Booking Terms and Conditions

These terms apply to every trip you book with Unearth Botswana (Pty) Ltd. Please read them before you accept a proposal or pay. When you accept a proposal online or in writing, you agree to these terms on behalf of everyone travelling with you. They are written in plain language; if anything is unclear, ask us before you book. Some clauses limit our responsibility or require you to accept risks; we have marked the most important ones in bold so that you can find them easily.

1. Who we are and what we do

"Unearth", "we" and "us" means Unearth Botswana (Pty) Ltd, company registration number BW00009130916, of Maun, Botswana. "You" means the lead traveller who makes the booking and every person named on it. "Suppliers" means the independent lodges, camps, airlines, charter companies, transfer and activity operators, and other businesses that provide the services in your trip.

We plan your trip, arrange the services with Suppliers, collect your payments and look after you before and during travel. The services themselves are provided by the Suppliers under their own terms and conditions, which form part of your contract for those services. We will tell you about important Supplier terms (such as minimum ages and cancellation charges) before you pay, and you can ask us for the full Supplier terms at any time.

We arrange your trip with reasonable skill and care. We are not the owner or operator of the Suppliers' services, but we choose and vet our partners carefully and we will help you if anything goes wrong.

Words with a special meaning

• "Lead Traveller" means the person who makes the booking, accepts the proposal and pays, or who is named as lead traveller on the confirmation.
• "Guest" means every person named on a booking, including the Lead Traveller and any children.
• "Trip" means all the services set out in your confirmation, such as accommodation, flights, transfers, activities and park fees.
• "Proposal" means the written quote or online proposal prepared for you by an Unearth specialist.
• "Confirmation" means our written confirmation that your booking is accepted.
• "Working day" means Monday to Friday, except public holidays in Botswana.

Our role

• We act as the organiser of your Trip and as agent for the Suppliers when we book their services for you. Each Supplier remains responsible for providing its own services.
• Where a Supplier's terms conflict with these terms on a matter that is about the Supplier's own service (for example its child policy, minimum ages, activity rules, luggage limits or cancellation charges), the Supplier's terms apply to that service. On everything else, these terms apply.
• Our staff, agents and specialists have no authority to change these terms or to make promises on our behalf except in writing from info@unearthbotswana.co.bw or from a named Unearth specialist's company email address.

2. Guide prices, quotes and proposals

• Prices shown on our website and by our trip planner or by Zoe, our AI assistant, are guide prices only. They are not an offer and do not reserve anything.
• A quote or online proposal from an Unearth specialist shows the price for the services, dates and travellers listed. It is valid until the date shown on it and is always subject to availability until your booking is confirmed.
• Your proposal lists what is included and what is not. Anything not listed as included (for example international flights, visas, the Botswana Tourism Development Levy, travel insurance, tips, drinks and items of a personal nature) is not included.
• We can show any price in Botswana pula on request.
• Until your booking is confirmed, the price in a Proposal may change if a Supplier changes its rate, if availability changes or if exchange rates move. We will tell you before you pay.
• Descriptions, photos, maps and sample itineraries are given in good faith to show the general character of a place. Rooms, vehicles, menus and wildlife sightings may differ from the pictures. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed.
• If we make an obvious mistake in a price or description (for example a missing digit or the wrong season's rate), we will tell you as soon as we notice. You may then accept the correct price or cancel and receive a full refund of what you paid for the affected service. We are not bound by an obvious error.

3. Making a booking

• The lead traveller must be at least 18 years old and have the authority of everyone on the booking to accept these terms for them.
• When you accept a proposal, we reserve the services with the Suppliers for 14 days while we wait for your deposit. Your booking is confirmed once we have received your deposit and the Suppliers have confirmed. We then send you a written confirmation.
• Please give us full names exactly as they appear in each passport, together with dates of birth, nationalities, and any dietary, medical or mobility needs. You are responsible for any costs caused by incorrect information.
• Please check your confirmation and travel documents as soon as you receive them and tell us straight away about any mistake.

The Lead Traveller's responsibilities

• The Lead Traveller is responsible for paying the full price of the booking and any charges under these terms, including for the other Guests.
• The Lead Traveller must pass on to every Guest our confirmation, travel documents, these terms and any important information we send, such as luggage limits, health advice and Supplier rules.
• We send all communications to the Lead Traveller. Anything we send to the Lead Traveller is treated as sent to every Guest.
• Only the Lead Traveller may change or cancel the booking, unless the Lead Traveller tells us in writing that another named person may do so.

Children and young people

• Each camp and activity operator sets its own child policy. Many safari camps accept children only from a minimum age (often 6, 8 or 12 years), require families with children to book a private vehicle or guide, or do not allow children on walking, mokoro or boating activities. We will tell you about these rules before you book.
• You must tell us the correct age of every child at the date of travel. If a camp refuses a child because the age was not given correctly, we are not responsible and the cancellation charges in section 6 apply.
• Children must be supervised by a responsible adult on the booking at all times, including in camp, where wild animals move freely.
• Guests under 18 travelling without a parent or legal guardian must be accompanied by an adult on the booking who takes responsibility for them, and you must carry any consent letters required by immigration authorities.

4. Payment

• Deposit: 30% of the total price is due within 14 days of accepting your proposal, unless your proposal says otherwise. Some Suppliers ask for a larger deposit; if so, your proposal will say so.
• Balance: the rest is due 60 days before your first day of travel. If you book within 60 days of travel, the full price is due when you book.
• How to pay: by card through a secure DPO Pay link sent by your specialist, or by bank transfer to the account shown on our invoice. We will never ask for card details by email, chat or phone. Please check bank details with us by phone before any transfer; we will never change our bank details by email.
• Currency and charges: you pay in the currency of your proposal. Your bank or card provider may charge conversion or transfer fees, which are your responsibility. Bank transfers must arrive in full.
• If a payment is not received on time, we may cancel your booking after reminding you, and the cancellation charges in section 6 will apply.

Card and bank fees

• Where a card processing fee applies to a payment, we will show it to you before you pay. It is not refundable if you later cancel, unless we or a Supplier cancel the Trip.
• If a bank transfer arrives short because of bank charges, the shortfall remains due and we will add it to your next payment.
• If a payment is reversed, charged back or recalled without good reason, you remain liable for the amount and for the reasonable costs we incur in recovering it.

Exchange rates

• Suppliers in Botswana and neighbouring countries price their services in different currencies, usually US dollars, Botswana pula or South African rand. Your Proposal shows the price in one currency.
• If you pay from an account in another currency, you carry the risk of exchange-rate changes between the date of the Proposal and the date of each payment and any refund.
• Refunds are calculated and paid in the currency you paid in. Because of exchange-rate changes and bank charges, the amount you receive may differ from the amount you originally paid in your home currency. We are not responsible for that difference.
• Once your booking is confirmed, we do not increase the price because of exchange-rate changes, except as set out in section 5.

Payments we hold

We pay Suppliers deposits and balances on your behalf, often months before travel. Money you pay us may therefore already be with a Supplier when you cancel, which is one reason cancellation charges apply.

5. Price changes after booking

Once your booking is confirmed, we will not increase the price except where a government, park authority or Supplier introduces or increases taxes, levies, park or conservation fees, or fuel surcharges outside our control. We pass these on at cost and will show you the reason. If such increases add more than 10% to your total trip price, you may cancel and receive a full refund of the money you have paid us, less any non-refundable amounts you agreed to in writing (such as issued flight tickets).

• Examples of these changes are: new or higher park and concession fees set by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks or a community trust; changes to VAT or other government taxes; new or higher tourism levies, border or bridge fees; and fuel surcharges added by airlines and air-charter companies.
• We will not charge you any such increase that we are told about less than 30 days before your first day of travel, unless it is a government tax or levy that you would have to pay directly in any event.
• Fees that you pay directly on arrival, such as visa fees, border fees and the Botswana Tourism Development Levy where it is not included in your Proposal, are set by government and may change at any time.
• If you want to cancel because of a price increase under this section, you must tell us within 14 days of our notice. Otherwise you are treated as accepting the increase.

6. If you change or cancel

• All changes and cancellations must be sent to us in writing (email or WhatsApp) by the lead traveller. They take effect on the day we receive them.
• Changes: we will always try to help. Any change fees charged by Suppliers and any difference in price are payable by you. Some services, such as issued flight tickets and park permits, cannot be changed.
• Cancellation charges: the cancellation charges of each Supplier on your trip apply. They are shown in your proposal or confirmation before you pay. Where a Supplier's terms do not state a charge, the following applies to the price of that Supplier's services, counted from the day we receive your notice to your first day with that Supplier:

• Non-refundable items you agreed to in writing (for example issued flight tickets) are charged in full.
• No refunds are given for unused services once your trip has started, for example if you leave early or miss an activity.
• Travel insurance may cover cancellation charges. This is one reason insurance is required (section 10).
• Refunds are paid within 30 days of the cancellation, to the person and by the method used to pay, less any payment charges we cannot recover.

Name changes

• You may transfer a place on your booking to another person if the Suppliers agree and the new Guest meets all age, health and document requirements. Tell us in writing as soon as possible.
• The original and new Guests are jointly responsible for any unpaid balance and for every fee caused by the change. Airlines often treat a name change as a cancellation and charge for a new ticket.
• Correcting a minor spelling mistake is free where the Supplier does not charge for it.

Other amendments

• A change of dates, camp, room type or route is treated as a cancellation of the original service and a new booking if the Supplier treats it that way. We will tell you the cost before we make the change.
• Reducing the number of Guests may increase the price per person, for example where a private vehicle, guide or room rate was based on the original group size.
• A change is made only when we confirm it in writing.

Non-refundable services

Some services cannot be refunded once booked or paid, whatever the date of cancellation. Your Proposal will identify them. They commonly include:

• scheduled and some charter flight tickets once issued;
• park, concession and activity permits once issued, such as permits for national parks, reserves and the Victoria Falls rainforest, and some helicopter flights;
• certain camps and promotional rates that are sold as non-refundable;
• Christmas, New Year and other peak-date bookings where the Supplier's terms say so; and
• card processing fees and bank charges already paid.

No-shows and late arrival

• If you do not arrive for a service, arrive too late to take it, or are refused because you do not have the right documents, the service is treated as cancelled with no notice and 100% of its price is charged.
• If you miss a connecting light-aircraft flight or road transfer because your own international flight is delayed, please contact us at once. We will try to rebook you, but the extra costs are yours or your insurer's.

Unused services

Activities and meals that are included but not taken, and nights not used because you leave early, are not refunded. If you leave early for a medical or family emergency, we will ask the Suppliers whether they will make any refund, and pass on anything they agree to pay.

7. If we or a Supplier change or cancel

• Safari travel sometimes needs changes: a camp may move you to a sister camp, flight schedules change, or water levels and weather affect routes and activities. Where we have to make a change, we will tell you as soon as we can and offer something of the same or a higher standard where possible.
• If we must make a significant change before you travel (for example a different area or a lower standard of accommodation), you may accept it, choose another trip, or cancel and receive a full refund of the money you have paid for the affected services.
• We may cancel a booking if you do not pay on time or if you break these terms in a serious way.
• We are not responsible for compensation where a change or cancellation is caused by circumstances beyond our control (section 15).

Minor and significant changes

• A minor change is one that does not materially affect your Trip, such as a change in flight time, vehicle, guide, room or activity time, a move to a camp of a similar standard in the same area, or the replacement of a water activity with a land activity because of water levels. We may make minor changes without compensation.
• A significant change is one that materially affects the main features of your Trip, such as a change of area, a lower grade of camp, or the loss of a full night. If you choose to cancel after a significant change, you must tell us within 7 days of our notice, or within any shorter time we reasonably give you if travel is close.
• If a significant change was within our control and not caused by circumstances beyond our control, we will also refund any reasonable, documented non-refundable costs you had already paid for the affected dates and that cannot be recovered from insurance, up to the price of the affected service.

Changes during the Trip

• Guides and camp managers may change an activity, route or timing on the day for safety, weather, water levels, road conditions or wildlife reasons. Their decision is final.
• If a significant part of your Trip cannot be provided after departure, we will arrange suitable alternatives where possible at no extra cost, and refund the difference in price where the alternative is of a lower value.

Our cancellation

• If we cancel your booking for a reason other than your fault or circumstances beyond our control, we will refund all money you have paid us.
• If we cancel because you did not pay on time or seriously broke these terms, the cancellation charges in section 6 apply.

8. Passports, visas and border crossings

• You are responsible for having a valid passport, any visas or permits, and the documents needed for children (including birth certificates and parental consent where required). Passports should normally be valid for at least six months after you leave, with blank pages for every border on your route.
• Our Know before you go page and our advice are general guidance given in good faith. Rules change and depend on your nationality, so please check them with the relevant embassy or official immigration website. We are not responsible if you are refused travel or entry because of your documents.
• Northern Botswana and the Victoria Falls region are malaria areas. Ask a travel doctor about malaria prevention and vaccinations at least six to eight weeks before you travel.
• Please tell us before booking about any medical condition, disability or need that could affect your trip, so we can check suitability with the Suppliers.

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, Zambia and the KAZA area

• Many trips cross from Botswana into Zimbabwe or Zambia at Kazungula or other border posts, for example to visit Victoria Falls. Each crossing needs its own entry permission. Some nationalities need a visa for each country, and some visas are single entry only.
• The KAZA UniVisa, where it is available, may allow travel between Zambia and Zimbabwe and day trips into Botswana. Its availability, cost and conditions are set by the governments concerned and may be suspended at short notice. You must check which visa suits your route.
• Border posts have opening hours. Delays at borders are outside our control.
• Some countries require yellow fever certificates for travellers arriving from, or who have passed through, certain countries. Check this with your travel doctor.
• If you are refused entry or boarding because of your documents, health certificates or conduct, the services you miss are treated as a no-show and you must pay any extra costs.

9. Health, fitness and medical information

• You must tell us before booking, and again if anything changes before travel, about any medical condition, pregnancy, allergy, disability, reduced mobility or need for medication that may affect your ability to take part safely or that a Supplier needs to know. We will pass this on to the relevant Suppliers as explained in our Privacy Policy.
• Many camps are remote. Medical help may be hours away by air, and is limited by weather and daylight. Some activities have weight limits, fitness requirements or restrictions for pregnant Guests.
• A Supplier may refuse to accept a Guest, or refuse to let a Guest take part in an activity, if it reasonably believes that the Guest's health or fitness puts that Guest or others at risk. If you did not tell us about the relevant condition, this is treated as a cancellation by you.
• Information we give about malaria, vaccinations, food, water and other health matters is general information only. It is not medical advice. You must take advice from a qualified doctor or travel clinic about your own needs.
• Bring enough of any prescription medication for the whole Trip, in its original packaging, with a copy of your prescription. Some medicines are controlled in Botswana and neighbouring countries.

10. Travel insurance

Comprehensive travel insurance is a condition of booking. It must cover cancellation, medical expenses, emergency evacuation by air and repatriation, for the whole trip and for every activity you plan. Please send us your policy details before travel. Remote camps may refuse guests without evacuation cover. We are not responsible for costs that insurance would have covered.

• Your insurance should also cover curtailment, delay, missed connections, personal liability, and loss of or damage to luggage, cameras and valuables.
• Check that your policy covers adventure activities such as walking safaris, mokoro, boating, horse riding, quad biking, cycling and helicopter flights, if you plan to take part.
• If you travel without the required cover, you do so at your own risk. You will be responsible for every cost of medical treatment, evacuation and repatriation, and for any cancellation charges.
• If we or a Supplier pay any cost on your behalf in an emergency, you must repay it promptly, whether or not your insurer later pays you.

11. Safety, wildlife and adventure activities

• Wild areas carry natural risks. Camps are unfenced and wild animals move freely through them. Activities such as walking, mokoro, boating, game drives, horse riding and quad biking carry risks you accept by taking part. Always follow the instructions of your guides and camp staff.
• Suppliers set minimum ages and fitness requirements for some activities and camps. Please follow them; they are for your safety.
• You must respect the laws of Botswana and of every country you visit, the rules of parks and camps, other guests, staff and wildlife. A Supplier or Unearth may end the services of anyone whose behaviour puts others at risk or causes damage, without refund. You are responsible for any damage you cause.
• Drones may not be used in parks and reserves without permits. Do not photograph border posts or military sites.

Accepting the risks of a safari

A safari takes place in wild, remote areas. Animals are wild and unpredictable. Even with careful guides, there is a risk of injury, illness or death, and of loss or damage to property. By choosing to take part in an activity, you accept the risks that are naturally part of it. The main risks include:

• Game drives in open vehicles: rough roads, sudden stops, branches, insects, sun and dust. Stay seated, keep arms inside the vehicle and do not stand up or get out unless your guide says so.
• Walking safaris: close encounters with dangerous animals on foot, uneven ground and heat. Walk in single file, stay silent when asked and never run.
• Mokoro and boating: hippos and crocodiles, capsizing, and getting wet. Mokoro trips depend on water levels in the Okavango Delta. Wear a life jacket where provided.
• Horse riding: falls and the reactions of horses to wildlife. Riders must meet the operator's experience, weight and age limits and wear a helmet.
• Quad biking and cycling: falls, collisions, heat and remote terrain such as the Makgadikgadi Pans. Follow the operator's route and speed instructions and wear the safety gear provided.
• Helicopter and light-aircraft flights: turbulence, weather delays and, on doors-off flights, the risk of dropping items. Follow the pilot's briefing at all times.
• Camp life: animals in camp at night, insects, snakes and scorpions. Do not walk around camp in the dark without an escort, keep tent doors closed and never keep food in your tent.

• Some Suppliers will ask you to sign their own indemnity or risk waiver before an activity. If you refuse, they may not allow you to take part, and no refund is due.
• Nothing in this section removes the duty of a Supplier, or of us, to take reasonable care, or limits liability that cannot be limited under the laws of Botswana.

12. Your behaviour

• You must not behave in a way that is dangerous, abusive, threatening, discriminatory, or likely to cause distress, damage or annoyance to other Guests, Supplier staff, guides, our staff or local communities.
• You must not feed, touch, bait, chase or harass any animal, collect or remove plants, animals, bones, shells, ivory or other natural items, or drive or ask a guide to drive off-road where it is not allowed.
• Possession or use of illegal drugs, the illegal purchase of wildlife products, and hunting without lawful permits are criminal offences.
• Respect local customs. Ask before you photograph people, especially children, and accept their answer.
• If, in the reasonable opinion of a guide, camp manager, pilot or our staff, a Guest's behaviour puts anyone at risk, breaks the law or seriously disrupts other Guests, we or the Supplier may refuse to provide further services to that Guest and remove them from the Trip. No refund will be given and we will not pay any costs of the Guest's return home.
• Pilots may refuse to carry anyone who appears to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• You are responsible for paying for any damage or loss you cause, and for any fines or costs that result from your behaviour. Suppliers may charge this directly.

13. Flights and luggage

Light aircraft have strict luggage limits, usually 20 kg per person in a soft bag including hand luggage and cameras. Excess weight may be refused or need an extra seat at your cost. Flight times may change because of weather or operations. Air travel is also governed by the carriers' terms and the international conventions that limit their liability.

• Bags must be soft-sided with no wheels or rigid frame, so they fit in small luggage holds. Your Proposal or travel documents will give the exact limits and maximum dimensions for your route.
• For safety, pilots must balance the aircraft. If any Guest weighs more than the limit set by the air-charter company (often around 100 kg), you must tell us when booking. An extra seat may need to be bought.
• Light-aircraft flights are often shared and may stop at other airstrips. Times are approximate and may change on the day.
• We can usually arrange for extra luggage to be stored or sent ahead, at your cost.
• We are not responsible for scheduled or international flights you book yourself. If your own flight is delayed or cancelled and you miss services we booked, the rules on no-shows in section 6 apply.
• Please keep valuables, medicines and travel documents with you. We are not responsible for loss of or damage to luggage, except where caused by our own negligence.

14. Our responsibility to you

• We are responsible for arranging your trip with reasonable skill and care and for our own acts and omissions and those of our staff.
• We are not responsible for the acts or omissions of Suppliers, or for injury, loss or damage caused by them, by you or anyone on your booking, by a third party not connected with your trip, or by circumstances beyond our control. Where a Supplier is at fault, we will help you raise the matter with them and pass on anything we recover.
• We are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, such as loss of earnings, or for loss of enjoyment beyond what the law requires.
• To the fullest extent permitted by law, our total liability to you is limited to the total price you paid us for the trip. This limit does not apply to death or personal injury caused by our negligence, to fraud, or to anything the law does not allow us to limit.
• Nothing in these terms takes away any right you have as a consumer under the laws of Botswana that cannot be excluded.

Limits on our liability

• Where we are responsible for a failure in a particular service, our liability for that failure is limited to the price you paid us for the affected service. In all cases our total liability is limited to the total price you paid us for the Trip.
• We are not liable for: loss of profit, business, earnings or opportunity; costs of travel you booked yourself; loss of or damage to valuables, cash, cameras or electronic equipment; or any loss you could have avoided by taking reasonable steps, including by having the insurance required by section 10.
• Where an international convention limits the liability of an airline, hotel or other carrier, our liability to you for that service is limited in the same way.
• Nothing in these terms excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our own negligence or that of our staff, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited under the laws of Botswana.
• The exclusions and limits in these terms also protect our employees, agents and contractors, who may rely on them.

Supplier responsibility

• Each Supplier is responsible for its own services, premises, vehicles, aircraft, boats, staff and guides, and for meeting the laws and safety standards that apply to it.
• A Supplier's liability to you may be limited by its own terms, by any risk waiver you sign, and by the law of the country where it operates.
• If you have a claim against a Supplier, we will give you its details and reasonable help, including copies of relevant booking records.

Your responsibility to us

You are responsible for any loss, damage or cost that we or a Supplier suffer because you or anyone on your booking breaks these terms, gives us false information, or causes damage. This includes reasonable costs of recovering money owed.

15. Circumstances beyond our control

We are not liable for any failure or delay caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including extreme weather, floods or drought, fire, natural disasters, epidemics and public health measures, war, terrorism, civil unrest, strikes, government action, border closures, airline or airport failures, and similar events. If such an event affects your trip we will help you change it, and we will refund any money we are able to recover from Suppliers.

In this document we call these events "circumstances beyond our control". They include, for example:

• disease outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics, and quarantine, testing or travel restrictions imposed by any government;
• high or low water levels in the Okavango Delta, the Chobe and Zambezi rivers and the Linyanti, flooding of roads and airstrips, and drought;
• bush fires and wildfires, and smoke that closes airstrips or camps;
• animal disease control measures, such as foot-and-mouth disease restrictions;
• strikes and industrial action, including by airline, airport, border or park staff;
• closure of borders, airports, airspace, parks or roads, and changes to visa rules;
• actions or decisions of any government, park authority or regulator, including the withdrawal of a concession or permit;
• fuel shortages, power failures and failures of national communication networks; and
• riots, civil unrest, terrorism or the threat of these.

• If an event like this means a Supplier cannot provide your services, we will offer you another date or a suitable alternative where we can.
• If you choose not to travel, or no alternative is possible, we will refund what we recover from Suppliers, less our reasonable costs which we will show you. Your travel insurance may cover the rest.
• If official advice from the government of Botswana or of your home country is against all travel to your destination for your dates, you may cancel and we will apply the paragraph above.

16. Problems and complaints

If something is not right during your trip, tell your guide or camp manager and contact us straight away on +267 73 776 447 (also WhatsApp), so we can try to fix it there and then. If it cannot be resolved, please write to us at info@unearthbotswana.co.bw within 30 days of your return. We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days and reply in full within 14 days. You may also contact the Competition and Consumer Authority of Botswana.

• Most problems can be fixed on the spot. If you do not tell the Supplier or us during the Trip, we lose the chance to put things right. This may reduce any compensation due to you.
• Please include your booking reference, the names of the Guests affected, what happened, when, and what you would like us to do. Photos and receipts help.
• If your complaint is about a Supplier, we will pass it on and chase a reply. Where the Supplier's own complaint process applies, we will tell you.
• Please give us the chance to resolve your complaint before posting about it publicly or starting a chargeback. Starting a chargeback while a complaint is open may delay a solution.

17. Reviews

• After your Trip we may invite you to review the camps, guides and activities you used, and our service. Reviews must be honest and based on your own experience.
• We publish genuine reviews, positive and negative. We do not pay for reviews or offer rewards for positive ones.
• We may moderate reviews before they appear. We may remove or decline a review that is false, abusive, discriminatory, defamatory, unlawful, about something other than the Trip, or that includes personal information about other people.
• Suppliers may reply publicly to reviews. By posting a review you give us the licence set out in our Website Terms of Use.

18. Zoe, our AI assistant

• Zoe is an automated AI assistant on our website. She can give general guidance, ideas and information about Botswana and our trips.
• Nothing Zoe says forms part of your contract with us. Her answers can be incomplete or wrong. She cannot make, change, cancel or confirm a booking, a price or availability.
• Prices, inclusions, availability and travel arrangements are binding only when set out in a written Proposal and Confirmation from an Unearth specialist.
• Always check visa, health and safety information with an official source or with your specialist.

19. Unearth Gives and rewards

• A gift to Unearth Gives added to your trip is voluntary and separate from the price of your travel services. We pass gifts on to the project shown. You may ask for a gift to be refunded until it has been passed on.
• Rewards and member benefits in your Unearth account are a goodwill scheme. They have no cash value, cannot be transferred, and may be changed or withdrawn with notice.
• Cancelling your Trip does not automatically cancel a gift. Tell us if you also want the gift refunded.
• Project goals and timelines are targets. If a project cannot go ahead, we will offer to redirect your gift to a similar project or refund it.
• Unless we tell you otherwise in writing, a gift is not a tax-deductible donation and we do not issue tax receipts.

20. Photos and filming on your Trip

• Guides, Suppliers and our staff sometimes take photos or short films during activities. We will only use a photo or film in which you or your children can be recognised for marketing if you agree.
• If you send us your own photos or films, the Through Your Lens terms in our Website Terms of Use apply.
• When you photograph other people, including other Guests, staff and local communities, ask first and respect their wishes. Do not publish images of children without their parent's agreement.
• Professional filming, commercial photography and drone use need permits from the relevant authorities and the Supplier's agreement. Ask us before you travel.

21. Your personal information

We use your personal information to arrange and deliver your trip and share it with the Suppliers on your itinerary, as explained in our Privacy Policy.

By making a booking you confirm that every Guest on it has agreed to their information, including any health or dietary information you give us, being used in this way, and that you are a parent or guardian of, or have authority from a parent or guardian of, any child on the booking.

22. Law and disputes

These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of Botswana. We will always try to resolve a dispute with you directly first. If we cannot, either of us may refer it to mediation, and otherwise to the courts of Botswana. If you live outside Botswana, you keep any rights you have to bring a claim in the courts of your home country.

• Before going to court, the party with the complaint must first follow the complaints process in section 16 and then allow at least 30 days for discussion and, if either of us asks, mediation by a mediator we agree on. Each of us pays our own costs of mediation and we share the mediator's fee equally. This does not stop either of us from seeking urgent relief from a court.
• If you are a consumer, you have rights under Botswana's Consumer Protection Act and other consumer laws. Nothing in these terms takes those rights away.

23. General

• The version of these terms that applies to your booking is the version you accepted. We record the version and date of acceptance on your booking.
• If any part of these terms is found to be invalid, the rest remains in force.
• We may update these terms for future bookings. The current version and date are shown at the top of this page.
• Entire agreement: your contract with us is made up of these terms, your Proposal, your Confirmation and the Supplier terms referred to in section 1. It replaces anything said or written before, including on our website, by Zoe or in conversation, unless it is repeated in those documents.
• Assignment: you may not transfer your rights under these terms except as allowed by section 6. We may transfer our rights and duties to another company that takes over our business, as long as your rights are not reduced.
• Notices: we send notices to the email address or WhatsApp number of the Lead Traveller on the booking. You send notices to info@unearthbotswana.co.bw. A notice sent by email is treated as received on the working day it is sent, or the next working day if sent after 17:00 Botswana time.
• Language: these terms are written in English. If we provide a translation, including an automatic translation on our website, it is for convenience only. If there is any difference, the English version prevails.
• No waiver: if we do not enforce a right straight away, we can still enforce it later.
• Third parties: only you, us, and our employees, agents and contractors (for the limits in section 14) may enforce these terms.

Questions about this document? Contact Unearth Botswana (Pty) Ltd at info@unearthbotswana.co.bw or +267 73 776 447.