Cancellation,
honestly explained

we hope you never need this page. but cancellations happen — illness, family emergencies, world events, a change of plans. the honest reality of safari bookings is that we commit to your suppliers (camps, airlines, parks, vehicles) the moment you commit to us. if you cancel, we may not be able to recover those costs.

what follows is the standard cancellation policy that applies to all bookings, unless we've separately agreed otherwise in writing.

cancellation fees are based on the number of days between when you cancel and your scheduled arrival in tanzania, and are charged as a percentage of your total safari cost.

why these fees exist

this isn't a profit centre for us. the fees reflect the actual costs we incur from suppliers:

• Camps generally charge us 100% of room nights if cancelled within 60 days
• Light aircraft tickets are non-refundable once issued (typically 30-60 days out)
• Park permits are usually non-refundable once purchased
• Special permits (Mahale chimps, special concessions) are often non-refundable longer

to cancel a confirmed booking, please follow this process:

1. Notify us in writing as soon as you know — email to your travel designer or to bookings@conbushsafaris.com. Phone calls are followed up with email confirmation.
2. State the reason (you don't have to give a detailed explanation, but the reason affects what your insurance covers).
3. We acknowledge within 24 hours with the cancellation fee calculation based on the date your written notice is received.
4. We process the cancellation with our suppliers and confirm the actual refundable amount within 7-10 working days.
5. Refund issued to the original payment method within 30 days of cancellation confirmation.

what we will do for you

• Provide a detailed cancellation breakdown showing exactly what was forfeited and to whom
• Provide a formal cancellation invoice for your insurance claim
• Coordinate with your insurance provider if helpful
• Provide medical certificates or other documentation if helpful
• Be honest and transparent about the financial situation

if you need to change your dates rather than cancel altogether, that's often possible with much lower (or no) penalties:

more than 90 days before arrival

date changes within the same season are usually free of cancellation penalties (subject to camp availability for the new dates). we may need to adjust your itinerary if specific camps aren't available — we'll talk it through before confirming.

61 – 90 days before arrival

date changes are possible but may carry supplier penalties (typically 20–30% of the original cost). if the new dates are within 90 days of the original, this is often more workable than cancelling.

less than 60 days before arrival

date changes are treated much like cancellations this close — most suppliers won't allow free changes. it may still be cheaper than cancelling outright if you can travel later in the same year.

events outside both our control and yours are governed by our force majeure clause — the standard treatment across the industry.

what counts as force majeure

• Government travel restrictions (closed borders, pandemic, war)
• Natural disasters (volcanic eruption, severe weather event, earthquake)
• Terrorism or civil unrest affecting Tanzania
• Major airline industry failures (carrier bankruptcy)
• Disease outbreaks affecting travel (declared epidemic/pandemic)

what happens

• We first attempt to postpone your trip to a later available date
• If postponement is impossible, we work with our suppliers for maximum credit toward future travel (typically 12-24 months)
• Where suppliers refund us, we refund you
• Some supplier payments are non-refundable even under force majeure — we are transparent about which
• This is not a covered loss under most travel insurance (check your policy)

once a cancellation is processed and the refundable amounts confirmed, here's what happens.

refund method

refunds go back to the original payment method — bank transfers by bank transfer, card payments to the original card.

timeline

• Within 24-48 hours of cancellation: confirmation received, calculation begun
• Within 7-10 working days: detailed breakdown of refundable amounts sent to you
• Within 30 days: refund issued from our side
• 2-10 working days: refund appears in your account (depends on bank and card networks)

what can slow this down

• Suppliers taking time to confirm their own refund positions
• Cross-border banking delays
• Credit card refund processing (typically 5-10 business days)
• Currency conversion if refund crosses currencies

if your cancellation is covered by your travel insurance, here's what you'll need from us and how to file:

documents we provide

• Formal cancellation invoice with itemised breakdown
• Original booking confirmation
• Proof of cancellation correspondence
• Detailed receipt of any amounts retained by suppliers
• Letter of explanation for your insurer if needed

what you need to provide

• Reason for cancellation with supporting documentation (medical certificate, death certificate, employer letter, etc.)
• Your insurance policy details and policy number
• Proof of premium payment
• All booking and payment documentation

typical insurance claim timelines

• Initial submission: within days of cancellation
• Insurer acknowledgement: 5-15 working days
• Additional documentation requests: 30-60 days typical
• Settlement: 60-120 days from claim submission for most insurers