Terms & Conditions

About these terms

These terms apply to bookings made through the Madu River Safari website for safari services in Balapitiya, Sri Lanka. “We”, “us” and “our” refer to Madu River Safari. Your selected package, booking details, accepted quotation where relevant, and our Cancellation & Refund Policy form part of the booking information.

The person making the booking must be able to enter into the booking agreement and be authorised to act for the party. Check the package, guest information, date, time, price and selected extras before confirming. Contact +94 75 900 3003 or WhatsApp if you need help.

How your booking is confirmed

An eligible fixed-price booking is confirmed automatically when you submit the completed booking and receive its booking reference and confirmation. No inventory check or further staff approval is required. Reservation status and payment status are separate: a confirmed booking does not mean payment has been received.

Group tours, lunch, the Local turtle bundle when children are included, and arrangements without a fixed price require a quotation. Sending the request does not confirm those services. Your quote-based booking confirms automatically when you accept the current, unexpired quotation and its stated terms. Review its itinerary, inclusions, amount due and validity before accepting.

Keep your booking reference and private status link. The status page shows your booking and payment records. Contact us promptly about incorrect details or a result you do not understand.

Prices, nationality and guest numbers

Choose Local or Foreign under Nationality to view the applicable catalogue. Foreign is the default display; it is not a determination of your eligibility. Local refers to the Sri Lankan visitor catalogue. Choose accurately and ask us if eligibility is unclear; changing payment currency does not change eligibility.

Local fixed fares are in LKR using the charging basis shown for each package. Foreign fixed fares are in USD per adult, with a minimum of two paying adults. For per-person safari fares, guests aged 12 and over pay the adult rate, children aged 5–11 pay 50% of the adult rate, and infants and children under 5 travel free. Enter each child’s age as at the safari date so the correct fare can be calculated. Local Standard, Private Classic and Birdwatching whole-boat fares remain unchanged when children or infants travel. The Local turtle combination is a two-adult bundle; parties with children require a quotation for its complete arrangements.

Individual safari arrangements require at least two guests and group tours at least 20. Every passenger, including children and infants, counts towards the assigned boat’s actual passenger allowance. Larger parties may require more than one boat and a complete quotation. Local lunch outings are available by quotation.

The booking review or accepted quotation identifies the price for your chosen services. Child and infant concessions apply to per-person safari fares, not whole-boat fares or hotel vehicle charges. They do not make separately charged meals, admissions or activities free. Optional activities, purchases, meals, drinks or hotel transport are additional unless expressly included. Ask about an unclear charge before accepting or paying; do not assume an optional service is included in the safari fare.

Payments and currency conversion

Follow the amount due, currency and payment instructions shown for your booking or accepted quotation. Payment methods are available only when they are shown as enabled on your private booking page. Booking confirmation and verified payment are separate records.

When Genie checkout is offered, the charge is in LKR. The current agreed conversion for a Foreign USD-priced checkout is LKR 331 for USD 1. The exact LKR amount and rate are shown before you continue to the payment provider. A different rate is not applied to an existing payment without showing the amount for review.

Card details are entered on the payment provider’s hosted checkout. A browser return or receipt alone does not prove that payment was received: online transactions are verified with the provider, and bank transfers are checked against the credited funds. Keep payment references and contact us if a payment has not updated; avoid making a duplicate payment while it is being checked.

Any bank or card issuer’s separate charges or conversion practices are governed by that provider. No additional cancellation deduction is introduced by this clause; our published refund percentages remain unchanged.

Optional hotel pickup and drop-off

Hotel pickup and drop-off are extra services. You may select either journey or both while booking. The charge is displayed only after you select the relevant service; each journey is priced separately from the safari.

Provide the correct hotel or full address, contact details, party size and luggage information. Requested vehicle suitability depends on the party and luggage. Unpriced areas, Local transfers, larger vehicles or custom arrangements require a quotation. The pickup time and meeting arrangements must be agreed for the selected journey.

Itinerary, departure and nature

The selected package and, where applicable, the accepted quotation describe the included route and stops. Published durations are approximate planning allowances. Departure times and cancellation notice periods use Sri Lanka time (Asia/Colombo). Check your departure instructions and exact meeting point with us before travelling.

Weather, water conditions, safe access, venue availability or local requirements may affect routes and landings. Wildlife sightings, flowers, sunrise and sunset are natural events and are not guaranteed. A destination guide or photograph does not guarantee a particular sighting, landing, boat or activity.

Optional fish-spa participation, purchases, donations and activities outside the agreed inclusions are separate choices. Check the relevant provider’s requirements and price before participating.

Safety and guest responsibilities

We provide life jackets. Ask the crew to check the fit, fasten straps and buckles as directed and keep your jacket on during the boat journey. Follow the crew’s briefing, boarding directions and weather-related safety instructions. Read the Safety & Life Jackets guidance before your visit.

Board carefully, remain seated while the boat moves, keep hands and feet inside, and do not enter the river to swim or retrieve belongings. Adults must supervise children at the jetty, on board and during stops. Give children’s ages and discuss fit or assistance needs before the visit.

Respect passenger limits, other guests, religious sites and the wetland. Do not feed, touch or disturb wildlife. Tell the crew if you feel unwell, need help or are unsure about an instruction. Tell us about necessary boarding assistance in advance so we can discuss suitable arrangements.

Guest cancellations and refunds

Refund percentages apply to the amount paid. Notice is measured from when we receive your cancellation request to your scheduled safari departure, using Sri Lanka time and full 24-hour days. At least 30 full days qualifies for a full refund; at least 14 but fewer than 30 qualifies for a 50% refund; less than 14 qualifies for no refund.

Contact us by phone or WhatsApp with the booking reference, name, safari date and time, and a clear cancellation request. Refunds are handled separately from changing the reservation status. Read the full Cancellation & Refund Policy. This schedule concerns guest-initiated cancellations; it does not remove remedies for a service we cancel or do not provide.

Requested changes and service disruption

Contact us with your booking reference to request a date, guest, package or hotel-service change. A request does not itself change the booking. We will explain any price difference or revised arrangements, and the change takes effect when agreed.

The crew may delay or change a departure, route or stop when needed for safety. If we cannot provide the agreed service or propose a material change, we will contact you to discuss the available arrangements and remedies, including any refund due under applicable law or the booking agreement. We do not apply the guest-cancellation schedule to avoid our responsibility for an unprovided service.

Your information and booking access

We use booking information as explained in the Privacy Policy. Provide the lead guest’s passport number for a Foreign booking or NIC number for a Local booking in the dedicated field. Document image uploads are not required. Provide accurate contact details and only information needed for your party and chosen services. Make sure you are authorised to provide information about other guests.

Keep the full private booking link confidential; a person with access to it may be able to see the booking and use available actions. Contact us if you think the link or booking details have been shared inappropriately.

Care, complaints and consumer rights

We are responsible for providing the services we agree to supply with reasonable care and skill, subject to applicable law. Nothing in these terms excludes responsibility that cannot lawfully be excluded, or removes rights or remedies you have under applicable consumer law.

Tell us promptly if something is wrong so we have an opportunity to help. Contact +94 75 900 3003 or WhatsApp with your booking reference and relevant details. Keep your confirmation, messages and payment evidence. You may also use any external complaint or legal remedy available to you, including seeking guidance from Sri Lanka’s Consumer Affairs Authority.

These terms are governed by Sri Lankan law, subject to any mandatory consumer protections that apply to you. This does not require you to give up a complaint route or remedy available under applicable law.

Updates to these terms

The date at the top identifies this version. Updated website terms apply to new bookings from their stated date. An existing booking remains subject to the terms accepted for it, unless a change is agreed with you or required by law. Your accepted quotation adds the service-specific details; it does not remove mandatory consumer rights.