CustomerTerms & Conditions

These Customer Terms and Conditions (“Customer Terms”) govern your use of the Design My Safari platform and any safari booking you make through it.

By creating an account, designing an itinerary, submitting a safari request, or confirming a booking, you agree to be bound by these Customer Terms, together with our Privacy Policy.

At the point of booking confirmation, you also enter into a separate Operator Contract with your assigned safari operator covering the delivery of your safari (see section 3).

If you do not agree to these Customer Terms, you must not use the platform.

• Account — A user account created on the platform.
• Booking — A confirmed safari booking accepted by you and fulfilled by a safari tour operator.
• Booking Review Period — The 24-hour period following booking confirmation, applicable to bookings made more than 70 days before departure, during which a booking may be cancelled for a full refund (see section 9).
• Operator Contract — The separate contract between you and your safari operator governing the delivery of your safari, accepted by you at booking confirmation.
• Platform — The Design My Safari website and its related booking, messaging, and payment systems.
• Safari / Travel Services — Safari-related services including accommodation, transport, guiding, park access, permits, and activities, provided exclusively by a safari tour operator.
• Safari Operator / Tour Operator — An independent third-party company that provides safari services.
• Traveller(s) — The person making a booking and any additional persons travelling under that booking.
• We / us / our — Design My Safari B.V.

Design My Safari B.V. acts as a technology and booking platform connecting customers with independent safari operators. Safari services are provided by independent operators, who remain solely responsible for the operation and delivery of the safari experience.

• We act solely as an intermediary and platform provider.
• We do not organise, operate, provide, resell, or bundle safari services.
• We do not issue travel documents, confirmations, or invoices for safari services.
• When you confirm a booking, you enter into the Operator Contract directly with the safari operator for the provision of safari services.
• Design My Safari B.V. is not a party to the Operator Contract, except where mandatory law requires otherwise in our capacity as an intermediary.

Customer support split

Before travel. We provide platform support, and safari operations are coordinated between us and the operator through the platform.

During the safari. The operator is your primary point of contact and is responsible for operational decisions and local support. We remain available for escalation support and assistance where reasonably possible.

We may liaise with operators on your behalf but do not assume operational control or legal responsibility for the safari itself.

4.1 Indicative pricing and availability

• Prices, routes, accommodation details, and availability shown on the platform are indicative only.
• We do not hold real-time availability or final pricing.
• Final prices and availability are confirmed only by the safari operator after you submit your itinerary.
• All safari information is provided based on the best efforts of operators and may change.

We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or availability of information displayed on the platform.

4.2 No endorsement or recommendation

The display of routes, accommodations, activities, or operators does not constitute a recommendation, endorsement, or guarantee by Design My Safari.

You are responsible for determining whether a safari itinerary and related services are suitable for you and your travel group.

• You must be 18 years or older to create an account or make a booking.
• Safaris may include travellers under 18 where booked by an adult who is their parent or legal guardian, or with the authority of a parent or legal guardian.
• You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity conducted through your account.

When you design a safari itinerary on the platform, you are creating a non-binding itinerary request.

Once submitted:

• your itinerary request is assigned to one safari tour operator only, selected randomly through a fair distribution system designed to give participating operators an equal opportunity;
• the selected operator independently confirms accommodation availability, determines final pricing, and validates itinerary feasibility;
• where a selected accommodation is unavailable, the operator may propose a comparable alternative, with availability and pricing confirmed before it is presented to you.

When the confirmed itinerary is returned to you (“Safari Confirmation”), the assigned operator’s identity, profile, licences and contact details are disclosed to you, together with a fully populated Operator Contract for your review before acceptance.

Once returned to you, the Safari Confirmation is valid for 24 hours. If not accepted within that period, the confirmation expires and the itinerary must be re-submitted, subject to fresh availability and pricing.

No safari is booked or confirmed until:

• you accept the fulfilled itinerary; and
• payment is authorised through the platform.

Once you confirm a booking:

• you accept these Customer Terms and the Operator Contract with your assigned safari operator (whose identity, profile, licences and contact details were disclosed to you at Safari Confirmation under section 6);
• the booking becomes binding (subject to the Booking Review Period in section 9);
• the safari operator becomes solely responsible for the delivery of safari services under the Operator Contract.

Prior to Safari Confirmation, operator identities may be anonymised or withheld during the itinerary design phase to preserve fair distribution and platform integrity.

8.1 Commission and VAT

• Design My Safari earns revenue solely through a commission paid by safari operators.
• VAT (if applicable) is charged only on Design My Safari’s commission, in accordance with applicable VAT / BTW laws.
• Safari operators remain responsible for pricing, park fees, local taxes, levies, and regulatory compliance.

8.2 Payment processing

• Payments are processed through the platform using third-party payment providers.
• Design My Safari acts as an intermediary, not as the supplier of safari services.

8.3 Amount due at booking

To secure your safari, an upfront payment is required to cover:

• a portion of accommodation costs;
• park entrance and concession fees;
• the Design My Safari platform fee; and
• confirmed supplier commitments related to your itinerary.

8.4 Final balance

• The remaining balance is due no later than 70 days before departure.
• We will send automatic payment reminders approximately 85, 75, and 70 days before departure.

If the final balance has not been received by 70 days before departure, the booking enters a 5-day grace period, during which the booking is flagged as Pending Cancellation – Non-Payment. A final warning is sent on the 4th day of the grace period. If payment is not received by the end of the 5th day, the booking is cancelled and the operator may begin releasing reserved services in line with supplier deadlines.

8.5 Currency

• You may pay in USD, EUR, or GBP.
• Safari pricing is held in USD.
• Following the Booking Review Period, the operator portion of your payment is converted to USD and the Design My Safari portion to EUR. Final balance payments are converted to USD on receipt.

9.1 Booking Review Period (bookings more than 70 days before departure)

• For bookings made more than 70 days before departure, a 24-hour Booking Review Period applies from the time of booking confirmation.
• During this period, funds are held in your original payment currency; no currency conversion occurs.
• You may cancel within this period for a full refund.

9.2 Bookings within 70 days of departure

• No Booking Review Period applies.
• Payments are processed immediately.
• Supplier commitments may begin immediately.

9.3 Cancellation policy

9.4 Refunds

• Refunds (where applicable) are processed in accordance with this policy and payment provider rules.
• Additional cancellation rights or remedies arising under the Operator Contract or mandatory consumer law are not affected.

Day-to-day delivery of your safari is governed by your Operator Contract. The summary below highlights how changes are handled in practice.

10.1 Date changes

Date changes are subject to:

• supplier approval;
• availability;
• supplier charges and price differences; and
• operator costs.

We will assist where reasonably possible, but changes are not guaranteed.

10.2 Supplier and operational flexibility

Comparable accommodation or operational substitutions may occasionally be required due to:

• availability changes;
• operational conditions;
• weather;
• road access; or
• supplier circumstances.

Where possible, comparable alternatives will be offered through your operator.

If an operator is unable to deliver part or all of your safari due to operational failure, insolvency, licensing issues, or other circumstances:

• we may assist where reasonably possible;
• we may attempt to help identify alternative solutions or operators; however,
• legal responsibility for safari delivery remains with the operator under the Operator Contract.

Design My Safari does not accept legal liability for operator failure or non-performance.

Neither Design My Safari nor operators are responsible for delays, changes, cancellations, losses, or inability to deliver services caused by events outside reasonable control. This may include, but is not limited to:

• severe weather, flooding, wildfire;
• road closures;
• government restrictions or park closures;
• political unrest or strikes;
• disease outbreaks;
• airline disruptions;
• natural disasters or acts of God;
• supplier failures; or
• other unforeseen operational circumstances.

Where reasonably possible, alternative arrangements may be offered — however, additional costs, supplier charges, or price differences may apply.

You are responsible for obtaining comprehensive travel insurance suitable for safari travel, in force for the full duration of your safari, including:

• medical cover (illness, injury, hospital treatment abroad);
• emergency evacuation cover;
• cancellation cover (pre-departure);
• interruption / curtailment cover (during the safari); and
• personal liability cover.

At booking confirmation you will be required, by mandatory tick-box, to declare that you hold the cover above. Where your booking includes an activity classified as adventurous (for example balloon safari, walking safari, climbing, quad-biking, horse-back safari, or mountain biking), you must also hold adventure-activity cover and confirm the same.

The declaration is a customer attestation. Design My Safari does not request, review, verify or approve insurance certificates.

Cancellation, delay, and emergency outcomes that fall outside the refund matrix in section 9 are typically only recoverable through travel insurance. Failure to hold adequate insurance does not transfer liability to Design My Safari B.V. or the Operator.

Safari parks and conservation areas require traveller details to issue entry permits and collect park fees.

You agree to provide accurate information for each traveller, which may include:

• full name;
• nationality;
• date of birth; and
• passport or national ID number.

These details may be shared with safari operators, park authorities, and conservation bodies solely for lawful park-entry and compliance purposes.

Failure to provide required information may result in refusal of park entry or cancellation under the Operator Contract.

The platform may provide messaging tools to facilitate communication between you and safari operators.

We:

• do not guarantee response times or outcomes of communications;
• may restrict, moderate, or monitor communications that are unlawful, abusive, misleading, fraudulent, or in breach of platform rules.

We take reasonable steps to monitor safari operators’ compliance with their contractual obligations to us.

We reserve the right to suspend or remove operators who fail to comply with platform standards or applicable law.

After completion of a safari, we may request feedback relating to the safari experience, including the operator, guide, vehicle, accommodations, and parks.

Feedback is used for quality evaluation and platform improvement and does not constitute a guarantee or endorsement.

You agree not to misuse the platform, submit false or misleading information, interfere with platform operations, or engage in unlawful or abusive behaviour.

You agree to follow all reasonable safety instructions provided by the Operator during the safari and acknowledge responsibility for your own conduct, the conduct of any travellers in your booking, and any minors in your care, during the safari.

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Design My Safari B.V. against claims, damages, liabilities, costs or expenses arising from your unlawful acts, negligence, or breach of these Customer Terms.

We may suspend or terminate access for breaches of these Customer Terms.

If you have a complaint, please contact us at [email protected], including your booking reference.

On-the-ground complaints during a safari should first be raised with your operator, who is your primary point of contact under the Operator Contract. We may assist in facilitating communication with the operator but are not responsible for the performance of safari services.

Mandatory consumer protection laws may apply depending on your country of residence.

19.1 Customer risk acknowledgement

You acknowledge that safari travel involves inherent risks, including but not limited to wildlife encounters, remote locations, road and track conditions, weather disruptions, vehicle breakdowns, medical limitations, communications limitations, and delays outside the reasonable control of Design My Safari B.V. or the Operator.

19.2 Limitation of liability

Nothing in these Customer Terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or liability that cannot be excluded by law.

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Design My Safari B.V. shall not be liable for losses, injuries, damages, delays, accidents, or claims arising from safari services provided by independent Operators, except where caused directly by the negligence or wilful misconduct of Design My Safari B.V.

Without limiting the above, and to the fullest extent permitted by law, Design My Safari B.V. is not liable for:

• acts or omissions of safari operators, their guides, drivers, vehicles, staff or subcontractors;
• inaccurate accommodation or safari information supplied by operators;
• changes in availability or pricing;
• events beyond our reasonable control (see section 12).

Where liability cannot be excluded, it is limited to the amounts you paid to Design My Safari (which excludes amounts paid for or onward-paid to the safari operator), unless mandatory law provides otherwise.

Personal data is processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

All platform content and software are owned by or licensed to Design My Safari B.V.

You grant us a licence to use any content you submit for platform operation, moderation, and improvement.

We may update these Customer Terms from time to time. Material changes will be notified in advance where required by law.

These Customer Terms are governed by Dutch law.

Disputes shall be submitted to the competent courts of Amsterdam, unless mandatory consumer law provides otherwise.