Terms & Conditions

Part 1Using our website

About us

Makoliya Safari is the trading name of [Registered company name and legal form], a tour operator based in Moshi, Tanzania.

Using this site

By using this website, you accept these terms. If you don't, please don't use it. You're welcome to use it to plan your own trip. What you can't do:

• use it for anything illegal, including anything the Cybercrimes Act, 2015 of Tanzania prohibits
• try to break into the site, its server or anything connected to it, or interfere with how it runs
• upload viruses or other harmful code
• copy large parts of it automatically, or use it to build a competing product
• send us false information or pretend to be someone else

Trail and travel information

We write our route descriptions, altitudes, distances, weather notes, park fees and packing lists from our guides' own experience and from published sources. Still, mountains change. Park rules and fees change most years, and sources don't always agree, so we can't promise every detail is complete or up to date.

Nothing on this site is medical advice. Altitude sickness is a real risk on the higher mountains, so please see a doctor before you travel, and check visa, entry and vaccination rules with official sources.

Prices

Prices on the website are starting prices per person, in US dollars (USD). They're there to help you plan, and they aren't an offer. A trek is only booked once we've confirmed it in writing under our Booking Terms, and your written quote shows the full price, park and government fees included, before you pay anything.

Guide books

When you buy one of our PDF guide books, it's yours to use personally. Download it, print it, share it with the people you're travelling with. Please don't resell it, post it publicly or pass it around. Refunds are covered in Part 3.

Who owns what

The text, design, logo, maps and our own photographs belong to Makoliya Safari, or we use them with permission. You're welcome to link to our pages and quote short bits with credit. For anything more, ask us first in writing.

Many of the photos here are used under Creative Commons or similar licences. The photographers and licences are listed under "Photo credits" at the bottom of every page, and those photos stay under their own licence terms. If you think something on this site infringes your rights, email us and we'll look into it quickly.

Reviews and stories you send us

If you send us a review, story or photo to publish, you're confirming it's yours and true. You're also giving us free, non-exclusive permission to publish it on our website and social media with your first name and country. Ask us to take it down whenever you like. We won't publish anything unlawful, abusive or misleading, or anything that identifies other people without their consent, and we may shorten what you send.

Links to other websites

We link to other sites, such as WhatsApp, the park authorities and Wikimedia Commons. We aren't responsible for what they publish or how they handle your data.

If the site goes down

We try to keep the site running and accurate, but we may change it, take it offline or remove pages without notice, and we can't promise it will always be free of errors.

Our liability

The website is free general information. As far as the law allows, we aren't liable for losses caused by relying on it. That doesn't limit our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, or for anything else the law doesn't allow us to limit. Your rights as a consumer aren't affected.

Privacy and cookies

See our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. In short, this site sets no cookies.

Which law applies

These terms are governed by the laws of the United Republic of Tanzania, and the courts of Tanzania have jurisdiction. If you're a consumer living elsewhere, you keep the protection of the mandatory laws where you live, and any right you have to go to your local courts.

Changes

We update these terms now and then. The date at the top shows the last change, and the version on the site when you use it is the one that applies.

Part 2Booking a trek

These terms are the contract between you and [Registered company name and legal form], trading as Makoliya Safari ("we" and "us"), a licensed tour operator in Moshi, Tanzania (TALA licence [number]). They cover every trek, transfer and night of accommodation we arrange for you. Part 3 below (Cancellations and refunds) and our Privacy Policy are part of the same contract, so please read those too.

How booking works

1. Once you get in touch, we send you a written quote: itinerary, dates, group size, where you'll sleep, what you'll eat, what's included and what isn't, the total price in USD and when each payment is due.
2. Read it carefully. Spot a mistake? Tell us and we'll correct it. Until you accept, you can walk away at no cost.
3. You accept by ticking the box on our booking form (or confirming in writing) and paying the deposit. Whoever books does so for the whole group and must be 18 or older.
4. The contract starts when we email your booking confirmation. It shows your trek, the total price, the payment dates and our 24-hour emergency number in Tanzania.

Trek bookings don't come with a 14-day cancellation period, but you do get 7 days to change your mind. See the cooling-off period.

Deposit and payment

The deposit is 30% of the trek price, and at least US$100 per person. The balance is due 60 days before you start Kilimanjaro or Mount Meru, and 30 days before any of our other treks. Book later than that and we'll ask for the full amount straight away.

We work in US dollars. You can pay by bank transfer, or by card through our payment provider, whichever your quote shows. We never see or store your card number. Card payments can carry a processing fee of up to 3.5%, and you'll always see it before you pay. With bank transfers, the sender covers the bank charges, so please check we'll receive the full amount.

When a payment is late, we'll remind you and give you 7 more days. After that, we may treat the booking as cancelled by you, and the charges in our cancellation scale apply.

What the price includes

Your quote lists exactly what you're paying for. Unless it says otherwise, a trek price includes park entry, conservation, camping or hut and rescue fees, your licensed guide and crew, meals and drinking water on the trek, camping equipment and the transfers in your itinerary. It doesn't include international flights, visas, travel insurance, your personal gear, tips for the crew, or meals and drinks that aren't listed.

If the price changes after booking

Once we've confirmed your booking, the price is fixed, with one exception. If the government raises park, conservation or other fees, or taxes, after we've confirmed, we pass that increase on to you.

We'll write to you with the official notice and our calculation no later than 20 days before your trek. After that point, the price can't go up. If the increase comes to more than 8% of your total, you can cancel for a full refund instead. And if fees or taxes go down, you get the saving.

Changing your booking

Ask 61 days or more before your trek and you can move it once, free, to new dates within the next 12 months (any difference in price or park fees still applies). Between 31 and 60 days before, a date change costs US$75 per person. Inside 30 days we have to treat a change as a cancellation, though we'll always try to help. Switching to a different route or mountain counts as a date change, plus any difference in price.

Can't go, but a friend can? You can hand your place to someone else who meets the trek's age, fitness and insurance requirements, as long as you tell us at least 7 days before the start. You and your friend are both responsible for any unpaid balance and for the real cost of the switch, such as reissuing park permits. We'll tell you that cost up front.

If we have to change or cancel

Mountains don't always follow the plan. Sometimes we have to swap a campsite, a vehicle or a hotel for another of the same standard, and we'll tell you as soon as we know. A big change before departure is different: we'll tell you straight away, and you can accept it, choose another trek, or cancel for a full refund.

Some of our group departures need a minimum number of trekkers. When not enough people book, we can cancel, but only if we tell you at least 20 days ahead for treks of more than 6 days, 7 days ahead for treks of 2 to 6 days, or 48 hours ahead for anything shorter. We'll also cancel if something outside anyone's control makes the trek impossible or unsafe. Either way, you get a full refund within 14 days, or new dates if you'd prefer.

Health, fitness and age

Trekking is hard work, and at altitude even more so. You need to be in good health and fit enough for the trek you choose.

Before you travel, we'll send you a medical and fitness form. Please be honest about any condition, medicine, allergy, pregnancy or disability. We only use it to keep you safe (our Privacy Policy explains how). Where a condition could affect your safety, we may ask for a note from your doctor, and if a trek isn't safe for you, we'll suggest a route or mountain that is.

Kilimanjaro National Park sets a minimum age of 10. Minimum ages for our other treks are in your quote. Anyone under 18 must travel with a parent or guardian.

Travel insurance

You can't trek with us without travel insurance. It must cover medical treatment, emergency evacuation (including by helicopter) and repatriation, at the altitude you'll reach: up to 6,000 m for Kilimanjaro and 4,600 m for Mount Meru. We'd strongly suggest cover for cancellation, delays and your belongings as well.

Please send us your insurer's name, your policy number and their emergency phone number before your trek. Arrive without suitable cover and we may not be able to start the trek. We'd treat that as a cancellation by you.

Safety on the mountain

Your lead guide is trained in mountain first aid and in spotting altitude sickness. On the route, the pace, the weather and whether you go on, their word is final. If they decide you need to go down for your own safety or someone else's, please follow their instructions. That isn't a cancellation by us.

Leave a trek early, for whatever reason, and the days you don't use aren't refunded. Any extra hotel nights, transport or evacuation are paid by you or your insurer, and we'll help you arrange them. Nobody can guarantee a summit, and reaching it isn't part of this contract.

Please follow park rules and your guide's reasonable instructions, respect the communities you pass through, and carry out all your litter. Drones need a park permit, arranged in advance. We may end the trek, without a refund, of anyone whose behaviour puts themselves, other trekkers or the crew at risk.

If something goes wrong

If you're ill, hurt or in trouble during your trip, we'll help you quickly: getting you to a doctor, arranging evacuation, and keeping in touch with your family, your insurer and your embassy. Our 24-hour emergency number is in your booking confirmation. Your insurance covers the cost of treatment and evacuation. If you caused the problem on purpose or through carelessness, we may charge our reasonable costs.

Passports, visas and vaccinations

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after you arrive, and getting any visa you need for Tanzania is up to you. You may also need a yellow fever certificate if you're coming from, or through, a country where yellow fever is a risk. Check official government sources before you fly. We can't be held responsible if you're refused entry or can't travel because a document is missing.

Our crew and tipping

We follow the Proper Porter Treatment Guidelines of the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project. That means fair pay, proper food and tents, and porter loads of no more than 20 kg.

Tips aren't included in the price, and how much you give is up to you. Before your trek we'll send you guidance on amounts. At the end, tips are handed over openly, so every member of the crew knows what they received.

Our responsibility to you

We're responsible for providing everything in your booking confirmation, whether we do it ourselves or through our suppliers in Tanzania. Something not right? Tell your guide or the office straight away so we can fix it. If we can't, you may be entitled to a fair price reduction and compensation.

We aren't responsible for problems you caused yourself, problems caused by an outsider with no connection to your trek that we couldn't have foreseen or avoided, or events outside anyone's control, like severe weather, natural disasters, epidemics, park closures, government action or civil unrest. Nor are we responsible for things you book directly with someone else, such as international flights.

Where we are liable for a loss that isn't death or personal injury, the most we'll pay is three times the total price of your trek. Nothing in these terms limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or that of our staff or suppliers, or for fraud, or for anything else the law doesn't allow us to limit. Please keep your valuables safe. We're not responsible for lost or damaged belongings unless our negligence caused it.

Photographs

Your guide may take photos on the trek and send them to you. We'll only use photos where you can be recognised on our website or social media if you've said yes.

Complaints

If something isn't right during your trek, please tell your guide right away. Most things can be fixed on the spot. If it can't be, call our office in Moshi. Still unhappy once you're home? Write to info@makoliyasafari.com within 28 days of getting back. We'll reply within 7 days to say we've got it, and send you a full answer within 28 days. Telling us quickly helps us put things right, but it doesn't take away any of your legal rights.

Which law applies, and disputes

This contract is governed by the laws of the United Republic of Tanzania. When our complaints process doesn't settle a dispute, we'll both try to agree a solution in good faith first, then go to mediation in Moshi. If that fails, the courts of Tanzania decide. If you're a consumer living outside Tanzania, you keep the protection of the mandatory laws where you live, and any right you have to go to your local courts.

The fine print

If a court finds any part of these terms invalid, the rest still applies. The version of these terms in force on the date of your booking confirmation is the one that covers your trip.

Part 3Cancellations and refunds

This part goes with the booking terms in Part 2, and you accept it when you confirm a booking. It doesn't take away any rights you have under consumer protection law.

How to cancel

The person who made the booking needs to tell us in writing, either by email to info@makoliyasafari.com or by WhatsApp. The cancellation counts from the day we receive it, and we'll confirm it in writing within 2 working days. When we count "days before your trek", we count to the first day of the trek.

7 days to change your mind

You have 7 days from our booking confirmation to cancel for a full refund, as long as your trek starts more than 30 days after the day you cancel. For treks that start sooner than that, we book your crew and park permits straight away, so the cancellation charges below apply from the day you book.

Cancellation charges for treks

After those 7 days, these charges apply per person. They cover the money we can't get back once we've booked your guides, crew, permits, rooms and transport.

Ask us and we'll show you how a charge was worked out. If a doctor has told you not to travel, let us know. Your travel insurance may cover the charge, and we'll give you whatever paperwork your insurer needs.

Park fees

We usually pay park, conservation, camping, hut and rescue fees to the park authority shortly before your trek. Cancel before we've paid them and you aren't charged for them. If we've already paid and the park authority gives any of it back to us, as a refund or a credit, we pass all of it on to you, even when the table above would let us keep it.

Leaving early or missing part of the trip

If you leave a trek early, miss a day or skip something that was included, there's no refund for the part you didn't use. That applies whatever the reason, including illness or your guide deciding it isn't safe to go on. It's one of the reasons travel insurance is compulsory. The exception is if you leave because we didn't deliver what we promised. Then the section on our responsibility in the Booking Terms applies.

When something outside anyone's control gets in the way

Sometimes an event nobody can control, at or near your destination, makes a trek impossible or seriously disrupts it. Think of an official warning against travel to the area, the park or route being closed, an epidemic, a natural disaster, or serious unrest. In that case you can cancel before departure with no charge at all and get a full refund. The same goes if we have to cancel for that reason. If you'd rather keep your trip, you can move to new dates within 24 months instead.

This doesn't cover personal reasons like illness, work or a missed flight. Your travel insurance may.

If we cancel or make a big change

If we cancel your trek for any reason that isn't down to you, or make a big change you don't want to accept, you get back everything you've paid us. You can also choose new dates or a different trek instead.

If the price goes up by more than 8%

If a rise in government fees or taxes would push your total price up by more than 8%, you can cancel within 7 days of our notice and get a full refund. The Booking Terms explain how price changes work.

How we pay refunds

We pay refunds within 14 days of the cancellation date (or of the day we agree a refund), back to the card or account you paid from, in US dollars. We can't refund charges made by your own bank, currency conversion costs or card processing fees you've already paid.

Credit you keep for a future trek lasts 24 months from your original trek date. You can use it on any of our treks or give it to a friend or family member. If the new trek costs more, you pay the difference. Cancel a trek booked with credit and the normal charges apply.

PDF guide books

Our guide books are digital files, and you get them as soon as you pay. At checkout, we'll ask you to agree to get the file straight away and to confirm you understand that this means giving up the 14-day right to cancel that some countries, including the EU and UK, give for online purchases. Your order confirmation repeats this. Under Tanzanian law, the 7-day cancellation right doesn't apply to books or downloads.

If the file is faulty, incomplete or not what we described, if your download link never arrives, or if you're charged twice, email us within 30 days with the address you ordered from. We'll send a fixed file or a new link within 2 working days, and if we can't fix it, we'll refund you in full.

Some guide book sales go through a checkout partner, named on the checkout page. The partner acts as the seller and handles payment, tax and receipts, so refunds for those orders are paid through them, under their terms. We'll sort that out with them for you.

Thinking of disputing a charge with your bank? Please talk to us first. Most problems take less than a day to fix.

Questions

Email info@makoliyasafari.com or message us on WhatsApp. We reply within one working day.