Terms of service

These terms apply to this website and to the travel arrangements Al-Rihla Voyages makes for you. Please read the section on suppliers — it explains the single most important thing about how a travel agency works.

Who we are, and what we do

Al-Rihla Voyages is a travel agency operating in South Africa. We arrange flights, accommodation, transfers, car hire, visa applications and related travel services on your behalf.

We act as an agent

We do not operate flights, hotels, transfers or tours ourselves. When we make a booking we do so as your agent with the airline, hotel, transfer company, car hire firm or insurer who actually provides the service. Your contract for that service is with that supplier, not with us.

This matters in practice. Each supplier has its own booking conditions covering changes, cancellations, refunds, baggage, check-in and what happens if something goes wrong. Those conditions govern your booking, and we will make them available to you before you commit. We are responsible for arranging your booking carefully and correctly; we are not responsible for a supplier's own performance, delay, schedule change, insolvency or failure to deliver.

Quotes, availability and prices

A quote is not a booking. Fares, room rates and availability change constantly and are only fixed once the supplier confirms and payment is made. If a price or an availability changes between quoting and confirming, we will tell you before anything is charged, and you are free to walk away.

Prices may also move because of currency movement, fuel surcharges, or taxes imposed after a quote is given. We will always show you the change rather than absorb it silently.

Payment

Payment terms depend on the supplier and will be set out clearly for each booking. Many fares must be paid in full and ticketed immediately to hold the price. A booking is only confirmed once payment has cleared and the supplier has issued a confirmation or ticket number.

Changes and cancellations

If you need to change or cancel, tell us as early as you can and we will do what the supplier's conditions allow. Most airfares and many hotel rates are non-refundable or carry penalties, and those penalties are set by the supplier, not by us. Where we charge a service fee for handling a change or cancellation, we will tell you the amount before doing the work.

Passports, visas and health requirements

Making sure you are allowed to travel is your responsibility. That means valid passports with enough remaining validity and blank pages, the correct visas, any required vaccinations, and any documentation needed for children or for onward travel. We will advise you as well as we can, and we can handle visa applications for you, but requirements change and are ultimately set by the authorities of the country you are entering.

A traveller refused boarding or entry for missing or incorrect documentation is not entitled to a refund from us, and the supplier will apply its own cancellation terms.

Travel insurance

We strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance for every journey, taken out at the time of booking rather than before departure — cancellation cover is worth least on the day you leave. Insurance is the only thing that reliably protects you against cancellation penalties, medical costs abroad, and supplier failure.

Enquiries through this site

Sending an enquiry through this website does not create a booking and does not hold a price or a seat. It starts a conversation. Nothing is reserved until we confirm it with you in writing. How we handle the information you send is set out in our privacy policy.

This website

We keep the content of this site as accurate as we reasonably can, but destination descriptions, photography and indicative pricing are illustrative rather than contractual. Photographs show the destination, not necessarily a specific property or room. The site's text, design and photography belong to Al-Rihla Voyages or are used under licence, and may not be copied for commercial use without permission.

Our liability

We are liable for our own negligence in arranging your travel — if we book the wrong date, misspell a name on a ticket, or fail to pass on information you gave us, that is ours to put right. We are not liable for the acts or omissions of suppliers, or for events outside anyone's reasonable control such as weather, strikes, airspace closures, civil unrest or epidemics.

Nothing in these terms limits any right you have under the Consumer Protection Act, 68 of 2008, or any other South African law that cannot be excluded by agreement.

Complaints

If something goes wrong, tell us as soon as possible — ideally while you are still travelling, when most problems can still be fixed. Many suppliers also require that a complaint be raised at the time in order to consider it later. If you are still unhappy afterwards, write to us and we will take it up with the supplier on your behalf.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the law of the Republic of South Africa, and the South African courts have jurisdiction over any dispute arising from them.

Contact us

Email

alrihlavoyages@gmail.com

Phone

078 935 2107

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms. The version that applies to your booking is the one published on the day the booking is confirmed, and the date at the top of this page tells you when it last changed.