Terms & Conditions

Last updated: 28 September 2026

These terms explain the rules for using this website and for booking a safari with us. Please read them before you make a booking. When you use the website you accept the website terms in section 2, and when you confirm a booking you accept the booking terms in sections 3 to 17. If anything is unclear, ask us before you pay.

1. Who we are and what these terms cover

Offmap Safaris is run by Offmap Adventures Limited (“Offmap”, “we”, “us”). We plan and organise private and tailor-made safaris in Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania. “You” means the person making the booking and, where the context allows, everyone travelling on it. You can reach us by email at [email protected] or on WhatsApp at +256 701 243 304, or through our Contact page.

The person who makes the booking confirms that they have the authority to accept these terms for everyone in the group and that they have shared these terms with them.

2. Using this website

• Information only. The website describes our safaris, destinations and experiences. Itineraries, images, descriptions and travel times are a guide. Wildlife sightings, weather, road conditions and availability change, and nothing on the website is a guarantee of a particular sighting or experience.
• Not a contract. Browsing the website, sending an enquiry or receiving a quotation does not create a booking (see section 3).
• Accuracy. We work to keep information correct and up to date, but errors and changes can occur. Prices, permit fees, opening times and rules can change, so always rely on your written quotation and confirmation.
• Acceptable use. Please use the website lawfully. Do not attempt to damage, overload or gain unauthorised access to it, use automated tools to copy it, send spam through our forms, or submit false or misleading information.
• Our content. The text, photographs, designs, logos and other material on the website belong to Offmap or its licensors and are protected by copyright. You may view and print pages for your own personal use, but you may not copy, sell or republish them without our written permission.
• Links and third parties. The website links to sites and services run by others, and may show route maps supplied by Google. We are not responsible for their content or practices.
• Availability. We do not promise that the website will always be available or free of errors, and we may change or remove content at any time.

3. Enquiries, quotations and bookings

Every safari is tailor-made, so the process is simple:

1. You send an enquiry through the website, by email or on WhatsApp.
2. We prepare a written itinerary and quotation based on your dates, interests and group.
3. We adjust it with you until it is right.
4. A booking is made, and a contract exists between you and us, only when we confirm it in writing and we receive the deposit or payment stated in your quotation.

A quotation is valid for the period it states and is based on the information you gave. Availability of accommodation, permits and services is not held until the booking is confirmed. If you tell us something new, such as more travellers or different dates, the quotation may change.

4. Prices and payment

• What the price includes. Your quotation states what is included and excluded. As a general guide, our safaris include the accommodation, private vehicle with driver-guide, park and reserve fees, permits and activities listed, and meals as specified. They do not include international flights, visa fees, travel insurance, tips, personal expenses or alcoholic drinks unless the quotation says so.
• Currency. Prices are quoted in the currency shown on the quotation, usually US dollars. If you pay in another currency, exchange rates and bank charges are your responsibility.
• Deposit and balance. The amount and due dates of the deposit and final balance are stated in your quotation and confirmation. Later bookings, or bookings that include permits, may need payment sooner.
• Price changes. Prices are based on rates and fees known when we quote. Park fees, permit fees, taxes, fuel and supplier rates can change. We will not increase the price of a confirmed booking except to pass on a genuine increase in such costs, and we will tell you the reason in writing as early as possible.
• Payment methods. This website does not take payments. We will give you payment instructions in writing. Please protect yourself from fraud: if you ever receive a message asking you to pay to different bank or mobile-money details from those in your confirmation, contact us on a number you already know before paying.
• Unpaid amounts. If a payment is not received by the due date, we may treat the booking as cancelled by you (section 6).

5. Permits, park fees and third-party rules

Activities such as gorilla trekking, gorilla habituation, chimpanzee tracking and habituation, and golden monkey tracking need permits issued by national wildlife authorities, such as the Uganda Wildlife Authority and the Rwanda Development Board. In these terms they are called “primate permits”. They are limited each day, issued for a named person on a specific date and place, and governed by the rules of the issuing authority, which can change.

• Buying permits. We buy permits on your behalf once we have the traveller details we need and your payment. We will tell you when payment for permits is due. Permits may have to be paid for in full, and well ahead of your safari.
• Permit money is not refundable. Once a primate permit has been booked or bought for you, the money paid for it is non-refundable by us, whatever the reason it is not used, including cancellation, illness, delay, missed connections or being unable to travel. The only exception is money that the issuing authority itself returns under its own rules, for example after a full day’s search in which no gorillas are found. We will pass on to you whatever we actually receive.
• Moving your dates. Lodges, vehicles, guides and most other services can usually be adjusted if you change your safari, subject to availability and each supplier’s terms. Primate permits cannot. If you postpone or move a safari for which primate permits are already booked, whether the safari is soon or far in the future, you will need to buy new permits for the new dates at the price then in force, and pay for them again. If you ask, we will apply to the authority to move your original permit instead. The authority decides, may refuse or charge a fee, and we cannot promise it will agree. If it does agree, the original permit is used and you will not have to pay for it again.
• Names and transfers. Permits are issued against passport details and generally cannot be transferred to another person or sold. Any correction of a name is subject to the authority’s approval.
• Park fees and other permits. Park entry fees and other activity fees follow the same principle: once we have paid them on your behalf, they can be recovered only if the authority or supplier returns them.

Authorities also set rules such as minimum ages (usually 15 for gorilla trekking and around 12 for chimpanzee activities), distance from animals, group sizes, and health rules such as staying away from primates when unwell. These protect the animals and you. If a rule stops someone taking part, we cannot override it, and the cost of that permit is not refundable by us except as described above.

6. Changes and cancellation by you

• Tell us in writing. Any change or cancellation must be sent to us in writing by email or WhatsApp and takes effect when we receive it.
• Changes. We will try to make the changes you ask for. Lodges, vehicles and other services can usually be changed, subject to availability and supplier terms, and any extra cost will be explained before you decide. Primate permits are treated differently (see section 5).
• Cancellation. If you cancel a confirmed booking, the cancellation charges are set out in your quotation or booking confirmation, and we will give them to you before you pay. They always include the full cost of any permits already booked, which is not refundable (section 5), together with the charges of lodges and other suppliers. They reflect what we have committed to suppliers, which often cannot be recovered. We will refund any part of your payment that we can recover from suppliers and that the charges do not cover.
• Not travelling or leaving early. If you do not join the safari, arrive late or leave early, there is no refund for services you do not use, unless we agree otherwise or the law requires it.

We strongly recommend travel insurance that covers cancellation (see section 10).

7. Changes and cancellation by us

We may need to change your safari, for example because of safety concerns, weather, road or park closures, a supplier problem, or a permit becoming unavailable. If we must make a significant change, we will tell you as soon as we can and offer a suitable alternative of similar standard or a refund of the part of the safari we cannot provide. If we cancel a confirmed safari for a reason within our control, we will refund the amounts you have paid for the cancelled part. Minor changes, such as replacing one lodge or vehicle with a comparable one, can be made without your agreement.

8. Events beyond our control

Neither you nor we are responsible for failing to carry out obligations, or for delay, if the cause is beyond reasonable control. This includes natural events, severe weather, disease outbreaks or health restrictions, war or unrest, terrorism, government or border action, strikes, airline or transport disruption, and closures of parks or roads. If this happens we will do our best to rearrange your safari or to recover amounts from suppliers, but we cannot refund what suppliers will not return, and we are not responsible for extra costs such as new flights or accommodation.

9. Passports, visas, health and vaccinations

You are responsible for having a passport valid for the period required, the correct visas and permits to enter each country, any required vaccination certificates (for example for yellow fever), and any medicines or health precautions advised for your destinations. Some countries also now require visitors to hold specific insurance to enter (see section 10 for Tanzania). Rules differ by nationality and change often, so check them with the relevant authorities and your doctor before you travel. Our Visa & Entry Requirements and Health & Safety pages give general guidance, but they are not a substitute for checking. We cannot accept responsibility if you are refused entry or cannot travel because your documents, insurance or health precautions are not in order.

10. Travel insurance

You must have comprehensive travel insurance for the whole safari. We strongly advise that it includes cancellation and curtailment, emergency medical treatment, emergency evacuation and repatriation, and loss of personal belongings. If your safari includes activities such as trekking, rafting, cycling or climbing, check that your policy covers them. We may ask to see your insurance details, and you travel at your own risk if you are not insured.

Compulsory insurance for Tanzania. From 1 October 2026, foreign visitors entering mainland Tanzania by air, sea or land must hold the government’s inbound travel insurance policy, currently US$44 per person and valid for up to 92 days. Residents of East African Community and Southern African Development Community countries are excepted. The policy can be bought before travel or on arrival through the official channels, and visitors without it can be refused entry. Zanzibar has its own separate compulsory insurance for visitors. These schemes cover only basic emergency medical treatment, evacuation, repatriation and, on the mainland, loss of luggage. They do not replace the comprehensive insurance described above, especially cancellation cover, so you need both. Requirements, prices and exemptions can change, so please check before you travel and carry your certificate. Unless your quotation says that we have arranged it, you are responsible for buying it.

11. Health, fitness and special needs

Some safaris involve long drives, uneven ground, altitude, heat and physically demanding walks, and services in remote places may be simple. You are responsible for making sure that everyone in your group is fit enough. Please tell us, before you book, about any medical condition, disability, allergy, dietary need or mobility limitation, and about pregnancy, so that we can plan suitable activities. We may decline or change an activity if we or our guides believe it would put you or others at risk.

12. Safety, risk and your responsibilities

Safaris take place in the wild, in remote areas and among wild animals, and involve risks that cannot be removed completely. You agree to follow the instructions of your guide, park rangers and suppliers at all times, to stay in vehicles or camps as directed, to keep a safe distance from animals, and to behave responsibly and respectfully towards other people, communities and the environment. Drones may not be used in protected areas without permission.

We may end a person’s participation, without refund, if their behaviour, or their being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, endangers themselves or others, or breaks the law or park rules.

13. Suppliers and our responsibility

We organise your safari using independent suppliers, such as lodges, drivers, guides, boat operators, airlines and authorities. We take reasonable care and skill in choosing and arranging them. Suppliers apply their own terms, and to the extent the law allows we are not responsible for their acts or omissions where we could not reasonably have prevented them. We will help you to make a claim against a supplier where we can.

14. Limits on our liability

Nothing in these terms limits or excludes liability that cannot legally be limited, including liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, or your rights under the consumer laws that apply to you. Subject to that, and to the extent the law allows:

• our total liability to you for any claim about a booking is limited to the amount you paid us for the affected part of the safari;
• we are not liable for loss or damage to luggage and personal belongings, which you should insure; and
• we are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, such as lost earnings, disappointment from wildlife not being seen, or loss of enjoyment beyond what the law allows.

15. Complaints

If something goes wrong on safari, please tell your guide and us at once so that we can try to put it right there and then. If you remain unhappy, write to us as soon as reasonably possible after your safari ends, explaining the problem and what you would like us to do. We will look into it fairly and reply promptly. Delay in reporting a problem may make it harder to resolve.

16. Photographs, media and reviews

Our guides and team may take photographs and video during your safari. If you do not want to appear in our marketing, tell us before or at the start of your safari and we will respect that. If you share photographs, reviews or comments with us, you allow us to use them, with credit where you would like it, to promote Offmap Safaris, and you confirm you have the right to share them. When photographing wildlife, follow the rules of the park, such as no flash near primates, and ask before photographing people.

17. Responsible travel and wildlife

We work to protect wildlife, habitats and communities, and we ask you to do the same: follow wildlife viewing rules, do not feed or touch animals, take your litter with you, respect local customs and dress, and support communities fairly. See our Responsible Travel page for more.

18. Privacy and marketing

We handle personal information as described in our Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time.

19. General

• Changes to these terms. We may update these terms. The version that applies to a booking is the one in force when you confirmed it. The date at the top shows when the terms were last changed.
• Whole agreement. These terms, your quotation and your booking confirmation are the whole agreement between us about your booking. If they conflict, the written booking confirmation prevails.
• If part is unenforceable. If any part of these terms is found to be unenforceable, the rest continues to apply.
• Waiver. If we do not enforce a right straight away, we do not lose it.
• Transfer. You may not transfer your booking to someone else without our written agreement. We may transfer our rights to a successor business.
• Language. If these terms are available in another language, the English version prevails.

20. Governing law and disputes

These terms and any dispute about them or your booking are governed by the laws of the country in which Offmap Adventures Limited is registered, and the courts of that country have jurisdiction, unless the law where you live gives you the right to bring a claim elsewhere. We encourage you to contact us first, so that we can try to settle any disagreement fairly and informally.

21. Contact us

Offmap Adventures Limited, trading as Offmap Safaris
Email: [email protected]
WhatsApp: +256 701 243 304
Contact page · Plan My African Safari