Impressions of Vietnam with Cebu Beach Stay - Private Tour

The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. The schedules of the domestic airlines in country 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 €342.20pp 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.

A visa is not required for stays up to 45 days for British Passport holders travelling to Vietnam. All customers are required to fill out a digital arrival card when arriving at Saigon airport. The card must be filled out before arrival on the Vietnamese Government’s website https://prearrival.immigration.gov.vn/. 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.

Philippines entry requirements

A valid passport is required for all visitors. Generally, visitors may stay without a visa for up to 30 days, provided they have an onward or return journey ticket. There are however certain nationalities who are required to apply for a visa when travelling to the Philippines.

You must also register with the ‘e-travel’ system 72 hours or less prior to your arrival.

It is advisable to check with the Philippine Embassy or consulate for visa requirements. Further advice should be sought from the applicable tourist authority for other nationalities and for general queries. We strongly advise you check your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding passport validity.

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, including up to a 20% discount, which is given to all Mercury Holidays customers. To arrange your insurance with Holiday Extras, please visit https://www.mercuryholidays.co.uk/info/insurance for more details. 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, http://travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.

Yellow fever vaccination is required for travellers arriving from infected areas. This does not apply to children under one year of age, although isolation may be required.

Malaria is present in some provincial regions but does not affect Manila. Dengue fever and other mosquito-borne diseases occur throughout the country, particularly during the rainy season from June to November. Travellers should take precautions against insect bites, including using repellent and wearing long, light-coloured clothing.

Medical care is adequate in major cities but limited in provincial areas and remote islands. Private hospitals in Metro Manila are well equipped and internationally accredited. Upfront payment or proof of payment is usually required, and treatment can be expensive. Comprehensive travel insurance, including medical evacuation, is recommended. While medications are widely available in major cities, travellers should bring any regularly used medicines with them.

This information is provided as general guidance only, and it is your responsibility to check applicable health and vaccination requirements and seek medical advice before travel. Health risks and hygiene standards vary by country, and travellers should seek personalised medical advice well in advance of travel.

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 Impressions of Vietnam 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 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 for 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 the Philippines is the Peso (Php). divided into 100 Centavos. Coins come in denominations of 1, 5, 10, and 25 centavos, P1, P5, P10 and notes in denominations of 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 pesos. We recommend that you exchange your currency before you leave the UK.

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 personal purchases, such as souvenirs, laundry and extra drinks and snacks. Approximately £100 - £200 will be sufficient for the duration of the tour.

Tipping is not compulsory and is at your discretion. However, Should you wish to tip in Vietnam 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 up to your discretion.

This is a fully escorted tour, meaning that you will be met on arrival by your national guide who will remain with you for the duration of your trip. You will also be joined by a local guide in each of the cities which you visit, 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.

Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character. 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 and Vietnam. 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.

Breakfast is always western style and served in the hotel each morning. 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, so to ensure your comfort and well-being, two bottles of drinking water will be provided on touring days.

If you are travelling within the below Vietnamese Public Holidays, please note that celebrations can last several days and during these times some businesses will be closed. Coach, air, and train travel may also be affected. Tourist attractions will generally remain open but may be crowded. In Vietnam, key holidays include Tet Holiday (between January and February), International Labour Day (1st May), Reunification Day (30th April), and National Independence Day (2nd September). During these times, the atmosphere can be lively with various cultural celebrations taking place across both countries.

Semana Santa is the most important event in the Philippine calendar as many Filipino people celebrate the Catholic religion. It is a time for people to be with their loved ones and celebrate. During this week many shops and business close for the celebrations and tourist attractions will be open but may be crowded.

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 Saigon 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.

On your arrival in Manila you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Blue Horizons Travel, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays/Blue Horizons Travel representative will show you to your transfer vehicle.

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

Contact Telephone number: Anna Hanh Office: 0084 865 016 939, Mr Len Office: 0084 989 200 116, Emergency cases: 0084 888713289

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

If you need to contact your representative during your stay the details are:

Blue Horizons Travel

Contact number: +639178840563, Email: carla.mariano@bluehorizons.travel

• Comfortable walking shoes
• Sunscreen and hat in summer
• Camera and charger
• Loo paper for public WCs
• Binoculars
• A small overnight bag to take on your cruise of Halong Bay
• Personal first aid kit containing travel pills, rehydration powder, plasters, stomach settlers, antiseptic creams, aspirin etc
• An electric plug converter - the electricity in Vietnam/Cambodia is 220-240 V. You will need a 2 round pin plug or 2 flat pin plug adapter
• Swimming costume
• Insect repellent