The following booking terms and policies are meant to ensure complete transparency throughout the booking process and to assist you in getting ready for your safari with Planet African Safaris. Take your time reading this, and don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions.
BOOKINGS:
A reservation is deemed confirmed upon receipt of the first 50% deposit payment. All reservations should be made at least 20 days in advance of the departure date to allow for enough planning. Please be aware that, subject to availability, we are also accommodating of last-minute reservations.
PAYMENTS:
The entire amount must be paid at least 30 days prior to the departure date. Planet Safaris retains the right to treat the reservation as cancelled if the full money is not received by the deadline.
CANCELLATION BY US:
Although we always try our hardest to prevent it, we have the right to cancel confirmed reservations. Unless we are compelled to do so by extraordinary and unanticipated circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which we could not have avoided even with all reasonable caution, we shall not cancel your confirmed holiday less than 60 days before to departure. If we must cancel your vacation (except from cases in which you have not paid or due to a force majeure event), we will provide you the option to buy any other vacation from us that, if it is still available, is of a comparable calibre to the one you had originally reserved.
If the selected substitute proves to be more cost-effective than your first vacation, we will reimburse the difference; however, if it proves to be more costly, you will be required to cover the extra expense. Alternately, you have the right to a complete reimbursement of any money you have paid to us, minus the amount you paid for gorilla permits, which can only be reimbursed if the Uganda Wildlife Authority has approved the reimbursement. We will not be responsible to you in the future, unless we cancel for reasons not specified in this section. We apologise that we are unable to cover any losses, expenses, or charges resulting from any cancellation.
We reserve the right, at any time and without prior notice, to end any member of your party’s vacation if, in our judgement or the judgement of another person in a position of authority, the person or people in question behave in a way that poses a risk to, or is likely to pose a nuisance to, any third party, or results in property damage. The person(s) in question will have to leave the lodging or other service right away in this case. We will no longer be obligated to this person or people. We will not reimburse you for any out-of-pocket expenses or costs resulting from the termination.
CANCELLATION BY YOU:
You will be required to give us written notice if you choose to cancel your tour. Therefore, until we get a copy of your written notice, a cancellation is not effective. Cancellation fees, excluding insurance, will be assessed per person in accordance with our refund policy to reflect our projected loss resulting from the cancellation and the possibility that we won’t be able to resell your vacation.
REFUND POLICY:
A tour is fully refundable, less administration fees, if it is cancelled at least ninety-one days before the departure date.
A tour that is cancelled between 90 and 45 days prior to the departure date will receive a refund of 75% of the deposited money.
If a tour is cancelled fewer than 45 days before the departure date, there will be no reimbursement.
Once the safari has started, there will be no refunds, nor will there be any if any excursions, lodging, rentals, services, or inclusions are not used.
GORILLA PERMITS:
Only when payment has been received are gorilla permits available for purchase. Since gorilla permits are issued by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) on a first-come, first-served basis, it is essential to book a tour as soon as possible in order to secure a gorilla permit, as they are in high demand year-round. Sighting a gorilla is not guaranteed even if you have a gorilla permit. Sometimes, because to local conditions, access to the gorillas is abruptly cut off. We cannot assume responsibility for any event that may result in the cancellation of gorilla trekking. There could be several causes for this, such as closing the national park or its borders, the gorillas not being there, or adjustments to security. Please be advised that there is a 98% possibility of spotting gorillas.
CANCELLATION OF GORILLA PERMITS:
FOR RWANDA: Rwanda Development Board (RDB) sells gorilla permits. Refunds are not offered by Rwanda Development Board in the case that someone cancels. The client may, however, choose to reschedule the Gorilla Permit to a different date that works better for them to track the gorillas.
FOR UGANDA: Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) sells gorilla permits. The Uganda Wildlife Authority keeps a portion of the cost of the gorilla permit in the case that one is cancelled, as shown in the table below:
| NUMBER OF DAYS BEFORE THE TRACKING DATE | PERCENTAGE RETAINED BY UWA |
| More Than 90 Days | 25% of the Gorilla Permit Price |
| 46 – 90 Days | 50% of the Gorilla Permit Price |
| 9 – 45 Days | 75% of the Gorilla Permit Price |
| 0 – 8 Days | 100% of the Gorilla Permit Price |
COMPLAINTS:
Complaints must be reported immediately to both our agent and the provider of the disputed service(s), who will then cooperate to find a resolution. Give our Safari Manager in Kampala a call as soon as you can if you’re still not satisfied so we can investigate the situation and come up with a workable solution. Regretfully, we cannot be held accountable for any issues that remain unreported.
CHANGES:
We reserve the right to make changes to the holiday schedule and itinerary both before and after your reservation. Most of the changes will be minor ones. If there are any significant changes that need to be made to an agreement, we will let you know right away. In these situations, you will have the choice to accept the alteration or make other arrangements.
INSURANCE:
It is advisable that, before to the start of your journey, you obtain comprehensive insurance covering medical expenses, personal accident, money, personal baggage, and public liability. This should be set up at the moment the deposit is paid. According to the insurance policy, it will protect you from losing your deposit or incurring cancellation fees starting from the day your reservation was confirmed. Additionally, you consent to hold us harmless from any third-party lawsuits, claims, actions, damages, or other legal proceedings that might be filed against us because of your tour participation.
In terms of health insurance, we suggest AMREF Medical Insurance, which offers evacuation and medical support to isolated areas of East Africa.
Once your tour with us is confirmed, the aforementioned Planet African Safaris Booking Terms and Policies will take effect.