March 7th – 21st/24th, 2024
➜ Vietnam – Most travelers to Vietnam need a visa, however, citizens of the USA, Australia, New Zealand, and most European countries may easily obtain an “E-Visa” online. As a result, you can skip the process of obtaining a tourist visa from the Vietnamese Embassy and can simply take care of the procedures online. Please note that you can only apply for the E-Visa within 4 weeks of your arrival date.
Here are the steps:
*Please ensure that your visa application includes your full name, middle name included, as otherwise your visa will be invalid and you might be denied entry into the country
Here is some information you will need to complete the process:
*You only need to fill up the fields marked with an asterisk (*). These are the mandatory fields required for your application.
*Important: Once your visa is issued, you MUST print out a copy of your E-Visa approval email. You will need this to check in for your flight and at immigration in the Ho Chi Minh airport.
➜ Cambodia – Most travelers to Cambodia need a visa, however, citizens of the USA, Australia, New Zealand, and most European countries can conveniently obtain a visa upon arrival. This means you won’t need to go through the process of getting a tourist visa from the Cambodian Embassy beforehand. Please remember to bring $36 USD in exact change and 3 passport-size photos (colored, with a white background, and a 2″ x 2″ size) so we can secure your visa as soon as we arrive.
Please follow the below instructions upon arrival at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport:
If you are unable to find your driver, please contact your tour leader, Sakai, at +1 (510) 806-5488, or our local contact, Phuong, at +84 986-443-242.
Please note: When arriving into Vietnam, you are sometimes required to fill out a landing card or tell the immigration officer where you will be staying in Ho Chi Minh City. Here are the details:
Alagon Hotel & Spa (Address: 1291 Lý Tự Trọng, Phường Bến Thành, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam)
Please note that the arrival airport for this tour is the Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) in Ho Chi Minh City and the departure airport is the Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) in Hanoi. If you are joining our Cambodia post-trip extension, then the departure airport is the Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI)
We will set up a WhatsApp chat 2 weeks prior to the start of the tour that will include all of the participants as well as your tour leader. This will allow everyone to get to know each other in advance, ask questions and communicate with your tour leader both before and during the tour. It will be very useful for you to have WhatsApp available to you during the tour as this will be the main method of communication.
Your tour leader for this adventure is Sakai Naismith. Backed by over 20 years of travel experience and a decade as a tour leader, Sakai has an in-depth understanding and passion for exploration. He’s not only a veteran in global travel, but he was also based in Southeast Asia for many years, making him the perfect leader for this tour. Sakai will introduce himself and share more details about himself and the trip when we create the WhatsApp group chat approximately 2 weeks prior to the tour.
*Our tour leader will be there to ensure the trip runs smoothly and our local guides are there to share the wonders of their country!
➜ Vietnam: Vietnamese Dong (VND) – $1 USD = 24,360 VND
➜ Cambodia: Cambodian Riel (KHR) – $1 USD = 4,085 KHR
In terms of spending money, you should estimate an average of $15 – $25 USD per person per day for all of your needs. This would be for meals that are not included in the tour, basic purchases (laundry service, snacks, etc) as well as any activities you choose to do on your own.
As for exchanging money, the best method is via ATM machines which can be found in all cities. If using an ATM is not an option, or the fees are too high, simply bring USD or Euros to exchange at money exchange offices that are located in all of the big cities.
*Credit cards are commonly accepted in cities, hotels, and larger establishments. However, it’s important to note that in smaller local restaurants and traditional stores, cash remains the preferred payment method. Hence, it’s a good idea to have some cash on hand, especially in rural areas where card acceptance might be limited.
*While US dollars are somewhat accepted in the cities and tourist spots, it’s always better to carry Vietnamese Dongs (and Cambodian Riels) for better exchange rates and to prevent potential overcharges.
Tipping in neither Vietnam nor Cambodia is not as common as in the West but in some cases it is appreciated. Here’s a general guideline:
➜ Restaurants – 5% – 10% if a service charge is not already added to the bill
➜ Hotel staff – $1 – $2 USD if someone helps you with luggage or anything else
➜ Our drivers – Your tour leader will collect tips for our drivers during the tour. This will be approximately $50 USD per person in total
➜ Tour leader – If you wish to tip your tour leader, they will always be greatly appreciative
*Tips for local guides and waitstaff at included meals are already included.
Vietnam has generally strong internet connection in the main cities and all of our accommodations will have WiFi. However, you can expect weaker connections in rural areas, with occasional poor connectivity. In general, the internet access will work and you’ll be able to do whatever you need to do online, but it might take longer than normal with the potentially spotty connection.
The easiest way to stay connected during the tour will be to purchase an E–SIM before the trip, as this will allow you to stay connected from the moment you land at the airport.
We can also set up local SIM cards upon arrival for those who wish. Just make sure you have a GSM-enabled unlocked phone in order to use a foreign SIM card.
Another option is to activate your home network’s ‘international plan’ which will allow you to continue using your phone as you would at home, with access to a data connection, for a fee that usually ranges from $5 – $10 per day.
March 7th: Ho Chi Minh City / Arrival day
March 8th: Ho Chi Minh City
March 9th: Ho Chi Minh City ➜ Da Nang ➜ Hoi An
March 10th: Hoi An
March 11th: Hoi An
March 12th: Hoi An ➜ Da Nang ➜ Hue
March 13th: Hue
March 14th: Hue ➜ Khe Sanh
March 15th: Khe Sanh ➜ Phong Nha
March 16th: Phong Nha
March 17th: Phong Nha ➜ Dong Hoi ➜ Hanoi
March 18th: Hanoi
March 19th: Hanoi ➜ Ha Long Bay
March 20th: Ha Long Bay ➜ Hanoi
March 21st: Hanoi / Departure day
➜ Wandering Earl Tours expert tour leader
➜ Small group (maximum 12 participants)
➜ Accommodation (13 nights – 3*/4* hotels, guesthouses and a cruising boat)
➜ Transportation in Vietnam (vans, internal flights and a overnight cruising boat)
➜ Local English-speaking guides
➜ All mentioned activities and entrance fees
➜ Breakfast every day, 7 lunches and 9 dinners
➜ Water throughout the trip
➜ Gratuities at hotels/included meals
➜ All airport transfers
➜ Flights to/from Vietnam
➜ Passport/visa fees
➜ Meals and activities not mentioned
➜ Travel insurance (mandatory)
➜ Other gratuities
March 21st: Hanoi / Siem Reap
March 22nd: Siem Reap / Angkor Wat / Siem Reap
March 23rd: Siem Reap
March 24th: Siem Reap / Departure Day
*Your departing flight should be booked from Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI)
➜ Wandering Earl Tours expert tour leader
➜ One way flight to Siem Reap from Hanoi
➜ Accommodation (3 nights – 4* hotel)
➜ Transportation in Siem Reap (private air-conditioned vehicle)
➜ Local English-speaking guides
➜ All mentioned activities and entrance fees
➜ Breakfast every day and 1 dinner
➜ All airport transfers
➜ Flight from Siem Reap
➜ Passport/visa fees
➜ Meals and activities not mentioned
➜ Travel insurance (mandatory)
➜ Other gratuities
That’s all for now! If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to send us an email at team@wanderingearl.com.
