Applies to: all bookings confirmed on or after the effective date.
These Terms and Conditions form a binding agreement between the Client and the Company. By paying a deposit, the Client confirms that they have read, understood and accepted these Terms on behalf of every person named in the booking.
1. Definitions
1.1 “The Company” means MasaiMaraSafari.com, a tour operating business licensed by the Tourism Regulatory Authority of Kenya, licence number [insert number], with registered offices in Nairobi and Narok.
1.2 “The Client” means the person who makes the booking and every person named on that booking.
1.3 “The Safari” means the services described in the Company’s written quotation and confirmation, which may include accommodation, ground transport, a driver-guide, park entry permits, air transfers and airport transfers.
1.4 “Third-Party Suppliers” means lodges, camps, air carriers, balloon operators, conservancies and county authorities whose services form part of the Safari.
1.5 “Confirmation” means the Company’s written acceptance of a booking, issued after the deposit is received.
2. Formation of Contract
2.1 A booking is a request only until the Company issues a Confirmation. No contract exists before that point.
2.2 The contract is formed when the deposit under clause 3.1 is received and the Company issues Confirmation.
2.3 The quotation, the Confirmation and these Terms together constitute the entire agreement. Verbal statements made by any employee, agent or guide do not vary these Terms unless confirmed in writing by the Company.
3. Payment Schedule
3.1 Deposit. A deposit of 20% of the total Safari price is payable on booking. The Company applies the deposit to pre-payment of the Client’s selected lodges, reservation of the vehicle and driver-guide, and purchase of park entry permits.
3.2 Vouchers. Within 48 hours of receipt of cleared deposit funds, the Company issues hotel confirmation vouchers in the Client’s own name. The Client may contact the reservation desk of each property directly, using the voucher reference, to confirm that the accommodation is reserved and paid.
3.3 Second instalment. A further 30% of the total price is payable after the Client has verified the vouchers under clause 3.2, bringing the total paid to 50%.
3.4 Balance. The remaining 50% is payable either in United States Dollars in cash or by card at the point of pickup on Day 1, or by bank transfer received not less than seven days before the Safari start date.
3.5 Non-payment. The Company reserves the right to treat a booking as cancelled by the Client under clause 5 where any instalment remains unpaid at the due date.
4. Payment Methods and Currency
4.1 The Company accepts bank transfer (SWIFT or Wise), Visa and Mastercard, Stripe, PayPal, Payoneer and Skrill.
4.2 Card payments carry a processing surcharge of 3.5% to 4.5%, which is disclosed before payment is taken.
4.3 Where the Client pays a balance or gratuities in cash, United States Dollar notes must be issued after 2013 and free of tears, heavy creases or ink stamps. Kenyan commercial banks and exchange counters refuse notes that do not meet this standard, and the Company cannot accept them.
5. Cancellation, Postponement and Refunds
5.1 Deposit funds are remitted immediately to Third-Party Suppliers to secure non-refundable accommodation, driver schedules and pre-paid park permits. Those funds are not recoverable by the Company once paid.
5.2 No cash refunds. The Company does not issue cash refunds for cancellations initiated by the Client.
5.3 Cancellation more than 90 days before the Safari start date. The Client retains 100% of sums paid as a credit, applicable to any future travel date, with no penalty charged by the Company.
5.4 Cancellation between 90 and 14 days before the Safari start date. The Client retains a credit equal to sums paid less any amounts retained by Third-Party Suppliers under their own terms. The Company will confirm in writing the amount retained by each supplier.
5.5 Cancellation within 14 days of the Safari start date. Third-Party Suppliers apply strict retention terms at this stage and the recoverable credit is generally minimal or nil.
5.6 Validity of credit. Credit issued under clauses 5.3 to 5.5 must be applied to a Safari commencing within [insert period, e.g. 24 months] of the original start date.
5.7 Cancellation by the Company. Where the Company cancels for reasons other than force majeure under clause 11, the Client is entitled to a full refund of sums paid to the Company. The Company’s liability in these circumstances is limited to that refund.
5.8 The Client is advised that clause 5 is not a substitute for travel insurance. See clause 12.
6. Park Entry Permits and Gate Timings
6.1 The Masai Mara National Reserve is administered by the Narok County Government. Permits are not issued by the Kenya Wildlife Service, which administers national parks including Lake Nakuru and Amboseli.
6.2 Non-resident adult entry fees are USD 100 per 24 hours from 1 January to 30 June, and USD 200 per 24 hours from 1 July to 31 December. Children aged 9 to 17 pay USD 50 per 24 hours throughout the year. Where the itinerary includes a private conservancy, separate conservation fees of USD 100 to USD 150 per person per day apply.
6.3 Permits are pre-paid by the Company through the Narok County eCitizen portal. Cash is not accepted at park gates.
6.4 A permit runs for 24 hours from the recorded time of entry. Where departure occurs after that window at the Client’s request or as a result of the Client’s delay, an additional 24-hour permit fee per person becomes payable and will be invoiced to the Client.
6.5 Park entry fees are subject to change by the Narok County Government. Where fees rise between Confirmation and travel, the Company will notify the Client of the difference, which is payable by the Client.
7. Air Transfers and Baggage
7.1 Scheduled bush flights are operated by third-party carriers, principally Safarilink and AirKenya. Their conditions of carriage govern those flights.
7.2 Total baggage is limited to 15 kg (33 lb) per passenger, including hand luggage, weighed together at check-in.
7.3 Bags must be frameless and soft-sided. Hard-shell cases and bags with rigid wheels or metal handles are refused at check-in and the Company accepts no liability for that refusal.
7.4 Excess baggage may be stored at Wilson Airport at the Client’s cost (approximately USD 5 to USD 10 per day), or an additional freight seat may be purchased at approximately 75% of a passenger fare.
7.5 The Company is not liable for flight delays, schedule changes or cancellations by air carriers, or for consequential loss arising from them.
8. Travel Documents and Health
8.1 It is the Client’s responsibility to hold valid travel documents. The Company accepts no liability for denied boarding or refused entry.
8.2 All visitors, including infants, require an approved Electronic Travel Authorization obtained through the official Kenya eTA portal at least 72 hours before travel. Current fees are USD 30 standard and USD 130 expedited.
8.3 Passports must be valid for at least six months beyond the date of entry and contain at least two blank pages. The name on the eTA must match the passport exactly, including middle names.
8.4 A Yellow Fever certificate is required where the Client arrives from, or transits for more than 12 hours through, a country with Yellow Fever transmission risk.
8.5 The Client should obtain medical advice on malaria prophylaxis before travel. The Company does not provide medical advice.
9. Client Conduct and Safety
9.1 The Client must comply with the instructions of the driver-guide, camp staff and park authorities at all times.
9.2 The Client must remain within the frame of the vehicle when wildlife is in proximity. Standing on seats, leaning from doors or windows and waving arms are prohibited.
9.3 The Client must not walk unescorted within unfenced camps after dark and must wait for an escort.
9.4 Where a Client’s conduct endangers themselves, other guests, staff or wildlife, the driver-guide may terminate a game drive, and the Company may terminate the Safari without refund.
9.5 Any fines or penalties incurred as a result of the Client’s conduct are payable by the Client.
10. Medical Evacuation Cover
10.1 Safari packages include emergency air evacuation cover operated by AMREF Flying Doctors for the duration of the Safari.
10.2 Cover provides air transfer from the nearest bush airstrip to a hospital in Nairobi. It is not medical insurance and does not cover the cost of treatment, hospital admission, repatriation to the Client’s home country, or pre-existing conditions.
11. Force Majeure and Limitation of Liability
11.1 The Company is not liable for failure to perform where caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including severe weather, flooding, impassable roads, civil unrest, epidemic, government action, strikes, failure of government electronic systems or telecommunications, and acts of third-party carriers.
11.2 Wildlife is wild. No particular sighting, including Great Migration river crossings, can be guaranteed, and no part of the Safari price is refundable on the basis of sightings not occurring.
11.3 Where services are supplied by Third-Party Suppliers, the Company acts as agent and is not liable for their acts or omissions.
11.4 Save in respect of death or personal injury caused by the Company’s negligence, which is not excluded, the Company’s total liability arising out of this agreement is limited to the total price paid by the Client for the Safari.
11.5 The Company is not liable for indirect or consequential loss, including loss of enjoyment, missed onward connections or loss of earnings.
12. Insurance
12.1 The Client must hold comprehensive travel insurance covering cancellation, curtailment, medical expenses, emergency repatriation, personal accident and baggage.
12.2 The Company may request evidence of insurance before the Safari commences.
13. Complaints
13.1 Complaints must be raised with the driver-guide or camp management at the time, so that they can be addressed during the Safari.
13.2 Complaints not resolved on the ground must be submitted to the Company in writing within 28 days of the Safari end date.
14. Data Protection
14.1 Personal data provided in connection with a booking is processed in accordance with the Company’s privacy policy, which reflects the Kenya Data Protection Act and, where applicable, CCPA and PIPEDA standards.
14.2 Data is shared with Third-Party Suppliers only to the extent necessary to deliver the Safari.
15. Related Terms
15.1 The Company’s liability and safety policy forms part of this agreement and sets out safety obligations and evacuation terms in full.
15.2 Where these Terms and the liability and safety policy conflict, these Terms prevail.
16. Variation and Governing Law
16.1 The Company may amend these Terms at any time. The version in force at the date of Confirmation governs the booking.
16.2 If any clause is held unenforceable, the remaining clauses continue in effect.
16.3 This agreement is governed by the laws of the Republic of Kenya and the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Kenyan courts.
17. Contact
Written notice under this agreement should be sent to the Company at the address and email published on the contact page.