| Travel & Accommodation |
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For your convenience we've compiled information regarding visas, hotels and local tours on this page for your reference. For additional inquiries please contact Ms. Mai Anh Nguyen or Ms. Trang Nguyen at Handspan directly:
Handspan Adventure Travel  18A Nam Quoc Cang District 1, Ho Chi Minh City Tel: +84 83 925 7605 Email: maianh@handspan.com / trangnguyen@handspan.com Be sure to mention that you're attending the Vietnam Hat and they'll be more than happy to help you with your travel arrangements. FLIGHTSA number of discount airlines now offer direct flights to Tan San Nhat Airport (SGN) in Ho Chi Minh City. Try searching for discount fares on Tiger Airways, Air Asia, Jetstar, Cebu Pacific or Lion Air. They regularly run promotions for roundtrip tickets for as low as US$100. VISASVisa on Arrival Unless you are a citizen of another ASEAN country, you will need to apply for a visa to travel to Vietnam. Handspan is happy to provide assistance to players seeking a visa on arrival. The visa costs $25 (to be paid at the airport) plus a $25 service charge paid to Handspan. This type of visa can be secured within 3-7 days. A standard visa through your country's Vietnamese Embassy often costs more and takes longer. Email a scanned copy of your passport to maianh@handspan.com or trangnguyen@handspan.com along with your expected date of arrival. Handspan will make a visa request on your behalf to the immigration office and will send you a copy of the approval letter by email. Print out the approval letter and bring it along with the $25 visa fee and a 3x4cm passport photo to the immigration counter when you arrive at Tan Son Nhat airport in Saigon. HOTELSThere are many guesthouses in the city, but you will probably want to stay in the Pham Ngu Lao Street (backpackers) area. The registration party and the pickup point for the bus to the fields will be in this area. There are plenty of restaurants, bars, travel agents, laundry services, internet cafes (if not offered in the hotel already) and shops nearby. Most guesthouses offer similar amenities: hot water, TV, fridge... However, some have breakfast included and elevators, while others dont. Keep in mind that food is cheap in the city and sometimes it's better to order your own food. Click here for a guide to budget accommodation in Saigon. $15+/night Duna Hotel Website: http://dunahotel.com/index.htm Address: 167 Pham Ngu Lao St. Phone: +848 3837 3699 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Bi Saigon / Bee Saigon Website: http://www.bisaigon.com/English/index.htm Address: 185/26 - 185/16 Pham Ngu Lao St. Phone: +848 3836 0678 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it $30+/night A & Em Hotels Website: http://www.a-emhotels.com They have chain of hotels, make sure you will book at A & Em Hotels 1, 2 and 3 as they are the closest to the registration area and pick up point the tournament bus. Address: A & Em 1 Hotel 179 Ly Tu Trong St. A & Em 2 Hotel 153 Ly Tu Trong St. A & Em 3 Hotel 150 Le Thanh Ton St. Phone: A & Em 1 Hotel (848) 38235723 - 38235724 A & Em 2 Hotel (848) 38234441 - 38234518 A & Em 3 Hotel (848) 38227175 Email: A & Em 1 Hotel This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it A & Em 2 Hotel This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it A & Em 3 Hotel This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it TOURSThe Mekong Eyes Cruise - 2 days/ 1 night overnight luxury cruise The Mekong Eyes combines regional boat-building traditions with modern comforts to become the perfect holiday vessel to cruise the Mekong in style. It was built out of a traditional rice barge, and artfully decorated by skilled craftsmen of the Mekong Delta. Day 1: Panorama Cruise (Lunch, Dinner) Handspan Bus picks you up from your Hotel at 7.30am (or 9.00am depending on route). Drive to Can Tho (or Cai Be) with a stop at Bonsai Garden in My Tho. Board the Mekong Eyes at 12.30pm. Check in to your cozy cabin and relax until lunch which is served as the boat starts its cruise. Through the panoramic windows of either your room or dining room, witness daily life along the Mekong. Walks on the orchard island can be arranged as the boat will be anchored for about 2 hours in the late afternoon. The day ends with a delicious on-board dinner. Day 2: Floating Market exploring (Breakfast) At 6.30am we set off for a sunrise cruise. After breakfast, we will have a sampan boat tour of a Mekong floating market (might be in Cai Be or Can Tho), one of the region's busiest marketplaces. We will pull alongside the boats to visit and bargain with the merchants. We will also visit some of the local candy and cake making workshops. Return to HCMC around 5.00pm. Price: US$195 / pax (Min: 4 pax) Single Supp. US$89 What's included: Transportation English speaking tour guide Accommodation in twin shared Boat trip as per itinerary Meals as indicated Entrance fee and permit 10% VAT Mekong Delta 1 day - My Tho Option See Delta life around My Tho (70km from Saigon) Depart: 8.00am - Return: around 5.00pm (depends on traffic) Drift down the busy branches of the Mekong and into the peaceful canals. Visit an island orchard, see the daily life of farmers and try exotic seasonal fruits unique to the region. See what life is really like for Mekong locals by exploring a quiet island on foot, call on a coconut-candy workshop and visit a bee farm to try some honey with rice wine or tea. Price: US$64 / pax (Group - 2-3 pax) US$39 / pax (Group - 4 pax up) US$115 / pax (Solo Trip) What's included: Transportation English speaking tour guide Boat trip as per program Lunch Entrance fee and permit 10% VAT Mekong Delta 1 day - Cai Be Option See Delta life around Cai Be and Vinh Long (136km from Saigon) Depart: 7.30am - Return: around 5.00pm (depends on traffic) You will be picked up at your hotel before we drive South from Saigon to Cai Be. This is a very interesting area of Mekong River with lush green orchard islands and small canals. We will take a boat to cruise along the river to see Cai Be floating market where merchant boats are busy buying and selling goods with locals. Dont forget to bargain for some really cheap fruits. Have a closer look to local lives by walking through a peaceful island to learn how people make authentic traditional specialties. Stop at an old-style wooden house for lunch. Take a boat trip to Vinh Long where the bus is waiting. Price: US$86 / pax (Group - 2-3 pax) US$55 / pax (Group - 4 pax up) US$149 / pax (Solo Trip) What included: Transportation English speaking tour guide Boat trip as per program Lunch Entrance fee and permit 10% VAT Mekong Delta 2 days/ 1 night homestay experience Day 1: (Lunch, Diner) Saigon - My Tho - Cai Be Depart at 8:00am from HCMC to My Tho, explore part of Mekong River by cruising along the river to see the local fishing port with hundreds of fishing boats anchoring to unload fish. Visit an orchard island where you can learn how people make their living from fruit trees. Enjoy tasting seasonal fruits and honey tea while listening to amateur local artists playing Tai Tu music. Spend time rowing through dense palm trees and canals. Get to visit another islet for a short walk in a peaceful atmosphere under the shade of fruit trees. Cruise to a garden restaurant on the side of a canal for lunch. Drive to Cai Be. Stay at Ba Đứcs house a colonial restored house (which was built in the 19th Century and renovated in the early 20th Century) surrounded by 2.5 hectares of orchard gardens. Join in a typical Vietnamese set menu dinner prepared by the host family. Occupy your own cozy bed and enjoy the feeling of ease and relaxation. Day 2: (Breakfast-Lunch) Can Tho - Saigon 6:30am: An early sunrise come along with breakfast will start your new day. Say farewell to the local hosts then drive to Can Tho. Visit the bustling Cai Rang floating market the largest floating market on the Mekong River, on a long tail boat. Feel free to take photographs, talk or bargain with vendors while sidling next to their boats. From there, we cruise further into the narrow canals to give you a closer look into the lives of locals. Lunch in Can Tho, then return to HCMC around 5.30pm. Price: US$163 / pax (Group - 2 pax) US$128 / pax (Group - 3-8 pax) US$256 / pax (Solo Trip) What's included: Transportation English speaking tour guide Homestay Meals as indicated Boat trip as per itinerary Entrance fee and permit 10% VAT |
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