Man Nguyen's FAQ
A. Our Private Tour itineraries are very flexible. You simply choose from our ‘typical itineraries’ shown in our website, or let us design an individual trip around your requirements. Our tours don’t come off-the-shelf – we listen to what you want and then introduce you to authentic Vietnam, places and experiences that others will undoubtedly miss.
Our Private Shore Excursions can be individually designed too, within the time constraints of your visit to our wonderful country
A. Unfortunately, this is not always possible as we operate multi-tours every day with our family team of Tour Guides. Man will always be your point of contact from first enquiry to his call at the end of your time with us to ensure everything went OK. And if time is available he will try and meet you personally during the day.
A. Da Nang city and Hoi An town are just a 45 minutes drive. So we recommend you stay in one place – Da Nang city, Da Nang beach area or Hoi An. All the sightseeing and main attractions like Ba Na Hills, the basket boats and Marble Mountains are easy to get to from Da Nang or Hoi An.
Many customers will stay a short time in Hoi An then return to Da Nang before flying home for the airport – your choice and we are happy to advise on where to stay when you book with us.
A. No.
Travel Insurance is the responsibility of the visitor to Vietnam and should be purchased before travelling.
A. It depends!
For those visiting Da Nang for holiday with family or group of friends, then 5D4N is ideal. Our itinerary will include Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue and the family attractions such as basket boats and Ba Na Hills.
If you are travelling through as part of a longer visit to Vietnam, a broad brush view of 3 full days will give central Vietnam justice – to include Da Nang, Hoi An & Hue.
For our cruise ship passengers our one-day excursions are designed to give you a true taster of authentic central Vietnam in the time you have available.
A. Yes!
Our tours are designed to be completely ‘family-friendly’ and we travel with babies to elders. We provide child safety seats and wheelchairs if required, and we ensure all family members enjoy their time with us – you are guaranteed to leave with happy and memorable experiences.
A. We use modern air-conditioned vehicles which are serviced to manufacturers specifications and fitted with seat belts (and child safety seats if required). We provide cold bottled water and face towels in each vehicle.
For 2-4 persons, we use 6-seater SUV’s with 11, 16, 23 or 45-seat buses for larger families, groups of friends or passenger groups from Cruise Critic’s ‘Roll Call Forums’.
A. Hoi An, Hue & Da Nang in central Vietnam has a tropical climate. So generally its hot and dry weather from late-January to late August, with temperatures often reaching the mid to high 30’s °C – and being tropical there can be short, sometimes sharp rain showers, but they tend to clear quickly.
During the winter months of September-January the rainfall increases with October and November achieving peak levels, occasionally in the form of typhoons. Hue to the North is often cooler than Da Nang, especially early in the year. With each sitting on opposite sides of a small mountain range the weather can often differ between the two on any given day.
A. We can happily include authentic Vietnam lunch if required – your choice. We only use eateries that we personally use ourselves and are clean and safe. Of course, you are free to pay locally if you want to make your own arrangements, but most clients enjoy the chance to eat local food alongside our local people.
TWe are used to most food allergies and intolerances, but please make us aware on-the-day for your comfort. Vietnam is a Vegetarian paradise! And Halal certificated restaurants are available too.
A. For a developing country, Vietnam is remarkably advanced with widespread provision of free WiFi in hotels, homestays, restaurants and cafes. Simcards are readily available and most of our customers buy theirs at Da Nang Airport on arrival – approximately $US10 with Viettel the most popular provider – the seller should request your passport to register the SIM card for you.
A. All our Private Tours & Shore Excursions need perhaps light to moderate activity. Please let us know if this might be a problem when you enquire, we will ensure your itinerary is designed to meet your exact requirements – our tours are designed to be completely user-friendly and we travel with babies to elders.
A. Yes, casual but conservative please!
Revealing outfits (on men or women) are thought offensive in Vietnam’s rural areas and even in parts of our larger cities, especially Hue. Shoulders, chest & legs should be covered when visiting temples and pagodas, you could be refused entry otherwise. When invited into a local’s house or visiting religious sites do remember to remove footwear at the front door.
A. There is no obligation to tip (pay a gratuity) to our driver or guide. But at your discretion and if you feel they gave superior service it will be greatly appreciated.
A.Vietnam is a cash economy. Around 90% of all purchases are made by cash. Our currency is the Vietnamese Dong (VND), the USD is widely accepted.
There are ATM’s in major centres which usually dispense 2,000,000 or 3,000,000 VND ($US85-$US130) – sometimes more depending on the bank. You are normally free to make several withdrawals each day.
MASTERCARD and VISA credit/debit cards are accepted by most major hotels, major tour operators (like us), tailors and up-market shops and restaurants, but Diners Card & AMEX can be a problem. The majority of small shops, small tour operators, homestays, eateries and other outlets accept cash only.
A. Most major world currencies can be exchanged at various locations including Da Nang International Airport, banks, hotels and some shops. You should ensure currency for exchange is clean, unmarked and unfolded – exchanges can refuse otherwise. Most daily purchases in Vietnam are for small amounts so do ask for smaller denomination VND notes.
Currently, gold shops in Da Nang and Hoi An offer best rates. But the rate difference can be quite small between the various exchanges – perhaps 1 % or 2% difference on say $US100. There is a large choice of exchanges and we are happy to help you get best value on-the-day.
A. Some of our Private Tours and Shore Excursions require deposits on booking. For your security and peace of mind, this is payable through the international PayPal Bank at no cost to you. You do not need a PayPal Bank account and payment is simply made when you receive our emailed deposit invoice.
For full details on Payment, Deposits and Cancellation, please check our Payment Terms & Conditions below.
Payment & Cancellation Terms & Conditions
Private Day Tours
Payment
To secure your booking, we ask for a deposit of just $US30. We use the international PayPal Bank for simple payment and your security. Your booking will be confirmed on receipt of deposit payment. Receipt of your deposit by our company will indicate you have read our payment/cancellation terms and they are acceptable to you.The outstanding balance is due at the end of your time with us in USD or VND (our local currency) or by credit card. Other major currencies can be accepted – please ask.
We can accept full pre-payment before arrival to reduce the amount of cash carried and will forward a PayPal Bank invoice on request. There is no extra cost for this service.
Cancellation Policy
100% deposit return – if Private Day Tour is cancelled by you 14 days or more before arrival date
50% deposit return – if Private Day Tour is cancelled by you between 14 & 7 days before Tour date
0% deposit return – if Private Day Tour is cancelled by you 7 days or less before arrival date or for ‘no-shows’ at the agreed ‘Meet & Greet’ location
Special Tour Packages
Payment
We request a deposit of 30% of full Special Tour Package price, payable on receipt of our PayPal Bank invoice. Your booking will be confirmed on receipt of payment. Receipt of your deposit by our company will indicate you have read our payment/cancellation terms and they are acceptable to you.
The Special Tour Package balance is payable at the end of your time with us in cash – USD or VND (our local currency) are our preferred currency. Credit Cards and other major currencies can be accepted, please ask. On request, we can accept larger pre-payment before arrival to reduce the amount of cash carried.
Cancellation Policy
100% deposit return – if Special Tour Package is cancelled by you 28 days or more before arrival date
50% deposit return – if Special Tour Package is cancelled by you between 28 & 14 days before arrival date
0% deposit return – if Special Tour Package is cancelled by you 14 days or less before arrival date or for ‘no-shows’ at the agreed ‘Meet & Greet’ location
Private Shore Excursions
Payment
We request a 40% deposit of the total Shore Excursion price, payable on receipt of our PayPal Bank invoice – your booking will be confirmed on receipt of deposit. Receipt of your deposit by our company will indicate you have read our payment/cancellation terms and they are acceptable to you.
The Shore Excursion balance is payable at the end of your time with us in cash – USD or VND (our local currency) are our preferred currency. Other major currencies can be accepted, please ask. On request, we can accept larger pre-payment before arrival to reduce the amount of cash carried on-shore.
Cancellation Policy
100% deposit return – if Excursion is cancelled by you 28 days or more before arrival date
50% deposit return – if Excursion is cancelled by you between 27 & 14 days before arrival date unless your Excursions ‘slot’ can be rebooked, in which case you will receive a 100% deposit return
0% deposit return – if Excursion is cancelled by you 13 days or less before arrival date, or for ‘no-shows’ after the ship has docked.
Cancellation where the ship is unable to dock – Force Majeure reasons
Your deposit is used to pay port and other fees in advance of your visit. This is a legal requirement in Vietnam. In the very unlikely event your ship is unable to dock at Tien Sa or Chan May ports, or a tender can not discharge passengers, we will negotiate with the Vietnam Port Authority Agents to minimize port fee charges – please note that full repayment is not guaranteed by the Agents.
Additionally, our drivers and guides may be at the port waiting for your ship’s arrival, they do need paying for their time.
We reserve the right to retain our total NET costs paid and not recoverable in advance of your Shore Excursion. Any monies available above our NET costs from your deposit will be refunded to you if available. This will be calculated on a case-by-case basis.
Private Transfers
Payment
Full payment in advance, and on receipt of our PayPal Bank invoice – your booking will be confirmed on receipt of payment.
Cancellation Policy
100% payment return – if Private Transfer is cancelled by you 14 days or more before pick-up date
50% payment return – if Private Transfer is cancelled by you between 7 & 14 days before pick-up date
0% payment return – if Private Transfer is cancelled by you 7 days or less before pick-up date or for ‘no-shows’ at pick-up location