Terms of Service

Draft: these terms are pending legal review and will be finalized before launch.

About these terms

Africa Awaits You is a travel planning service provided by Travel Ease Company LLC, a limited liability company registered in the United States ("Travel Ease," "we," "us" or "our"). These terms apply to your use of the Africa Awaits You website and to our planning service. By using the website or asking us to plan a trip, you agree to them.

Additional terms apply to each trip you book. They are set out in your written proposal and, if there's any conflict, the terms in your written proposal take priority for that trip.

What we do

We are a human-assisted, tailor-made travel planning service. We design itineraries around each traveler and coordinate travel arrangements with independent local suppliers, such as ground handlers, guides, lodges, hotels and transport providers.

We are not an online travel agency, and the website does not offer instant bookings or an online checkout. The journeys, sample itineraries, descriptions and "from" prices on the website are inspiration and guidance. They are not offers that can be accepted, and they don't reserve anything.

Trip requests, proposals and quotes

• Requesting a trip is free and doesn't commit you to anything. Submitting the trip planner or contacting us does not create a booking or a contract.
• Proposals and quotes are not binding until you accept a written proposal from us. Until then, prices and availability can change, because lodges, flights and permits are not held unless we tell you otherwise in writing.
• If something changes before you accept, such as a price or an availability issue, we'll tell you and update your proposal.
• Your trip is confirmed when you have accepted a written proposal, made any payment required by it, and received our written confirmation of the arrangements.

Payments

• You only pay after you have approved your itinerary and quote.
• After approval, Travel Ease sends you payment instructions or a secure payment link. The amounts, currency and due dates are those set out in your written proposal, which usually include a deposit and a final balance.
• We never ask you to enter card details on the Africa Awaits You website, and we never request payment before you've approved your trip.
• If you receive payment instructions that look unusual or differ from those you expected, contact us via the details on our Contact page to verify them before paying. We are not responsible for payments sent to accounts that we did not provide.
• Your bank or card provider may charge fees or apply exchange rates to your payment. These are your responsibility unless your proposal says otherwise.

Prices

"From" prices on the website are estimated starting points per person, usually based on two people sharing, and exclude international flights unless stated. Final pricing depends on dates, hotels, group size and itinerary, and is set out in your written proposal.

Park fees, taxes and other government charges are outside our control and can change. If such a change affects a confirmed trip, we'll explain the impact, and how it is handled will follow the terms in your written proposal.

Changes and cancellations

Changes and cancellations are governed by the terms in your written proposal, which reflect the conditions of the suppliers involved in your trip.

• If you want to change your trip, contact us as early as possible. We'll do our best to help, but changes depend on availability and may involve supplier charges.
• If you cancel, cancellation charges may apply as set out in your written proposal. Some items, such as certain permits and flights, may be non-refundable.
• If a supplier or we need to make a significant change, for example because a lodge closes or a flight schedule changes, we'll tell you as soon as reasonably possible and offer suitable alternatives where available.

We strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance, taken out when you confirm your trip, that covers cancellation, medical care and evacuation.

Independent suppliers

The accommodation, transport, activities and other services in your trip are provided by independent suppliers, not by Travel Ease. Their own terms and conditions apply, including airlines' conditions of carriage. We choose suppliers carefully and coordinate your arrangements, but we don't own or control them.

Your responsibilities

• Give us accurate and complete information, including traveler names exactly as shown on passports, and tell us about any medical, mobility or dietary needs that could affect your trip.
• Make sure every traveler has a valid passport and meets the entry, visa and health requirements for each country on the itinerary. Our website offers general guidance with links to official sources, but requirements change and depend on nationality, so please verify them with official sources before you travel.
• Make sure you're fit enough for the activities you choose, such as trekking or walking safaris.
• Follow the safety instructions of guides, rangers and staff, and respect local laws and customs.

Travel risks

Travel in Africa, as anywhere, involves some inherent risks, including wildlife, remote locations, road travel, small aircraft and changing weather. We plan carefully and work with experienced partners, but some risks can't be removed entirely. Please check your government's official travel advice for each destination before booking and before traveling.

Our responsibility to you

We will provide our planning and coordination services with reasonable skill and care.

To the extent permitted by law:

• we are not responsible for the acts or omissions of independent suppliers, or for losses caused by events beyond our reasonable control, such as extreme weather, natural disasters, strikes, civil unrest, epidemics or government actions;
• we are not liable for indirect or consequential losses, such as lost earnings or missed business opportunities; and
• our total liability to you in connection with a trip will not exceed the total price you paid to us for that trip.

Nothing in these terms limits or excludes liability that cannot be limited or excluded by law, including liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for fraud. Nothing in these terms affects any statutory rights you have as a consumer under the laws of the country where you live.

Using our website

We work hard to keep the website accurate and up to date, but its content is general information and may change without notice. Descriptions, photos and seasonal patterns are illustrative, and wildlife sightings are never guaranteed.

The website's text, images, design and branding belong to us or our licensors. You may view and share pages for personal, non-commercial use, but you may not copy or reuse content commercially, scrape the website, send spam through our forms or attempt to interfere with its security. Links to other websites are provided for convenience; we're not responsible for their content.

If you share feedback about your trip, we will only publish it with your permission.

Privacy

Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect and use personal information, and our Cookie Policy explains how we use cookies.

Governing law and disputes

These terms are governed by the laws of the U.S. state in which Travel Ease Company LLC is registered, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. If you live outside the United States and the consumer laws of your country give you rights that cannot be waived, nothing in these terms removes those rights.

If you have a concern, please contact us first. Most issues can be resolved quickly and informally, and we'll always try to do that.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time by posting a new version on this page. The terms in force when you accept your written proposal apply to that trip.

Contact us

If you have any questions about these terms, please contact us via the details on our Contact page.