Terms & Conditions

1. About these terms

These terms apply to every booking made with Maranatha Tours & Travel, trading as Trek Rwanda Gorillas ("we", "us", "our"). We are licensed by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB Licence No. RDB/TL/2019/07/TO/10116) and the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB Licence No. UTB/RTT/TT/2024/101151).

"You" means the person making the booking and everyone travelling on it. The person who makes the booking accepts these terms for the whole group and must be at least 18 years old.

Please also read our Privacy Policy, which explains how we use your personal information.

2. Booking and confirmation

• You can book by email, WhatsApp or our website contact form.
• Before you pay, we send a written quote and itinerary showing the price, what is included and what is not.
• Your booking is confirmed when we receive your deposit and permit payment and send you a written confirmation.
• To book permits, we need each traveller's full name exactly as in their passport, passport number, nationality and date of birth. A permit issued with wrong details may not be accepted, so please check them carefully.

3. Prices

• Prices are quoted per person in US dollars, based on the number of travellers and the room type shown in your quote.
• Prices on our website are guide prices. Your written quote is the price you pay.
• Permit and park fees are set by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and other park authorities. If an authority raises its fees before your permit is paid, we will pass on the change. Once your permit is paid and issued, its price is fixed.
• After your booking is confirmed, we will not raise the price for other services unless a government tax or fuel cost rises significantly. If that happens, we will explain the increase, and you may cancel with a full refund of non-permit payments if the total rises by more than 10%.
• Usually included: the items listed in your quote, such as permits, private 4x4 transport with a driver-guide, accommodation, meals as stated and park entry fees.
• Usually not included: international flights, visas, travel insurance, tips, drinks, laundry, porters and personal expenses, unless your quote says otherwise.

4. Payment

• We accept bank transfer to our company account and card payments through our payment provider. Card payments may carry a processing fee, which we will show before you pay.
• Bank charges on international transfers are paid by you.
• We will only ever ask you to pay into a bank account in the name of Maranatha Tours & Travel. If you receive payment instructions for any other account, contact us by phone before paying.
• If the balance is not paid on time, we may treat the booking as cancelled by you, and the charges in section 6 will apply.

5. Gorilla and chimpanzee permits

• Permits are issued by RDB (Rwanda), UWA (Uganda) or the relevant park authority (DR Congo), under their own rules. These rules can change, and we must follow them.
• Permits are for a specific date, park and person. They cannot be transferred to another person.
• Permits are generally non-refundable. If an authority grants a full or partial refund, for example because a trek is cancelled by the park, we will pass the refund on to you.
• Rescheduling a permit depends on the authority's rules and availability, and may carry a fee. For example, UWA can charge a rescheduling fee close to the trek date. Low-season permits in Uganda cannot be rescheduled.
• Gorilla trekking is a wildlife experience in a natural forest. Sightings are very likely but cannot be guaranteed, and the time spent with the gorillas (usually one hour) is set by the park rangers.
• Rangers may refuse to let anyone trek who has a cold, flu or other infectious illness, to protect the gorillas. Any refund in this case is entirely at the authority's discretion.

6. Cancellation by you

You must cancel in writing by email. Cancellation takes effect on the day we receive your email. The following charges apply to the non-permit part of your booking:

• Permits: permit costs are not refundable, except where the permit authority refunds them (see section 5).
• Lodges and airlines: if a lodge or airline has stricter cancellation terms that we have told you about in writing, those terms apply to that part of the booking.
• Unused services: we cannot refund services you choose not to use once your trip has started.
• Insurance: we strongly recommend travel insurance that covers cancellation, so you can claim back these charges.

7. Changes by you

If you want to change your dates, itinerary, lodges or names after booking, tell us in writing as early as possible. We will try to help, but changes depend on availability. You will pay any extra costs, supplier change fees and permit rescheduling fees. A change made within 30 days of travel may be treated as a cancellation.

8. Changes or cancellation by us

• Safari itineraries sometimes need to change because of weather, road conditions, park instructions or lodge availability. If we have to change your trip, we will replace any service with one of the same or a higher standard where possible.
• If we make a major change before you travel, such as changing the country or park of your gorilla trek, you may accept the change, choose another trip, or cancel and receive a full refund of the money you have paid us (permit refunds depend on the authority).
• If we cancel your trip for any reason other than events beyond our control (section 14), we will refund everything you have paid us.

9. Passports, visas and health

• You must have a passport valid for at least 6 months after your trip ends, with blank pages for entry stamps.
• You are responsible for getting the right visas. These may include the Rwanda visa, the Uganda e-visa or the East Africa Tourist Visa (which covers Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya). We can advise you, but we are not responsible if you are refused entry.
• A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required to enter Uganda. It is also required to enter Rwanda if you arrive from a country with yellow fever risk, including Uganda. Ask your doctor about other vaccines and malaria prevention before you travel.
• Please tell us in writing about any medical condition, mobility issue, allergy or dietary need that may affect your trip.

10. Travel insurance

Every traveller must have travel insurance that covers medical treatment, emergency evacuation (including from remote forest areas), repatriation, cancellation and loss of luggage, for the whole trip. Please send us your policy details before you travel. We are not responsible for costs that insurance would normally cover.

11. Gorilla trekking rules and fitness

• The minimum age for gorilla trekking in Rwanda and Uganda is 15 years. Other activities may have different age limits.
• Treks can last from 1 to 8 hours over steep, muddy and high-altitude ground. You must be reasonably fit and in good health. Porters and, in some parks, carry-chair services are available at extra cost.
• You must follow the park rules and the rangers' instructions at all times. These include keeping a 7-metre distance from the gorillas, wearing a face mask when asked, not eating near the gorillas, and not trekking when you are ill.
• Rangers may stop anyone from trekking, or end a visit early, for safety or conservation reasons. No refund is due from us in these cases.

12. Your responsibilities

You must behave respectfully towards guides, rangers, other travellers, local communities and wildlife, and you must obey the laws of the countries you visit. For example, plastic bags are banned in Rwanda, and some places may not be photographed. If your behaviour puts others at risk or breaks the law, we may end your trip without a refund.

13. Our responsibility and its limits

• We will provide the services in your confirmed booking with reasonable skill and care, using licensed guides, roadworthy vehicles and trusted suppliers.
• Adventure travel in remote areas carries natural risks. These include steep terrain, wildlife, altitude, weather and limited medical facilities. By booking, you accept these risks.
• We are not responsible for loss, injury, illness, delay or damage caused by you, by events beyond our control, or by third parties not connected with the services we provide. Third parties include airlines, which are bound by their own conditions of carriage.
• Where we are responsible, our liability is limited to the price you paid us for the trip, except for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or where the law does not allow a limit.
• We are not responsible for the loss of personal belongings, money or valuables. Please keep them safe and insured.

14. Events beyond our control

We are not responsible for changes, delays or cancellations caused by events we cannot reasonably control. These include natural disasters, extreme weather, disease outbreaks, security incidents, war, political unrest, government action, park or border closures, strikes and airline failures. In these cases, we will do our best to offer you a new date or a different trip, and we will refund any amounts we recover from suppliers and permit authorities, minus reasonable costs already spent.

DR Congo trips: Virunga National Park is in North Kivu, where the UK and US governments currently advise against travel. Congo trips may be changed or cancelled at short notice for security reasons, and we may offer a gorilla trek in Rwanda or Uganda instead.

15. Complaints

If something goes wrong during your trip, please tell your guide or contact us straight away, so we can try to fix it on the spot. If it can't be resolved, send us your complaint in writing within 30 days of the end of your trip. We will reply within 14 days.

16. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of Uganda. Any dispute that we cannot settle by discussion will be dealt with by the courts of Uganda. This does not remove any consumer rights you have under the laws of your own country.

17. Contact us