Beyond the Pandemic
The COVID -19 pandemic hit us all so suddenly and brought the entire world to a crawl. Without warning, businesses shut down and we were left wondering what to do with previously scheduled trips.
At Grassrootz Adventures Uganda, we have spent the last three months canceling and rescheduling safaris that were meant to take place earlier this year to either later this year or next year. We thank all our clients that have chosen to reschedule their safaris instead of canceling. This for us means that not all hope is lost; we are not only assured of retaining our employees but also continuing to support wild life conservation and community transformation, something that we do from part of the proceeds from your safaris.
The good news is that the world is finally beginning to open up, albeit cautiously and we are hopeful that we shall soon welcome you again into Africa and particularly Uganda. Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda have now opened to domestic tourism while Tanzania is open to domestic and international travel and have also opened their parks with strict guidelines.
We can confidently say that we can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.
For all our clients that have booked safaris scheduled for later this year, we encourage you to either re-schedule to sometime next year or just wait and watch the space for later this year. In the meantime, stay safe and continue to dream of your African safari.
Please support our team in Uganda during these difficult times
Terms and Conditions for old and new bookings
1. All existing confirmed bookings can be rescheduled or rebooked and the tour can take place either sometime end of this year or next year. (subject to availability).
2. Should the new booking date demand an increase in cost due to price changes from the lodges or from Uganda Wild Life Authority, then the new invoice will reflect the rate difference.
3. For any bookings cancelled we will apply cancellation policies of the booked properties and Uganda Wildlife Authority.
4. Regarding Gorilla & Chimp permits, Uganda Wildlife Authority ( UWA) is cognisant of the fact that due to COVID-19 and international travel restrictions that followed, some tourists may find it necessary to change their planned travel plans. The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has therefore reviewed its reservation, booking and cancellation guidelines as follows:
a. Travellers whose trips have been affected by corona virus will not be charged for a reschedule at a later date provided the request is made before the tracking date – only two reschedules will be allowed for any activity (obviously the reschedule of permits is subject to availability).
b. Any request for cancellation will follow the existing cancellation policy/procedure:
– 0 to 8 days to the gorilla tracking date, you shall not be refunded anything by UWA.
– 4 to 45 days to the tracking date, UWA shall retain 75% of the tracking fee and refund only 25 % to the tourist.
– Between 46 and 90 days to the scheduled tracking date, 50% of the total tracking fee will be refunded and UWA shall retain the remaining 50%.
– Cancellation from 91 days and above call for a 75% refund and UWA retains just 25% of the gorilla tracking fee paid. Please note that this cancellation policy only applies to tourists who have paid the entire gorilla tracking fees because the deposits are not refundable.
c. These provisions will be in effect until 31st March 2021, unless otherwise changed after a review process.
5. The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has also adjusted their policies as follows:
a. For tourists wishing to postpone their park permits , there has been a removal of the 7-day notice period prior to visiting date.
b. For tour operators who submitted final payment for reserved permits – removal of the 30-day requirement prior to visiting date.
c. Travellers from countries with confirmed cases have up to 2 years to postpone their park permits at no extra cost.
d. Tourists who purchased low season discounted permits for mountain gorilla trekking are free to postpone with a 2-year period.
6.For new bookings made from May 2020 for travel this year and in 2021, you may now change or cancel up to 30 days prior to departure in the event of a COVID-19-related reason whether at home or in your travel destination and receive a credit toward a future safari.
For tailored/private safaris, some exclusions and penalties may apply considering our suppliers policies, which will be advised in writing prior to confirmation. Guests who cancel without rebooking will receive a credit toward future safari valid through December 31, 2022; credit is non-transferable and non-refundable. Applicable price of new safaris applies.
7. Guest is responsible for non-refundable air fees, insurance and other related costs.
8. All other standard terms and conditions apply to the booking.
9. Special terms are subject to change and can be withdrawn at any time.
COVID-19-related reasons for cancellation include:
- Do Not Travel Global Health Advisory, or the government in the guest’s country of residence restricts all but essential travel.
- Do Not Travel due to COVID-19 for the destination the guest is travelling to, or the government in the guest’s country of residence issues a comparable advisory.
- The destination the guest is travelling to has entry restrictions in place that prohibit the guest from travelling, such as closed borders or extended quarantine requirements.
- International flights are cancelled without alternative routing available for guest to use to reach the destination(s) in the itinerary.
Due to the dynamic nature of the current situation, we will be monitoring the developments closely and we reserve the right to make changes to the above policy from time to time and to notify all agents accordingly.
Grassrootz Adventures remains committed to giving lasting safari and holiday experiences in East Africa and we earnestly look forward to seeing you in better times.