Booking & Cancellation Terms

These terms apply to every booking request, to taking part in a trip, and to using the community features (reviews, comments, forum) on the Sao Việt website. By sending a booking request or publishing content, you confirm that you have read and agree to the terms below and to our Privacy Policy.

Tour prices are set to cover real costs (transport, lodging, meals, equipment, fees for guides and local hosts) plus a small share for equipment upkeep and free astronomy outreach; Sao Việt distributes no profit.

• Step 1 — Request: choose a departure date and group size and fill in contact details on the tour page. No account is needed; you receive a booking code in the form SV-XXXXXX.
• Step 2 — Confirmation: within 24 hours we contact you by email or phone to confirm availability, the expected sky conditions, and how to pay the deposit.
• Step 3 — Deposit: your place is held only once we receive the deposit within 48 hours of confirmation.
• Step 4 — Pay the balance no later than 7 days before departure and receive the meeting point details and packing list.

A booking request is not yet a contract. The agreement is formed only when Sao Việt confirms and you complete the deposit.

Prices are listed in Vietnamese đồng (VND) per guest, and the price recorded is the one shown when you send your request. The deposit is 30% of the order total.

If you cancel, the refund is calculated on the total amount paid, according to how many days before departure we receive your cancellation:

• You may transfer your place to someone else free of charge with at least 3 days' notice, provided they meet the tour's fitness requirements.
• Refunds are paid to the original payment account within 10 working days.
• If Sao Việt cancels for its own reasons (no guide available, minimum group not reached), you receive a 100% refund or a new date of your choice.

Stargazing depends on the sky, which no one can promise in advance. We track cloud-cover forecasts for each site and apply the following policy:

• 48 hours before departure, if forecast average cloud cover during observing hours (20:00–04:00) is 70% or more for every night of the tour, we will propose rescheduling. You may reschedule once, free of charge, within 6 months, or receive a 100% refund if no suitable date works.
• If you still choose to go, or clouds roll in unexpectedly once the trip has started, the tour runs with an alternative programme (sky talk, planetarium-software session, cloud-sea or sunrise photography). No refund applies in this case, as transport and lodging costs are already incurred.
• When there are storm, flood or landslide warnings, or local authorities restrict travel, we cancel or postpone for safety; you may reschedule free of charge or receive a 100% refund of costs not yet incurred.

Full-moon nights: for about 3 days either side of full moon, moonlight washes out the Milky Way and faint objects. Departures in that window are clearly labelled and focus on the Moon, planets and double stars instead. Because this is disclosed in advance, moonlight is not grounds for a refund or free rescheduling. For Milky Way photography, choose dates near new moon.

• Give accurate contact details and tell us in advance about medical conditions, allergies or special assistance needs.
• Arrive at the meeting point on time; the tour will not wait more than 30 minutes.
• Follow the trip leader's instructions, especially on ridges, mountain passes and in the dark.
• Protect the dark at observing sites: use red light only, and never point white torches or flash at people or telescopes.
• No fires, sky lanterns or drones without permission; carry out all litter and respect the customs of local communities.
• Look after your belongings, and pay for group equipment you damage deliberately or through negligence.

Many stargazing sites sit at 1,500–3,100 m — Ta Xua, Y Ty, Bach Moc Luong Tu, Fansipan. Night temperatures can approach 0 °C with strong wind and heavy dew, even in summer.

• Bring thermal layers, a windproof jacket, a warm hat, gloves and grippy hiking boots as per the list we send.
• “Hard” tours involve 6–8 hours of walking a day; anyone with heart, blood-pressure or respiratory conditions, or who is pregnant, should consult a doctor before booking.
• The trip leader may stop or shorten the trip for one guest or the whole group when health or weather makes it unsafe. Such a decision does not create a refund obligation for the part already delivered.
• No alcohol before or while moving over mountain terrain at night.

• Sao Việt is responsible for running the tour as confirmed and for choosing transport and lodging partners with care.
• To the extent permitted by law, Sao Việt's total liability for a booking does not exceed the amount you paid for it.
• We are not liable for losses caused by force majeure (natural disasters, epidemics, government orders), by your failure to follow safety instructions, or for personal belongings not handed to the group for safekeeping.
• Sky conditions, Bortle class, SQM sky brightness and the “tonight” score on the website are reference estimates, not a guarantee of observing quality.
• Nothing in these terms excludes Sao Việt's liability for death or personal injury caused by our fault.

Reviews, comments and the forum exist so people can share genuine experience of Vietnam's night sky. When you post, you agree to:

• Review only tours you actually joined; each account has one review per tour, which you can edit.
• Not post content that breaks Vietnamese law, or that is abusive, discriminatory, harassing, sexually explicit or incites violence.
• Not advertise, spam, post scam links or impersonate others.
• Not publish other people's personal information (phone numbers, addresses, portraits) without their consent.
• Only post photos you have the right to use, and credit the author when sharing someone else's.

You keep copyright in your content and grant Sao Việt a non-exclusive, royalty-free right to display it on the website. Moderators may hide or remove infringing content, or suspend repeat offenders, without prior notice; if you believe your content was removed in error, let us know via our Contact page.

These terms are governed by the laws of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, including consumer protection regulations. Any dispute shall first be settled by good-faith negotiation within 30 days; failing agreement, either party may bring the dispute before a competent court in Vietnam.

We may update these terms and will show the new effective date. Confirmed bookings remain under the terms in force when they were confirmed. For questions about these terms, please write to us via our Contact page.