Please carefully review our Terms and Conditions, before you confirm your travel with Indochina Travel—once your deposit is submitted and your trip is confirmed, it is a legally-binding contract. The travel and tours are operated by Indochina Travel Company Inc. 'Indochina Travel' of San Francisco, which is registered in the State of California, U.S.A. as an L.L.C. corporation. The following conditions, together with the relevant information set out on this website, will form part of your contract with Indochina Travel. Registration Early registration is encouraged — airlines and hotels may fill up to a year in advance of high season and even up to a year for some locations such as Yangon or Kyoto for the cherry blossom season or Bhutan during the festival season. To make a reservation, please call our San Francisco booking office at 1-(415) 418-6800 or submit a secure, online registration form. A non-refundable tour deposit is required to confirm your trip arrangements. When you make a booking you are confirming that you you understand our booking conditions and have accepted them on behalf of yourself and all members of your party. You also agree, at the time of booking, to submit a Liability Release Form. If you are booking within 90 days of departure, then full payment may be required. We accept Visa and Master Card, wire transfer, and checks for initial deposit. At registration, we may need passport scans to obtain certain visas and special Requests, such as diet, room location and type, dietary issues and allergies, should be noted at the time of booking. Booking Contract After we receive your trip deposit, Indochina Travel will confirm all bookings for your itinerary. On receipt of your deposit we will book your arrangements and and a confirmation invoice will be sent. A contract will exist from the date on which the confirmation invoice is issued. All contracts with Indochina Travel are subject to these Terms and Conditions. Pre-tour packets are sent before your departure with your final invoice, which is due upon receipt or at minimum 60 days before your trip otherwise. If you have booked your trip through a travel agent, documents will be sent to the agent unless we are directed otherwise. Your pre-tour package contains a detailed trip itinerary; visa applications and instructions; medical, health, and insurance information; clothing and equipment recommendations; recommended reading list; and general information on the countries you will be visiting, including maps and guidebooks. Airline tickets, final itinerary, and final trip briefing (with all local office and staff contact numbers and a group meeting location) will be sent out approximately three weeks prior to departure. Deposit & Final Payment Schedule At time of reservation: A non-refundable deposit (typically 20% of trip cost, per person, or higher depending on tour cost and date of proximity to departure). For trips departing within 90 days, full tour payment may be due upon booking. Tour fees not submitted by the due date may result in cancellation of tour arrangements without prior notice and full forfeiture of deposit. Participant Responsibility Travelers have the responsibility to arrange a trip most appropriate to their physical abilities, skills, style of travel and interests. Members are responsible for being in sufficiently good health to undertake their trip and be adequately prepared for the environment traveling in, which may be far different than their own including a diminished infrastructure typical of developing countries. By signing the Liability Release and Assumption of Risk Forms sent in your confirmation mailing or email, you acknowledge you have no known condition which would endanger yourself or others by participating in these tours.You also agree to abide by our Code of Conduct which is detailed below. Our Responsibility Once a confirmed booking has been received, Indochina Travel is obligated to fulfill all of the proposed services and arrangements in your confirmed itinerary at the highest level of quality and strives to exceed client expectations whenever possible. Indochina Travel endeavors to act with the utmost integrity and act fair and reasonable at all times. We are a registrant as a California Seller of Travel (#2090856-50) with the California District Attorney's office which maintains strict oversight of tour operators in the state, including securing of an annual surety bond to insure travelers against default of Indochina Travel. Under the California Seller of Travel Law Indochina Travel is also required to participate in the Travel Consumer Restitution Fund (TCRC) which may provide refunds for travel services failed to be delivered as contracted and paid for by participants in the TCRC. For more information contact or visit their web site at http://tcrcinfo.org. Land Cost Land cost typically includes accommodations with private bath where available; some meals (typically all breakfasts), baggage handling, and porterage; airport and ground transportation; sightseeing and activities as outlined in your confirmed trip itinerary: entry fees and permits; services of English-speaking guides and local tour manager; cost of research, itinerary development, documentation, and educational materials; activities; equipment and mechanical support. End of Services: All tour services provided by Indochina Travel are concluded upon drop-off at airport or transit hub on the last day of travel in a confirmed tripitinerary, unless traveler has booked airline travel through Indochina Travel. Note: A detailed itemization of trip costs are not be provided. Land cost does not include: international airline unless arranged; domestic or regional airfare on certain trips; en route accommodations at stopover cities at the beginning and end of your trip unless specified; passport, visa, excess baggage, airline fuel surcharges, security and airport departure fees; most dinners and meals to allow for individual choice of restaurants (although a wide variety of recommendations will be provided); alcoholic beverages, tips (customarily based on satisfaction with service), laundry, telecommunications charges, and other items of a personal nature; electable changes or revisions to bookings and arrangements during your trip; expenses resulting from delays due to bad weather, trail, river, and road conditions, sickness, government action and bureaucracy, and flight delays; or trip cancellation and delay insurance (optional through Indochina Travel). Insurance for Medical, Cancellation and Trip Delay Indochina Travel will not be responsible for any conditions beyond our control, or electable changes made by you, which may affect or delay your trip. It is strongly recommended that you and all members of your party have comprehensive travel insurance coverage that is adequate for your needs. Your insurance should provide cover for personal injury, death, medical and repatriation costs in the countries which you intend to visit, together with cover for loss of baggage and valuables, personal liability, trip delay, cancellation, trip curtailment, missed departure, and legal expenses. If you suffer from a disability or medical condition you should disclose this to insurers. For those who participate in sports and activities while on vacation that have been organized and arranged independently of us, it should be understood that participation is at the individual's own risk and it is your responsibility to obtain the relevant insurance. Note that special insurance may be required if you intend to scuba dive or undertake any other dangerous or sports activities. Please keep your insurance details with you on your trip. Errors and Omissions We make every endeavor to ensure the correctness of your bookings, such as airline segments, however it is ultimately the responsibility of the traveler to inspect and ensure all confirmed bookings made are correct. Travelers must review confirmed bookings and contact Indochina Travel immediately in writing for any changes or corrections to their confirmed itinerary. Indochina Travel will not accept responsibility for errors beyond 72-hours after receipt of final, confirmed itinerary or summary of bookings. Indochina Travel is not responsible for bookings or services listed in a confirmed itinerary that have not ultimately been paid for and reserves the right to omit or cancel such bookings and services at anytime without advance notice. If such bookings or services are interrupted or cancelled due to an error on our part, these bookings or services may be substituted or a refund issued limited to cost of the service or booking. Airline Tickets and Required Travel Visas Indochina Travel may facilitate or assist with required travel visas, however it is each traveler's ultimate responsibility to check and confirm they possess the correct visa or documentation required for each country they will be visiting. Indochina Travel will accept no responsibility for any errors made with visas, visa authorization documentation, or procedures. Note: online itineraries are for client reference only; every traveler should confirm actual flight times on your flight tickets or confirmation documentation. Travelers should re-confirm any international flights which require such, such as award program bookings. Trip Changes & Cancellation Fees Final tour payment is due 60 days before departure. It is the responsbility of the traveler to submit payment by this deadline, regardless of notification or invoice not recieved by Indochina Travel. If final tour payment has not been recieved within 60 days of the start of a tour, Indochina Travel reserves the right to cancel the trip without refund. If it becomes necessary for you to cancel your trip (or any portion thereof), you should immediately notify your travel agent or Indochina Travel in writing, by email or letter. Indochina Travel will assess a cancellation fees per this fee schedule to cover loss of non-refundable advance payments we have made on your behalf to hotels, airlines, personnel and local agencies. Indochina Travel will not summarize nor provide piecemeal refunds for cancelled tour arrangements. CANCELLATON FEES 120-91 days prior to departure: 20% of trip cost 90-61 days prior to departure: 50% of trip price 60 days prior to departure (or less): 100% of the trip price CANCELLATION CHARGES FOR DOMESTIC & REGIONAL AIR All domestic and regional airlines are 100% non-refundable at time of final payment (some exceptions may apply). Any elective changes to a confirmed itinerary before departure are subject to a $250 administrative change fee in addition to associated service, hotel and airline charges. During your tour, we reserve the right to decline to make electable revisions and changes to your confirmed itinerary. If any requested changes or alterations are made by Indochina Travel, any and all fees associated with requested changes to your itinerary during your trip are due immediately upon confirmation of those bookings. Indochina Travel reserves the right to cancel any remaining services, airlines and/or accommodations of your itinerary for failure to pay for your requested changes. No refunds will be made for "no shows," unused, or for voluntary abandonment of services in your confirmed itinerary such as transfers, tour services, meals, accommodations or transportation. Tour deposits are non-refundable. Unfortunately, every year we have clients who unexpected have to cancel their trips, some even at the last possible moment. Indochina Travel strongly encourages that you have trip cancellation, trip delay, and trip interruption insurance. For trip's cancelled prior to 60 days before departure, refunds, if any, may vary by destination, time of year, and other factors. Within 60 days before departure, no refunds will be issued and any claims should be filed with your insurance company. Note that international or regional airlines are not typically included in refunds, but by specific booking and any refund may vary—please inquire at time of purchase. Indochina Travel will not grant partial refunds for any unused trip arrangements after the trip has commenced, or any refunds to trip members who do not complete any portion of the itinerary. Indochina Travel is not responsible for any costs associated with traveler's electable changes to an itinerary, including change of accommodations, airline, activities, sightseeing or itinerary, for any any reason whatsoever. This includes change of accommodation deemed unsatisfactory by traveler. Indochina Travel reserves the right to cancel scheduled group trips are below the trip minimum (usually four persons). All trip members will be notified a minimum of 30 days before the trip departs and will receive a full refund. In the event of a trip cancellation, Indochina Travel is not responsible for additional expenses incurred by a trip members. (e.g., non-refundable advance purchase airline tickets, delayed flights, layovers, medical expenses, and passport and visa fees). Indochina Travel reserves the right to substitute tour bookings of equal or greater value or quality, such as accommodations, without provision for refund. Indochina Travel also reserves the right to cancel tour services for non-payment, and/or payment or in the event of credit card charge dispute filed by traveler. If you fail to pay the balance of the trip fees at least 60 days before departure, Indochina Travel will treat your booking as canceled withour any refund due. Limitation of Liability Indochina Travel, its owners, agents, employees, and affiliated companies here by give notice that they act only as agents for hotels, transportation companies, emergency medical and evacuation, land operators, freelance guides, and suppliers of travel and other services. Although we exercise great care in organizing a trip with these providers, Indochina Travel can assume no responsibility or liability whatsoever in connection with the operation, safety, condition, or service of any aircraft, motor vehicle, boat, bicycle, kayak, other conveyance or equipment, or acts or defaults of any company or person tasked in carrying out the arrangements of a tour and services to Indochina Travel trip members. Indochina Travel, its operators, airlines, and agents will not be responsible for any act, error, or a mission, nor for any injury, lost, accent, delay, inconvenience, irregularity, or damage which may be occasioned by any cause whatsoever, including acts of nature, weather, civil disturbance, crime, quarantine, government restrictions and actions, or failure of any means of convenience to adhere to publish schedule beyond our control. Conditions beyond our control, include delayed or canceled flights, adverse weather, governmental bureaucracy, and Force majeure. Force majeure means unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond Indochina Travel's control or the control of our suppliers, the consequence of which neither Indochina Travel nor its suppliers could avoid even with all due care, including, but not limited to, war, threat of war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity (actual or threatened), industrial dispute, unavoidable technical problems with transport, machinery or equipment, power failure, changes imposed by rescheduling or cancellation of flights by an airline, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, flood, drought, adverse weather conditions, epidemics or outbreaks of illness and level of water in rivers. Under no circumstances will Indochina Travel be held responsible for weather conditions, nor can any travel arrangements be canceled, revised or amended by you at any time without associated charges on the basis of weather conditions. No compensation or refund is payable by Indochina Travel in the case of force majeure. We do recommend you have trip delay insurance with adequate coverage for such events. Indochina Travel reserves the right, either prior to or after departure, to alter or omit any part of an itinerary if necessary with similar arrangements, including substitution of hotels or guides, or to change any means of conveyance without notice and without allowance for refund, with the liability for increased costs — if any — to be borne by the traveler. Although we try to fulfill a confirmed itinerary, Asia consists of under-developed countries with primitive infrastructure, differing cultural perspective of organization and urgency, and varying degrees or lack of English fluency. Delays, flight changes and cancellations, road accidents, adverse weather including typhoons, and other unpredictable inconveniences may occur. Indochina will do whatever is possible to minimize the effects of these and any other problems may they arise, but will not be held responsible for losses, increased or additional costs for circumstances beyond our control whatsoever. Indochina Travel reserves the right to pass on to clients any expenditures or losses caused by delays or events beyond its control. Indochina Travel encourages travelers to obtain trip cancellation and delay insurance for such circumstances. Please also consider carefully if you are comfortable traveling in such an environment. Hotels and other facilities may not be equivalent to those found relative to other, more developed countries. If during your tour you elect to change accommodations, rooms, or other travel arrangements, Indochina Travel will not be responsible for any cancellation fees or other associated costs whatsoever. In addition and without limitation, Indochina Travel is not responsible for any injury, loss, death, inconvenience, delay or damage to personal property in connection with the provision of any goods or services whether resulting from but not limited to acts of God or force majeure, accidents, illness, disease, acts of war, civil unrest, insurrection or revolt, animals, strikes or other labor activities, criminal or terrorist activities of any kind, overbooking or downgrading of services, food poisoning, mechanical or other failure of aircraft or other means of transportation or for failure of any transportation mechanism to arrive or depart on time. TOUR CANCELLATION, ERRORS, AND SUBSTITUTIONS Indochina Travel may cancel a scheduled group tour at any time, for any reason, including without limitation, a decision that the number of reservations for the tour is insufficient to operate the tour profitably. ITC shall notify participants of the cancellation of a tour as soon as possible after a decision to cancel such tour. If a group tour is canceled, Indochina Travel’s liability is limited to a full refund of the participant’s deposit and payment. Indochina Travel shall not be liable for unusable airfare or for any other costs, damages, losses, delays or inconvenience of any kind resulting from such cancellation. If, for reasons beyond Indochina Travel’s control, a tour in progress must be interrupted or canceled, Indochina will refund a portion of the deposit and payment depending on actual benefit conferred compared to the tour as originally designed and scheduled. If an error for any part of a confirmed trip made by Indochina Travel, its agents, or contractors, Indochina Travel expenses is limited only to services and bookings affected in the confirmed itinerary. Indochina Travel may, in its sole discretion, substitute a service or event of similar quality for any service or event stated in the tour program without being liable for associated costs. Conduct Clause and Termination of Arrangments and Services Conduct during your trip: You are responsible for respecting the authority and following the directions of your tour guide and local tour manager as well as the laws of the countries visited during your trip. We may exclude you from participating in all or any part of your trip and cancel any services remaining if, in our sole discretion, your condition or behavior renders you unfit for your trip or unfit for continuation once the trip has begun. Unfitness may include, without limitation, any behavior that, regardless of its cause, is inappropriate, intimidating, harassing, offensive, or interferes with the delivery of trip services or may create problems or danger. In such case, our liability shall be strictly limited to refund of the recoverable cost of any unused portion of the trip. Should you decide for any reason not to participate in certain parts of the trip or use certain goods included in the trip, no refunds will be made for those unused parts of the trip, services, activities nor goods. Risks and Limits on Indochina Travel's Responsibility There are certain inherent risks in adventure travel in Asia, which can lead to illness, injury, or even death. These include, but are not limited to, hiking, cycling, kayaking, boating, walking safaris, climbing injuries and altitude sickness, dangers of animals, inaccessibility to adequate medical attention and difficulty in evacuation from remote locations in the case of a medical emergency. If you decide to participate in any activities including, but not limited to, any excursions involving animals, riding on animals, SCUBA diving, snorkeling, hot air ballooning, zip-lining, high altitude treks, cycling, trekking, rock climbing, ATV riding, climbing, whitewater rafting, primate tracking and any activity which Indochina Travel considers to carry inherent risk of serious illness, injury or death ("Activities") then you fully understand and acknowledge that Activities carry with them various inherent risks, including serious illness, injury or death and you take complete responsibility for your own health and safety and agree to assume all risks of injury, illness or death, whether foreseen or unforeseen, that may befall you as a result of participating in any Activities and agree to release Indochina Travel and its affiliates, their agents, employees and representatives from any liability whatsoever related thereto. You agree to indemnify and hold us harmless from and against any costs, damages, losses or liabilities arising out of (a) the actions or omissions of any minors traveling with you and (b) if you are signing on behalf of yourself and your traveling companions, your companions’ claims that you were not authorized to agree to this Participant Agreement on their behalf. Further, as consideration for being permitted to participate in the Activities; you release Indochina Travel , whether known or unknown, from, and agree not to sue or make claim against Indochina Travel for, property damage, cancellation of any Activities for any reason, illness, negligent rescue operations or procedures, personal injury, or death arising out of your participation in the Activities, and any activity related thereto, including transportation to and from the site of the Activities, regardless of whether such property damage, illness, personal injury, or death results from the negligence of Indochina Travel (but not its reckless, willful, or fraudulent conduct), and/or from any defect in equipment. You further agree to indemnify and hold Indochina Travel harmless with respect to any claim made against Indochina Travel by anyone else which (a) related to your participation, or (b) which would be subject to the above release and covenant not to sue if you had made the claim directly yourself. Travel Advisories and Warnings It is the responsibility of the guest to become informed about the most current travel advisories and warnings by referring to the U. S. State Department's travel website at travel.state.gov or by phone at 888 407 4747. In the event of an active State Department Travel Warning against travel to the specific destination location(s) of the trip, should the guest still choose to travel, notwithstanding any travel advisory or warning, the guest assumes all risk of personal injury, death or property damage that may arise out of the events like those advised or warned against. Purchases during travel Indochina Travel bears no responsibility for any goods or outside services purchased during your tour, without exception, whether or not made by recommendation or with assistance from Indochina Travel guides or staff. Unless on a private tour, you must be over 17 years old to participate on a Indochina Travel tour unless a specific arrangements are made with parent or guardian. If into Indochina Travel decides to cancel any tours, due to acts of insurrection, disease, strikes, acts of god, or any other cause beyond the control of Indochina Travel, refunds will be based upon the difference between the original trip price and the cost of services already provided. Indochina Travel reserves the right to accept or reject any person as the trip member at any time. Trip members deemed disruptive to a tour may be asked to leave without refund for unused services. Private, Custom Tour Almost all of our tours are private, custom tours. The creation of custom itineraries can very time consuming, and these trips are typically equal to or more expensive than our set departures. Indochina Travel will provide examples itineraries at no charge. Subsequent itinerary development is is charged at US$$250 and this deposit will be credited for the final payment of your trip. It is not refundable should you decide to cancel. Subsequent changes to a confirmed itinerary incur a change fee, not including any additional airline, services and hotel fees. No changes or alterations may be made to an itinerary within 7 days of departure. If a private journey is canceled more than 90 days prior to departure there’s a non-refundable cancellation charge of the itinerary development fee plus normal cancellation fees (see cancellations and refunds). For cancellations less than 90 days prior to departure, please refer to our regular cancellation/refund schedule. Please request our private tour information for more details on how to arrange a private trip. Travel Documents and Visa Requirements Travelers are required to have passports (valid for six months beyond the return date of their tour) and any required visas or visa on arrival documentation. Although Indochina Travel may assist or facilitate obtaining required visas and visa on arrival authorization, it is the ultimate responsibility of the traveler to verify they have all required travel documentation and verify such documents are valid and correct. Although Indochina Travel may facilitate or assist with required travel visas, Indochina Travel accepts no responsibility for any mistakes, errors, or other issues regarding visas or visa authorization forms which is the travelers ultimate responsibility. Please ensure that have all necessary documentation required for your trip. Problems During Your Trip If you are unsatisfied with any aspect of the Indochina Travel's confirmed, written trip arrangements while you are on your trip, you must address your complaint immediately to Indochina Travel's local representative, hotel management of the hotel or representative, or other supplier whose services are involved. They will do their best to rectify the situation within their power. It is unreasonable to not notify local representatives while on your trip, but then to write a letter of complaint upon return when it is too late to rectify your problem. If the problem cannot be resolved locally and you wish to file a complaint, full details must be sent to Indochina Travel in writing to arrive within 30 days of your return. We will do our best to investigate and reply to you within 30 days of receipt of your letter. Failure to take either of these steps will deny Indochina Travel the opportunity to resolve the problem immediately and/or investigate it properly. In consequence, this may affect your rights under this contract. Binding Arbitration This Agreement shall be treated as though it were executed and performed in San Francisco, California and shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the State of California without regard to conflict of law provisions. By submitting a trip deposit, I agree that any disputes or claims concerning, relating, or referring to this contract, brochures, or any other literature concerning my trip, or the trip itself shall be resolved exclusively by binding arbitration according to the then existing commercial rules of the American Arbitration Association in San Francisco, California (www.adr.org). Such proceedings will be governed by substantive (but not procedural) California law excluding any application or consideration of the California Arbitration Act. The arbitrator and not any federal, state or local court or agency shall have exclusive authority to resolve any dispute relating to the interpretation, applicability, enforceability, conscionability, or formation of this contract, including but not limited to any claim that all or any of this contract is void or voidable. International Airline Booking Conditions A period of up to 72 hours is required to process all airline bookings Tickets are refundable less airline penalty and other fees for cancellation prior to departure date Fares are subject to change and are not guaranteed until the purchase is confirmed by the airline and a ticket number issued. Ticket changes may be subject to airline penalty and other change fees. Once a ticket is issued, it may not be reassigned to a different passenger or airline. The name on each ticket must match passport name. Name changes are typically not permitted once the reservation has been confirmed. Tickets are non-upgradeable economy-class. Traveler is responsible to have all required travel documents for travel, including valid passport, visa, and inoculation record. No shows are non-refundable. Seating, meal, and other requests should be made direct with airline web site or call center. Airline tickets are subject to specific rules and regulations imposed by the individual airlines which are subject to change at any time and beyond our control. In the event of an attempted charge-back by the purchaser on a non-refundable airline ticket, service fee, or a fare adjustment that meets the Terms and Conditions of the airline and this agreement, the customer agrees to refund the full amount of any charge-back or other fees for charge-back resolution. ANY PAYMENT TO INDOCHINA TRAVEL CONSTITUTES YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN. Questions? Concerns? Please call us at our reservations office at or (415) 680-3788 Pacific Standard Time.
