Practical Information
Arrival and departure
Farafina Travels tours usually start at the place of the first accommodation (unless otherwise stated). As soon as we know the arrival and departure times of all travelers, we organize the transfer from and to the airport. Of course, participants are free to arrive earlier or leave later. We are happy to help with tips for accommodation and things to do. For most countries, we also offer various program points for optional extensions of the trip (see ‘Optional extensions and additional programs’).
Entry requirements
A passport that is valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of entry is required to enter all countries visited by Farafina Travels. The same applies to a children’s passport and a temporary passport. Please ensure that your travel documents are complete, in good condition and have enough blank pages. All documents must be originals and must not have been extended, updated or handwritten. We also recommend that you contact your airline before you travel to find out what documents you need to take with you. In individual cases, the requirements of the airlines deviate from the state regulations.
Additional entry requirements differ among the destination countries. For some tours, you need a visa to enter the respective country. For some countries, you will receive a visa upon arrival, for other countries the visa must be organized in advance. In the travel description, we provide you with basic information relating to German citizens. However, before you travel, please find out about the currently valid conditions on the website of the Federal Foreign Office for Germany (https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/) and/or at the embassy of the respective country in your country. Participants are responsible for obtaining a visa themselves. We will be happy to support you with advice and, of course, provide you with the necessary information (e.g. contact addresses in the destination country, booking confirmation).
Please note that some tours (e.g. to Eswatini) include excursions to neighboring countries. In these cases, please also inform yourself about the entry regulations of the respective countries.
Transport
As a rule, we use local means of transport to give participants an insight into local travel habits and to keep prices low. For some routes – especially for longer trips between towns or for trips lasting several days – we also use buses rented especially for the group. Our travelers book their flights from their home country to the destination country themselves. For some countries, however, domestic flights are included in the program to avoid long bus journeys. You will be informed about this in the travel advertisement (website) and with the travel information that you will receive.
Accommodation
We choose our accommodations to convey local ways of living, strengthen local structures, and enable our guests to have a pleasant and safe stay. As a rule, our prices refer to a stay in a double room or half a double room. If you are traveling alone, you can choose half a double room. If no roommate can be found, we will provide you with a single room at 70% of the regular surcharge. The travel descriptions indicate additional costs for single rooms.
Some trips include overnight camping. These are usually shared by two travelers. If you want single occupancy, you can rent a single tent or bring it with you.
Some trips also include overnight stays with host families. Here, too, room occupancy with two or more travelers is common. If you prefer single accommodation, we will find individual solutions with you.
We ask for the relevant information during the booking process.
Mobility
Some of our tours include active program points of easy to medium difficulty (e.g. hikes, boat trips). If you cannot/do not want to take part in these, please inform us in advance so that we can create an alternative program for you on the relevant day(s). We ask for the relevant information during the booking process.
Food
The food offered on our trips is usually based on local eating habits in order to convey the culinary traditions of the travel destination. From time to time, international dishes can also be found on the menu. We are happy to accommodate dietary requirements (e.g. vegetarian, vegan) or intolerances. We ask for the relevant information during the booking process.
Itinerary
Our travel descriptions indicate the planned itinerary. However, as we tend to travel off the beaten track, unexpected events can cause us to deviate from our travel plans. We therefore reserve the right to make changes to the itinerary of all tours offered in this catalogue, without having a profound effect on the character of the tour.
Optional extensions and additional programs
For most countries, we offer options to extend your stay. The options listed are to be considered as suggestions, but they are flexible in their design, length, and combination. We will be happy to adjust these to your wishes in advance. After clarifying a suitable offer, we therefore agree on optional extensions via a separate booking contract.
Health
We recommend that you contact the Federal Foreign Office of Germany (https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit) and/or the Tropical Institute of Germany (https://tropeninstitut.de/ihr-reiseziel) or respective points for reference in your country for information on the health conditions and regulations in your travel destination. For some African countries, malaria prophylaxis, vaccinations against hepatitis A, typhoid, and, in some cases, cholera. Tetanus and polio boosters are recommended. In addition, proof of a valid yellow fever vaccination is required for entry into some countries. The information on health care is to be understood as a recommendation. We assume no liability for the correctness and completeness. You can get binding health and vaccination advice from tropical medicine advice centers or from your family doctor.
Travel insurance
We recommend that you book travel insurance to cover cancellation or repatriation costs in the event of an accident or illness. This allows you to look forward to your tour without any worries; taking out travel insurance beforehand can also solve some problems during the tour. In some cases, it is also worth taking out annual insurance, as this is usually cheaper than a one-time insurance policy. We will be happy to advice you on respective policies. Please note that travel insurance must be taken out no later than 14 days after booking. Annual insurance must be taken out no later than 30 days before the start of the trip.
Payment
After completing the booking via our website, you will receive a booking confirmation with a security certificate from us by e-mail. A deposit of 20% of the travel price is then due by bank transfer to the account shown on the booking confirmation. The remaining travel price is due 21 days before departure. For further terms of payment, please refer to our General Terms and Conditions.
Preparation
For some tours, especially those that involve stays in rural areas or more unconventional overnight stays (e.g. in host families or tents), we offer an online information session before the trip. We will inform you about the date for this with the booking confirmation. Otherwise, we are at your disposal for advice by email and telephone (during the times indicated on the website).
Reviews, evaluation, travel reports, Farafina Discussion Paper
- It is very important to us to record the impressions, experiences, and suggestions of our travelers and to make them available to future travelers for preparation, to elaborate on emerging topics and to use them ourselves to constantly optimize our tours. We would therefore be pleased if you contribute to the following – optional – elements:
- Evaluation: We evaluate the implementation of each tour using an online feedback form. We will send you the link towards the end of your tour. It is important for us to receive your feedback on the tour in order to adjust future tours even more to the expectations and needs of our travelers. In addition, we include short feedback sessions in the travel programs, in which the tour guides discuss current impressions and suggestions for the tour with you.
- Reviews: We like to publish short reviews of travelers on our website. We would be delighted if you would email us one of these after your trip and will publish it on our website.
- Travel reports: Personal impressions and experiences of a trip, in combination with pictures, can be conveyed very clearly in the form of a travel report and enable others to gain detailed insights into what has been experienced. If you would like to document your experiences in this way or would like to expand on a specific topic that came up during the tour, we would be happy if you send us your travelogue. We will publish this on our website.
Farafina Discussion Paper: Due to our close connection to Farafina Institute, we would be happy to discuss with you whether a publication via the Farafina Discussion Paper Series by Farafina Institute would be an option for more thematic or academically oriented write-ups.
This Web site is published by
Information in accordance with § 5 TMG
Office – Bamberg, Germany
Schuetzenstrasse 51, 96047 Bamberg.
Represented by Claudia Koehler (Executive Director)
claudia.koehler@farafina-institute.org
+49 176 41718589
Responsible for the content according to Section 55 Paragraph 2 RStV
Farafina Institute e. V.”
practical information
Arrival and departure
Farafina Travels trips generally begin at the location of the first accommodation (unless otherwise stated). As soon as we know the arrival and departure times of all travelers, we organize the transfer to and from the airport. Participants are of course free to arrive earlier or leave later. We are happy to help with tips for accommodation and things to do. For most countries, we also offer various program points for optional extensions of the trip (see Optional additional programs and extensions).
Entry requirements
To enter all countries visited by Farafina Travels, a passport is required that is valid for at least 6 months beyond the entry date. The same applies to a child passport and a temporary passport. Please make sure that your travel documents are complete, in good condition and have enough free pages. All documents must be submitted in the original and must not have been extended, updated or changed by hand. We also recommend that you contact your airline before you travel to find out what documents you need to bring with you. In individual cases, airline requirements differ from government regulations.
Entry requirements beyond this vary for the destination countries. For some trips you need a visa to enter the respective country. For some countries you will receive a visa upon entry, for other countries the visa must be organized in advance. In the travel description we provide you with basic information that relates to German citizens. However, before your trip, please find out about the currently valid conditions on the website of the Foreign Office (https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndsicherheit/) or at the embassy of the respective country in your country . Participants are responsible for obtaining a visa themselves. We will be happy to support you with advice and of course provide you with the necessary information (e.g. contact addresses in the destination country, booking confirmation).
Please note that some trips (e.g. to Eswatini) include trips to neighboring countries. In these cases, please also find out about the entry regulations of the relevant countries.
Transport
As a rule, we use local means of transport to give participants insights into local travel habits and also to keep prices low. For some routes – especially for longer trips between towns or for trips lasting several days – we also use buses rented specifically for the group. Our travelers book their flights from their home country to the destination country themselves. However, for some countries, domestic flights are included in the program in order to avoid long bus journeys. Participants will be informed about this in the travel announcement (website) and in the travel information.
Accommodation
We select our accommodations with the aim of conveying local ways of life, strengthening local structures and enabling our guests to have a pleasant and safe stay. As a rule, our prices refer to a stay in a double room or half a double room. As a solo traveler you can choose a half double room. If no roommate can be found, we will provide you with a single room at 70% of the regular surcharge. The travel descriptions indicate additional costs for single rooms.
Some trips include overnight stays in tents. These are usually shared by two travelers. If you wish for single occupancy, you can rent a single tent or bring your own.
Some trips also include overnight stays with host families. Here too, it is common for two or more travelers to occupy the room. If you require individual accommodation, we will work with you to find individual solutions.
We request relevant information during the booking process.
Mobility
Some of our trips include active program items of easy to medium difficulty (e.g. hikes, boat trips). If you cannot/do not want to take part in these, please inform us in advance so that we can create an alternative program for the relevant day(s). We request relevant information during the booking process.
Food
The food offered on our trips is usually based on local eating habits in order to convey the culinary traditions of the destination country. Every now and then, international dishes can also be found on the menu. We are happy to accommodate dietary requirements (e.g. vegetarian, vegan) or intolerances. We request relevant information during the booking process.
Itinerary
Unsere Reisebeschreibungen geben den geplanten Reiseverlauf an. Da wir uns jedoch in der Regel fernab der üblichen Touristenpfade bewegen, können unerwartete Ereignisse uns dazu veranlassen, von unserem Reiseplan abzuweichen. Bei allen in diesem Katalog angebotenen Reisen behalten wir uns deshalb Änderungen des Reiseablaufs vor, ohne dabei den Charakter der Reise nachhaltig zu beeinflussen.
Optionale Verlängerungen und Zusatzprogramme
Für die meisten Länder bieten wir Optionen für die Verlängerung Ihres Aufenthalts an. Die aufgelisteten Optionen sind als Vorschläge zu betrachten, die in Ihrer Ausgestaltung, Länge und Kombination jedoch flexibel sind. Gern richten wir diese im Vorfeld auf Ihre Wünsche aus. Nach Abklärung eines passenden Angebots vereinbaren wir deshalb optionale Verlängerungen über einen separaten Buchungsvertrag.
Gesundheit
Wir empfehlen Ihnen, sich über gesundheitliche Bedingungen und Vorschriften Ihres Reiselandes beim Auswärtigen Amt (https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit) und/oder beim Tropeninstitut (https://tropeninstitut.de/ihr-reiseziel) zu informieren. Für einige Länder Afrikas wird eine Malaria-Prophylaxe, Impfungen gegen Hepatitis A, Typhus und z.T. Cholera. Tetanus- und Polio-Auffrischungen empfohlen. Zudem ist für die Einreise in einige Länder eine gültige Gelbfieberimpfung nachzuweisen. Die Angaben zur Gesundheitsvorsorge sind als Empfehlung zu verstehen. Wir übernehmen keine Gewähr für die Richtigkeit und Vollständigkeit. Eine verbindliche Gesundheits- und Impfberatung erhalten Sie in den tropenmedizinischen Beratungsstellen oder bei Ihrem Hausarzt.
Reiseschutz
Wir empfehlen Ihnen den Abschluss einer Reiseversicherung zur Deckung der Storno- oder Rückführungskosten bei Unfall oder Krankheit. Dies ermöglicht Ihnen die unbeschwerte Vorfreude auf Ihre Reise und auch während der Reise kann ein vorher abgeschlossener Reiseschutz manche Probleme lösen. Teils lohnt sich auch der Abschluss einer Jahresversicherung, da diese meist günstiger als eine Einmalversicherung ist. Wir beraten Sie gerne bzgl. passender Angebote. Bitte beachten Sie, dass die Reiseversicherungen spätestens 14 Tage nach Buchung abgeschlossen werden müssen. Bei der Jahresversicherung muss der Abschluss spätestens 30 Tage vor Reisebeginn erfolgen.
Bezahlung
Nach Abschluss der Buchung über unsere Website erhalten Sie von uns per E-Mail eine Buchungsbestätigung mit Sicherungsschein. Daraufhin ist eine Anzahlung von 20% des Reisepreises per Überweisung auf das auf der Buchungsbestätigung ausgewiesene Konto fällig. Der restliche Reisepreis ist 21 Tage vor Reiseantritt fällig. Weitere Zahlungsbedingungen entnehmen Sie bitte unseren Allgemeinen Geschäftsbedingungen.
Vorbereitung
Für einige Reisen, insbesondere solche, die Aufenthalte in ländlichen Regionen oder eher unkonventionelle Übernachtungen (z.B. in Gastfamilien oder Zelten) beinhalten, bieten wir im Vorfeld der Reise eine online-Informationssession an. Über den Termin dafür informieren wir Sie mit der Buchungsbestätigung. Ansonsten stehen wir Ihnen gern für Beratung per E-Mail und Telefon (während der auf der Website angegebenen Zeiten) zur Verfügung.
Reviews, Evaluation, Reiseberichte, Farafina Discussion Paper
Es ist uns sehr wichtig, die Eindrücke, Erlebnisse und Vorschläge unserer Reisenden festzuhalten und zukünftigen Reisenden zur Vorbereitung zur Verfügung zu stellen, aufkommende Themen weiter auszuführen und selbst für die stetige Optimierung unserer Reisen zu verwenden. Wir freuen uns deshalb, wenn Sie zu folgenden – optionalen – Elementen beitragen:
- Evaluation: Wir evaluieren die Durchführung jeder Reise über einen online Rückmeldebogen. Den Link dazu senden wie Ihnen gegen Ende Ihrer Reise. Es ist wichtig für uns hierüber Ihr Feedback zu der Reise zu erhalten um zukünftige Reisen noch stärker an die Erwartungen und Bedürfnisse Reisender anzupassen. Darüber hinaus bauen wir in die Programme der Reisen kurze Rückmeldesessions ein, in denen die Reiseleiter*innen mit Ihnen aktuelle Eindrücke und Vorschläge für die Reise besprechen.
- Reviews: Auf unserer Website veröffentlichen wir gern Kurzreviews Reisender. Wir freuen uns wenn Sie uns ein solches per E-Mail nach Ihrer Reise zusenden und werden es auf unserer Website veröffentlichen.
- Reiseberichte: Persönliche Eindrücke und Erlebnisse einer Reise, in Kombination mit Bildern, können sehr anschaulich in Form eines Reiseberichts vermittelt werden und ermöglichen Anderen detaillierte Einblicke in das Erlebte.
- Wenn Sie gern Ihrer Erlebnisse auf diese Weise dokumentieren möchten oder gern ein bestimmtes Thema, das auf der Reise aufgekommen ist, weiter ausführen möchten, freuen wir uns, wenn Sie uns Ihren Reisebericht schicken. Diesen werden wir auf unserer Website veröffentlichen.
- Farafina Discussion Paper: Aufgrund unserer engen Anbindung an Farafina Institute besprechen wir mit Ihnen gern, ob für eher thematisch, bzw. akademisch ausgerichtete Ausführungen eine Veröffentlichung über die Farafina Discussion Paper Serie von Farafina Institute in Frage kommt.
This Web site is published by
Angaben gemäß § 5 TMG
Office – Bamberg, Germany
Schuetzenstrasse 51, 96047 Bamberg
Vertreten durch
Claudia Koehler (Executive Director)
claudia.koehler@farafina-institute.org
+49 176 41718589
Verantwortlich für den Inhalt nach § 55 Abs. 2 RStV
Farafina Institute e. V.”