The use of this site is subject to the site Terms and Conditions which can be viewed here. Continued use of this site constitutes acceptance of these terms and conditions.
- About us
We are a team of passionate travel and nature enthusiasts who realised, from our own experience, that most people don’t get to experience the true Africa. Most people only get to see ‘postcard Africa’ the one on the calendars, the ‘expected’ Africa. Africa should mean something different, to everyone who experiences her, and the only way to make that happen is to hand-craft each experiences for those people – you.
We create one-of-a-kind, off-postcard experiences. And we can do this because we know Africa – every watering hole, every luxury hide-away, every thundering plain. We are your African Insider.
We do not throw pre-packaged itineraries at you. We will never pack you into a bus with 50 other people snapping photos like you are at an amusement park. We focus on delivering once in a lifetime bucket-list-crossing-off style experiences that are as unique as you, your family and your friends are.
- The booking process – deposit and payment
- During the sales process you will be provided with various itineraries and costings. Upon written acceptance by you of an itinerary and quotation, we will send you an invoice for a non-refundable deposit payment of 30% of the total itinerary cost and make a provisional booking with the service provider concerned. Service providers will generally hold provisional bookings for no longer than 7 (seven) consecutive days within which time a deposit must be paid to them to secure the booking. It is accordingly important that you make payment of the deposit to us upon receipt of invoice.
- Payment of the deposit by you constitutes a binding contract between us relating to the itinerary and the cost thereof.
- At the time of payment of deposit you will need to confirm personal details for each traveller including full names and addresses and passport numbers, the beginning and end connection detail and acceptance of our terms and conditions. Irrespective of the number of travellers, the invoice will be issued in the name of the party initiating the enquiry who will be responsible for any cancellation or amendment fees that may subsequently arise.
- The remainder of the total quoted tour price is due 65 (sixty-five) days prior to departure. If your reservation is made within 60 (sixty) days of departure, the entire cost of the trip must be paid upon confirmation. Non-payment by due date will result in the provisional bookings being cancelled with the service provider and the itinerary cancelled. In such an event any deposit paid is non- refundable.
- Payment can be made by way of bank to bank wire transfer or by way of Visa, Mastercard, Diners Club or American Express credit cards. Full payment details including bank account details will be provided on the invoice sent to you.
- Security policy
- Virtual Card Services process all credit transactions. All credit card transactions are 128 bit Secure Socket Layers (SSL) encrypted. The company registration documents and the site’s registered domain name are checked and verified by Thawte, ensuring the cardholder and merchant that nobody can impersonate VCS to obtain confidential information.
- Virtual Card Services is committed to providing secure online services. All encryption complies with international standards. Encryption is used to protect the transmission of personal information when completing online transactions. Virtual Card Services Internet servers are protected by firewalls and intrusion detection systems.
- The Merchant does not have access to credit details.
- Virtual Card Services continually reviews and enhances its security in line with technological changes.
- Cancellation fees
- Cancellations will only become effective upon written acknowledgement by African Insider of the receipt of notification of the cancellation.
- The cancellation fees set out below are applicable to any cancelled travel arrangements:
- Should a guest fail to arrive, the reservation will be treated as cancelled without giving notice and 100% cancellation fee will apply.
- Certain items such as gorilla and chimp permits, park fees and flight tickets are 100% non-refundable.
- Where any cancellation reduces the number of full paying party members below the number upon which the price or any concessions agreed for your booking were based, we will re-calculate these items and re-invoice you accordingly.
- Price guarantee
Provided that your deposit is received by us in time to confirm provisional bookings with the service provider concerned, once you have made your booking we guarantee to honour prices for each individual item shown on your quotation subject to the following exceptions:-
- Estimated price rises
Where we are making a booking for a period in respect of which we do not yet have confirmed prices from the service provider, we usually include an estimated price rise. Such price rise will be reconciled by the time that final payment becomes due and you are obliged to cover such increase to a maximum of twice the estimated increase.
- Regulatory fees and taxes
In Africa we are exposed to sudden changes in items such as park fees and taxes. You are responsible for paying any additional charges of this nature.
- Fuel surcharges
Similarly, we are occasionally exposed to sudden changes in fuel costs which we need to pass on to our customers if our service providers demand them of us. You are responsible for paying any additional charges of this nature.
- Major errors
In the event of a major error having occurred in our quotation whereby we have significantly undercharged for a trip, we reserve the right to withdraw our offer.
- Exchange rate fluctuations
Very rarely our service providers feel the pinch from a large movement in the international exchange rate and need to add an exchange rate surcharge to their invoices to us. You are responsible for paying any additional charges of this nature.
- Estimated price rises
- Itinerary and schedule changes and liability
Although every effort is made to adhere to booked schedules and itineraries, African Insider reserves the right and may even be obliged to occasionally cancel a safari or change travel arrangements as a result of a change in circumstances of the service provider. Such circumstances may include but are not limited to:
- safety reasons, seasonal rainfall, unsafe airfields, game migrations from one region to another, airline or other booking problems, unscheduled camp/lodge closure (including but not limited to closure due to fire, flood, adverse weather damage etc), strike, war or government or other interference.
African insider cannot be held liable for any change or resultant delay nor will any such change constitute a reason for a refund either in full or in part. Any additional expenses will be for your account.
- Flight Bookings
Flights are booked on your behalf, either online or through our agents, and are subject to the same cancellation or booking change fees if you were booking the flights yourself.
- No refunds
No refunds are given for lost travel time or substitution of facilities and/or accommodations; itineraries amended after departure; not appearing for any accommodation, tour, game viewing or other booked activities; and/or cutting short the booked itinerary for any reason.
- Accommodation and meals
All quoted tour prices include accommodation based on double occupancy. There is a supplementary fee for single occupancy accommodation. In some lodges, children under 12 years of age are not permitted unless where advised accordingly.
Meals are included in the tour price as stated in the itinerary. B = Breakfast, L = Lunch and D = Dinner.
- Not included in the quoted price
The following items are not included in quoted tour prices:
- costs of obtaining passports or visas;
- personal expenses such as beverages, laundry and room service;
- gratuities to your safari escort, camp staff, driver guides;
- excess baggage fees;
- communication charges;
- airport departure taxes;
- meals not specified in your itinerary;
- international and any airfares unless where specifically mentioned otherwise in the itinerary; and
- activities not specified in your itinerary.
- Insurance
- Comprehensive and adequate travel insurance is a condition of travel. The responsibility lies solely with you to ensure that you and all members of your party carry the correct comprehensive travel and medical insurance to adequately cover any eventuality during the course of your trip. The insurance should include cover in respect of, but not be limited, to the following eventualities:-
- cancellation or curtailment of the safari for any reason whatsoever, emergency evacuation expenses, all medical expenses including emergency assistance, accidental death and disability, repatriation expenses, damage/theft/loss of personal baggage, goods and money and any personal effects. African Insider, including its representatives, employees and agents, assume no responsibility for any costs or losses incurred or suffered by clients or any third party in respect of but not limited to any of the aforementioned eventualities.
- Clients will be charged directly by the relevant service providers for any emergency services that they may require whilst travelling and may find themselves in a position of being unable to access such services should they not be carrying the relevant insurance cover.
- Limitation of liability
African Insider acts purely as an agent for and on behalf of the service provider providing transportation and other travel related services in connection with your itinerary. African Insider, its shareholders, directors and employees, accept no liability for and shall not be liable for any loss or damage to any property, injury or death of any person, any cost or expense incurred, or any direct or consequential damage of any kind, suffered by you, any of your dependents or any member of your party and arising from any act or omission on the part of the service provider, whether negligent or otherwise.
- Non-payment by the date for commencement of services
In the event that we have not received payment in full by the date shown on the invoice in the Reservation and payments clause, then we reserve the right in our absolute discretion to withhold all or any part of the services and we shall be entitled to collect the outstanding payment from you direct and to receive from you all cancellation fees which we are entitled to charge as per Cancellations and refunds clause. We are not required to notify you prior to the date of commencement of services that the services or any part thereof will be withheld.
- Variation
African Insider may, in its sole discretion, change this agreement or any part thereof at any time without notice.
- Company information:
This website is run by African Insider Photographic Safaris CC, Registration No. 2010/102328/23.
Brad Leontsinis and Samantha Leontsinis are the only directors and co-owners and are contactable at the following e-mail addresses:-