any actions or omissions of third parties that result in personal injury, property damage, or other loss to our clients.
While African Encounters offers adventure experiences that by their nature may involve certain risks, we are committed to providing our clients with safe and enjoyable experiences. We expect our clients to understand the physical requirements of the adventure and to be in good health before undertaking our trips. Although we ask clients to confirm their physical fitness and that they do not have undisclosed medical conditions, it is ultimately the client’s responsibility to ensure they are medically fit for the trip.
While you acknowledge that you undertake our trips at your own risk, we want to assure you that your safety is of utmost importance to us, and we will endeavour to ensure that appropriate safety measures are in place.
By booking a safari with African Encounters, you agree to abide by these terms.
This contract between African Encounters and you, the client, including these Terms and Conditions, are subject to and are to be construed in accordance with the laws of New Zealand. In relation to any dispute between the parties, the company and the client agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of New Zealand.
Last updated: 07 August 2025. For bookings prior to this date, please refer to your Terms & Conditions.