Terms & Conditions: booking a safari with us

1. About these terms

This website, ugandawildlifetours.com, is operated by Afrik-Trek Holidays Ltd, trading as Uganda Wildlife Tours (registration number 80020002814120, P.O. Box 26377, Kampala, Uganda). We are a tour operator licensed by the Uganda Tourism Board under license number UTB/RTT/TO/2024/100950. You can read more on our About Us page.

In these terms, “we”, “us” and “our” mean Afrik-Trek Holidays Ltd, and “you” means the person making the booking and everyone traveling on it. By booking a safari with us, you agree to these terms and to the itinerary and quote we send you. If the quote says something different from these terms on a specific point, the quote applies to that point.

2. Booking and payment

• Quotes. We send a written quote that lists what is included and excluded. Prices on our website, including daily budget ranges, are guides only. Your quote is the price that applies to your trip. Prices are in US dollars unless the quote says otherwise.
• Confirming a booking. A booking is confirmed when we receive your deposit and send you written confirmation. Until then, dates, permits and lodging are not guaranteed.
• Deposit. We ask for a deposit of 50% of the total trip price to confirm your booking. Where a permit must be paid for in advance, we may ask for the permit cost up front.
• Balance. The remaining balance is due 30days before your departure date. If a booking is made closer to departure than that, the full amount is due when you book.
• How to pay. We will tell you the accepted payment methods in your quote. You are responsible for any bank or transfer charges. We will confirm each payment we receive in writing.
• Late payment. If we do not receive the balance on time, we may treat the booking as cancelled by you under section 4.
• Price changes. Once your booking is confirmed, we will not increase the price, except where a third party we cannot control raises a cost that applies to your trip, such as a park fee, permit price or government tax. If that happens, we will tell you as soon as we can and explain the change.

3. Gorilla and park permits

Mountain gorilla and chimpanzee trekking permits in Uganda are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), and gorilla permits in Rwanda by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB). We arrange them for you, but the authority sets the price, availability and rules. Our guide to booking a Uganda gorilla permit explains the process.

• A permit is issued for a named person on a specific date and location, and cannot normally be transferred to someone else.
• Permits sell out. We will confirm availability for your dates in your quote, but a date is only secured when your permit is issued.
• Whether a permit can be changed, moved to another date or refunded depends on the authority’s rules at the time, and permits are often non-refundable or only partly refundable. We will tell you what applies to your permit when we quote.
• Permit prices are set by the authorities and may change. See section 2 for how price changes are handled.
• The authority can stop or change a trek for conservation, safety or weather reasons. If that happens, we will help you find the best alternative, but we cannot control the authority’s decision.

4. Cancellation by you

If you need to cancel, tell us in writing (email or WhatsApp message to the contacts in section 14). The cancellation date is the day we receive your message. The charges below apply to the total trip price, and they are in addition to any non-refundable amounts already paid to third parties on your behalf.

• Permits and prepaid items. Permits, lodge deposits and similar costs already paid to others may be non-refundable. These are charged on top of, or as part of, the percentages above, as set out in your quote.
• Refunds. Any refund due is paid to the original payer, usually within 30 working days after we have recovered any amounts owed by third parties.
• Leaving a trip early. If you leave or skip part of a trip once it has started, we cannot refund the unused portion.

We strongly recommend travel insurance that covers cancellation (see section 6).

5. Changes by you or by us

If you want to change your booking

Tell us as early as possible. We will try to accommodate changes to dates, travelers or activities, but this depends on availability with permits, lodges and transport, and may involve extra costs charged by those suppliers. A change that moves your departure date may be treated as a cancellation and a new booking if permits cannot be moved.

If we need to change your trip

Itineraries can change because of weather, road or airline disruption, park closures, permit changes or safety concerns. If we have to make a significant change before or during your trip, we will tell you as soon as we can and offer a suitable alternative of similar standard. If we cancel your trip for a reason other than something beyond our control, we will refund what you have paid to us for the cancelled services.

We are not responsible for losses caused by events outside our reasonable control (“force majeure”), which include natural disasters, severe weather, civil unrest, strikes, epidemics, government restrictions, airline cancellations and road closures. In those cases, we will work with you to rearrange the trip where possible and will refund any money we can recover from suppliers.

6. Travel documents and insurance

• Passport and visas. You are responsible for having a passport valid for the period required, and any visas, entry permits and health certificates needed for Uganda, Rwanda or any other country on your route. Requirements change, so please check with the relevant embassy or official government source before you travel.
• Names must match. Please give us names exactly as they appear on your passport. Permits are issued in these names, and errors can mean a refused permit.
• Insurance. We strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance covering cancellation, medical care, emergency evacuation, baggage and personal liability, and it is your responsibility to arrange it.
• Vaccinations. Please ask a doctor or travel clinic which vaccinations and health precautions apply to your trip.

7. Health, safety and age limits

• Fitness. Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking involves walking on steep, uneven and sometimes muddy forest ground at altitude. Please tell us about any medical condition, mobility limitation or dietary need when you book so we can plan sensibly.
• Age limit. The minimum age for gorilla trekking is 15 years in both Uganda and Rwanda. Other activities may have their own limits, and we will tell you when we quote.
• Illness. To protect gorillas from human disease, rangers can refuse entry to anyone who appears unwell, for example with a cough, cold or stomach illness. A refused trek is the authority’s decision, and the permit is normally not refundable.
• Activities with risk. Activities such as white-water rafting, bungee jumping, mountaineering and boat or balloon trips carry inherent risks. We choose reputable providers, but you take part at your own risk and must follow your guide’s instructions.

8. Wildlife and nature

Wildlife in Uganda is wild and free-roaming. Our guides know where and when animals are most likely to be seen, but we cannot guarantee that you will see any particular animal, including gorillas, chimpanzees, lions, leopards or rhinos. Lack of a sighting is not a reason for a refund. Weather and conditions in the parks can also affect game drives, boat trips and treks.

9. Our responsibility

We will arrange your safari with reasonable skill and care, and we choose lodges, drivers and suppliers carefully. Many services on your trip, such as lodges, airlines, park authorities and activity operators, are provided by independent third parties. We are not liable for their acts or failures, except where the law says we must be, but we will help you with any problem and pass on your complaint.

To the extent the law allows, we are not responsible for loss or damage to your belongings, or for loss that was not a foreseeable result of our failure, and our total liability for any claim relating to a booking is limited to the amount you paid us for that booking. Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot lawfully be limited, including liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for fraud.

10. Your conduct on safari

Please follow the instructions of your guide, park rangers and authorities, and the park rules, which are there for your safety and to protect wildlife. This includes keeping the required distance from gorillas, not feeding or touching animals, and respecting local people and customs. We may end a trip without refund if a traveler’s behavior puts themselves, others or wildlife at risk.

11. Complaints

If something is not right during your trip, tell your guide or call us straight away so that we can fix it on the spot. If we cannot resolve it, please write to us within 5 days of the end of your trip with the details, and we will investigate and reply. You can also contact the Uganda Tourism Board, which licenses tour operators.

12. Using this website

• We work to keep the information on this website accurate, but prices, permit costs, availability and park information change. Always rely on your written quote and confirmation.
• The text, photos, logos and design on this site belong to us or are used with permission. Please do not copy or reuse them without asking us first.
• Our site links to other websites, such as TripAdvisor and official wildlife authority pages. We are not responsible for their content.
• How we handle your personal data is explained in our Privacy Policy.

13. Governing law

These terms and any dispute connected with your booking are governed by the laws of Uganda, and the courts of Uganda have jurisdiction, unless the law gives you the right to bring a claim elsewhere. We encourage both sides to try to settle any disagreement by talking first. We may update these terms from time to time. The terms in force on the date you book are the ones that apply to your booking.

14. Contact us

If you have a question about these terms or about a booking, contact us:

Company

Afrik-Trek Holidays Ltd, trading as Uganda Wildlife Tours

Registration number

80020002814120

Uganda Tourism Board license

UTB/RTT/TO/2024/100950

Postal address

P.O. Box 26377, Kampala, Uganda

Email

ugandawildlifetours12@gmail.com

Phone / WhatsApp

+256 758 097 093

You can also use our contact form or read what to expect on a safari in Uganda before you book.