Welcome to Jade Monkey. Getting away from the crowded tourist hot-spots to see the real Vietnam is not always easy for those unfamiliar with this country. But this is our speciality: to give you direct contact with the people and places you visit. To ensure this quality of experience we only cater for small parties of two to five people, and your driver will be Mai Huu Han who will be with you from meeting your plane on arrival, till the sad farewells of your departure.

You can choose the transport that suits you best - motorbike, modern 4x4, or Jade Monkey's beautifully restored American Jeep - we believe this last offers one of the best ways of getting the most out of your time here - but whichever you choose we will take you to the parts that other tourists can never reach.

Our Jeep lets you explore the country without confining you to air-conditioning, or you having to be exposed to the vexations of a motor bike. From an open sided Jeep you see everything as you go - the top comes off if you want, and sides go on for bad weather. You can take photographs from where you sit, hop in and out at will, and chat to the people along the way. And it certainly helps to smooth out some of the muddy potholed routes which you may not recognise at first as roads!   Further down the page you can see a 30 second film of the Jeep on a road in Laos - but this is not a route we would recommend for most visitors!

However, if you prefer the fun of a motorbike, and the unique way it lets you follow paths and trails deep into the country, you can choose from a range of bikes that are available for hire in Ha Noi, and we will accompany you, or take you as pillion - or one of you might like to ride a bike in company with the Jeep.

While a bike takes one or two people, and our Jeep takes up to three visitors, it may be that you are already travelling as a group of four or five and need a little more room, or maybe the attractions of the fresh air of a Jeep do not outweigh the discomfort you would find at being so exposed. No problem - we can take you in the comfort of a modern all terrain vehicle such as a Ford Everest.

Whatever your choice we want to make it all seem easy.  Your English speaking Vietnamese driver will see to transport, accommodation and living arrangements, while Jade Monkey's Scottish base and Ha Noi support ensure that advice and help are always on hand for general plans (flights, visas...) and matters of cultural translation (courtesy, travel requisites, shoes...).

Besides being happy to take you just where you wish when you wish, we are also able to offer two special interest holidays. Colin Brydon, from Edinburgh, is an established landscape photographer in Scotland and can lead you in the search for photographs in northern Vietnam, while Mai Huu Han is a trained chef happy to provide a holiday savouring the delights of Vietnamese cooking - and then showing you how it is done.

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