Terms & Conditions

1. 1. Nature Connexion (hereinafter referred to as “the Company”) runs African wilderness retreats and workshops.
2. 2. When making a reservation and signing Nature Connexion booking form, the participant (which includes all people who partake in a retreat whether as facilitator, practitioner, coach, instructor, teacher, or guest) confirms acceptance that he has read and agrees to all our terms and conditions.
3. 3. For parties of two or more people, the person who makes the booking accepts responsibility for making payments to the Company for all members of the party. For parties travelling with minors (under 18 years), the guardian of the minor accepts the terms and conditions on behalf of the minor.
4. 4. All reservations must be received in writing by e-mail. If you do not receive confirmation of receipt of such reservation within 3 (three) business days, you are to contact the office per telephone to ensure the reservation has been received. E-mail: reservations@nature-connexion.com
5. 5. Booking requests with deposits will be considered in order of their receipt.
6. 6. The Company reserves the right to decline any booking at its discretion.

The Corona Virus pandemic has seen some significant changes in how and when people will travel. In order to give you peace of mind, we have provided answers to frequently asked questions around Corona Virus and your retreat arrangements. Please click on the link “Corona Virus Frequently Asked Questions” on our home page, which content forms part of these terms and conditions, and which you agree to when accepting these terms and conditions.

3. 1. All quotes are subject to availability of accommodation and flights at the time of confirming bookings.
4. 2. The quotes are estimates only and are subject to change until the issuing of the ticket.
5. 3. All quotes are subject to change due to any government taxes, fuel charges, levies, VAT or any other industry increases that are beyond the control of the Company.
6. 4. The retreat cost is subject to major currency fluctuations and other significant events beyond the control of the Company (e.g. major increases in park fees, government charges, fuel costs and hotel/reserve charges) and we reserve the right to modify the retreat cost, within reason, at any time until full payment has been received.
7. 5. Participants must ensure before final payment is made that no changes in price have taken place.
8. 6. On receipt of an invoice and in order to secure a booking, a 50% non-refundable deposit must be paid into the Company’s account within 5 (five) days. A booking is not confirmed until the 50% non-refundable deposit has been received by the Company.
9. 7. Final payment must be received by the Company no later than 120 calendar days prior to the date of travel. If payment has not been received, the Company reserves the right to cancel this reservation and the cancellation policy set out below will apply.
10. 8. In the event that a booking is made within 120 calendar days prior to the date of travel, full payment is required upon receipt of an invoice.
11. 9. Any and all charges incurred when making payment to the Company shall be borne by the party making payment, irrespective of mode or form of payment made.
12. 10. All payments made in terms of this Agreement shall be payable free of commission and exchange control in South Africa.
13. 11. If payment is not received in accordance with the Company’s payment policy above, the Company reserves the right to cancel the booking, and participants/agents will be advised of such by e-mail.

Unexpected events can happen that can affect your plans and we understand that you may have to cancel your trip.

Safaris, transfers and internal flights are booked long in advance due to high demand. The Company is obliged to pass on substantial cancellation charges to the relevant lodges and suppliers and these charges naturally increase as the retreat date draws closer. Consequently, the following cancellation policy applies:

1. More than 120 days before arrival: 40% of deposit refundable. If the retreat has been paid in full, 80% of the total amount of the retreat is refundable and is 100% refundable if the participant finds someone to fill in their spot.
2. between 91 and 119 days before departure: 30% of deposit refundable. If the retreat has been paid in full, 80% of the total amount of the retreat is refundable and 100% refundable if the participant finds someone to fill in their spot.
3. between 46 to 89 days before departure: deposit non-refundable. If the retreat has been paid in full, 50% of the total amount of the retreat is refundable and 100% if the participants finds someone to fill in their spot.
4. between 30 and 45 days before departure: the total amount of the retreat is non-refundable (please check with your travel insurance what is covered in case you need to cancel your trip).
5. less than 30 days before departure: no refund payable.
6. All refunds above are subject to us having been able to recoup from our suppliers at least the amount of the stipulated refund. If we recoup an amount less than the refund amount, then the lesser amount will be refunded to you.
7. If you cannot make the retreat, we will accept a substitution as long as any direct additional costs (e.g. reissuing of flight tickets) are covered by you. No cancellation charges will then become applicable.
8. If you wish to transfer your booking to another retreat that we offer, this will be considered a cancellation and rebooking, and normal cancellation clauses will be applicable unless a substitution is found for your original booking by you.
9. No refunds are given for: lost travel time, interruption or substitution of facilities and/or accommodations; itinerary amended after departure; not appearing for any accommodation, retreat, game viewing or other booked activities; and/or cutting short a booked itinerary for any reason, late arrival for the retreat for any reason, and/or early departure from the retreat for any reason
10.  All flights booked by the Company are non refundable. Fixed-cost expenses for which the Company is liable to service providers cannot be refunded under any circumstances. It is recommended that participants take out comprehensive travel insurance upon booking, to cover any financial losses due to cancellation.
11. If a retreat has a different cancellation charge to that mentioned above, this will be specifically mentioned in the retreat itinerary.
12. No refunds will be considered for any unutilised services on the retreat (this includes accommodations, meals, flights and retreat excursions).
13. The Company reserves the right to cancel any retreat or retreat extension for which there are insufficient reservations 90 days before departure date. In case of cancellation of the entire retreat by the Company as a result of insufficient reservations, all deposits and other payments will be refunded in full.
14. An alternative to cancelling a tour may be charging a small group supplement. If a small group supplement is levied, you may cancel or transfer your booking to another tour without incurring any cancellation penalties as long as you notify the Company in writing within days of our notice of a small group supplement charge.
15. Retreats might also be cancelled or modified by the Company due to significant circumstances beyond our control (including but not limited to, major natural or man-made disasters, illness or disease including, but not limited to the Corona Virus pandemic, Laws of a particular country, political upheaval, war or threat of war, closure of airline, closure of accommodation venue, closure of land borders, restriction on travel, incapacitation of the facilitator, or cancellation or rescheduling of vital flights or other forms of transport). If cancellation of the entire retreat happens as a result of such a significant event beyond the control of the Company, the retreat shall be postponed by up to a period of 12 months, and if we are still not able to offer the retreat during this period as a result of such a significant event, then we undertake to refund payments to the extent that we are able to recover them from our suppliers, subject to the Company retaining 10% of the amounts we are able to recover to cover the costs we incur.
16. Cancellation of a retreat’s pre-retreat or post-retreat extension does not alter your rights or obligations with respect to the main portion of the retreat.
17. Any changes to the itinerary at the request of the participant shall be charged to the participant. If a participant elects to leave the retreat for personal reasons in circumstances where there is no legal restriction on the retreat proceeding, then the Company’s cancellation policy applies.
18. Itineraries and dates are determined many months in advance of departure and alterations to the itinerary and dates may become necessary. Alterations due to circumstances beyond our control, made either before or after departure date, are not grounds for cancellation without incurring cancellation fees as outlined above. The Company undertakes to make every reasonable effort to ensure all retreats adhere as closely as possible to published itineraries.
19. If any downgrading of hotels or other services is necessary, the Company will refund participants the difference in cost between the hotel or service as per the itinerary and the hotel or service that was used.
20. The retreat shall be led by a facilitator (which term includes practitioners, coaches, teachers, and instructors). The retreat facilitator may be substituted for other experienced facilitators at the discretion of the Company, but we will make every attempt to ensure the facilitator as advertised, will be the retreat facilitator.

1. A travel / repatriation insurance is compulsory. It is highly recommended that all participants take out FULL trip cancellation insurance for the duration of the retreat / workshop. Such insurance should fully cover cancellation, curtailment, medical expenses, personal accident, loss of, damage to, or theft of the participants’ personal property, baggage and money. The Company recommends taking out travel insurance that covers risks associated with adventure sports and hazardous pursuits.
2. The Company will not be held liable if a participant fails to take out adequate insurance cover.
3. The Company accepts no responsibility for any death, illness, delay, accident or loss of whatsoever nature incurred during the course of the retreat or for any expense arising from such an event. Participants are responsible for taking out appropriate insurance and ensuring that if they book using their credit card, it provides sufficient insurance cover.
4. The participant must further ensure that he/she has adequate insurance in the event of an accident occurring due to activities with a greater inherent risk, such as mountaineering, animal tracking on foot, white water rafting, and other activities of this nature.

1. Most of our retreats at some point will take participants into developing countries and remote wilderness areas. These locations and the pursuit of rare sightings and experiences, and ingestion of medicinal plants, may give rise to potentially hazardous and unpredictable circumstances. The Company accepts no responsibility for any death, illness, loss or damage of whatsoever nature incurred during the course of the retreat or for any expense arising from such death, illness, loss or damage.
2. The Company accepts no liability in respect of death, injury, loss or damage to person or property arising out of any act, omission or negligence by the Company or of any of the suppliers, or the supplier’s servants that are used during the retreat. The Company shall, in no circumstances, be deemed to be the agent of the participant or of the supplier of any service. Suppliers contract with the Company as independent contractors. The Company is also not liable for the acts and omissions of facilitators, and for any circumstance which results in a facilitator leaving the retreat before its conclusion.
3. In addition, The Company shall not be liable for any loss or expense arising out of any cancellation, postponement or shortening of the retreat, however caused, save only to the extent that such cancellation, postponement or shortening was caused by the Company’s wilful act or gross negligence. If sickness or accident interrupts a retreat, the Company shall not be liable for any loss or expense arising therefrom, save only to the extent that such sickness or accident was caused by the Company’s wilful act or gross negligence.
4. While the Company carries liability insurance with SATIB, please take note that this does not constitute travel insurance. Instead, this liability insurance serves to protect the insured (the Company) in the event of negligence on their part, and a claim being brought against them in terms of certain specified negligence claims that fall within the coverage of the insurance policy. A copy of this policy is available at a participant’s request. Kindly note that there are various limitations and restrictions relating to the liability insurance coverage, which are detailed in the SATIB policy document.
5. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Company’s liability to pay damages, including any claimant’s costs, fees and expenses shall not exceed the sum for which the Company is insured in respect of any one occurrence or series of occurrences arising from one originating cause, or its total liability in respect of all occurrences, in terms of any underlying insurances.
6. No liability to pay under the participant’s booking shall attach unless and until the insurers of the underlying insurances shall have paid or have admitted liability or have been held liable to pay the full amount of their indemnity.
7.  The Company shall not be obliged to pursue a claim against a third party from which a participant may benefit. However, the Company shall be entitled to transfer (cede and assign) to the participant all its rights and obligations in terms of the claim, defence or settlement of any claim for indemnity or damages or otherwise. The participant shall accept such cession and assignment if he/she wishes to pursue the claim, in which case he/she shall do so to the exclusion of the Company and fully indemnifies the Company in this regard in respect of all costs of whatsoever nature associated with the claim.

1. It is the responsibility of the participants to obtain the correct and valid documentation for the country in which the participant will travel.
2. Should a participant be refused entry into the relevant country due to incorrect or incomplete documentation, the Company will not be held liable for any costs resulting in delays or repatriation for the participant or family.
3. Participants are responsible to check that the names they provide to appear on the tickets coincide with the names on their passport.
4. Every passenger must be in possession of a current passport valid for at least six months from date of departure and have at least three blank visa pages (not endorsement pages).
5.  Every passenger must have a round trip airline ticket, which shall be booked by the Company.
6. Every passenger must have adequate funds for the duration of the stay.
7. Obtaining a passport and health certificate with the required vaccination is the responsibility of the participant.
8. All participants are to check the visa stamp in their passport when at the relevant immigration desk and to ensure that they have been given adequate travel days.

1. The Company does not accept responsibility or pay any compensation where the performance or prompt performance of its contractual obligations is prevented or affected by any event which the Company or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not foresee or avoid, and are beyond the Company’s control.
2. Such events may include, but not be limited to, major natural or man-made disasters, illness or disease including, but not limited to the Corona Virus pandemic, Laws of a particular country, political upheaval, war or threat of war, riots, civil strikes, unexpected government acts, terrorist activity, industrial disputes, natural or nuclear disaster, extreme weather conditions, fire, closure of airline, closure of accommodation venue, closure of land borders, restriction on travel, technical and/or mechanical problems to transport, road closure, incapacitation of the facilitator, or cancellation or rescheduling of vital flights or other forms of transport, and/or other events outside the Company’s control.

1. All international and local flights;
2. The facilitator;
3. All accommodations from first to final night of the retreat at hotels, lodges or other establishments of a reasonable standard (or best available in the area);
4. All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), except where the participant has chosen a self-catering option, from official start of the retreat on the first day to official end of the retreat on the final day;
5. Drinking water and in some cases soft drinks and alcoholic beverages as specified in the retreat itinerary;
6. All ground transportation from first day of retreat to final day of retreat;
7. All costs of specialist wildlife guide and local guides;
8. All excursions and activities mentioned in the itinerary unless specifically stated as optional in which case they will be charged for at cost with prior consent from participants;
9. All reserve and park entrance fees for reserves and parks that are part of the itinerary.

1. Airfares are subject to the price and conditions quoted by each airline. The Company cannot guarantee these prices at the time of booking.
2. Carriage by air is subject to the terms and conditions of the carrier with whom the participant is travelling and to International Conventions which may limit liability. The issuance and acceptance of tickets and documents shall be deemed to be a consent to the terms and conditions of the carrier.
3. Any flight timing and carriers are subject to change as a result of airline procedures and these details are given for guidance only. Final details will be shown on the issued tickets.
4. Airfares are subject to change without notice prior to ticketing. The Company is not responsible for any airline schedule or airfare changes, cancellations, over booking or damage or loss of baggage and property, howsoever caused.
5. Flights missed for any reason will be for the participant’s account.
6. The Company will not be liable for any airline cancellation charges incurred by the participant if we cancel a retreat.
7. For safety and because space is restricted, baggage in the charter aircrafts, used to transport participants to and from retreat camps is restricted to a maximum of 20kg per person in a soft bag ONLY. This includes camera equipment and carry-on baggage.
8. Kindly advise the Company before your travel if you are likely to have excess baggage, and you will be advised if same is permitted.
9. Should participants arrive with excess baggage without prior warning and permission, their baggage could be held (or forwarded to the exit point) for the flight at the end of the retreat, the costs of such storage or onforwardance to be for the participant.

1. Malaria is endemic in the Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa, as well as in other countries of Southern Africa. We highly recommend that you consult with your doctor about a possible prophylactic treatment before your departure.
2.  Please note that guides and facilitators carry a limited supply of First Aid equipment and are not permitted to dispense medication. Please bring any medication that you feel you may need for the trip.
3. It is the responsibility of the participant to make sure they are fit for the retreat and the participant acknowledges that he/she is aware of the activities included in the itinerary. A medical certificate is required for participants older than 65 years for certain activities such as hiking and walking safaris.
4. Participants must follow the instructions of their guides and facilitators at all times. The Company and its local operators, their retreats and suppliers of services, facilitators, and other co-operating agencies reserve the right to refuse from a retreat, without refund, any individuals who acts in a manner which is unsafe to themselves, or inconsiderate or unsafe to fellow travellers, and/or who ignores the requests of their guide(s) and facilitator(s) to act in a safe and responsible manner. If the participant who is removed from the retreat has also signed up for future retreats with the Company, his/her bookings will automatically be cancelled and the standard cancellation terms will be applicable.

1. Travellers are advised that, even in the most serene settings, the animals are wild and can pose a threat to life and safety. Please ensure you take out sufficient insurance – see heading “INSURANCE”.
2. Travellers are cautioned to observe all local or park regulations and heed all instructions given by guides and facilitators.

1. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of descriptions and information. The Company however is not able to control all the components of the travel arrangements and it is possible that an advertised facility may be withdrawn or changed due to weather conditions, lack of demand, for maintenance and renovations, or for any other circumstances beyond the control of the Company.
2. The descriptions, information and opinions given by the Company in respect of National Parks, animal sightings, medicinal plants, accommodation, and security are given in good faith, based on the latest information available to the Company.
3. The Company cannot accept any responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the information it provides.
4. Most of our retreats operate in developing countries, some of which have very limited tourism infrastructure. At times, travel conditions and standards will not meet up to international standards with regard to roads, vehicles, accommodations, meals and service levels. In many areas inadequacies and unpredictable events may occur and this is part and parcel of traveling in the developing world.

1. The Company is incorporated in the Republic of South Africa and it operates under the Laws of South Africa. All contracts with participants and matters arising out of such contracts will be governed by the Laws of South Africa.
2.  The entire contract between the Company and the participant is contained within these terms and conditions. No representation, term, warranty or condition expressed or applied shall be considered to be, or have been made or agreed or applied by reference to any other writing, advertisement or conversation. These conditions may only be varied with the written consent of the Company signed by a member of the Company.
3. Each provision contained in these terms and conditions is severable. If any provision shall be held invalid or unenforceable, such provision shall be deemed deleted and replaced by valid and enforceable provisions which, so far as possible, achieves the parties intent in agreeing to the original provision. The remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.