Terms & Conditions

A booking is confirmed once we receive your completed booking details and a non-refundable deposit of 50% of the total tour cost. Until the deposit clears, any quoted space on a camp, lodge or vehicle is held provisionally only and is not guaranteed.

The remaining balance is due 30 days before your departure date. If you book within 30 days of departure, the full tour cost is payable immediately to confirm the booking. Bookings that include scarce peak-season camps (the Mara during the migration, for example) may require full payment earlier, which we will always flag to you before you pay a deposit.

Quoted prices reflect park entry fees, accommodation rates and exchange rates current at the time of quotation. Once your deposit is received, your price is locked in and will not be increased for commercial reasons.

We reserve the right to pass on cost changes that are outside our control and imposed after booking — for example a government increase in park or conservancy fees, a new tax or levy, or a significant fuel surcharge from a supplier. Where this happens we will notify you in writing before any additional charge is applied.

Safaris run in genuinely wild places, so we occasionally need to adjust a route, activity or property — because of road conditions, water levels, wildlife movement, or a supplier issue. Where we make a material change, we will offer an alternative of comparable standard at no extra cost, or, if none is acceptable to you, a proportional refund for the affected portion of your trip.

Force Majeure. We are not liable for cancellations, delays or changes caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to war or civil unrest, terrorism, epidemic or pandemic, natural disaster, extreme weather, the closure of a park, reserve or border, or a government travel directive. In these circumstances we will do everything we reasonably can to reschedule your safari or refund what our suppliers are able to return to us, but we cannot cover costs our suppliers have already committed and will not refund, or any further compensation.

To cancel or postpone a confirmed booking, notify us in writing (email is fine) — the cancellation date is the day we receive your notice, not the day you decide to cancel. Because we commit deposits to camps, lodges and transport suppliers on your behalf soon after booking, the following scale of charges applies, calculated as a percentage of your total tour cost:

We strongly recommend travel insurance that covers trip cancellation, so that these charges are not simply a loss to you (see Your Responsibilities below).

Safari Update plans and organises your safari, selecting camps, lodges, vehicles and guides from a vetted supplier network with reasonable skill and care. Where a service is delivered by an independent third-party supplier — a lodge, a domestic airline, a park authority — that supplier operates under its own terms and conditions, and our responsibility is limited to failures caused by our own negligence in selecting, briefing or organising them, except where Kenyan law requires otherwise.

We will always tell you promptly and honestly about anything that affects your trip, and we will act in good faith to put things right when something within our control goes wrong.

You are responsible for arriving prepared, specifically for:

• Holding a passport valid for at least six months beyond your return date, with at least one blank visa page.
• Obtaining the correct visa, eTA or entry authorisation for every country on your itinerary.
• Taking out comprehensive travel insurance covering medical treatment, emergency evacuation and trip cancellation before you travel — we can recommend providers on request, but the policy and cover are your responsibility.
• Disclosing any medical condition, mobility need or dietary requirement that could affect your safari.
• Following your guide’s safety instructions and each park’s and camp’s rules while on safari.

We cannot be held responsible for costs, delays or a missed departure arising from a guest travelling without the correct documents or adequate insurance.

Smoking is not permitted inside safari vehicles, guest tents, or the shared indoor areas of partner camps and lodges. Most properties provide a designated outdoor smoking area on request — ask your guide or the camp host. Individual lodges may apply a stricter policy of their own, which takes precedence during your stay there.

A safari takes place in genuinely wild, remote environments involving wild animals, unsealed roads and activities such as game drives, walking safaris and boat trips. By travelling with us you acknowledge and accept these inherent risks. To the extent permitted by Kenyan law, Safari Update is not liable for injury, loss or damage arising from these inherent risks, except where it results from our own proven negligence.

Photographs, itinerary descriptions and wildlife highlights on this website are illustrative and based on typical conditions — wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed, and no two safaris are identical. Content on this site is provided as general guidance for planning purposes and does not form part of your contract unless it is expressly repeated in your written booking confirmation.

If something is not right while you are on safari, please raise it immediately with your guide or our local representative — most issues are resolved fastest on the spot, while there is still time to make things right during your trip.

If you remain unsatisfied after your return, please put your complaint in writing to info@safariupdatestravel.com within 28 days of the end of your trip, with as much detail as possible. We will investigate and respond within a reasonable time.

This agreement is governed by the laws of Kenya, and the courts of Kenya have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising from your booking.

We collect and use personal data only to plan and deliver your safari, communicate with you, and meet our legal and regulatory obligations — we do not sell your data to third parties. Full detail on what we collect, how we use it, and your rights is set out in our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these terms.