Seremara Safaris · Nairobi
Booking & Cancellation Policy
Clear terms for deposits, balances, changes and cancellations on every Seremara Safaris booking
Seremara Safaris
Booking & Cancellation Policy
This policy explains how bookings are confirmed, how payments are scheduled, and what happens if you need to change or cancel your safari. It should be read together with our Terms and Conditions. By paying a deposit or the full cost of your trip, you confirm that you have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms set out below.
1. Types of Bookings We Offer
Seremara Safaris specialises in private, tailor-made safaris designed exclusively around your dates, budget and interests. We also arrange joining/shared-group safaris for itineraries of up to 4 days, which allow you to travel with other small groups and share the vehicle cost.
For safaris longer than 4 days, we recommend and will design a fully private, tailor-made itinerary rather than a shared group departure, to ensure the best possible experience, flexibility and comfort for you and your travelling party.
2. How to Book
Once you have received and approved a written quotation/itinerary from us, a booking is confirmed only after:
- You have communicated your acceptance of the itinerary and price in writing (by email or WhatsApp); and
- Your deposit has been received and reflected in our account, as set out in Section 3 below.
Each quotation is valid for 30 days from the date issued. Prices, availability and vehicle/lodge allocations are not guaranteed until the deposit has been paid, as third-party suppliers (lodges, camps, airlines and park authorities) release held space if it is not secured in time.
3. Deposit & Payment Schedule
To confirm any booking, the following payment schedule applies:
- Deposit: 30% of the total trip cost is payable at the time of booking to secure your safari.
- Balance: The remaining 70% is due no later than 45 days before your departure date.
- Bookings within 45 days of departure: Full payment (100%) is required at the time of booking.
If the balance is not received by the due date, Seremara Safaris reserves the right to treat the booking as cancelled by the client and to apply the cancellation charges set out in Section 5 below, and to re-release any reserved accommodation, vehicles or flights.
Some lodges, camps, and scheduled/charter flights (particularly over the December, Easter and peak-migration periods) may require a higher deposit or full pre-payment at the time of booking due to their own supplier terms. Where this applies, you will be informed in writing before your booking is confirmed, and the stricter supplier terms will apply for that portion of the trip.
4. Price Changes
Prices are calculated based on exchange rates, park fees, government taxes and supplier rates current at the time of quotation. Once your trip is paid in full, the quoted price is guaranteed and will not be increased, except where a supplier, park authority or government imposes a new tax, levy or fee increase after full payment that is beyond our control — in such rare cases, any additional cost will be communicated to you and, where unavoidable, passed on at cost with no markup.
5. Cancellation Charges (Client-Initiated)
We understand that plans can change. If you need to cancel a confirmed booking, please notify us in writing (email or WhatsApp) as early as possible. Cancellation charges are calculated as a percentage of the total trip cost and are based on the number of days between our receipt of your written cancellation notice and your scheduled departure date:
| Notice Before Departure | Cancellation Charge |
|---|---|
| More than 60 days | Loss of deposit (30% of total cost) |
| 45 – 60 days | 50% of total trip cost |
| 30 – 44 days | 75% of total trip cost |
| 15 – 29 days | 90% of total trip cost |
| Less than 15 days / no-show | 100% of total trip cost |
Some individual suppliers — particularly small luxury camps, tented lodges and scheduled or chartered flights — apply their own, often stricter, non-refundable or non-amendable terms once booked, especially during high season (July–October and December–January). Where a specific accommodation or flight carries stricter terms than the schedule above, we will disclose this to you in writing before you book, and those supplier terms will apply to that portion of your trip in place of the general schedule.
6. No-Shows
If you fail to arrive for your safari or any part of it without prior written cancellation, this is treated as a 100% cancellation and no refund will be due for the unused portion of the trip.
7. Changes & Cancellations by Seremara Safaris
On rare occasions, we may need to change or cancel a confirmed trip due to circumstances beyond our reasonable control (force majeure), including but not limited to: adverse weather, natural disasters, civil unrest, government travel advisories, strikes, pandemics, closure of parks/reserves, or supplier failure. In such cases we will, wherever possible, offer you:
- An alternative itinerary or dates of comparable value; or
- A full refund of monies paid for the specific services that could not be delivered.
Seremara Safaris will not be liable for any indirect losses (e.g. flights to/from Kenya or Tanzania booked independently, visa costs, or travel insurance premiums) arising from a change or cancellation caused by force majeure.
8. Amendments & Date Changes
Requests to change confirmed dates, itinerary, accommodation, or traveller names must be made in writing. We will do our best to accommodate changes, subject to availability with our suppliers. Depending on how close to departure the request is made and each supplier’s own policy, an amendment may be treated as a partial or full cancellation and re-booking, and the cancellation charges in Section 5 may apply to the original booking.
9. Group & Family Bookings
For bookings covering multiple rooms, vehicles, or travellers under one itinerary, the person who makes the booking is treated as the group leader and is responsible for ensuring all payments are made on time for the whole group. If one or more members of a group booking cancel while others continue with the trip, the cancellation charges in Section 5 apply only to the cancelling traveller(s)’ share of the cost, and the remaining travellers’ cost may be adjusted to reflect any change in group size (e.g. change in per-person vehicle/room rates).
10. Refunds
Where a refund is due under this policy, we will process it within 14 business days of confirming the refundable amount. Refunds are made using the same payment method used for the original booking wherever possible. Any bank charges, mobile money transaction fees, or currency conversion costs incurred in processing a refund will be deducted from the refunded amount.
11. Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend that every traveller takes out comprehensive travel insurance covering trip cancellation, medical emergencies, evacuation, and personal belongings before departure. Travel insurance can protect you against cancellation costs arising from events beyond your control, such as illness, injury, or other emergencies. See our Terms and Conditions for more on our insurance requirements.
12. Questions About This Policy
If anything in this policy is unclear, or you would like to discuss a specific booking, cancellation or change, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will be glad to help.
