Cancellation and Refund Policy

Effective date: 2 October 2026
Last reviewed: 2 October 2026

This Cancellation and Refund Policy explains how Greatlink Safaris handles traveller cancellations, booking reductions, amendments, no shows, supplier charges, credits and approved refunds for private Kenya safari bookings. It should be read together with our Terms and Conditions, your quotation, invoice, itinerary, booking confirmation and any specific supplier conditions disclosed before payment.

1. Before you cancel

Safari arrangements often require Greatlink Safaris to commit money in advance to lodges, camps, park services, flights, vehicles and activity providers. Some supplier payments become non refundable or only partly refundable well before travel. For this reason, the amount refundable after cancellation depends on when written notice is received and on the conditions attached to the specific services in your booking.

2. How to cancel

A cancellation must be sent in writing through an official Greatlink Safaris communication channel. Use the contact information on our Contact Us page and include the booking reference, lead traveller name, travel dates and the service or travellers being cancelled.

The effective cancellation date is the date Greatlink Safaris receives the written cancellation request. A verbal conversation with a guide, hotel or other supplier does not by itself cancel the booking unless Greatlink Safaris confirms the cancellation in writing.

3. Standard cancellation schedule

Unless your quotation, invoice, booking confirmation, promotional condition or a supplier term disclosed before confirmation states a different cancellation condition, the following standard schedule applies to the value of the services being cancelled:

If a specifically disclosed supplier condition is more restrictive than this standard schedule, that supplier condition may apply to the affected service. If it is more favourable and Greatlink Safaris receives the benefit of that refund, the recoverable amount will be reflected in the client's refund calculation.

4. Deposits

The deposit required for a booking is stated in the quotation or invoice. A deposit may be used immediately to secure accommodation, transport, park services, flights or other components. The fact that a deposit has been paid does not mean every part of it remains recoverable if a supplier has already received or committed the money under a disclosed booking condition.

5. Supplier costs and non refundable services

Certain services may carry their own cancellation rules. Examples can include special rate accommodation, holiday period bookings, exclusive use properties, domestic flights, air charters, permits, activities, event tickets, conservancy charges and promotional offers. Where such terms are material to your booking, Greatlink Safaris will make reasonable efforts to disclose them before confirmation.

6. Partial cancellation

If only one traveller, one room, one activity or another part of a group booking is cancelled, we will recalculate the booking. Shared vehicle, guide, room and transfer costs may then be divided among fewer travellers, so the price per remaining traveller may increase. A partial cancellation may therefore result in both a cancellation charge for the removed service and a revised price for the services retained.

7. Traveller requested changes

Changing travel dates, route, accommodation, traveller names, room arrangements or activities is subject to availability and supplier approval. We will advise you of any supplier charge, fare difference or additional cost before confirming the change. If a requested change cannot be made and you choose not to travel on the original booking, the applicable cancellation rules may apply.

8. Postponement and travel credit

Where suppliers permit postponement or credit, Greatlink Safaris may offer that option instead of cancellation. Credits may have expiry dates, seasonal restrictions, price differences or supplier conditions. A credit is not automatically equivalent to cash and cannot be guaranteed unless confirmed in writing.

9. No shows and unused services

If a traveller does not arrive for a confirmed service, arrives too late to use it, voluntarily leaves a safari early, or chooses not to use a confirmed service, no refund is normally due for the unused portion unless Greatlink Safaris recovers a refund from the supplier or applicable law requires a different result.

10. Late arrival caused by the traveller

Greatlink Safaris will make reasonable efforts to help a traveller who arrives late because of a missed international flight, immigration delay, personal travel problem or other event outside our control. Additional accommodation, transport, flight, park or itinerary costs required to rejoin the safari are normally the traveller's responsibility. Travel insurance may provide protection depending on the policy.

11. Cancellation by Greatlink Safaris

If Greatlink Safaris cancels a confirmed safari for reasons within our reasonable control and cannot provide a suitable alternative accepted by the traveller, we will refund the amount paid for the affected services that will not be provided, subject to any mandatory legal requirements. Services already properly delivered are not refundable merely because a later part of the trip is cancelled.

12. Significant changes before travel

If a material part of the confirmed itinerary becomes unavailable before travel, we will try to offer a reasonably comparable alternative. Where the proposed replacement materially changes the nature or standard of the booked service, we will explain the available options, which may include accepting the alternative, postponing where available, receiving a credit, or receiving an appropriate refund for the affected component where required or recoverable.

13. Force majeure and events beyond reasonable control

Events beyond reasonable control can include severe weather, flood, fire, epidemic, pandemic, natural disaster, civil disturbance, acts of government, park or border closure, major transport disruption, security incident, labour disruption or another extraordinary event that could not reasonably be avoided.

If such an event prevents or materially affects travel, Greatlink Safaris will work with the client and suppliers to seek a practical solution such as rerouting, postponement, credit or refund of recoverable amounts. Where a supplier lawfully retains a payment under a condition disclosed for the booking, that amount may not be immediately refundable by Greatlink Safaris. Mandatory consumer rights always remain applicable.

14. Park fee, government fee and permit changes

Government, park, conservancy or permit fees can be subject to rules set by the relevant authority. If a fee has already been paid and the authority does not permit a refund, Greatlink Safaris may be unable to refund that component unless required by law. Any refund actually received for an unused refundable fee will be included in the client refund calculation.

15. Flight cancellation and schedule changes

Where a domestic flight or air charter is included, the carrier's fare and cancellation rules apply to that air service. Greatlink Safaris will assist with communication and any available refund or rebooking but does not control an independent carrier's schedule or refund processing time.

16. Illness, injury and personal emergencies

Illness, injury, bereavement and other personal emergencies do not automatically remove supplier cancellation charges. Travellers are strongly encouraged to purchase comprehensive travel insurance that includes cancellation and interruption benefits appropriate to their circumstances.

17. Travel insurance claims

On request, Greatlink Safaris can provide available booking documents, invoices, receipts or cancellation confirmation that may support an insurance claim. The insurer decides whether a claim is covered under the traveller's insurance policy.

18. How a refund is calculated

Where a refund is due, the calculation may take into account:

• The amount actually received by Greatlink Safaris for the affected booking.
• The cancellation schedule applicable to the booking.
• Services already provided.
• Supplier cancellation charges and non refundable commitments that lawfully apply.
• Refunds or credits actually recovered from suppliers.
• Bank, card, payment gateway or currency conversion costs that are not returned to Greatlink Safaris, where lawfully chargeable.
• Any mandatory refund or remedy required by applicable law.

We will provide a reasonable explanation of the refund calculation on request.

19. Refund payment method

For security and fraud prevention, an approved refund will normally be returned through the original payment method or to the original payer where reasonably possible. If that method cannot receive the refund, we may require written instructions and identity or account verification before using another method.

20. Refund processing time

Once the refundable amount is final and Greatlink Safaris has the information needed to make payment, we aim to initiate an approved refund within 14 business days. Where the refund depends on money being returned by an independent supplier, we may need to wait until that supplier confirms or remits the recoverable amount. Banks, mobile money services, card providers and international payment intermediaries may require additional time after we initiate the refund.

21. Currency differences

If the original payment involved currency conversion, the refunded amount received in the traveller's local currency may differ because exchange rates and payment provider charges can change. Greatlink Safaris is responsible for refunding the amount due in the booking or settlement currency, not for guaranteeing the original exchange rate unless mandatory law requires otherwise.

22. Duplicate payments and payment errors

If you believe you made a duplicate payment or paid an incorrect amount, contact us promptly with the payment reference. Once verified, an amount received in error will be corrected or refunded as appropriate without applying ordinary traveller cancellation charges to the mistaken duplicate amount.

23. Chargebacks and payment disputes

Please contact Greatlink Safaris promptly if you believe a payment or refund is incorrect so that we can investigate. Nothing in this policy limits a lawful right to dispute a payment through a bank or payment provider. We may provide the relevant quotation, invoice, acceptance, booking confirmation and service records when responding to a payment dispute.

24. Consumer rights

Nothing in this policy is intended to remove or reduce a cancellation, refund, remedy or consumer right that cannot lawfully be excluded. Kenyan consumer law may provide specific rights in particular types of transactions. Where a mandatory right applies, it prevails over an inconsistent term in this policy. Official Kenyan legislation can be accessed through Kenya Law.

25. How to request a refund review

Contact Greatlink Safaris through the official details on our Contact Us page. Include the booking reference, lead traveller name, reason for cancellation or refund request, affected services and any relevant supporting information. Do not send passwords or full payment card details.

26. Relationship with our Terms and Conditions

This policy forms part of the booking framework and should be read with our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. If a specific written booking condition was disclosed and accepted before confirmation, that specific term may apply to the affected service, subject to mandatory law.

27. Policy updates

We may update this policy for future bookings. The version applicable to a confirmed booking is normally the version that formed part of the booking when it was confirmed, together with the specific quotation, invoice, itinerary and supplier conditions, unless mandatory law requires otherwise.