In short
More than 30 days before arrival: full refund. 15 to 30 days: up to 50 % may be kept. 14 days or fewer: up to 100 %. Those are maximums, not fixed penalties. If we re-let your dates, you get the difference back. No charge if a guest dies or is hospitalised. Cancel in writing, by WhatsApp. Approved refunds are initiated within 7 to 14 business days, to the card or account you paid from.
How to cancel
Send a written cancellation to our WhatsApp number +27 82 612 4623, with your booking reference, name and arrival date. We acknowledge it and explain the refund calculation. If you do not receive an acknowledgement, contact us again; our delay in acknowledging does not change the date on which we received your cancellation.
Notice is counted in calendar days between the South African date on which we receive your cancellation and your arrival date, using South African Standard Time (UTC+2) rather than your device's time zone. For example, a cancellation received on 1 June for arrival on 15 June gives 14 days' notice. Arrival-day cancellations and no-shows give zero days' notice.
Cancellation schedule
The following maximum charges apply to the accommodation portion of a direct booking, subject to the fair assessment and the exceptions below: More than 30 calendar days before arrival: no cancellation charge; full refund of the accommodation.
15 to 30 calendar days before arrival: a reasonable cancellation charge of up to 50 % of the accommodation total; the balance is refunded. 14 calendar days or fewer before arrival: a reasonable cancellation charge of up to 100 % of the accommodation total; any balance is refunded.
Paying in full does not make a booking automatically non-refundable. The maximum percentage is not a fixed penalty and does not override your legal rights.
How we assess the charge
We consider the nature of the accommodation, the notice given, how likely we are to re-let the dates with reasonable effort, and relevant industry practice. We also take account of expenses saved and any replacement income for the cancelled dates, so that the charge is never a windfall. We make reasonable efforts to re-let cancelled dates. If they are re-let, we review and reduce the charge where appropriate, taking the replacement rate and any remaining loss or costs into account. We explain our calculation on request and refund any excess. We do not add a cancellation administration fee on top of these ceilings.
Optional extras that will not be supplied, such as undelivered firewood, are refunded separately and are never treated as cancellation charges. A payment-provider or platform fee is not deducted from a direct-booking refund merely because it was charged to us.
Death or hospitalisation
Where the Consumer Protection Act applies, no cancellation charge is imposed if the booking cannot be honoured because of the death or hospitalisation of the person for whom, or for whose benefit, the booking was made; this is not limited to the person who paid. Please contact us so that we can handle the request sensitively. We may ask for reasonable, necessary supporting information through a private channel; please do not send medical records through a general website form. Other statutory exceptions and remedies remain available to you.
No-shows and early departures
If you expect to arrive late, please contact us. An agreed late arrival is not a no-show, and we will not resell a confirmed stay because you missed the normal check-in time without first taking reasonable steps to reach you.
If you do not arrive, or leave early by choice, a refund of unused accommodation is not automatic. We assess any charge for the unused portion reasonably, within the applicable ceiling and taking re-letting and your legal rights into account. If you leave because of a failure in the accommodation or service, tell us promptly so that we can try to put it right; your statutory remedies are not limited by this policy.
If we cannot provide the booking
If we cannot supply your confirmed accommodation, we tell you promptly and refund what you paid for the part we cannot supply, unless you voluntarily accept an alternative. You never have to accept a voucher or a different stay instead of a refund you are entitled to. This does not limit any further rights you may have, including interest or directly incidental costs where the Consumer Protection Act requires them. Disruption caused by exceptional events is assessed under the applicable law; we do not apply a blanket “force majeure, no refunds” rule.
Refund timing and disputes
We assess requests promptly and tell you if we need anything more. We aim to initiate an approved refund within 7 to 14 business days of confirming the amount and the refund details. A business day excludes Saturdays, Sundays and South African public holidays; a shorter legal deadline takes priority, and bank or payment-provider processing may add time before the money shows in your account. Where possible we refund through the original payment method; otherwise we agree a safe alternative with you. We never require you to give up a valid complaint or any other legal right in order to receive a refund that is due.
For a disputed charge or a delayed refund, contact us on WhatsApp at +27 82 612 4623 quoting your booking reference. We will explain our assessment. You may also use the statutory complaint or court process.