Terms & Conditions

Effective 22 July 2026. These terms apply to all bookings and travel from that date.

1. Who we are

Tishmac Safaris ("we", "us", "our") is a tour operator based in Nairobi, Kenya, arranging and operating safaris, tours, excursions, transfers, and related travel services within Kenya (together, "the services"). "You" means the person making a booking and every traveler included in it. By booking with us, or by traveling on a tour we operate, you accept these terms.

2. How these terms apply to your booking

There are two ways a booking reaches us, and the difference matters:

• Booked directly with us — you requested a quote through this website, by email, or by message, and confirmed it with us. Your contract for the trip is with us and these terms govern it in full.
• Booked through a travel agent — you purchased through a third-party agent or booking platform. Your purchase, payment, cancellation, and refund are governed by that agent's terms, which you accepted when you booked. We are the operator of your tour, and the sections of these terms about conduct, safety, responsibility, and travel requirements still apply to you while you travel with us.

3. Quotes, confirmation, and what is included

• Every direct trip is individually quoted. A quote describes exactly what is included — and its validity date. Until you confirm and pay what the quote requires, nothing is reserved.
• Your booking is confirmed when we say so in writing (normally by email), after the required payment is received.
• Anything not listed as included is excluded. Typical exclusions are international flights, visas and entry permits, travel insurance, personal spending, drinks, tips, and optional activities — your quote states the specifics.
• Some included items may be described as payable in cash on site (for example certain community or village fees). Your quote or itinerary will say so clearly.

4. Prices and payment

• Quotes state their currency. Unless stated otherwise we price in US dollars (USD).
• Online card payments are processed by an internationally certified third-party payment provider over an encrypted connection. We never see or store your full card details.
• Where a quote allows a deposit, the balance is due by the date the quote states. If the balance is not received in time, we may treat the booking as cancelled by you.
• Park and attraction entrance fees are set by the relevant authorities and can change without notice. If an authority increases a fee after you book, we may pass on the difference at cost, and we will show you the change.
• During your trip, any agreed extra services (additional entrance fees, add-on activities) are payable through our secure payment page or in cash as agreed at the time.

5. Changes by you

Tell us as early as possible if you need to change dates, travelers, or itinerary. We will always try to accommodate changes, but they depend on availability of lodges, parks, and transport, and may change the price. A change is only agreed once we confirm it in writing. For bookings made through an agent, changes must be requested through that agent.

6. Cancellations and refunds

• Bookings made through an agent: cancel with the agent you booked through. Their cancellation policy — the one shown when you purchased — decides any refund, because they hold your payment.
• Direct bookings: cancellations must reach us in writing. Amounts we have already committed on your behalf and cannot recover (park tickets, lodge deposits, permits) are non-refundable; we refund the remainder of what you have paid. The earlier you cancel, the less is committed — cancellations more than 30 days before travel are typically refunded in full apart from such committed costs.
• Cancellation by us: if we must cancel your trip for reasons within our control, you choose between a full refund of what you paid us or an equivalent alternative trip. If we must cancel for reasons beyond our control (see Section 10), we refund whatever we can recover after committed costs.
• Refunds are made to the original payment method, normally within 14 days of agreement.

7. Our responsibilities to you

• We operate your trip with reasonable skill and care, using licensed guides and properly maintained vehicles.
• Kenya is a living place: weather, road conditions, park authority decisions, and wildlife itself can force changes on the day. Where we must substitute a lodge, route, vehicle, or activity, we will provide an alternative of equivalent or better standard wherever possible.
• Wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed — that is precisely what makes them worth traveling for.

8. Your responsibilities

• You are responsible for valid travel documents: passports, visas or entry authorizations, and any required health documentation. We can advise, but obtaining them is your responsibility.
• Comprehensive travel insurance is a condition of traveling with us — covering at minimum medical treatment, evacuation, and trip cancellation.
• You must follow the reasonable instructions of your guide and the rules of parks, reserves, and accommodations — they exist for your safety around wild animals. We may refuse further carriage, without refund, to anyone whose behavior endangers themselves, other guests, staff, or wildlife.
• Tell us before booking about any medical condition, reduced mobility, or dietary need that could affect your trip, so we can plan for it honestly.

9. Safety, wildlife, and inherent risk

Safari travel involves proximity to wild animals and remote terrain. These are inherent risks that no operator can remove entirely. We manage them through experienced guides, briefings, and established park practice, and you accept them as part of the nature of the journey.

10. Events beyond our control

Neither of us is liable for failures caused by events beyond reasonable control — including extreme weather, natural disaster, epidemic, government or park authority action, civil unrest, strikes, or infrastructure failure. Section 6 describes what happens to payments if such an event forces cancellation.

11. Liability

• We are liable for proven direct damage caused by our negligence in performing the services, up to the total price you paid us for the trip.
• We are not liable for indirect losses (such as missed international flights or lost income), for services you purchase separately from third parties, or for personal effects — which is one reason insurance is required.
• Nothing in these terms excludes liability that cannot be excluded under Kenyan law, including for death or personal injury caused by our negligence.

12. If something goes wrong

Tell us — or your guide — immediately, while the trip is running, so we have a real chance to put it right on the ground. If the issue is not resolved, write to us within 30 days of the end of your trip and we will investigate and respond.

13. Your data

How we collect, store, and protect your personal information is described in our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these terms.

14. General

• These terms are governed by the laws of Kenya, and the courts of Kenya have jurisdiction over any dispute.
• If any part of these terms is found invalid, the rest continues to apply.
• We may update these terms from time to time; the version in force when you book is the one that applies to your trip.

15. Contact

Questions about these terms? Reach us through the contact page.