COVID-19 UPDATED POLICY FOR BOOKINGS MADE AFTER FEBRUARY 2021

As the global pandemic continues to have an ongoing impact on our lives and our international travel plans, we are making a point to continuously streamline and update our Covid terms and conditions so as to adapt to new developments and changes.

Our priority remains to ensure that your future travel plans with us are safe, and to reassure you that we are committed to supporting our customers in the best way we can.

The Covid-19 related additions to our standard terms and conditions are as follows:

• All new bookings from the former mentioned date must be secured with a 50% deposit within 15 working days of receiving Watatu Travel’s detailed travel proposal and invoice.

• Standard payment terms must be adhered to – final balance must be paid no later than 60 days prior to arrival at destination. Failure to abide by the deadline means these special terms and conditions will not apply.

• All travelers are required to assume full, non-financial and financial responsibility for any medical requirements related to Covid-19, medical tests, investigation report fees, etc. asked of them before traveling to their destination and before returning to their residing countries. All travelers are highly advised to continuously check for Covid-related updates with their airlines, local authorities as well as new developments from authorities of the destination they intend to travel to. Watatu will surely keep travelers aware of the latest information they have as well.

If a traveler experiences Covid-related symptoms while on their trip:

They will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, but Watatu Travel cannot confirm a refund in any form. If guests are in-country or on-the-ground when a travel advisory changes, they will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Any exceptions of any kind will be considered case-by-case.

If a client contracts Covid-19 before travel and must cancel their trip for that reason, the following special terms and conditions apply:

• We cannot indemnify travelers for this situation. We have stretched our terms as far as possible to accommodate both existing and new bookings. We have also invested a large amount in ensuring we fulfil our responsibilities in regards to our guests’ and staffs’ health, safety and experience on the ground.

• Some travel insurance now offer coverage for such situations. We recommend all our travelers to look into such policies in detail before making any travel plans during these unpredictable times.

• It is the duty of the traveler and/or their insurer to cover any and all costs (including but not limited to medical costs, treatment costs, transportation to medical care facility costs, additional self-isolation or private hospital room costs, etc.) associated with getting infected with Covid-19.

If a client chooses to cancel due to any other Covid-19 related reason, whether directly or indirectly related to them, the following special terms and conditions apply:

• A full refund can be granted if the cancellation request is relayed to us 60 days before arrival to the destination.

  • Refunds will be processed within 30 days of cancellation notice.

  • Refunds will be sent by the same method in which payments were made.

  • If any other payments are due to Watatu Travel within that period of time, we will issue a credit note instead to offset the amount against the upcoming payment.

• A 50% cancellation charge applies if the cancellation request is relayed 60 – 30 days before arrival. Alternatively, customers can choose to postpone their trip to future dates (move the full amount paid to the new dates).

• A 100% cancellation charge applies if the cancellation request comes 60 days or less before arrival.

  • In order to fulfill our responsibilities to our guests in upholding our standard as well as special Covid-19 related safety protocols, a lot goes into preparations for every trip. Multiple reservations, mobilization of staff, quarantining them, ordering necessary supplies, etc. are all unrecoverable costs for Watatu Travel within the short period of time before arrival. For this reason, we charge the cancellation rates.

  • There are now travel insurers who can and will cover travelers for Covid-related cancellations or losses. We strongly recommend that our travelers register with these insurers and claim cancellations on them, especially if they do not intend to postpone their travel plans.

If there is an official ban or advisory outbound from a country where a guest is based or inbound into the part of Africa where they are due to travel, the following exceptions to our terms and conditions apply:

• Bookings confirmed and secured with a deposit will be eligible for postponement of travel for up to a year in advance on a rolling 60-day basis, but changes and final confirmations must be made no later than 60 days before arrival or before the new arrival date.

• Bookings that are postponed within the above-mentioned 60-day window will be honoured at the same rates if traveling within the same season and if the trip scope remains unchanged. All long-stay rates, discount rates and any other value-adds will also be carried over to the new dates. In the event of any significant changes to governments or local fees that are out of the control of Watatu Travel or the agreements Watatu Travel has with its partners, the change in rates will be communicated immediately to the client.

• Multiple postponements are permitted if the new travel dates continue to be impacted by Covid-19 related travel restrictions, but within 60 days of arrival.

• If any postponements are requested after a one-year period from the original arrival date, new 2021-2022 rates will apply.

• Final balance payment for postponed bookings with a deposit paid will be due based on the new postponed booking dates.

Important note:

The above-mentioned special terms only apply to Watatu’s services and excludes all third-party services, which are subject to their own cancellation terms and policies, which will be communicated to the client in the event of a cancellation. Watatu Travel will continue to work on the client’s behalf to attempt to secure the best terms available for any postponements made with third-party service providers.

Final notes on our updated Covid-19 terms and conditions:

• Any cancellations are subject to our standard cancellations terms as per our rates sheet.

• We reserve the right to revert to our standard terms and conditions at any time.

• Any abuse of this policy will lead to immediate reverting to standard terms and conditions.

Watatu Travel remains committed to working with you to ensure you get to enjoy the incredible safari you want and planned for, whether it happens exactly as planned or at a later date.

We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your partnership and support in these challenging times. Please continue to let us know what you need from us here at Watatu Travel by getting in touch with us by email.