Cancellation & Refund Policy

1. Overview

At dongphongnha.com, we understand that travel plans can change. This policy explains how cancellations, booking changes and refunds are handled for tours and travel services booked directly with us.

Our services are scheduled travel experiences. Refund eligibility depends on the type of tour, the notice provided and the booking conditions agreed before payment.

Please review your itinerary, departure date, participant details and cancellation conditions before confirming your booking.

2. Booking Confirmation and Payment

Submitting an enquiry or booking request does not guarantee availability. Your booking is confirmed when we have confirmed availability in writing and received the deposit or full payment required for your selected service.

Before payment, we will confirm:

• Your selected tour and departure date
• The number of participants
• The meeting point or pickup arrangements
• Included and excluded services
• The total price, required deposit and payment deadline
• Any special cancellation or amendment conditions

If payment is not received by the stated deadline, we may release the reserved places after notifying you.

3. How to Cancel Your Booking

Submit cancellation requests by email or WhatsApp using the contact details at the end of this page.

Please include:

• The lead traveller’s name
• Your booking reference, if available
• The tour name and departure date
• Whether you are cancelling the entire booking or selected participants

Cancellation notice is calculated from the time your written request reaches our designated email address or WhatsApp account, rather than the time we reply.

All deadlines use Vietnam local time (GMT+7) and are measured backwards from the confirmed tour start time. One day means 24 hours.

We will acknowledge your request and explain any cancellation fee and refund due.

4. Cancellation by the Customer

4.1. Standard sightseeing day tours

This schedule applies to standard sightseeing day tours, including Phong Nha Cave combination tours, unless different conditions were disclosed and accepted before payment.

4.2. Adventure and specialist cave tours

Adventure tours may require advance reservations for specialist guides, equipment, route access and support teams. Unless your booking confirmation specifies another schedule:

This category may include extended cave exploration, kayaking, trekking and other specialist experiences. Your booking confirmation will identify the applicable category and conditions.

4.3. Private tours, group bookings and multi-day programmes

Unless different conditions were agreed before payment:

4.4. How refunds are calculated

Cancellation fees are calculated on the agreed price of the services being cancelled, rather than only on the deposit.

Any refund equals the amount paid for those services minus the applicable cancellation fee, with a minimum refund of zero.

Additional supplier cancellation charges will not be added to the published fee unless a separate arrangement was clearly disclosed and accepted before payment. The same cost will not be charged twice.

4.5. Partner-operated tours and special arrangements

Some tours and services are provided by partner operators and may have different cancellation conditions. We will disclose those conditions before payment. They will apply only where you have accepted them as part of your booking.

Special conditions may also apply to holiday departures, exclusive reservations or customised programmes. These will be stated before you confirm your booking.

5. Changing Your Tour Date or Booking

Contact us as soon as possible if you need to change your departure date, selected tour or participant details.

• Sightseeing day tours: requests received at least 48 hours before departure may be accommodated without an amendment fee, subject to availability.
• Adventure tours: please request changes at least 7 days before departure.
• Private, group and multi-day tours: please request changes at least 30 days before departure.

Changes remain subject to availability and any conditions accepted for your booking. A price difference or unavoidable supplier amendment cost may apply. We will explain the cost and obtain your agreement before making the change.

Requests received after these deadlines will be assessed individually. If a change cannot be accommodated and you decide to cancel, the applicable cancellation schedule applies.

A change is confirmed only when we provide written confirmation.

6. Replacing a Participant

Participant substitutions may be possible with advance notice, subject to the selected tour’s requirements and any partner restrictions.

The replacement traveller must meet the relevant age, health, fitness and participation requirements.

Additional costs may apply where tickets, permits, insurance or other reservations need to be changed. We will explain these costs before confirming the substitution.

Please do not transfer a booking to another traveller without our written approval.

7. Late Arrival, No-Shows and Unused Services

Arrive at the confirmed pickup or meeting point on time. If you are delayed, contact us immediately. We will assess whether you can still join, but a shared departure may be unable to wait.

Missing a tour because of late arrival, missed transport or failure to attend is normally treated as a no-show under the applicable cancellation schedule.

Services you choose not to use after the tour begins, including meals, transfers or activities, are normally non-refundable.

This does not apply to services that we fail to provide or to remedies available under applicable law.

8. Cancellation by Us or the Operator

If we or the operator cancel your tour before departure, including because a stated minimum group size has not been reached, we will offer:

You may decline an alternative and choose the refund.

Refunds relate to services booked through us. Independently booked flights, accommodation and other travel expenses are generally outside the tour refund, subject to applicable law.

9. Weather, Flooding and Destination Closures

Tours in Phong Nha may be affected by river levels, heavy rain, flooding, cave closures or instructions from local authorities.

Rain alone does not automatically mean a tour is cancelled. The operator will assess the actual route and operating conditions.

If your tour is cancelled before departure because it cannot operate safely, you may choose an available alternative date or a full refund for the cancelled tour.

If a major change is known before departure, we will explain the change and available options. We will not replace the main experience with a substantially different programme without your agreement.

If conditions change after departure, the guide may adjust or stop activities for safety. We will explain any refund or credit available for services not delivered, taking account of services already provided, the booking conditions and applicable law.

10. Health, Safety and Early Departure

Tell us before booking about information relevant to safe participation, including mobility limitations, medical conditions or concerns about water activities.

Participation requirements differ between tours. Any swimming, fitness or age requirements will be explained for the selected experience.

Guides may stop an activity or a participant’s involvement where necessary for safety.

If you voluntarily leave a tour after it has started, unused services are normally non-refundable. If participation is stopped because of a safety concern, we will review the circumstances and explain whether any refund is available.

Nothing in this policy excludes responsibility for our failure to provide agreed services or limits rights that cannot lawfully be excluded.

11. Refund Procedure

Once a refund is approved, we will confirm:

• The amount paid
• Any applicable cancellation fee
• The refund amount
• The refund method
• The expected processing timeframe

Refunds will normally be returned to the original payment method and original payer. If that method is unavailable, we will agree a suitable alternative after verifying the payer’s identity and payment details.

Any unavoidable payment-provider deduction will be explained. For a full refund following cancellation by us, we will not deduct our own administration fee.

12. Late or Missing Refunds

If a refund has not arrived within the timeframe advised:

1. Check the account or card used for the original payment.
2. Contact your bank or payment provider to check for a pending refund.
3. Contact our team with your booking reference and refund confirmation.

We will help trace the transaction and provide a refund reference where available.

Please do not send full card numbers or card security codes.

13. Promotional Bookings and Travel Insurance

Discounted bookings follow the same cancellation policy unless specific promotional conditions were clearly disclosed and accepted before payment.

If a promotion is non-refundable or restricts date changes, this will be stated before booking.

We recommend travel insurance appropriate to your itinerary, including cancellation cover and cover for any adventure activities you plan to undertake.

Insurance does not change the cancellation conditions of your booking. We can provide relevant booking and cancellation documents to support a claim where available.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy for future bookings.

Changes will not retrospectively replace the cancellation conditions already accepted for a confirmed booking unless you agree to the change or applicable law requires it.

Keep a copy of your booking confirmation and the conditions provided before payment.

15. Contact Us

For cancellations, booking changes or refund enquiries, contact the dongphongnha.com team.

For urgent changes close to departure, contact us by WhatsApp and include your booking details.