Terms & Conditions

1. Booking & Payment

Deposit Requirements

A 50% deposit is required to secure your booking for any reservation made more than 30 days before arrival. Payment must be submitted within 48 hours of confirmation, or the reservation may be released.

Payment Timeline

The full balance becomes due no later than 30 days prior to arrival. Accepted payment methods include EFT and bank transfers.

Group Bookings

The primary contact assumes responsibility for ensuring all group participants acknowledge and consent to these terms.

2. Cancellation Policy

We are a small operation in a remote place. Filling a departure means turning away other people who wanted that date, and by the time a departure gets close we have already committed to guides, homestay families, food and transport on your behalf. Those costs do not come back to us, which is why we run a no-refunds policy rather than a sliding scale.

Cancellation by You

Cancellations must be made in writing. We do not offer cash refunds. Once your deposit or balance has been paid, that amount stays with us if you are unable to travel.

Find Your Own Replacement

If you can no longer attend and do not want to lose what you have paid, you are welcome to hand your place to someone else, provided it is arranged and confirmed before one month prior to the hike, and the replacement meets the same fitness requirements and completes the same paperwork. Finding and organising that person is your responsibility, not ours.

Genuinely Serious Circumstances

Where you are unable to travel for a genuinely serious reason, such as a medical certificate, contact us directly. These are considered case by case rather than under a blanket policy, and notice of more than a month gives us the best chance of finding a workable solution, such as moving you to another date.

Death or Hospitalisation

In line with section 17(4) of the Consumer Protection Act, no cancellation charge applies where you are unable to travel because of the death or hospitalisation of the person the booking was made for. All amounts paid are refunded in full.

Cancellation by Us

If we cancel a departure for any reason, including extreme weather, flooding, or safety concerns, you choose between moving to another available date or a full refund of everything you have paid. We will not hold your money as credit against your wishes. We are not able to reimburse flights, accommodation or other travel costs booked separately, which is why we require travel insurance.

3. Liability & Risk

Assumption of Risk

Participation in outdoor activities involves inherent risks (e.g., hiking, river crossings, kayaking). Guests participate at their own risk.

Limited Liability

Mtentu Ramble, its guides, and homestay partners are not liable for injury, loss, theft, or damage to personal property.

Force Majeure

The provider bears no responsibility for cancellations stemming from natural disasters, severe weather, pandemics, or circumstances beyond reasonable control.

Travel Insurance Is Required

Comprehensive travel insurance is a condition of joining the Mtentu Ramble, not a suggestion. Your policy must cover medical treatment, emergency evacuation, and trip cancellation and curtailment. Please check that it explicitly covers multi-day hiking, as some policies exclude it.

The trail is genuinely remote and the nearest hospital is approximately 90 minutes away. Insurance is also what protects you financially under section 2 above: since we do not offer cash refunds, a policy that covers trip cancellation is the only way to recover your payment if you are unable to travel.

4. General Terms

• Payments are processed via EFT or bank transfer only.
• No refunds are issued for late arrivals, early departures, or no-shows.
• Guests must follow the guidance of local guides at all times for safety reasons.
• Mtentu Ramble reserves the right to modify itineraries due to weather or safety concerns.