Flexible Booking Terms & Conditions
These terms and conditions outline the agreement between you (referred to as “the client”) and Trek Africa Expeditions (referred to as “the Company”) for booking tours, safaris, and transportation services. These terms apply exclusively unless modified in writing and signed by both the client and the Company Director.
Booking / Reservations
When you confirm your tour with us, we require a completed booking form via email. By submitting this form, you agree to our terms and conditions. If you’re booking a group tour, the person who submits the booking (the “group leader”) agrees to these terms on behalf of everyone in the group, meaning all group members are bound by the same conditions.
Flexible Deposit & Payment Policy
To secure your reservation, a 20% deposit is required for the overland trip cost, plus 100% payment for any local flights, gorilla permits, and chimp tracking permits. Gorilla and chimp permits must be paid for in advance, and can only be secured with full payment. You can pay the remaining balance in installments, but the final payment must be made no later than 28 days before the trip begins. If you cancel before 28 days, the 20% deposit is refundable.
If you’re booking within 28 days of the trip start date, full payment is required. If you prefer to pay a portion of the balance upon arrival, this amount cannot exceed 20% of the total cost and must be confirmed in writing by management. However, gorilla and chimp permits must always be paid for in advance, and we cannot guarantee these permits until they are fully secured.
Flexible Overland Trip Cancellation & Refund Policy
If you need to cancel your tour, you must inform us in writing, and the cancellation will only take effect once we’ve acknowledged it. The cancellation fee is based on the date we receive your notice:
- More than 28 days before departure: No cancellation fee. Your 20% deposit can either be refunded (minus bank charges) or transferred to another tour.
- 27 to 15 days before departure: A 20% cancellation fee applies, and 80% of the payment will be refunded.
- 14 days or less before departure: No refund is available, as 100% of the payment will have been used for reservations with third-party suppliers.
Gorilla and chimpanzee permits are non-refundable.
If one or more people in a group cancels, they will be responsible for their share of the trip’s costs so that the rest of the group isn’t affected. This is in addition to the general cancellation fees.
Gorilla & Chimpanzee Permit Cancellation Policy
Gorilla permits cannot be guaranteed until we receive full payment of $800 per permit. Once we’ve made the payment to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), no refund is possible.
While we arrange the permits, they are issued by UWA, a separate government authority with its own cancellation policies. We have no control over their response time to cancellation requests, but in certain cases, a 50% refund may be authorized by UWA if illness prevents a visitor from tracking the gorillas or chimpanzees.
In such cases:
- You must be diagnosed by a medical professional, and the costs for the diagnosis are your responsibility.
- If deemed unfit to track, UWA may authorize a 50% refund.
- This applies only if the illness occurs after you’ve arrived in the park, but before the actual tracking begins.
If you track for a full day and fail to see any gorillas or chimpanzees, UWA may reschedule your permit for the following day, depending on availability. If no slots are available, a 50% refund may be authorized.
However, UWA generally discourages refunds, stating that no money will be refunded except in specific circumstances authorized by its Executive Director.
Failure to View Gorillas or Chimpanzees
If you’re unable to see gorillas or chimpanzees after a full day of tracking, the Executive Director may allow you to reschedule your permit for the following day, provided there are available slots. If no slots are available, they will authorize a cancellation of the permit and a 50% refund, once the Chief Warden confirms you were unable to access the gorillas or chimpanzees.
Illness and Accidents
In the case of an accident sustained in the park before tracking begins, and you’re unable to proceed, the Executive Director will authorize the cancellation of your permit and process a 50% refund.
Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) General Cancellations
For other cancellation requests, the Executive Director may authorize the following refunds based on when the request is made:
- Up to 8 days before the trekking date: No refund.
- 9–45 days before the trekking date: 25% refund.
- 46–90 days before the trekking date: 50% refund.
- More than 90 days before the trekking date: 75% refund.
Tip: Cancellation requests must be in writing and are only effective once they are received and acknowledged by the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s reservation team.
Client Amendments
We will do our best to accommodate any reasonable changes you wish to make. These requests must be submitted in writing to us (not directly to the end suppliers) by the group leader and will only be accepted when confirmed in writing by us. If you need to adjust the number of participants, this can be done up to six weeks before the event without extra charge. After that, any changes will incur a fee of USD 30 per person. We cannot guarantee that any price changes will be proportional but will depend on the arrangements we can make with suppliers. With our written agreement, you can transfer your booking to another person who meets all the conditions of the event.
Company Amendments
Sometimes, changes to routes, accommodations, or schedules are necessary due to conditions beyond our control, such as weather, game migrations, flight schedules, or availability issues. We reserve the right to modify the itinerary, accommodation, transportation, or services as needed and will communicate these changes to you. While we strive to offer a reasonable alternative, no refunds will be provided if a replacement accommodation or activity is found. If requested accommodation is fully booked, we will provide an alternative of the same standard within the same area and notify you of the change.
Communication and Email
Due to circumstances beyond our control, it’s possible that an email may not reach us. If you don’t receive a response from us within 48 hours, we advise you to resend your email.
Change of Guide
If a private guide is unable to lead the safari due to illness or other unexpected circumstances, we reserve the right to replace them with another professionally trained guide. Rest assured, the quality of your experience will not be affected by this change.
Wildlife Safety
Your safari may bring you close to wild animals. While attacks are rare, no trip into the wilderness is without some risk. Most camps are not fenced, so animals can move freely in and around the camp. Always follow safety instructions from Rangers, camp staff, and guides. Trek Africa Expeditions cannot be held responsible for any injuries or incidents during the trip.
Although it’s a unique experience to see animals up close, we cannot guarantee wildlife sightings. Similarly, gorilla and chimpanzee permits allow you to track these primates, but they do not guarantee the animals will be visible.
Accommodation and Room Availability
Accommodation is typically based on twin- or double-bedded rooms, tents, or bandas with private bathrooms when possible. Single rooms may be available for an additional fee, but availability is not always guaranteed.
Client Conduct
We reserve the right to remove any participant from a tour if their behavior poses a danger or inconvenience to themselves, others, or the environment. In such cases, no refund will be issued.
Transport
The transport provided will be as agreed based on your specifications and the number of participants. We prioritize your comfort and ensure all vehicles are roadworthy, but we are not liable for delays caused by breakdowns, punctures, or poor road conditions.
Marketing
By joining our tours, you agree that Trek Africa Expeditions may use any photos or videos taken during the tour for marketing purposes. These images may appear in our brochures, advertisements, or other promotional materials. You also acknowledge that the company holds the copyright to these photos and videos, and by participating, you assign any copyright you may have to Trek Africa Expeditions.
Medical/Travel/Cancellation Insurance
We strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance to cover unexpected situations such as emergency medical evacuation, treatment, repatriation, theft, loss of personal belongings, trip cancellations, and other potential risks. While compulsory insurance may be required, the choice of additional coverage is entirely up to you.
Health
Participation in our tours requires a certain level of physical fitness. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are in good health and fit for the trip.
Liability
Trek Africa Expeditions acts as an agent on your behalf, arranging transportation, accommodations, and other services from third-party providers. As these providers operate independently from us, we cannot be held liable for any death, injury, illness, or damage to you or your property resulting from their actions, or from events beyond our control.
Additionally, we are not responsible for delays or extra costs caused by airlines running off schedule. Should flight changes require extra nights to be added to your itinerary, the costs will be your responsibility.
It’s also your responsibility to ensure that you have all necessary travel documents, such as passports, visas, and health certificates, and that they are up to date.
While we strive to exceed your expectations, we welcome your feedback to help us improve our services. If you have a complaint during your trip, please report it immediately to our representative and the service provider so we can address the issue. If the problem isn’t resolved to your satisfaction, please submit your complaint in writing within 30 days of completing the tour. Complaints submitted outside this time frame cannot be considered.
Guest Representation and Consent
When you make a booking with Trek Africa Expeditions, you do so on behalf of yourself and any other people included in the booking. You confirm that you have the authority to act on behalf of everyone in the group. The payment of a deposit or any partial payment for a tour signals agreement from all participants.
“Trek Africa” is the marketing name of Trek Africa Expeditions, a registered company in Uganda.
Thank you for taking the time to read these terms and conditions. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.