Booking Terms & Conditions

01
Our Journeys

VALE designs private journeys in Northern Vietnam around each traveller’s preferences, timing and pace. Our journeys include Single-Place Journeys and Northern Passage, which connects two or more destinations.

Your final proposal and Booking Confirmation describe the route, accommodation, guiding, transport, meals, activities, inclusions and price for your booking. Only services expressly identified as included form part of the booking.

We arrange services through selected independent accommodation providers, guides, transport providers and local operating partners. Services requiring local licences or authorisations are delivered through appropriately licensed partners.

02
Enquiries, Samples and Proposals

We begin with your travel dates, number of travellers, preferences and any practical requirements. Once we have received all the information needed to prepare your sample, we will send it within
24 hours.

The sample outlines a possible direction for your journey. A detailed proposal is prepared separately, setting out the proposed arrangements and price. We will advise you of the timing for the detailed proposal and subsequent revisions during our correspondence.

You may request
unlimited proposal revisions before the booking is confirmed.
Proposed accommodation, guides, transport and other services remain subject to availability throughout this process.

We recommend enquiring approximately three weeks before a Single-Place Journey and two to three months before Northern Passage. These are recommended planning periods, rather than fixed minimum notice requirements. Shorter-notice requests may be possible, subject to availability.

03
Booking Confirmation

An enquiry, sample, proposal, verbal discussion or payment request does not by itself confirm a booking. A booking is confirmed only after all of the following have taken place:

1. You have accepted the final proposal.
2. You have expressly accepted these Terms, the applicable Cancellation & Refund Policy and any disclosed booking-specific conditions.
3. We have received the required deposit or full payment.
4. Supplier arrangements have been confirmed and VALE has issued a written Booking Confirmation.

The person making the booking must be at least 18 years old and authorised to act for the other travellers included in the booking.

Until confirmation, proposed services, availability and prices may change. We will explain any change and obtain your approval before proceeding. If payment has been received but we cannot confirm the booking, we will offer an alternative for your approval or refund all payments received for the unconfirmed booking.

04
Prices and Included Services

Unless otherwise stated, prices are quoted in United States dollars. The final price is based on the dates, number of travellers and services specified in your final proposal.

Taxes, fees and additional charges payable to VALE will be disclosed before you accept the final proposal and make payment. If your requested arrangements change before confirmation, we will explain any revised price for your approval.

After confirmation, the price will change only for an amendment you accept or where a change is expressly permitted by the accepted booking conditions and applicable law. Any mandatory notice, price-reduction or cancellation rights will be respected.

Unless expressly included in your final proposal, the following are excluded:

• International and domestic flights, rail travel, passports, visas and permits.
• Travel insurance, drinks, personal expenses, tips and gratuities.
• Optional activities and services arranged independently.
• Any service not expressly identified as included in the final proposal or Booking Confirmation.

05
Deposits and Balance Payments

For standard bookings, a deposit of
50% of the total booking price
is payable after you accept the final proposal and applicable terms. The remaining balance is payable as follows:

For a Single-Place Journey booked within 14 days of its start date, or Northern Passage booked within 21 days of its start date,
the full booking price is payable in one payment
after acceptance of the final proposal and applicable terms.

Your proposal and invoice will state the exact payment dates. The journey start date is the first day of the services arranged by VALE, rather than the date you leave your home country.

The deposit is an advance payment towards your journey. Its refundability is governed by the
Cancellation & Refund Policy
and any booking-specific conditions disclosed and accepted before payment. It is not automatically non-refundable in every circumstance.

06
Payment Methods, Fees and Disputes

Approved payment methods, payment currency and payment details will be stated on your invoice or payment request. Netcoast LLC is the merchant of record. Your payment confirmation or bank statement may display Netcoast LLC or the billing descriptor shown during payment.

Any fee charged by VALE will be disclosed before payment. Currency conversion charges, international transaction fees and other charges imposed independently by your bank or payment provider are your responsibility.

If payment is overdue, we will contact you and give reasonable notice before releasing unsecured arrangements or cancelling a confirmed booking. Any cancellation will be handled under the applicable Cancellation & Refund Policy and mandatory law.

If you believe a payment has been processed incorrectly, please contact us promptly so that we can investigate. Nothing in these Terms removes any chargeback or payment-protection right available under applicable law or your payment provider’s rules.

07
Traveller Information and Special Requests

Please provide complete and accurate information for every traveller, including legal names as shown on passports, dates of birth where required, contact details, dietary requirements, and any medical, mobility or accessibility needs relevant to the journey. We may request other information reasonably needed to arrange the booking.

Tell us about essential requirements before accepting the final proposal. We will make reasonable efforts to accommodate requests, but a request is guaranteed only when expressly confirmed in writing. We will tell you if a disclosed essential requirement cannot be met.

Minors must travel with a parent, legal guardian or another appropriately authorised adult. Requirements relating to a minor should be disclosed before confirmation.

You are responsible for reasonable costs or problems to the extent they are caused by inaccurate, incomplete or late information you provide, subject to applicable law. This does not exclude responsibility for an error or failure attributable to VALE.

08
Passports, Visas and Health Requirements

Each traveller is responsible for holding the passports, visas, permits, vaccinations and other documents required for the journey, including any transit arrangements made independently.

Entry, immigration and health requirements may change. Verify current requirements with the relevant government authorities, embassies and qualified medical professionals before departure. Information provided by VALE is general guidance and does not replace advice from the relevant authority.

09
Travel Insurance

We strongly recommend obtaining suitable travel insurance as soon as your booking is confirmed. Consider cover for cancellation and interruption, emergency medical treatment, evacuation and repatriation, delays, luggage, personal liability and the activities included in your journey.

You are responsible for reviewing the conditions, exclusions and limits of your chosen policy. Insurance does not replace any refund or other right you have against VALE under applicable law.

10
Changes Requested by Travellers

Requests to change dates, travellers, accommodation, routes, activities or other booking details must be made in writing. Changes depend on availability and supplier approval.

We will explain any revised price, supplier charge and cancellation condition before you decide whether to proceed. No change is confirmed until we have agreed it in writing.

A postponement is not automatically a cancellation. If a transfer to new dates is agreed, we will confirm the revised dates, price, amount transferred, additional costs and cancellation conditions. If the change cannot be accommodated, or you decide to cancel instead, the applicable cancellation conditions will apply, subject to your legal rights.

Where applicable law gives you a right to transfer the booking to another eligible traveller, VALE will honour that right. Any transfer charge will be limited to the actual, reasonable costs permitted by law. Partial cancellations and any resulting shared-cost adjustments are handled under the
Cancellation & Refund Policy.

11
Cancellations and Refunds

The
Cancellation & Refund Policy
sets out cancellation charges, booking-specific conditions, no-shows, unused services, refund calculations and travel credits. Please read it before accepting your proposal and making payment.

The person who made the booking, or an authorised representative acting on their behalf, must submit a cancellation in writing to
support@valecurated.com
or WhatsApp
+84 359 028 268.
Include the booking reference or lead traveller’s name and journey start date.

A cancellation takes effect when VALE receives the written request. Where applicable law treats receipt by an authorised travel advisor or agency as receipt by VALE, that receipt date applies. Cancellation periods are calculated in calendar days using Vietnam time (UTC+7).

Eligible refunds will be processed without undue delay and no later than
14 days after the cancellation becomes effective,
or within any shorter period required by law. We will not make a refund conditional on completing settlement with suppliers or partners. A travel credit will not replace a cash refund you are legally entitled to receive unless you expressly choose it.

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Changes or Cancellation by VALE

Weather, road conditions, water levels, local closures, seasonal changes, safety concerns or supplier availability may require adjustments to the order, timing, route or delivery of services. We will make reasonable efforts to preserve the intended journey and provide suitable alternatives where necessary.

If a material change is required before departure, we will notify you promptly and explain your options. Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, these may include accepting the change, accepting an alternative with an appropriate price adjustment, or cancelling and receiving the refund required by law.

If VALE cancels a confirmed booking for a reason within our reasonable control, we will refund all payments received for that booking without a cancellation charge, unless you choose an agreed alternative or travel credit. Any entitlement to additional compensation is determined by applicable law.

13
Unavoidable and Extraordinary Circumstances

Events outside reasonable control, including severe weather, natural disasters, epidemics, government action, political unrest, strikes, serious transport disruption, infrastructure failure or road closures, may prevent a journey from proceeding as planned.

We may need to modify, postpone or cancel affected services and will make reasonable efforts to assist travellers. Refunds and alternative arrangements will be handled under the Cancellation & Refund Policy and applicable law.

Where applicable law gives you the right to cancel without charge because such circumstances significantly affect the journey or travel to the destination, VALE will honour that right and provide the required refund. Nothing in this section removes a mandatory right to assistance, a refund or another remedy.

14
Accommodation, Local Conditions and Participation

Photographs and descriptions provide a fair impression of the proposed accommodation and experience. Weather, water levels, vegetation, views, room layouts and other details may vary with the season, maintenance and local conditions. Check-in times, room configurations and property rules are determined by individual accommodation providers.

Some journeys involve rural roads, boat travel, steps, uneven surfaces, walking, variable weather or locations with limited access to medical services. Please discuss relevant health, mobility or accessibility needs with us before confirmation and consider whether the proposed activities are suitable for you.

Travellers must follow reasonable safety instructions from guides, VALE representatives and service providers. We may restrict or end participation where a traveller’s conduct creates a serious safety risk, unlawfully disrupts the journey or materially affects other travellers, staff, local communities or suppliers.

Reasonable additional costs directly caused by such conduct may be payable by the traveller only to the extent permitted by law. Any cancellation or refund remains subject to the applicable policy and mandatory rights.

15
Suppliers and Our Responsibility

Accommodation providers, guides, transport providers, activity providers and local operators may be independent businesses. VALE selects and coordinates their services but does not own or directly control every supplier.

A supplier’s independent status does not limit any responsibility VALE must accept under applicable law. Where VALE is legally considered the organiser of a package, we will accept the responsibilities imposed on an organiser, regardless of which supplier performs an included service.

VALE is not responsible for services arranged independently by travellers and not included in the Booking Confirmation, except where applicable law requires otherwise.

16
Assistance and Complaints

If a problem arises during the journey, please inform your guide, local contact or VALE as soon as reasonably possible. Early notice gives us the opportunity to investigate and assist while the journey is taking place. We will provide appropriate assistance where required by law and reasonable assistance in other circumstances.

If a matter remains unresolved, please send a written description and relevant booking details to
support@valecurated.com,
preferably within 30 days after the journey ends. This requested reporting period does not remove or shorten any legal right or limitation period that cannot lawfully be restricted.

17
Liability

VALE will provide its booking, planning and coordination services with reasonable care. Subject to applicable law, we are responsible for direct and reasonably foreseeable loss caused by our breach of these Terms or failure to exercise reasonable care, together with any responsibility imposed by mandatory law.

To the extent permitted by law, VALE is not responsible for loss to the extent caused by a traveller’s actions or omissions, inaccurate or incomplete information supplied by a traveller, a service arranged independently outside the booking, an unrelated third party whose actions could not reasonably have been predicted or avoided, or unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances. Indirect or consequential loss is excluded only where that exclusion is lawful.

Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes liability for fraud, wilful misconduct, death or personal injury caused by negligence, or any consumer right, organiser responsibility, refund entitlement or other statutory obligation that cannot lawfully be limited or excluded.

18
Personal Information

We collect and use personal information to prepare proposals, process bookings and arrange travel services. Information may be shared with payment processors, accommodation providers, guides, transport providers, local operators and other suppliers where reasonably necessary to fulfil your booking.

Our collection and use of personal information are explained in our
Privacy Policy.

19
Governing Law and Your Rights

These Terms and your booking are governed by the laws of the State of Wyoming, United States, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. The courts of Wyoming have non-exclusive jurisdiction over disputes arising from the booking.

Nothing in this section removes mandatory consumer protections available in your country or place of residence, restricts access to a court available under mandatory law, or prevents you from exercising a right that cannot legally be waived.

20
Booking Documents and Updates

Your booking agreement consists of your Booking Confirmation, final proposal, these Terms, the applicable Cancellation & Refund Policy and any additional written terms expressly accepted by both parties.

For a direct conflict, an additional written term expressly accepted by both parties after confirmation takes priority for the agreed change. Otherwise, the Booking Confirmation takes priority over the final proposal, and those booking-specific documents take priority over these general Terms.

A booking-specific cancellation condition must be disclosed and accepted before payment for the arrangement it covers. It applies only to that component; the general Cancellation & Refund Policy applies to the remaining booking value. A later Booking Confirmation cannot introduce a new material condition without your express agreement. Mandatory law always takes priority.

If a provision is invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue to apply. The versions of these Terms and the Cancellation & Refund Policy accepted when the booking is confirmed apply to that booking. Later website updates do not change confirmed bookings unless required by law or expressly agreed with you in writing.

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