This policy explains how bookings work with Summit Horizon Journeys — what you pay, when, and what happens if something has to change. It covers tours, hotel bookings, transfers and group arrangements made through us.
Enquiring and getting a quote costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
1. How booking works
Five steps, and you can stop at any point before step three.
- You enquire Through the website, by phone or on WhatsApp. Tell us roughly where, when and how many of you. Nothing charged, nothing committed.
- We quote Within 24 hours you get a written itinerary and an itemised price, showing what's included and what isn't. Ask us to change anything.
- You confirm and pay the deposit Accept the quote in writing and pay 30% of the total. A contract then exists and we start booking on your behalf.
- We secure the arrangements We book accommodation, vehicles, guides and any flights, then send written confirmation of what's held.
- You pay the balance and travel The balance is due 30 days before departure. We send final documents and a number to reach us on throughout the trip.
Quotes reflect what was available when we wrote them. Lodges fill up, especially in the migration months and over Christmas and Easter. Until the deposit reaches us we cannot hold rooms for you.
2. Quotes and pricing
What a quote includes
Every quote states clearly what's covered and what isn't. Typically included: transport, the driver guide, accommodation on the stated basis, park entry fees and bottled water. Typically excluded: international flights, visas, travel insurance, drinks, tips, and optional extras like balloon safaris.
How long a quote holds
Quoted prices are valid for 14 days unless we say otherwise, and are always subject to availability when you confirm. After that we may need to requote — supplier rates move.
Prices shown on this website
The "from" prices on tour and hotel pages are indicative starting points, usually based on low season and two people sharing. Your actual price depends on dates, group size, room configuration and the accommodation you choose.
Park fees
Kenyan parks charge different entry fees for citizens, residents and non-residents. We'll ask which applies and quote accordingly. If that status is stated incorrectly at booking, the difference becomes payable.
Changes beyond our control
Occasionally a price has to change after confirmation — a government increase in park fees, a new tax, or a significant currency movement. We'll tell you immediately, show you the difference, and you may cancel without penalty if the increase is material.
3. Payment terms
Some bookings need more up front
A few arrangements must be paid in full at booking because the supplier requires it and the cost is non-refundable to us:
- Domestic and international flights, which are ticketed immediately
- Certain lodges and camps in peak season, where deposits are non-refundable
- Events with fixed ticketing
Where this applies, your quote will say so before you commit.
Groups of 10 or more
Group bookings often carry different terms, because suppliers hold larger blocks on stricter conditions. We'll set out the deposit, payment dates and cancellation terms in writing for your specific group, and those replace the standard ones here.
If payment is late
We'll contact you first — we'd rather sort it out than cancel. But if payment stays outstanding, suppliers may release your accommodation and we may treat the booking as cancelled by you, with the charges in section 7 applying.
4. How to pay
Before sending money, confirm the account or Paybill number by calling the number published on this website. Never rely on details in an email alone, even one that appears to come from us. If you're asked to pay a different account, treat it as fraudulent and contact us immediately.
Receipts
We issue a written receipt for every payment. If you've paid and haven't received one within one working day, contact us.
5. Confirmation and documents
Once your deposit arrives we send written confirmation listing what's booked: dates, accommodation, room type, meal basis, vehicle and guide arrangements, and anything still to finalise.
Please read it carefully. If anything differs from what you expected — a name spelt differently, wrong dates, wrong room configuration — tell us within 48 hours. Errors caught early are usually free to fix; the same error found a week before travel may not be.
Final documents are issued once the balance is paid, normally 30 to 14 days before departure, and include your day-by-day itinerary, accommodation vouchers, any flight tickets, pick-up arrangements and emergency contact numbers.
6. Changing a booking
Plans change, and we'd rather move a trip than lose it. Where we can accommodate a change we will.
Where a change increases the cost — moving into a higher season, upgrading accommodation, adding travellers — the difference is payable. Where it reduces the cost we refund the difference, less any supplier charge.
Changes we usually can't make
- Flights once ticketed, which follow the airline's own rules
- Non-refundable rates at certain properties, where disclosed on your quote
- Changes requested mid-trip that a supplier can't accommodate at short notice
Transferring to someone else
If you can no longer travel, you may be able to transfer the booking to another person, subject to supplier agreement and any name-change charges. Flight tickets usually can't be transferred. Ask us and we'll find out.
7. If you cancel
Cancellations must be in writing — email is fine. Charges are calculated from the day we receive your notice, not the day you decided.
These charges exist because we've already paid suppliers on your behalf, and because accommodation held for you was unavailable to anyone else. They reflect what we cannot recover, not a penalty.
Never refundable
- Issued flight tickets, unless the airline's rules allow a refund
- Visa fees and government charges already paid
- Non-refundable accommodation rates, where disclosed on your quote
- Bank or mobile money transfer charges
How refunds are paid
Any refund due is returned by the method you paid, within 14 working days of us confirming the amount. Transfer charges are deducted. Card refunds may take longer to appear, depending on your bank.
No-shows and unused services
If you don't arrive for a booked service, or choose not to use part of your itinerary once the trip has started, no refund is due for the unused portion. Insurance may cover you if the reason is one your policy includes.
8. If we cancel or change
We aim never to, but occasionally we have to.
Minor changes
Sometimes an element changes — a different vehicle of equivalent standard, a reordered itinerary, a substituted property of comparable quality. We'll tell you as soon as we know. Minor changes don't entitle you to cancel without charge, but we'll always explain why.
Significant changes
If a change materially affects your trip — a different destination, a substantially lower standard of accommodation, or different dates — you may:
- Accept the change as offered
- Accept an alternative of comparable standard, paying or receiving the difference
- Cancel and receive a full refund of everything you've paid us
Circumstances beyond anyone's control
Occasionally travel becomes impossible or unsafe for reasons nobody controls — severe weather, flooding, civil unrest, epidemics, government restrictions, park closures, airline collapse. We'll do everything reasonable to offer an alternative or reschedule.
In those circumstances we'll refund whatever we can recover from suppliers, but we can't refund money suppliers keep, and we're not liable for costs outside our arrangements — international flights booked separately, for example. This is exactly what travel insurance is for.
9. Travel insurance
Not just before you travel. Cancellation cover only helps if the policy was already in place when the reason to cancel arose.
Your policy should cover, at minimum:
- Cancellation and curtailment, so you can recover charges if you have to pull out
- Emergency medical treatment and evacuation
- Personal accident and repatriation
- Lost, delayed or stolen baggage
- Any activity policies commonly exclude — diving, climbing, ballooning
Safari packages include Flying Doctors evacuation cover within Kenya where stated on your quote. That is evacuation only — not medical insurance, and not cancellation cover. It's no substitute for your own policy.
10. Documents and entry
Making sure you can legally travel is your responsibility. We'll help where we can, but we can't check or guarantee your documents.
- Your passport should normally be valid for at least six months beyond your return date
- Most visitors to Kenya need travel authorisation arranged in advance — check the current requirement for your nationality well before travelling
- Names on flight tickets must match your passport exactly; corrections after ticketing can be expensive or impossible
- Some countries require specific vaccinations, and requirements change — check with a travel clinic
- Onward travel to neighbouring countries may need separate visas
If you're denied boarding or entry over a document problem, the charges in section 7 apply and we can't refund the trip.
11. Health and fitness
Most of our trips aren't physically demanding, but game drives involve long periods on rough roads, and some activities — gorge walking, cycling, climbing — need reasonable fitness.
Tell us at booking about anything affecting your travel: reduced mobility, a condition needing regular medication, pregnancy, dietary requirements or allergies. We can usually accommodate it, but only if we know in advance. Some properties and vehicles are genuinely unsuitable for certain needs, and it's far better to establish that at the quote stage.
We're not medical advisers. Speak to your doctor or a travel clinic about vaccinations and malaria prophylaxis in good time.
12. Conduct on tour
Your guide's instructions exist for your safety and aren't optional. In particular:
- Stay in the vehicle unless your guide says it's safe to get out
- Don't approach, feed or try to touch wild animals
- Keep noise down near wildlife
- Follow all park rules, including speed limits and designated routes
- Ask before photographing people, and respect a refusal
If a guest behaves in a way that endangers others, damages property, or makes the trip unreasonable for fellow travellers, we may end their participation. No refund is due, and any resulting costs are the guest's responsibility.
You're responsible for damage you cause to vehicles or accommodation, and a supplier may charge you directly.
13. If something goes wrong
Tell us while you're still travelling. Most problems can be fixed on the spot — a room changed, a vehicle swapped, an arrangement adjusted. A problem we hear about after you get home is one we couldn't fix.
Speak to your guide first. If that doesn't resolve it, call the emergency number on your documents. We'd much rather take a call at an awkward hour than read about it in a review.
If you're still unhappy afterwards, write to info@summithorizonjourneys.co.ke within 28 days of returning, quoting your booking reference. We'll acknowledge within 3 working days and respond fully within 21 days.
14. Contact us
Anything at all about a booking, before or after:
This policy forms part of our Terms & Conditions. See also our Privacy Policy.
Questions before you commit?
Ask us anything about these terms — we'd rather explain now than have you find out later.