Cu Chi Travel Forum

i have booked an 18 day tour with one of the major operaters based in sydney.
part of the tour is a trip to the cu chi tunnels. i told them i did not want to go and see war relics, fire big guns and rifles,dress up in vietcong clothes and crawl down tunnels eat wartime rations underground to relive a past war. thats really sick. they have told me that the admission fees are a part of my tour and the bus travel is pre booked also. if i elect to wander the city instead i will have to pay $100 penalty for changing the tour schedule. have other travellers faced this problem

It all depends on how the tour is organised, usually the bus drops people off at a car park for the attraction and picks them up either in the same place or elsewhere. Unless your presence is crucial in terms of numbers, guides on such tours are usually fine about leaving you at the gate on the way in and picking you up on the way out. It shouldn't be necessary to change the tour schedule in any way, provided of course that you don't make life difficult by wanting to be taken or picked up somewhere other than the group would be and as I said, depending on how the whole trip is organised - if they stop off at an attraction on the way to somewhere else, and you want to stay in town, then it would be up to you to get local transport to where the bus is, at the appropriate time, or else indeed pay a fee for changing the tour schedule/requiring private arrangements for one morning/afternoon/day. Personally I would not deal with this with the travel agency, let alone the tour operator, but ask locally when you get to Vietnam; the guide will know what time you are supposed to leave places and arrive places, and then leave them again and will be better placed to advise on what to do. My group didn't go at all to the Cu Chi tunnels so I can't advise you on practical arrangements. But they can hardly force you to go down the tunnels, some people are claustrophobic: if it comes to the worst, you can suggest you hang around near the entrance/exit with a book!

The tour operator may be concerned about your safety and also liabity issues if you go off by yourself for the day instead of getting on the bus with the others. Maybe the charge is to give you second thoughts about taking a day by yourself. I would think they could provide a waiver of liabity if you choose not to join for that day. The tour contract might provide more info about this. If it's not in the contract I don't see how they can arbitrarily charge you.

I used an Australian tour packager in 2000 and my wife and I separated from the group three times in three different cities to see friends. No problem or issues then.

I agree about the Cu Chi tunnels. I was here in 1966-68 and saw a couple tunnels first hand. I don't need to see them ever again. But I've heard others get a sense of history from it. I've ridden past the Cu Chi tunnels and the country-side views are not especially scenic, at least to me. The tour operator should find an applicable solution for you without charging extra fees. They must have dealt with this many times before.

I would have thought that on the day you just say that your knackered and want to stay in the hotel, seem bloody odd that your charged for not doing something you've already paid for
I'd give them a call and point them in the right direction
Jonny

I suspect you've booked with Intrepid. It's a rip-off outfit. I'd look for another tour operator.

I agree that it seems very odd that they want to charge you for not going on a sightseeing trip on a tour. I have never heard of that before. I am assuming it is only a day trip from Ho Chi Minh City, in which case they can't force you to participate. I also suggest that you leave it until you get there and just tell the tour leader that you do not wish to go on the trip that day but will stay in town.

If, however, it means that you are unable to carry on to the next destination, or that you wish to be taken somewhere else instead, then I can unsterdand the charge.

I agree that that is just really weird!

I've taken a day trip to Cu Chi Tunnels and Cao Dai temple although I don't remember how much I paid, but booked in in HCMC.

The tunnels are interesting though. They show this amazing propaganda film circa 1960s to introduce you to the tunnels. No one forces you to crawl through (I certainly wasn't about to do it), or eat war rations, or fire guns. At least not on my tour.

But, if you don't want to go, don't go! And, just don't pay the penalty, or, as Jonny said, think up an excuse. Really, I've never heard anything like this, ever.

I agree just tell them you have a headache!!! they can hardly lcok you in your room. We booked a trip with sinh Cafe and some of us just didnt turn up they werent concerned. I cant imagine that you would be going strsight to anew destination from the Tunnels. I think the admission fee is about $US5 plus transport!! and they want to charge $100 a rip off. Can you cancel and book once you are in VN? I have visited the tunnels and found them to be very interesting a museum realy I didnt fire a gun, eat rations or dress up. If you go to anything re "The American War" you will only get one side of the history.