COVID-19
As part of our ongoing efforts to manage the affect that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on our business, and indeed on the global Wild Eye community at large, we have put certain measures in place to ensure the security of trips that have been, or may continue to be directly affected by international travel restrictions and lockdown regulations.
The feedback and messages of support that we have received from guests who we have assisted in successfully postponing their travels has been overwhelming. Many of them took the time to leave reviews on TripAdvisor.
Wild Eye Destinations and Photographic, its owners, agents and employees understand that all bookings made prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 may need to be postponed to a later date, due to travel restrictions and government lockdown laws. Should the new booking dates not be convenient, deposit values can be used on any other Wild Eye tour, dependent on T+C’s of operators and suppliers used for the said tour.
All credit values held by Wild Eye for trips not taken in 2020 and 2021 will need to be allocated against new safaris by the 1st of March 2023, with travel extending no further than 1 March 2024.
As of the 1st of January 2022, unless restricted by government, no travel plans will be allowed to be postponed without details of country rules regarding travel bans, this will mean that should you be freely able to travel, you will need to seek out compensation from your own travel insurance to cover all costs associated with the trip (airline tickets, transfers) and the 50% non-refundable deposit, as your travel will be deemed cancelled and our Standard Terms as per point 7 will be applied.
All guests will be dealt with on an individual basis and support for guests during these new travel times will continue.
With reference to the above, the following conditions apply:
50% Deposit
- Standard 50% deposit payment to secure within two weeks of booking your tour/safari.
- Balance payment of 50%, due 60 days out from the departure date of the tour/safari
35% Deposit
- 35% deposit payment to secure within two weeks of booking your tour/safari for tours greater than 18 months out from the booking date only.
- 30% middle payment to be determined by period between booking and commencement of safari.
- 35% payment 60 days out from the departure date of the tour/safari.
Covid-19 postponement and cancellation policy
If at any stage a particular safari itinerary cannot go ahead directly attributable to travel restrictions and/or continued Covid-19 risk, and Wild Eye therefore decides to postpone the itinerary, the associated deposit payment will automatically be shifted forward to a future dated itinerary, and your space on the new itinerary secured.
Should the future date of the new itinerary not suit the traveler, Wild Eye would be willing to ring-fence the deposit value and redeploy onto any other Wild Eye departure of your choice (Terms and conditions per itinerary would apply).
Any decision taken by a guest to cancel or postpone safari itineraries that have not been explicitly postponed or cancelled by Wild Eye due either to the risk of, or restrictions on travel associated with Covid-19, would result in the loss of the minimum deposit as a standard cancellation fee, but we would work together with the operators and the guest to alleviate financial implications on a case by case basis.
Travel Insurance
While we recognize all travel insurance is limited in respect to coverage for Covid-19, most postponed trips will be covered by the guests initial travel insurance with some adjustments. Please let us know should you need a letter for your travel insurance company, stating that your trip has been postponed and monies transferred across to the new trip.
Sufficient travel insurance cover for cancellations or medical emergencies, and expatriation is absolutely essential in fully protecting your holiday investment. Most reputable travel insurance agents are now offering quarantine cover and medical cover for COVID-19. Please remember to buy “Cancellation for any reason”insurance.
Regrettably, we are not permitted to offer travel insurance directly but can recommend the following organizations:
1EarthTravelProtection – recommended by top lodges in Africa, including Singita.
USA-Assist – they have a very easy user-friendly platform and lots of packages to suit various needs.
Global Rescue – recommended by &Beyond, home to many of the top lodges in Africa.
Allianz, Genrali and Seven Corners – these insurers offer Covid Options.