KILIMANJAROLAND CANCELLATION & REFUND POLICY
1. Cancellation by the Client
All cancellations must be submitted to Kilimanjaroland in writing by email.
The date on which Kilimanjaroland receives the written cancellation will be used to determine the applicable cancellation charge.
Cancellation charges are calculated per person as a percentage of the total tour price:
- 90 days or more before the tour start date: 20% of the total tour price
- 60–89 days before the tour start date: 30% of the total tour price
- 30–59 days before the tour start date: 60% of the total tour price
- 0–29 days before the tour start date: 100% of the total tour price — no refund
The 20% booking deposit forms part of the applicable cancellation charge and is not an additional charge.
For example, if a client cancels 70 days before departure, the cancellation charge is 30% of the total tour price. Any deposit already paid will be credited towards that 30%.
Where the total amount already paid by the client exceeds the applicable cancellation charge, the remaining balance will be refunded, subject to any permitted deductions described below.
2. Booking Deposit and Date Transfers
The booking deposit is generally non-refundable, subject to applicable law.
However, where a cancellation or date-change request is received 90 days or more before the original tour start date, the booking deposit may be transferred once to another Kilimanjaroland tour or departure, subject to availability and the following conditions:
- The new tour must start within 12 months of the original tour start date.
- The transfer must be for the same traveller.
- Any increase in the price of the new tour must be paid by the client.
- Only one transfer is permitted.
- Once transferred, the deposit remains non-refundable.
- The deposit has no cash value and cannot be transferred to another person.
- Requests received less than 90 days before the original tour start date are not guaranteed and will normally be subject to the standard cancellation charges above.
If a client chooses to transfer their deposit instead of cancelling, the transferred deposit will be applied towards the price of the new booking.
3. Refunds and Transaction Charges
Where the amount paid by the client exceeds the applicable cancellation charge, Kilimanjaroland will refund the remaining eligible balance.
Any non-refundable costs directly associated with processing or returning the client's payment may be deducted from the refund where permitted by applicable law. These may include:
- Bank charges
- Credit or debit card processing fees
- Payment-provider charges
- International transfer charges
- Currency conversion charges
- Other non-refundable transaction costs
Kilimanjaroland will not deduct amounts that it is legally required to refund.
4. No-Shows, Late Arrival and Early Departure
No refund will normally be provided where a client:
- Fails to arrive for the tour;
- Arrives late and misses part of the tour;
- Voluntarily withdraws after the tour has started;
- Chooses to leave the tour early; or
- Is unable to use services included in the booking because of circumstances personal to the client.
Unused accommodation, meals, park services, transport, guiding services or other included services are generally non-refundable once the tour has commenced, except where otherwise required by applicable law.
5. Travel Insurance
Kilimanjaroland strongly recommends that every client obtain comprehensive travel insurance immediately after booking.
Clients should ensure that their insurance policy is appropriate for their chosen itinerary and, where available, includes cover for:
- Trip cancellation and interruption
- Medical emergencies
- Emergency evacuation and rescue
- High-altitude trekking
- Flight delays and cancellations
- Lost, stolen or delayed baggage
- Personal accident
- Repatriation
Clients participating in a Kilimanjaro climb should specifically confirm that their insurance covers high-altitude trekking to the maximum altitude of their itinerary and emergency evacuation where applicable.
If a client is unable to travel because of illness, injury, flight disruption or another insured event, they may be able to recover some or all of their losses from their travel insurance provider, depending on the terms, conditions and exclusions of their policy.
Where reasonably possible, Kilimanjaroland will provide supporting documentation for legitimate insurance claims, including booking confirmations, invoices and cancellation confirmations.
The purchase of travel insurance does not replace or modify Kilimanjaroland's cancellation terms.
6. Cancellation by Kilimanjaroland
In the unlikely event that Kilimanjaroland cancels a tour for operational reasons within our reasonable control, we will offer the affected client either:
- A transfer to an equivalent or comparable alternative departure; or
- A 100% refund of the tour payments received by Kilimanjaroland for the cancelled tour.
Unless required by applicable law, Kilimanjaroland will not be responsible for consequential or independently incurred expenses, including:
- International or domestic flights
- Visas
- Vaccinations or medical expenses
- Travel insurance premiums
- Accommodation booked independently
- Airport transfers booked independently
- Equipment purchases
- Additional travel arrangements
- Other personal expenses
Clients are therefore strongly encouraged to purchase flexible or refundable flights and other travel arrangements whenever possible.
7. Force Majeure and Events Beyond Our Control
Kilimanjaroland will not be considered to have cancelled or failed to provide a tour through fault of its own where the tour cannot reasonably operate, continue or be completed because of circumstances beyond our reasonable control.
Such circumstances may include, but are not limited to:
- Natural disasters
- Extreme or dangerous weather
- Fire
- Flooding
- Epidemics or pandemics
- War or threat of war
- Terrorism
- Civil unrest
- Government restrictions or official orders
- Border closures
- National park closures or restrictions
- Strikes
- Transport disruption
- Major infrastructure failure
- Other comparable events outside Kilimanjaroland's reasonable control
Where such an event occurs, Kilimanjaroland will make reasonable efforts, depending on the circumstances, to offer one or more of the following:
- An alternative departure;
- Postponement to a later date;
- A travel credit; or
- A refund where appropriate or required by applicable law.
Where a refund is offered or required following a force majeure event, unavoidable and non-recoverable costs already paid or committed to third-party suppliers may be deducted only to the extent permitted by applicable law.
Such costs may include amounts already paid for permits, accommodation, transport or other services that cannot reasonably be recovered from the relevant supplier.
Where deductions are made, Kilimanjaroland will provide a reasonable explanation upon request.
8. Changes Affecting Only Part of the Tour
Where circumstances beyond our control affect only part of an itinerary, Kilimanjaroland may make reasonable changes to the itinerary, accommodation, transportation, route or services where necessary for safety, operational or regulatory reasons.
Where possible, we will provide services of a reasonably comparable standard.
Such reasonable changes do not automatically constitute cancellation of the entire tour.
9. Applicable Law and Consumer Rights
Nothing in this Cancellation & Refund Policy is intended to exclude, restrict or limit any rights or remedies that a client may have under applicable law.
Where any provision of this policy conflicts with a mandatory requirement of applicable law, the applicable legal requirement will take precedence.