Are you looking for a tour guide or an interpreter for SEA Games 2021 (aka SEA Games 2022) in Hanoi, Vietnam? This article will explain what you need to know.
The 2021 Southeast Asian Games: What You Need to Know
The 2021 Southeast Asian Games, commonly known as the 31st SEA Games, will be the 31st edition of the Southeast Asian Games, a biennial regional multi-sport event which will be held in Hanoi, Vietnam in 2022. Originally scheduled to take place from 21 November to 2 December 2021, it was moved to 12 to 23 May 2022 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Games will feature 40 sports with 526 events, attracting around 10,000 participants, organisers announced at a press conference here. This is the second time Vietnam will hold the SEA Games since 2003.
The Vietnamese capital Hanoi will be the main venue alongside 11 neighbouring localities including Quang Ninh, Phu Tho and Bac Ninh. According to the organisers, during this year's event, anti-pandemic measures will be applied in line with the Covid situation in Vietnam and other participating countries and regions.
Whether this is your first visit or fifth visit, hiring a tour guide is the best way to get around unfamiliar parts of the country. Here are some helpful advices to overcome the language barriers and to have a memorable time in Vietnam.
Why do you need to hire a tour guide / interpreter?
Tour guides that specialize in a particular area will know the best local spots for shopping and dining, as well as the quickest way to get around on public or private transportation. This knowledge is especially important in busy cities like Hanoi, which will become more crowded and hectic in the weeks of the SEA Games. Guides will also know about road construction, weather conditions, and other potential problems.
Tour guides can also serve as an interpreter. This will help you avoid misunderstandings and disappointments during your tour. While most major tourist attractions have some signage in English, it can be difficult to find English-speaking staff to answer any questions.
Finally, a tour guide or interpreter can help you check for SEA Games schedule, buy tickets, get a favorable seat in the stadium or gymnasium for you, etc.
There are many different types of tours
Bus tours, small group walking tours, and private tours are all common in Hanoi. The bus tours that do exist will sometimes just drive past famous sites, without allowing you the chance to walk around or take good pictures.
Small group walking tours are common around major tourist areas. However, these tours make it difficult to break off and explore a location that really interests you. These tours tend to be shorter, and full-day tours are uncommon unless you are heading to an area that specializes in day trips.
Although private tours can be expensive, they are well worth it if you want the flexibility to spend more time at stores and attractions that interest you. Tours can often be customizable, but some the tour-guide interpreters require a minimum time length or total booking cost.
How to find tour guides or interpreters for SEA Games 31?
Freelensia is the world’s first online reservation platform where clients can hire tour guides and interpreters for short-term needs.
With nearly 3,000 members (English interpreters, Chinese interpreters, Thai interpreters, Indonesian interpreters, etc.) in Vietnam and overseas, Freelensia provides tour guides and interpreters for tourism, trade fairs, exhibitions, business meetings, business-matching sessions, seminars, conferences (consecutive or cabin interpretation), etc. Interpreter identity and qualifications are verified. Prices are publicly listed and stable.
There are two ways for a client to use Freelensia. Firstly, you can browse, chat with and reserve an interpreter or tour guide directly on our website. During reservation, you will pay a 10% reservation fee using a credit card. You will pay the remaining fee (the event fee) to the interpreter when you meet him or her. You can read more about the steps to reserve interpreter online at our How To Use page.
Secondly, if you are looking for a large number of interpreters / tour guides, or if you need simultaneous interpreters for your seminars, conferences and workshops, you can ask Freelensia to arrange the interpreters for you. We find and interview interpreters on your behalf. We will facilitate the distribution of event materials and other administrative tasks so that you and the interpreter can focus on your job. You will pay Freelensia (a deposit may be required).
How much does a tour guide or interpreter cost?
As we explained in another article, interpreter rates are mainly determined by 3 factors: the geographic location, the language pair, and the interpretation type required for the event. For Southeast Asian languages, the 1-day fee for general business meeting interpretation to and from Vietnamese in Vietnam can range from 90 to 130 USD. The same rate for tour guides is a bit lower, ranging from 50 to 80 USD. You can view all of the rates as well as interpreter profiles in Hanoi for business-meeting interpretation here and for tour guides here.
You can find the profiles of our most notable interpreters and tour guides in Hanoi below:
Mr. Khánh |
Interpretation languages: Vietnamese, Thai |
Ms. Nhung |
Interpretation languages: Vietnamese, English |
Ms. Thảo |
Interpretation languages: Vietnamese, Chinese |
What makes Freelensia’s service uniques?
Our interpreter reservation platform has the following outstanding benefits:
- Freelensia's service fee is 10%, much lower than that of traditional interpretation companies
- Interpreter’s interpretation fee is posted publicly and stable
- Client can discuss with the interpreter and watch their interpretation videos
- Client can publicly evaluate the interpreter after the event finishes
- Freelensia provides an online calendar, specialized vocabulary for the event and supports both client and interpreter via live chat during the event.
Please contact Hotline (+84) 89 933 60 85 or email support@freelensia.com for advice on our services.