Payment and Cancellation Policy

At a glance

• Multi-day safaris: a non-refundable 40% deposit in every season, unless full payment is already due.
• Day tours: full payment at booking. Cancellations received at least 48 hours before departure qualify for a refund of the amount paid, less the original payment transaction fee and any stricter supplier cancellation costs disclosed and accepted before payment.
• Your deposit counts toward the cancellation charge; it is never added on top.
• There is no additional cancellation/refund administration fee or separate Rustic amendment fee.
• Pesapal card payments carry a 4% transaction fee. Bank transfers do not carry that Rustic fee.

1. Price, currency and payment methods

The confirmed price is based on the travel dates, party size and arrangements in your booking confirmation. It excludes the separately disclosed card transaction fee. In this policy, percentages of the “total safari price” refer to that confirmed service price before the card transaction fee.

We accept payments through Pesapal and by bank transfer. Overseas travellers pay in USD. Local Kenyan travellers may pay a fixed KES price quoted and agreed before payment; that price is not recalculated at a new exchange rate for each instalment.

Card payments through Pesapal carry a transaction fee of 4% of the amount being paid toward the booking. We disclose it before payment. For example, a USD 2,000 booking payment carries a USD 80 card fee, giving a total card payment of USD 2,080. No further fee is charged on the card fee itself.

Bank transfers do not carry an additional 4% Rustic fee. You cover applicable bank and intermediary charges so we receive the invoiced amount. Your bank or card provider may impose its own charges.

2. Deposit, balance and confirmation

A non-refundable deposit of 40% of the total safari price is required for multi-day safaris in every season. If you cancel, this deposit counts toward the applicable cancellation charge. A higher charge may apply depending on when you cancel and any stricter supplier terms disclosed and accepted before payment. The separate provisions for cancellation by Rustic, external disruption and declined qualifying fee increases below are exceptions to the standard traveller-cancellation rules.

Any earlier supplier balance deadline must be disclosed and accepted before payment. Your confirmation states the actual balance due date. All required payments must reach us in cleared funds.

For online “Book Now” bookings, successful payment of the required amount and the automatic booking confirmation email confirm your booking. No separate staff approval is required. For bookings arranged with our team, we provide the invoice and payment instructions; the booking is confirmed when we receive the required payment in cleared funds and send written confirmation by email. A quotation alone does not confirm availability.

3. Booking seasons

We use the following seasons to determine balance deadlines and multi-day safari cancellation charges. The 40% deposit is the same in every season.

If your safari spans more than one season, the stricter balance deadline and cancellation schedule apply to the whole booking. Your confirmation identifies the applicable season and deadlines. These are booking categories, not guarantees of weather or wildlife movements.

4. Overdue balance payments

If a balance is overdue, we will send written notice and allow 48 hours to pay where supplier deadlines permit. If an earlier supplier deadline applies, the notice will state that exact deadline. If payment remains unpaid by the stated deadline, we may cancel the booking and the applicable traveller cancellation charges apply. Supplier holds cannot be guaranteed beyond their deadlines.

5. Cancelling your booking

Send cancellation requests by email to your Rustic booking contact or contact Rustic Nature Tours for assistance. The date we receive your written email determines the applicable charge. We will acknowledge it within 2 business days; our acknowledgement does not change the date of receipt. Verbal notice alone is insufficient.

For multi-day safaris, notice is measured in calendar days between the date we receive your cancellation and the safari start date, using Nairobi time. For day tours, the 48-hour period is measured against the confirmed departure time.

5.1 Multi-day safaris: standard cancellation charges

These percentages are the total cancellation charge, not a charge added to your deposit. We credit payments already made toward the charge. We refund any amount paid above it, excluding the original payment transaction fee; if you have paid less than the charge, the shortfall remains payable. There is no additional cancellation/refund administration fee. Stricter supplier terms may apply only as described in section 6.

Illustration only: for a USD 5,000 safari with a 50% cancellation charge, the total charge is USD 2,500. A USD 2,000 deposit counts toward that charge, leaving USD 500 payable. If the full USD 5,000 safari price was paid, USD 2,500 is refundable. Any original card transaction fee remains non-refundable. This illustration assumes no stricter supplier charge.

5.2 Day tours

Cancellation received at exactly 48 hours qualifies for the refund. Illustration only: a USD 200 day tour paid with a USD 8 card fee (USD 208 total) returns USD 200 when cancelled at least 48 hours before departure, assuming no stricter supplier charge or applicable bank refund-transfer charge. We do not deduct the USD 8 again from the USD 200 tour price. Any stricter supplier cancellation condition must have been disclosed and accepted before payment, as explained in section 6.

6. Stricter supplier cancellation terms

Some accommodation, flights, permits or other services may have stricter cancellation conditions. We must clearly disclose the affected services and those conditions for your acceptance before payment, including before online checkout is completed.

Where accepted stricter supplier terms apply, your cancellation charge is the higher of (a) the standard charge under section 5 or (b) the actual non-refundable supplier cancellation costs for your booking. We do not add these two amounts together or charge twice for the same supplier loss. We will explain the applicable supplier costs. Your deposit counts toward the resulting charge; the original payment transaction fee remains non-refundable.

7. Changes requested by you

Send requests to change dates, accommodation, itinerary or traveller numbers in writing. Changes are subject to availability. Rustic charges no separate amendment fee. Applicable supplier change or cancellation costs and any difference in the revised trip price will be explained and accepted by you before we proceed.

Cancelling part of a booking may attract the applicable cancellation charge for that part. A reduction in traveller numbers can also change the per-person cost of the remaining private arrangements. We will explain these calculations without charging twice for the same loss.

8. Cancellation by Rustic within our control

If Rustic cancels confirmed services for reasons within our control, you may choose an acceptable alternative or a refund of payments for the cancelled, unprovided services, excluding the original payment transaction fee. We will not apply traveller cancellation penalties or administration deductions. You do not have to accept a credit or postponement.

9. Events beyond our control

Severe flooding, government park closures, security restrictions or other events beyond our reasonable control may prevent confirmed services from operating. Where this happens, we will explain the disruption and offer available alternatives or postponement for your agreement.

If you decline those options, we will refund payments for unprovided services less documented, non-recoverable supplier costs and the original payment transaction fee. We will explain each deduction. No standard traveller cancellation penalty or administration fee applies, and you do not have to accept credit.

10. Changes to confirmed prices

After confirmation, only documented increases in government taxes, park fees or conservation fees may be passed on to you, with written notice explaining the affected charges. Other cost increases remain Rustic’s responsibility.

If you decline a qualifying increase, we will first discuss an acceptable itinerary adjustment. If none is agreed, you may cancel the affected booking without the standard traveller cancellation penalty. We will refund payments less documented, non-recoverable supplier costs and the original payment transaction fee. No administration fee applies.

11. Material changes and missed services

Accommodation substitutions, material itinerary changes, safety adjustments, late arrivals, no-shows and early departures are addressed in the Terms and Conditions. Material changes require your agreement, except necessary safety adjustments explained as soon as reasonably possible. If no acceptable alternative is available, section 8 or 9 applies according to the reason for the change.

A short delay does not automatically cancel the entire trip. Contact Rustic promptly if delayed. Voluntarily missed services or early departure for personal reasons, including illness, are non-refundable. Services missed because of Rustic’s failure or external disruption are handled under the relevant separate provisions, not as voluntary early departure.

12. Refund method and timetable

The original card transaction fee is non-refundable under the cancellation and refund provisions above. It is retained only once; we do not deduct it a second time from a refund calculation that already excludes it. Any applicable bank refund-transfer charges will be explained. Nothing in this policy limits a refund or other remedy required by applicable law.

Card refunds processed within six months of the payment are returned to the original card. After that period, a refund may be made by bank transfer to an account in the lead traveller’s name, subject to payer verification and applicable bank charges. For payments originally made by bank transfer, we agree the verified refund destination with the payer. We do not request card passwords or security codes by email.

• We acknowledge a cancellation or refund request within 2 business days.
• We submit any agreed, undisputed refund within 30 business days of receiving your written request.
• If supplier costs remain unresolved, we explain what is outstanding and provide an update every 14 calendar days. We do not hold back an undisputed refund solely because another amount remains unresolved.
• Your bank or payment processor may take additional time to credit the refund.

Business days mean Monday to Friday, excluding Kenyan public holidays. Calendar days include weekends and public holidays.

13. Complaints, insurance and your rights

Please report problems promptly to your guide or Rustic contact. The Terms and Conditions explain the 30-calendar-day unresolved complaint procedure, reasonable reporting exceptions, insurance recommendation and dispute-resolution process. Insurance cover depends on your policy and exclusions.

These policies are governed by Kenyan law. Nothing in them limits applicable statutory rights or excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.

Please contact Rustic Nature Tours if you need a payment or cancellation calculation explained before booking.