Booking Terms

1. Booking Confirmation & Payment Terms

• Deposit requirement: a 30% deposit of the total tour cost is required immediately upon booking confirmation to secure slots, accommodation and crew allocation.
• Balance payment: the remaining 70% balance must be paid in full no later than 60 days prior to the scheduled departure date.
• Short-notice bookings: any booking made less than 60 days prior to the departure date requires immediate 100% full payment at the time of reservation.

2. Third-Party Vendor Commitments

Bushwalker Adventures operates in highly regulated and competitive wilderness environments. Immediately upon receiving your booking confirmation, we commit and disburse a mandatory 50% deposit to external third-party entities, including hotels, safari accommodation lodges, overland transport operators, local mountain guides, porters, mountain rescue teams, and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) for non-refundable park permits and entry fees.

3. Standard Cancellation Policy (Client-Initiated)

If a client cancels their booking completely instead of requesting a postponement, cancellation fees will be strictly applied based on the timeline notice given prior to departure, expressed as a percentage of the total tour cost.

4. Postponement Terms & Calculations

If a client formally requests to postpone a trip instead of cancelling it completely, a written request must be submitted at least 30 days before departure. Bushwalker Adventures will share all transparent details regarding our third-party partners' individual postponement and cancellation policies. These rules will be applied directly to the client's payment calculations to determine the final exact remaining amount left in our accounts to be rolled forward.

• Validity: approved remaining balances will be issued as a credit voucher valid for travel within 12 months from the original departure date.
• Fees: all postponements are subject to a fixed 10% Bushwalker administrative rescheduling fee calculated from the total tour cost.
• Seasonal & rate fluctuations: the credit voucher is strictly subject to current rates for hotels, activities, park fees and agents at the time of the rescheduled trip. If the newly scheduled date or seasonal pricing is higher, the client is required to pay the extra amount needed to bridge the difference.

5. Force Majeure (Disruptions Beyond Our Control)

Bushwalker Adventures is not financially liable for disruptions, delays or cancellations caused by events beyond our reasonable control (Force Majeure). This includes, but is not limited to, strikes, labour disputes, civil unrest, political instability, government restrictions, border closures, pandemics, natural disasters or severe weather anomalies.

In these situations, cash refunds are waived, and clients will receive a 12-month travel credit voucher equivalent to their paid balance minus a 10% Bushwalker administration penalty and any completely non-recoverable third-party vendor expenses. This waiver is subject to current rates in hotels, activities, park fees and all agents, meaning any subsequent cost inflation or rate increases at the time of rescheduling will be borne by the client. If the client chooses to cancel completely without postponing under these Force Majeure conditions, they will receive a 0% refund (no cash refund will be issued).

6. Bushwalker-Initiated Cancellations

In rare instances where Bushwalker Adventures must cancel a booking due to internal, controllable operational constraints (excluding Force Majeure events listed in Section 5), the client will receive a 100% full refund of all funds paid. Only the direct merchant payment processing fees incurred during the transaction will be deducted from the final payout.

7. Mandatory Travel Insurance & Client Responsibilities

• Insurance: it is a mandatory condition of booking that all participants secure comprehensive travel insurance. This policy must explicitly cover trip cancellation, curtailment, high-altitude medical evacuation, personal injury and emergency medical repatriation.
• Legal documents: clients bear 100% responsibility for obtaining valid passports (minimum 6 months validity), approved Kenyan Electronic Travel Authorizations (eTA) and necessary health vaccinations (e.g. Yellow Fever certificates). Bushwalker Adventures is not liable for refunds if a client is denied entry by immigration authorities.
• Clients who pay the residents' or citizens' rates will need to provide their residential IDs at the park entrance; lodges and other areas may also require them.

8. Dispute Resolution & Governing Law

Any grievance, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to these booking terms must be resolved through the following sequential framework:

1. Amicable negotiation: the parties shall first attempt to resolve the matter through direct, good-faith executive discussions within thirty (30) days of notification.
2. Mediation: if negotiations fail, the dispute shall be referred to an independent certified mediator in Nairobi, Kenya, with costs split equally.
3. Arbitration & governing law: if mediation is unsuccessful, the matter shall be referred to binding arbitration in accordance with the Arbitration Act of Kenya. These terms are governed exclusively by, and construed in accordance with, the Laws of the Republic of Kenya.