SPENDING MONEY
When it comes to spending money on the trip, every traveller is a little different. You know your spending habits better than we do, so please budget an appropriate amount for things like optional meals, drinks, shopping, optional activities, and laundry. Make sure you have read the itinerary and inclusions thoroughly so you know what is included in the trip price and what you may need to pay for while travelling. , VIETNAM
You can use your credit/debit card in ATMs, which are common throughout Vietnam. These machines dispense cash in VND (Vietnamese dong). Credit/debit cards aren’t accepted for small payments in Vietnam so please ensure you have VND cash to cover daily expenses. Clean banknotes in small denominations are most useful., TIPPING
Tips are included on all Intrepid Premium trips, covering hotel staff, local guides and the people who will take care of you during your travels.
This amount does not include a tip for your leader, so you may wish to set aside some funds for this. It is customary to tip your leader for outstanding service provided during your trip. You are free to tip more or less as you see fit, depending on your perception of service quality and the length and involvement of your leader on your trip. Tips are greatly appreciated as a gesture of thanks for their professionalism and leadership during your trip. The amount is entirely a personal preference; however, as a guideline, US$6-9 per person (in a currency relevant for your destination), per day can be used., YOUR GROUP LEADER OR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE
Tipping your group leader or local representative is highly appreciated if you feel they’ve provided outstanding services throughout your trip. The amount is entirely a personal preference; however, as a guideline, the recommended amount is 4-7 USD or EUR per traveller per day (in a currency relevant to your destination). Of course, you are free to tip more or less as you see fit, depending on your perception of service quality and the length and involvement of your group leader or local representative on your trip., CONTINGENCY FUNDS
We try to plan for every eventuality, but there are still some things beyond our control. We reserve the right to change an itinerary after departure due to local circumstances or a Force Majeure Event. In such emergency circumstances, the additional cost of any necessary itinerary alterations will be covered by you. We are not responsible for any incidental expenses that may be incurred because of changes to itineraries, including but not limited to visas, vaccinations or non-refundable flights.
Make sure you have access to an extra USD 500 for emergencies (e.g. severe weather, natural disasters, civil unrest) or other events that result in unavoidable changes to the itinerary (e.g. transport strikes or cancellations, airport closures). Sometimes these things necessitate last-minute changes to enable our trips to continue to run, and as a result, there may be some extra costs involved.
The recommended amount is listed in USD for the relatability of all travellers; however, local currency may be needed once in the country to cover these costs. Please confirm with your leader on Day 1 if you need to carry this in cash, or whether access via card or electronically is sufficient., COMMISSIONS
Intrepid understands that the receipt of commissions in exchange for recommending particular shops or services is ingrained in the culture of the tourism industry. For this reason, we have established a centralised fund for contributions from recommended suppliers so these can be collected and distributed back into the business. Actively managing the receipt of commissions helps us maintain the level of quality you expect on one of our trips. Travel is always an adventure so Intrepid cannot explicitly guarantee the quality of a product but we aim to provide the best value trips in the market. Please let us know via the feedback form completed after your trip if we are successfully meeting - or exceeding - this objective.
