IV. Commitments

The framework of the journey

Every journey needs a framework. Here is mine — what I promise in the field, what protects you during the trip, and what is beyond my control. No grey areas.

Patrick with two rhinoceroses resting in the background
Rhinoceros sanctuary — rest in the middle of the day

A. Our commitments

Special care for wildlife

I refuse certain practices. Not as a pose — out of conviction.

  • No chasing the animal. If we don't see it, we don't see it.
  • No forced proximity. Observation distances are respected in all circumstances.
  • No drone, no bait, no spotlight trained on animals at night.
  • No support for selective hunting or trophy hunting, in any form.
  • No leniency towards operators who do not respect these rules.

I avoid over-frequented areas. I work with lodges and camps I know personally, and with local guides I have walked alongside. The chain stays short, legible, with no opaque intermediary.

B. Financial transparency

A relationship founded on trust and guarantees

Three clear commitments, upheld at every step — no buried clauses, no volatile currency.

  1. Payments in the eurozone

    You pay in euros, to a European account. No distant transfers, no opaque exchange.

  2. No currency fluctuation

    The quoted price is the price paid. No surcharge if a local currency wavers.

  3. No uncertain intermediation

    No chain of opaque local operators between you and me. A single contact, a single route.

  4. Committed funds, never at risk

    Sums committed to secure your arrangements are deducted from the final balance, or fully refunded if the journey cannot take place through any fault of mine.

C. The insurance framework

What protects you during the journey

I work with a partner insurer to cover your entire stay. You are insured for on-site medical assistance, medical repatriation, cancellation as per the general terms, your luggage, and your civil liability during the trip.

A full summary sheet is given to you before departure. It details the limits, the exclusions and the procedures in the event of a claim.

Download the detailed sheet — PDF, 240 KB

D. Honesty

What is beyond my control

“Africa remains a living continent. An elephant that changes its route, a rain that transforms a track, a border that tightens its controls. I cannot master everything. No one can.”

What I commit to is to react: to find an alternative, adjust a programme, keep you informed at every moment. I owe this honesty as much to you as to myself.

— Patrick Plaetevoetprivate guide