Please be aware that it is important that you have familiarised yourself thoroughly with the terms of agreement for a tour. These terms comprise the following elements: the brochure and/or website information, including price lists and itinerary, and the invoice and terms and conditions.
If the tour is booked AND paid for on the Albatros Travel website you should read all the relevant information contained within the documents. These include:
A. The brochure and/or website information including price lists and itineraries, which includes a detailed description of the tour, current prices and a specification of any expected extra expenses, as well as special regulations or information relevant to the specific tour. Flight times, visa requirements, etc., are frequently altered and information regarding these will therefore seldom be found in the printed brochures.
B. The terms and conditions must be seen in context with the other relevant content of the terms of agreement as mentioned above. If there are conditions stipulated in the tour itinerary or practical information relating to the specific tour, these must be included in the information provided in our brochure and/or website. Otherwise, you may assume that the general terms and conditions for Albatros Travel are valid for your tour.
C. Product liability insurance. In keeping with legislation regarding extended liability for tour operators, we always presume that our customers have familiarised themselves with the content of all of the distributed material.
1. Booking
In order to make your booking, please make sure that you have the correct names, nationalities and date of birth of all travellers as per their passports. Albatros Travel will hold an option of 7 days from the time we have confirmed a tour before the cancellation rules apply. If our service or a tour is booked less than 7 days prior to the date when the service is rendered or the tour commences, cancellation rules will apply immediately. If you need more time please let us know. If a hotel is fully booked Albatros Travel will try to offer you an alternative property of a similar standard and location.
A booking fee of USD 20 will be charged if the booking includes less that 3 nights’ accommodation, car rental only or transfer only.
A booking is binding for both the customer and travel agency once the deposit has been paid.
2. Conditions of payment
The following rules apply unless other conditions are stipulated in the tour itinerary or practical information relating to the specific tour on our website.
At the time of booking, a deposit on 25% of the total tour price per person, though no less than USD 1,000 must be paid. The remaining payment must be submitted no later than 60 days prior to departure. If the deadline for the remaining payment is exceeded, Albatros Travel will be unable to confirm the booking for the client. Please note that some tours have different conditions of payment which may entail stricter conditions for cancellation, e.g. tours utilising luxury trains, flights and certain safaris. These conditions will be stated in the specific tour terms and conditions on our website.
All payments must be made by credit card, internet transfer (electronic funds transfer) or telegraphic bank transfer (SWIFT). Funds are normally cleared within five to seven working days. We are unable to accept cash and travellers cheques.
3. Cancellation
The following rules apply unless other conditions are stipulated in the tour itinerary or the practical information relating to the specific tour on our website.
Cancellation by the customer
If the customer cancels a tour up to 61 days prior to departure the deposit will be lost. If cancellation is made within 60-31 days prior to departure, a penalty fee of 65% of the total price of the tour will be levied. For any cancellation made within 30-16 days before departure, a penalty fee of 85% will apply. In the case of cancellations made less than 16 days before the start of the tour we are unable to offer any reimbursement. No refunds will be given by Albatros Travel for no-shows.
The payment of bank fees for credit card payments and/or bank transfers are the responsibility of the customer and are strictly non-refundable.
The trip may be cancelled with no penalty charge should war, a life-threatening epidemic, or any other natural catastrophe or similar event occur within 14 days prior to departure. This will however be on the condition that your government advises against travelling to the specific area, and that the situation in question has arisen after the booking of the tour was made.
Cancellations must be made in writing and delivered either by hand, post, fax or electronic mail.
In the case of death or serious illness, special cancellation terms can be negotiated if Albatros Travel is presented with an officially-approved death/sickness certificate.
Cancellation by the travel agency
In the unlikely event that Albatros Travel has to cancel a tour or a service for any reason, we will try to offer the choice of an alternative arrangement; otherwise you will receive a full refund. We will do our utmost to inform you about any cancellations at the earliest possible convenience and at the latest 14 days before the commencement of the tour.
The tour may also be cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control and which neither our partners nor we could have foreseen (force majeure). In such cases customers will be refunded the price of the trip but will not be able to claim any extra expenses. Should one of the aforementioned emergency situations arise Albatros Travel will always try to offer an acceptable alternative to the customer.
4. Travel documents
If travel documents other than an invoice are required, these will be emailed or posted to the booking party upon receipt of the full payment.
Additional travel documents could include detailed flight schedules (if included in the purchase), vouchers and an itinerary that includes pre-booked services for your destination. If you are participating in a tour with a guide or in an event described in the programme, you will not normally be given a voucher beforehand.
5. Passports and visas
Unless otherwise specified, obtaining a passport and visa for entry to the country/countries in which the tour takes place is the responsibility of the traveller.
The traveller must ensure that he/she has a valid passport and visa and has given the travel agency the correct information regarding his/her name and nationality, etc. We draw your attention to the fact that the processing of visas may take several weeks. The travel agency cannot be held responsible for travellers who for whatever reason may be denied entry at a border. Some countries require the traveller to be in possession of a suitable amount of currency, as well as a valid return ticket.
Please be aware that rules and regulations may change between the time of booking and the time of departure.
Also, please note that there may be visa requirements when in transit. Your passport must normally be valid for a period of at least six months after returning from your destination.
We are always happy to supply you with any relevant travel documents that may be needed to apply for a visa if you need one. Each country has different requirements that need to be met so please contact your local embassy or go to the following website to find out exactly what visa requirements and processes are applicable: www.projectvisa.com
6. Vaccination requirements
Information about which vaccinations are required should be obtained from your GP/physician. Any advice given by the Albatros Travel about vaccinations and/or prophylactic measures or other medical advice should be considered as an extra service and that we are not qualified to give medical advice and accept no liability for it.
You must be able to prove that you fulfil any vaccination requirements by being able to present a yellow International Certificate of Vaccination card upon arrival.
7. Changes in prices
In accordance with legislation, tour operators may raise the agreed-upon price as a result of increased transportation costs (including increased fuel prices), altered taxes, tariffs and fees, as well as fluctuating exchange rates. Unfortunately, many sudden price increases occur as a result of fuel surcharges, and increased taxes and tariffs. Price increases will take place according to the following principles:
All prices are based on costs at the time of publication. Albatros Travel reserves the right to change the prices at any time before your booking is made. Albatros Travel will confirm price changes, if any, together with the confirmation of your booking. Some service prices, such as (but not limited to) park fees, government levies and airport taxes are not in the control of Albatros Travel. In the event of these prices being changed at any date Albatros Travel will charge the supplement to the client at cost.
8. Changes in the itinerary
In accordance with legislation, the travel agency cannot make major alterations in the planned tour once it has been booked. It is therefore very important that you make clear any special requirements or wishes you may have in connection with the tour you have booked (e.g. the provision of vegetarian food, a hotel with a tennis court, golf course, etc.). Any extra requirements or wishes must be listed on the invoice with the purpose being to ensure you receive the desired product. On many of our more ‘adventurous’ tours we may institute last minute changes in order to take advantage of local and climatic conditions, as well as to take into account other events. Changes due to weather and problems with infrastructure may also occur and the traveller must see this as a natural part of the trip. Therefore, no compensation will be paid for delays and changes that take place within any 24 hour duration during the tour.
9. Travel insurance
All travellers should take out travel insurance for their trip. This is of paramount importance regarding transportation in case of illness, as well as repatriation for other reasons.
Participation in one of our tours presumes responsible and considerate behaviour with respect to both yourself and other people, and to this end you are expected to comply with the directions of Albatros Travel and our representatives. We do not recommend that travellers venture alone into unfamiliar or remote areas, especially after nightfall. If you wish to be independent, this should always be in consultation with the travel agency or its local representatives. Should Albatros Travel not be represented at certain destinations we advise that you consult an up-to-date guidebook as well as local people for advice.
10. Taxes and tariffs
A number of taxes and tariffs are levied upon the issue of your ticket and are included in the price of the trip. However some local taxes cannot be levied beforehand and must be paid in locus. These may include airport taxes, as well as the tariffs in some national parks and will usually be stated in your itinerary for your information. We would, however, like to draw your attention to the fact that tariffs and taxes may be altered between the time of the booking of your ticket and your departure.
11. Liability limitation
Each tour package comprises one or more service components including the organisation of transport, meals, entrance fees, accommodation and/or other facilities or services. Albatros Travel has no direct day-to-day control over its suppliers. Accordingly Albatros Travel accepts no responsibility for any injury, damage, loss, accident, delay, irregularity and/or inconvenience which may be occasioned by any defect in anything (including vehicles) utilised by any supplier for the provision of any service. Neither will Albatros Travel accept liability for any shortcomings of service caused by an act or omission of any supplier or its employees or agents.
Albatros Travel shall not be liable for any loss or expense arising from the loss of property, cancellation or curtailment of the tour however caused, save to the extent that such loss of baggage, cancellation or curtailment was caused directly by the negligence of Albatros Travel.
If sickness or an accident interrupts a tour, Albatros Travel shall not be liable for any subsequent cost or expense, save only to the extent that such sickness or accident was caused beyond any reasonable doubt by a wilful act of Albatros Travel or by gross negligence. Albatros Travel shall not be liable for any refund, either total or partial, of passage money paid and we recommend that travellers take out the necessary insurance to protect against such an eventuality.
In the case of a claim being made, Albatros Travel must receive said claim in writing no later than 28 days from the end of our services under the contract. Where any payment is made, you will assign to Albatros Travel or our insurers any right you may have to pursue any third party in relation to the claim and provide us with your full co-operation.
In respect of air, sea and rail carriers, as well as land vehicles and hotel owners, Albatros Travel's liability is in all cases limited as if Albatros Travel were the carrier/hotelier within the relevant and appropriate international conventions. Furthermore, all transport is provided subject to the relevant carrier's conditions of carriage, some of which may limit or exclude their liability to you, often in accordance with international conventions.
In general, please note our responsibilities and obligations apply only in respect to those services which Albatros Travel agrees to arrange or provide on your behalf. Albatros Travel cannot accept any liability for any services arranged by yourself.
12. Your responsibility
As mentioned above your participation in a tour is subject to your being aware of the above information as well as the information on the website, on the invoice and in the itinerary, and to your following the aforementioned regulations. It is also expected that you seek up-to-date information about the current matters concerning the political, health, natural and climatic conditions at your destination.
People travelling individually must take note of the fact that the information in this material does not cover all circumstances. This is the case especially with regard to the alteration of airline tickets and any reconfirmation of itineraries, visas etc., which may need extra attention.
13. People with disabilities
The itinerary will make it clear whether there are any special demands upon the traveller with regard to physical health or ability. A principle rule is that all travellers must be self-reliant on any tour with Albatros Travel. Wheelchair users and people with any other physical handicap affecting mobility are very welcome on many of our tours, but please consult the travel agency before booking. Albatros Travel reserves the right to turn away participants who, based on our professional opinion, will not be able to complete the tour due to physical disability. The travel agency is not responsible for any such refusal.
14. Claims
If you have a complaint it must be directed to Albatros Travel or our local representative as soon as the problem comes to light so that we may attempt to rectify the situation. Should you remain dissatisfied, please write to us setting out the complaint in detail within 28 days of the end of the tour. Albatros Travel cannot accept responsibility for any complaints of which we are not notified of entirely in accordance with this clause. Should any legal dispute arise it must be settled in Nairobi, Kenya.