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1. Travelers' responsibility:
1.1 Traveler is responsible for having proper travel documents, such as a valid passport with enough pages, the proper visas and the necessary passport pictures.
1.2 Traveler is responsible to have proper and adequate travel insurance for the duration of the trip.
2. Terms of Payment:
2.1 Payment is due on the date specified as "due date" on our invoice.
2.2 Due date as in 3.1., Will not be earlier than 15 days before arrival of clients, except in case of deposits as described under 3.3.
2.3 Deposits needed to secure certain reservations, such as for flights, cruises or hotel allotments will be communicated first, and may in some cases be invoiced with a separate due date as in 3.1.
2.4 We reserve the right to cancel any arrangements without notification if payments have not been received by the due date.
3. Cancellation Fees:
3.1 Time of notice of cancellation is counted upon local time receipt of written notification on working days only. Our office is open daily, expect on Sundays and on the public holidays, see detail public holidays from travel tips section.
3.2 Cancellation of confirmed individual bookings
3.2.1 Up to 15 days before start of services, following cost will be applied: A flat 5% of the total tour cost would be levied as administration and handling charges.
3.2.2 between 14 days and 48 hours before start of services: 10% of tour costs with a minimum of $100
3.2.3 Less than 72 hours before start of services 20% of tour costs with a minimum of $200
3.3 Cancellation of participant(s) on a confirmed group
3.3.1 Up to 30 days before start of services: 5% of tour costs
3.3.2 between 14-30 days before start of services: 10% of tour costs
3.3.3 between 7-14 days before start of services: 20% of tour costs
3.3.4 Less than 7 days there will be no refund applicable
3.4 We reserve the right to give no refund in case of cancellation of the remaining program, in full or partial, by the travelers after they started the tour.
4. Changes after Confirmation:
4.1 We reserve the right to charge administration fees of $100 per time for changes requested after a booking has been confirmed, but before 15 days prior to arrival. All changes requested would be subject to confirmation from the third parties and BRC would not be responsible for these not received in time due to high season/overbooking or any other reason beyond the control of BRC Tours.
4.2 No changes will be accepted between 14 days and start of services. Changes within this period will be treated as cancellations and are subject to cancellation fees as mentioned in these Term and Conditions.
5. Transportation:
For regular tours and safaris, minibuses, coaches, 4Wheel drives will be provided according to the route, number of participants and agreement up on communication
6. Guides:
English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and other speaking professional Ethiopian guides can be provided up on a prior request and confirmation at the time of your travels.
7. Liability:
1. BRC and its agents act only as agents of passengers in all matters relating to hotel accommodation, transport of tour by air, boat or any other means, and it shall not be liable for injury, flight schedule changes or delay, loss or damage arising from any cause and in any manner whatsoever.
2. BRC’s liability to passengers carried in its own vehicles is governed by the laws of Ethiopia, and all claims are subject to the jurisdiction of the court of Ethiopia in which the cause of action arises.
3. BRC reserves the right to employ subcontractors whenever necessary to carry out all or any part of the services agreed to be supplied, and in any event of the exercise of such right the terms of clause (B) related to BRC’s liability shall apply.
4. BRC’s vehicles are comprehensively insured.
5. Whilst every care is taken, BRC cannot be held responsible for loss or damage of baggage or other personal belongings.
9. Amendment to Terms and Conditions:
We reserve the right to amend these terms and conditions at any time and from time to time without any prior notice.
10. Currency Fluctuations and Crude Oil Prices:
10.1 BRC reserves the right to adjust/revise the quotation values if the exchange rate fluctuates +/- 5%
10.2 BRC has the right to adjust/revise the quotation values if the fuel costing on the International Markets fluctuate more than 10% above the present price of 118 USD/barrel
Travel Tips
Location and size: The FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA is situated in the Northern east of Africa customary known as the horn of Africa. so called because of the horn, shaped tip of the continent and it is about twice the size of France, has an area of 1,112,000 square kilometers, About 65 percent is presently cultivated. Ethiopia Shares its boundaries with Eritrea north and north east, Djibouti Easter part, Somalia south east and south, Kenya south and Sudan in the western side.
Capital: The capital of Ethiopia is Addis Ababa which mean (NEW FLOWE), founded in 1886 by Empress Taytu as Addis Ababa, currently the population of Addis Ababa is estimated to be 6(six) millions, Addis Ababa also known as the capital of Africa by hosting many international organization headquarters, UN for Africa (ECA), the AU (African union) and other Diplomatic mission for Africa.
Climate: Throughout most of the country there are two major seasons: the dry season prevails from October through May; the wet season runs from June to mid of September.
Language: Amharic is the official language, but there are 80 other local language which is dialectic to some 200. English and Arabic are wildly used and Italian and French is spoken.
Religion: Ethiopian Orthodox churches, are deeply rooted mainly in the northern part of the Country which will cover almost 50 %, Islam will cover 35% mainly in the east and south. There are other religion Evangelical, Protestant, Roman Catholic and animism also practice in a very few remote areas which will cover the rest 15% of the population.
Currency: The Local currency is an Ethiopian Birr, made up of 100 Cents, Visitors may import an unlimited amount of foreign currency, but they need decoration to the customs authority upon arrival.
Time and calendar: Ethiopia is in GMT +3 hours’ time Zone, and follows the unique Julian calendar which is seven years and eight months behind the Gorgonian calendar, consists of thirteen month, the twelve months consists of 30 days each and the last (13th Month) will have 5 or 6 days during leap year, The New Year fall on the 11th of September.
When to come: Ethiopia can be visited all round the year, but for some special route like the south west Ethiopia and Danakil (Dallol) depression contact us to know the detail.
Accommodation: Addis Ababa has two 5 stat hotels- the Hilton and the Sheraton (Luxury collection) and a growing number of tourist class hotels. Standards vary outside the capital, but apart from some remote areas where camping is unavoidable it is generally possible to get relatively clean rooms with en suite toilet and shower.
Communication: Telephone, Tele fax, Internet, e-mail and postal facilities are available in the country. Internet services are available in major cities and towns. The international dialing code for Ethiopia is +251.
Customs: Duty-free import are permitted for up to:
- 200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars or 1/2 lb of tobacco
- 1 liter of alcoholic beverages
- 1/2 liter, or two bottles of perfumes
Visitors may export souvenirs with a value not exceeding Birr 500, although some articles (such as animal skins and antiques) require an export permit.
Economy: About 90 per cent of the population earn their living from the land, mainly as subsistence agriculture, Agriculture is the backbone of the national economy and the principal exports from this sector are coffee, oil seeds, flowers, vegetables, sugar and foodstuffs for animals. There is also a thriving livestock sector, Annual growth rate: 10%.
Courier and Money Transfer Services: Money transfers can be made through Western Union and Money Gram. Both have representative branches in Addis Ababa and make their services available from private and national banks. For courier services, DHL, FedEx, UPS, TNT, and EMS have offices in Addis Ababa.
VISA: visa is required for all visitors to Ethiopia and they can get from Ethiopian Diplomatic Mission abroad ,Visitors from the countries listed below can obtain visa on arrival at Bole International Airport (Addis Ababa): Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea Republic, Kuwait, Luxemburg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK, and US
People: Ethiopia’s population is estimated around 80 million, that makes second highest population in the continent. Ethiopia is composed of about 83 ethnic groups. Based on the linguistic they speak, they can be divided into Semitic, Cushitic, Omotic and Nilotic Saharan.
Major Ethnic groups: Oromo 40%, Amhara 25%, Tigre 7%, Somali 6%, Sidama 9%, Gurage 2%, Wolaita 4%, Afar 4%, other nationalities 3%.
Transportation: Surface Transpiration: There is asphalt road which will connect the whole tourist destination except the southern Omo Valley, for this route you need to have (4 X 4); the road is a grave and dry weather road. Air Transportation: The National carrier is Ethiopian Airlines www.ethiopianairlines.com which has extensive domestic flight network flying to several destinations including the popular tourist destination Axum, Lalibela, Gonder, Bahir Dar, Mekelle, Dere Dawa, Arba Minch, Jimma.
Heath requirement: A visitor should have a valid health certificate for yellow fever, vaccination against cholera is also required for any person who has visited or transited a cholera-infected area within six days of arriving in Ethiopia
Banking Hours
Banking hours are usually from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm from Monday to Friday and from 8:00 am - 11:00 am on Saturdays. Closing times may be an hour longer in some private banks. Most banks work through lunchtime including foreign exchanges services
Energy: Ethiopia uses 220 volts and 50HZ, it is best to bring your own round, two-prong adapter and transfer if necessary.
Clothing: Visitors should take light, summer clothes for the day time and something warm for the evenings, like a sweater or jacket. The temperature drops quite rapidly towards sunset. Simian or bale Mountains trekkers should bring warm clothes and water proofs for unexpected seasonal rains. Shoes must always be removed before entering churches and mosques, foe more information in clothing please contact us
Safety: Ethiopia is generally a safe country, and Addis Ababa a safe capital city, but one should still take the normal precautions, avoiding unfamiliar areas at night and not carrying large sums of money in accessible pockets. It is advisable to beware of pickpockets operating in certain areas, skilled at identifying new arrivals, other than that violent robbery and muggings are rare and generally visitors can tour the city day and night in safety. Safety is one of the main factors that are considered while stunning Ethiopia Tour organizes its trips.
Brief Historical and geographical information: Ethiopia (formerly known as Abyssinia) is located in the east of Africa, commonly known as the Horn of Africa. It covers an area of 1, 1 12,000kmq, twice the area of France, and according to the recent census has an estimated population of 82 million inhabitants with 80 ethnic groups. It is bounded on the northeast by Eritrea and Djibouti, on the east and southeast by Somalia, on the south by Kenya and on the west by Sudan.
The Ethiopian landscape is dominated by a volcanic plateau with an average altitude of 2000 meter above sea level, which decreases towards the country's borders on three sides.
The Great Rift Valley which begins at Jordan, Red Sea and traverses long distance all the way the Danakil depression (which contains the lowest point on the earth 120 meter below sea levels) continuing towards the south of Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and finally Mozambique. Ethiopia known as cradle of human kind, it is almost certain that human beings and their hominid ancestors evolved in the eastern zone of the Rift Valley: Lucy, our most distant ancestor, who lived 3.2 million years ago, was found in the rift Valley region a place called Hadar . Ethiopia has a very strong cultural identity, which has been preserved thanks to a long period of independence, lasting practically until present times.
Food
The Ethiopian national dish consists of Enjera, a flat, circular pancake of fermented made from an endemic grain seed called teff, served with different kinds of cooked meats, vegetables and different sauce, The sauces are generally spiced with berbere, a blend of herbs and spices (including hot peppers) that gives Ethiopian food its characteristic taste. Vegetarians should try "fasting food" (for devout Ethiopian Orthodox Christians fast days make up more than half the year), a colorful spread of salads and vegetables devoid of all meat and animal products.
Usually One eats national dishes with the right hand (water for washing is usually brought to the table before the food is served).
Addis Ababa now boasts of a wide variety of restaurants traditional, Italian, Far East and western, and at hotels in tourist sites European style foods are always available. If you are travelling to remote areas and camping, such as the Omo Valley and parts of southern Ethiopia, our company provide professional cook with first class cooking materials it is also advisable to inform your interest of food during booking.
Tipping
In most hotels and restaurants, a 10 per cent service charge is added to the bill. Tipping is a fairly frequent custom, but amounts are depending on the service quality differ.
Terms and Conditions (General)
8. Reservations:
8.1 BRC Budget Car Rental & Tour or its subsidiary companies in the destination are not responsible for any consequences of delays or change in schedules of airlines, trains, or public bus- or boats used in its programs.
8.2 Reservations are only guaranteed with payment made as mentioned under 3 in these terms and conditions.
8.3 We are not responsible for over-bookings by a third party, as long as we can proof with sufficient written documentation that overbooking has been the error of the third party.
8.4 If the confirmed accommodation is not available for any other reason mentioned under 1.3, we will provide the best possible alternative, in the same class or higher. If such accommodations are not available, we will compensate by upgrading accommodations in another location.
8.5 In case of overbooking by fault of a third party, we will do our best to negotiate a settlement to satisfaction of affected clients (hereinafter also referred to as "traveler") with third party, but will not be responsible if such settlement cannot be reached.
8.6 BRC may arrange and safeguard allotments for series, or ad-hoc groups. Such allotments may be subject to deposit payments (as indicated in 3.1). Unless otherwise stated, we need a complete name- and rooming list not later than 28 days before starting date of our services, which will be used to reconfirm the allotment. Failure to produce such a list in time may cause the cancellation of the allotment.
8.6.1 After the allotment has been reconfirmed as in mentioned in 1.6, any last minute bookings will be added subject to availability. |
