SHIRI ADVENTURES CANCELATION AND REFUND  POLICY

Cancelation and Refund Policy

We understand that climbing Kilimanjaro and going on a Tanzania wildlife safari can be a once-in-a-lifetime adventure for many people. However, compared to other vacations, these activities can also require a significant investment, including airfare, tour costs, accommodation, and travel insurance, which makes them more expensive than most other popular vacation destinations. 

This is why cancellation and refund issues are important to many people. There is always the possibility that something may come up and the tour may need to be canceled or urgently postponed.

Why are full refunds not always possible?

Many often ask why a full refund is impossible most of the time. After all, the tour hasn’t happened yet, so what’s the problem with just giving the money back? We’d love to do that for each and every customer whose travel plans have changed at the last minute and who is no longer able to join our thrilling Kilimanjaro or safari adventure. It is always hard for our team to say “no” to everyone we guided through the planning process and whose joy we expected to share here in Tanzania. 

However, it is not just Shiri Adventures, as a tour operator that is behind your trip. There are many organizations whose contribution is essential for the tour to happen. We pay them long before you arrive in Tanzania. Some of them are:

Hotels, lodges, and local airlines

Refund policies for hotels, lodges, and local airlines in Tanzania vary but generally follow common guidelines. Hotels and lodges often have cancellation policies with varying refund amounts depending on the proximity to the check-in date, while local airlines may offer different refund options based on fare types and timing of cancellation. Booking platforms may also influence refund processes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many establishments and airlines have adjusted policies to accommodate changing circumstances. It’s essential to review the specific terms and conditions of your booking to understand the applicable refund policies and contact customer service for clarification if needed.

Tanzania National Parks Authority

Mt Kilimanjaro or safari parks all require the tour companies to pay entry fees on behalf of the clients. To avoid unnecessary delays in the departures of our customers’ trips, we are doing that 2-3 days prior to the scheduled beginning of your tour. Once paid, these fees are non-refundable.

Local food and other suppliers

Each trip to Kilimanjaro, Meru, or other mountains requires fresh food supplies (most of which, such as meat, vegetables, and fruit, are perishable), fuel, medication, bottled water, and other expendables, which are not produced or owned by Shiri Adventures. We buy and pay for them ahead of your trip.

Finally, we have a large staff working for us, many of whom worked hard to make your tour happen. A manager spent hours helping to plan the trip, reservation agents (all of whom are based in Tanzania) emailed and called the hotels, Kilimanjaro expedition assistants checked and prepared the gear, and the supply teams went to the local farms to procure supplies, and so on.  

Sustainable community development is one of the key pillars on which we built Shiri Adventures, and we can never compromise the job security of our Tanzanian teammates. The livelihoods of many families in the region depend on tourism, and we have always strived to make Shiri Adventures a safe haven for everyone on board. One may expect much uncertainty in the job market in East Africa, but not at Shiri Adventures.

Keeping all these expenses and the welfare of our team in mind, Shiri Adventures has to be very careful with the refunds and follow our cancellation policies.

Nevertheless, we try to be flexible and helpful

Here at Shiri Adventures, we do everything we can to make our trips risk-free for our customers. The terms outlined below are the standard ones, applicable to most situations. However, together with our partnered hotels and lodges, we always consider the particular details of each and every case. In some of the most extreme situations (death, serious illness, war or natural calamity in the departure country and alike), Shiri Adventures always tries to provide a 100% refund. 

Also, when one informs us about a tour cancelation, we immediately contact our partners and inform them of the situation. Having worked with Shiri Adventures for many years, most of them are willing to reciprocate and waive cancelation penalties in extreme cases. 

When a request for a refund is submitted, we evaluate it and make a decision within 72 hours or less.

Cancelation fees

The amount of refund that we will be able to provide you with depends on the date when we receive your cancelation request. 

As of today, our cancelation and refund policy is as follows: 

• 100 USD per person deposit is non-refundable regardless of the date of cancelation, though transferable to any other dates. This deposit is charged for confirming a classic Kilimanjaro climbing package that includes accommodation 

To our premium Kilimanjaro packages and safari adventures of any category, the following cancelation and refund policy applies:

• 10% cancelation fee if canceled more than 90 days before the tour starts;
• 30% cancelation fee if canceled 60-89 days before the tour starts;
• 60% cancelation fee if canceled 30-59 days before the tour starts;
• 80% cancelation fee if canceled 8-29 days before the tour starts;
• No refund if canceled 0-7 days before the tour starts.

Please note: should the penalty fees charged by lodges and airlines exceed the percentages stated above, the non-refundable amount is to be increased accordingly. Bank commissions to be paid for the return of the funds to your account shall be deducted from the refund amount.

Lifetime deposits

Instead of canceling the tour altogether, one should consider that Shiri Adventures allows indefinite holds on your deposit, and you will be able to use it for any trip with us in the future. However, keep in mind that our prices may be increased in the future (for example, if the park authorities decide to raise the park fees, or the costs of essential trip supplies grow), and you will have to pay the difference at the time of your trip.

Should you decide to reschedule your safari tour instead of canceling it altogether, the lodges and airlines under your booking are more likely to provide a no-penalty deferral or reduce the cancelation charges. If a no-penalty deferral is allowed, we will make every effort to reschedule your whole tour to new dates without changes. However, the decision about a no-penalty deferral is at the sole discretion of the lodges and airlines under the booking, as they are allowed to charge penalties regardless of the circumstances of the cancellation.

Also, keep in mind that canceling your safari tour on short notice in mid-December – mid-March, or early July – mid-October (“peak seasons”) is much more likely to entail a full cancelation penalty of the accommodation and/or local air travel costs. It does not mean that the whole price of the tour will be forfeited, but, as these costs make up a substantial part of the total trip cost, the charges can be as high as 50-80% of the trip cost. We will transfer the remainder to your balance. 

Travel insurance is a good thing to have

For all possible contingencies, we highly recommend obtaining insurance with coverage sufficient for your tour cancelation. Should anything unforeseen occur, like illness or flight cancelation, you can claim financial losses from your insurance company. We, in our turn, will provide the necessary proof of all the expenses you incurred.