We just booked a 17 day on the ground trip to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand with Exoticca for next March. (BTW, we’ve had a couple of good previous experiences with them in Egypt and S. America and they are quite cost effective).
We are seniors with no significant health issues. Does anyone have thoughts if $50K medical and $500K evacuation of travel insurance being sufficient? We will use InsuremyTrip per Clark. (FYI, Coverage for some 60 yo travelers in our group are paying under $200 per couple with $250 deductible.)
(Regarding cancellation, Exoticca allows cancellation up to 30 days prior for $50 with a credit for future trips, and we decided to go that route)
Also, if anyone wants to share their thoughts about their experiences on trips to these countries, we’d appreciate hearing.
Just one additional fact - I noticed some coverages on Insuremytrip say “secondary” for medical. We are on Medicare which I believe is not effect outside the USA.
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We will use InsuremyTrip per Clark
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We are on Medicare which I believe is not effect outside the USA.
My spouse and I have been using GeoBlue for overseas medical insurance since we started on Medicare. You are correct that medicare does not provide insurance overseas.
We initially used insuremytrip.com to sign up with GeoBlue. Allianz is also popular. Currently, we use the tripinsurancestore.com for our annual policy renewal after reading comments that they can provide backup if there are issues with medical claims during travel.
We obtain a broader evacuation policy with MedJetAssist. With their policy if you are hospitalized overseas you can request to be transferred to the hospital of your choice in the USA. The approval of the overseas medical staff is not needed to initiate the transfer.
I get one year policies with Allianz. Less than $200 for a one year policy. I’m in my late 70s. I’m primarily interested in repatriation of mortal remains. Shipping bodies home is a cottage industry and costs a fortune. Covered by Allianz including medical evacuation . I get the most basic policy with no bella and whistles.
We took a similar 21-day trip in 2018 plus a one-on-one 5-day side trip up to the Sapa region NW of Hanoi. We found the mountain tribes of Hmong, Tay and Daoa are very culturally interesting and the food, the sights, sounds and smells are fascinating.
The rest of the trip was with an 8-person guided tour with a host trip guide and local regional guides for each region.
In the north you’ll probably see the Hanoi Hilton and get to see some water puppet shows in Hanoi. Near Hanoi you can take a cruise in Ha Long Bay, try squid fishing and see people that live on the water most of their lives.
In Hue’ we found things were more laid-back with lots of entertainment opportunities featuring the many styles of vietnamese dancing, they are all entertaining.
In the south Ho Chi Min City (Saigon) is historically interesting and there’s lots of opportunities to see the remnants and reminders of the war there. To the south of Saigon you’ll probably take a trip to the Mekong Delta and cruise the river and see some villages and lifestyles of the river people.
We found Cambodia just as fascinating as Vietnam and quite different in many ways. We took in Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm, Preah Khan, Banteay Srei temple sites, a Khamer Dance school and the floating villages on Ton Le Sap Lake. All were something we’ll remember all the rest of our lives.
All in all, the sights were breathtaking, the food delicious and the people fantastic.
Just a follow up to ask if anyone has any travel hints input for the 3 countries (Viet Nam, Cambodia and Thailand) based upon their travels. We are taking advantage of all the tour company excursions but will have some free time to wander the streets on our own. Also, dinners are not included in ouvr package.
For example re: money. 1. Any thoughts on what we should expect for need for local currency?
We try to charge everything on a no transaction fee CC (CapitalOne) and don’t ask the merchant for the conversion to $'s. We also bring a wad of single $'s and some larger bills. We’ve found in some countries (like Argentina), locals like $'s.
If we need local money, we use a Bank ATM.
Any thoughts on protocol for tripping in general. Also, can we tip guides and drivers in $'s. We want to be fair but sensible
We welcome any other practical travel tips lw=earned from your travels there.
A US$ goes a long way in Vietnam a sit-down meal for two will cost less than $10 and spending more than $50 a person a day would be extravagant. We carried two days worth of VND. Expect lots of zeros on each bill and take the advice of a local guide on appropriate tipping, bank exchange and local pedestrian rules and customs.
You will probably have some trepidations when on your own walking around in the cities. Here’s a video to show you what to expect. The general rule is that, once you commit, walk so that your movement is predictable, the drivers are pretty skilled at avoiding pedestrians, it will be a scary proposition until you get used to it.
