FULL BOOKING TERMS AND CONDITIONS 

October 2021

These Booking Conditions, together with our privacy policy and our website terms and conditions of use, together with any other written information we brought to your attention before we confirmed your booking, form the basis of your contract with UMVA Experiences LTD, Registered Office: Muhazi, Rwamagana, Eastern Province, Rwanda (“we”, “us”, “our”). Please read them carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations. In these Booking Conditions references to “you” and “your” include the first named person on the booking and all persons on whose behalf a booking is made or any other person to whom a booking is added or transferred.

By making a booking, the first named person on the booking (the lead name) agrees on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking that:

1. He/she has read these terms and conditions and has the authority to and does agree to be bound by them;

2. He/she agrees to provide accurate and full information to the remainder of the travelling party in relation to the booking, including any changes thereto;

3. He/she consents to our use of information in accordance with our Privacy Policy;

4. He/she is over 18 years of age and where placing an order for services with age restrictions declares that he/she and all members of the party are of the appropriate age to purchase those services;

5. He/she accepts financial responsibility for payment of the booking on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking.

1. Booking Your Arrangements

A booking is made with us when a) you pay us a deposit (or full payment if required at the time of booking,); and b) we issue you with a booking confirmation. We reserve the right to return your deposit and decline to issue a confirmation at our absolute discretion.

A binding contract will come into existence between you and us as soon as we have issued you with a booking confirmation that will confirm the details of your booking. Upon receipt, if you believe that any details on the confirmation or any other document are wrong you must advise us immediately as changes can not be made later and it may harm your rights if we are not notified of any inaccuracies in any document within ten days of our sending it out.

2. Accuracy

We endeavor to ensure that all the information and prices both on our website and in any advertising material that we issue are accurate; however occasionally changes and errors occur and we reserve the right to correct prices and other details in such circumstances. You must check the current price and all other details relating to the arrangements that you wish to book before your booking is confirmed.

3. Insurance and Standards

It is a condition of booking that you must have appropriate insurance for the type of holiday being taken with us. Such insurance should fully cover personal injury, medical expenses, death, repatriation in the event of accident or illness or death, cancellation or curtailment of the holiday by either side and loss of, damage to, or theft of the clients’ personal property. Activities with a greater inherent risk, such as mountaineering, animal tracking on foot, white-water rafting should be covered.

Conditions in Rwanda are not the same as those in other countries and standards of service, medical facilities, safety and security may often be different than those in your home countries. Please note that it is the laws and regulations of the country in which services are provided which apply to your holiday arrangements and not those of your home country.

4. Special Requests

Any special requests must be advised to us at the time of booking. You should then confirm your requests in writing. Whilst every effort will be made by us to try and arrange your reasonable special requests, we cannot guarantee that they will be fulfilled. The fact that a special request has been noted on your confirmation invoice or any other documentation or that it has been passed on to the supplier is not confirmation that the request will be met. Failure to meet any special request will not be a breach of contract on our part unless the request has been specifically confirmed. We do not accept bookings that are conditional upon any special request being met.

5. Cutting Your Holiday Short

If you are forced to return home early, we cannot refund the cost of any services you have not used. If you cut short your holiday and return home early in circumstances where you have no reasonable cause for complaint about the standard of accommodation and services provided, we will not offer you any refund for that part of your holiday not completed, or be liable for any associated costs you may incur. Depending on the circumstances, your travel insurance may offer cover for curtailment and we suggest that any claim is made directly with them.

6. Fitness to Travel and Medical Conditions

We are not a specialist disabled holiday company, but we will take reasonable steps to cater for any special requirements you may have. If you or any member of your party has any medical problem or disability which may affect your stay, please provide us with full details before we confirm your booking so that we can try to advise you as to the suitability of your chosen arrangements. Acting reasonably, if we are unable to properly accommodate the needs of the person(s) concerned, we will not confirm your booking or if you did not give us full details at the time of booking, we will cancel it and impose applicable cancellation charges when we become aware of these details.

7. Behavior and Age Restrictions

All guests staying with us are expected to conduct themselves in an orderly and acceptable manner and not to disrupt the enjoyment of other guests. If in our opinion or in the opinion of any person in authority, your behaviour or that of any member of your party is causing or is likely to cause distress, danger or annoyance to any of our other guests or any third party or damage to property, or to cause a delay or diversion to transportation, we reserve the right to terminate your booked arrangements with us immediately. In the event of such termination our liability to you and/or your party will cease and you and/or your party will be required to leave your accommodation or other service immediately. We will have no further obligations to you and/or your party. No refunds for lost accommodation or any other service will be made and we will not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of termination. You and/or your party may also be required to pay for loss and/or damage caused by your actions and we will hold you and each member of your party jointly and individually liable for any damage or losses caused by you or any member of your party. Full payment for any such damage or losses must be paid directly to the supplier prior to departure. If you fail to make payment, you will be responsible for meeting any claims (including legal costs) subsequently made against us as a result of your actions together with all costs we incur in pursuing any claim against you. We cannot be held responsible for the actions or behaviour of other guests or individuals who have no connection with your booking arrangements or with us.

Children under the age of 15 are not permitted at UMVA Muhazi unless provided with explicit approval from the UMVA team. Exceptions are provided on a case-by-case basis. UMVA Experiences LTD does not provide childcare services.

8. Tours, Excursions & Activities

UMVA Experiences may offer tours, excursions or activities. Each guest is required to sign a liability waiver if they are to partake in those activities. 

Other Excursions or other tours that you may choose to book or pay for whilst you are on holiday are not part of your contracted arrangements with us. For any excursion or other tour that you book, your contract will be with the operator of the excursion or tour and not with us. We are not responsible for the provision of the excursion or tour or for anything that happens during the course of its provision by the operator.

9. Passport, Visa and Immigration Requirements and Health Formalities

It is your responsibility to check and fulfil the passport, visa, health and immigration requirements applicable to your itinerary. We can only provide general information about this. You must check requirements for your own specific circumstances with the relevant Embassies and/or Consulates and your own doctor as applicable. Requirements do change and you must check the up to date position in good time before departure.

Most countries now require passports to be valid for at least 6 months after your return date. If your passport is in its final year, you should check with the Embassy of the country you are visiting. Please note some countries require 2-3 blank pages at the end of your passport.

You should obtain up to date advice on passport and visa requirements from the Embassy, High Commission or Consulate of your destination or country(ies) through which you are travelling.

We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel, or incur any other loss because you have not complied with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities. You agree to reimburse us in relation to any fines or other losses which we incur as a result of your failure to comply with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities.

Health facilities, hygiene and disease risks vary worldwide. You should take health advice about your specific needs as early as possible.

10. Complaints

We make every effort to ensure that your holiday arrangements run smoothly but if you do have a problem during your holiday, please inform the relevant supplier or representative immediately who will endeavour to put things right. If your complaint is not resolved locally, please contact us as soon as possible on [email protected]. If the problem cannot be resolved and you wish to complain further, you must send formal written notice of your complaint to us at our office or by email to the appropriate e-mail address listed above (depending upon your destination) within 28 days of the end of your stay, giving your booking reference and all other relevant information. Please keep your letter concise and to the point. This will assist us to quickly identify your concerns and speed up our response to you. Failure to follow the procedure set out in this clause may affect ours and the applicable supplier’s ability to investigate your complaint, and will affect your rights under this contract.

Please note that we do not offer an Alternative Dispute Resolution service. 

11. Delays, Missed Transport Arrangements and other Travel Information

 A delay or cancellation to any flight or travel arrangement that you may decide to change, cancel or book yourself shall have no effect on any other arrangements that you have booked with UMVA.  If you or any member of your party miss your flight or other transport arrangement, it is cancelled or you are subject to a delay of over 3 hours for any reason, you must contact the airline or other transport supplier concerned immediately. Please also contact us so that we can take steps to prepare for your late arrival, if possible.

Where you experience a delay which is not owing to any failure by us, our employees or subcontractors, UMVA may provide, but is not obligated to, assistance in locating refreshments, accommodation and communications but not paying for them. If the delay is a result of another provider, any airline or other transport supplier, you should make a claim directly to them. 

12. Force Majeure

Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions we will not be liable or pay you compensation if our contractual obligations to you are affected by any event which we or the supplier(s) of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. These events can include, but are not limited to war, threat of war, civil strife terrorist activity and its consequences or the threat of such activity, riot, the act of any government or other national or local authority including port or river authorities, industrial dispute, lock closure, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, chemical or biological disaster and adverse weather, sea, ice and river conditions and all similar events outside our or the supplier(s) concerned’s control. Advice from the Foreign Office to avoid or leave a particular country may constitute Force Majeure.

13. Conditions of Suppliers

Many of the services which make up your holiday are provided by independent suppliers. Those suppliers provide these services in accordance with their own terms and conditions which will form part of your contract with us. Some of these terms and conditions may limit or exclude the supplier’s liability to you, usually in accordance with applicable International Conventions. Copies of the relevant parts of these terms and conditions are available on request from us or the supplier concerned.

14. Transportation

Every effort is made to ensure that vehicles are provided in a roadworthy condition. Our drivers are instructed to drive and operate in a safe manner. Company vehicles must only be driven by the company’s drivers whose decision on all matters, such as the route taken, is final. You will be liable for any damage caused to a vehicle by any interference by you with the vehicle, including legal costs.

16. Law and Jurisdiction

These terms and conditions are governed by Rwandan law and any dispute arising between the parties is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Rwanda. 

25. Paying For Accommodations

Bookings shall be made either online, via phone or via whatsapp. Bookings online must be paid immediately to confirm a reservation. Bookings that are paid by MoMo will be held provisionally for 24 hours. and will be released if the deposit has not been paid.

To book our accommodations, you will need to pay the full amount of the accommodation. If we do not receive this balance in full and on time, we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled by you in which case the cancellation charges set out in the relevant section below will become payable.

26. Pricing

Price increases may occur any time prior to departure you will be liable to pay any such increases in full. If, before you book, we know of circumstances that may cause an increase in the price of your booking after you have paid, we will endeavour to provide details to you.

27. Changes Made by You

If you wish to change any part of your booking arrangements after our confirmation has been issued, you must inform us in writing as soon as possible at [email protected].. This should be done by the first named person on the booking . Whilst we will do our best to assist, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to meet your requested change. Where we can meet a request, all changes will be subject to payment of any applicable rate changes or extra costs incurred as well as any costs incurred by ourselves and any costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers. You should be aware that these costs could increase the closer to the departure date that changes are made and you should contact us as soon as possible. Where we are unable to assist you and you do not wish to proceed with the original booking we will treat this as a cancellation by you. A cancellation fee may be payable (see below).

Please note: Certain arrangements may not be amended, even to change a name, after they have been confirmed and any alteration could incur a cancellation charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements. A 2% admin fee is charged on all refunds due to cancellations.

28. If You Cancel Your Booking

If you or any other member of your party decides to cancel your confirmed booking you must notify us in writing. Your notice of cancellation will only take effect when it is received in writing by us at our offices and will be effective from the date on which we receive it. 

Since we incur costs in cancelling your arrangements, you will have to pay the applicable cancellation charges up to the maximum shown below. The cancellation charge detailed is calculated on the basis of the total cost payable by the person(s) cancelling excluding insurance premiums and amendment charges which are not refundable in the event of the person(s) to whom they apply cancelling:

Period before departure within which notice of Cancellation by you is received

• Amount of cancellation charge

• More than 14 days : 0% of total cost of arrangements

• 7-14 days: 50% of total cost of arrangements

• 7 days or less : 100% of total cost of arrangements

We will deduct the cancellation charge(s) from any monies you have already paid to us. A 2% admin fee is charged on all refunds due to cancellations.

Please note: Certain arrangements, once confirmed, may incur a cancellation charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements, when cancelled. For example, custom bookings where the whole accommodation is blocked may incur a cancellation fee of 100% of the accommodation fee. 

29. If We Change or Cancel Your Booking

We may in exceptional circumstances be required to cancel your booking in which case a full refund of all monies paid will be made to you. We regret we cannot meet any expenses or losses that you may incur as a result of change or cancellation such as visas, vaccinations, equipment, transport, insurance or similar costs.

Very rarely, we may be forced by “force majeure” to change or terminate all or some of your arrangements after departure. If this situation does occur, we regret we will be unable to make any refunds, pay you compensation or meet any costs or expenses you incur as a result.

IMPORTANT NOTE: We will not pay you compensation in the following circumstances:

• where we make a minor change;

• where we make a major change or cancel your arrangements more than 30 days before departure;

• where we have to cancel your arrangements as a result of your failure to make full payment on time;

• where the change or cancellation by us arises out of alterations to the confirmed booking requested by you;

• where we are forced to cancel or change your arrangements due to Force Majeure (see clause 12).

Please note: where arrangements with a higher price than the original arrangements are offered by us and accepted by you, the difference in price will be deducted from any compensation payable. In no case will we pay compensation if arrangements offered by us and accepted by you with a higher price than that originally booked in the same location where no additional payment is made by you.

30. Our Responsibilities

1. (Subject to the remainder of this clause, we have a duty to select the suppliers of the services making up your booking with us with reasonable skill and care. We have no liability to you for the actual provision of the services, except in cases where it is proved that we have breached that duty and damage to you has been caused. Therefore, provided we have selected the suppliers/subcontractors with reasonable skill and care, we will have no liability to you for anything that happens during the service in question or any acts or omissions of the supplier, its employees or agents.

2. We will not be responsible or pay you compensation for any injury, illness, death, loss, damage, expense, cost or other claim of any description if it results from:

1.  the act(s) and/or omission(s) of the person(s) affected; or

2. the act(s) and/or omission(s) of a third party unconnected with the provision of the services contracted for and which were unforeseeable or unavoidable; or

3. unusual or unforeseeable circumstances beyond ours or our supplier(s) control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised; or

4. an event which either ourselves or suppliers could not, even with all due care, have foreseen or forestalled.

3. We limit the amount of compensation we may have to pay you if we are found liable under this clause:

1. loss of and/or damage to any luggage or personal possessions and money, The maximum amount we will have to pay you in respect of these claims is £25 per person in total because you are assumed to have adequate insurance in place to cover any losses of this kind.

2. Claims not falling under (a) above and which don’t involve injury, illness or death

3. The maximum amount we will have to pay you in respect of these claims is twice the price paid by you in total. This maximum amount will only be payable where everything has gone wrong and you have not received any benefit at all from your booking.

4. It is a condition of our acceptance of liability under this clause that you notify any claim to ourselves and our supplier(s) strictly in accordance with the complaints procedure set out in these conditions.

5. Where any payment is made, the person(s) receiving it (and their parent or guardian if under 18 years) must also assign to ourselves or our insurers any rights they may have to pursue any third party and must provide ourselves and our insurers with all assistance we may reasonably require.

6.  Please note, we cannot accept any liability for any damage, loss or expense or other sum(s) of any description: 

1. (a) which on the basis of the information given to us by you concerning your booking prior to our accepting it, we could not have foreseen you would suffer or incur if we breached our contract with you; or

2.  (b) relate to any business.

7. We will not accept responsibility for services or facilities which do not form part of our agreement or where they are not advertised in our brochure. For example, any excursion you book whilst away, or any service or facility which your hotel or any other supplier agrees to provide for you.