Bamba Safaris – Flexible Booking Terms & Conditions
Welcome to Bamba Safaris. These terms and conditions outline the agreement between you (hereafter referred to as “the Client”) and Bamba Safaris (hereafter referred to as “the Company”) for the booking and participation in tours, safaris, and transportation services arranged by the Company. These terms are binding unless specifically modified in writing and signed by both the Client and the Company Director.
1. Booking and Reservation Confirmation
To confirm your participation on any Bamba Safaris tour or program, you must complete and submit the official booking form via email. By submitting this form, you are agreeing to comply with all terms and conditions outlined in this document.
For group bookings, the individual submitting the booking form (hereafter “group leader”) accepts these terms on behalf of all group members. Consequently, each group member is considered to have agreed to these terms, including policies on payment, cancellations, and amendments.
All bookings are provisional until acknowledged by Bamba Safaris. Once confirmed, your tour or safari reservation becomes legally binding.
2. Deposit and Payment Terms
To secure a reservation on a Bamba Safaris tour, a minimum deposit of 20% of the overland trip cost is required. Additionally, 100% of the cost for local flights, gorilla permits, and chimpanzee tracking permits must be paid upfront. These permits cannot be reserved without full payment.
The remaining balance of the trip cost may be settled in installments, but the final payment must be completed at least 28 days before the scheduled departure.
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Cancellation before 28 days: the 20% deposit is refundable.
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Booking within 28 days of departure: full payment is required.
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Partial balance on arrival: permitted up to 20% of the total cost if explicitly approved in writing.
Important: Gorilla and chimpanzee tracking permits must always be paid in full in advance; availability cannot be guaranteed otherwise.
3. Flexible Cancellation and Refund Policy – Overland Trips
If you must cancel your safari, all cancellations must be communicated in writing and will only be recognized once Bamba Safaris has confirmed receipt. The applicable cancellation fees are as follows:
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More than 28 days prior to departure: No cancellation fee. The 20% deposit can be refunded (minus bank charges) or transferred to another tour date.
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27 to 15 days before departure: 20% cancellation fee; 80% of the payment will be refunded.
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14 days or less: No refund, as all payments will have been committed to third-party suppliers.
Note: Gorilla and chimpanzee permits are strictly non-refundable.
For group bookings, any individual cancellations will not reduce the group’s financial responsibility. Each person cancelling remains accountable for their share of the costs to ensure that remaining participants are not penalized. This is in addition to the general cancellation fees.
4. Gorilla and Chimpanzee Permit Policies
Gorilla and chimpanzee permits are issued and controlled by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). Each gorilla permit costs $800 per person and can only be guaranteed upon full payment. Once payment is submitted to UWA, no refund can be issued.
Partial refunds may occasionally be authorized under very specific circumstances:
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Illness preventing participation in tracking, verified by a certified medical professional at the Client’s expense.
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Illness must occur after arrival in the park but before tracking begins.
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In these cases, UWA may authorize a 50% refund.
If a Client participates in a full tracking day but does not sight gorillas or chimpanzees, rescheduling may be possible for the following day depending on availability. If rescheduling is not possible, a 50% refund may be approved.
UWA’s general stance discourages refunds except under exceptional circumstances authorized by its Executive Director.
5. Illness, Accidents, and Inability to Track
If a Client experiences an accident or becomes ill before tracking begins, making participation impossible, UWA may authorize a 50% refund. Such cases must be documented and verified by the Chief Warden or Executive Director.
6. UWA General Cancellation Refunds
For general permit cancellations handled by UWA, the following refund guidelines apply:
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Up to 8 days before tracking: No refund.
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9–45 days: 25% refund.
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46–90 days: 50% refund.
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More than 90 days: 75% refund.
All requests must be submitted in writing and take effect only once acknowledged by UWA’s reservation team.
7. Client Amendments to Bookings
Bamba Safaris will make reasonable efforts to accommodate requests for changes to your booking. All amendment requests must be submitted in writing by the group leader to Bamba Safaris (not directly to suppliers).
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Changes to participant numbers can be made up to six weeks prior without additional charges.
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After six weeks, each change incurs a USD 30 per person fee.
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Transfers of bookings to another eligible person are permitted with written approval from Bamba Safaris.
All price adjustments due to changes are subject to supplier arrangements and cannot be guaranteed to be proportional.
8. Company-Initiated Changes
Bamba Safaris reserves the right to make changes to itineraries, accommodations, transportation, and activities due to circumstances beyond our control, such as:
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Weather conditions
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Game migrations
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Flight schedule changes
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Supplier availability
When changes are required, we will communicate alternative arrangements. If replacement accommodations or activities are offered at a comparable standard, no refunds will be issued.
9. Communication and Response Times
Emails may occasionally fail to reach us due to technical issues. If you do not receive a response within 48 hours, please resend your message.
10. Guide Replacement Policy
If a private guide becomes unavailable due to illness or other unexpected events, Bamba Safaris may assign another qualified and professionally trained guide to ensure your experience is not compromised.
11. Wildlife Safety Disclaimer
Safaris involve proximity to wildlife. While incidents are rare, there is an inherent risk in wilderness settings. Many camps are unfenced, and animals may move freely. Always follow the instructions of rangers, camp staff, and guides.
Bamba Safaris is not liable for injuries, incidents, or accidents during the safari. Wildlife sightings, including gorilla and chimpanzee tracking, cannot be guaranteed.
12. Accommodation and Room Arrangements
Accommodation is typically based on twin- or double-bedded rooms, tents, or bandas with private bathrooms whenever possible. Single rooms may be requested at an additional fee, but availability cannot always be guaranteed.
13. Client Conduct Policy
Bamba Safaris reserves the right to remove any participant whose behavior poses a threat or inconvenience to themselves, others, or the environment. No refund will be provided in such instances.
14. Transport Arrangements
Transport is provided according to the Client’s specifications and group size. Vehicles are regularly maintained, but Bamba Safaris is not liable for delays caused by road conditions, breakdowns, or other circumstances beyond our control.
15. Marketing Consent
By participating in our tours, you consent to Bamba Safaris using photographs or videos taken during the trip for promotional purposes. Copyright for these materials is retained by Bamba Safaris.
16. Insurance Recommendation
We strongly recommend that Clients obtain travel insurance to cover emergency medical evacuation, medical treatment, repatriation, theft, loss of belongings, trip cancellations, and other potential risks. Additional coverage is optional unless specified.
17. Health and Fitness Requirements
All participants are responsible for ensuring they are in suitable physical condition to join the tour or safari. Participation requires a reasonable level of fitness.
18. Liability Disclaimer
Bamba Safaris acts solely as an agent arranging third-party services such as transportation, accommodation, and activities. We are not responsible for any injury, illness, death, or property damage resulting from third-party services or events outside our control.
Flight delays or itinerary changes requiring additional nights are the Client’s responsibility. It is the Client’s responsibility to ensure all travel documents, visas, and health certificates are valid and up to date.
19. Complaints Procedure
Complaints should be raised immediately during the trip with our representative or the service provider. If unresolved, a written complaint can be submitted within 30 days of tour completion. Complaints outside this period cannot be considered.
20. Client Representation and Consent
When making a booking with Bamba Safaris, you confirm that you have authority to act for yourself and all participants included in the booking. Payment of deposits or partial payments confirms agreement to all terms by all participants.
Bamba Safaris is a registered company in Uganda.
Thank you for reading these terms and conditions. For clarifications or further information, please contact us.