Vietnam Photo Adventures, hereby referred to by the VPA designation.
(SD): Saigon Day-Trippers
(ME): Mekong Explorers
(VA): Vietnam Adventurers
(All): Saigon Day Trippers + Mekong Explorers + Vietnam Adventures
Initial Deposit / Full Trip Payment / Cancellation Policy:
Saigon Day-Trippers (SD)
A 20% deposit is required to confirm the booking of any Saigon Day Tripper tour.
The remaining 80% balance for the trip will be paid on the day of the tour, by cash in Vietnam Dong, US Dollars or Euros.
For cancellations made more than 96 hours from the start of your tour, we will refund 100% of your deposit as well as the remaining balance if it was paid in advance.
For cancellations made less than 96 hours to 24 hours from the start of your tour, the deposit will be forfeited. The remaining balance, if it was paid in advance, will be refunded.
For cancellations made less than 24 hours from the start of your tour and in case of no-show, no refund will be provided.
Mekong Explorers (ME)
1) 2 Days In The Mekong Delta
A 50% deposit is required to confirm the booking of the 2 Days In The Mekong Delta tour.
The remaining 50% balance for the trip cost can be paid on the day of the tour, by cash in Vietnam Dong, US Dollars or Euros.
For cancellations made more than 30 days from the start of your tour, we will refund 100% of your deposit minus the deposits or full payment made to book the hotel, as well as the remaining balance if it was paid in advance less a US$100 administrative fee.
For cancellations made less than 30 days to 7 days from the start of your tour, the deposit will be forfeited. The remaining balance will be refunded if it was paid in advance.
For cancellations made less than 7 days from the start of your tour and in case of no-show, no refund will be provided.
2) Mekong Delta Hidden Gems
A 50% deposit is required to confirm the booking of the Mekong Delta Hidden Gems tour.
The remaining 50% balance for the trip cost can be paid the day of the tour, by cash in Vietnam Dong, US Dollars or Euros.
For cancellations made more than 30 days from the start of your tour, we will refund 100% of your deposit minus the deposits or full payment made to book the hotels, as well as the remaining balance if it was paid in advance less a US$100 administrative fee.
For cancellations made less than 30 days to 7 days from the start of your tour, the deposit will be forfeited. The remaining balance will be refunded if it was paid in advance.
For cancellations made less than 7 days from the start of your tour and in case of no-show, no refund will be provided.
Vietnam Adventurers (VA)
A 30% deposit is required to confirm the booking of any Vietnam Adventurer tour.
The remaining 70% balance for the trip cost must be paid within 90 days of departure.
For cancellations made more than 90 days from the start of your tour, we will refund 100% of your deposit minus the deposits or full payment made to book the hotels, as well as the remaining balance if it was paid in advance less a US$200 administrative fee.
For all Photography tours and workshops, hotels require a deposit or full payment. Which we normally do six months to a year in advance. In almost all cases, this is either non-refundable or partially refundable. Therefore, if you sign up for a photo tour or workshop and cancel for any reason, you will receive an amount of money back see below, “Refund Timing” if we can re-sell your place on the tour/workshop, you can expect a 90% refund. We highly recommend that you have full travel insurance.
Refund Timing (VA)
For cancellations made less than 90 days to 60 days from the start of your tour, the deposit will be forfeited. The remaining balance will be refunded if it was paid in advance.
For cancellations made less than 60 days from the start of your tour, we will charge a 100% cancellation fee.
(All):
If you must cancel a reservation, contact VPA as soon as possible. VPA requires a cancellation notice to be sent in writing (email is preferred).
VPA cannot offer partial refunds for unused services. If you have to cut your trip short, no refunds can be given but we can offer you a discount if you sign-up for a future trip.
Cancellation fees and forfeited deposits are non-transferable. If you sign-up for another trip, we can apply part of the lost deposit towards the new trip. Contact us for details.
Trip Insurance (All):
VPA highly recommends that all trip participants carry their own trip insurance. This should cover any portion of trip payments that we are unable to refund due to cancellation. It should also cover unused airline tickets and so forth. It is the participant’s responsibility to carry adequate health insurance for the areas we will be visiting. Any emergency care, hospital visits, dentist’s visits, doctor’s visits, prescriptions, and so forth are not covered by VPA and will be billed directly to the participant if no insurance is carried. The participant is solely responsible for ensuring their travel, health, dental, and prescription insurance provides adequate coverage.
Health and Physical Fitness (All):
VPA expects that all participants be in good health as photography and hiking can be physically demanding. VPA reserves the right to ask for a doctor’s statement of good health if deemed necessary. If you have concerns about whether or not your health or fitness is adequate for any given tour, please get an evaluation from a qualified medical professional first. Also, you can contact us at any time with specific questions. Please ensure you make your health/fitness evaluation BEFORE booking any tour, as VPA cannot make any exceptions to our cancellation policy for medical reasons. VPA recognizes that we will have people of varying abilities, health, and fitness and will make reasonable attempts to accommodate as best we can if it does not undermine the itinerary and goals of the group. It is each participant’s responsibility to ensure they are reasonably fit and healthy for the tour they sign-up for. For each tour, VPA lists the degree of difficulty:
Easy: Short jaunts to and from vehicles. Little to no walking but may involve periods of standing or kneeling.
Moderate: Medium length hiking of 2-4 miles. Expect to wake up early in the morning and stay out after sunset in the evening for the best light. The ability to carry your own photo gear is required.
Strenuous: Longer hikes in excess of 4 miles where you’ll be carrying your own photo gear. Backpacking trips with overnight gear also fall into this category. We may be hiking over steep and exposed terrain and a good level of physical fitness is required.
International Travel (All):
It is each participant’s responsibility to ensure they have a valid passport and or visa for the countries they will be visiting. Please ensure your passport does not expire within 6 months of the end date of the trip. If you are required to obtain a visa, please make arrangements as far in advance as possible.
Itinerary Changes and Delays (All):
VPA will try to stick to the published itineraries as much as possible. However, there are circumstances outside our control that may cause changes or omissions. These include things like inclement weather, geopolitical events, unexpected closures, transportation delays, sickness, etc. In the event circumstances outside of VPA’s control cause a significant deviation to the itinerary, VPA reserves the right to make the necessary changes to ensure the most successful tour outcome. No refunds can be given for adverse circumstances outside of VPA’s control. Participants should allow some degree of flexibility in the itinerary and scheduling. If an itinerary change is needed before the trip departs, VPA will communicate this to the trip participants. Per diem refunds can be given for any significant pre-trip itinerary changes.
Trip Cancellation (All):
In the event a trip must be cancelled due to low participation rates, accidents, death, political events, natural disasters, and so forth, all money paid to VPA will be promptly refunded. VPA reserves the right to cancel a trip at any time prior to departure. VPA will let all trip participants know as soon as possible should this unfortunate event occur. In the event of trip cancellation, VPA is not responsible for your personal travel expenses to the gateway location or any other expenses in preparing for the trip. This is why VPA recommends having your own travel insurance.
Single Supplement (ME&VA):
VPA tour pricing is based on double-occupancy lodging. If you are travelling alone or just want private accommodations, a single supplement may apply. If you are open to having a roommate, please select this option on the sign-up form and VPA will try to pair you up with another single traveller of the same gender. In the event VPA cannot find a suitable roommate, the single supplement will still apply. In some remote locations, travellers may be forced to share rooms due to circumstances outside of VPA’s control. If this occurs, per diem refunds of the single supplement will be offered.
Increasing Costs (ME&VA):
VPA offers trips at a competitive price. Since trips are scheduled far in advance, VPA uses the best estimates of costs at the time the trip is first offered. Since fuel and international currencies are volatile, trip costs can change significantly by the departure date. If an exceptional increase in costs occurs prior to departure, VPA reserves the right to add a surcharge. Application of the surcharge is again outside of VPA’s control and does not constitute an exception to the cancellation policy.
What Do We Include / Exclude (ME&VA):
VPA will include all trip-related expenses such as hotels, transportation, all meals unless otherwise stated, tuition fees, entrance fees, and permit fees. As always, consult the trip details for specifics. Transportation from your home to the trip staging area is the responsibility of each participant. VPA does not cover any airport taxes or visa/passport fees you may incur during travel to the gateway city. Other items that VPA will not cover include but are not limited to Tips & Gratuities, Snacks & Souvenirs, Phone & Internet Charges, Laundry, Alcoholic Beverages and Bar Expenses (includes soft drinks and bottled water), and other personal or emergency expenses.
Booking Agreement (All):
By booking a tour with VPA, trip participant accepts that they have read, understood and fully agreed with all the points as stated out in the “Terms and Conditions” written by VPA.