Family Fun in Indochina: 12 Days Discovering Vietnam & Thailand

From August 15, 2023: Vietnam implements visa waiver for up to 45 days for 13 countries, including Spain, France, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, etc. In addition, the Government has established the electronic visa (E-visa) for citizens of 257 countries and territories, with a duration of up to 90 days.

A visa is mandatory in other cases. There are three options to obtain it: the classic visa provided by the Vietnamese Embassy (or Consulate) in your country; electronic issued online through the Vietnamese Immigration Service website; or visa on arrival. We advise you to opt for e-or on-arrival visas as they are easier to obtain and cheaper.

If you are a citizen of Latin American countries such as Mexico, Cuba, Panama, Chile, among others, you must apply for a visa for your stay in Vietnam as usual. The time allowed is 30 to 90 days, depending on the specific regulations of each country, as long as your income is not aimed at earning income.

Members of the G7 countries, including France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Canada, are allowed to enter Thailand without a visa for stays of up to 45 days. This policy applies to both land and air arrivals. Travelers must present a passport valid for at least 6 months beyond the return date and round-trip airline tickets upon arrival.

If your trip exceeds 45 days, you can apply for a visa either online or at the Embassy of Thailand. We recommend the E-visa for its convenience and speed. After completing the required procedures on the website https://www.thaievisa.go.th/, you will typically wait for two or three business days to receive the E-visa, which will be sent to your email address.

Due to the terrain and geographical location, the climate in Vietnam is quite diverse from north to south.

When one area is wet, cold, or rainy, another may be sunny and dry. In our experience, the best time to travel to Vietnam is from October to April. More specifically, the best months are from October to November and mid-March to May, when the weather is pleasant, with little rainfall, conducive to a variety of tourist activities.

In July and August it is a bit hot (30-35 degrees), but Ha Long Bay is usually sunny. You'll also have the chance to see the northern mountains adorned with green or yellow rice fields and terraces that stretch as far as the eye can see. Meanwhile, in the south it's the rainy season, but the rains don't last all day, just an hour or two. The remaining days are sunny.

Undoubtedly, if the weather is your main concern when planning your trip to Thailand, we recommend considering the dry season, which runs from November to February. During this period, Thailand experiences its dry season, with sunny days and little rainfall. The climate is very pleasant, it is not too hot and it does not rain often, which makes it ideal for tourist activities and exploring the country.

However, keep in mind that this is also the busiest period for tourists in Thailand, so you may find higher prices and more people in popular destinations.

Additionally, there may be weather variations in different parts of the country, so it's important to do your research and take into account the specific conditions of the regions you plan to visit.

We will be happy to assist you and provide you with more information about the weather and any other queries you may have for your trip to Thailand.

The first thing to know is that generally the weather in Thailand is hot and humid in most of the country for much of the year. The climate is influenced by the tropical monsoons, which divide the climate into three seasons: the hot season, the cold season, and the rainy season.

The rainy season or southwest monsoon occurs from mid-May to mid-October. This monsoon mainly affects southwestern Thailand, including central and northern cities such as Bangkok and Chiang Mai, as well as the coastal areas of Phuket and Krabi. During this period, rainfall is heavier, especially in August and September. If you plan to visit the beaches, you may want to avoid Phuket and Krabi during this season. However, if you still want to enjoy the beach, the islands of Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Angthong usually have more favourable weather at that time.

It's important to note that even though the rainy season isn't the best time to visit Thailand, this doesn't mean you can't. Rainfall is usually intermittent, with periods of heavy rain followed by sunshine. This means that you can still visit the destinations without any hassle. In addition, traveling during the rainy season can give you a unique and different experience, and it is also the off-season of tourism in Thailand, so the costs are usually lower and more reasonable.

As an approximate guideline, the cost of a 2-week trip to Vietnam would be around 1450$ per person when traveling as a pair (excluding airfare). For a 3 or 4-week journey, please budget between 1900$ and 2500$ per person. If you're in a larger group (4 or 6 people), the trip will be more cost-effective. The price always varies depending on the duration and time of your stay, as well as your preferences (activities, services). Please leave us a quote request, and our travel advisor will provide you with more detailed information and a quote.

Vietnam is well connected to major international airlines. If you're traveling from the USA, the UK, Canada, or Australia, you can choose from airlines like Vietnam Airlines, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, and Cathay Pacific, which offer flights to Vietnam’s major cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, often with layovers in major hubs like Doha, Dubai, or Singapore.

From the USA and Canada, popular airlines include ANA, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, and EVA Air, which usually include layovers in cities such as Tokyo, Seoul, or Taipei.

If you’re departing from the UK or Australia, you can also explore direct or one-stop options with British Airways, Qantas, or Malaysia Airlines, which typically stop in Southeast Asian hubs.

For the best deals, visit airline websites directly or use flight comparison tools like Skyscanner, Google Flights, or Kayak.

To make the deposit payment, you have two options:

• Bank transfer: Our account details are provided in the travel invoice.
• Credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) through our bank's secure website. This payment method includes insurance as part of the card services (cancellation insurance, medical coverage, repatriation, etc.). However, please note that you will incur additional fees for our bank with this option: 3% extra on the deposit if you pay with Visa or Mastercard, and 4% extra on the deposit if you pay with American Express. Payment is made in the local currency."

If you agree with the itinerary proposed by one of our advisors, please send us an email to confirm the reservation of the tour with our agency. Your advisor will then provide you with the booking documents, including:

• A reservation form containing detailed information about your booked tour, as well as your personal details and contact information to be completed. You will need to return the form with these details duly filled out, which will be used for the organization of your trip. Please also send us a scan of your passports.

• A travel invoice requesting a deposit payment of 25% of the total price.

The organization of your trip will be confirmed upon receipt of the completed form and once the deposit is in our possession. We will also send you a travel contract that certifies the details of your trip, including the duration, travel dates, deposit paid, and your contact information."

We do not impose a deadline for booking, but it is advisable that you book both the flight tickets and the tour as early as possible. In fact, the earlier we make the reservations, the better the services, considering that the best providers may have limited availability. Therefore, our clients often book their trips 4-6 months in advance.

Yes, you can specify a timeframe with a date that suits you or allows you to acquire the most affordable flight tickets. We will then tailor our program accordingly. Please note that we are a specialized agency in custom travel, and we can certainly design a personalized itinerary based on your availability.

No, insurance is not included in our package rates, and clients will need to purchase it separately. These insurance policies are typically affordable and easy to obtain. Many of our clients often choose providers like Allianz Global Assistance, Travel Guard, World Nomads, or AXA Travel Insurance.

Additionally, by paying for your plane ticket or travel invoice with a credit card, you may already have some travel insurance coverage provided by your bank or card issuer. It’s worth checking with them to see what coverage may be included.

As for the balance payment, you can settle it in one of the following ways:

• In cash upon your arrival. We accept US dollars and Euros (USD/EUR exchange rate calculated on the day of payment). However, we do not accept defaced or excessively old banknotes. We kindly ask you to obtain new bills from your bank to avoid any inconveniences during your trip.

• By credit card upon your arrival at our office (using our credit card terminal). In this case, there is an additional fee of 3% for our bank if you pay with Visa or Mastercard and 4% for payments with Amex. Payment is made in the local currency.

• By bank transfer: We request that you complete this transfer no later than 10 days before your departure. This is to ensure that the balance of your trip is credited to our account before the start of your journey