Booking Terms and Conditions
Booking terms and conditions
[PLACEHOLDER: this document is a structural draft and must be reviewed and completed by a qualified lawyer in the operating jurisdiction before publication. Every bracketed value below has to be supplied by the business.]
These terms govern bookings made with [PLACEHOLDER: registered company name], trading as Mnyansio Tours and Travel, company registration number [PLACEHOLDER], tourism operator licence number [PLACEHOLDER] issued by [PLACEHOLDER: issuing authority]. By paying a deposit you accept them on behalf of everyone named on the booking.
Making a booking
How a booking is confirmed
A booking is confirmed only when we have received your deposit and issued a written confirmation. An itinerary, a quotation or a held room does not constitute a booking, and prices are not guaranteed until a deposit is received.
Deposit and balance
- A deposit of [PLACEHOLDER: percentage] of the total trip cost is due on confirmation.
- Permit costs are payable in full at the time of booking because they are non-refundable once purchased from the park authority.
- The balance is due [PLACEHOLDER: number] days before departure.
- Bookings made within [PLACEHOLDER: number] days of departure are payable in full at the time of booking.
Prices and what changes them
Prices are quoted in United States dollars. Park entry fees, gorilla and chimpanzee permits and conservancy fees are set by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the Rwanda Development Board, Kenya Wildlife Service, the Narok County government and TANAPA. We pass those charges on at cost. If an authority increases a published fee between your booking and your travel date, the increase is passed to you at cost with documentary evidence.
Changes and cancellation
If you cancel
Cancellation takes effect on the day we receive written notice. The following charges apply. [PLACEHOLDER: replace this entire schedule with the percentages the business actually operates. Do not publish a schedule that has not been agreed.]
| Notice given before departure | Charge |
|---|---|
| [PLACEHOLDER] days or more | [PLACEHOLDER] per cent of the trip cost |
| [PLACEHOLDER] to [PLACEHOLDER] days | [PLACEHOLDER] per cent of the trip cost |
| Fewer than [PLACEHOLDER] days | [PLACEHOLDER] per cent of the trip cost |
Gorilla and chimpanzee permits are non-refundable and non-transferable once issued, on the park authorities’ terms rather than ours. Some lodges apply their own cancellation charges which we will disclose to you at the time of booking.
If we cancel or change your trip
We may have to change an itinerary for reasons outside our control, including road closures, flooding, aircraft availability, park closures and civil disruption. Where a change is minor we will notify you. Where it is significant you may accept the change, accept an alternative of comparable standard, or cancel and receive a refund of monies paid less any unrecoverable third party costs.
Insurance is a condition of travel
Comprehensive travel insurance is mandatory on every trip we operate. It must cover medical treatment, emergency evacuation by air, repatriation, trip cancellation and curtailment. Activities in this region, including trekking at altitude, may require a specific activity endorsement; check the wording rather than assuming. We may ask for your policy number and emergency assistance number before departure and may decline to carry a traveller who cannot supply them.
On the ground
Health declarations
Park authorities refuse entry to gorilla and chimpanzee treks to anyone showing symptoms of a communicable illness. That decision belongs to the warden on the day and is not appealable to us. No refund is available in those circumstances, which is one of the reasons insurance is a condition of travel.
Minimum ages
Gorilla trekking has a minimum age of 15 in both Uganda and Rwanda. Chimpanzee tracking has a minimum age of 12 in Uganda and 15 in Rwanda. These are set by the park authorities, are checked against passports, and cannot be waived.
Behaviour
Guides and rangers may end an activity where a visitor refuses to follow park rules on distance, flash photography, drones, noise or waste. Where that happens no refund is due.
Passports, visas and vaccinations
Obtaining valid travel documents is your responsibility. We will tell you what is required at the time of booking to the best of our knowledge, but requirements change and the position on the day of travel is the one that applies. Check with the relevant high commission or embassy.
Complaints
Tell your guide or your planner at the time. Almost everything can be fixed while you are still in the country and almost nothing can be fixed afterwards. If a complaint is unresolved at the end of your trip, write to [PLACEHOLDER: complaints email address] within [PLACEHOLDER: number] days of returning.
Governing law
These terms are governed by the laws of [PLACEHOLDER: jurisdiction] and the courts of [PLACEHOLDER: jurisdiction] have exclusive jurisdiction. [PLACEHOLDER: confirm with counsel whether consumer protection law in the traveller’s country of residence overrides this for your main source markets.]