At Vietnam Explorer Travel, we believe in environmentally responsible and culturally responsible tourism. We always use local guides and drivers, and work only with local travel partners rather than international conglomerates. By using local guides, we can promise guests that the information they are given is up-dated and correct. We only arrange suitable vehicles to match your group size. And, where appropriate, we use local transport and set in coach boats.

In our recommended accommodation, we sometimes include locally and family operated properties ( home stay), and we suggest visiting a range of locally run shops, restaurants, home stays, art craft guilds, music managed families and attractions on most holidays. All trips to visit minority groups, which are included in more adventurous programmes, are set up with the locals’ interests at heart, and the entire community will benefit from your stay, not just one family. And, wherever possible, we include meals or visits to charitable organizations, schools as part of your itinerary.  . 

During your holidays....

Photography

Should always ask permission with smiles prior to taking a photo of anyone. Pointing at your camera with raised eyebrows will usually suffice. Respect their wishes if they refuse your kind offer. Put yourself in their shoes and it doesn’t take long to work out why some may say no. For religious reason, in many places, pregnant women dislike you to take photos of them during their working even you ask politely.

People, Customs and Etiquette

• Don’t be surprised if local people, especially in more remote regions, treat you with a touch of curiosity, if not suspicion sometimes. Keep an open mind and learn from each experience.
• Please respect local customs. Read up before you go and you can always ask your guide or a local once you are there, if you’re unsure of anything. Some ethnic areas allow you to travel down certain villages freely within day trip but some places apply strict conditions of having prior authority permission and you will always be escorted by our local guides.
• Nudity, inappropriate dress often causes offence. Modest dress will help minimize the risk of sexual harassment and help to ensure you are treated with proper respect.
• Drink frequently alcohols, wines or to smoke in public areas while traveling will make you less respected by all local people, especially in front of children or women or old people.
• Formalities such as greetings can be quite different to what you are used to. It’s never a problem to offer your hand but it may be found very amusing – again, take your lead from the locals.
• Please be aware that public displays of affection are taboo in many communities.
• Try to keep your temper in public, it is considered very rude by many Asian people and should be avoided at all costs. Save the argument for the hotel room.
• Abide by all the laws of the country and community you’re visiting….they apply to everyone.

Caring for the Environment

At your hotel:

• “Together Green Earth”. If you really do not need to change the towels, do mind hotel’s instructions to save water, detergents & labour work for staff.
• Switch off electric applicants when you leave your room.
• Unplug any devices that you are charging before you go to bed.
• Try discovering the streets instead of a sweating it out on a running machine.

On the streets:

• Take care to not litter; most developing countries do not have a refuse collection system.
• Avoid buying items in disposable packaging. Do you really need a bag for those bananas? It means you have to carry more unnecessary things.
• Show people that you are concerned. In the West you are far better educated on these matters than in Asia.

Begging

In most circumstances, we strongly recommend you do not give money or other ‘gifts’ to beggars, no matter how hard it is to resist. Children miss out on a basic education because they are forced to ‘work’ by their adults. In the most extreme cases, they may even be deliberately maimed to increase their earning potential as beggars.

Your guide and locals can point you in the direction of schools you can make a more meaningful donation of pens or other equipments( pens, notes, pencils, erasers, rulers…) to. These donations actually reach the intended benefactors.

Monks receiving alms is not considered begging as the monasteries are supported by the local communities. Ask your guide or a local how to go about donating alms if you wish to.

Language

Try and learn a little, even just a basic greeting and thank you. You’ll find that people respond very well to this.

Sex Tourism

An unfortunate by-product of travel in some developing nations is sex tourism. Children are exploited for the benefit of their parents or ‘guardians’. Women are sold, lured or forced into the prostitution against their will. Our advices for your safe holidays are that you should stay away from these offers.

Bartering

When bartering, don’t try and squeeze every last drop out of the deal. You are expected to raise your initial offer at least once and in most cases several times.

Religious Sites

Visitors to religious and historic sites should pay respectful attention to the following:

• Dress appropriately please. Follow local guidelines( many Asian temples, pagodas, mausoleums do not appreciate visitors wearing shorts, deep necked shirts, no sleeve shirts or short skirts.)
• Be mindful of your manners and local etiquette
• Never remove anything from religious or historical sites: this constitutes theft, not a souvenir.
• Don’t take photos if this is not allowed.

Wilderness and Wildlife

By traveling with Vietnam Explorer Travel, we appreciate that making no negative impact on the environment is not possible. However, we try to minimize it. We rely on you and ask you to use your common sense and follow local and international wilderness guidelines.

• If you carry it in, carry it out – please don’t dispose of litter along the way. Fruit leftovers may be biodegradable but they are unsightly and can take a while to decompose. Carry a plastic bag to collect your litter during the day and take it away with you. And if you're happy to set a good example; pick up litter left by other, less considerate individuals.
• Don't feed wild animals.Wild animals should never be touched, and we also strongly advise you to refrain from touching domestic animals such as cats and dogs.
• When trekking and mountain biking you should stick to marked paths at all times. This is for your own safety and also helps to prevent unnecessary erosion.
  Try to buy any basic products (water, noodles etc) from the local communities you visit rather than carry them in. This helps to generate local income in a small way.
• The protection of water resources is vital. Please do everything possible to avoid polluting vital water sources when trekking and using home-stays. Listen to your guides and locals when they show you which water to wash and bath in.
  Only use biodegradable soaps and shampoos. These don’t contain phosphates. Please avoid using soap and shampoo directly in the fresh water sources.
  If bathing or swimming, consider local sensibilities, both in terms of what you wear and the fact you are in ‘their’ water. Bathe downstream from water collection points or villages and, if you’re using shampoos and soaps, lather up and rinse well away from the water’s edge.
• While enjoying your wildlife’s trips, you should follow local guides if photographs are not allowed especially at night time, evening shows since many animals might get angry with camera’s flashes and some will suddenly attack you.

Water Consumption

It is important whilst traveling in Asia to consume enough water to avoid dehydration. You will find that the vast majority of the drinking water is supplied in plastic bottles and it is important that:

• You dispose of these responsibly. Asia is straining under the levels of waste that it generates. There are ample opportunities to recycle both cans and plastic water bottles. When trekking or cycling, bottles should never be disposed of in the wild.
• Whenever possible, re-use water bottles by refilling with treated water or water sourced from a safe supply.