TVPalm Policies

These are the general rules that apply across TVPalm Ecolodge and TVPalm Adventure. They sit alongside our Payment Policy, our Privacy Policy, and the policy pack published on each tour and each room page.

Staying with us: read Part A and Part B. Travelling with us: read Part A and Part C. Doing both: read all three. A stay and a guided mountain journey are not the same kind of undertaking, and we do not pretend they are.

Applies to everything we do

Brand

TVPalm is a registered brand covering TVPalm Ecolodge and TVPalm Adventure.

The TVPalm name and logo may not be used by third parties without our prior written consent.
Travel agents and partners may use TVPalm materials only to promote TVPalm products, and only in the original format provided. Logos, colours and taglines may not be modified.
Photographs on tvpalm.com and our social channels are our property or are used with the photographer’s permission. Guests are welcome to share personal photographs; commercial use requires written permission.
Media, bloggers and content creators visiting on a hosted or discounted basis agree to our content guidelines before publication.
We may feature guest reviews, crediting first name only unless you consent to full attribution. We do not edit the substance of a review.

If you find unauthorised use of the TVPalm brand, please write to info@tvpalm.com.

Booking and your contract

Your contract is with CONG TY TNHH TVPALM (TVPalm Company Limited), tax code 5100500460, international travel business licence No. 02-026/2025/TCDL-GP LHQT issued on 21 April 2025.

A booking becomes a contract when we send written confirmation and the required deposit has reached us. Deposits, balances, cancellation and date changes are set out in our Payment Policy.
If you book for other people, you confirm you are authorised to accept these policies on their behalf, that you will pass our information to them, and that you are responsible for the payments for the whole party.
Please give names exactly as they appear in passports, and check your confirmation on the day you receive it. We cannot take responsibility for costs caused by incorrect names or dates supplied to us.
The version of these policies in force on the date we confirm your booking is the version that applies to that booking.

Children and families

We welcome families. Our pricing is built on safety first, clear numbers, and experiences that suit the age of the child.

Under 2 years, under 1m: free, sharing bed and meals with parents, no extra bed. Parents cover incidental costs such as height-based entry fees. One free child per two adults; a second child in this band is charged at 30 per cent.
2 to 5 years, 1m to 1.2m: 30 per cent when sharing bed and meals with parents; 50 per cent when a separate seat in transport or individual meals are required. Must be accompanied by at least one adult.
6 to 11 years, 1.2m to 1.4m: 50 per cent when sharing a bed with parents with separate meals; 80 per cent when an extra bed or full individual services are required.
12 to 16 years: 80 per cent of the adult rate when travelling with family. Full bed, meals, and participation in any activity for which the guest meets the minimum age in Part C.
17 years and above: charged as an adult.
Children under 6 require one accompanying adult each. All children must carry valid identification, either a passport or a birth certificate.
Shared bedding is not charged. Extra beds carry a surcharge of 20 to 30 per cent subject to availability. Children’s portions and spice levels are adjusted on request.
Families of four or more including at least one child receive an additional discount of 5 to 10 per cent.

Which activities a child may join is a safety question, not a pricing question. See Part C.

Passports, visas and local permits

You are responsible for holding a valid passport and the correct visa or entry approval for Vietnam. We cannot refund a booking that cannot proceed because entry was refused.
Some routes in this region pass close to the border and require a permit issued locally. Where a permit is needed for a route we operate, we arrange it. We need your passport details at least three days before arrival. A clear photograph, a scan or a copy is enough; we do not need the original. If details reach us later than that, the route may not be possible and we will offer an alternative.
We cannot obtain permits for areas that are closed to tourism. See C4.

Food, allergies and dietary needs

We prepare gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan meals on request. Please tell us when you book, not on arrival. On the mountain we cannot send someone out for an ingredient.

We will be plain with you here, as we are about our sourcing. This is one small kitchen in a village. Soy sauce, noodles and flour are used in it, and hotpot and BBQ share broth and grills. We can cook you a gluten-free meal with care and separate pans. We cannot call ourselves a certified gluten-free kitchen, because we are not one.

If your reaction to gluten, nuts, shellfish or anything else is medical rather than a preference, tell us that plainly when you enquire. We would rather talk it through honestly before you book than have you find out at the table.

Please carry your own medication, including any adrenaline auto-injector. On a tour, tell your guide where it is before you set out.
Meal times, menus and what is included in your stay or tour are shown on The Palm Restaurant page and in your booking confirmation.

Respect for this place and the people in it

TVPalm Ecolodge sits inside a working Dao village, not a resort compound. Our neighbours are farming while you are resting.

Ask before photographing people, their homes or their children. Your guide will help you ask. If the answer is no, that is the answer.
Please do not give money, sweets or gifts directly to children. Speak to us and we will point you to something that helps.
Wildlife is not fed, lured, touched or approached on any TVPalm experience. Our Wildlife and Conservation Policy sets out how we work and why.
We do not accept or cook wild forest products, including any brought in by guests.
Practical guidance on visiting villages is in our FAQ. The lines above are conditions of travelling with us, not suggestions.

Complaints

If something is wrong, tell us while you are still with us. Most things can be fixed on the spot. Almost nothing can be fixed after you have flown home.

During your stay or trip: speak to reception or to your guide, or call or message +84 366 885 955. That number reaches the founder directly.
Afterwards: email info@tvpalm.com. We acknowledge within three working days and give a substantive answer within fifteen working days.
If we cannot reach agreement, these policies and our services are governed by the law of Vietnam, and disputes are heard by the competent court in Vietnam.

Travel agents and tour operators

Agents, DMCs and tour operators contracting with TVPalm work under our agent terms, which differ from the terms on this page, in particular on cancellation deadlines, allotment, release periods, payment terms and the handling of guest data.
Agent rates are confidential and are not to be published or passed to third parties.
We also provide catering and ground services for small groups and private expeditions run by other operators. Terms are agreed case by case.
For agent terms, net rates, allotment conditions and our data handling terms, contact info@tvpalm.com.

Language, changes, and how our policies fit together

This page holds the rules that apply across both parts of TVPalm.
Our Payment Policy covers payment methods, deposits, balances, cancellation, refunds, date changes, VAT and invoicing.
Our Privacy Policy covers personal data.
Our Wildlife and Conservation Policy covers how we behave around wildlife and habitat.
Each tour and each room has its own policy pack on its product page, covering what is specific to it: difficulty, what to bring, group minimums, and its own cancellation schedule.
Our FAQ explains how things work in practice. Where the FAQ and this page differ on a rule, this page applies.
Where a product policy pack and this page differ, the product policy pack applies to that product.

These policies are published in English and in French. Where there is a difference in meaning, the English version applies. We may update this page; the version in force when we confirmed your booking is the one that governs it.

TVPalm Ecolodge: staying with us

This part applies to anyone staying at, or visiting, the Ecolodge. Check-in and check-out times, room types and rates are on the Rooms and Rates page.

Your stay

Quiet hours are 22:00 to 06:00. Sound carries a long way up here, and our neighbours start work early.
No smoking inside rooms, in shared indoor spaces, or in The Palm Restaurant. Smoking is permitted at The Palm Clouds Bar.
Guests are responsible for damage beyond ordinary wear, including to bedding, fittings and garden planting.
Lost property is kept for 30 days. We will post items back at your cost where practical.
Pets are not accommodated at the Ecolodge.
We do not provide single-use plastic. Bring a refillable bottle and we will refill it at no charge.
Power and water come from mountain sources and interruptions happen. We keep back-up for essentials and we tell you when something is out rather than letting you discover it.
Large luggage is stored free at the Ecolodge while you are away on a tour, in a locked room. Please keep passports, cash, cards and electronics with you. We do not accept responsibility for valuables left in stored luggage or in rooms.

The Palm Swimming Pool

Opening hours, the day-visitor fee and full details are on The Palm Swimming Pool page. These rules apply to lodge guests and day visitors alike.

There is no lifeguard on duty. You swim at your own risk.
The pool is 1.55m deep throughout. There is no shallow end and no part of it where a small child can stand.
Children under 12 must be supervised by an adult at all times. A child who cannot swim confidently must wear a life jacket with an adult in the water. We hold only a small number of children’s life jackets, so please ask at reception in advance rather than at the poolside.
No diving. No glass in the pool area. Please shower before entering.
The pool is filled by gravity from a mountain source and is maintained without chlorine or treatment chemicals. Please do not swallow the water. If you have an open wound, a skin infection or a stomach illness, please do not swim.
The water is cool year-round and genuinely cold in winter. It is not heated. Most guests treat it as a view in December and January, and that is a sensible choice.
Please do not swim after drinking alcohol.
We may close the pool after heavy rain, for cleaning, or for water supply, and we post a notice at reception.

Children at the Ecolodge

Children must be supervised by an adult around the pool, on stairs, on terraces and in the eco-garden.
The lodge is built on a slope with steps and open edges. It is a good place for children, and it is not a childproofed one.
Please tell us the ages of children when you book so we can advise honestly on rooms and on which walks suit them.
B4. Alcohol at the lodge
We serve alcohol to guests aged 18 and over and may ask for identification.
We do not serve alcohol to guests departing on a trek or a tour later the same day.
Please do not swim after drinking.
Vietnamese law on illegal drugs is severe, including for possession of small quantities. We do not permit illegal drugs on our property. Where we find them we end the booking with no refund and we follow the law.

Getting around the property

The Ecolodge is built on a mountain slope. There are steps between buildings, there is no lift, and the access road is a mountain road. Private parking is at the base of the property and our electric shuttle brings you and your luggage up.

Some rooms are considerably easier to reach than others. If you or anyone in your party has limited mobility, a visual or hearing impairment, or any condition we should plan around, tell us before you book. We will tell you honestly what we can and cannot do well, rather than promise and disappoint.

TVPalm Adventure: travelling with us

This part applies to every walk, trek, Loop tour and wildlife journey. It exists because a guided journey in this terrain is a different undertaking from a night at the lodge, with different risks and different duties on both sides. Difficulty, what to bring, group minimums and the cancellation schedule for your specific tour are in that tour’s policy pack.

Who can join

Our journeys take place on mountain terrain, often hours from medical help. Being honest with us about your health is not a formality. It changes how we prepare.

Every guest completes a short Medical Self-Declaration when booking.
For summit and multi-day trekking, every guest also returns our Health, Fitness and Trekking Participation Form at least 14 days before departure. Without it you cannot join, and the standard cancellation terms apply.
Tell us about heart, respiratory or blood-pressure conditions, recent surgery, pregnancy, mobility limits, allergies and medication. We handle this as described in our Privacy Policy.

Who cannot join our mountain treks

To protect you, the group and our team, we do not accept on summit and multi-day treks: guests who are pregnant at any stage; guests with serious heart, respiratory or blood-pressure conditions; guests who have had major surgery in the last six months or have unhealed injuries; children under 14; and guests over 65 without certified medical clearance for high-altitude trekking. There are no exceptions. These rules are not commercial.

Loop tours

On our Loop tours you travel as a passenger behind an experienced local Easy Rider, or by car or jeep. You do not drive, and no licence or riding experience is needed. Children aged 6 to 15 join accompanied by a parent or guardian, and the vehicle option usually suits them better. Children under 6 travel by vehicle only, with a car seat provided by the family.

Walks and day experiences

Half-day walks, day walks and the tea trail are built for ordinary fitness. There is no minimum age; guests under 6 require one accompanying adult each.

Our guides may shorten a route, ask a guest to wait at a rest point, or decline to take a guest, where they judge that the guest’s condition or preparation creates a risk to that guest or to the group. That decision sits with the guide on the ground. We may also decline participation where a guest is under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Insurance

Every guest on a TVPalm tour is covered by basic PVI Inbound Insurance included in the tour price. This is accident cover only. It does not cover motorbike travel, trekking at altitude, or emergency medical evacuation.
Personal travel insurance covering the activities of your tour is required on every TVPalm tour. This is a condition of participation, not a recommendation.
Summit trekking: cover for mountain trekking at altitude plus emergency medical evacuation, with proof 21 days before departure.
Dao village trekking and wildlife journeys: cover for trekking and outdoor activity, with proof 14 days before departure.
Loop tours: cover for motorbike travel as a passenger, or for vehicle travel, with proof 14 days before departure.
Day and half-day walks: cover for outdoor activity and hiking, with proof at the time of booking.

Many standard policies exclude motorbike travel and trekking above a certain altitude. Check your policy wording before you buy. Without valid proof by the deadline you cannot join, and the standard cancellation terms apply. We tell you this at booking rather than turning you away at the trailhead.

Safety, the guide’s authority, and what happens to your money

Weather here changes fast. A trail that is fine in the morning is not always fine in the afternoon. We would rather bring a group back early than finish a route badly.

The lead guide has final authority on the route, the pace, the rest points and whether the group continues. Please follow guide instructions on the trail and on the road.
We may postpone, shorten, reroute or stop a journey where we judge conditions unsafe: weather, trail damage, landslide risk, river levels, the condition of a guest, or instructions from local authorities.
If we stop a journey before departure for safety reasons, you may choose a full refund of amounts paid, or a transfer to new dates at no charge.

If a journey stops after it has started

What happens depends on why it stopped. We set this out plainly so nobody is guessing on a mountain.

Severe weather, storms, flooding, landslides, road closures or instructions from the authorities: this is Force Majeure. We adjust the itinerary where we can, and where we cannot, we refund the part of your payment we have not already committed to porters, guides, homestays and transport. Each case is assessed individually, as set out in our Payment Policy.
Illness, injury or a decision by a guest to leave the journey: we do not refund services already committed for that departure. We will bring you down safely, arrange transport and medical help, and stay with you through it. This is precisely why personal travel insurance is a condition of joining, and why we ask for proof before departure.
A reason on our side, such as staffing, equipment or an error of ours: we refund the value of the services not delivered, calculated per day. If it was our failure, we carry it.
This is our own decision to stop, and it is separate from Force Majeure in our Payment Policy, which covers events outside our control.

We will not lower the stated difficulty of a route, and we will not take a group onto a route we consider unsafe, in order to complete a booking.

Protected areas and permits

Parts of the Tay Con Linh range and the reserves around it are special-use forest. Access is regulated. Some routes require permission granted to named operators for named routes, and that permission can change.

We operate only on routes we are permitted to operate. Where a route is not open to us, we will tell you that instead of taking you there.
If a permit changes after you have booked, we contact you as soon as we know, explain what has changed, and offer an alternative route, a transfer, or a refund. The choice is yours.
Please do not arrange informal access to restricted areas through third parties. It puts you, your guide and the local families we work with at risk.

On the trail

Groups are a maximum of eight guests and are never mixed with other bookings. Your tour runs privately for your party.
Porters from the Tay Con Linh Cooperative carry shared equipment and food; you carry your own daypack. Our porters are neighbours from Khuoi My and the surrounding villages, experienced on these trails, though not all are certified professional guides yet. We say that plainly.
Weight limits for porter-carried luggage are on the relevant product page.
Waste we cannot process here is carried back down the mountain. Please help us keep that load small.
Stay on the paths your guide uses. Terraces, tea trees and forest gardens are someone’s livelihood, not scenery.
Helmets are compulsory and provided on all motorbike travel. We do not run motorbike journeys after dark.

Risk and responsibility

Walking and riding in this terrain carries risk that cannot be removed. Trails are uneven. Weather turns. Roads have exposed edges. Medical help is measured in hours, not minutes. We do not promise absolute safety; nobody honestly can.

By joining a TVPalm journey you accept the ordinary risks of outdoor travel in a mountain region, and you confirm that what you told us about your health and fitness is accurate.

We are responsible for running our journeys with proper care: guides who know the ground, groups we can manage, honest difficulty ratings, and the judgement to stop when stopping is right.

Nothing on this page limits our responsibility for harm caused by our own fault or negligence, and nothing on this page removes rights you hold under Vietnamese law.

TVPalm Company Limited, Khuoi My village, Ha Giang 1 ward, Tuyen Quang province, Vietnam. Telephone and WhatsApp +84 366 885 955. Email info@tvpalm.com.

Content was last updated on: 10/08/2026