Booking info
When you have decided when you want to travel and have an idea of what you want to do and see, please telephone or email us and we will be delighted to talk or correspond with you about an itinerary for your trip. We need to know the type of accommodation you prefer, the length of your stay and any special interests you wish to pursue.
When an itinerary has been agreed, we will send you a booking form to complete and return with a deposit – you will be notified of the precise amount. We will then request your accommodation and issue a confirmation invoice, which is subject to availability. We do not begin to book until we receive the deposit because of the time and expense involved in making these arrangements in Africa. If we cannot book the itinerary you want, or a substitute you find acceptable, then we will refund your deposit in full.
Please read the booking conditions on this website carefully, as they constitute the conditions on which your booking is accepted.
The balance is due 8 weeks before you travel, or immediately upon confirmation for late bookings. If you pay your balance by credit card this is subject to a 2.5% surcharge. There is no surcharge on debit card payments. If payment is not made by the due date, we are entitled to treat this as a cancellation and retain the deposit. We will of course endeavour to contact you first.
It is a condition of booking that all passengers be fully insured, including 24-hour emergency medical cover and repatriation insurance. Prior to travel, you will need to supply us with full details of your travel insurance. Under the new FSA rules, Rainbow Tours is no longer able to sell travel insurance, but we can recommend that you obtain a quote from Citybond Suretravel with whom we have dealt for many years. Quote RAT08.
Once you have paid in full, we will send you general travel information about your destination. Your final itinerary will contain all the maps and/or local destination information you need. Your tickets and travel vouchers will be sent out by post, generally two to three weeks before departure.
After a booking has been confirmed, any change you request incurs costs and is therefore subject to a £40 administration charge per amendment, plus any additional charges passed on to us by airlines or suppliers. While we will do what we can to accommodate changes in your arrangements, please be aware that most air tickets are 100% non-changeable and non-refundable and our suppliers also levy cancellation charges. See our booking conditions for full details of our policy on amendment and cancellation.
Rainbow Tours holds an Air Travel Organiser’s License granted by the Civil Aviation Authority. This means that all holidays which include flights are ATOL protected. Our ATOL number is 6094. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking. For further information, visit the ATOL website.
Holidays which are accommodation only or do not include a flight booked by Rainbow Tours are similarly protected. As a member of ABTA we subscribe to their bonding scheme which is specifically designed to protect those holidays which are not covered by our ATOL.
It is difficult in these times of volatile exchange rates to publish prices which remain correct for even a short period. We quote accommodation prices so that the reader can compare across the range and make a meaningful selection. For properties that have a wide range of room and suite prices, we have not included all categories but we have tried to indicate the range.
Unless otherwise stated, all prices are based on two people sharing a twin or double room. Meal basis is indicated. All accommodation, including tented camps, has en suite facilities, unless otherwise stated. Children are often accommodated at half-price or less. You should always request a quote for the period in which you want to travel.
Air fares are constantly changing. In particular, although the price of oil is coming down, fuel surcharges are still operative and are currently nearly £200 on most return flights to Africa. In fact, air taxes and fuel surcharges add between £250 – £400 per person to the cost of the average African tour. When air fares are part of your package, taxes and surcharges are included in the price. Quotes are based on the lowest fares available, which sell out fast in high season. You should book as early as possible, to avoid a higher fare.
In addition, some host countries charge departure and other taxes, ranging from US$5 to US$30, which have to be paid locally. We advise you of these before you travel.
All our holidays can be booked with or without international flights. We offer reduced fares with most of the direct carriers to Africa.
Please note that, although we will assist with the pre-booking of seats, pre-assigned aircraft seating cannot be guaranteed. Only a certain number of seats in the economy class cabin are available for pre-booking; once taken, seats will only be allocated at check-in. Emergency exit rows can only be allocated at check-in. British Airways no longer allows tour operators to pre-seat passengers, this can only be done online 24 hours prior to departure.
Almost all of our itineraries are available to solo travellers. If you enjoy company, consider one of our scheduled safaris. In many cases, there is a minimal single supplement or none. Where itineraries are lodge-based,for example Madagascar,we have kept the supplement as low as possible.
Africa is very different from Europe. Vast distances, tough physical conditions, and cultural differences mean that things do not always happen as scheduled. You must be prepared to adapt your plans if necessary and accept that there is a degree of uncertainty in African travel.
This is especially relevant to travel in countries such as Ethiopia and Madagascar, which are very poor countries with an undeveloped tourism infrastructure. Hotel standards can be inconsistent. Flights can be cancelled at short notice. Should this occur, we will do our best to minimise the inconvenience, but we emphasise that travel in these countries, and indeed throughout Africa, requires a flexible attitude.
Please read these notes. If you do not, then we cannot be held responsible for any misapprehension about your trip.