Booking & Payment Terms
These Booking Terms and Conditions (the "Terms") govern all bookings made with Volcan Tours & Travel Limited ("Volcan Tours", "we", "us", "our"), a tour operator registered in Kenya and licensed by the Tourism Regulatory Authority. By paying a deposit or otherwise confirming a booking, the lead traveller accepts these Terms on behalf of every person named on the booking. Please read them carefully before confirming.
1. Making a booking
- A booking request may be made through our website, by email, by WhatsApp or through an appointed travel agent. We will respond with a written itinerary and quotation setting out the services included, the services excluded and the total tour price.
- A booking is confirmed only when we have received the required deposit (Section 3) and have issued a written Booking Confirmation and invoice. Until then, all quotations are subject to availability and price change.
- Three stages are different things. An enquiry is a request for an itinerary and quotation and commits neither of us to anything. An availability hold, which you can request when booking on this website, keeps your dates on our side for up to three days while we check availability with lodges and parks; nothing is charged, no contract exists yet, and the hold lapses if no deposit is received. A confirmed booking exists only once the deposit is received and our written Booking Confirmation is issued. The Booking Confirmation records the version of these Terms you accepted and the date and time of acceptance.
- The lead traveller must be at least 18 years of age, must have authority to accept these Terms for all travellers on the booking, and is responsible for passing all information to them.
- Prices are quoted in the United States Dollars (USD). Where we accept payment in Kenya Shillings (KES) or another currency, the amount payable is calculated at our bank's prevailing selling rate on the day of payment.
2. What the price includes
Your Booking Confirmation lists exactly what is included. Unless stated otherwise, prices include accommodation on the meal basis shown, ground transport in a licensed safari vehicle with a professional driver-guide, park and conservancy entry fees at the rates current on the date of quotation, and the activities listed in the itinerary. Prices exclude international flights, visas, travel insurance, tips, drinks, laundry, items of a personal nature, optional activities and any service not expressly listed.
Park fees, conservancy fees, government taxes and levies are set by third parties and may change without notice. If any such charge increases before your travel date we reserve the right to pass on the actual increase at cost. We will show you the change in writing, and if you do not accept it you may cancel the affected booking without penalty and receive a full refund of all monies paid to us. We will not increase the price for any other reason within 30 days of departure.
3. Deposit and payment schedule
| Stage | Amount payable | When |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit to confirm | 30% of the total tour price | Within 7 days of receiving the quotation, or sooner where availability requires |
| Balance | Remaining 70% | No later than 60 days before the first day of the tour |
| Bookings made 60 days or less before departure | 100% of the tour price | At the time of booking |
| Peak season departures (15 December to 5 January, Easter week, and 1 July to 31 October for Maasai Mara migration itineraries) | Balance due 90 days before departure | Some lodges and camps require this; we will tell you at quotation |
| International and domestic air tickets | 100% at time of booking | Airline fares are not held without full payment |
| Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking permits | 100% of the permit cost | At the time of booking, as the park authorities require |
- Where a lodge, camp, airline or other supplier requires a higher or earlier deposit than stated above, we will tell you before you confirm and that higher amount becomes the deposit for your booking.
- If the balance is not received by the due date, we will send one reminder. If payment is still outstanding 7 days after the due date we may treat the booking as cancelled by you and the cancellation charges in Section 5 will apply.
- Every booking is paid in advance on the schedule above: the deposit to confirm and the balance by its due date, before the tour starts.
- Accepted payment methods are bank transfer to our company account (USD, EUR, GBP or KES), credit or debit card through a secure payment link we send you or through online booking on this website, and payment in person by card on our card machine (PDQ) at our Nairobi office. Bank charges levied by the sending and intermediary banks are for your account; the amount credited to us must equal the invoiced amount.
- We do not accept cash deposits for bookings. On tour, cash is accepted only for optional extras. A receipt is always issued for every payment.
4. Changes by you
- Date, hotel or itinerary changes requested after confirmation are made where possible and are subject to supplier availability. An amendment fee of USD 50 per change applies, plus any difference in cost and any charges imposed by suppliers.
- A change of travel dates requested 60 days or less before departure, or a reduction in the number of travellers, nights or services, is treated as a partial cancellation and the charges in Section 5 apply to the part cancelled.
- A substitution of one traveller for another is permitted up to 14 days before departure at the USD 50 amendment fee plus any supplier or airline charges, provided the new traveller meets all requirements of the tour.
5. Cancellation by you
A cancellation must be made in writing by the lead traveller to the email address shown on your Booking Confirmation. The cancellation takes effect on the day we receive your written notice. The charges below are a percentage of the total tour price and reflect the non recoverable costs we incur with lodges, camps, transport and park authorities.
| Notice received before the first day of the tour | Cancellation charge | Amount refunded |
|---|---|---|
| More than 90 days | 10% of tour price (administration and non recoverable supplier costs) | 90% |
| 61 to 90 days | 30% of tour price (equal to the deposit) | 70% |
| 31 to 60 days | 50% of tour price | 50% |
| 15 to 30 days | 75% of tour price | 25% |
| 14 days or less, no show, or departure from the tour after it has started | 100% of tour price | Nil |
- Air tickets, gorilla and chimpanzee trekking permits, train tickets and some peak season lodge bookings are non refundable from the moment they are issued, regardless of the notice period above. We will tell you in writing before purchasing any such item on your behalf.
- Where the cancellation charge is lower than the deposit already paid, the difference is refunded. Where it is higher, the extra amount becomes payable immediately.
- Cancellation charges are the reason we strongly recommend that every traveller holds comprehensive travel insurance that includes cancellation cover from the date of booking (Section 9).
6. Changes and cancellation by us
- We will do everything reasonable to operate your tour as confirmed. Occasionally we must make changes, for example where a lodge closes, a road becomes impassable or a flight schedule changes. Minor changes will be notified as soon as practical and do not entitle you to compensation.
- A significant change is one that alters the overall character of the tour, such as a change of destination, a downgrade of accommodation category for more than one night, or a change of departure date. If we must make a significant change we will offer you the choice of accepting the change, taking an alternative tour of equivalent or higher standard at no extra cost, or cancelling and receiving a full refund of all monies paid to us.
- If we cancel your tour for reasons within our control you will receive a full refund of all monies paid to us within 14 days, together with reasonable compensation for proven direct expenses. We will not cancel a confirmed tour less than 60 days before departure except for reasons of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances (Section 7) or your failure to pay.
7. Unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances
Unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances means events beyond our reasonable control whose consequences could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. Examples include war, civil unrest, terrorism, epidemics or pandemics and related government restrictions, natural disasters, extreme weather, airport or border closures, strikes affecting third parties and official travel advisories against travel to the destination.
If such circumstances prevent the tour from going ahead, we will offer you the choice of postponing to new dates within 12 months with all recoverable monies credited to the new booking, or a refund of all monies paid less only those costs that we have paid to suppliers and are unable to recover despite our best efforts. We will show you the supplier confirmations supporting any deduction. Where the circumstances affect your personal ability to travel rather than the operation of the tour, the cancellation charges in Section 5 apply and you should claim on your travel insurance.
8. Refund processing time
| Refund type | Processing time |
|---|---|
| Refund due following a cancellation by us (Section 6) | Within 14 days of the cancellation |
| Refund due following a cancellation by you (Section 5) | Within 14 working days of receiving your written cancellation notice |
| Refund of unrecoverable cost balance after unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances (Section 7) | Within 30 days, to allow us to recover amounts from suppliers; any later recovery is passed on within 14 days of our receipt |
| Meaning of the times above | The times above are the periods within which we instruct the refund payment from our account. Your bank, card issuer or payment provider may then take further days to credit it to you, which is outside our control |
- Refunds are made to the person and payment method from which the original payment was received, in the currency in which we received it. Bank charges on the outgoing transfer and any exchange rate difference are for your account, except where the refund arises from a cancellation by us.
- No refund is made for any unused service, meal, night of accommodation or activity once the tour has started, whether through your choice, illness, late arrival or any other cause outside our control. Such losses should be claimed on your travel insurance and we will provide the written confirmation your insurer needs.
9. Travel insurance
Comprehensive travel insurance is a condition of booking with us. Cover must include trip cancellation and curtailment, medical expenses and emergency evacuation (including by air), repatriation, personal baggage and personal liability. For gorilla trekking, mountain climbing, ballooning, diving and other adventure activities the policy must specifically cover that activity. We will ask for your insurer's name and policy number before departure. We offer temporary Flying Doctors (AMREF) evacuation cover for East Africa at cost on request.
10. Travel documents and health
Each traveller is responsible for holding a passport valid for at least six months after the return date with sufficient blank pages, the visas and permits required for each country visited (the Kenya eTA, East Africa Tourist Visa, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda visas as applicable), and the vaccinations required for entry, including a yellow fever certificate where demanded. We will provide guidance in good faith, but we are not liable for refusal of entry, fines or costs arising from inadequate documents. Travellers must tell us at the time of booking of any medical condition, disability, dietary requirement or reduced mobility that may affect their tour so that we can advise on suitability and make arrangements.
11. Our responsibility
- We accept responsibility for providing the services described in your Booking Confirmation with reasonable skill and care, and for the acts and omissions of our employees acting within the scope of their duties.
- Accommodation, transport, air services and activities are provided by independent suppliers who are responsible for their own services under their own conditions, some of which limit or exclude liability. We select suppliers with care and work only with properties and transporters that are licensed in their country of operation. Our liability for the failure of a supplier is limited to the price paid to us for the service concerned, except in cases of death, personal injury or illness caused by our negligence.
- We are not liable for loss, damage, delay, injury or expense caused by unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, by the traveller's own act or omission, or by a third party unconnected with the provision of the tour.
- Safari travel involves inherent risks, including encounters with wild animals, travel on unpaved roads and remote locations with limited medical facilities. Travellers accept these risks and agree to follow at all times the instructions of our guides and of lodge and park staff.
- We hold public liability insurance appropriate to a licensed tour operator in Kenya and will provide the policy details to trade partners on request.
12. Conduct, complaints and disputes
- We reserve the right to decline or terminate the tour of any traveller whose behaviour is, in the reasonable opinion of our staff, likely to cause danger, distress or damage to others, to wildlife or to property, or who breaches park regulations or local laws. No refund is made in such cases and any costs incurred are for the traveller's account.
- If something is not right during your tour please tell your guide or our Nairobi office immediately so we can put it right on the spot. If a matter cannot be resolved during the tour, write to us within 28 days of your return so that we can investigate while the facts are fresh. We will acknowledge within 3 working days and respond fully within 14 days. The 28 day period is our service standard; it does not limit any right you have under the law of Kenya or, if you are a consumer living elsewhere, under the mandatory consumer law of the country where you live.
- These Terms and any dispute arising from them are governed by the laws of Kenya. The parties will first attempt to resolve any dispute amicably, failing which it will be referred to mediation and, if unresolved, to the courts of Kenya.
13. Privacy
We collect personal data (names, passport details, contact information, dietary and health information) only to the extent needed to arrange your tour. Data is shared with lodges, airlines, park authorities and insurers solely for that purpose, is stored securely and is processed in accordance with the Kenya Data Protection Act 2019 and, for residents of the European Union and United Kingdom, the GDPR. Marketing messages are sent only with your consent and you may opt out at any time. Our full Privacy Policy is available on this website.
14. Licensing and contact
Volcan Tours & Travel Limited is licensed by the Tourism Regulatory Authority of Kenya. Our contact details are below.
Booking and paying on this website
- A safari can be booked from its own page on this website. When booking online, payment is made by credit or debit card on Pesapal’s secure payment page. A trip starting more than 60 days after the booking date can be secured with a deposit of 30, 40 or 50 percent of the tour price, or paid in full. A trip starting within 60 days is paid in full at the time of booking.
- Every booking has its own private page, linked from the confirmation email. It shows what has been paid and what remains, and the deposit or balance can be paid from it.
- Card payments are made on Pesapal’s secure payment page. Volcan Tours & Travel never sees or stores card details.
Questions
Write to info@volcantours.com or call +254 716 692 555.
