Cancellation & Refund Policy

Last updated: August 27, 2026

We understand that travel plans can change. This policy explains, in clear terms, how cancellations, amendments and refunds are handled for safaris booked with Gamba Uganda Safaris. It is designed to treat travelers and travel trade partners fairly while reflecting the real costs we commit to permits, lodges and other suppliers on your behalf.

Please read this policy together with your written quotation, invoice, booking confirmation and our Terms & Conditions. Where a written quotation or booking confirmation states an itinerary-specific supplier condition, that condition applies to the relevant service.

1. Booking & Payment Stages

Quotation and confirmation

A quotation is an invitation to book, not a confirmed reservation. Availability, rates and permit space can change until we receive the required payment and issue written booking confirmation. Before payment, we will identify the itinerary price, inclusions, exclusions, payment dates and any known supplier restrictions.

30% deposit

A deposit of 30% of the total safari price is required to begin securing your itinerary, unless your invoice states otherwise. We use the deposit to reserve high-demand services, including gorilla or chimpanzee permits, lodges, vehicles, guides, domestic transport and supplier services. A booking becomes confirmed only when we have received the required payment and sent written confirmation.

Final balance

The final balance due date is shown on your invoice and booking confirmation. It is set according to your travel date and supplier payment deadlines, and may be earlier for permits, peak-season lodges or other time-sensitive services. Please pay on time: late payment may result in the release of unconfirmed services or supplier penalties, which may be passed on to you.

Bookings made within 30 days of departure

Standard bookings may use the normal deposit and final-balance schedule shown in your invoice and booking confirmation. Where a booking is made within 30 days of departure, full payment may be required immediately or by the deadline stated on the invoice. If required payment is not received by that invoice deadline, we may treat the booking as a client cancellation under the applicable cancellation schedule.

Travel agents and wholesalers

Travel trade partners are responsible for ensuring that the traveler receives this policy before confirmation. Unless a separate signed trade agreement says otherwise, the booking, payment and cancellation terms in the client invoice and this policy apply. If there is a conflict, the signed trade agreement takes priority for that agency relationship.

2. Cancellation Policy

All cancellations must be made in writing by email to info@gambaugandasafaris.com, or through another written channel we have agreed with you. The effective cancellation date is the date we receive the written notice in Kampala, Uganda. Phone or WhatsApp messages should be followed by an email confirmation.

The table below applies to the total land-arrangement price shown on your invoice. We first apply the cancellation charge shown for the date we receive your written notice. Non-refundable permits, supplier commitments and payment charges may reduce the remaining refund only to the extent they are not already covered by that cancellation charge. The same cost is never deducted twice, and refunds cannot exceed the amount paid to us.

* The listed percentage is a maximum, not a guarantee. Your actual refund is calculated by applying the cancellation charge and then deducting only those non-refundable permits, supplier commitments or payment charges that are not already covered by that charge. Any itinerary-specific supplier condition applies only to the affected service. We will provide an itemised refund calculation on request.

No double deductions: non-refundable permits, supplier commitments, administration costs and payment charges are not automatically added on top of the applicable cancellation charge. They are deducted only if, and to the extent that, they are not already covered by that charge or another documented deduction. Each cost is deducted once only.

3. Non-Refundable Items

Some costs become non-refundable as soon as they are issued, purchased or committed. They may reduce the amount returned even when a cancellation occurs well before departure, but only in accordance with the no-double-deduction rule in section 2.

• Gorilla and chimpanzee permits: permit costs may be non-refundable once issued. Any cancellation, change, transfer, or refund is subject to the Uganda Wildlife Authority's current rules and approval, which may allow limited remedies in specified circumstances.
• Park, conservation and protected-area fees: where a park authority or other issuer does not refund them.
• Lodges and camps: prepaid nights, peak-season room holds, deposits and cancellation penalties required by the accommodation supplier.
• Transport and activities: domestic flights, charter or scheduled transport, boat trips, specialist activities and third-party services once ticketed or committed.
• Transaction costs: bank, card-processing, currency-conversion, intermediary-transfer and refund-transfer charges.

Why this matters: a 30% deposit is not automatically a refundable holding fee. It allows us to secure time-sensitive safari services for your dates. We will always explain known non-refundable items in your written booking documents.

4. Amendment & Date Change Fees

We will do our best to help if you need to change travel dates, traveler names, accommodation, routing or activities. All changes depend on permit availability, lodge availability, supplier approval and current rates.

• An administration fee of US$50 per booking may apply to each confirmed amendment, plus any supplier, permit, airline or other third-party charges.
• If the revised itinerary costs more, the price difference is payable before the change is confirmed. If it costs less, any credit or refund depends on supplier rules and the cancellation schedule above.
• Gorilla and chimpanzee permit changes are subject to UWA rules; a date change cannot be guaranteed and may require a new permit.
• A requested amendment made 60 days or fewer before departure, or one that requires services to be cancelled and rebooked, may be treated as a cancellation and new booking.

5. Force Majeure & Travel Disruption

Force majeure means an event outside either party's reasonable control that prevents or materially affects travel or the operation of the safari. Examples include pandemics or epidemics, government restrictions or border closures, war, terrorism, serious political unrest or instability materially affecting travel, strikes, natural disasters, severe weather, flooding, road closures, park closures, wildlife or safety restrictions, and major transport disruption outside our reasonable control.

Force majeure does not automatically cancel the booking or create an automatic right to cancel or receive a full refund. If it affects your trip, we will communicate promptly and work with you and our suppliers on practical options, which may include a revised itinerary, postponement, credit or cancellation. If the safari or an affected service must be cancelled, any refund is limited to amounts we can recover after applicable non-refundable permits, supplier commitments and costs already incurred, subject to applicable law and the no-double-deduction rule in section 2. Any option remains subject to the applicable permit and supplier terms for the affected service. We are not responsible for costs or losses outside our control, including international flights, visas, vaccinations, personal expenses or insurance excesses.

If an airline cancels, delays or changes a flight, its own conditions and the conditions of your ticket apply. Please contact the airline or your ticketing agent first; we will provide reasonable assistance for safari arrangements booked through us.

Cancellation by Gamba Uganda Safaris

If we cancel the full safari for reasons within our reasonable control, the client cancellation schedule does not apply. We will notify you promptly and, where reasonably possible, offer a comparable alternative, postponement or credit. If none of those options is accepted or workable, we will calculate any refund due for affected, unprovided services after reasonable, documented deductions for genuinely non-recoverable supplier or payment costs. A cancellation caused by force majeure or other circumstances outside our reasonable control is governed by the Force Majeure section above and is not treated as a cancellation by Gamba Uganda Safaris for reasons within our reasonable control. Mandatory consumer rights remain unaffected.

6. Travel Insurance

Comprehensive travel insurance is a condition of booking for every traveler. Arrange it immediately after your first payment and ensure it covers the full prepaid trip cost, cancellation, curtailment, medical treatment, emergency evacuation and repatriation, personal liability, travel delay, baggage, and every activity on your itinerary.

It is your responsibility to check the policy limits, exclusions, medical conditions and claim requirements. We do not sell insurance, provide insurance advice, decide insurance claims or guarantee that an insurer will pay a claim.

Please read our Health & Safety Policy and Travel Insurance Guide.

7. How to Cancel & Refund Process

1. Send written notice: email info@gambaugandasafaris.com with your booking reference, lead traveler name, travel dates and a clear request to cancel.
2. We acknowledge receipt: we will confirm the effective cancellation date and begin reviewing the booking.
3. We confirm supplier costs: we check permits, lodges, transport and activities against the applicable supplier terms.
4. We issue a calculation: we will outline the cancellation charge, identify any non-refundable items not already covered by that charge, show recoverable amounts and state any refund due.
5. We process the refund: where a refund is due, we normally process it within 14–30 days after completing the assessment and applying the calculation described above. Supplier reconciliation, bank processing and the original payment method can occasionally extend the time before funds appear in your account.

Refunds are normally returned to the original payer and, where practical, through the original payment method. Bank and payment-provider charges may be deducted only to the extent they are not already covered by the applicable cancellation charge or another documented deduction. For agency bookings, refunds are paid to the contracting travel agent or wholesaler unless we agree otherwise in writing.

8. Important Notes & Disclaimer

• Supplier terms can vary by lodge, airline, park authority, season, rate type and itinerary. An applicable supplier condition may apply specifically to the affected service and will be stated where known.
• We may make reasonable itinerary changes where necessary for safety, weather, road conditions, park rules, operational reasons or supplier availability. We will seek to provide a comparable alternative where reasonably possible.
• This policy does not limit any rights that cannot lawfully be excluded. It is governed by the laws of Uganda, and disputes are subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of Uganda, unless mandatory law requires otherwise.
• We may update this policy from time to time. The version in force on the date of your booking applies, unless a later change is required by law or agreed in writing.

9. Questions & Contact

If any part of this policy or the cancellation terms in your quote is unclear, please ask us before making payment. We would rather clarify the arrangement early than leave you uncertain later.

Gamba Uganda Safaris
Email: info@gambaugandasafaris.com
Phone/WhatsApp: +256 701 943 760
Location: Kampala, Uganda