Terms and Conditions for Bookings with Sapa Sisters

This “Terms and Conditions” is an agreement of Sapa Sisters with its customers. It can be changed any time without any notice to meet the local policies or any reason from Sapa Sisters. Therefore, it is your responsibility to check it regularly to update information in case there is any change.

Payment method

* After we have received your booking we will send you an email confirming your trek,  following information about your booking and an online invoice, connected to PayPal. 

* Upon confirmation of any reservation full payment is required. Payments are made via Paypal or bank transfer. 

* Note: Bank fees are on your side in every cases. Sapa Sisters will email Paypal invoices with direct link to transaction area. Payments sent without consent from Sapa Sisters or to an incorrect email address are subject to refusal and repayment will be requested through the correct channels. Sapa Sisters will not take responsibility for payments made incorrectly.

Make sure to use the same name and email address in your booking as you do on your bank payment.

Confirmation:

* Normally we will confirm all your booking by e-mail within 24 hours (except special holidays).

* The final confirmation will be done when we send you your guide information and/or confirm any additional booking you may require such as train tickets or changes to your original booking.

PICK-UP (INCL. BREAKFAST)

Train number:

If you have ordred pick-up you must send your train number ex SP1, SP3, 48 hours before arrival so we can arrange for you. Failure to inform us your train information in time means that you are responsible for finding your way to Sapa. We will not reimburse your transportation costs.

Problem at the train station:

We do not cover costs for private transportation/taxi from Lao Cai to Sapa, even if the mistake are made on our end. If you can not find your pickup at the train station you can go by a shared minibus to Sapa. The price is 3-4USD/person. We will then refund you the cost for pickup but not pay for any additional costs.

TREK & MARKET TOURS

If you cancel, shorten the length of the trek or leave a multi-day trip for any reason:

+72 hours booked trek start: 10% charge.
Within 72 hours before trek start: 100% charge.

Treks and tours that is bought with Gift Certificates is not refundable.

Deposits are never refunded.

Changing dates of the trek/market tour:

Changing of dates of your trek, after you have received your guide information, can occur 48 hours before original trek date as long as we still have guides available.

We trek in rain and heat. Make sure to bring suitable clothes and equipment. We do not cancel treks due to the weather as long as it’s not recommended by the authority.

Sapa Sisters/Full Heart Travel reserve the right to cancel treks and market tours, for example if the guide get sick or something unexpected occur. If we cancel your trek before the trek have started we will refund you all money for the trek. If the trek have already started we will refund you the remaining balance.

TRAIN and LIMOUSIN BUS

Cancellation of train and bus tickets will be charged as follow:

+10 days before departure: 10% charge

+7 days before departure: 30% charge.

+3 days before departure: 60% charge.

Within 3 days before departure: 100% charge.

Changing of travel dates for train or bus, after you have received your ticket voucher, will be charged: 5$ per ticket, maximum 20$ per booking + any extra fee that the train/bus-company may add for late changes. Note that is is not always possible to change the travel date.

 

EARLY BIRD-DEALS

Early Bird deals are not refundable. If you need to change your travel dates we will do our best to help you but it’s needs to be within the ongoing campaigns time frame otherwise we will recount the price back up to our normal prices. Extra cost can be added if you do late changes even within the campaign period.

HA LONG BAY CRUISES

Cancelations

Sharing – from 1 to 2 cabins:
+7 days prior to check-in: 20% charge
+4 days prior to check-in: 60% charge
Within 48 hours prior to check-in: 100% of total rates
No-Show: 100% of total rates

Charter/ Sharing from 3 to 10 cabins:
+30 days prior to check-in: 20% charge
+15 days prior to check-in: 30% charge
+5 days prior to check-in: 60% charge
Within 48 hours prior to check-in: 100% of total rates
No-Show: 100% of total rates

-A 24-hour advance registration is required with full name, date of birth, nationality, passport number/ ID number, and visa expiry date for all passengers. Upon check-in on board, guests are required to present a valid passport or ID. Children whose travel documents are attached to the parent’s passport, must be accompanied by said parent.

-If you have any dietary requirements (e.g. vegetarian), please inform the cruise before departure.

-Cruise itineraries and schedules are subject to change, dependent upon the weather and operating conditions.

As Paloma cruise is a third party provider Sapa Sisters 

They reserve the right to cancel your booking under some unavoidable circumstances like: weather conditions, wars, civil strife, industrial disputes, natural disasters, terrorism, or order from the Local Authority. If they cancel your booking, you can either get a refund or accept an alternative from us of equivalent or similar standard and price, if one is available, and they will always refund the difference in price if the alternative is of a lower standard and price.
– See more at: http://www.palomacruise.com/privacy-policy.html#st…

Any cancellations or alterations with third party providers is at the discretion of said party, Sapa Sisters can not take responsibility for any changes made on their part.

 

HOTEL

Cancellation or no show of Hotel Rooms will be charged as follow:

We are subject to the cancellation policies of the Hotels we partner with.

If there is a cancellation less than 14 days prior to the arrival date, we reserve the right to impose one night room charge from all rooms reserved. Cancellation less than 7 days prior to the arrival date or no show will incur full charge for all rooms reserved.

PRIVATE CAR

Cancellation or no show of Private car:

+7 days before departure: 15% charge.

If there is a cancellation less than 7 days prior to the arrival date, we reserve the right to impose the full cost of the car. Cancellation less than 3 days prior to the arrival date or no show will incur full charge.

GROUP PACKAGES (Negotiated, discounted price depending on the group size and/or combined with several other services)

We need to receive full advance payment for packages prices (Treks/ Transportation/ Hotels/ Cruises). For late payments we will add a 10% reminders fee. 

Below is our standard pay-plan but depending on what service the costumer has booked the payment plan might change due to third part provider’s terms of payment.

Payment nr.1: 25% deposit, latest 14 days after booking date.
Payment nr.2: 100%, latest 30 days ahead of tours start.

For changes of travel dates, number of participant or other changes please contact us as soon as possible and we will recount the prices and do our best to try to accommodate your requests.

Deposits are never refunded.

Gift Certificates 

Certificates are valuable for 18 months (550 days) after purchasing date and can be used as payment for any treks, market tour, pick-up (Lao Cai-Sapa), local lunch and/or local homestay.

The Certificates is not applyable on any service provided by third part such as: Train tickets, Bus tickets, Hotel stay or any transportation to or from Sapa.

The Certificate is not refundable or changeable to cash.

OTHER

Insurance during the trek

We buy insurance for all customers trekking with us. To do this we need to require all travellers name and passport number before the trek starts. This is required by Vietnamese law. This insurance helps to cover part of the cost if any accident ocure during the trek but we still recommend all our customers to have their own insurances as well.

Travel insurance

For your protection, we strongly recommend the purchase of travel insurance. Travel insurance provides you with trip cancellation/interruption, travel delay, medical expenses, emergency assistance, air flight, baggage and baggage delay coverages to protect your financial investment. Medical coverage purchased with your policy will also satisfy our requirement for health insurance.

We are not responsible for any loss, injury or damage sustained to travelers incured due to delay, accidents, natural disaster, political actions and unrest must be borne by travellers. Airline schedules and local conditions may affect accommodation and itineraries. Should this occur, we will endeavour whenever possible to find substitute suitable arrangement of similar value. Participation on any tour implies full agreement to above conditions by all parties involved.

Claims

All disputes, claims and litigation regarding the services shall first be settled by negotiation and mutual understanding. In the event such negotiation would fail, it shall finally settled by arbitration of the Vietnam International Arbitration Center at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. All claims must be submitted in writing within 7 days after the end of the services with the clarify documentary.

Updated on Jan 31, 2024 by Sapa Sisters