Highlights of China and Vietnam - June to October 2024 Departures with Temples of Cambodia Extension

The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however, order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.

Please note lighters and aerosol cans are not allowed at sights of special interest.

If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of €324.50pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.

Vietnam visa requirements

A visa is not required for stays up to 45 days for British Passport holders. Further advice should be sought from the applicable tourist authority for other nationalities and for general queries. Passports must have at least 6 months validity from your date of entry and a minimum of 2 blank pages. However, we strongly advise you check your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding passport validity.

China visa requirements

A visa is required for entry into China. All applicants who wish to apply for a China Tourist Visa must do so in person at the Chinese Visa Application Centre in London, Manchester, Belfast or Edinburgh where fingerprint information will be collected. Fingerprints are not required for children under the age of 14 and adults over the age of 70. If there are two or more of you then you may be eligible to apply for a group visa which does not require you to submit your fingerprints or need to travel to a Chinese Visa Application Centre. The group visa is exclusively arranged by the Travel Visa Company and they can be contacted on 01270 250 590 for further information. Clients who do not qualify for the group visa can still contact the Travel Visa Company to apply for the standard visa. We recommend that you apply for your visa 8 weeks before travel, however please be aware that your passport will be required for the application so make sure that you will not need it during this time.

Cambodia visa requirements

A visa is required when travelling to Cambodia and can be purchased on arrival. The cost of this is approximately USD $30 per person, which will need to be paid in cash. Please note that it is important that there is plenty of space left in the passport, as a Cambodian visa alone takes up one page.

Please note that final flight details will be confirmed on your e-ticket and final documentation which will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. Weight restrictions will be finalized on your final documentation. Should you wish to take additional luggage you will need to pay extra at check-in. Check-in should be at least 3 hours before departure. If you wish to arrange Airport car parking or accommodation at preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extras on 0871 360 2000, quoting HX313.

IMPORTANT: A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you. Please note that you should carry your invoice with flight details on it as you will need to show this at the airport.

We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras. To arrange your travel insurance with Holiday Extras, please call 0800 781 4237 and quote 'WK830' for preferential rates. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24 hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.

It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, http://travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.

All our tours feature a “Tour Pace” to help find the right holiday for you. To travel on any of our tours requires unaided mobility and the ability to stroll around the sights, climb stairs and get on and off coaches and boats. The tour pace of Highlights of China and Vietnam is rated as Challenging A good level of fitness is required as you may be on your feet for approximately four hours in a day, though this will be interspersed with regular breaks and will vary from day to day. You will be walking around the sights, getting on and off coaches, boats and climbing steps which may be irregular. You will stay in variety of hotels throughout the tour. Our guides will always endeavour to provide the highest level of service and assistance; however, they cannot be expected to cater for customers who are unfit to complete the itinerary.

The currency in Vietnam is the Vietnamese Dong, known as VND. You can exchange your currency in Vietnam, however, US Dollars are widely accepted in Vietnam should you wish to keep an alternative currency on you. It is important that you budget carefully and ensure you have the right form of currency before you arrive in the country. Cash machines will also be available throughout the tour in order to withdraw money in local currency. Money can be exchanged at the airport or branches of government banks. Credit and debit cards are accepted in most hotels and some shops and restaurants.

China: The currency in China is the Renminbi, known as RMB or CNY. It is often referred to as the Yuan. We recommend that you exchange your currency before you depart. US Dollars are widely accepted in China should you wish to keep an alternative currency on you. Most major credit cards are accepted in hotels and shopping malls in China. Small shops and restaurants may not accept credit cards as well as street vendors, so it's strongly advised to have sufficient Chinese currency with you. ATM’s are readily available in big cities and most small towns.

The currency in Cambodia is the Cambodian Riel, known as AHR. You can exchange your currency in Cambodia, however US Dollars are widely accepted in Cambodia should you wish to keep an alternative currency on you.

As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels.

You will need to take some extra money with you to cover any personal purchases, such as souvenirs, laundry and extra drinks and snacks. Approximately £500-£600 per person will be sufficient for the duration of the tour.

Tipping

Tipping in Vietnam and Cambodia is not compulsory and is at your discretion. Should you wish to tip in Vietnam and Camboida we recommend you tip your guide approx. USD $4 per person per day and your driver approx. USD $2 per person per day. Tips for the bells boys and porters at your hotels and the crew during the Ha Long Bay cruise will be at your discretion. Tips are accepted in the local currency, US dollars and British pounds.

In China, it is customary to tip your national guide, local guide and driver. We recommend approximately £4.50 (CNY40.00) per person per day. For your convenience, this will be collected by your national guide on the first day of your tour. Tips are collected in Chinese Yuan.

The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 10, and the maximum will be 34. If in the unlikely event there are less than 10 people booked on your tour date, we will endeavour to reduce any disruption to your holiday and try to operate your tour with lower passenger numbers. If we are not able to operate your departure date then you may be asked to change to a different date and a full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.

There is no minimum number of travellers for this extension however the main tour passenger numbers will apply for the main part of the tour. If in the unlikely event there are less than the required number of people booked on your main tour date then you may be asked to change to a different date. A full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.

This is a fully escorted tour, meaning that you will be met on arrival by your national guide in Vietnam, who will remain with you for the duration of your trip until you leave for China. When you arrive in China you will be met on arrival by your national guide who will remain with you until you depart back to Vietnam. You will also be joined by local guides in some of the cities which you visit, ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times.

For your Cambodia extension, your guide will meet you at your hotel and take to the airport. Day 10 will be at your leisure, whilst day 11 and 12 will be fully accompanied. You will be met by your guide on day 13 to take you to the airport for your return flight to the UK.

Trains

During your tour you will have some day trains and overnight trains. Please note, that these are local trains and should not be compared to European standards and quality. Overnight trains have upper and lower berths and will be in a shared carriage of either four or two with other travellers. Beds usually come with a pillow, bed sheet and blanket. Toilets will be located at the end of the carriage. Please bring toilet roll and hand sanitiser. All trains are air conditioned. When travelling during the day on trains you will be booked into a comfortable air-conditioned carriage.

Please note that spray cans of any form and lighters are not allowed on trains or planes.

Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character, and can range from business hotels to leisure hotels. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist between the UK and Vietnam and China. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning, where needed. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs. If you have booked a triple share please note that your room will be a twin room with a rollaway bed or sofa bed added. This may limit the floor space in the room.

Boats

During this tour you will be boarding various vessels. Cabins come with en suite facilities and air conditioning. However room size can be restrictive, If you would like to take a smaller overnight bag on to the ships this can be arranged by leaving your larger luggage on your tour bus overnight at your own risk.

Breakfast is always western style and served in the hotel each morning. Lunch and dinner (when included) will be taken in local restaurants or at the hotel. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours. Unlike the western world, Chinese people do not normally pre-heat their plates and food can be presented at a variety of temperatures, which is a typical Chinese way of doing things.

Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information. Vegan, vegetarian options are available, all meal requests need to be sent over to our suppliers before travel.

It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way.

If you are travelling within the below Chinese Public Holidays, please note that celebrations last for several days and during these times some businesses will be closed and coach, air and train travel may be affected. Tourist attractions will be open but may be crowded. Chinese New Year usually falls sometime between January 21 and February 20. Golden Week public holidays fall annually between 1st – 3rd of May and 1st – 7th of October.

If you are travelling within the below Vietnamese Public Holidays please note that celebrations can last a couple of days and during these times some businesses will be closed and coach, air and train travel may be affected. Tourist attractions will be open but may be crowded. Tet Holiday is between January and February, International Labour Day is on 1st May every year, Reunification Day is on 30th April every year and National Independence Day is on 2nd September every year.

Vietnam: On your arrival in Hanoi you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Lac Viet (LV) Travel, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury holidays/Vietnam Travel Service representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your guide will be able to answer any queries.

China: On your arrival in China you will be met by a representative from our local agent will be in the terminal, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays representative will show you to your transfer vehicle.

Please find below the emergency contact details for LV Travel head office, Vietnam, Hanoi.

Contact Telephone number: Anna Hanh Office: 0084 983 096 032, Mr Len Office: 0084 989 200 116, Emergency cases: 0084 888713289

24 hour e-mail: operation@lvtravel.vn or len@lvtravel.vn

China: China Travel Service (Head office) Room 919 , 1 Dongdan North Ave, Dongcheng District, Beijing, China.

Emergency contact information:

Ms. Linda Liu (Mobile): 0086 13911043036 Ms. Judith Zhu (Mobile): 0086 18611991963 Ms. Carmen Chen (Mobile): 0086 13120095762