FAQ + Payment
A.We request a 40% deposit of the total Shore Excursion price and your booking will be confirmed on receipt of deposit. Receipt of your deposit by our company will indicate you have read our payment/cancellation terms and they are acceptable to you.
For your security and peace of mind your deposit is payable through the international PayPal Bank at no cost to you. You do not need a PayPal Bank account and payment is simply made when you receive our emailed deposit invoice
Your Shore Excursion balance is payable at the end of your time with us in cash – USD or VND (our local currency) are our preferred currencies. Other major currencies can be accepted, please ask. On request, we can accept larger pre-payment before arrival to reduce the amount of cash carried on-shore.
A. Yes! We offer a wide range of Private Shore Excursions and you simply choose from our ‘typical itineraries’ shown in our website. Or let us design an individual trip around your requirements and within the time constraints of your visit to our wonderful country Our excursions don’t have to come off-the-shelf. We listen to what you want and then introduce you to authentic Vietnam – places and experiences that others will undoubtedly miss.
A. Unfortunately this is not always possible as we operate multi-tours every day with our family team of Tour Guides. Man will always be your point of contact from first enquiry to his call at the end of your time with us to ensure everything went OK. And if time is available he will try and meet you personally during the day
A. No. Travel Insurance is the responsibility of the visitor to Vietnam and should be purchased before travelling. However, all our vehicles are fully insured, including you as passengers when travelling with us
A. Yes! Our shore excursions can be completely ‘family-friendly’ and we travel daily with babies to seniors. We provide child safety seats or wheelchairs if required, and we ensure all ages enjoy their time with us – you are guaranteed to leave with happy and memorable experiences
A. We use modern air-conditioned vehicles which are serviced to manufacturers specifications and fitted with seat belts (and child safety seats if required). We provide cold bottled water and face wipes in each vehicle.
For 2-4 persons we generally use 7-seater SUV’s with 11, 16, 23 or 45-seat mini-buses and coaches for larger families, groups of friends and cruise ship groups formed on Cruise Critic’s ‘Roll Call’ Forums
A. Central Vietnam has a tropical climate. So generally it enjoys hot and dry weather from late-January to late August, with temperatures often reaching the mid to high 30’s °C – and being tropical there can be short, sometimes sharp rain showers, but they tend to clear quickly.
During the winter months of September-January the rainfall increases with October and November achieving peak levels, occasionally in the form of typhoons.
Hue to the north is often cooler than Da Nang, especially early in the year. Located either side of a small mountain range the weather can often differ between the two on any given day
Our tropical climate can affect attractions that are high in the mountains such as Hai Van pass and Ba Na Hills/The Golden bridge. Our itineraries are very flexible and we can change on-the-day if required
A.
We can happily include authentic Vietnam lunch if required – your choice. We only use eateries that we personally use ourselves and are clean and safe. Of course, you are free to pay locally if you want to make your own arrangements, but most clients enjoy the chance to eat local food alongside our local people.
We are used to most food allergies and intolerances, but please make us aware on-the-day for your comfort. Vietnam is a Vegetarian paradise! Vegan diets are becoming more understood and ‘permissible’ Halal certificated restaurants are available too
A. All our Private Shore Excursions need light to moderate activity. Please let us know if this might be a problem when you enquire, we will ensure your itinerary is designed to meet your exact requirements – our tours are designed to be completely user-friendly
A. Yes, casual but conservative, please!
Revealing outfits (on men or women) can be considered offensive in Vietnam’s rural areas and even in parts of our larger cities, especially Hue. When visiting temples and pagodas shoulders, chest & legs should be covered, failure to do this means you can be refused entry. If invited into a local’s house or visiting religious sites do remember to remove footwear at the front door
A. There is no obligation to tip or pay a gratuity to our driver or guide. But at your discretion and if you feel they gave superior service it will be greatly appreciated
A. Vietnam is a cash economy with around 90% of all purchases made by cash. Our currency is the Vietnamese Dong (VND). Payment for our shore excursions can be made in VND, USD or other major currencies.
There are ATM’s in major centres which usually dispense 2,000,000 or 3,000,000 VND ($US85-$US130) – sometimes more depending on the bank. You are normally free to make several withdrawals each day.
MASTERCARD and VISA credit/debit cards are accepted by most major hotels, major tour operators (like us), tailors and up-market shops and restaurants, but Diners Card & AMEX can be a problem. The majority of small shops, small tour operators, homestays, eateries and other outlets accept cash only.
Private Shore Excursions
Payment
We request a 40% deposit of the total Shore Excursion price, payable on receipt of our PayPal Bank invoice – your booking will be confirmed on receipt of deposit. Receipt of your deposit by our company will indicate you have read our payment/cancellation terms and they are acceptable to you.
The Shore Excursion balance is payable at the end of your time with us in cash – USD or VND (our local currency) are our preferred currency. Other major currencies can be accepted, please ask. On request, we can accept larger pre-payment before arrival to reduce the amount of cash carried on-shore.
Cancellation Policy
100% deposit return – if Excursion is cancelled by you 28 days or more before arrival date
50% deposit return – if Excursion is cancelled by you between 27 & 14 days before arrival date unless your Excursions ‘slot’ can be rebooked, in which case you will receive a 100% deposit return
0% deposit return – if Excursion is cancelled by you 13 days or less before arrival date, or for ‘no-shows’ after the ship has docked.
Cancellation where the ship is unable to dock – Force Majeure reasons
Your deposit is used to pay port and other fees in advance of your visit. This is a legal requirement in Vietnam. In the very unlikely event your ship is unable to dock at Tien Sa or Chan May ports, or a tender can not discharge passengers, we will negotiate with the Vietnam Port Authority Agents to minimize port fee charges – please note that full repayment is not guaranteed by the Agents.
Additionally, our drivers and guides may be at the port waiting for your ship’s arrival, they do need paying for their time.
We reserve the right to retain our total NET costs paid and not recoverable in advance of your Shore Excursion. Any monies available above our NET costs from your deposit will be refunded to you if available. This will be calculated on a case-by-case basis.