Indochina ToursIntroduction to IndochinaValue Experience & Experience ValueAT ASIAQUEST TOURS, We take great pride in offering you what we think is the very best value for your hard-earned dollars. We do not cut corners or promise you one thing and deliver another. We are confident that you will be satisfied with our great attention to detail and our services, including: AT YOUR SERVICE – WITH A SMILE! Your first point of contact to join one of our tours is the Sydney Asiaquest Tours office. Here, our friendly and experienced staff will help you choose the tour that suits you best. Feel free to come in and discuss any of our itineraries in detail so that you will be more informed when shopping around for comparable value. The first person you will meet on your arrival in Indochina is your National Escort. At Asiaquest Tours, we make sure that you are provided with an escort that understands Australians and their requirements when travelling. Your escort is not only knowledgeable about the history and culture of the country you are visiting, he/she has a good command of the English language. At the same time, he/she will explain daily village and city life that you observe on the road. Just as importantly, you can rely on your escort to look after you and solve any day-to-day problems you may have along the way. This is also the person that will look after the group's tipping requirements wherever you go. SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL At Asiaquest Tours, we specialize in small group travel. We believe that being a member of a small group ensures that you have more personalized attention and that you can blend in more with the locals. For you, the benefits are obvious – more room in the bus, more opportunities to take in all the sights and sounds and more unobstructed snapshots! The maximum group size you could expect is 18 people, although it is more likely that you will be travelling with 10-16 people. Tours generally involve gentle walking but may also involve more strenuous walking in hilly areas. You will be made aware of any activities requiring physical exertion in advance, and you are under no obligation to participate. HOME AWAY FROM HOME All hotels are not the same, even if they are in a similar price range. We make a special effort to make sure that we use only the best quality hotels within the price range included in your tour. These are chosen on the basis of their cleanliness, consistent high quality service, security and location. While we try to locate our hotels near the centre of town for your convenience, this is not always possible. In the bigger cities lockers are conveniently provided to store your valuables and email services are available in the lobby. GETTING AROUND When our groups travel by road, we use modern, air-conditioned coaches that are perfect for small group travel. If there are 12 passengers, we use an 18-seater coach. If there are more then 15 passengers, we provide a 30-35 seater coach to ensure that everyone has enough leg room and that there are plenty of window seats to choose from. Because we want you to experience all forms of transport that our destinations have to offer, we routinely offer comfortable boat, rail and plane travel on our itineraries. FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD! One of the highlights of travelling in Asia is the food. For lunch and dinner, our National Escort personally selects the dishes on your menu, making sure that you sample the specialties of the region. Restaurants are chosen for their ability to provide high quality food and service to our groups. If you have any special dietary requirements, let us know and we will arrange everything. THE THREE Rs – BE RESPECTFUL, RESPONSIBLE AND REALISTIC At Asiaquest Tours, we respect the people, culture, religion and environment of the countries we tour. We advise our clients about appropriate clothes to pack before departure and continue to recommend suitable dress throughout the tour when visiting places of worship, mausoleums, etc. We ask that our clients do not litter but dispose of any rubbish in appropriate bins (even if that means carrying it around until you reach the hotel). We expect that our overseas operators, guides and associated contractors abide by our standards by not throwing rubbish from vehicles or boats, anchoring amongst delicate coral reefs or treating animals inhumanely. If you notice any activities that you find culturally or environmentally unsound, please report these directly to your escort and to Asiaquest Tours. Due to cultural and language differences, you may find it difficult to stop these practices without offending the person and/or perhaps only temporarily halting the offending activity. Your tour operator can make a lasting difference through careful selection of business associations (i.e. not hiring those who do the wrong thing) and through long-term education. Be realistic – Rome wasn't built in a day and the world cannot be changed overnight! WHAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE? So how much extra is all this going to cost you? The good news is that all our tours are fully inclusive and cover the following: accommodation; food and transport during your trip; Australian airport departure tax; fuel levy surcharge 1* and domestic flights, train fares, gratuities and taxes at your destination. We think that you will agree that this represents excellent value for money! All you have to pay for on tour are your personal expenses including, your drinks, laundry, telephone calls, emails and shopping. Depending on the country you are touring, you may also need to pay the foreign departure taxes. If you are not a big shopper you will find that about US$500 to US$800 is more than enough for the entire journey. Otherwise, bring your credit card along too. HOW TO BOOK It is important that you read all the booking conditions, fill out the booking form and forward it to us with a deposit of $300.00 per person. We will mail you confirmation of the tour. It is also recommended that you call us prior to mailing or faxing the booking form to confirm availability of seats on the tour you are interested in. Because ASIAQUEST TOURS runs excellent value small group tours, we get booked out early most of the time. 1*This refers to the fuel levy surcharge that applies at the time of printing (30 October 2010). Please note that the fuel levy charged is at the discretion of the airlines and is subject to change at any time without notice. Normal Frequently Asked QuestionsHow many people in a small group? At ASIAQUEST TOURS, we specialize in small group travel. The maximum group size you could expect is 18 people, although it is more likely that you will be travelling with 10-16 people. All tours are fully escorted by our knowledgeable and helpful National Escorts. What does fully inclusive mean? When we say that our trips are fully inclusive, we mean it! You will find a full list of inclusions on Page 3. Please note that Australian airport departure taxes and tipping are INCLUDED in the tour cost. The only expenses that are NOT included are the fuel levy surcharge (see below), foreign airport departure taxes from Cambodia and Laos only, meals on Singapore stopovers, travel insurance and your personal expenses. We think that you will agree that this represents excellent value for money! What is the fuel levy surcharge? A fuel surcharge has been levied by all airline companies since 2004 to cover rising cost of fuel on the international market. The amount charged is at the discretion of the airlines and can change at any time without notice. The fuel surcharge is ADDED to the cost of your ticket for each departure. It is important to note that the cost of the fuel levy may change between booking your tour and making a full payment (60 days prior to travel). You will be advised of the fuel levy cost at the time of booking and at the time of making a full payment. How physically fit should I be? Please be aware that walking, boarding and disembarking coaches and boats and climbing monument stairs are required at many places. Tours generally involve gentle walking but may also involve more strenuous walking in hilly areas. You will be made aware of any activities requiring physical exertion in advance, and you are under no obligation to participate. Are there any vaccination requirements? There are no compulsory vaccinations for destinations covered by our brochures. However we recommend that you take any necessary precautions to protect against Do I need travel insurance? It is a condition of travelling with ASIAQUEST TOURS that you obtain comprehensive travel insurance that covers you for the duration of your trip. We would be happy to arrange insurance for you or you are welcome to shop around. What if I am a single traveller? Single travellers have a choice of paying a single supplement or sharing a room with someone of the same gender. While ASIAQUEST TOURS will make every effort to arrange share accommodation, we accept no responsibility for the suitability of the rooming partner. If at any time during the tour a client considers their rooming partner to be unsuitable, ASIAQUEST TOURS will endeavour to arrange a single room AT EXTRA COST, subject to availability in the same hotel. If we are unable to find a rooming partner of the same gender, ASIAQUEST TOURS will pay the single supplement charge for hotel rooms. However, please note that the single supplement option is not available on rail journeys and boat cruises in Indochina. Can I collect Frequent Flyer points? Most tour groups fly with Singapore Airlines in economy class departing from Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane. When booking with Singapore Airlines, you are entitled to your Frequent Flyer points if you are a member of the Star Alliance. If you are not already a member, then you can sign up at no extra cost once you are booked on one of our tours. You will receive further information on becoming a member once you have confirmed your booking with ASIAQUEST TOURS. What is the best time to travel in Indochina? Indochina spans several climatic zones and while it may be cold in Hanoi, it can be very warm in Ho Chi Minh City. We recommend travel between January and April or between August and December. Can I break my journey in Singapore or Bangkok? If you would like to break your journey at the end of your planned itinerary, you are welcome to do so and we will be more than happy to assist in making travel arrangements for you in Singapore or Bangkok. Please note however that any stopovers outside the planned itinerary are subject to breakaway fees of $150.00 per person. How much money do I need? As your trip is fully inclusive, you only have to pay for your personal expenses, meals on Singapore and Bangkok stopovers and foreign airport departure taxes (if required). So if you are not a big shopper, you will find that about US$500 to US$800 is more then enough for the entire journey. Bring your credit card along too just in case you find something irresistible! How early should I book? We recommend that you book your trip 6 months or at least 4-5 months prior to the departure date to ensure a seat. Because ASIAQUEST TOURS runs excellent value small group tours, we get booked out early most of the time. 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