Extremely disappointing experience with this resort, particularly when it comes to customer service and flexibility. I made a booking in good faith, but within just three days realised I had made an honest mistake regarding the location. Being based in Australia, I misunderstood the distinction between the resort and the nearby game reserve, which was the specific area I had intended to book. As soon as I became aware of the error, I contacted the resort immediately to request a cancellation and a full refund—well in advance of the travel dates.
Despite the prompt notice and the fact that the booking was very recent, the resort refused to make any exception to their cancellation policy. Their repeated responses stated that they “understand that plans can change,” yet they also insisted they “cannot deviate from the cancellation policy.” This was particularly frustrating because my situation was not simply a case of changed plans, but a genuine and understandable booking mistake that I acted on immediately.
This was not a last-minute cancellation, nor was it a casual change of mind. Given the timing, there would have been ample opportunity for the resort to rebook the dates, so it’s difficult to understand why a more reasonable or compassionate approach wasn’t taken.
What stood out most was the complete lack of empathy or willingness to consider the situation on its merits. Customer service should go beyond simply enforcing policies—it should involve some level of understanding and fairness, especially in cases like this where no real loss or inconvenience would likely occur. Repeating scripted statements about understanding “plans can change” while refusing to consider the actual circumstances only made the interaction feel dismissive and impersonal.
Overall, this experience has left a very negative impression. I would strongly advise anyone considering booking to triple-check all details beforehand, as there is no flexibility if something goes wrong, even in genuine circumstances.
Keeping 50% of my deposit paid under these circumstances feels completely unjustified and, quite frankly, like they are stealing my money despite being notified almost immediately of the error.
