FAQ

Our carefully planned itinerary maximizes each day, starting early and finishing well after sunset. You will have a well-balanced mix of cultural immersion, sightseeing, and physical activities for each day. There is also free time allotted for your own exploring, shopping, or relaxation.

Our programs fall into three ability/activity levels:

Easy: Few physical demands, with light walking and optional cycling. Private transportation. Comfortable accommodations range from five-star (including resorts) to first-class hotels with private facilities. See Leisure programs.

Moderate: More active trip involving hiking over moderate terrain, motor biking, and cycling, and traveling to more remote areas. Accommodations range from comfortable to basic. See Veteran programs.

Challenging: Hiking over steeper or more rugged terrain, kayaking, boating, camping, traveling by public transportation, and more time for independent travel. Accommodations range from mini-hotels to traditional village stays. See our Adventure programs.

The quality of the guide can make or break a trip! Our “in-country” guides are personally selected based on their experience, command of English, knowledge of the local culture and history, communication skills, interpersonal and leadership abilities, problem solving skills, and an understanding of the needs of the North American traveler.

In addition to a local guide, a western escort with particular expertise will accompany the group to further enhance the experience of the trip on many of our special interest, adventure, and veteran group tours.

One of our foremost considerations is your safety, which is taken into account from the creation of the itinerary to the conclusion of the tour.

Just as in any other part of the world, precaution and common sense are in order when traveling, to prevent personal misfortunes such as petty crime and pickpockets.

Modern-day Southeast Asia has hotels ranging from budget to five-star. Deluxe properties are located only in the major cities. Throughout the rest of the counties, traditional style accommodations with varying levels of private facilities exist.

Global Spectrum constantly stays abreast of hotel developments in order to offer our clients the best available and most appropriate accommodations. This might mean a five-star resort or a “traditional house.” Our programs often dictate what type of accommodation is used. When available, our leisure tours allow the customer a selection from standard to deluxe.

The Southeast Asian countries included in our tours have national airlines that we use within the individual countries. International and regional carriers fly Inter-Asia.

Non air transportation ranges from a fleet of modern vehicles such as car sedan, land rover, mini-van or 52-passenger busses to the traditional riverboats, private sampans, or ox-carts! The means of transportation used during a tour will depend on the size of the group and the areas being visited.

Our experienced in-house air-ticketing department is capable of handling all domestic and international flights.

Passport: Valid up to at least 6 months beyond your travel date.

Visas: For US Citizens, a tourist visa is required for entry into Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Viet Nam. For US Citizens, no visa is required for travel to Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore or Thailand. For more updated information, please call the individual country consulates or the Global Spectrum office.

Please allow ample time for visa processing, especially when traveling to multiple countries on a single journey.

Currency:
Cambodian Riel, Hong Kong Dollar, Indonesian Rupiah, Laos New Kip, Myanmar Kyat, Singapore Dollars, Thai Baht, Vietnamese Dong.

Credit Cards:
In Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand all major credit cards are widely accepted. In Viet Nam, Cambodia and Laos credit cards are accepted at most hotels and better restaurants and shops. In Myanmar credit cards are rarely accepted even in major hotels.

Travelers Checks:
In Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, travelers’ checks are normally accepted as payment. In Viet Nam, Cambodia and Laos, travelers’ checks are accepted on a limited basis and may be difficult to change. In Myanmar, they are generally not accepted.

ATM Machines:
Available in Viet Name, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand. In Cambodia and Laos, less so. In Myanmar not at all. US dollars, preferably crisp clean bills, are accepted almost everywhere in all of the countries listed above.

Cambodia:
The climate is tropical with three seasons. The most pleasant being the dry season from November to February when temperatures are cooler. The hot season lasts from March to May with average temperatures in the high 90s. The monsoon season, which is both hot and humid, is from June to October. The wettest months are August to September.

Hong Kong:
Has a subtropical climate. The temperatures range from the 50s in the winter months (Dec-Mar) to the 90s in the summer months (Jun-Sep).

Indonesia:
here are two main seasons in Bali. The dry season extends from April to October and the wet season from November to March. Temperatures average around 80 degrees all year round in the lowlands and can get quite cool in the highlands.

Laos:
The rainy season lasts from May through October with hot and humid weather. The dry season begins in November with cool temperatures giving way to hot and dry weather from April through May when the temperature is very hot.

Myanmar:
The climate is tropical with three seasons. The southwest monsoon starts at the end of May and lasts through October. The dry weather starts in November. A second monsoon passes the southeast of the country in December and January. Temperatures between March and May can be very hot.

Singapore:
The climate in Singapore is usually either hot or very hot, since it is located 80 miles north of the equator. The temperatures vary between 70s at night to 90s in the day. The months from November through January, during the northeast monsoon, are generally the coolest.

Thailand:
The climate is tropical with three seasons. The average temperature for the dry season (Dec-Feb) is in the 80s, the hot season (Mar-Jun) is in the 90s, and the wet season (Jun-Nov) is in the 80s.

Viet Nam:
The climate in Ho Chi Minh City and elsewhere in the south is hottest and most humid in March and April. The dry season runs from November to April and the rainy season from May to October. In the north, the wet season is from May to September; December to March are the driest months.

No vaccinations are officially required.
Please refer to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) web site www.cdc.gov for current information.

We recommend the purchase of travel insurance.