Making a booking with Nature Encounters Tanzania is taken as acceptance by the customer of the following Terms and Conditions (Ts&Cs).
The trips featured on our website are operated by Nature Encounters Tanzania (hereinafter called in full, “NET”, “we” or “us”), which is registered in Tanzania with No: 171761794
The following Ts&Cs form part of your contract with NET so please read them carefully before you book. Please note that payment of your deposit signifies acceptance of these Ts&Cs.
Your contract is with Nature Encounters Tanzania. These terms and conditions cover all brochures and correspondence, and all bookings made with us. Any contract with NET is subject to these terms and conditions from which no person, other than a statutory representative of NET, has the authority to depart. Before making a booking with us you must ensure that you have read and understood these Ts&CS (raising any queries you may have with us). By asking us to confirm your booking you are liable to be regarded as having had the opportunity to do so and to have done so before the contract between us comes into existence.
NET does not offer package holidays but will create a tailor-made trip to suit your personal needs. A binding contract comes into existence between us when:
(a) we receive a deposit of 25% of the quote price, or when (b) we receive full payment of the trip when the booking is made less than 4 weeks before your departure date.
No contract will exist between the parties until such monies have been received. We require full payment to be made for your holiday 4 weeks prior to the departure date. If full payment is not received 4 weeks prior to the departure date, we reserve the right to cancel your holiday and apply the cancellation charges set out in paragraph 5. Cancellation will be without penalty to us, and we will have no further liability to you. If however, you have already provided us with your credit or debit card details whether this was to make a payment on account or not, and you do not specifically notify us in writing to the contrary prior to the date upon which any balance becomes payable by you, you agree that we may use such credit or debit card details to obtain payment of any balance due by you under this agreement. The lead booking name is liable for making full payment for all persons in the booking party and all those in the booking party agree to be bound by conditions (including anyone added or substituted at a later stage). It is the responsibility of the lead booking name responsible for making the booking to ensure all in their party are aware of and have read these Ts&Cs. A delay in acceptance of the quote may result in a variation of the trip price.
If you or any member of your party have any medical problem or disability which may affect your trip, please tell us before you confirm your booking so that we can advise as to the suitability of the chosen arrangements. In any event, you must give us full details in writing at the time of booking. If we reasonably feel unable to properly accommodate the needs of the person concerned, we must reserve the right to decline the booking or, if full details are not given at the time of booking, cancel when we become aware of these details.
Please carefully read your confirmation invoice and all other documentation we send you as soon as you receive them. Contact us immediately if any information appears to be incorrect as it may not be possible to make changes later. We regret we cannot accept any liability if we are not notified of any inaccuracy in any documentation within 14 days of our sending it out. You will be responsible for any costs and expenses involved in rectifying any inaccuracies except where we made the mistake.
In the event that you cancel your booking (of which cancellations must be sent in writing to the office), in full or partially, for any reason whatsoever Nature Encounters Tanzania will levy cancellation charges as defined in the section below.
Cancellation 4 weeks+ before departure: deposit of 25% is non-refundable
Cancellation 3-4 weeks before departure: 50% of the itinerary cost
Cancellation 1-2 weeks before departure: 75% of the itinerary cost
Cancellation less than 1 week before departure: 100% of the itinerary cost
After your booking has been confirmed, should you wish to make any changes to your itinerary or wish an earlier departure date, we will make every effort to accommodate your requests based on availability. However, the extra costs involved to make changes are US$ 150,-.
Matters influencing a surcharge would include, but are not limited to, increases in transportation costs e.g. fuel, scheduled air fares and any other airline surcharges, taxes or fees payable for services such as landing taxes, or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports or airports, or increases in park fees, reserve fees or concession fees. The price of your itinerary will be based on known costs at the date of issue of the itinerary. At any time before a full payment of your holiday has been made NET reserves the right to levy a surcharge where costs have changed since the date of issue of the itinerary. NET will absorb amounts up to 2% of the total trip price and surcharge any amount greater than 2%. Should the surcharge exceed 10% of the total trip price you are entitled to cancel the trip and receive a full refund of all monies paid. We reserve the right to make changes to and correct errors in advertised prices at any time before your trip is confirmed. We will advise you of any errors of which we are aware and of the then applicable price at the time of booking.
If you wish to change your itinerary after a deposit has been made, we will do our utmost to make the changes required, provided that notification is received in writing.
We reserve the right in any circumstances to cancel your trip for any reason at any time before full payment has been received. Whilst we always endeavour to avoid changes, we must reserve the right to do so. We may cancel your confirmed trip if you fail to comply with any requirement of these booking conditions entitling us to cancel.
We cannot accept liability or pay compensation where the performance or prompt performance of our contractual obligations is prevented or affected by, or you suffer any damage or loss because of force majeure. In these booking conditions force majeure means any event which we or the supplier of services in question could not even with all due care foresee or avoid. Such events are likely to include, but are not limited to, war, threat of war, civil strife, riot, civil disorder/unrest, industrial dispute, actual or threat of terrorist activity, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, breakout of an epidemic or pandemic disease, technical problems with transport, cancellation or amendment to any scheduled flight, closure or congestion of airports or ports, adverse weather conditions and all similar events outside our control. In circumstances amounting to force majeure, we will not refund any money to you although if we can recover any monies from our suppliers, we will refund these to you.
It is unlikely that we will have to make any changes to your trip although we reserve the right to make changes at any time. Most of these changes are minor and we will advise you of these in writing at the earliest possible date. When a major change is necessary such as a significant change in the standard of accommodation, provided it does not arise from conditions amounting to force majeure or as a result of an amendment to a scheduled airline timetable, you will have the choice of accepting the new arrangements, taking another holiday with us or cancelling your holiday and receiving a full refund of all monies paid. Compensation will not be payable and no liability beyond offering the above-mentioned choices can be accepted where we are forced to make a change or cancel as a result of unusual or unforeseen circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which we could not have avoided even with all due care. No compensation will be payable and the above-mentioned options will not be available if we cancel as a result of your failure to comply with any requirement of these booking conditions entitling us to cancel, or if the change is a minor one. A minor change is a change which, considering the information you give us at the time of booking or which we can reasonably be expected to know as a tour operator, we would not reasonably expect to have a significant affect on your confirmed trip. No compensation is payable for children aged 2 and under. Please note we cannot accept any liability for any damage, loss, expense or other sums of any description, which:
(a) on the basis of the information given to us by you concerning your booking prior to our accepting it, we could not have foreseen you would suffer or incur if we breached our contract with you, or (b) did not result from any breach of contract or any other fault by ourselves or our employees, or where we are responsible for them our suppliers. Additionally, we cannot accept liability for any sums which relate to any business losses.
NET accepts responsibility for ensuring your holiday is supplied as described prior to your departure and services provided will reach a reasonable local standard, however we draw your attention to paragraph 12. Please note we cannot accept responsibility for any services which do not form part of our contract. This includes for example any additional services or facilities, which your hotel or other supplier agrees to provide for you where the services or facilities are not advertised in our brochure, and we have not agreed to arrange them.
The information contained in our brochure and website is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time.
Our brochure descriptions and other information provided or made available in a resort, often refers to “other activities and excursions”, which are available in the resort. These activities and excursions are not run nor controlled in any way by NET. They do not form any part of your contract with NET, even where we suggest or recommend operators, centres or trips, and assist you in booking such activities or excursions in any way. Accordingly, we regret NET cannot accept any liability in relation to these outside activities and excursions. Where we make or take any bookings for or from you in respect of any activity or excursion available, we do solely as booking agents. This is the case regardless of whether the activity is advertised or mentioned in our brochure, resort, on our website or elsewhere. Your contract for any such activity or excursion will be with the supplier or operator of that activity or excursion. NET has no liability for any such activity or excursion or for any acts or omissions of the supplier or operator of it/their employees or agents or any other persons connected with the activity or excursion. If we are found liable in any respect for any such activity or excursion, for example in our capacity as booking agent, that liability is limited to the cost of the particular activity or excursion concerned.
We would remind customers that the infrastructure in developing countries may not be up to the same standard as in Europe or the US. Some resorts may experience the occasional power cut or water shortage. Please note that we will not be responsible for any injury, illness, death, loss (for example loss of enjoyment), damage, expense, cost or other sum or claim of any description whatsoever which results from any of the following: a) The fault of the persons affected or any members of their party, or b) The fault of a third party not connected with the provision of your trip, which we could not have predicted or avoided, or c) An event or circumstances which we or the supplier of the services in question could not have predicted or avoided, even after taking all reasonable care (see force majeure), or d) The fault of anyone who is not carrying out work for us (generally or in particular) at the time.
In addition, we will not be responsible where you do not enjoy your trip or suffer problems because of a reason you did not tell us about when you booked your trip, or where any problems you suffered did not arise from any breach of our contract, or other fault of ourselves or where we were responsible for them, our suppliers or agents or where any losses, expenses, costs or other sum you have suffered relate to any business. We accept responsibility for the negligent acts of our employees, agents and direct suppliers, which results in death, injury or illness. Our liability shall be limited to 100% of the trip price for any claim other than those involving injury or death arising from our negligence. Our suppliers, such as accommodation or transport suppliers, have their own booking conditions or conditions of carriage, and these conditions are binding between you and the supplier. Some of these conditions may limit or remove the relevant transport providers or other suppliers’ liability to you. You can get copies of such conditions from any offices of the relevant suppliers.
Carriage by air and sea is subject to the terms and conditions of the carriers with whom you are travelling and to international conventions. NET accepts no liability whatsoever for cancellations, strikes, timetable changes, diversions, technical issues unrelated to NET, lost or mislaid luggage, rescheduling costs, missed accommodation, or delays which result from any operational decision of the carrier concerned. NET accepts no liability for death, injury or illness that derives from carriage by air or sea.
The above booking terms and conditions together with all correspondence form part of your contract with NET. This contract and any matters arising from it shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the United Republic of Tanzania.
If you have been referred to us by another part (for example a travel agent) you agree to hold them blameless and waive any and all claims against such party. Any issues you may have must be directed to us and dealt with under the terms of our contract.
If you have a problem during your holiday, please inform the relevant organiser (your guide followed by the respective camp/hotel manager) immediately and he will endeavour to put things right. If your problem cannot be resolved locally you must send full details to NET in writing within 28 days of your return home. If you fail to follow this procedure, we will not accept liability as we have been deprived of the opportunity to investigate and rectify the problem.
Nature Encounters was founded by Paul Michael Shayo, a professional Tanzanian tour guide with more than 20 years of guiding experience.
He had the dream to combine his passion for nature and his country more broadly with his desire to contribute to the wellbeing of his society.
Paul envisioned offering travellers the flexibility to explore the wonders of an African safari in harmony with its surroundings, and in touch with nature, and to allow them encounters with heartful people and deep insights into the hospitable Tanzanian culture.
Because Paul’s passion, his vision and his laughter are infectious, he could win various partners for his ambitious project.
