Terms and Conditions

Due to the ongoing geopolitical situation affecting parts of the Middle East and resulting airspace restrictions, Aquila Collection is implementing the following temporary cancellation policy for affected travellers.

Guests residing in the following countries: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Iran and Israel who are unable to travel due to official airspace closures or airline disruptions may request a full refund for confirmed bookings during the affected travel period, subject to the following conditions:

Valid proof of a cancelled or postponed flight must be provided from the airline or travel provider.

The disruption must be directly related to airspace closures or operational airline cancellations connected to the current conflict.

IMPORTANT: If a guest chooses to cancel without providing proof of a cancelled or postponed flight, the standard Aquila Collection cancellation terms and conditions will apply.

This temporary policy will remain in effect only for the duration of officially announced airspace closures or airline suspensions affecting the above-mentioned countries.

Aquila Collection will continue to monitor the situation closely and may amend this policy as circumstances evolve.

Thank you for booking a stay at Aquila Private Game Reserve. We appreciate your booking and look forward to welcoming you.

The following terms and conditions apply to services offered by Aquila Private Game Reserve. Once an Invoice has been issued, these terms and conditions will automatically apply, unless specifically expressed otherwise in Your Invoice. Non-adherence to our terms and conditions may result in a withdrawal of contract rates and release of bookings.

To secure Your reservation, a 50% or 100% deposit will be required to be paid to Aquila Private Game Reserve within 72 hours of the date of the Invoice and submission of the completed booking form.

To the extent applicable, the remaining balance of payment amounting to 50% must be paid to Aquila Private Game Reserve within 31 days prior to the date of Your arrival at Aquila Private Game Reserve.

A booking is considered confirmed when notification is received in writing from You. Any cancellation made after this written confirmation is received will be subject to penalties if within the penalty period whether or not a deposit has been made.

Accommodation is subject to availability at the time of booking.

Please ensure that the quotation given with details of number of Clients, dates, accommodation, transportation and all other services to be provided are clear and accurate before confirming the booking in writing. 

Certain items are not included in the cost of the booking. These costs are the responsibility of the Client, including but not limited to, private transport, private safaris (game drives), all beverages, telephone, mini bar and additional activities.

Aquila’s rates are quoted per person sharing. For individual travellers , a 50% single supplement of the rate shall apply to overnight packages.

Maximum weight restriction for quad bike safaris are 150kg and horseback safaris are 95kg per person. No children under the age of 16 years are permitted on these safaris.

All rates are quoted in ZAR (South African Rand) includes value-added tax and is quoted per person.

Clients have the option of acquiring vouchers as gifts, provided that, there shall be no refunds on any vouchers, whether such voucher is used or not within the specified period, or whether the entire amount of such voucher has been utilised or not (including but not limited to, for example, if any voucher is acquired during the peak season at peak rates and is only utilised during off-peak season).

Please note that transfers to and from Aquila Private Game Reserve are not included in any vouchers, unless otherwise agreed in writing by Aquila. All extras such as drinks, horse riding or quad bike safari are for your own account and must be settled prior to your departure. Vouchers are subject to availability, not transferable and may not be redeemed for cash or used on existing bookings.

Any promotions may not be used in conjunction with any other specials, provisional, existing or confirmed bookings. Promotions are subject to room allocation availability for specific promotions as set on the promotional material.

In the unlikely event of a misquotation being made by Aquila Private Game Reserve, we reserve the right to cancel a booking without any liability if the misquote results in a cost implication and any payment already made will be refunded to You. Similarly, Aquila Private Game Reserve will not be held liable for any error/s on our website, brochures or other advertising and marketing material, and reserves the right to correct it once any such error has been brought to our attention, which may result in the cancellation of a booking and refund of any payment already made, without any liability arising on behalf of Aquila Private Game Reserve.

Should any errors occur on our website, brochures or other advertising or marketing material with regard to pricing, Aquila Private Game Reserve reserves the right to correct it as soon as it is brought to our attention and cannot be held bound thereby.

• Low season is from 1 May to 31 October.
• Peak Season is from 20 December to 10 January.
• High Season is from 1 November to 19 December and from 11 January to 30 April.

Cancellations:

Please note that all cancellations are only effective once confirmed in writing. 

Guests making travel and booking arrangements with the Aquila Collection must have their own personal or business travel insurance to support any cancellation or curtailment of their booking.

In the event that the accommodation is not taken up, AQUILA COLLECTION will have the right to deem the amounts due in lieu of the cancellation penalties and, in addition, have the right to release reservations where deposit and/or payment is not made on the due date.

AQUILA COLLECTION reserves the right to amend deposit requirements during peak periods.

• No Shows: 100% of full amount forfeited
• Cancellations within 0 – 7 days of date of arrival: 100% forfeited
• Cancellations within 8 – 21 days of date of arrival: 50% of full amount forfeited
• Cancellations within 22 – 30 days of date of arrival: 30% of full amount forfeited
• No refunds for late check-in/arrival or early check-out.
• No refunds for services not used.
• Please note that all refunds are subject to commission and/or bank charges
• Group bookings: a non-refundable deposit may be requested and a specially negotiated cancellation policy will apply to any bookings which exceeds 25% of our capacity.

In the unlikely event of future pandemic related international travel bans, we reserve our right to consult and make relevant updates to our standard cancellation policy.

In all cases, we will review extraordinary circumstances on an ad-hoc basis.

Occasionally Aquila Private Game Reserve (“we”) has to cancel confirmed bookings. We always endeavor to avoid cancelling, but we must reserve the right to do so. We shall not cancel your confirmed booking unless you fail to make all payments due in full and on time or we are forced to do so as a result of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which we could not have avoided even with all due care (“force majeure”). If we cancel your booking (except where you have failed to make payment or as a result of force majeure), we shall use our best endeavours to offer you the choice of purchasing an alternative holiday from us of a similar standard to that originally booked if available.

Except where we cancel for reasons other than those mentioned above, we shall have no further liability to You. We regret we cannot pay any expenses, costs or losses incurred as a result of any cancellation.

We reserve the right, without prior notice, to terminate the booking of any person in your party if, in our opinion or in the opinion of any other person in authority, the persons concerned behave in such a way to cause or be likely to cause danger, annoyance or distress to any third party or damage to property. In this situation, the person(s) concerned will be required to leave the reserve immediately. We shall have no further responsibility towards such person(s). No refunds will be made and we shall not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of the termination.

Check-in time is from 14h00 and check-out time is at 10h00 on the day of departure, unless otherwise agreed with Aquila Private Game Reserve, in which event a late check-out fee will be payable.

Every effort is made to ensure that vehicles at Aquila Private Game Reserve are provided in a roadworthy condition but no liability can be accepted for breakdown, or any damage or delay. In the event that a Guide does not follow the code of conduct, please inform the General Manager. All safari vehicles must only be driven by the guide whose decision on all matters, such as the route taken, is final. You will be liable for any damage caused to a vehicle by any interference by you with the vehicle, including legal costs.

Aquila transport services must be booked before 15:00 on the day prior to your reservation. Requests received after this time cannot be guaranteed.

We regret we cannot accept liability or pay compensation where the performance or proper performance of our obligations is prevented or affected by any event which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events include war or threat of war, riots, civil strife, border closures, unexpected government acts, terrorist activity, industrial disputes, natural or nuclear disaster, strikes, labour disputes, extreme weather conditions, fire, technical and/or mechanical problems to transport, road closures, disease and all similar events beyond our control.

Aquila Private Game Reserve shall not be liable to the Client for any claim of whatsoever nature in connection with the provision of the services (whether in contract or delict) and whether for damages for personal injury or to property, howsoever arising, including but not limited to, any negligent act or omission or statement by Aquila Private Game Reserve, its employees, directors, members, representatives and/or agents.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in these standard terms and conditions of contract, Aquila Private Game Reserve shall under no circumstances whatever, be liable for any indirect or consequential losses, howsoever caused or suffered by the Client.

The Client consents to the risks inherent in wildlife adventure travel and warrants that she/he is aware of such risks and undertakes the tours, safaris, wildlife and other excursions in connection with the services with full knowledge and appreciation thereof and at his/her own risk.

These standard terms and conditions and all agreements entered into between Aquila Private Game Reserve and the Client pursuant thereto, and on the terms thereof shall be governed by and construed according to the laws of the Republic of South Africa.

Complaints must be reported immediately to the General Manager of Aquila Private Game Reserve, who will do their best to resolve any problem. If you remain dissatisfied, a written report should be submitted to the Sales and Marketing Manager as soon as possible after the incident and not later than 7 days after completion of your holiday, to enable us to investigate them fully. Regrettably, liability for any complaints not notified in accordance with this procedure cannot be accepted.

“Client” – refers to the person/s who is/are named and identified on the booking form as the confirmed party/ies embarking on the Trip or excursion and by being so named contracts and is held bound by these terms and conditions, notwithstanding that not all the person/s might have signed the booking form and that an agent might have made the booking, in which case such agent will be similarly bound. All such person/s named in the booking form shall be jointly and severally liable for the due performance of their obligations in terms hereof and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions contained herein. All minors warrant that they have contracted with their legal guardians.

“Trip” – refers to any tour, excursion, safari or similar booking made with Aquila Private Game Reserve and as described on the booking form thereto.

“Invoice” – the written tax invoice supplied to you by Aquila Private Game Reserve and marked as such, valid for a period of 72 hours from the date thereon.
“You or Your” – refers to the Client.