Plans
Life in most countries is not as predictable as it is in the West. There are always new circumstances, new problems, and here in Vietnam Murphy's law is totally substantiated. If you very much enjoy having a plan and sticking to it, however you travel in the east, you may find it hard work. If you can sketch the sorts of things you would like to do and delight in what comes your way, you will have a great time. Accordingly we cannot promise that any particular arrangement will happen, only that you should achieve a good proportion of what you set out to do. Clearly the more you are removed from Vietnamese life, and stay with the westernised culture that is found in all countries today, the more you will find life predictable. We are happy to guide you towards those kinds of tours, but we cannot offer them as we want our visitors to meet the real Vietnam with all its "Hidden Charm" intact.
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Payment
We ask for a 10% deposit at the time that you book your flight, this is used to reserve the Jeep for the days that you require, and so it cannot normally be returned. We need to have the balance of the money before you set out on your travels with us. Payment is often made in Pounds Stirling, Euros or Vietnam Dong, but we are happy to accept the currency of your choice at an exchange rate that gives us the same amount in our hands. Money can be paid in person in cash in the UK or in Vietnam, by Stirling or Vietnamese cheque, or by transfer to our bank account either in Ha Noi or Edinburgh.
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Cancellations and alterations
We are unable to repay money if circumstances beyond our control result in a change the plans. Examples of this might be: needing to wait for a road to re-open, not being able to follow a route due to problems with ferries or floods, or finding that the arrangements we had agreed upon were not suitable for you. Naturally, if we can, we will try to help you with any such problems as they arise. In the unlikely event of a change of plans becoming necessary because of problems that we have (such as mechanical break-down, or the driver becoming indisposed) then we will endeavour to give you a reasonable substitute of similar value, but we must reserve the right for any such arrangement to be for our judgement and entirely at our discretion.
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Luggage
The Jeep has limited space for luggage, if there are three of you travelling together you should think of trying to put most things into a soft 'holdall' type of bag - one that can cope with being squeezed into shape a little, and cameras and the things you need for the day in a second small bag. If there are only two of you then really you can bring what you can be bothered to carry. When luggage is in the Jeep the vehicle needs to stay within sight, as it is not secure. While there is probably less crime here affecting tourists than almost anywhere in the world, there is still petty theft and valuable items are best kept with you.
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What to bring
Most things can be bought on arrival in Ha Noi and the ordinary necessities of life are just as much necessities for the Vietnamese as for anyone else. You will find more chemists here than in the UK, and more shops selling soft drinks and snacks than you can imagine. In January and February it can be very cold and you need a pullover and thick jacket. But those are not good months in which to be here in the north of the country. Socks, long sleeved shirts and long trousers are all useful for keeping off mosquitoes and the sun; as is insect repellent (poor against the sun though) which is not readily available here - the mosquitoes have a taste for exotic delicacies.
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Meeting you
If our first meeting is to be in Vietnam we are of course delighted to meet you from your plane and take you to your hotel. But if you are spending time on your own before joining us, then we will arrange to meet for a coffee or drink the evening before our programme begins to check over plans and to finalise payments.
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Accommodation
Hotels are not reliably rated in most of the north of Vietnam and in any case choice may be limited. But normally it is possible to stay in a hotel that is clean, has rooms with their own bathroom, and provides air conditioning, fans and mosquito nets when these are necessary. There are many reasons for unexpected delays, and the weather accounts for many of these, occasionally we have had to stay in less comfortable accommodation and we must warn that this is a possibility.
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Food
In much of the north of the country there are only local eating places and so if you wish to travel freely, and not be tied to staying in the Provincial capitals, you will be eating as the Vietnamese eat - which is (on the whole) no bad thing. But do check with us about the food, for while most people find Vietnamese cuisine very acceptable it does lack dairy products and sweet items. In the northern part of Vietnam it is rarely spiced, although spices are provided on the table for you to add yourself. Nearly all food is very fresh by western (admittedly poor) standards. Eggs, tofu and vegetables are universally available, if fish and meat are not to your taste, but vegetarian cooking as such is very unusual. Be warned of the bones in the fish, and remember that free range meat and poultry (which is what it all is) takes much more jaw work than the battery farmed type.
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Snacks and Water
Bottled water is universally available. Hotels often provide boiled water in flasks for making tea and drinking. No tap water is safe in Vietnam yet, and local people never drink tap water without boiling it. Packets of snack foods are available everywhere, these are not usually familiar, and you might want to seek advice on the packet contents as you go.
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Additional Papers
Visiting certain areas involves getting police agreement. This is normally happily given, but visitors should remember that local conditions place considerable strains on the authorities and there may be unforeseeable reasons why permission may not be granted and an alternative plan has to be followed. Permissions themselves may cost substantial amounts which are included in the all-inclusive prices. Occasionally there are difficulties raised which can be overcome at short notice by an emergency payment, the non-inclusive price does not include such payments as these.
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Music
The Jeep has a decent music system, please bring any music you would like to have played. Preferably as copies, not good CDs or better still on a USB stick.
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Dust and Sun
The Jeep, as you see from the pictures, has a roof on most of the time. But it is great when it can be taken off and everyone can see all around. It also has side panels to keep rain and bad dust out. But the dust will always get in, and you have to get from the Jeep to a building. Travelling clothes which don't show the dirt are great, which is why Khaki was invented. If you have allergies there is probably less to upset them here than in the UK, but do check with us first. Light sensitive eyes need to be protected from the tropical sun, lungs on especially dusty routes might enjoy a mask - these are very commonly worn here, and many women wear elbow length gloves and full face masks to keep the sun off their skins. Cameras seem to survive, but are best kept in a bag when not in use.
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Clothing
The Vietnamese are pretty relaxed about clothing and if you wear what would be OK on Princes Street in Edinburgh or Piccadilly in London you will not cause offence. On the whole women here wear trousers; skirts are for dressing up. Women in towns dress very smartly by our standards. In general foreigners stand out because they are relatively scruffy, poorly dressed, and less clean than the Vietnamese, but again offence is not normally given by this fact - it simply confirms what the Vietnamese already know - that foreigners are slightly inferior!
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Size
You are likely to be very considerably bigger than most people you meet. Fortunately the Jeep was built for American soldiers and takes westerners no problem. Also most hotel beds are for families so again there is no problem. Shoes over about size 8 are a problem outside Ha Noi. You may have to fit in some very small spaces, and sit on stools that are 8 inch cubes. This all causes much amusement to everyone. Again most Vietnamese weigh 45 to 60 kilos and so occasionally you have to be cautious as to where you put your extra weight.
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Diversions
Landslides, floods, low rivers and accidents can all create diversions. With luck these are short, but on occasion they can be long - maybe a day or more. Such problems are at their worst in the wettest months of the summer, and rarer in the dry months (October till March). There is no remedy. The prices are for the number of days you have chosen, unfortunately we cannot offer additional replacement days where days are lost through circumstances beyond our control, although if you have the time, and we have no immediate booking, we are happy to add days to your tour if you so wish. We should add that the worst that has happened in our travels is that another route has to be taken and a different piece of country is seen from that which was anticipated in the morning.
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Insurance
We take out a car insurance for your journeys in the Jeep, but we cannot emphasise too strongly that the insurance industry here is in its infancy, and that there is no certainty as to outcome of claims. Please do take out all the necessary insurances where you live, we will do our best, but you must assume that there is no insurance help from this end. However, there is no need for special cover, there is nothing at all risky in travelling by Jeep, indeed it is a very safe way to see Vietnam, but accidents are universal and we are all subject to diseases and problems that we cannot forsee, and when these arise the last thing you want on your mind is money.
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Medical Emergencies
There are excellent health care facilities in the major towns. Modest facilities in the smaller ones, and very little in the remoter parts of Vietnam. You are unlikely ever to be more than 10 hours from a Provincial capital with a reasonable medical service, and from where you could be transferred in a few hours to Ha Noi for world class treatment. Thus it is similar to being in the remoter parts of Europe. You will know if that constitutes a risk for you. We have to rely on your judgement in this respect. If you have special needs please check with us and we will establish whether or not these can be met on the journey you are wishing to make.
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