Booking Terms & Conditions | UNLOCK Zanzibar

TERMS & CONDITIONS

We are dedicated to ensuring your experience is not only memorable but also smooth and secure. We encourage you to carefully review our Booking Terms and Conditions, designed to provide clarity and understanding for a hassle-free travel experience.

The contract

These terms and conditions ("Terms") govern the contractual relationship between Unlock Zanzibar, trading under Unlock Afrika Expeditions ("we/us"), and the Client, encompassing all individuals named on the booking form. When you make a booking you guarantee that you have the authority to accept and do accept on behalf of your party the terms of these booking conditions.

Bookings

You may book by email, telephone, or via our Instagram account. Please note, a booking is not confirmed until a final invoice is confirmed by a deposit payment. We will communicate with you by e-mail or WhatsApp in relation to your booking (including sending you documents such as your confirmation and invoice) References in these booking conditions to “send” and “in writing” include communication by e-mail, WhatsApp and via our online booking facility where applicable. You may contact us on email for any of the reasons mentioned in these booking conditions (for example, to request an amendment).

Confirmation

A deposit of 20% of the total cost of any arrangement is required to confirm your booking (excursions, transportation, safari, filming services, etc..) unless otherwise stated by Unlock Zanzibar. If you book less than 4 weeks before departure, full payment (100%) must be made. Where we act only as agent in collaboration with our partners, you will be advised of the applicable deposit and payment timetable at the time of booking. If payments or the balance is not paid in accordance to the terms stated at the time of your booking, we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled.

It is your responsibility to check the confirmation invoice, information and any other documents we send you carefully and to let Unlock Zanzibar know immediately in the event of any error or inaccuracy. Where we act only as booking agent for a Third Party Supplier we will have no responsibility for any errors in any documentation except where those errors were made by ourselves.

Currency and Payment Method

Unlock Zanzibar accepts different methods of payment: Bank Transfer, Cash, and major Credit Cards such as (American Express, Visa, MasterCard). We prefer payments of over $2,500 to be paid through wire transfer.
Payments with credit cards are subject to a 4% surcharge on the total amount.
Unlock Zanzibar charges in $USD for all goods and services for payment methods like cash, bank transfer and physical card payments in Zanzibar via our card machine. We however would accept other currencies paid in cash at the current exchange rate provided by our team.

Client Cancellation/Changes

Should you wish to cancel/amend your booking, you must notify Unlock Zanzibar in writing. We will do our best to assist you. The cancellation will be effective on the day we receive your written notification. Please state the reason(s) for your cancellation as you may be covered by your insurance policy. Claims must however be made direct to your insurance company and NOT to Unlock Zanzibar. Depending on when notification of cancellation is received, the following cancellation charges will apply as follows:

Over 8 weeks Deposit 20%
Between 4-8 weeks 45%
Between 2-4 weeks 65%
Between 1-2 weeks 80%
Less than 7 days 100%

No allowance or refund can be made for meals, rooms, excursions, pre-paid hotels, tours and services, more etc., included in the price of your travel arrangement but not taken, nor can any refund be made for lost, mislaid or destroyed travel tickets or vouchers. Part cancellation of a booking may result in increased costs for the remaining party members.

No refund will be made if you voluntarily leave a trip for any reason after the journey has begun. Refunds will be at the discretion of Unlock Zanzibar if you are involuntarily forced to leave a trip for any reason. No refunds will be made for any accommodation, transport, sightseeing, meals or services not utilised.

If your reason for cancelling is because of events beyond your control (ex illness, death of a close friend, relative etc..), you may transfer your booking to another party or date (upon availability) provided that you give us reasonable notice to make such arrangements and that you and the transferee agree to be jointly and severally liable for any outstanding payment under the contract.

If you wish to change any aspect of your travel arrangement after it has commenced, we and/or our partners will do our best to assist. You will be responsible for any cancellation charges that may be levied for the originally booked arrangements, the cost of your new arrangements, and any costs incurred by us and/or our agents in attempting to secure or securing any revised arrangements.

Please be aware that changes to dates, departure points, destinations, or other significant aspects of your booking may affect the pricing. In such cases, you will be required to pay any additional charges resulting from these changes.

Cancellation/Changes By Us

While we endeavour to operate all tours as advertised, it may be necessary to modify itineraries due to unforeseen events, in this case, if we need to make significant changes or cancel a confirmed booking, we will notify you as soon as possible. You will have the following options:
Accepting the changed arrangements.
Purchasing an alternative tour from us (with any price difference refunded or paid).
Cancelling and receiving a full refund of all payments paid.

Due to unforeseen and unusual circumstances beyond the company’s control, the consequences could not have been avoided, even if all due care had been exercised. The company will do its best to minimize the effects of matters outside its control. Still, it cannot accept any liability for matters such as border closures, refusals of visas, delayed flights, political disputes, natural disasters, or other acts of God among others.

We reserve the right to cancel or change any facilities, services, or prices (including accommodation or other arrangements) and to substitute alternative arrangements of comparable value without monetary compensation or refunds for loss of enjoyment.

If the Third Party Supplier changes or cancels your booking we will pass on the new details to you together with any compensation that the Third Party Supplier may offer. As booking agent only for the Third Party Supplier we cannot accept any liability for any changes or cancellations made to these bookings.

Insurance

Unlock Zanzibar strongly recommends to purchase an insurance policy that covers personal liability, personal accident, lost and delayed baggage, medical expense, cancellation insurance and more at the time of booking your holiday or travel arrangements. Travellers assume full responsibility for any loss, injury, death or damage to them, their family or their dependants arising in connection with their participation, or the participation of their family, in the trips, and for ensuring that they have adequate insurance coverage to cover any loss endured. Unlock Zanzibar does NOT provide insurance policy and cannot accept any liability for any loss.

Passports & Other Documents

It is your responsibility that passports (with at least 6 months validity beyond the date of your return), visas, vaccination certificates and other necessary travel documents are in order BEFORE your travel begins. Unlock Zanzibar cannot accept liability for your failure to comply with any of these requirements and we reserve the right to charge you any costs incurred by us due to your failure in any of these respects. It is also your responsibility to check in for your flights by the correct time and to be in the right place at the right time for any travel arrangements. It is the responsibility of the person who makes the booking to ensure that all members of the party are in possession of all necessary travel, health (as well as necessary vaccination certificates) before departure. We do not accept liability if you fail to do so and no credits or refunds for loss or mislaid air tickets or other travel documents.

Unavoidable Casualty

Neither Unlock Zanzibar nor The Third Party Supplier can accept liability or pay compensation to terminate this contract for any failure to perform hereunder where such failure is proximately caused by a Force Majeure Occurrence. A “Force Majeure Occurrence” shall mean an occurrence beyond the control and without the fault or negligence of the party affected and which by exercise or reasonable diligence the said party is unable to prevent or provide against. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, force majeure occurrences shall include: acts of nature (including bad weather, fire, flood, earthquake, storm, hurricane or other natural disaster), war, invasion, acts of foreign combatants, military or other usurped political power or confiscation, nationalisation, government sanction or embargo, labor disputes of third parties to this contract, or the prolonged failure of electricity or other vital utility service. Any Party asserting Force Majeure as an excuse to performance shall have the burden of proving proximate cause, that reasonable steps were taken to minimise the delay and damages caused by events when known, and that the other Party was timely notified of the likelihood or actual occurrence which is claimed as grounds for a defence under this clause.

Your Responsibility

Clients must follow the guidance and decisions of Unlock Zanzibar's staff, guides, tour leaders, and travel consultants throughout the tour. If any of these individuals determine that a client's health or behavior, before or during the tour, could jeopardize the safety, comfort, or smooth operation of the tour, the client may be removed from all or part of the tour.
It is a condition of your contract with us that you act with reasonable prudence and circumspection whilst on the trips and that you comply with all health, security and safety requirements. When you book with us, you accept responsibility for any damage or loss caused by you or any member of your party.
As between you and Third Party Supplier which form part of your travel arrangement, their conditions of business will apply which may mean that you will be required by such suppliers to sign liability waivers or other documents given by the Third Party Supplier. It is your responsibility to be aware of that.
Information provided about climate, clothing, baggage, and other related topics is given with the best intentions by Unlock Zanzibar. However, we cannot be held liable for the accuracy or reliability of this information.
Clients are solely responsible for all personal belongings they carry during the tours.

Our Responsibility

At Unlock Zanzibar, we are dedicated to ensuring that the services we provide as part of our contract with you are executed with the utmost skill and care. Our goal is to deliver a personalized and seamless experience tailored to your needs, preferences, and budget. We strive to be responsive to your inquiries and keep you updated as your plans evolve.

Please inform us of any health or physical limitations before agreeing to our services so that we can recommend special arrangements tailored to your needs.

Our responsibility extends to the actions of our employees, agents, and suppliers only when they are performing duties within their employment or as directed by us.

We are not liable for any injury, illness, death, loss (including loss of enjoyment), damage, expense, cost, or claim resulting from:

Actions or omissions of the affected person(s) or any member(s) of their party.
Actions or omissions of a third party not connected with the provision of your holiday that were unforeseeable or unavoidable.
Circumstances of 'force majeure.'

Our liability does not extend to services not included in our contract. This includes additional services or facilities provided by hotels, or other third-party suppliers not advertised by us or agreed upon by us. Any excursions or additional services purchased locally are also excluded from our responsibility.

The services we agree to provide will be judged based on the commitments we make to you and the relevant laws and regulations of the country where your claim or complaint occurred.

We limit our liability for certain claims to a maximum of a full refund of the fees charged for our services, such as reservation fees, trip planning fees, service charges, or intermediary fees, as detailed in the invoice. We do not offer compensation beyond this amount for the cost of the event or travel arrangements once the service has been facilitated.

We cannot accept liability for any damage, loss, or expense that:

We could not have reasonably foreseen based on the information provided by you at the time of booking.
Did not result from any breach of contract or fault by us, our employees, or our suppliers (when we are responsible for them).
Constitutes business losses.

Delays/Changes of flights

We do not accept responsibility for changes in flight schedules or departure airports, as these are the responsibility of the airlines. However, we will endeavor to minimize the impact on your journey. We cannot accept liability for flight delays caused by adverse weather conditions, rescheduling by the airline, actions by airport authorities or air traffic controllers, mechanical breakdowns, or industrial actions. Hotels or suppliers do not provide refunds for lost holiday time due to long flight delays. Airlines may offer meals and accommodation at their discretion for significant delays, depending on local availability. Any expenses incurred for such services will not be reimbursed by Unlock Zanzibar unless prior consent has been given.

Complaints

If you have any complaints regarding our services, or travel arrangements booked through Unlock Zanzibar, please notify us immediately. We will take all reasonable steps to address and resolve your concerns. Failure to report issues promptly may affect your right to compensation.
For arrangements provided by Third Party Suppliers, Unlock Zanzibar acts only as an agent/partner and cannot accept liability for their services. Any assistance we provide in resolving complaints related to third-party bookings is offered as a courtesy and in our capacity as a booking agent.

Photography/Videography Rights

During our tours, Unlock Zanzibar may take photographs and videos for promotional purposes, including use in advertising campaigns such as slides, video shows, brochures, and on the Internet. By participating in our tours, you consent and grant us permission to use.
If you prefer not to be included in promotional materials, please inform our staff during your booking or at the beginning of the tour. As we respect your privacy and will make efforts to accommodate your request.
Please adhere to any photography restrictions imposed by local authorities or site management.
Any images or written feedback you provide after the tours/experiences may also be used for promotional purposes by Unlock Zanzibar.

Privacy Protection

Unlock Zanzibar respects your privacy and is committed to safeguarding the personal information you provide for all travel arrangements. In order to facilitate the services you have requested, we may need to share this information with our suppliers and carriers. Rest assured, we take every precaution to ensure your information is protected and used solely for legitimate operational purposes related to your travel.

Zero Tolerance

At Unlock Zanzibar, we value respectful communication with our clients. This policy addresses how we handle rare instances of behavior we deem unreasonable. We will not tolerate aggressive or abusive conduct, nor will we entertain demands that are deemed unreasonable by our staff.

Aggressive or abusive behavior includes any verbal or written communication that could intimidate, threaten, or cause discomfort to our staff. Examples include:

Making threats
Using offensive or derogatory language
Engaging in verbal abuse
Making racist or sexist remarks
Displaying rudeness or hostility
Making inflammatory statements or unsubstantiated allegation.

Unreasonable demands and communication may include:

Requesting responses within unreasonable timeframes
Insisting on speaking with specific staff members
Contacting multiple staff members or third parties excessively

Unlock Zanzibar reserves the right to decline bookings at our discretion. Clients agree to respect the authority and decisions of Unlock Zanzibar's employees, tour leaders, and travel consultants during their experience with us. We strive to ensure a positive and respectful environment for all our clients and staff. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.