Vietnam and Cambodia Odyssey - Summer with Laos Adventure Extension

The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. The schedules of the regional flights within and between South-East Asian countries are subject to frequent changes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. The driving times listed are point to point and do not include the duration of excursions or stops en route. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however, order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.

If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of £295.00pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.

Vietnam visa requirements

A visa is not required for stays up to 45 days for British Passport holders, Further advice should be sought from the applicable tourist authority for other nationalities and for general queries. Passports must have at least 6 months validity from your date of entry and a minimum of 2 blank pages. However, we strongly advise you check your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding passport validity.

Please note the exit point in Vietnam is Song Tien Landport.

Cambodia visa requirements

You will need to purchase a visa for Cambodia on arrival. The cost of this is approximately USD $35 per person, which will need to be paid in cash. Please note that you will need to have at least one completely blank page in your passport for the Cambodian visa to be issued. Please note you cannot use an e-visa at the speedboat border crossing.

Laos visa requirements

A visa is required for entry into Laos and this can be purchased on arrival at the airport in Luang Prabang. The cost of this is approximately USD $40 per person and you will need to bring the money in cash in order to apply for your visa on arrival into Laos. Please note you will need 2 passport sized photos. Passports must have at least 6 months validity from your date of entry and a minimum of 2 blank pages. However, we strongly advise you check your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding passport validity.

Please note that final flight details will be confirmed on your e-ticket and final documentation which will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. Check in baggage is included with your flight. Weight restrictions will be finalized on your final documentation. Should you wish to take additional luggage you will need to pay extra at check-in. Check-in should be at least 3 hours before departure. If you wish to arrange Airport car parking or accommodation at preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extras on 0871 360 2000, quoting HX313.

IMPORTANT: A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you. Please note that you should carry your invoice with flight details on it as you will need to show this at the airport.

We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras. To arrange your travel insurance with Holiday Extras, please call 0800 781 4237 and quote 'WK830' for preferential rates. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24-hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking

It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, www.travelhealthpro.org.uk, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.

All our tours feature a “Tour Pace” to help find the right holiday for you. To travel on any of our tours requires unaided mobility and the ability to stroll around the sights, climb stairs and get on and off coaches and boats. The tour pace of Vietnam and Cambodia Odyssey is rated as Intermediate. A good level of fitness is required as you may be on your feet for approximately four hours in a day, though this will be interspersed with regular breaks and will vary from day to day. You will be walking around the sights, getting on and off coaches, boats and climbing steps which may be irregular. You will stay in a variety of hotels throughout the tour. Our guides will always endeavour to provide the highest level of service and assistance; however, they cannot be expected to cater to customers who are unfit to complete the itinerary.

The currency in Vietnam is the Vietnamese Dong, known as VND. You can exchange your currency in Vietnam, however, US Dollars are widely accepted in Vietnam should you wish to keep an alternative currency on you. It is important that you budget carefully and ensure you have the right form of currency before you arrive in the country. Cash machines will also be available throughout the tour in order to withdraw money in local currency. Money can be exchanged at the airport or branches of government banks. Credit and debit cards are accepted in most hotels and some shops and restaurants.

The currency in Cambodia is the Cambodian Riel (KHM). We recommend that you take some US Dollars (USD) with you and exchange this currency whilst you are travelling. Cash machines will also be available throughout the tour in order to withdraw money in local currency.

The currency in Laos is the Lao kip (LAK). No coins are currently in use in Laos as they use notes only. US Dollars are widely accepted in Laos should you wish to keep an alternative currency on you. Cash machines will also be available throughout the tour in order to withdraw money in local currency.

As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels.

You will need to take some extra money with you to cover any dinners where these are not mentioned on your itinerary and personal purchases, such as souvenirs, extra drinks and snacks. Approximately £600-£700 per person should be sufficient for the duration of your tour.

Tipping

Tipping is not compulsory and is at your discretion. However, Should you wish to tip we recommend you tip your guide approx. USD $4 per person per day and your driver approx. USD $2 per person per day. Please note tips on the cruise ships are not included either and would recommend USD $2 per person per day. Additionally, if you want to tip your bell boy, porter, boat crew etc this is at your discretion.

The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 10, and the maximum will be 28. If in the unlikely event there are less than 10 people booked on your tour date, we will endeavour to reduce any disruption to your holiday and try to operate your tour with lower passenger numbers. If we are not able to operate your departure date then you may be asked to change to a different date and a full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.

There is no minimum number of travellers for this extension however the main tour passenger numbers will apply for the main part of the tour. If in the unlikely event there are less than the required number of people booked on your main tour date then you may be asked to change to a different date. A full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.

This is an escorted tour, meaning that you will have the services of an English speaking guide during each excursion ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times.

Private Tour: If you have booked a private tour then you will be accompanied by a Driver Guide or a Driver and Local Guides. These will be available to you during all scheduled sightseeing. Private Tours can depart on any day of the week depending on flight and train schedules and the opening days of the attractions. They will follow the itinerary as described in the brochure unless you have been advised otherwise and you will still have all of the same meals, sightseeing and local excursions included.

This is a fully escorted tour extension, meaning that you will be met on arrival by your guide who will remain with you for the duration of your trip ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times.

Boats

During this tour you will be boarding various vessels. Cabins come with en suite facilities and air conditioning. However room size can be restrictive, If you would like to take a smaller overnight bag on to the ships this can be arranged by leaving your larger luggage on your tour bus overnight at your own risk. There will also be a trip on a motor boat to cross the Cambodian border. Please note this is a shared boat which is open at the back, it does not have air conditioning and usually holds 1 toilet for passengers. The Border crossing can take up to 2 hours.

Trains

During your tour you will have some day trains and overnight trains. Please note, that these are local trains and should not be compared to European standards and quality. Overnight trains are booked 2 customers per cabin, all cabins come with air conditioning but there is no private toilet, these will be located at the end of the carriage. Beds usually come with a pillow, bed sheet and blanket. Please bring toilet roll and hand sanitiser. When travelling during the day on trains you will be booked into a soft seat train carriage where seats are comfortable and the carriage is air-conditioned.

Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character, and can range from business hotels to leisure hotels. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist between the UK. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning, where needed. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs. If you have booked a triple share please note that your room will be a twin room with a rollaway bed or sofa bed added. This may limit the floor space in the room.

Breakfast is always western style and served in the hotel each morning. Lunch and Dinner (when included) will be taken in local restaurants or at the hotel. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours.

Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information. Vegan, vegetarian options are available, all meal requests need to be sent over to our suppliers before travel.

It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way. Two bottles of water are supplied per day.

Tet is the most important event in the Vietnamese calendar, and it is a time for people to be with their loved ones and celebrate the Luna New Year. During this time many shops and business close for the celebrations which generally run for up to a week. Tet Holiday is between January and February, International Labour Day is on 1st May every year, Reunification Day is on 30th April every year and National Independence Day is on 2nd September every year.

During visits to Churches/Temples please note both men and women need to wear long trousers or skirts to cover knees, tops with sleeves should be worn to cover shoulders.

On your arrival in Hanoi you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Lac Viet (LV) Travel, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury holidays/Vietnam Travel Service representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your guide will be able to answer any queries.

Please find below the emergency contact details for LV Travel head office, Hanoi.

Contact Telephone number: Anna Hanh Office: 0084 983 096 032, Mr Len Office: 0084 989 200 116, Emergency cases: 0084 888713289

24 hour e-mail: operation@lvtravel.vn or len@lvtravel.vn