If you would like to book a tour, please contact us by email or phone to reserve space and request a booking form. The booking form should be filled out, signed, and returned. Receipt of your booking form and deposit will confirm your participation on the tour, and indicates that you have read and agreed to the terms and conditions below.

PRICES AND SINGLE SUPPLEMENTS
All of our prices are given in US Dollars, Euros, or South African Rand.

The prices listed in this brochure will almost always be accurate for the given year, but we reserve the right to increase or decrease the price of any tour due to fluctuations in the value of the currency used in the country in question. All of our tour prices are based on double accommodation. The additional cost of a single room is listed after the price of each tour. If you wish to avoid the single supplement, we will attempt to find a room-mate for you, though this is not always possible. At certain locations, single accommodation may not be available.

DEPOSITS
After receiving notice of your booking, we require a deposit of 20% of the tour cost within ten days. Full payment is due 90 days prior to the first day of the tour unless otherwise specified. Regrettably, failure to make deposits or payments on time can result in the cancellation of your booking, and cancellation fees will apply.

PAYMENTS
Payments and deposits may be made by wire transfer, cashier’s check, or bank draft to one of our accounts in the USA or South Africa as instructed by the office handling the tour. Several tours are priced in Euros or South African Rand. For these tours we will accept payments in either US Dollars or the quoted currency. In case of late bookings, we reserve the right to request a wire transfer. Please instruct your bank that all bank charges (at both ends of the transaction) are charged to you, as our tour costs are net prices.

CANCELLATIONS BY YOU
If you need to cancel your booking, you must inform us immediately via email or fax and we will confirm the cancellation. Based on the date that we receive your cancellation notice, the following cancellation fees will apply per person:

120 days or more prior to the first day of the tour: No fee apart from any penalties we incur.
Between 91 and 120 days prior to the first day of the tour: 100% of the deposit.
90 days or less prior to the first day of the tour: 100% of the tour cost.

Please note that bank charges may be deducted from the refund you receive. Under no circumstances can Tropical Birding waive or reduce cancellation fees.

CANCELLATIONS BY TROPICAL BIRDING
We always try to run a tour even if few people have signed up, and sometimes at a loss. However, we simply cannot run some tours without a minimum number of bookings, and if we fail to reach that number we will be forced to cancel the tour. If this should happen, you will receive a full refund of any payment made as well as a 10% discount on your next Tropical Birding tour. We will also pay any bank fees incurred in refunding your money. If we must cancel a trip prior to departure due to circumstances beyond our control, including but not limited to insurmountable logistical problems, civil unrest, natural disaster, or cancelled flights, then Tropical Birding will refund all payments minus reasonable expenses incurred. Please note that we cannot be responsible for any airline cancellation fees you may face if the tour you signed up for is cancelled.

INSURANCE
We cannot emphasize enough that tour participants need to purchase trip cancellation and personal travel insurance to cover accident, medical expense, evacuation, repatriation, and loss of effects. We also recommend that you arrive the day before the start of the tour in case you have problems with delayed flights or lost luggage. If you do suffer a delay and the tour has to leave without you, we will do our utmost to get you onto the tour as quickly as possible, though this may involve additional costs. We cannot give any refund for unused accommodation or services.

Tropical Birding recommends Global Alert Travel Protection Plan. Check www.tripinsurance.com for more information and online enrollment.  If you do decide to purchase this plan, please enter our Agency Code, TROP 0007 IL, so we can help track any situation that may develop. The Agent Code can be left blank.

TRAVELER’S RESPONSIBILITY
Trip participants' responsibilities include: selecting a trip appropriate to their interests and abilities; determining that particular destinations and activities are appropriate for them; determining that they are in sufficient health and fitness to undertake the trip and particular activities along the way; acquiring necessary passports, visas and immunizations; securing adequate insurance coverage; bringing appropriate clothing and equipment; passing through customs and immigration in appropriate countries. Participants are responsible for any personal belongings they choose to bring on the trip.

WHAT IS INCLUDED
The tours listed in this brochure include the following items: All accommodation as indicated in the tour itinerary, food (three meals per full day), safe drinking water at all times, some non-alcoholic drinks, ground/boat transportation as required by the itinerary, airport transfers, tour leader services, local guides where necessary, park entrance fees, and a bird list. Internal flights are normally included unless schedules and/or fares are not available in advance; if they are not included we will inform you at the time of booking.

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED
Alcoholic beverages, extra drinks not included in the standard tour package, snacks, laundry service, telephone calls, items of a personal nature, tips, travel insurance, airport taxes, visa and passport fees, vaccination fees, medical fees, excess baggage charges, activities not included in the tour itinerary, and expenses arising from the delay or extension of a trip due to circumstances beyond our control.

FLIGHTS, PASSPORTS, AND VISAS
You are responsible for booking and paying for your own international flights to the starting city of the tour and returning from the ending city of the tour. If you are unsure about which flights to purchase, please contact our office for help. Please ensure that you have a passport that is valid for at least six months past the ending date of the tour. You are responsible for obtaining a passport and any required visas for the countries you will travel to.

HEALTH ISSUES
If you have medical needs that could require special attention, please inform us when you make your bookings. The tour leader has the right to disqualify anyone at any time from certain activities, if he/she has reason to believe that the person is not capable of safely participating. Tropical Birding makes no representation that there will be a doctor on any particular trip, and we assume no liability whatsoever regarding provision of medical care. If a participant is injured or becomes ill, Tropical Birding or the tour leader may, at participant's cost, arrange medical evacuation or other emergency services. You should receive vaccinations for any serious diseases present in the areas you will visit, and take malaria prevention tablets if deemed necessary. While we can assist you in determining which vaccinations and prevention measures are necessary, you are responsible for acquiring them before the tour. We suggest that you consult your physician or local travel clinic for the latest information regarding vaccinations and malaria prophylaxis. If you are a smoker, we ask that you not smoke in vehicles, restaurants, or anywhere else where your smoke could offend other tour participants.

TOUR ALTERATION
Occasionally we make changes to our published tour itineraries. We normally do this to improve the quality of the tour and in most cases the price will remain the same. Should we choose to make major changes that cause the itinerary and/or the price to change substantially, we will contact you to let you know exactly what has changed and why, and should you desire you may cancel your trip without penalty. In rare instances, events beyond our control, including but not limited to, flight cancellation, natural disaster, road or airport closure, or civil unrest, force us to make major changes that could cause the itinerary and/or price to change substantially. Should this happen, we will contact you and explain exactly what has happened and what changes are necessary. You may choose to cancel your tour, and we will attempt to refund as much of the tour fee as possible, but we cannot guarantee a full refund. If you choose to continue with the tour, then you must pay any additional costs incurred by the change in itinerary.

AUTHORITY OF THE TOUR LEADER
The tour leader has the right to make any tour changes if the need should arise due to unforeseen circumstances. If the tour leader determines it is best to deviate from the activities described in the trip program, he/she will make reasonable efforts to substitute an activity of comparable interest and satisfaction to the trip participants. On matters relating to the safety and proper conduct of the trip, the tour leader's decision is final. Please let the tour leader know of any problems or dissatisfaction; he/she will usually be able to remedy the situation. Tropical Birding accepts no responsibility for a participant who breaks the laws or regulations of any country visited, who is judged detrimental to the safety or welfare of others on the trip, or whose deportment impedes the operation of the trip or the rights, welfare, or enjoyment of other trip participants. Such a person may be asked to leave the trip. Liability, if any, of Tropical Birding to a person excluded from further participation on a trip, for any reason whatsoever, shall be limited to a refund of the unused portion of land costs.

TIPPING
Tipping is an extremely personal and sensitive topic. Tips are not included in the tour fee, and in many instances it is appropriate to tip local guides, drivers, or other service staff. If you have any questions about tipping, please ask one of our office staff or the tour leader.

PRIVACY
Personal information you send us will be used only for operating the tour(s) you have booked on. We will not disclose your personal information to third parties.