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TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Booking Fees:
60 Days before departure of your safari 25% deposit should be paid upon confirmation of reservation. The balance is due 2 weeks prior to the departure of the safari.

Canellations:
Any cancellation received more than 30 days before departure will be subject to a cancellation fee of US$ 100 per person. Cancellations received 15 days prior to departure forfeit 50% of the total Tour cost plus any excess fees imposed by suppliers. Cancellations of 7 days to 24 hours prior to departure will forfeit 100% of the Tour cost. If any portion of the Tour is cancelled by you while in progress, there is no refund for unused services.

Included in tour prices:
The accommodations are listed on every itinerary, however these accommodations might not be always available, we reserve the right to substitute comparable accommodations. Single accommodations are not guaranteed. If you are forced to share enroute, you will be refunded the appropriate supplement upon return. Prices include all entry and park fees, hotel service charges and sight seeing/game drives as shown in each itinerary.

Not included in tour prices:
Fees for obtaining passports, Visas, inoculations, airfare , optional tours , any item of personal nature such as beverages, laundry , phone calls, cables of room services, driver guide or porter tips.

Health requirements & travel documents:
A valid passport is required for all passengers. Pass port must remain valid for at least the duration of your trip. US citizens, and all European countries require visas of entry into Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Visa requirement are subject to change without notice, and we request that you check with the appropriate embassy or diplomatic mission. Passengers are responsible for ensuring they have the correct visas and documents.
Precaution must be taken against Malaria, which is endemic to these regions of Africa. As proof of inoculation take your inoculation book with you.

Validity of Prices:
The prices are based on tariffs ,exchange rates in effect from January 2002. We reserve the right to alter prices should inflation ,cost of services, fuel labor or material or exchange rates fluctuate.

Children:
Twelve years of age sharing a room with two adults will be granted a 50% reduction in fees on the safari rate. Children under the age of 7 years old are not allowed in any Tree hotel/forest lodge or the larsens tented camp. unaccompanied minors under the age of 12 years old are not accepted on any African Route Safaris programs unless on special arrangements.

TRAVEL TIPS, FACTS, DOS AND DON'TS

International air gateways:
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is only 18Km(11Miles) half an hour's drive from the Nairobi city centre. The Airport is served by a number of international Airlines like British Airways, KLM, Sabena, Swissair, Alitalia, Olympic Airways, South African Airways, Ethiopia Airlines. Egypt Air, Air Tanzania, Uganda Airlines and many other African Airlines just to mention but a few.

Passports/Visas:
A valid passport is required for all visitors. Visa requirements vary from Country to country, duration of stay and purpose of visit. For this please refer to the appended list of requirements.

Health/Immunisation:
A course of anti-malaria tablets is essential- seek advice from a doctor while a mosquito repellent is also advisable. However immunisation against Yellow fever is highly recommended.

Airport departure tax:
An international airport departure tax of US$ 40 or the equivalent in foreign currency is levied which is now days included in the cost of the ticket please confirm with your travel Agent about this.

Customs:
Visitors into Kenya may import duty free 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars, and one litre of spirit.

Security:
While theft and violence is a real concern in major cities, Nairobi is still safer than most cities. Our advice to our visitors is to exercise good sense and take some reasonable precautions such as;

Weather:
Great all the year round!. Due to high elevation 9300 to 8000ft Above Sea Level and the proximity to the equator, there is pleasant weather throughout the year. During this month of June the temperatures range from a min of 19-24C and a max of 25 to 28C.

What to wear:
Summer clothing is worn throughout although at times Jackets and light raincoats may be necessary especially at the moment and during that month of June. Otherwise casual wear is the norm of the day.

Water:
We at African Route Safaris only recommend bottled water. Whilst Nairobi and Mombasa hotels are virtually100% safe of drinking water, we would if in doubt recommend you get bottled water which is available in most places. Hotels keep boiled water in flasks and is safe for drinking and brushing your teeth.

Food:
Excellent in all places. Buffet-style, American breakfast and Sumptuous lunches and dinners are available along side a la' Carte. You will savour everything from African delicacies to international specialities. Various Restaurants are available for these cuisines.

Currency:
There are no restrictions on the movement of currency into or out of Kenya for Currency transactions. Travellers into and out of Kenya are however advised, purely on security grounds to refrain from carrying large values in currency notes, instead to carry money inform of traveller's cheques.
Kenya's unit of currency is the shilling (KShs) coins are available from 5cents, 10cents, 50cents, Shs1, Shs 5, Shs 10 and Shs 20 - Bank notes are available in Shs 50, Shs 100, Shs 200, Shs 500, and Shs 1000. The rate of exchange to the US Dollar is not fixed and depends on economic trends, at the moment the Dollar is exchanging at Kshs. 78 to 1 US Dollar.

Banks and banking hours:
Banks in Nairobi and other large towns open from 9:00AM to 3:00PM Monday to Friday and 9:00AM to 11:00AM on the first and last Saturday of every month. Banks in Mombasa and the Coastal areas open and close half an hour earlier. Banks within International airports open round the clock every day. There are numerous Forex Exchange Bureau in town which offer better exchange rates than the ones inside banks. You may also change money in hotels at a slightly disadvantageous rate.

Photography:
Africa and particularly Kenya is a Photographer's paradise. A camera will record all those unbelievable and spectacular sights you will want to share with friends. It's by our recommendation a must. Capturing all the thrills of safari on video is also a great idea. As people are very cultural you may want to take photographs of them in their traditional attire it's courteous to ask for their permission before doing so.

Sightseeing:
Numerous tour operators offer excellent excursions, which are well organised to various city highlights and game parks within the country. These comprise of short tours or day trips. For more details or prior bookings on these please visit our Website on www.africanroutesafaris.com . More information will be available at the hospitality desk at the hotel.

Transport and communication:
Nairobi like any other major towns has several means of travel around and within the town. For most tourist coming through Tour Operators, specially built tour vans are used. When on your own Stagecoach Bus Service operates around the city and its suburbs at very reasonably low rates. Apart from these, there is public transport which may be an expense worth avoiding unless there is no other option as they tend to be filled to over capacity. Various metered taxis operating companies operate in Nairobi and are safe to use. Always insist on fully insured vehicles.
Post offices are identified by the Posta and Telkom Kenya. Mailboxes are red in colour and will be found on almost all the streets. Hotels also provide drop off boxes for their Guest. Stamps can be bought directly form the post office or from stationers or souvenir shops. Cost of sending mails depend on weight and the destination.
Lately in Nairobi and Mombasa many E-touch centres and cyber-cafes where one can browse and use the email service as well as use telephone and fax services have been set up at very convenient places. Cardphones are also available alongside cellular phones. Pay phones that use local coins are all over the street and the booths are painted red.

Electricity (Voltage):
All regions in Kenya are supplied with 240volts AC. Apart from Lodges in National Parks, which have independent power generators that vary in voltage. The plug in use throughout Kenya is of three square pin, 13Amperes type.

Shopping:
There is a big variety of souvenirs to take home. Most hotels have licensed souvenir outlets along side many other souvenir shops in the main towns. Interesting artefacts are also sold in the city's market. Once a week (on Tuesday) an open air market is held where various communities come to exhibit and sell their displays. Amongst the best buys are: wood carvings, art and batiks, ethnic and modern jewellery with Kenya's flavour, semi-precious stones, tie-dye cotton cloths, safari outfits, soap-stone carvings and basket ware. Please make sure you don’t disappoint those back home waiting for Souvenirs and gifts from Kenya, let your tour operator guide you on the best spots.

Tipping:
Tipping in Kenya is a custom. To show your appreciation you may follow the appended suggestions: $ 20. Per day per minibus (shared by the passengers) for your driver and $5.00. per person per day for the guides is the recommended amount for most tours; however remember this is not bill so you can give more or less depending on satisfaction. Hotels and lodges for the porters $.50 cents per person (KSH. 30) At breakfast- $1.50- (KSH. 100) per table. At lunch- $ 2.00 (KSH. 150) per table, at dinner $ 3.00- (KSH. 200) per table.
If you decide to bring some small gifts for kids en-route, things like pens, pencils, small note books, small t-shirts, plastic watches (anything which does not cost more than one dollar) Also remember to hand over these items to kids en-route not in towns.