Our refund Policy
We recognize that climbing Kilimanjaro or embarking on a Tanzania wildlife safari is often a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. These experiences typically involve significant investment, including airfare, tour costs, accommodation, and travel insurance, making them more expensive than many other vacation options. Understanding the importance of cancellation and refund policies is crucial, as unforeseen circumstances can arise, requiring a trip to be canceled or postponed.
Why Full Refunds Aren't Always Possible
You might wonder why we can’t always offer a full refund if the tour hasn't occurred. While we would love to accommodate every customer facing a last-minute change in plans, the reality is that your trip involves numerous organizations beyond Active Planet Safaris. These include hotels, lodges, local airlines, and the Tanzania National Parks Authority, all of whom require advance payments, often non-refundable. Additionally, we pre-purchase supplies and manage a team whose livelihoods depend on this work. Therefore, we must adhere to strict refund policies to maintain our operations and support our team.
Flexibility and Compassionate Consideration
At Active Planet Safaris, we strive to minimize risk for our customers by considering the specifics of each situation. In cases of extreme circumstances, such as serious illness, death, or natural disasters, we make every effort to provide a full refund. We promptly inform our partners of cancellations and work to reduce penalties wherever possible. Refund requests are evaluated within 72 hours.
Cancellation Fees
The refund amount depends on when we receive your cancellation request:
$100 per person deposit: Non-refundable but transferable to other dates.
Premium Packages:
10% cancellation fee if canceled more than 90 days before the tour.
30% cancellation fee if canceled 60-89 days before the tour.
60% cancellation fee if canceled 30-59 days before the tour.
80% cancellation fee if canceled 8-29 days before the tour.
No refund if canceled 0-7 days before the tour.
Please note that if penalties from lodges or airlines exceed these percentages, the non-refundable amount will increase accordingly. Bank fees for fund transfers will be deducted from the refund.
Lifetime Deposits and Rescheduling
Instead of canceling, you can hold your deposit indefinitely for future trips with us. However, future price increases may apply. Rescheduling rather than canceling may also result in reduced or waived penalties, especially if you avoid peak seasons. Nonetheless, penalty decisions are at the discretion of the lodges and airlines involved.
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance to cover potential losses from unforeseen events like illness or flight cancellations. In such cases, we will provide documentation of all expenses for your insurance claim.