Cancellation Policy
Rwanda Gorillas, Chimps and more

The process of setting up and operating workshops is complex.  In some cases deposits have to be made many months in advance to hold space and those are not refundable if we later release that space.  Sometimes a cancellation would result in a group not meeting minimum enrollment and the trip would have to operate at a loss.  So we have to have some policies to protect our ability to put together and operate the workshops.
At the same time, we understand that plans sometimes have to change.  Sometimes health issues cause unplanned or involuntary cancellation.  Other events and circumstances beyond your control may necessitate cancellation.  It is not our intention to be unreasonable.
Hence, the following policy:
  • The original deposit goes direct to buying permits, and is not refundable. Be sure you are "in" before you send those funds. We will hold your check, uncashed, until we have the minimum required for this adventure and then cash everyone's! At that point, there is no refund.
  • For cancellations received up to 400 days before departure we will refund all payments except the initial deposit. 
  • For cancellations received between 400 and 150 days before departure we will refund 50% of the funds you paid beyond the initial deposit, unless our unrecoverable expenses are higher.
  • Those canceling in the 150 days before departure will forfeit the entire workshop fee unless we are able to find someone else to fill the space.
  • If your cancellation makes the group economically unviable, we cannot make a refund. Hopefully someone else will join the group and we can find a refund for you.
In some cases we may not be able to recover deposits that we make that exceed this policy.  When that is the case, those funds will not be refunded.

With all of that said, when circumstances cause someone to cancel and they have to forfeit funds, we work with them to find ways to recover at least some of that loss on a future workshop.