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$700 per person shared room double occupancy or $850 for private room. This trip can be paired up with our April 13th-18th 2023 Hoi-An trip.  We are excited to announce a brand new Happy tour to the picturesque Phong Nha region of Vietnam. Phong Nha has become one of Vietnam's premier adventure tourism destinations.This epic trip starts by taking you thru the Hai Van Pass which is one of the most breathtaking routes in Viet Nam. In addition to fabulous mountain and ocean views you will see several former US bunker houses from the war. We will spend 2 nights in the former imperial capital of Hue. Sitting on the banks of the delightful Perfume River you will find amazing citadels, fabulous palaces and royal tombs. From Hue we will drive 3-4 hours to the Phong Nha which is where we will embark on our cave exploring adventures. Paradise Cave is the longest dry cave in Asia. Check out this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6x0hHztUC4 We will also take a boat to nearby Phong Nha Cave which is the worlds longest wet cave https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fPGtDYyXdE. If you enjoy light hiking you will also love our day trip to explore Gieng Vooc Cave. On this day we will have an opportunity to swim and see a waterfall. The hike is approximately 4 mile trek. The hike is not technical, and if you have a condition that restricts from being on your feet we can come up with another option. 
Check out the full itinerary below for more details. 

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April 18th. We will depart Hoi An in the morning and make our way to the ancient Vietnamese capital of Hue. The 2-3 hour drive will take you thru the Hai Van Pass which is one of the most breathtaking routes in Viet Nam. In addition to the amazing views of the mountains and ocean you will see many US military bunkers from the war. 

April 19th. Enjoy complimentary breakfast. After breakfast we will tour the ancient city of Hue. Hue was once the Imperial capital and now listed as a World heritage site. Sitting on the banks of the delightful Perfume River you will find amazing citadels, fabulous palaces and royal tombs. Many of the sites can be reached by river and this makes an excellent way to see the city.

April 20th: Enjoy complimentary breakfast. After breakfast we will travel to Phong Nha which is in the heart of the Cave region of Vietnam. (3 plus hour drive) Arrive and relax at our homestay hotel.

April 21stEnjoy complimentary breakfast . Paradise Cave – the longest dry cave in Asia and Phong Nha Cave treks. You will then be taken by golf cart (1.6km) from the main gate through the jungle, to where you will then climb to the mouth of the cave; a climb that boasts spectacular views of the mountainous region around the cave.

12:30 Lunch at local restaurant in Phong Nha village. Here you will enjoy a traditional Vietnamese dish. Vegetarian option available.

13:30 Depart for Phong Nha Cave. You will then take a 25 minute ride to the cave by a traditional dragon boat. This cave is called a water cave as it exhibits an underground river. After going into the cave by boat, you will explore 300 meters into the cave on foot. Then, you will be taken back by boat. This cave  is famous for its spectacular rock formations. It has been given names such as the “Lion”, the “Fairy Caves”, the “Royal Court”, and the “Buddha”.

17:00 Arrive back at our hotel.

April 22nd Enjoy complimentary breakfast. Today we will embark on a 4-5 mile jungle hike, swim in caves and view waterfalls. 

9:30 AM – 10:00 AM   Tour guide will arrive at our hotel. 

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM    Tour guide informs guests of the tour itinerary and prepares cave equipment.

10:30 AM – 12:00 AM    Transfer to Mooc Spring parking, have a short trek along the mountain to get to Gieng Vooc Cave. After exploring Gieng Vooc Cave and primary forest, you will move to Da Lan lake where you can swim and relax.

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM   Enjoy jungle BBQ prepared by our porters.

1:30 PM – 4:00 PM   Exploring Gio cave and Chay waterfall

4:30 PM – 5:30 PM   Tour ends

April 23rd: Enjoy Complimentary breakfast. After breakfast we will begin our trip back to Danang(4 hours) We expect to arrive Danang between 4-5pm. For those who wish to stay in Danang for the evening we can recommend a hotel. Most international flights depart in the evening. 

Package Includes: 

5 nights accommodations in hotel in Hue and Homestay hotel 

Daily breakfast

One group dinner 

Paradise Cave, Phong Nha and Hang Gien discovery tours (Lunch Provided)

All Vietnam tour Transfers.

Whats not Included 

Airfare

Meals other than what the itinerary mentions.

Tips, Airport taxes

Trip Insurance  

Pricing:

The price for this tour is per $800 per person for a shared room or $850 person for a private room. To secure your spot you will need to put down a $100.00 NON REFUNDABLE deposit. The balance of the trip will be due 60 days prior to departure which will be February 18th 2023. 

Getting To Danang

The closest airport to Hoi An is Danang (DAD) with nonstop international flights from Seoul(ICN) Korean Air/ Asiana and Hong Kong (HKG)Dragon Air. There are also plenty of inexpensive daily flights from Hanoi(HAN) and Ho Chi Minh(SGN). Vietnamese airlines do not currently offer ZED fares, but flights within Vietnam are cheap ranging from $40-$60. I would highly recommend side trips to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh prior or after our tour. I will be glad to recommend hotels and things to do. Citizens from the USA will need a visa to enter Vietnam. There are 2 options to obtain a visa. Send your passport to the Vietnamese embassy in the USA which will cost you $100.00 for a one time 30 day entry. The easier and less expensive option is to apply for a visa on arrival and you do not have to mail your passport to the US Vietnamese embassy. You pay a small processing fee ($15-20) to an online travel agent. You will receive your entry document via email. When you arrive in Vietnam you will pay $25.00 to the customs agent and submit your letter and a passport photo. There are several online companies that offer visa on arrival. I personally use this company.  https://www.visa4vietnam.com 

Trip Insurance 

The travel industry now considers the Coronavirus “a foreseeable event”.  That means many airlines, resorts, charter companies, rental shops, etc are no longer offering refunds due to COVID issues.  They expect YOU to protect yourself with “INSURANCE”.  When looking at insurance options please consider plans that offer a cancel for any reason option. More and more countries and hotels/resorts/charter companies are establishing very onerous cancellation policies. The travel industry as a whole has generally adapted the attitude that you now know the risks of COVID-19 or other illnesses and THEY are not willing to accept the risks of you needing to cancel or delay your travel.

You Can’t Steal My Happy recommends that you purchase a travel protection plan to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. For your convenience, we offer travel protection through Travelex Insurance Services. For more information on the available plans or to enroll, click on the link below or contact Travelex Insurance Services at 800-228-9792 and reference location number 43-0656    “Travel Insurance is underwritten by, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company, NAIC #22276. 55Y”

https://www.travelexinsurance.com/quote/?nc=1

Terms and Conditions 

Group Trip Cancellations.
If YCSMH has to cancel a group trip because a country has closed its borders, everyone will have a choice of receiving a refund or being rolled over to another group trip. The decision to cancel a group trip will be determined by myself and our local guides.

DEPOSITS PAID- CANCEL WITH NO REPLACEMENT 
If you cancel a booking and cannot find a replacement the FULL deposit amount will be lost from the original person making the reservation.

DEPOSITS PAID- CANCEL WITH A REPLACEMENT - $100 Penalty
If YOU cancel and find your own replacement that “helps” but it doesn’t alleviate the time and effort I must spend to get your replacement up to speed (answer questions and send previous emails). A $100 fee will be charged if you cancel and find your own replacement. 

FULL PAYMENTS PAID- CANCEL WITH NO REPLACEMENT- 60 DAYS BEFORE TRIP DEPARTURE 
Full payments for all Happy trips are due 60 days before departure. If you cancel the trip you will not be eligible to receive a refund. You will need to file a claim with your insurance provider. As a rule most tour vendors, charter companies and hotels require full payment 60 days before arrival. Once we have made reservations MOST resorts, Charter companies, rental shops, etc hold YCSMH financially responsible (i.e. we have to pay them, hence we expect YOU to pay us). 
Final payments for our Croatia Cruise are due 90 days before departure. 

FULL PAYMENTS PAID- CANCEL WITH A REPLACEMENT- 60 DAYS BEFORE TRIP DEPARTURE
In the event of a cancellation, YCSMH will gladly help find a replacement but the responsibility to find the replacement is that of the person canceling. If you find a replacement to fill your spot you will be eligible for a full refund minus a $100 fee. 
If YCSMH finds you a replacement you will receive a refund minus the trip deposit. As I mentioned there is a considerable amount of time and effort spent to send out emails to your replacement to get them up to speed. 

I hope this helps clarify our terms as we all navigate through this post pandemic world. For those of us who are passionate travelers the small inconveniences of testing, insurance and entry requirements are well worth it. 

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