FAQs

We advise you to use bottled water, even to clean your teeth. Always wash your hands thoroughly, particularly after handling local money. Ensure meats are thoroughly cooked. It is not necessary to avoid salads and herbs out of hand but remember uncooked foods do carry a greater risk. In general, establishments that cater to Western tourists make their own ice on the premises from bottled water. Elsewhere, ice is made from filtered water that is delivered in blocks from local factories. If in doubt as to the origin of ice, it’s a good idea to ask.

Vegetables and vegetarian dishes feature prominently in Vietnamese cuisine, though even vegetable dishes may use fish sauce as a base so if you are a strict Vegetarian it’s a good idea to ask about the ingredients used. Western food is widely available in major centres though is generally more expensive than Vietnamese.

We recommend you drink the bottled water or clean your teeth and advise against drinking tap water in Vietnam, Lao and in Cambodia. Normally the bottled water provided on a complimentary basis by most hotels and tour packages and is otherwise inexpensive and readily available.

Tipping inspires great service and is an entrenched feature of the tourism industry in Vietnam. In local markets and basic restaurants we suggest rounding your bill up to the nearest 1 USD. In more up-market restaurants 5% to 10% is appropriate. If you are happy with the services provided by your guides and drivers, we suggest a tip of 3-5 USD per person per day for guides and 2 USD per person per day for drivers. Of course you are free to tip more or less as you see fit, depending on your perception of service quality.

Bargaining for souvenirs has long been the norm in Vietnam, however ‘fixed price’ boutiques are becoming more common. Even then, you may be able to garner a discount, especially if you buy more than one item. As in all Asian countries, ‘saving face’ is important, so bargaining should be good-natured. In some cases you will be able to get a 50% discount or more, at other times this may only be 10%. And it’s never a good idea to ask whether someone else got it for less – chances are they will have! In most cases you will not need to bargain for basic items such as bottled water, toiletries and food.

Vietnam offers excellent value for your money. Allow approximately 20 USD per person for day-to-day living, which will buy you lunch and dinner at good local restaurants (your breakfast is always included), as well as refreshments during the day. Transport such as taxis and cyclos is cheap, and should cost you no more than 5 USD a day on average, and often much less. If you are travelling independently, you will need to factor in any entrance fees, which may be between 1-5 USD. High end and Western restaurants will cost more. Prices of alcohol varies. Beer is generally cheap, especially in local restaurants however wine is expensive, even by Western standards.

Bring a combination of debit and credit cards, as well as some USD cash. ATMs are widely available in airports, major cities and towns and issue Vietnamese dong. Most hotels change traveller’s cheques and cash at reasonable rates. Credit cards can be used in a number of shops and restaurants in major centres. If you bring traveller’s cheques, it is best to use USD, but these are now becoming harder to cash.

Visas for Laos are needed for all except Japanese visitors. According to agreements made since 2005, ASEAN country citizens should be given free entry for 15 days. However, this is not always the case and some ASEAN citizens (e.g. Indonesian) have reported being charged for entry into Laos. This may also apply at other ASEAN country border control where the free entry agreement has not been implemented or is being ignored.

Generally, you can get Lao Visa before you leave home at Lao Embassy or consular office in your country or get all visa on arrival at the cost 30 USD for stamp fee.

It’s very easy, no need the invitation letter like in Vietnam. All you need is to follows these steps:

• Prepare 02 passport sized pictures (4*6cm)
• Prepare $20U S by cash for visa stamping fee (paid by yourself upon arrival)
• Check your passport again to make sure your passport is valid at least six months

All visitors, except citizens of Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Laos and Vietnam need a visa to enter Cambodia. The official price for a tourist visa is US$20, and US$25 for a business visa – but expect much higher prices (US$30 or more for the tourist visa) to be demanded at land border crossings.

Visas can be obtained at any Cambodian embassy or consulate overseas. Visas are also available “on arrival” at both international airports, all six international border crossings with Thailand, some international border crossings with Vietnam, and at the main border crossing with Laos

Only citizens of certain countries can visit Vietnam without an entry visa (valid for visit within 30 days). Most Asean countries, Korea, Japan & Scandinavians. All other citizens need to get an entry visa before departure or Visa on arrival at Vietnam’s International Airports with the help of invitation letter.

We recommend that you obtain your entry visa prior to your departure by applying to any one of the Vietnam Embassies and/or Consulates worldwide. However, if your particular city does not have a Vietnamese embassy, and you wish to avoid procedural delays which sometimes happen with visa approvals at embassies outside Vietnam, We can arrange the invitation letter sent to you by email so that you can get the visa on arrival.

You can get Vietnamese visa on arrival with help of an invitation letter provided by Vietnamese Immigration department via any vietnamese travel agency or tour operator.

We send you a form requesting basic information (full name, passport details and so on). You fill in one for each person and send them to me. We then apply for the visas at the Immigration Office in Hanoi. After about five working days, we’ll be able to pick up the approval paper and fax it to the Vietnamese Embassy in your country. We’ll let you know so you can send your passports to the Embassy by post with a cheque to pay the visa fee. Alternatively, after we fax the approval paper to the Embassy, you can go there to pick up your visas in person. Please ring the embassy for their opening hours and arrangements. For this service, we will do for the clients.

They will send it to you by email. And you follow these steps:

• Get the invitation letter printed.
• Prepare 02 passport sized pictures (4*6cm).
• Take the letter with you to show the Airlines when boarding the plane from the departure airport. And when you arrive at the Immigration Office in the Vietnam international
• Airport (Noi Bai airport in Hanoi, Tan Son Nhat airport in Hochiminh city, or Danang airport in Danang city) .
• Prepare $25US (for single visa), $50US (for multiple visa) by cash for visa stamping fee (paid by yourself upon arrival).
• Check your passport again to make sure your passport is valid at least six months as well as all the information in the visa approval letter is correct.

To enter Vietnam you will need a passport with at least six-months validity and a tourist visa, which you must obtain prior to arrival. If you are entering Vietnam twice during your stay you will need a dual-entry visa.

Southeast Asia experiences rainy and dry seasons, which means that the best time to travel is usually November through February when it is cooler and drier than other months. Weather does vary between countries however, so it is unlikely that you will totally escape the monsoons and suffocating heat – but these are just part of the experience!

Vietnam

Vietnam is especially hot and humid (highs of 35 – 38 degrees Celsius) between June and September, and the north tends to be cool and often misty from December to February (15 – 20 degrees Celsius). The wet season (May to October) does not usually obstruct travel as rain is normally confined to an hour or two each day. The wet season is the hottest and most humid period of the year. Central Vietnam occasionally experiences unstable weather in October and November.

Cambodia

With a tropical climate, Cambodia has three seasons. The most pleasant season, the dry one is from November to February with a cooler average temperature. The hot season lasts from March to May with a high average temperature. The monsoon season, hot and humid, is from June to October. The wettest months of the year are August and September.

Laos

The rainy season lasts from May through October with hot and humid weather. The dry season begins in November with a cooler average temperature giving way the hot and dry feeling during April and May.

Thailand

The weather in Thailand is reasonable most times of year, although it certainly gets hot during the summer! November through February is the coolest times of year and there is certainly less rain then than at other times in the year. However, Thailand is a big country with a diverse landscape. There is somewhere to visit whatever time of the year you visit the kingdom. Thailand’s seasons are reasonably uniform through the country, but there are some regional differences. Basically Thailand has three seasons: summer, rainy and winter. The southern part of Thailand however does not have a winter. What follows is a summary of the seasons as they impact the kingdom’s various regions

There is a always a chance of bad road conditions, unexpected weather conditions, mechanical failures, or other uncontrollable factors that may delay your return time. Therefore, we are not responsible for any related consequences to these unforseeable events that may result, but we would like to share with you, that should such a problem occur, we will always try our best to arrange alternatives for our guests.