Cancellation Policy

1. Policy summary

Refund amounts depend on how many days before the scheduled arrival date we receive your written cancellation request, sent from the email address used to book or via the contact form. Time is calculated in calendar days, in Pacific/Tahiti time (UTC−10).

2. Force majeure exceptions

If circumstances entirely outside your reasonable control prevent you from travelling, we will replace the standard refund tier above with a full credit for the value of your booking, valid for twenty-four (24) months from the original arrival date and transferable to immediate family. Examples of force majeure events include:

• natural disasters declared by competent authorities (cyclones, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic events);
• official health emergencies and pandemics that restrict travel between your country of departure and French Polynesia;
• government-issued travel bans or border closures targeting your country of departure or French Polynesia;
• civil unrest, war, or terrorism advisories issued by the US Department of State or the French Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères for the destination.

Force majeure claims must be supported by an official document (governmental advisory, airline cancellation notice, medical certificate where lawfully shareable). Individual flight cancellations, weather forecasts, work commitments, and personal scheduling changes do not qualify as force majeure.

3. Refund process and timing

Approved refunds are issued to the original payment method within fourteen (14) business days of our confirmation. Depending on your bank or card issuer, an additional five to ten days may pass before the credit appears on your statement.

Refunds exclude the following non-refundable items, in every tier:

• payment-processor fees retained by Stripe or PayPal (typically 2.9% + USD 0.30 per transaction);
• third-party experience deposits already disbursed to our on-island partners (private chef, charter boat captain, helicopter tour, etc.);
• currency-conversion fees levied by your bank or card network.

4. Travel insurance recommendation

We strongly recommend that every guest purchase a comprehensive travel-insurance policy as soon as the reservation is confirmed. A typical policy covers trip cancellation, medical emergencies, lost luggage, and travel delays, often for less than five percent of the total trip cost.

Reputable providers include:

• Allianz Travel Insurance — broad coverage, well-known in the United States.
• World Nomads — flexible policies including water sports and adventure activities.
• Travel Guard (AIG) — established US insurer with cancel-for-any-reason add-ons.

We are not affiliated with these providers and receive no commission for the recommendation; coverage terms vary and you should review them carefully against your itinerary.

5. Modifications and date changes

Date changes are accommodated free of charge subject to villa availability and provided that:

• the request is received at least thirty (30) days before the original arrival date;
• the new dates fall within twelve (12) months of the original arrival date;
• the rates of the new dates are honored at the original booking rate when equal or lower, and adjusted to the new rate when higher (we will not refund the difference if the new rate is lower).

Date changes requested less than 30 days before arrival are treated as cancellations under Section 1 followed by a new reservation at the prevailing rate.

6. Group reductions

Reducing the number of guests after booking does not generate a refund of the per-night villa rate, as the entire property is reserved exclusively for your party. Pre-paid experiences booked on a per-person basis are refunded only when the operator's own cancellation policy allows it.

7. Our right to cancel

We reserve the right to cancel a reservation if the property becomes uninhabitable through no fault of the guest (major infrastructure failure, government order, etc.). In such case, we will refund the full amount paid or, at your election, offer comparable alternative dates and a 10% discount as a goodwill gesture. This right will not be invoked for trivial reasons.

8. How to cancel or change a booking

Send a written request from the email address used to book to villaparadisetahiti@gmail.com, quoting your booking reference. We will reply within four (4) hours during Tahiti business hours and confirm the applicable refund or credit calculation before processing.