Middleton Vietnam Tour 

Hi Everyone

 Here are the updated details of our proposed Vietnam tour for 2026. We need a few more to reach the required numbers to make it viable!

 We have Dr Kim Badcoe coming on Tour. One of Peter Badcoe VCs daughters. She will look after all sick & injured on tour.

 Regards

 Stan Middleton OAM

Middleton Vietnam Tour from 4th March 2026 to 3rd April 2026 

Details of proposed Middleton Vietnam tour are shown below. The updated Itinerary is attached.

 I am restricted by the capacity of our tour buses as we only want one bus load when on the road.  So, maximum on tour is 38 (including Sinh & I).

 Airfares are included in costs but are not set in stone. They could likely cost a little more or a little less. I am negotiating with Vietnam Airlines and with Asia Pacific our travel provider to get the best outcome. At moment air fare price is based out of Melbourne to Saigon, all flights in Vietnam & back to Melbourne. We may get a group travel booking from Vietnam Airlines but they won’t allow us to spread leaving from anywhere but Melbourne. So, we will be open to those who want to leave from elsewhere in Australia to book to Saigon & return separately. We can then book their domestic flights through Asia Pacific. We can sort that out once we know we have the numbers to proceed with the tour.

 We haven’t been able to obtain our usual Hotel at Hoi An as it is booked out sadly. Whilst all other hotels listed on the updated itinerary are confirmed we cannot confirm a hotel in Hoi An at the moment. Due to the massive flooding in last couple of weeks most of the town is still without electricity. Therefore, Asia Pacific is unable to contact many of the hotels at this time. So, an estimate has been included in the price. Adjustment up or down will need to made once a hotel is booked. We pick March for the best weather in Vietnam. No storms, typhoons, less heat, humidity etc

 Tour cost per person twin share is US$3,990 (or A$6,235 based on exchange rate of A$1 = US$0.64). As I am not a registered Travel Agent, I cannot handle money for the tour provider so details of how & where to pay their initial deposit will be provided as soon as we get the minimum numbers. They will need to be paid in US$.

 Single Supplement US$1,292 (A$2,018). This has to be paid by anyone who wishes not to share with another on tour. Anyone wanting to join who hasn’t a travel partner but would like to share with another single traveller let me know & I will try & find one for you if I can. Room charges are the same regardless of whether occupied by one or two people.

 Included:

-all meals

-Mostly 4 & some 5star hotels

-all flights to & from Melbourne to Vietnam & in country flights

-most entries to attractions

-train trip Hue to Da Nang

-overnight stay on Ha Long Bay

-all Bus & boat travel

-English speaking Tour Guides

-transfers to & from airports for the main group

-donations to help the village where Peter Badcoe VC was killed.

-everyone shares in the total cost of our dinner we put on for our former employees in Vung Tau.  So, the guest will pay nothing as most are very poor. That has been included in our costing based on this year’s dinner in March.

 Not included:

-drinks (beer is cheap in Vietnam)

-souvenirs

-occasional entries to optional attractions

-Travel Insurance (everyone must have)

-Vietnam Visa (about A$68)

-Tipping. A$400pp. You are to take cash with you for that & we will collect as we go. To be in A$20, A$10 or $5 notes (one or two A$50 notes ok). If all not used refunds will be offered. We with help of tour guides will do the tipping to the drivers, hotel staff, restaurant staff, boat staff etc. I will organise tipping for the tour guides. It is too much cash for Sinh & I to take & hold at start of tour and run risk of being robbed of all the tipping money.

 Offsets

-what you would have spent at home (ie food, electricity, gas, water, petrol, alcohol, entertainment etc)

 General

I negotiate, direct with a travel provider in Vietnam which is what Travel Agents do. However, ours is a non-profit tour and theirs are profit tours. They have to make money for their business so they add a substantial loading to the quotes they receive from Vietnam Travel providers. We do not load our prices on what we are quoted. Sinh & I get free accommodation as tour leaders at the hotels we stay in provided we have a minimum number on tour. Our travel provider provides as with free bus travel etc & tour guides negotiate free meals for Sinh & I at most restaurants as the tour leaders. A loading is added for Sinh & my air travel (to & from Vietnam & internal flights), insurance & other incidentals etc. That works out to about A$150 per person. As organising such tours & recruiting members to join takes an awful lot of time & work most people have never had a problem with this in the past tours. Sinh & I usually stay on for a week or two to spend time with Sinh’s family after the tour.

 I have dealt with the same Travel Provider in Hanoi for all our tours (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 & 2025). They have always been great to deal with.

 The tour is restricted to one bus load which means we should have between 30 & 36 travellers plus Sinh & I. We need at least 27 at each hotel for the tour to be viable.

 As I am not a registered Travel Agent, I cannot handle money for the tour provider so details of how & where to pay their initial deposit will be provided shortly. A travel agent In Adelaide complained to Consumer Affairs in Victoria due to me under cutting them by thousands! Their similar tours of 3 weeks cost about same price as we had for 5 weeks. Once Consumer Affairs accepted, I was a Vietnam Vet organising tours for Vets, families & friends and it was a non-profit making tour they did not have a problem as long as I did not handle the tour providers money!

 Above information is just so anyone (particularly those new to our tours) can understand the overall background to our tours. I said after both our 2019 & 2025 tours they would be the last tour I would organise! However, I kept getting requests to do another so here we are! I am excited about it just the same! Many vets & partners have been on 2, 3 or 4 of our tours.

 If anyone who has not been on one of our tours a Retired Lt/Colonel who went on this year’s tour advised as follows:  “If ever you want a reference from an ex-Infantry Veteran or Officer about how fantastic your tour is, please feel free to reference me and give them my number to call 0418 210 348”. Les Boag.

 Anyway, much more details (re Visa’s, clothing, medical, climate etc) will be provided later. The interest for this tour is high so I have decided to take payment of A$150pp (contribution to our costs) as a deposit first to ensure we have the numbers before anyone is required to send funds to Vietnam. This amount will be refunded if we don’t get the numbers needed for the tour to go ahead. However, I am very confident from the initial response that we will get the numbers!  Details of the account are as follows:

 Bank: ANZ

Branch: Rowville Vic

Account Name: SW and ST Middleton

BSB: 013 479

Account Number: 2952 18305

 I await responses from anyone who is interested.

 Regards

 Stan Middleton OAM

0424 326 399

stanmid@bigpond.net.au

67 Moore Mews

Pakenham Vic 3810

6th November 2025