Starting PointGrande Ville Hotel
903 Mahachai Road
Chinatown
Bangkok
Thailand
Phone: +66 (0) 2 225 0050
Fax: +66 (0) 2 225 7593
You can arrive at any time on day 1 as there are no activities planned until the important welcome meeting. Your leader will leave a note at reception telling you where and when this important meeting will take place. Please ask a member of reception for this information. The meeting will be followed by an optional group dinner.
Joining Point Instructions from Bangkok Airport.
Metered taxi ranks are located outside the airport entrance on the ground floor. Go out of the customs hall and walk outside the airport where there is a table with a sign saying "metered taxis". The cost is the metered fare plus THB50 surcharge. If the taxi uses the toll way it is up to an extra THB70. The total fare should be about US$11, (THB400). Non-metered taxis are also available, where you will be given a docket to pay the driver a set price of US$20 (THB700).
Our Joining Point Hotel
Located in Chinatown, the Grande Ville Hotel is right on the skirt of "Rattanakosin Island", the ancient capital city of Siam. The hotel has everything you'll need within a short walking distance, including shops, banks, restaurants and historical sites. All rooms have a private bathroom with hot and cold water, air-conditioning, TV, telephone, fridge, minibar and room service. There is even a roof top bar which has a 360 degree view of the area - the best place for that sunset drink. The hotel has a formal lobby and reception area, which is attended 24 hours a day so you can come and go at any time. Within walking distance is the Chao Praya River ferry where you can jump on and visit many of the main tourist attractions in Bangkok including the Grand Palace or head over to Ko San road, just a couple of stops away.
Check-in time is 12 midday.
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Finishing PointGrande Ville Hotel
903 Mahachai Road
Chinatown
Bangkok
Thailand
Phone: +66 (0) 2 225 0050
Fax: +66 (0) 2 225 7593
There are no activities planned for day 29 and you are able to depart the hotel at any time. Check out time from the hotel is at 12 noon. If you are departing later, you can arrange luggage storage at the hotel.
Finishing Point Instructions
A taxi from the hotel to the airport will cost about THB400-700 depending on time of day and toll ways. Check out time from the hotel is at 12 noon. If you are departing later, you can arrange luggage storage at the hotel.
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Physical Rating - EasyYou are required to carry your pack on and off trains and buses, up hotel steps, etc. Your itinerary may include easy paced walks or bike rides, but these are on mainly flat ground.
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AccommodationHotels/guesthouses (24 nts), homestay (1 nt), overnight trains (2 nts), overnight boat (1 nt)
The style of accommodation described in the day to day itinerary is a guideline. On rare occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our usual accommodation. A similar standard of accommodation will be used in these instances.
Accommodation on this trip is on a twin/multi share basis. Please note there may be times when you share a room with passengers travelling on different Intrepid trips than your own.
Throughout the trip we request that our hotels prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we are arriving prior to normal check in time. However this is not always possible which means we will not be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination.
If you have purchased pre or post trip accommodation (if available), you may be required to change rooms from your trip accommodation for these extra nights.
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MealsWhile travelling with us you will experience the vast array of wonderful food available in the world. Generally, to give you the maximum flexibility in deciding where, what and with whom to eat, not all meals are included in the trip price. This also gives you more budgeting flexibility. As a rule our groups tend to eat together to enable you to taste a larger variety of dishes and enjoy each other's company. There is no obligation to do this though. Your group leader will be able to suggest favourite restaurants during your trip. Please check the 'meal inclusions' section below for details of meals included.
Allow USD $500 for meals not included.
Meal Inclusions
16 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch, 2 Dinners
Please note that breakfasts are often simple (eggs, bread, jam and coffee/tea would be most common).
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Single SupplementSingle travellers share with people of the same sex for the duration of the trip, in accommodation ranging from twin to multi-share. Please note some of our itineraries have accommodation booked on a mixed gender share basis - where applicable this will be specified in our Trip Notes.
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IncludedThis is a list of included activities on this trip. All other activities are optional and at your own expense. For a list of optional activities and sightseeing available on this trip, see the optional activities section below. If you choose not to participate in the included activities on this itinerary, the cost will not be refunded.
Khlong longtail boat trip - Bangkok
Wat Po entrance and guide - Bangkok
Doi Suthep entrance and guide - Chiang Mai
Entrance to Pak Ou caves - Mekong River
Entrance Traditional Arts Museum - Luang Prabang
Kuang Si Falls trip - Luang Prabang
Flight from Luang Prabang to Vientiane
Water puppets - Hanoi
Entrance to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum - Hanoi
Perfume River boat trip - Hue
Entrance to Imperial Citadel and tomb - Hue
Flight Danang to Ho Chi Minh City
Cyclo tour - Ho Chi Minh City
Entry and guide to Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek - Phnom Penh
Entry and guide to Angkor Wat complex - Siem Reap
Meal at an Intrepid supported organisation
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Not IncludedInternational Flights
Optional Activities | We list the following optional activities for your information. This is not an exhaustive list and should be used as a guide only.
They are not necessarily endorsed or recommended by your tour operator or agent nor included in price of this trip. If you do any of them, you do so at your own risk and it must be clearly understood that your participation is your own decision and does not form part of your contract with you tour operator or agent.
The Grand Palace, Bangkok - US$8
Wat Po, Bangkok – US$2
Thai Cooking School, Chiang Mai - US$25
Bicycle Tour, Chiang Mai - US$25-40
Bamboo Rafting, Chiang Mai - US$10
Elephant Riding, Chiang Mai - US$10
Royal Theatre, Luang Prabang - US$8–16
National Museum, Luang Prabang – US$3
Cooking Demonstration, Luang Prabang - US$10-25
Wat Xieng Thong, Luang Prabang - US$2
Mt Phoussi, Luang Prabang - US$1
Pha That Luang (transport), Vientiane - US$4
Bicycle hire, Vientiane - US$1
Buddha Park, Vientiane - US$1 (transport additional)
Fine Arts Museum, Hanoi - US$1
Women's Museum, Hanoi - US$1
Army Museum, Hanoi- US$1
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hanoi - US$1
Bicycle Hire, Hue - US$1
Countryside tour, Hue US$10
My Son Cham Ruins, Hoi An - US$24
Thu Bon River Boat Trip, Hoi An - US$5
Cyclo Tour, Ho Chi Minh City - US$4
War Crimes Museum, Ho Chi Minh City - US$1
The Reunification Palace, Ho Chi Minh City - US$2
Saigon Water Park, Ho Chi Minh City - US$4
Cu Chi Tunnels including transport (approx cost depending on numbers visiting), Ho Chi Minh City - US$16
National Museum, Phnom Penh - US$3
Cyclo tour, Phnom Penh US$3
The Silver Pagoda, Phnom Penh - US$7
Royal Palace, Phnom Penh - US$7
Landmine Museum, Siem Reap - US$1
Half day village visit, Siem Reap – US$10
Boat trip on Tonle Sap lake, Siem Reap – US$3 (transport additional)
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TransportPlane, overnight train, private and public bus, boat, cyclo, walking
There are some long travel days and some of the transport can be quite cramped.
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What to TakeWe recommend the use of a duffel bag or backpack (whichever you find easiest to carry). A good size daypack is also essential.
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Health & SafetyFor vaccinations please visit the
MDtravelhealth website.
Sun:
It is very important that you wear sun block, even on a cloudy day when it feels cool as we are near the equator and the sun is very strong. A sunburn can turn a pleasant trip into a painful trip.
Hydration
Even when days are cool please be sure to drink a minimum of two litres of water and refrain from drinking to many diuretics, as while when travelling outdoors the breeze can dehydrate you quickly as well as the heat.
Diarrhoea:
It is normal for people travelling overseas to get an upset stomach due to a change of climate and food
You will be required to complete a participation form on day 1 of the trip.
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Weather & ClimatePlease see the Live to Xplore Country Guides (above)
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Important InfoWhile we operate successful trips in Vietnam throughout the year, some changes may occur in our itineraries due to inclement weather and common seasonal changes to timetables. During the rainy months (approximately October to January), transportation mode can be changed at short notice due to weather conditions.
TET is Vietnam's New Year festival, held annually generally in late January or early February; please see Country Information - Vietnam for the exact dates. You should expect shop closures and extremely busy transport. Some tourist sites are also closed. Although we make bookings far in advance, transport and accommodation providers tend to overbook their services at this time so a flexible approach from travellers is needed. Our itinerary, transport and visited sites may change in response to TET festivities.
On day 4 your group could stay at Chiang Khong (Thailand) or Huay Xai (Laos), depending on departure date. These are both lovely border towns on either side of the Mekong River.
The land border from Laos to Vietnam and also from Cambodia to Thailand is sometimes closed due to flooding. In such cases we will need to alter the itinerary, and fly Vientiane to Hanoi, or from Siem Reap to Bangkok. These flights would be an additional trip cost.
Visas | Please note that visas are the responsibility of the individual traveller. The visa requirements for your trip vary depending on where you are from and where you are going.
Disclaimer | The information in this trip details document has been compiled with care and is provided in good faith. However it is subject to change, and does not form part of the contract between the client and tour operator/agent. The itinerary featured is correct at time of printing. It may differ slightly to the one in the brochure. Occasionally our itineraries change as we make improvements that stem from past travellers, comments and our own research. Sometimes it can be a small change like adding an extra meal along the itinerary. Sometimes the change may result in us altering the tour for the coming year. Ultimately, our goal is to provide you with the most rewarding experience. This tour is run by Intrepid Travel.
Travel insurance is compulsory in order to participate on any of our trips. When travelling on a group trip, you will not be permitted to join the group until evidence of travel insurance has been sighted by your leader.
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