Booking, payment, cancellation and travel conditions RAP SAFARIS PTY LTD · ABN 30 701 626 771 · Norwest NSW, Australia
Please read these terms before you book. They form the contract between you and RAP Safaris, and they apply to your whole safari package: every tour, safari, hotel, transfer and other service we arrange for you.
By paying a deposit, you confirm that you have read and accepted these terms on behalf of everyone named on your booking. If anything is unclear, please call or email us first. We are always happy to explain.
10%deposit secures your place
40%due 120–90 days before departure, when permits open
90–60days before departure, final balance due
In writingall cancellations, by email is fine
Part A · Booking and payments
1About these terms
These terms apply to every tour, safari and travel arrangement booked with RAP SAFARIS PTY LTD (ABN 30 701 626 771), trading as RAP Safaris (“we”, “us”, “our”). “You” means every person named on the booking.
“Safari package” means any combination of services you book with us, such as safaris, accommodation, transfers, guides, trains and flights.
A quote is not a booking. Asking for a quote or sending a booking request does not reserve or guarantee any service.
Your booking is confirmed once we receive your completed booking form and deposit, and we send you a written booking confirmation and invoice. Only that confirmation invoice confirms your services.
Names: please give us each traveller’s full name, including middle names, exactly as it appears on their passport.
Tailor-made itineraries: for detailed custom quotes we may charge a fee of AUD $100 per person. This fee is deducted from your deposit when you go ahead and book.
If we cannot confirm your reservation for any reason, we will refund everything you have paid.
Payments are staged to match when we pay park authorities and hotels on your behalf.
Payment
Amount
Due
Deposit
10% of the tour price
At booking, to secure your place on the tour
Permit and accommodation payment
40% of the tour price
About 120 to 90 days before departure, when we confirm safari permits and all bookings
Final balance
Remaining amount
90 to 60 days before departure (we will tell you the exact date)
If you book within 120 days of departure, the deposit and permit payment are due together. If you book within 60 days of departure, or the total cost is under AUD $500, full payment is due at booking.
Some special offers, hotels or tickets need a higher deposit, up to 50%. We will tell you before you book.
The deposit covers our planning, administration and the early reservations we make for your trip.
We accept bank transfer and credit card. Our package prices are based on bank transfer; other payment methods may affect the price.
If a payment is not received by its due date, we will contact you. If it remains unpaid 7 days after that, we may treat the booking as cancelled by you, and section 6 applies.
Prices are quoted in Australian dollars and include GST where it applies. Brochure and website prices are based on costs and exchange rates at the time of publishing, and can change because of:
new or higher government taxes, park fees or charges
We confirm your price when you book. Once you have paid in full, your price is guaranteed, except for new government taxes or levies and force majeure events.
We may correct genuine errors in quoted or calculated prices, and will tell you as soon as we find one.
Safari permits in Indian national parks are issued by park authorities. They open only 90 to 120 days before the safari date and are strictly limited. We book them for you as soon as they open.
Before we book permits, you must give us each traveller’s full name exactly as shown on their passport, plus passport number, nationality and date of birth.
Permits are issued in the traveller’s name and cannot be transferred to another person.
Carry your original passport on every safari. Park staff check ID at the gate, and you may be refused entry without it. Hotels also require original ID at check-in.
Park authorities decide zones, timings and vehicle allocation. We request your preferred zones, but we cannot guarantee a particular zone or a wildlife sighting.
If we are unable to get national park permits for you, we will refund your payment minus an administration fee of AUD $150.
To cancel, notify us in writing (email is fine). Your cancellation date is the day we receive your notice. The departure date is the first day of services booked with us.
Our cancellation fees reflect the costs we cannot recover from park authorities, hotels and other suppliers at that point. They are not penalties.
Notice before departure
Cancellation fee
More than 120 days
Deposit only
120 to 90 days
Deposit, plus any non-refundable permit, hotel or flight costs already paid
90 to 60 days
75% of the tour price plus deposit, or actual unrecoverable costs if higher
60 to 30 days
100% of the tour price, including the deposit paid
Less than 30 days, or no-show
100% of the tour price
If we can resell your place or recover costs, we reduce your fees by the amount recovered.
Moving to a new departure date counts as a cancellation, and the fees above apply.
Unused services after your trip has started (missed safaris, meals or nights) are not refundable.
Some products, such as special airfares, have their own cancellation rules. We will tell you about these when you book.
Some parks refund permits, minus a booking fee. We will do our best to obtain these refunds and give you a statement. Permit refunds are processed by the Forest Department of India and state forest revenue departments and can take time. We will keep you updated. Currency conversion charges and exchange-rate differences are adjusted from the refund.
If we cancel for reasons within our control, including too few travellers to run a group tour (minimum 7), we will tell you as early as possible and no later than 90 days before departure. You may choose a full refund of everything you paid us. We will never require you to accept a credit instead of a refund. If you are travelling as a Free Independent Traveller (FIT), section 6 applies.
Events beyond our control (force majeure)
Force majeure means events we could not foresee or avoid with all due care, such as natural disasters, extreme weather, pandemics and epidemics, war, terrorism, civil unrest, strikes, government travel bans, changes in law, and park closures or zone changes by authorities.
If such an event stops us from providing your trip lawfully or safely, we will tell you in writing and offer the closest available alternative. If the trip cannot go ahead, we will refund all the money we can recover from suppliers, less reasonable costs already incurred, with a written breakdown. Comprehensive travel insurance helps protect you against these losses.
Minor changes
Minor changes, such as a lodge of a similar standard or a different safari zone, may sometimes be needed. We will tell you as soon as we can.
Travel insurance is not included in your safari package. Comprehensive travel insurance is a condition of booking.
Your policy must start from the day you pay your deposit.
It must cover, at a minimum, cancellation (including the full cost of your package and flights), medical expenses, emergency evacuation, personal liability, and loss of luggage and belongings.
Please send us your insurer’s name, policy number and 24-hour emergency number before final payment. Our itemised cancellation statements are designed to support insurance claims.
Your passport must be valid for at least six months after your return date.
You are responsible for getting the correct visa for India and any country you transit through, and for meeting all entry and health requirements. We are not liable for costs if you are refused entry.
Check vaccination and health advice with your GP before you travel.
Keep copies of your passport, visa, insurance, flight tickets and itinerary, including digital copies backed up online.
Our safaris need a reasonable level of fitness. Expect early starts, rough roads, some walking, and climbing in and out of Gypsy jeeps, canter buses and trains.
Please discuss any pre-existing medical condition with your doctor to confirm the trip suits you.
Tell us in writing before you book about any medical condition, mobility need or dietary requirement, and tell us promptly if your health changes after booking.
If a physical or medical condition puts your safety or the group’s wellbeing at risk, we may need to stop you joining part or all of the tour. We will offer reasonable help with alternative arrangements, but unused services are not refundable.
Children under 16 can travel with us on private or family tours, but not on group departures.
Where a hotel lets a child stay free, the room is priced for two adults and the child shares the parents’ bed. Extra beds and children’s meals may cost extra, and an extra room is charged at the adult rate.
Children’s prices are available on request.
Parents and guardians are responsible for supervising their children at all times.
Twin share: our prices are based on twin share in the room category shown in your itinerary (usually 4-star and 5-star base rooms). A single room costs extra, as shown in your itinerary.
Beds: a twin or double room may have one double bed or two single beds, depending on availability. Single rooms can be smaller and vary between hotels.
Descriptions and photos: hotel descriptions come from the hotels and current guides, and facilities can change. Maps and photos are for general information and may not show your exact room, route or service.
Standards vary: accommodation standards differ between countries and regions. Please review the hotels listed and tell us of any concerns before you confirm. Later changes may incur charges.
Special requests: tell us at booking about anything important to you, such as diet, room location, bed type, seats or meals. We pass every request on to the hotel, airline or supplier, but we cannot guarantee it unless we confirm it in writing. Please also confirm meal requests directly with your airline once your tickets are issued.
Domestic flights in India usually allow 15 kg of checked luggage per person. Extra baggage can often be bought in advance or paid for at check-in.
We recommend one bag of up to 20 kg per person, which is easy to manage in cars, coaches and jeeps.
Airline allowances change often, so please check yours for both international and domestic flights. Excess baggage fees charged by airlines are your responsibility.
We plan every itinerary carefully and run it as described wherever we can. Published itineraries are a guide, though, and weather, park rules, road conditions and other things beyond our control can mean changes or delays at short notice.
We will tell you about any change as soon as possible, and if needed we may change a hotel to one of a similar category.
Your tour leader and local guides are responsible for your comfort and safety, and their decisions on the day are final.
We may update these terms from time to time. Any change made after you book will be sent to you promptly.
Please follow the laws and customs of every country you visit, and the instructions of your guide, naturalist and park staff at all times.
You are responsible for making sure you and your party do not cause offence, danger or damage to others or their property.
We, and our suppliers, may remove a traveller from the tour without refund if their behaviour endangers or seriously disrupts others, breaks park rules or local law, or involves prohibited substances. Any costs caused by that behaviour, including park fines, are the traveller’s responsibility.
Please keep valuables to a minimum, and carry medicines, cameras, batteries and electronics in your hand luggage. You are responsible for your belongings at all times, so make sure your travel insurance covers loss and theft.
We give you the information you need about your trip, your documents and these terms, and we choose our hotels, drivers, guides and other suppliers with care.
What you do
You are responsible for having the right documents, reading your itinerary and these terms, and paying on time.
Suppliers
Hotels, transport companies, airlines, restaurants and attractions are independent suppliers with their own terms. To the extent allowed by law, we are not liable for loss or damage caused by their acts or omissions. Where an issue involves an overseas supplier, that supplier’s terms may apply.
Brochure and website information is accurate to the best of our knowledge when published.
Please read the latest Australian Government travel advice before you book and again before you leave. Visit smartraveller.gov.au for safety information, health advice and travel warnings.
Nothing in these terms excludes, restricts or changes your rights under the Australian Consumer Law. If a service we provide is not delivered as promised, you may be entitled to a remedy, including a refund.
During your trip: if something isn’t right, tell your tour leader straight away so we can fix it on the spot. Raising it at the time gives us the best chance to put it right.
After your trip: email us within 30 days of your return, describing the problem and what was done about it on tour. We will respond within 14 days.
Governing law: these terms are governed by the laws of New South Wales, Australia.
