Service Policy

This policy sets out what Freedom Ha Giang Loop ("Freedom", "we") provides on every tour, what we ask of you, and where our responsibility ends. It exists to protect both sides and to keep our tours running the way they are described on the website. It applies together with our Terms of Use.

I. Accommodation

• The night before your Loop: a bed in our dorm in Ha Giang city is included in every tour, so you can arrive the evening or early morning before and start rested. Check-in and check-out follow the times in your booking confirmation.
• On the Loop: you sleep where the itinerary says, in family homestays in the villages (a Tay family in Du Gia, a H'mong family in Dong Van) and, on the 4-day tour, a night in Yen Minh town. Rooms and bathrooms are shared and comforts are simple. This is village life, and for most guests it is the best part of the trip.
• Private rooms: a private double or twin room, on the night before or on any night of the Loop, can be arranged on request and subject to availability. Ask when you book or on WhatsApp; private rooms are priced separately.
• Extra nights in Ha Giang before or after the tour can be added on request.
• Homestays are family homes. Please respect house rules, quiet hours and the family's space.

II. Transportation

Pick-up buses

• Pick-up from Hanoi (Old Quarter and Noi Bai Airport), Sapa, Ninh Binh, Cat Ba and Ha Long (Bai Chay bus station) to Ha Giang is included in every tour. You choose a sleeper bus the night before, arriving early in the morning, or a day bus the day before, arriving in the evening.
• Bus times and pick-up points are sent with your confirmation. Be at the pick-up point at the time we give you; buses run to a timetable and cannot wait.
• The buses are run by transport companies, not by Freedom. Departure times and routes can change at the operator's discretion. We are not responsible for delays caused by public transport, traffic or road conditions, or by a guest missing the bus, and any resulting changes to your booking, and costs they cause, are your responsibility. We will still do everything we reasonably can to get you to Ha Giang and onto your tour with the least possible loss.
• A drop-off bus after the Loop, to Hanoi, Sapa, Ninh Binh, Cat Ba or Ha Long, is not included but can be booked through us, depending on availability. Tell us in advance so we can secure a seat.

Motorbikes

• Self-riders get a new semi-automatic 110-125cc motorbike, the safest choice on mountain roads, with fuel for the whole tour, a helmet, protective gear, a rain coat, rain pants and shoe covers. Bigger manual bikes and fully automatic scooters are available on request, subject to availability.
• Easy Rider guests sit behind an experienced local driver on the same kind of bike, with the same gear. Seat-behind-a-friend guests share the bike of a friend who has booked the self-riding option.
• If you ride by yourself you must hold a national driving licence and an International Driving Permit (1968 convention, category A or A1) and show them before you start. Without them, the only option is to sit behind a driver.
• While a bike is in your care you are responsible for it. Ride it as instructed, do not lend it to anyone, and lock it at every stop. Damage beyond normal wear and tear is settled at the actual repair cost, agreed with your guide at the end of the tour.
• Every bike is checked before departure and your guide carries basic tools. If a bike breaks down through no fault of yours, we repair or replace it as quickly as the road allows.

III. Your luggage

• Large bags and suitcases stay behind for free in our luggage storage in Ha Giang city while you ride. Bring a small bag for the Loop; we strap it to the bike and wrap it against the rain.
• You are responsible for your own belongings, documents and money throughout the trip: on the bus, on the bike and in the homestays. Keep your passport, phone, cash and cards on your body in a small bag.
• Stored luggage is looked after with reasonable care, but we cannot accept liability for valuables left inside it. Lock your bag and keep anything precious with you.
• If something is lost or damaged, tell your guide immediately. We will help you contact the bus company, homestay or local police and search for the item. Any compensation follows the rules of the service provider concerned or of your insurance policy.

IV. Travel insurance

• Every tour includes travel insurance for the days of the Loop. It is basic local cover and not a substitute for comprehensive travel insurance from your home country.
• We strongly recommend, and in fact expect, that you arrive in Vietnam with your own comprehensive policy covering accidents, medical treatment and evacuation, lost luggage, flight delays and trip cancellation. Check that motorbike travel is covered, both as rider and as passenger, and which licence your insurer requires for that cover to apply.
• If you need to claim, you deal directly with the insurer under the terms of your policy. We will give you whatever paperwork you need from our side: booking confirmation, a description of the incident, receipts.

V. Special requests

We are happy to accommodate special requests, as long as we know about them in advance. The common ones:

• dietary needs: vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, allergies, no pork, and similar (homestay meals are shared family dishes, so the more notice the better);
• mobility or health considerations, or a guest who simply wants a gentler pace;
• a private group with its own guide, or a specific stop, viewpoint or village you want to include;
• a particular bike, a private room or an extra night.

Write your request in the note field when you book, or send it to us on WhatsApp. We confirm that we have received it and do our best to arrange it. Where a request depends on a homestay, restaurant, bus company or another third party, we cannot guarantee it and are not responsible if that party is unable to deliver. We tell you what has been arranged before your tour starts.

VI. Changes to the itinerary

The itineraries on our tour pages are what we ride on a normal day. Weather, landslides, road works, local festivals and the pace of the group can change the order of stops, swap a viewpoint or a homestay for an equivalent one, or shorten a section for safety. Your guide makes these calls on the road, and every guide runs the Loop a little differently. We do not offer refunds for changes made for safety, weather or reasons outside our control, but we always aim to give you a Loop at least as good as the one described.