Payment & Refund Policy

Payment & Refund Policy

At Serenes Sojourns Tours, we are committed to maintaining transparent, secure, and professionally managed financial processes across all bookings, travel services, and destination arrangements. This Payment & Refund Policy outlines the terms governing quotations, confirmations, payments, cancellations, refunds, currency handling, and related financial procedures applicable to all services booked through Serenes Sojourns Tours.

By confirming a booking with Serenes Sojourns Tours, the client, agent, or traveler acknowledges acceptance of the terms outlined within this policy.

All reservations, accommodations, transport services, tours, excursions, and travel arrangements remain subject to availability at the time of confirmation.

• Booking Confirmation & Payments

Bookings shall only be considered confirmed upon

Receipt of the required deposit or full payment as communicated during the quotation or invoicing process.

Depending on supplier requirements, seasonality, destination policies, or booking lead times, Serenes Sojourns Tours may require:

Staggered payment schedules for group and long-haul bookings.

Failure to make payments within stipulated timelines may result in automatic release or cancellation of services without liability to Serenes Sojourns Tours.

Due to the multi-country nature of our operations across Southern Africa, East Africa, and the Indian Ocean region, quotations may be presented in different currencies including but not limited to:

Where applicable, exchange rates used for invoicing or conversions shall be determined based on prevailing market rates, banking rates, or supplier settlement requirements at the time of invoicing or payment processing.

Serenes Sojourns Tours reserves the right to adjust quoted pricing in the event of:

Regulatory changes affecting operational costs.

Clients shall remain responsible for any bank charges, transfer fees, intermediary charges, foreign exchange conversion costs, or payment processing fees associated with international transactions.

Cancellation requests must be submitted in writing and shall only become effective upon written acknowledgment by Serenes Sojourns Tours.

Refunds, where applicable, shall be processed subject to supplier terms, operational commitments already incurred, banking charges, and applicable cancellation penalties.

Unless otherwise stated in a supplier-specific agreement, the following standard cancellation policy may apply:

Less than 35 days prior to travel, no-shows, late arrivals, or unused services: No refund applicable

Certain services including gorilla permits, scheduled flights, rail tickets, peak season reservations, conservation permits, luxury properties, and special event bookings may carry stricter cancellation terms or be entirely non-refundable irrespective of cancellation date.

• Written confirmation from Serenes Sojourns Tours; and
• Full prepayment prior to travel;
• Non-refundable deposits; or
• Currency Handling & Exchange Rate Considerations
• South African Rand (ZAR)
• United States Dollar (USD)
• Euro (EUR)
• British Pound Sterling (GBP)
• Kenyan Shilling (KES)
• Tanzanian Shilling (TZS)
• Significant currency fluctuations;
• Government-imposed taxes or levies;
• Supplier price increases;
• Fuel surcharges;
• Park fee adjustments; or
• Refund Policy & Cancellation Timelines
• days or more prior to travel: 75% refund of the total booking value
• – 49 days prior to travel: 50% refund of the total booking value
• – 42 days prior to travel: 25% refund of the total booking value
• – 35 days prior to travel: No refund applicable

Refund timelines may vary depending on

Third-party reconciliation requirements.

Where refunds are approved, processing may typically take between 14 to 45 business days depending on the originating payment method and supplier recovery timelines.

• Supplier processing timelines;
• Banking systems;
• International transfer procedures; and
• No-Show, Unused Services & Early Departures

No refunds shall be provided for

Services not utilized by the traveler.

Serenes Sojourns Tours acts as a destination management intermediary coordinating services with independent airlines, hotels, lodges, transport operators, guides, activity providers, and tourism suppliers.

Certain refund outcomes may therefore remain subject to third-party supplier terms and conditions beyond the direct control of Serenes Sojourns Tours.

We maintain commercially reasonable safeguards to protect payment information and personal data submitted through our systems, communication channels, and payment processes.

• Unused accommodation nights;
• Missed transfers;
• Missed flights;
• Early departures;
• Voluntary itinerary changes during travel;
• No-show services; or
• Third-Party Supplier Conditions
• Fraud Prevention & Payment Security

Serenes Sojourns Tours reserves the right to

Require alternative payment methods where necessary for fraud prevention or compliance purposes.

No refunds, compensation, or liability shall arise where travel disruptions, cancellations, or operational interruptions occur due to events beyond reasonable operational control including but not limited to:

Extreme weather conditions.

In such circumstances, Serenes Sojourns Tours shall make commercially reasonable efforts to assist with alternative arrangements, supplier negotiations, or rescheduling options where possible.

• Request identity verification;
• Decline suspicious transactions;
• Suspend unverified bookings; or
• Force Majeure
• Natural disasters;
• Pandemics;
• Government restrictions;
• Political unrest;
• Civil disturbances;
• Airline disruptions;
• Border closures; or