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Q- Where to stay in Hanoi? Which area is the best choice for t, what hotel should we select? What are the room rates, is breakfast included?
A - There are many different options for hotels, both in Hanoi and other destinations. We select and recommend the best hotels in all budget ranges. For our package tours that include accommodation, we choose the best hotels in that destination.
Breakfast is included at most hotels, our sales staff will inform you if it is not.
For our package tours, hotels are pre-booked and cannot be changed. On a private tour, the choice is yours.

Q- Is it safe to leave luggage at the hotel? Is there an alternative?
A- Many customers leave their luggage at their hotel while they go on a Handspan tour, we've yet to have a problem with this. As an alternative, we do have free storage at our office.

Q- We've booked a Handspan tour prior to arriving in Hanoi. Do we need to drop into your office immediately, or just show up for tour departure?
A- We recommend that you drop in at your leisure to get more information on your tour and to reconfirm your booking.

Q- Where does the tour leave from and at what time? When will be arrived back in Hanoi?
A- Times vary depending on the tour. When you book your tour, you'll be given a receipt and detailed itinerary for your tour which included departure and arrival times and locations.

Q- What kind of vehicles do you use for road trips?
A- We use modern, clean, well maintained, professionally driven coaches. Coaches are usually over sized for the group as the extra room is more comfortable.
Mini bus (26 seater): 10-16 passengers
Mini van (16 seater): 3-9 passengers
Car (4 seater): 1 or 2 passengers

They're all Japanese or Korean late model vehicles except for the 4WDs mentioned in the northern mountain jeep trips, those are Russian army jeeps making for a more exciting adventure. We can upgrade to a Toyota Land Cruiser, Mercedes.

Q- Can you accommodate special dietary needs?
A- Normally, yes, however it's best to ask about your specific case. Generally, we have been able to accommodate, and always ask before finalizing your booking.

Q- If the meals are included, can I avoid foods I dislike?
A- We try to take very special care of our guests and try to make a point of discovering any strong dislikes when you are booking. We're taking you "home" to Vietnam, and want you to enjoy it!

Q- Do your tour guides speak good English or French ?
A- Yes, they are very experienced and have a bit of good humour too! All our guides have studied and speak foreign languages. Generally on a fixed tour posted here, the guides are English speaking. If you want a tailor made tour with another language, please inquire with our sales staff.

Q- Do the Rubicon Tours posted here include airfare?
A- No, they don't. Many of our guests fly on "points", while others choose to book their own air flights on the internet, directly with a favourite airline or through a trusted travel agent. You'll also need to arrange your Tourist Visa.

Q- Must I book through you, or can I use my Travel Agent?
A- We're always happy to work with reputable Travel Agents to help arrange your vacation. Your Travel Agent still receive his or her commission on flights and any travel insurance (a good idea). Or You can simply reserve your space directly.

Q- What age-groups take your tours?
A- We have had guests ranging in age from twenty-something to eighty-something. Romance and adventure have no age limits! We can tailor a tour for families with children and people with special needs.

Q- We want to do Sapa and Halong Bay. Can we do the tours back to back? Will we be back in Hanoi in time to depart for the other tour on the same day?
A- Yes you can, many customers have a limited time and need to do exactly this. Whether you do Sapa first or Halong Bay, you'll depart for the second tour on the same day you return from the first.

Q- Our tour ends on the same day we want to catch the night train to Hue city, will we have enough time?
A- Most of our tours arrive back in Hanoi around dinner time leaving you plenty of time for the train to Hue. The best train departs at 11:00pm.

Q- Is it possible that a tour could be cancelled? What happens then?
A- A tour may be cancelled due to bad weather, closed roads or simply not enough people. In any case, Rubicon Tours will give you a full refund.

Q- We've compared with some other agencies and the price is higher, why?
A- Of course you can book a cheaper tour with another company, but remember you get what you pay for! We've build our solid reputation with small group tours, private and clean transportation, better hotels etc. We own our boats Halong Bay, allowing us to control the quality and cleanliness. All our guides are carefully selected; they have a university education in Tourism, are certified in First Aid, and of course speak great English. Our kayaking guides have an internationally recognized Sea Kayaking Guide Certification, our biking guides have been training and guiding bike trips for two years. We take customer satisfaction very seriously and at the end of the day a Handspan customer is a happy customer!

Q- Can we book a tour without a guide? What about kayaking and biking?
A- It is possible to book some tours without a guide, for example many people book a jeep and driver to do NW loop or NE loop. For your safety, a guide is mandatory on all Rubicon ‘adventure' tours such as kayaking and biking.

Q- How can you apply a visa to travel in Vietnam?
A- A foreigner needs a visa to enter Vietnam. Tourist visas are usually granted at Vietnamese embassies or consulates. Rubicon Tours offers you the opportunity to get a visa approval very easily. Please give us the information as metioned below - Full name
- Date and place of birth
- Passport number
- Date of issue and expiry
- Nationality (original and current)
- Date of arrival and departure Vietnam
- We will complete all the formalities for visa s at the Vietnamese Immigration Office .
- Approval often takes 2 - 3 days. The Immigration Office will send the authorization to the Vietnamese embassy or consulate located in the country where you apply for visa s. They send one cop y of confirmation to us at the same time .
- W e send you a cop y of this aut h ori z ation . Please take 2 passport photos to the Vietnamese embassy or consulate to collect your visa stamp .
- Since 1999, "visa upon arrival" has been applied. In this case, all the following details must be provided to us in advance and you will g et your "visa upon arrival" at the airport or the border gate.
- Total charge of this service is based on the agemant between you and us USD/person. You are advised to entrust us to do this. Asiatica Travel will take care of this, price is included in the fee.

Q- Foms and Immigrationin Vietnam ?
A - On arrival in Vietnam, you must complete a white and a blue duplicate arrival-departure form . The blue one is to be kept with your passport at any time. Without it, hotels and guest houses can not register your provisional residence at the local police station.
You must also fill in a yellow and a white duplicate customs declaration form . The yellow one is attached to your passport until departure. Do not lose it!
In the yellow and white customs form you are expected to declare:
- Cameras, camcorders and other electric equipments not for personal use.
- Currency: until US$ 7 ,000
- Jewelry not for personal use
- Video tapes: (they may be kept for a few days for screening)
Duty free allowances: Up to 200 cigarettes, two litres of alcohol, perfume and jewelries for personal use.

Q – What are Materials banned ?
A - Vietnam has strict laws on transport and store of anti-government literature, pornography, firearms and weapons throughout the country. CDs and tapes are often retained for screening and returned after a few days. It is also illegal to take antiques out of Vietnam. Exported handicrafts, especially those look old, must be accompanied by a receipt and declaration of the shop.

Q - What kinds of clothe should we take? Do we must avoid some thing?
A - During your trip , light clothes are recommended. In the S outh, climate is hot during the year while in the North, it is rather cold in the winter (from Nov..until Feb.). However, it is easy to buy any clothes of high quality at a low price in Vietnam.
I n side pagodas or temples dress ing correctly is recommended.

Q – What kind of food can you recommended us?
A - Vietnamese cuisine reflects on many gastronomic cultures which satisfy any gourmet. Famous specialities such as Nem (spring roll), Cha Ca, banana flower salad, Pho (Pho Bo, Pho Ga) are always highly appreciated by most foreign visitors .
Popular restaurants ar e prefered places . They serve dishes from the local cuisine bas ed on rice and spic es. However, one should consider to b e careful ! It is not always a good idea for travellers with sensitive digestion because these restaurants do not meet the same sanitary conditions as the E uropean standards!

Most V ietnamese dish e s are delicate and rich in vitamin s. Y ou can sometime s find much food served on the table and feel worried about your weight. In fact, it needs no concern because it does not contain much calories. In Hanoi and HCMC you also find many E uropean, K orean, J apanese and C hinese restaurants .

Thanks to the tropical climate, a variety of fruit is available around the year and sold quite cheap. It is also very worthwhile to taste fresh fruit out of the region of the Mekong D elta.

Q - Is there any language broblem in communication?
A - Vietnamese is the official spoken language of Vietnam. English, French and Chinese are also widely learnt and spoken, particularly in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue and Danang. Our tour guides speak English, French, German, Italian, Chinese or Japanese.
Q- What is the currency of Vietnam ?
A - The currency issued by the Vietnam State Bank is the Dong (abbreviated "d" or VND), which is spent throughout the country. Note that the number "0" in the bank notes makes you feel very rich but it is nothing more than an impression. Please take care because some of the banknotes are similar in color! Currently the following bank notes in are in circulation:
200 VND     500 VND (coin or note)     1.000 VND (coin or note)     500.000 (note)
2.000 VND (coin or note)     5.000 VND (coin or note)     10.000 VND (note)
20.000 VND (note)     50.000 VND (note)     100.000 VND(note)

Traveller cheques and credit cards (American Express, Visa, Mastercards) can be changed to Vietnamese Dong at banks. Cards are accepted in travel agencies, hotels and major restaurants.
US currency is easily changed to Vietnamese Dong and treasury notes at banks, exchange bureaus, hotels, and jewelry shops. The exchange rate changes very often. The rates on May 1st, 2006 are

1 USD = 15.900 VND
1 Euro = 19 500 VND There are also exchange bureaus at airports where you can change Vietnamese Dong to US dollars before departure.

Q - What time is the office hours ?
A - All the government offices are open from 07:30 a.m. to 16:30 p.m (with a one-hour lunch break) from Monday to Friday. Saturdays and Sundays the offices are closed.
In local regions, offices are open from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and from 13:00 p.m. to 17:00 p.m. Banks are open from 7:30 or 8:00 a.m. to 15:30 p.m and close on Saturday afternoons and Sundays. Private shops are open from 8:00 or 8:30 a.m. to 20:00 or 21:00 p.m.

Q- How is the public holidays ?
A – U/M
January 1     New Year's Day, ( one day holiday)
April 30     Saigon Liberation Day, ( one day holiday)
May 1     International Labour Day, ( one day holiday)
September 2     National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, ( one day holiday)

Vietnam Traditional Lunar New Year Festival - Tet Nguyen Dan: (Four day holiday). Tet usually falls in the late January or the early February. This holiday includes the last day of the lunar old year and the first three days of the new year.


Q- What is the help full telephone numbers ?
A – U/M
101 : Domestic Long Distance Telephone Service     114 : Fire Brigade
107 / 105 : Vietnam Paging Service     115 : Ambulance
106 : Paging Service Enquiries     116 : Phone Number Inquiries
102 : Directory assistance for long distant domestic telephone calls     117 : Time Inquiries
1080 : General Information Service     118 : Ring Back Test
110 : International Telephone Service     119 : Advice on Telephone Repairs
113 : Police     1088 : Consultancy Law Service


Q - How do we travel ?
A - Plane : There has much progress in Vietnam air-transport. A wide range of flights bridges most of the big cities of the country. Around the public hollidays, domestic and international flights are always fully booked and this sometimes causes changes in schedules. Moreover, Vietnam Airlines is among the best firms in the world. This classification is essentially based on security and services quality. - Train: Vietnam's railway system is mainly built in the early years of 20th century. Since then it has been ever improved. Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh city express trains now take 30 hours, equivalent to 55 km/ph. It is still rather slow, but more and more tourists use trains for security, sightseeing on the way, and importantly for lower fare. It's also a good chance to get more knowledge of local people when sharing a chaise or sleeping-car with your fellow travellers. - Bus: Public buses can reach every conner of the country. However, they are not really an ideal vehicle because travelers always find it overcharged, noisy and cramped.
- Jeep: For individual travelers, it is better to rent a car or a 4x4 with a driver. You should not drive by yourselves. Rental value is calculated on the travel distance. In this way, you never find any inconvenience caused by other vehicles. Your driver and guide are always at your disposition. - Motor: This vehicle is a favorite of adventurers. It is very convenient to travel by motor in the cities and rural areas. Motors for rent are available in the big cities such as: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh city, Danang, Sapa. Renting requires your passport or a deposit.

Q - How are our tour guides ? - All the services provided by our Vietnamese local tour guides are highly evaluated by foreign tourists. One 'must' for all tour guides is a profesional license granted by Vietnam Administration of Tourism - the highest management organisation. They must continuously enrich their knowledge of Vietnam and its people. Their prestige is built by their ability, kind-hearted character, enthusiasm and high responsibility. ASIATICA TRAVEL groups up excellent and specialized guides. Although they are young, they are the most professional in trekking and adventure tours. Most of them are bilingual guides: French and English. You can find out more about them by surfing to About us .