OUR COVID-19 REFUND GUARANTEE

In this uncertain period, when many travelers seek assurance about risks that standard insurance policies cannot cover, insurers are now routinely covering the risks associated with a traveler contracting Covid-19, just as they do for other illnesses and health difficulties. The biggest source of uncertainty in insurance coverage is government action: the possibility of authorities closing borders or imposing onerous isolation measures as a result of Covid diagnoses.

This policy is meant to reassure our travelers that if government action prevents you from traveling, they will not lose their vacation. This page discusses adjustments to our regular booking terms that will help you to book your vacation with certainty in these unpredictable times.

Our Covid-19 Refund Guarantee adds further adaptability for our travelers’ sense of security during Covid – and it is supplementary to our standard Booking Policies and only applies if certain damages are not recoverable within your standard travel insurance.

Please Note: Where these terms and conditions relate to ‘you’, this refers to one or more of travelers on your Zoe Expeditions’ booking. Only those who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 according to the requirements in their place of residence are eligible for this Refund Guarantee.

A covered ‘Covid-19-related Issue’ is defined as:

• A Covid-19-related issue is one of the following that affects you personally for the purposes of our Covid-19 Refund Guarantee:
  Because of Covid, your foreign flights have been canceled, and there are no viable alternative routes available for you to begin your safari with us.
• The government of your country of residence either prohibits all residents from traveling overseas or provides a strong warning against traveling, which would include the vacation itinerary that we have prepared for you.)
• The government of your home nation requires you to quarantine in a designated quarantine hotel when you return.
• Travelers are prohibited from visiting one or more of the destinations on your itinerary due to a government lockdown.
• Because of your country of residency or previous travel history, one or more of the places on your itinerary has closed its borders to you.
• Quarantine is mandatory at one or more of the destinations on your itinerary, which would considerably modify your itinerary.

These prohibitions primarily apply to decisions and travel bans in effect on the date you are scheduled to start your travel arrangements with us. However, Zoe Expeditions will usually give a recommendation about the likelihood of a trip departing two weeks before its scheduled departure date. If there is no ‘spark of hope’ that the trip can be completed without breaching these restrictions, you have the option to cancel and obtain a full refund.

Our ‘Covid-19’Refund Guarantee

If you need to cancel your reservation due to a Covid-19-related issue (as indicated above), you must do so in writing (an email acknowledged by us is sufficient) and therefore must abide by the terms specified below:

• You must wait at least 62 days before the start of your arrangements with us before canceling your trip under this Covid-19 Refund Guarantee.
• If you cancel between 62 days and 48 hours before the start of our arrangements, and your cancellation is not covered by your travel insurance policy, you have the option of deferring your trip to a later date or receiving a full refund of all money made to Zoe Expeditions for the trip.
• If you cancel less than 48 hours before the start of your itinerary with Zoe Expeditions and your cancellation is not covered by your travel insurance policy, you can reschedule your trip to an agreed later date (usually 6-24 months later than the original departure date).
• When you rebook for a later date, Zoe Expeditions will pass on any pricing increases caused by a change in season or year, but we pledge to keep any additional charges to a minimal.
• If the hotel and service providers in Tanzania responsible for your itinerary seek enhanced security regarding your booking between the time you confirm your booking and 48 hours before departure, Zoe Expeditions will need to resolve this. In such circumstances, Zoe Expeditions will notify you of the matter and provide you the option to either:

1. Cancel the trip and receive a full refund of all payments made to Zoe Expeditions for your safari.
2. Continue to hold your reservation, but you will need to agree to amended terms for the Covid-19 Refund Guarantee, which will provide the extra security required by accommodations/service suppliers.

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• If your cancellation is covered by your travel insurance, you should file a formal claim, carefully following your insurer’s claim instructions. Please notify us of this circumstance when you cancel, and keep us updated on the status of the claim as it goes.
• If you need to cancel within 62 days, you must notify us as soon as reasonably practicable of your need to cancel for a Covid-19 reason. You must provide us with written official proof of the Covid-19 cause.

Please keep in mind that the final balance on a confirmed reservation must be paid by the date specified in our standard terms and conditions, which is 56 days prior to your scheduled departure.

Important Note:

 As situations gradually return to “normal,” Zoe Expeditions reserves the right to modify or discontinue the Covid-19 Refund Guarantee for new reservations.