Travel Guidance

In case of any discrepancy between link/itinerary and the booking voucher, the information on the voucher is applicable

 Please take note of our Booking Terms & Conditions. It will be understood that these have been read and accepted by you on receipt of confirmation of the booking.
• For your safety and peace of mind, on confirmation of your booking, we strongly recommend that Travel Insurance is arranged to cover cancellation, curtailment, emergency evacuation, medical and repatriation expenses, damage/theft/loss of personal luggage, money and goods.
• Road and air transfers and activities are quoted on a seat basis (shared) unless otherwise requested or specified. Passengers may have various stops en-route to a destination. The transfer or charter company reserves the right to specify departure and arrival times. Private charters can be requested at an additional cost.
• Passengers weighing over 100kg should please advise us at the time of booking, as we may need to cost in an additional seat on internal flights for your safety and comfort.
• The costs are subject to change at any time due to fluctuations in fuel costs, taxes, levies, government regulations, rate of exchange and factors that are imposed upon us by our suppliers that are beyond or control.
• Please advise us of the ages of children (under 18) travelling, together with their date of birth, at the time of booking as not all lodges accept children and there may be restrictions or conditions which can affect pricing.
• We recommend that optional activities be booked in advance at time of confirmation to guarantee availability e.g. Elephant Back Safari in Victoria Falls
• Please allow a minimum 2-3 hours connection time in Johannesburg for international flights. It is important that you check that your flight tickets have been issued in your full names as per your passport.
• We require full payment for international and domestic scheduled flights at the time of confirmation e.g. Air Botswana JNB/MUB, Proflight LIV/LUS. We are not able to guarantee any flights before receipt of payment as seats are often held for a limited period before ticketing is required so this is a time sensitive issue. Air tickets are considered non refundable unless otherwise specified. Please confirm the details with your consultant at the time of booking.

Passports, Visas and Travel Documentation
Your passport must have at least 6 months validity before the expiry date and 6 empty pages (not including the endorsement pages). The onus is upon the guests to ensure that passports and visas are valid for the countries visited. Please note that certain visas can take up to 3 months to be processed so please consider this when booking.

If you are travelling with children through Southern Africa please be aware that you will be required to have certified copies of their unabridged birth certificates, and passports on hand. If you are not their legal parents, or if only one of you is travelling – you will need to have consent in the form of an affidavit giving you permission to travel with the child.

Inter-camp transfers
Due to the vast distances involved in travelling in the remote areas of Southern Africa - your itinerary may include road, boat and air transfers in small aircraft.

On shared air transfers, all the flight times between lodges are arranged a few days before the flights take place to avoid endless schedule changes. The lodge or camp where you are staying will be advised of your departure time the day before travel and will ensure that you are at the airstrip on time. Although every effort will be made to ensure that guests are transferred together in one vehicle / aircraft, this cannot be guaranteed, especially with larger groups. The aircraft used for inter-camp transfers vary in size from 3, 5, 7 and 12 seater aircraft. We recommend that guests susceptible to motion sickness take appropriate precautions due to flying conditions.

Weight & Luggage Restrictions
There are strict luggage restrictions in place on any itinerary, which includes light aircraft transfers for safety reasons. Luggage, including camera equipment and hand luggage, is restricted to 20 kg per person travelling on seat rates. Only soft bags will be accepted - no hard suitcases or bags with wheels can be transported, as they physically cannot fit into the aircraft.

The maximum dimensions of the soft bags that can be accommodated are as follows: 25cm/10 inches wide x 30cm/11 inches high and 62cm/24 inches long. Please keep in mind that the baggage compartments on the light aircraft are only 25cm high, so the pilots must have the ability to manipulate the bag into the compartment. Note that laundry can be done on a daily basis at most camps and lodges.

Should you arrive with excess baggage without prior warning, your baggage could be delayed, as we may have to fly the baggage into camp at a later stage at considerable extra cost to you. However, should you notify us in advance that your baggage will exceed the limit; we may be able to assist you with alternative arrangements e.g. storage or purchase of additional luggage allowance.

For bookings including flights within Zambia & Mozambique, please note luggage weight exceptions under destination information.

Lost Luggage
Lost luggage on international flights is a common problem facing travellers today. We suggest that you pack a small bag with your essentials, including any life sustaining medication, which can be carried with you as hand luggage. If travelling as a couple or family we suggest that you split your clothing between bags so that if one bag gets lost, you will have basic items on hand to see you through the first couple of days while we try and recover your lost baggage.

Please note that whilst we try our utmost to locate and re-unite you with your bags, that there may be charges involved in getting your bags to remote areas, which would be for your cost. Please remember to report the lost luggage to the airline as soon as you make the discovery - the airline will issue you with a Baggage Claim Form, which you will need in order for us to trace the bag.

Health and Dietary
Please note that you are travelling to a Malaria-risk area. Please consult your doctor for medical advice prior to travel.

Although usually safe to drink, we do not recommend that you drink the tap water. Filtered water is available at the camps and lodges.

The camps are isolated and generally have limited power supply and access to supplies. Please notify us in advance of any special dietary requirements, medical conditions and medical equipment you may need with you. Please carry critical medication in your hand luggage.

Yellow Fever Certificates - are only required if you have travelled to a Yellow Fever area as designated by the World Health Organisation. Please check with your Travel Clinic or doctor well in advance of your departure date.

General Travel Information
• There is no or limited electricity and cell phone coverage in the camps and lodges excluding major towns and cities. All camps do make provision for charging cameras and electronic devices.
• Please ensure that you do not pack any valuables, cameras, cash, laptops in your checked in luggage – these should be kept on your person at all times.
• Please notify us immediately of any changes to flight arrival and departure details as this affects onward transfer arrangements.
• Please note that most camps & lodges in Botswana do not have double beds. Twin beds are pushed together to make up a double room.
• Although every effort is made to adhere to schedules the company reserves the right and in fact is obliged to occasionally change routes and camps on safaris as dictated by changing conditions or unforeseen circumstances.
• By confirmation of the booking, you acknowledge that you have been made aware and accept that the tour carries inherent risks, and that you voluntarily assume all risks which are associated with the tour. You will be required to sign indemnities at the various camps, lodges and service providers, and abide by their operators code of conduct in order to ensure your safety.
• If you have any cause for complaint while travelling, you should immediately bring it to the attention of the camp manager and / or our Maun office that will attempt to resolve the situation immediately.
• Do not remove any animal artefacts, flora or fauna from any of the areas you visit, as there are strict international regulations on the export of such items.

Please refer to the Safari Information (https://www.dropbox.com/s/3e5s2s55z8yhray/safari-information.pdf?dl=0) for further details on preparing for your safari.

Zimbabwe

Currency
From June 2019 the Zimbabwean Dollar (Z$) was reinstated as the official currency of Zimbabwe.  However, for tourism purposes, cash in US Dollars is generally the accepted currency. US$ Dollar notes (2007 Series onwards), and Visa and MasterCard are accepted. Always have enough US$ cash available in smaller denominations in the event where ATM's and Credit Card facilities are not operational.

Visa
Fees for Visitors to Zimbabwe who are eligible to receive their visa on entry
Europe and USA: US$ 30.00 for single entry/ US$ 45.00 for double entry.
UK & Ireland: US$ 55.00 for single entry/ US$ 70.00 for double entry.
Canada: US$ 75.00 for single entry/ double entry to be obtained from local embassy prior to travel

Some visitors need to apply for visas before arrival - please check with your Embassy, Zimbabwe Government Visa Requirements. ALWAYS have cash available in the correct US$ amount at ALL ports of entry.

Kaza Univisa – Zimbabwe and Zambia

Travellers planning to visit both Zimbabwe and Zambia should apply for a UniVisa (also known as KAZA visa). The visa can be obtained in advance, as well as at ports of entry, but cannot be guaranteed.

The UniVisa allows travellers 30 days travel within both Zambia and Zimbabwe, and is also valid for daytrips to Botswana. Travellers must remain within Zambia & Zimbabwe for the visa to stay valid. Visiting Botswana as a daytrip will not affect the visa’s validity, provided travellers return to Zambia or Zimbabwe the same day.

Internal Flights and Transfers
Due to the remote areas the camps and lodges are based in, transfers between camps may take place by boat, train, game drive vehicle or light aircraft.

Road transfers to and from Hwange Safari Lodge/ Hwange Main Camp have scheduled departure times, any transfer outside these times will attract a surcharge.

Departure Taxes
International departure taxes are included in the scheduled flight rates. However light aircraft transfers from Victoria Falls Airport to Livingstone or Kasane require an International Departure tax of US$35 per person & AIDF Levy of US$15 = US$50 per person to be paid in cash.

Domestic departure taxes are payable in cash at the airport, for any flights departing internally from any registered, manned airport. These include Harare, Bulawayo, Kariba, Hwange and Victoria Falls Airport. The amount is US$10 departure tax + US$5 AIDF Levy = US$15 per person. We recommend small denominations for easier and quicker transactions as change is not always available. Traveller’s cheques and credit cards are NOT accepted.

Weight & Luggage Restrictions
See Booking Information


Botswana

Visa
Some visitors need to apply for visas before arrival please check with your Embassy.
For more information on visas please visit the following address:
Botswana Government - Visa Requirements

BORDER CROSSINGS

Currency
The currency of Botswana is the Pula (BWP). US$ Dollar notes (2007 Series onwards), and Visa and MasterCard are accepted.

Internal Flights and Transfers
Due to the remote areas the camps and lodges are based in, transfers between camps may take place by boat, mokoro, game drive vehicle or light aircraft.

Flight times around Botswana | Approximate flying times
Flight duration times (as listed below), are to be used as an average guideline. They are based on actual flying time, and passengers may have various stops en-route to a destination affecting the total travel time. Your pilot will brief you of your flight route and duration during the safety briefing.
Maun - Delta: 15 to 30 minutes
Delta – Delta: 10 to 20 minutes
Delta - Linyanti: 30 to 40 minutes
Maun – Linyanti: 50 to 60 minutes
Linyanti - Kasane: 40 to 60 minutes
Maun/Delta - Kasane: 60 to 80 minutes
Maun - Makgadikgadi/Desert: 40 to 60 minutes

Departure Taxes
Departure taxes are included in ticket prices.

Weight & Luggage Restrictions
See Booking Information


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