A booking is confirmed once we receive your deposit and issue a written confirmation.
A deposit of 50 percent of the tour fee secures your place. The balance is due 30 days before departure, unless your invoice states otherwise. Bookings made within 30 days of departure are payable in full at the time of booking; where these terms refer to a deposit in respect of such a booking, it means 50 percent of the tour fee.
Tour fees are quoted per guest and are stated on your invoice in the currency shown. Where value added tax applies, it is shown on your invoice. Bank charges and currency conversion costs on your payment are for your own account.
If the balance is not received by the due date we will contact you before taking any action. We reserve the right to treat a booking as cancelled if the balance remains unpaid 14 days after the due date, in which case the cancellation terms below apply.
Cancellations must be sent to us in writing at ride@mapmaker.cc. The date we receive your written notice is the date used to calculate any refund.
Refunds are calculated on the total tour fee as follows:
| Written notice received | Refunded to you |
|---|---|
| More than 90 days before departure | Full refund, less a R2,500 administration fee per guest |
| 90 to 61 days before departure | 75 percent of the total tour fee |
| 60 to 31 days before departure | 50 percent of the total tour fee |
| 30 days or fewer before departure | No refund |
The administration fee covers the work of planning, holding and then releasing your place. Beyond that, the amounts we retain reflect commitments we have already made on your behalf to accommodation, guiding, vehicles and permits. We make those commitments well in advance, and they are incurred whether or not you travel.
Where we are able to recover costs from a supplier, or to resell your place, we will refund you any amount recovered over and above the figures above. We will always try to do this.
In line with section 17 of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, no cancellation charge applies where you are unable to travel because of the death or hospitalisation of the guest for whom the booking was made. In that event we refund all amounts paid, in full.
We may ask for reasonable supporting documentation, such as a death certificate or a letter from a treating doctor or hospital.
Add-ons such as bike rental, transfers, guided day rides and dinners follow the same schedule as the tour fee.
Third party tickets and event entries are refundable only to the extent that the third party refunds us.
You may transfer your booking to another guest at no charge up to 30 days before departure, provided the incoming guest meets the requirements of the tour and accepts these terms.
You may transfer your booking to another Mapmaker departure once, at no charge, if you notify us more than 60 days before departure and space is available. Any difference in tour fee is payable.
If we cancel a tour for any reason within our control, you may choose either a full refund of everything you have paid us, or a credit for a future Mapmaker tour to the same value.
Every departure has a minimum number of guests, which is stated on your booking confirmation. We may cancel a departure that does not reach that minimum. Where this happens we will tell you at least 45 days before departure, and you may choose a full refund or a transfer to another departure.
Any credit we issue is valid for three years from the date of issue.
We are not liable for cancellation, curtailment or changes caused by events beyond our reasonable control. This includes natural disasters, fire, extreme weather, epidemic or pandemic, war, civil unrest, terrorism, industrial action, border closures, government restrictions and the failure or withdrawal of a third party supplier.
If a tour cannot proceed for these reasons we will refund all amounts we are able to recover from suppliers, and offer a credit for the balance, valid for three years from the date of issue.
Where an event of this kind prevents you personally from travelling — a border closure, a government travel restriction, or the cancellation of your inbound flight by the airline — tell us as soon as you can. We will move you to another departure without a transfer fee where space allows, or refund any amounts we are able to recover from suppliers. This is why travel insurance is mandatory.
Our routes cross remote and mountainous terrain. We may change accommodation, routing or the daily plan where weather, road or trail conditions, fire risk, or guest safety require it. We will always aim to preserve the character and quality of the tour. Changes of this nature do not entitle you to a refund.
Tour fees are set using the exchange rates and supplier costs applying on the date we quote you. Where the cost of running a tour changes materially because of currency movement, government imposed taxes, or fuel and transport costs, we may adjust the price of a booking that has not yet been paid in full. We will explain any adjustment in writing.
We will not adjust the price of a booking within 20 days of departure.
Where an adjustment increases the total tour fee by more than 8 percent, you may cancel the booking and receive a full refund of everything you have paid us. This is our own policy, adopted because several of our tours are priced in foreign currency.
You are responsible for holding a valid passport, any visas required, and any vaccination or entry documentation for every country on your itinerary. We are glad to advise, and we will tell you what we know, but we cannot obtain documents on your behalf and we are not responsible for their accuracy or timing.
Where you are refused boarding or entry because your documentation is not in order, the booking is treated as cancelled by you on that date, and the cancellation terms in clause 2 apply.
Comprehensive personal travel insurance is a condition of booking. Your policy must cover cycling as an activity, medical treatment and evacuation, trip cancellation and curtailment, and your personal equipment.
We will ask you for proof of cover before departure. We reserve the right to refuse participation to any guest who cannot show adequate cover, and no refund is due in that event.
Merchandise bought through our online shop may be returned unused and in its original packaging within 14 days of delivery for a full refund or exchange. Return shipping is for your account unless the item is faulty or incorrect.
Custom or personalised items cannot be returned unless faulty.
Faulty goods are handled in line with the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008.
Rental bikes remain our property or that of our rental partner. You are responsible for loss or damage beyond fair wear and tear, up to the replacement value of the bike, which is why your insurance must cover equipment.
Rental cancelled more than 14 days before the rental start date is refunded in full. Within 14 days no refund is due, as the bike is held out of the fleet for you.
You must tell us at the time of booking about any medical condition, injury, allergy or medication that could affect your participation or our ability to assist you. We treat this information as described in clause 16 and in our Privacy Policy.
Our guides may require a guest to stop riding where they judge that continuing would put that guest or the group at risk. No refund is due in that event.
Cycling on remote gravel roads and mountain passes carries risks that cannot be designed away. These include falls and collisions, other traffic, animals, extreme weather, rough or unstable surfaces, distance from medical care, and delay in evacuation. You accept those risks when you ride with us.
Before departure, every guest signs a separate assumption of risk and indemnity agreement. We will draw it to your attention and give you the opportunity to read it, ask questions and take advice before you sign, as section 49 of the Consumer Protection Act requires.
Nothing in these terms, or in that agreement, excludes or limits our liability for gross negligence, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.
We collect and process personal information in order to plan and run your tour. That includes the health information you give us under clause 14, which is special personal information under the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013. We process it only with your consent, only for your safety and care, and we share it only with the people who need it to look after you.
Our Privacy Policy sets out what we collect, why, who we share it with, how long we keep it, and your rights.
Approved refunds are paid within 14 business days to the account or card used for the original payment. International transfer charges, and currency movement between the date of payment and the date of refund, are for your account.
If something is not right, tell your guide at the time so that we can put it right. If a matter remains unresolved, write to ride@mapmaker.cc within 28 days of the end of your tour and we will respond within 14 business days.
Nothing in this clause affects your right to refer a complaint to the National Consumer Commission or any other body with jurisdiction.
By paying a deposit, or by confirming a booking in writing, you accept these terms on behalf of yourself and every guest included in your booking. Please make sure that everyone travelling with you has read them.
These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa and are subject to the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008. Nothing in this policy limits any right you have under that Act.