Please ensure that you are aware of our booking conditions. If you do not have a copy of our brochure, please ask your agent for a copy. Your travelling on the safari implies acceptance of these conditions.

There are a few basic health matters that require care and attention. We are obviously not medical practitioners and the following are only recommended guidelines. Please consult your doctor. Please also check with your health department prior to departure for any changes in health regulations. For further information view www.malaria.co.za

There are no other health issues which one needs to be concerned about besides wild animals. The camps are unfenced - so listen to your camp staff and guides. Read up on the safety sections in the booklets within the camps. Don't push any safety issues - you will not be in any theme parks where the animals are tame. Don't ever go strolling away from the camp or from your guide. We do have some tsetse flies, but they are harmless, other than a sometimes-painful bite. There has been no case of sleeping sickness reported in Botswana for about 25 years.

Wilderness Safaris, Okavango Wilderness Safaris, its agents and its associates cannot be held responsible or liable for loss, damage, or theft of personal luggage and belongings, nor can they be held liable for personal injury, accident or illness. Please ensure that you have yourself and your belongings adequately insured before your departure. Insurance is compulsory for all our trips. If you do not possess a policy, we can issue insurance at competitive rates. It is however better to purchase your policy locally as this will cover you for repatriation back to your home country. Please contact Wilderness Safaris, your broker or your travel agent for details. We cannot be held liable for any losses or damages incurred.
a) It is compulsory to have full medical, emergency evacuation and repatriation cover for the period of time you are away.
b) You might have to cancel or curtail your safari due to unforeseen circumstances. If you cancel a trip close to departure date for any reason you could lose all that the safari was going to cost you. Should you have to leave the safari early, we cannot refund you the portion of the safari you do not complete. Dependant on the reason for cancellation and curtailment, insurance may cover you for this eventuality.
c) Insurance It is advisable to take out insurance to cover you for damaged or lost baggage or cash, especially if you are carrying a large amount of cash or expensive and valuable camera equipment. You should always carry such equipment as "carry-on" luggage. Do not put anything of value in your checked baggage! On some safaris, we do travel in canoes or mekoros (dugout canoes). It is rare that these overturn, but it is possible. So have insurance and also bring waterproof bags for your cameras. Claims If you anticipate an insurance claim upon your return, be sure to document as accurately as possible any accident, injury or loss. Doctor's notes and police reports will aid in any claim.

The tour fares are fully inclusive as detailed in the brochure or in your final itineraries. However, personal expenditure; gratuities for drivers, guides, camp staff and mokoro paddlers; airport taxes and visa fees are excluded. We suggest that you allow US$25 per day to cover the cost of personal expenses and souvenirs (within reason) etc. Botswana banks will only accept US Dollars, Pound Sterling, Deutsche Mark, and South African Rand cash. Therefore, any cash payments to camps for curios, or gratuities to guides or staff, need to be in one of these currencies. Travellers' cheques in any currency are acceptable, and our camps will also accept Visa or MasterCard. All properties have their own drinks policy. Please consult your itinerary or confirm with your agent the specific details of what is included at each property visited on your safari. All Wilderness Safaris' managed camps in Botswana have all local drinks included. Drinks in other operator's camps maybe included or maybe excluded. Drinks in hotels and in the major centres are not included.

Tipping is not compulsory. If, however, you want to tip because you have received good service, we have enclosed a brief guideline to assist you. We usually recommend that there are three categories of staff members to tip: your guide, the camp staff and the mokoro paddlers.
1. Guides: We recommend US$5 per guest per day if the guide has done a good job. If you have a specialist guide who accompanies you all the way, this could increase to US$10 per guest per day.
2. The General Camp: Staff Here we recommend about US$3 per guest per day. This should be placed in the communal tipping box to be distributed equally amongst all the staff at a later stage.
3. Mekoro Paddlers: Mokoro paddlers are great capitalists. We could include a tip for them in your safari cost, but we have found that we get better results if they are being rewarded directly from the guests for their hard work. So tips are not included in the tour costs. The paddlers therefore have the added incentive to put in that extra effort to ensure that your stay with them is a memorable one. We recommend that each paddler receive US$ 3 per guest per day.

NB. On all international flights from Botswana, there are departure taxes to pay. These taxes can be included in your airfare and should be reflected on the ticket for any Air Botswana or other scheduled flight. If this is not reflected on the air ticket, then Air Botswana will collect this from you directly. All domestic departure taxes on charter flights are included in the price of your safari.

Please check in early at all airports, as the flights are occasionally overbooked. If your flight travels through Gaborone, please ensure that on arrival in Gaborone, you claim your baggage, clear customs and check in immediately for your connecting flight to Maun, as passengers with confirmed tickets have been "bumped off" flights because they checked in too late. Please ensure that all your onward flights are reconfirmed at least 72 hours prior to flying.

We offer two types of air transfer between camps:
(a) either a private charter where you have sole use of the aircraft, or;
(b) a scheduled air transfer based on a "seat-in-plane" basis where you share the aircraft with other guests (and thereby benefit from the lower cost). Unless specifically requested to do otherwise, we will automatically book you onto the scheduled air transfer with other guests, as this is the more cost-effective option. When we package an itinerary using scheduled air transfers, we book the aircraft and pilot through licensed charter companies in Maun. That portion of your trip is therefore sub-chartered. All the flight times between lodges are arranged a day before the flight takes place so that there are not endless schedule changes. The lodge or camp where you are staying will be advised of your departure time the day before and will have you at the airstrip on time. We cannot be firmer on timings as the charter companies are compelled to service their aircraft every 100 hours, which could mean all air movements have to be rescheduled at the last moment. At certain times of the year it may be necessary, for safety reasons, to transfer you from camp to camp during the cooler times of the day, in early morning or late afternoon only. Once the departure times from your camp have been set they cannot be changed unless substantial additional costs are paid (ie your air transfer changes to a full-charter and you pick up these costs).

All passport holders should verify with their travel agent or relevant consulate concerning visa entry requirements. If you are extending your journey to other countries, please establish entry conditions for those countries as well. Please ensure that you have all the necessary visas prior to departure (unless available on entry). As none of the Wilderness group of companies, their staff, their agents nor their operators can be held liable for any errors.

The choice of the correct camera equipment and film will determine the quality of your photographs on the trip. For good photography of birds and animals, a good SLR camera and telephoto lens is necessary. The minimum recommended size is 200 mm and a zoom lens can be extremely useful on safari. Consideration should be given before travelling with any lens bigger than 400 mm as most interesting shots are taken using hand held equipment. Colour reversal film (slides) will give far greater quality than prints. The guides have found that they are getting the best results using Fuji film. Fuji has brought out a good high-speed film which gives good colour with very little grain (less so than any of their competitors). This is especially useful when using a big lens in low light situations. The guides' personal preference is the slower film (either 50 or 100 ASA) as this gives almost perfect quality for normal light. However you may consider going to 200 ASA for a larger lens in low lighting conditions. The only disadvantage with the low ASA film is that you need a tripod for the early morning and evening shots.
IMPORTANT: Bring lots of film, as it is not available on the safaris, bring spare camera batteries too.

Laundry can be done at all camps. Some camps charge a modest and nominal fee for this facility but others do provide this service for free. The camp staff will not wash underwear owing to local traditions prevailing in the country.

The roads are rough and bumpy and occasionally we will travel "off road" where it is possible that injuries may occur if for example a hidden pothole etc is struck. Neither Wilderness Safaris, nor Okavango Wilderness Safaris, nor their staff members, associates or agents can be held liable for any accidents or any damages!

Please note that we cannot accept any responsibility for the misplacement of any articles whilst in our camps. Naturally, we will do all possible to get your goods to catch up to you, however, the logistics of inter-camp communication and the scheduling and costs of charter flights may not be favourable for the returning of articles unless you are prepared to pay for the cost of a full charter to get your goods to catch up to you. Any costs incurred will be for your own account. This issue is possibly the single biggest form of stress for guests who have left their goods behind at a camp and who are not prepared to pay for the charter costs. So please make sure you keep your goods with you.

The Botswana Government has imposed tariff scales for entrance to the Parks of approximately US$15 per person per day. These park fees are generally included in the cost of your safari.

As the grounds of all lodges/camps in Botswana are unfenced it is essential that you bring a small flashlight (torch) as you may encounter WILD ANIMALS in camp at night. You should also bring a spare globe (bulb) as well as batteries as they are unobtainable in Botswana. Most of the camps supply a flashlight, but it is good to have your own as a backup as this is one of the best forms of safety.

If you would like a private vehicle and guide to take you on your game drives, we can arrange this for you at an extra cost. If you elect to take up this option then you will have a private vehicle and guide for you and your party. The guide will then be available to you at all times. Private vehicles cost in the region of about U$450 a day, which covers the cost of the vehicle and the guide. If you elect not to take up this option you will be travelling on game drives with other guests at the lodge. We would appreciate acceptable and considerate behaviour on the vehicle that will ensure that all our guests have enjoyable game drives.

All our camps are situated in remote areas and we have to generate our own electricity. We do so in a number of ways. Generally each camp has a generator, which runs for about 6 hours per day (3 hours in the morning and 3 in the afternoon when guests are out on activities). These generators then charge batteries located at each tented room, which provide good 12v lights all night (if used sensibly). There is generally no 220v or 110v power points in camp. If you need to have your video battery re-charged we can do so while you are out on an activity - please therefore bring a spare for use while the other is being charged. These systems are simple but perfectly functional. If you are expecting to use a hairdryer in your room, please think again. You are on the wrong safari!!

Please note that the Okavango is a very remote part of Africa and the camps do not have telephones. An increasing number of guests have been bringing satellite phones along with them on safari. As most people come on safari to get away from the outside world, we feel that we must set some limitations to the use of these phones in our camps and on safari. Therefore, the following restrictions will apply to the use of satellite phones:
1. Phones are not to be used in any of the common areas: dining room, bar/lounge area, or on the vehicle or on game drives at any time.
2. Phones may not be used for any incoming calls when the ringing may disturb other guests. They may be used in the privacy of your tent. Otherwise, the phones are to be switched off at all times.

We pride ourselves in running quality experiences, offering the best there is for such a remote location. If there is anything you feel that we can do to enhance your experience, please do not hesitate to contact your camp manager. After your safari, you will not get a sympathetic ear to a problem you encounter if you have not raised this with the camp's manager or with your guide.

Observe the animals silently and with a minimum of disturbance to their natural activities. Loud talking on game drives can frighten the animals away. Don't stand up when the vehicle is close to dangerous animals. Never attempt to attract an animal's attention. Don't imitate animal sounds, clap your hands, pound the vehicle or throw objects. Please respect your driver or guide's judgement about our proximity to lions, cheetahs and leopards. Don't insist that he take the vehicle closer so you can get a better photograph. A vehicle driven too close can hinder a hunt, or cause animals to abandon a hard-earned meal. Litter tossed on the ground can choke or poison animals and birds and is unsightly. Never attempt to feed or approach any wild animal on foot. This is especially important near lodges or in campsites where animals may have become accustomed to human visitors. Refrain from smoking on game drives. The dry African bush ignites very easily, and a flash fire can kill animals. Never walk on your own. Always have a guide with you.