Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

To design, confirm, and execute your safari itinerary, we may collect the following types of information:

• Contact & Identity Information: Full legal name, email address, telephone/WhatsApp number, nationality, residential address, and country of residence.
• Travel Documents & Permit Verification: Passport number, date of birth, expiration date, and scanned copies of photo identification pages. This information is strictly mandated by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) to verify guest eligibility and issue non-transferable gorilla trekking and chimpanzee permits.
• Health & Dietary Requirements: Any dietary restrictions, mobility constraints, medical conditions, or emergency medication details you willingly disclose to ensure your safety and comfort during treks and lodge stays.
• Payment & Billing Data: Transaction references, invoices, and billing addresses. Credit/debit card numbers are processed directly via PCI-DSS compliant payment gateways and are never stored on our local servers.
• Technical & Analytical Data: IP addresses, browser types, approximate geographical location, pages visited, and interaction telemetry collected anonymously through cookies and analytics tools (such as Microsoft Clarity) to optimize website performance.

2. How We Use Your Information

We process your personal information solely for lawful operational, regulatory, and customer service purposes, including:

• Fulfilling safari reservations, designing personalized itineraries, and confirming domestic air transfers.
• Purchasing official mountain gorilla and chimpanzee tracking permits in your legal name with statutory wildlife authorities.
• Communicating itinerary updates, safety briefings, packing recommendations, and payment receipts.
• Accommodating special dietary, medical, or lodge accessibility preferences.
• Responding promptly to inquiries submitted via our contact forms, WhatsApp, or email.
• Complying with statutory reporting requirements under the Uganda Tourism Act and immigration regulations.

3. Disclosure to Trusted Third Parties

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We only share relevant details with trusted third parties strictly necessary to deliver your safari services:

• Wildlife & Park Authorities: Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and Rwanda Development Board (RDB) for issuing official entry permits and ranger allocations.
• Lodges & Accommodations: Safari lodges, boutique hotels, and tented camps to reserve your room and prepare appropriate meal plans.
• Aviation & Transport Partners: Domestic scheduled or charter flight operators (e.g., Aerolink Uganda) for passenger manifests and baggage logistics.
• Medical & Evacuation Providers: Emergency medical evacuation flight providers (such as AMREF Flying Doctors) in the event of an in-field medical emergency.

4. Data Security & Retention

We implement robust administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or alteration. All web communications are transmitted via TLS/SSL encrypted channels.

We retain your personal booking data only as long as necessary to complete your travel arrangements, satisfy accounting and legal audit obligations, and assist with future booking references. Passport copies collected for permit procurement are purged or archived securely following the conclusion of your journey.

5. Cookies & Web Analytics

Our website uses essential and performance cookies to provide a smooth browsing experience:

• Essential Cookies: Required for page navigation, session management, and responsive layout scaling.
• Analytical Cookies: Help us understand aggregated traffic patterns, popular itinerary routes, and device compatibility via tools like Microsoft Clarity. These metrics do not collect personally identifiable information without your consent.

You can configure your browser to decline cookies, though certain interactive features (such as itinerary calculations) may function with limited convenience.

6. Your Rights & Choices

Under applicable data protection legislation (including the Uganda Data Protection and Privacy Act, 2019 and international privacy frameworks), you have the right to:

• Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete records.
• Request the deletion of your personal data where retention is no longer legally required.
• Withdraw consent for marketing communications at any time by clicking "unsubscribe" or notifying us directly.

To exercise any of these rights, email your request to info@adventuresbeyond.org. We will respond within thirty (30) business days.