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Travelfish Guides FAQ

Got a question about Travelfish Guides? Try the list below -- if you're still stuck, don't hesitate to contact us and we'll answer it as best as we can.

Travelfish Guides and eFish - I'm confused - what is the difference?
A number of differences exist between the two. Here's a chart that summarises them

Feature	eFish	Guides
Do they include maps?	No	Yes
Do they include reader comments on accommodation?	No	Yes
Do they include transport information?	No	Yes
Do they include shopping advice?	No	Yes
Do they include itinerary advice?	No	Yes
Do they include feature stories and trip reports?	No	Yes
Do they include information on festivals?	No	Yes
Do they include information on common needs -- Visas, embassies etc?	No	Yes
Do they include information on when to go?	No	Yes
Do they include information that is not available elsewhere on Travelfish?	No	Yes
Can their layout be customised?	Yes	No
Are they free?	Yes	No

Yeah ok, but what is a Travelfish Guide?

A Travelfish Guide is a PDF formatted document that we've put together with our latest research. Some cover just a single town (eg., Vientiane), others cover a range of destinations (eg., Phuket and Ko Phi Phi, or Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Sapa). Once purchased, one copy of your eGuide is kept in the Member Centre so you can access it from anywhere, anytime and download it, print it off and use it as you wish.

Is there much information in a Travelfish Guide that isn't available for free on the Travelfish website?

Some information in the eGuide isn't available on the site, but much of the content is. What you are buying with a Travelfish Guide is the convenience of not needing to surf the Travelfish website (as delightful as that is) to gather all your travel intelligence together.

Can I see some screenshots of what a Travelfish Guide looks like?

Sure. the image below is a screenshot of the first edition of our Vientiane Guide.

When should I buy a Travelfish Guide, rather than opt for a free eFish?

Here are two reasons:
Travelfish Guides have comprehensive information laid out and organised in an intelligent, useful manner. eFish are organised at a provincial level, so if you were going to Hanoi, Sapa and Ha Long Bay in northern Vietnam, you would need to download three eFish, while those three are neatly wrapped into our single Hanoi eGuide.

You won't have to hide your surfing when the boss is walking down the aisle -- you can simply print off the guide.

Why do I have to pay for Travelfish Guides when the eFish are free?

The Travelfish Guides are far more labour-intensive to create as they're laid up by a real, live, human being chained up in our cellar. eFish, on the other hand, are generated dynamically by a computer program and do not require the same love, care and affection.

We've tried to keep the price reasonable -- in most cases less than the cost of a large bottle of Beerlao and a plate of somtam.

How can I buy one?

We use PayPal for all of our transactions so if you already have a Paypal account you'll be able to buy the Travelfish Guides without problem. If you do not have a PayPal account, you can either get one here (it's free), or use your credit card (American Express, Mastercard and Visa) to pay through PayPal. PayPal will accept credit cards from most countries, but if you're in a country suffering from the blight of credit card fraud on the internet, you may be required to get a PayPal account before you can make a purchase.

Ok I've purchased the eGuide, how do I access it?

Hit the "return to merchant" button to return from the PayPal screen to Travelfish. The Travelfish Guides you've purchased will be displayed on the screen and also stored in your Member Centre. You can download them from either location.

The Travelfish Guides are stored as a Zip file. This means when you click on it you'll see a pop-up box asking you what to do -- you want to save it to your computer. Right click on the Zip file and select "Extract to", which will place the PDF file where you want it. Then you can open the PDF file and read it, print it off and even stick it on your fridge.

It sounds confusing, but it is actually super-simple. If you get stuck here, please contact us and we'll assist.

Wow they are terrific! Can I give it away for free from my own website?

No.

Can I email it to my friends?

Yes but only to a reasonable number -- please. You are not permitted to distribute it in an unsolicited manner.

Can I print it off and hand it out?

Yes, but you are not permitted to sell it. The copyright and credit to Travelfish.org must remain intact.

Can I leave it with a guesthouse?

Sure. When you're finished with it, feel free to pass it on to somebody else who may find it useful.

I have some suggestions about how it could be improved -- who do I contact?

Please use the Contact Us form. We really appreciate all feedback.

I bought a Travelfish Guide but now I can't find it - what should I do?

Please contact us, be sure to tell us your username, the date you purchased it and which eGuide it was -- we'll look into it.

Why can't I buy more than one copy?

Because we said so! Actually, as it's an electronic product... you can really only buy one.

Do you have an affiliate programme so I can sell the Travelfish Guides on my website?

We are preparing one. If you're interested, please contact us and we'll let you know when it is up and running.

Can I advertise in Travelfish Guides?

Not at the moment.

I'm a Travelfish member and I noticed you've put material I wrote into the eGuide -- what's the story?

When we use substantial pieces (over 250 words) that have been submitted by Travelfish members -- taken from the Trip Reports section for example -- we credit that member with the eGuide for free. If we missed giving you a free eGuide, please accept our most humble apologies and let us know. Credits are not given for comments on accommodation.

I bought a Travelfish Guide but am unhappy with it. What can I do?

If you're unsatisfied with a Travelfish eGuide, return it to us by email, along with an explanation of why you're not happy with it, within seven days of purchase and we'll refund the purchase 100%. You'll need to let us know the username you purchased it under to enable us to process the refund. Email your request to eguides@travelfish.org. We will not refund purchases beyond seven days of the purchase date. We will only refund the purchase price of a single Travelfish Guide per username. If you're unsure if Travelfish Guides are for you, we suggest you purchase one to try them out before purchasing multiple guides.

I'm a journalist, travel-blogger or product reviewer -- can I get a review copy of a Travelfish Guide?

Yes. Please contact us with some information about yourself and which eGuide you're interested in and we'll be in touch.

I have another question you haven't answered. What should I do?

Really?! Please contact us with your question and we'll try to help.