Booking a tour package with an Indochina tour company might seem a bit daunting if you’ve always made your own travel arrangements or have never traveled with a tour group.
You may feel concerned about the tour booking process, particularly if all communication is via email or because you’ve never dealt with an online tour booking company.
If you’re considering your tour package travel options, connecting with a safe, trusted Indochina tour company is a good place to start. Along with the tips below, you can feel confident and enjoy peace of mind about booking an Indochina tour when it’s time for your next travel adventure.
#1 – Look for a clear booking process you can follow
Scan travel forums for places like Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam and you’ll see comments from western
travelers who feel concerned about booking travel and tours. Particular concerns relate to paying deposits for tour bookings when direct communication has been through email only.
To avoid that feeling that you’re walking in the dark, when searching for a reputable Indochina tour company, look for a clear booking process you can follow.
To allay any worry about the integrity of your Indochina tour booking company, ask upfront about their booking process. If you do this at the initial enquiry stage, it gives you a good understanding about their approach and how they do things.
Any Indochina tour company worth its salt and values its customers will be eager to please and happy to share how they do things. You’ll quickly get the sense that nothing is too much trouble (that is, they’ll take care of every detail). In the highly competitive market for Indochina tours, a quality company will go out of its way to meet all your requests – and then some.
While most travel bookings require a deposit, it’s good to know what the deposit covers, so feel free to ask. In most instances, a deposit is required to secure flight and hotel bookings for your Indochina tour. You’ll then be required to make the balance payment prior to departure. They usually ask for this about 30 days from when you’re scheduled to leave.
But before you book and pay for anything, the tour company will submit a quote to you for consideration based on the information you’ve provided. Depending on your choice of tour type (choose from small group, private or custom tours), you’ll see a variation in price. Bear in mind too, it could be worth asking for a price for both small group and private tours, as the cost difference may open up a possibility you hadn’t considered previously. A great idea for travelers who are used to making independent arrangements, guided private tours make travel to countries like Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam a relaxed and enjoyable experience.
#2 – Check the booking terms and conditions of your Indochina tour company
Even the best laid plans can go awry, so as a fallback, before proceeding with your booking, take the few minutes required to read through and understand the booking terms and conditions, and any other important information relating to the tour.
It’s wise to pay particular attention to the tour booking cancellation policy and the associated fees should you cancel. Often these are time-based, that is, the closer to the departure date you cancel, the higher the cost of cancellation.
Pay attention to the fine print around exclusions, as these can increase the cost of your travel while on tour. In some cases, you may find yourself surprised, rather than delighted. For example, meals are one area where costs can be overlooked, and the last thing you want to be is hungry on tour! If the booking company for your Indochina tour includes one or two meals daily, ask about the type of meals and locations.
Another cost that may cause headaches are fees associated with changes to travel plans. While an Indochina tour booking company will have no control over third party changes, they may assign a cost to changing travel arrangements.
The secret to not getting caught out is to ask lots of questions and read all the information your tour company sends you.