Terms & conditions

1. Who you are contracting with

Million Miles Adventures is a tour operator registered and operating in Uganda, with its office at Entebbe Road, Kampala, Uganda (satellite offices near Bwindi & Kibale). A booking is a contract between you and Million Miles Adventures. Where we book third-party services on your behalf (lodges, airlines, the Uganda Wildlife Authority), we do so as your agent, and those suppliers' own terms also apply.

2. Quotations

Quotations are valid for 14 days from issue and are based on the party size, dates and accommodation tier specified. Prices are quoted per person sharing unless stated otherwise, in US dollars.

Statutory costs (gorilla and chimpanzee permits, park entry fees and boat cruises) are quoted at the rate set by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and itemised separately in every quotation. We do not mark them up.

3. Deposit and confirmation

A deposit of 30% of the total trip cost confirms your booking. The balance is due 60 days before your arrival date. Bookings made within 60 days of travel require payment in full at the time of booking.

Your booking is confirmed only when we have issued you a written confirmation. An itinerary, a quotation or an email exchange is not a confirmation.

4. Gorilla and chimpanzee permits

Permits are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority against the passport details of each named traveller and are confirmed only once paid in full. Until that point availability cannot be guaranteed, regardless of what has been discussed.

Permits are subject to UWA's own cancellation and refund terms, which are set by the authority and not by us. Where a permit cannot be refunded we will always attempt to transfer it to a new date on your behalf, which in most cases recovers more value than a cancellation.

If the Uganda Wildlife Authority revises permit fees after your booking is confirmed and paid, we absorb the difference for that booking.

5. Trekking rules and eligibility

Gorilla and golden monkey trekking is restricted to travellers aged 15 or over on the day of the trek. Chimpanzee trekking is restricted to those aged 12 or over. Age is verified against passports at the park briefing. Travellers who do not meet the age requirement will be refused entry and no refund is available.

Travellers displaying symptoms of a communicable respiratory illness on the morning of a trek will be refused entry by park rangers, because great apes are susceptible to human respiratory infection. We will assist with rescheduling where the authority permits it.

6. Cancellation by you

Cancellations must be made in writing. Our cancellation charges are: more than 60 days before arrival, loss of deposit; 30 to 60 days, 50% of the total; fewer than 30 days, 100% of the total.

Permit costs are additionally subject to the Uganda Wildlife Authority's own schedule, which may recover more or less than the above depending on notice given. We will always tell you the actual recoverable amount rather than applying a blanket figure.

7. Changes and cancellation by us

We may need to change an itinerary because of weather, road conditions, park closures, permit availability or supplier failure. Where a change is minor we will inform you. Where a change is significant we will offer you an alternative of comparable standard or a refund of the affected portion.

We do not cancel confirmed departures for commercial reasons such as insufficient numbers, because all our safaris are private.

8. Travel insurance

Comprehensive travel insurance is a condition of booking. Your policy must cover medical treatment and emergency repatriation, and should cover trip cancellation and curtailment. Trekking at altitude in Bwindi, Mgahinga, the Rwenzoris and Mount Elgon may require an activity extension; check your policy wording rather than assuming.

We will ask for your policy number and emergency assistance number before departure.

9. Passports, visas and health

You are responsible for holding a passport valid for at least six months beyond your date of entry, for obtaining the correct visa, and for meeting Uganda's health entry requirements including a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate.

We will advise on all of these and send a pre-departure pack once your trip is confirmed, but we cannot be held responsible for a traveller refused entry for incomplete documentation.

10. Liability

We accept responsibility for arranging the services described in your confirmed itinerary with reasonable skill and care. We are not liable for loss, injury or damage arising from circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to weather, wildlife behaviour, illness, civil disturbance, or the acts or omissions of third-party suppliers.

Safari travel involves inherent risk. Trekking takes place on steep, unmade terrain at altitude, in the presence of wild animals. You participate at your own risk and are expected to follow the instructions of your guide and park rangers at all times.

11. Complaints

If something is wrong during your trip, tell your guide immediately so we can put it right while you are still in the country. Complaints raised after travel should be sent in writing to info@millionmilesadventures.com within 28 days of your return.

12. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of Uganda, and any dispute is subject to the jurisdiction of the Ugandan courts.