9 Days: Rovos Rail - Victoria Falls to Cape Town Combo

Welcome to African Selection Travel!

Our inspired travel specialists are ready to turn your Southern Africa vacation dreams and ideas into reality.

Our talented and enthusiastic experts will take time to plan and package a competitively priced and seamless vacation - from start to finish.

We can take care of all your accommodation reservations, transfer bookings, sight-seeing arrangements and regional flights. This will save you time and probably money too! Our personalised and informative digital travel documents are interactive and accessible on any web browser.

We Offer:

• Rovos Rail and Blue Train Ticket Reservations
• Pre- and Post-Train Travel Services
• Safari Packages
• Hotel and Safari Lodge Reservations
• Transfers and Chauffeur Services
• Tours and Excursions
• Self-Drive or Guided Packages
• Regional Flights

Your Benefits:

• ​One point of contact for all reservations
• Interactive digital travel documentation
• Expert advice
• Tailor-made safaris
• Saving you time, effort and money
• Seamless travel programmes
• Detailed Itineraries
• No hidden costs
• We use reputable lodges and operators

Contact us on 021 553 4949 or email: res@africanselection.com

AFRICAN SELECTION TRAVEL

BOOKING TERMS AND CONDITIONS

African Selection Travel (Pty) Ltd

(Registration Number: 2022/642628/07 Registered in the Republic of South Africa)

These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern the relationship, bookings, and transactions between African Selection Travel (Pty) Ltd ("us", "we", "our") and our clients ("you", "your", "the traveller"). By requesting a quote, making a booking, or utilizing our services on our websites or social media channels, you agree to be bound by these Terms.

1. Role as a Booking Agent (Third-Party Suppliers)

African Selection Travel (Pty) Ltd operates solely as a booking agent / intermediary for various third-party suppliers of travel services and products. These suppliers include, but are not limited to, airlines, hotels, tour operators, wilderness lodges, car rental companies, transfer providers, and rail operators.

1. 1. The Direct Contract: Your contract for travel services is directly between you and the respective third-party supplier.
   2. Supplier Terms & Conditions: Each supplier has their own terms, conditions, cancellation policies, and rules. It is your responsibility to review and agree to these third-party terms before finalizing your booking.
   3. Limitation of Recourse: Because we act only as agents, we cannot be held liable for any default, negligence, act, omission, injury, loss, delay, or damage caused by any third-party supplier. Any right of recourse you may have will be solely against that supplier.

2. Booking Process

We take great care in planning, selecting, and arranging your travel services. It is our aim to provide the right holiday to suit your requirements. In general, we follow the below booking process:

1. 1. Consultation & Proposal: Through correspondence, we will analyse your needs and prepare a customized travel proposal with an associated costing.
   2. Provisional Reservations: Once you are satisfied with our proposal, we will, where possible, book all your travel services on a provisional basis. Depending on the selected service providers, provisional reservations can only be held for a limited time and must be confirmed or released at the request of the service provider. No deposit is required at this stage.
   3. Invoicing: Having completed the process of provisionally booking your travel services, we will issue you with an invoice for a deposit payment, or the full payment if your travel services start within 60 days of making the booking. We will also invoice you for the full pre-payment of any flights included in your proposal. As we cannot hold flight bookings on a provisional basis, the cost of these flights remains subject to change and availability until the airline receives full payment.
   4. Securing Bookings: Upon receipt of your deposit or final payment, we will secure all the proposed travel arrangements. At this point, a binding contract is formed with the third-party suppliers, and you will be liable for any cancellation fees or charges relating to changes made to your Booking.
   5. Travel Documentation: A full range of travel documents will be issued once all the bookings have been secured. The travel documents will include your final itinerary, reservation details, airline confirmations, travel vouchers where necessary, service provider contact details, and any other relevant information pertaining to your Booking. All documents will be sent via email or through a link to an online source.

3. Booking and Payment Policy

All bookings are subject to change and availability at the time of reservation. To secure your travel arrangements, the following payment policies and payment policies apply:

3.1 Deposit & Balance Schedule

• More than 60 days prior to departure: A 25% Deposit + 100% of all Flight Costs is required to secure the bookings. The remaining 75% balance is due at least 60 days prior to departure.
• 60 days or less prior to departure: 100% Full Payment is required immediately at the time of booking.

3.2 Payment Methods, Surcharges, and USD Transactions

• Deadlines: All payments (including deposits and final balances) must clear in our bank account on or before the due dates stipulated on your invoice. Our bank account details are provided directly on your invoice.
• Credit Card Payments & Surcharge: We accept MasterCard, Visa, and American Express. Please note that a 3.30% administration surcharge will be added to all credit card transactions to help cover bank transaction fees.
• Payment Security: To protect your financial security, all credit card payments are processed via secure, encrypted payment links generated directly by the payment gateway. We do not ask for, store, or have access to your credit card details at any stage.
• US Dollar (USD) Billing: Certain travel arrangements (such as lodges, safaris, or activities outside South Africa) must be settled in US Dollars (USD). We reserve the right to invoice you in USD for these specific services.
• Settling USD Invoices: USD-denominated invoices can be settled via a direct bank transfer (EFT) to our designated USD or ZAR bank account
• USD to ZAR Conversion & Bank Discrepancies: If you choose to pay a USD-denominated invoice via credit card, the amount will be converted to South African Rand (ZAR) using the exchange rate issued by our bank on the day the secure link is generated. If your personal bank account is USD-based, please note that there may be a slight discrepancy between the invoiced USD amount and the final amount debited on your bank statement. This discrepancy is due to varying exchange rates utilized by different financial institutions and the timing of your transaction processing, for which we cannot be held responsible.

4. Flight Bookings (Airlines)

When we book flights on your behalf, we do so strictly as an intermediary. The airline’s own Conditions of Carriage apply to your flight. Please pay close attention to the following strict rules:

1. 1. Passport Names Must Match Exactly: The first name, middle names, and surname provided to us for the booking must match the spelling in your passport exactly. Once a ticket is issued, most airlines do not allow name changes. Any spelling corrections requested after ticketing will be treated as a cancellation and rebooking by the airline, and any associated costs, penalties, or fare increases will be 100% for your account.
   2. Price Guarantees & Deadlines: Airfares and airport taxes are highly volatile. A flight price is never guaranteed when a quote is sent or even when a deposit is paid. It is only guaranteed once the flight booking is paid for in full and the electronic ticket (e-ticket) has been issued by the airline.
   3. Cancellations, Changes, and Refunds: The vast majority of discounted and economy class international and domestic tickets are 100% non-refundable and non-route-changeable once issued. If your ticket does permit changes, the airline will charge a change fee, plus any difference in fare between your original flight and the new flight. African Selection Travel (Pty) Ltd reserves the right to charge an additional administrative fee to process these changes. Refund processing times can take anywhere from 6 to 12 weeks (and sometimes longer) to be cleared by the airline.
   4. Airline Schedule Changes and Delays: Airlines reserve the right to change flight times, aircraft types, or cancel routes without prior notice. While we will do our best to notify you of any schedule changes we receive, we cannot be held liable for any missed connections, delays, or additional accommodation/travel costs resulting from airline-initiated schedule changes or delays.
   5. Missed Flights (“No-Shows”): If you miss a flight, the airline will automatically mark you as a “No-Show,” which usually results in the immediate cancellation of all subsequent flights on that ticket (including your return flight) without refund.

5. Price Increases and Fluctuations

All quotes, booking confirmations, and invoices issued by African Selection Travel (Pty) Ltd are based on external supplier costs—such as airfares, hotel rates, park/conservation fees, fuel surcharges, and government taxes—as well as current foreign exchange rates.

1. Before Full Payment: Because these external costs are beyond our control, they are subject to change without notice at any time until your booking is paid in full and travel tickets or confirmations have been officially issued. Any such increases (including airline tax hikes, fuel surcharges, or currency fluctuations) will be for your account and must be settled before your booking can be finalized.
2. Fluctuations in Rates of Exchange (ROE): Where travel products are priced in foreign currencies (e.g., USD, EUR) and converted to South African Rand (ZAR), the final price is subject to currency fluctuations. We reserve the right to adjust the final Rand price of your booking to reflect the prevailing rate of exchange on the day your final payment is cleared in our bank account
3. Government and Park Fees: You acknowledge that government authorities, concession owners, or national park bodies reserve the right to increase park fees, conservation levies, or tourism taxes without notice at any stage. Any such increases will be passed directly to you.

6. Waiver, Indemnity, and Limitation of Liability

PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY. BY MAKING A BOOKING WITH US, YOU ARE WAIVING CERTAIN LEGAL RIGHTS AND AGREEING TO INDEMNIFY AFRICAN SELECTION TRAVEL (PTY) LTD AGAINST LIABILITY.

6.1 Exclusion of Liability: Because African Selection Travel (Pty) Ltd acts solely as an intermediary (booking agent) between you and the third-party suppliers, we accept no liability for any direct, indirect, special, or consequential loss, damage, injury, delay, illness, or death arising from:

• The acts, omissions, negligence, or default of any third-party supplier.
• Any defects in vehicles, vessels, aircraft, or accommodation provided by third parties.
• Any strikes, labour disputes, civil unrest, war, quarantine, weather conditions, natural disasters, government actions, or other force majeure events (unforeseen circumstances) that disrupt your travel.

6.2 Indemnity: You hereby indemnify, defend, and hold harmless African Selection Travel (Pty) Ltd, its directors, employees, and agents from and against any and all claims, losses, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including legal fees on an attorney-and-client scale) arising out of or in connection with:

• Your participation in any travel, tours, safaris, adventure sports, or high-risk activities arranged by third-party suppliers.
• Any failure by you to obtain correct passports, visas, health clearances, or travel insurance.
• Any breach by you of these Terms or the terms and conditions of the third-party suppliers.

6.3 Adventure Travel & Inherent Risks: If your travel includes safaris, wildlife viewing, trekking, water sports, or other outdoor adventure activities, you acknowledge that these activities carry inherent risks of injury, illness, death, or loss of property. You accept these risks voluntarily. You are responsible for ensuring that you are medically fit to participate in any booked activities.

6.4 Maximum Liability Limit: In the event that a South African court or legal authority finds African Selection Travel (Pty) Ltd liable for any breach of contract or negligence, our maximum liability to you for any single booking or incident will be strictly limited to the total service fee (commission) earned by us for that specific booking, and will specifically exclude the cost of any third-party travel products or services.

7. Cancellations, Changes, and Refunds

If you wish to cancel or amend a booking, you must notify us in writing. The date on which we receive your written cancellation notice will determine the cancellation fees applicable.

7.1 Cancellation Schedule and Non-Refundable Fees

Because travel arrangements must be secured in advance with third-party suppliers, we apply the following strict cancellation policy:

Cancelled MORE than 60 days prior to departure:

• The 25% deposit is strictly non-refundable and will be forfeited.
• Any pre-paid flight costs are subject to the specific airline's fare rules (which are generally 100% non-refundable once issued).

Cancelled 60 days or LESS prior to departure:

• The remaining 75% balance (and thus 100% of the total booking value) is strictly non-refundable and will be forfeited in full.

Legal Note (CPA Compliance): You acknowledge and agree that these non-refundable portions constitute a reasonable, pre-estimated charge to compensate us and our suppliers for reserving capacity, blocking out inventory, and for the administrative costs and potential economic loss of revenue resulting from your cancellation.


7.2 Third-Party Supplier Penalties & Professional Fees

• Supplier Charges: In addition to our cancellation policy, you will be liable for any extra cancellation fees or penalties imposed directly by the third-party suppliers (hotels, airlines, transfer companies).
• Service Fees: Any booking, consulting, or administrative fees charged by African Selection Travel (Pty) Ltd are earned at the time of booking and are non-refundable under any circumstances.
• No-Shows: If you do not show up for a flight, transfer, hotel booking, or activity, it will be treated as a late cancellation, and no refund or credit will be issued.

8. Special Requests, Dietary Requirements & Luxury Rail Cancellations

8.1 Special Requests and Dietary Requirements

We welcome your special requests and will do our absolute best to facilitate them to make your trip comfortable.

• Communication to Suppliers: Any special requests (including but not limited to: dietary requirements, food allergies, specific room configurations, disabled access, or adjacent rooms) must be communicated to us in writing at the time of booking. We will pass these requests on to the relevant third-party suppliers (hotels, lodges, airlines).
• No Guarantee: Because these requests are ultimately fulfilled by third-party suppliers and not by us directly, we cannot guarantee that they will be met. Failure by a supplier to accommodate a special request does not constitute a breach of contract on our part, and we cannot accept liability or offer refunds in such cases.

8.2 Specific Cancellation Policies: Rovos Rail & The Blue Train

Because luxury rail operators block out highly limited inventory, they enforce strict, tiered cancellation schedules. If you cancel a booking that includes either of these rail services, the following supplier-specific terms will apply, override our general cancellation terms, and be passed directly to you:

A. Rovos Rail Cancellation Schedule

1. Regular / Short Journeys

(Cape Town, Victoria Falls, and Durban Safari)

Individual Travelers (Less than 10 guests):

• 61 or more days prior to departure: The 25% deposit is strictly non-refundable.
• 60 days or less prior to departure: 100% of the total fare is forfeited.

Group Bookings (10 or more guests):

• 121 or more days prior to departure: 25% of the total group fare is non-refundable.
• 120 to 61 days prior to departure: 50% of the total group fare is non-refundable.
• 60 days or less prior to departure: 100% of the total group fare is forfeited.

2. Long Journeys

(Golf Safari, Namibia, Southern Cross, Collage, African Trilogy, Copper Trail, Trail of Two Oceans (TOTO), and Dar es Salaam)

Individual Travelers (Less than 10 guests):

• 365 to 91 days prior to departure: 10% of the total fare is non-refundable.
• 90 to 61 days prior to departure: 25% of the total fare is non-refundable.
• 60 to 31 days prior to departure: 50% of the total fare is non-refundable.
• 30 days or less prior to departure: 100% of the total fare is forfeited.

Group Bookings (10 or more guests):

• 365 to 246 days prior to departure: 10% of the total group fare is non-refundable.
• 245 to 181 days prior to departure: 30% of the total group fare is non-refundable.
• 180 to 121 days prior to departure: 50% of the total group fare is non-refundable.
• 120 days or less prior to departure: 100% of the total group fare is forfeited in full.

B. The Blue Train Cancellation Schedule

(Note: Group terms apply to bookings of 5 or more suites / 10 or more guests).

Individual Travelers (Less than 5 suites):

• 61 or more days prior to departure: The 25% deposit is strictly non-refundable and non-transferable.
• 60 to 0 days prior to departure: 100% of the total ticket price is forfeited.

Group Bookings (5 suites or more):

• 91 or more days prior to departure: The 25% deposit is strictly non-refundable and non-transferable.
• 90 to 61 days prior to departure: 50% of the total group booking value is non-refundable.
• 60 days or less prior to departure: 100% of the total group booking value is forfeited in full.

9. Unscheduled Extensions and Force Majeure Costs

Sometimes travel plans are disrupted by factors completely outside of anyone's control—such as severe weather, flight delays, airline strikes, natural disasters, rail infrastructure issues or political unrest.

9.1 Client Responsibility for Costs: In the event of an unscheduled extension of your trip, missed connection, or forced change of itinerary due to these events, all additional expenses incurred (including extra nights' accommodation, meals, alternative transport, and flight change fees) will be your sole responsibility. You will have to settle these unexpected costs directly with the service providers at the time and claim them back from your travel insurance provider afterwards. This is why comprehensive travel insurance is essential.

9.2 Special Notice Regarding Luxury Rail Travel (Rovos Rail and The Blue Train): If your itinerary includes a rail journey on Rovos Rail or The Blue Train, please note that luxury rail travel in Southern Africa relies on national rail infrastructure and is subject to operational delays, track maintenance, scheduling changes, or cancellations by the rail operators or state authorities.

• Exclusion of Liability: African Selection Travel (Pty) Ltd cannot be held liable under any circumstances for any delays, route changes, or cancellations of services by Rovos Rail or The Blue Train.
• No Liability for Cascading (Pre/Post-Rail) Services: This exclusion of liability extends to any other travel services—including flights, hotel or lodge accommodation, tours, and vehicle transfers—that are booked by us or by you directly, which are affected, missed, or disrupted as a consequence of such rail delays or cancellations.
• Direct Disputes: Any legal disputes, refund claims, or compensation requests arising from a delay, disruption, or cancellation of a rail journey must be taken up directly by you with the respective rail operator (Rovos Rail or The Blue Train).
• Our Assistance & Client Cost Responsibility: While we will act in good faith and use our best endeavours to assist you with making alternative travel arrangements and restructuring your itinerary where possible, you will be solely responsible for any and all additional costs (including but not limited to ticket change fees, new flight bookings, extra accommodation, and transfer costs) resulting from the rail delay or cancellation.

10. Complaints Procedure

We want you to have a flawless experience. If something does not meet your expectations while you are traveling, please follow this procedure so we can help resolve it:

1. On-Site Notification (First Step): You must immediately report any complaint or issue to the on-site manager of the supplier (e.g., the lodge manager, hotel front desk, or transport driver). Most issues can be resolved on the spot if the supplier is given a fair opportunity to fix them.
2. Contact Us: If the on-site supplier cannot resolve the issue to your satisfaction, you must contact our office immediately during your trip so we can attempt to intervene on your behalf.
3. Written Complaint: If the issue remains unresolved after your trip, you must submit a formal, written complaint to us within 14 days of your scheduled return date. Please provide your booking reference and all supporting evidence (emails, photos, etc.).
4. Time Limitation: We cannot investigate or assist with complaints that were not brought to the supplier’s attention during the trip, or complaints submitted more than 14 days after your return.

11. Passports, Visas, and Health Requirements

It is the sole responsibility of the traveller to ensure they meet all legal entry requirements for their destination.

1. Passports: Passports must be valid for at least six (6) months after your scheduled return date and have at least two (2) blank pages.
2. Visas: You must obtain all necessary visas, transit visas, and re-entry permits before departure. We cannot be held liable if you are denied boarding or entry into any country.
3. Health & Inoculations: It is your responsibility to consult with medical professionals regarding required vaccinations, malaria prophylactics, and health certificates.

12. Travel Insurance (Highly Recommended)

We strongly advise all clients to purchase comprehensive travel insurance at the time of booking.

This insurance should cover, at a minimum:

• Trip cancellation or curtailment
• Emergency medical expenses and evacuation
• Loss or damage of personal baggage and valuables

We will not be held responsible or liable if you choose to travel without adequate insurance cover.

13. Protection of Personal Information (POPIA)

In compliance with the South African Protection of Personal Information Act, No. 4 of 2013 (POPIA), we respect your privacy and protect your personal data.

• By sharing your details with us, you consent to us processing your personal information for the purpose of processing your travel booking.
• You authorize us to share relevant personal information (such as names, ID/passport numbers, and dietary requirements) with the third-party suppliers strictly necessary to secure your bookings.

14. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms and Conditions, and all relationships arising from them, are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa. You consent to the jurisdiction of the South African courts for any dispute arising out of this agreement.

Last Updated: July 2026