Lounging ALL the way to Hong Kong, Ho Chi Minh and Danang

[Flyfrequently]

With Melbourne typically being a tad chilly in winter, "where to?" was the question when DSC came out in March.

This year I had promised to be home for my significant birthday in June and also for Teen grandson's 18th in August and Missy's 16th in September.
It left July free (apologies to Surfer Flyfrequently and Missy's Mum - our July babies)

I wanted to go somewhere we hadn't been before. Some slow travel, see the sights, absorb some culture and relax with a few beach days at the end - Vietnam came to mind.

Now before you go " oh no, terrible time of the year, April would be better", after lots of reading and helpful hints on AFF, figured we would do it anyway.
What's a bit of rain and humidity eh?!

Ok - next decision - North, Central or South.
With just over 2 weeks, we settled on Ho Chi Minh then Danang.

Time to look at flights.
I am more a journey girl with none of this rushing between terminals to catch flights etc with only a few minutes above MCT to spare.

Rather than go through Singapore, I found flights via Hong Kong. I have always wanted to go back to HKG since a trip in '76, all I can get out of Mr Flyfrequently is 24 hours
But that's ok, and it is typhoon season - we might get delayed like his cousins did last year!

We leave in 4 days :
MEL-HKG on QF
24 hour layover
HKG-SGN Vietnam Airlines - one PNR
4 nights

SGN - DAD Vietnam Airlines
10 nights
DAD-SGN Vietnam Airlines
overnight stay

SGN -HKG (Cathay) - MEL QF - one PNR

Accommodation booked on the Accor ALL app.
With an early birthday lunch on Saturday for the Flyfrequently offspring, time to get packing.

 

[kpc]

I guess you are prepared for the heat and humidity

Post in thread 'Planning Vietnam, appreciate thoughts and experiences'

Jan 12, 2025

My first thought is that July is not the best time to visit Hanoi...it is very hot and humid, and rains a lot. I went to Hanoi in early August a few years back and the heat and humidity were stifling. We had to retreat to our airconditioned hotel room between 10am and 430-5pm!...we only ventured out in Hanoi early in the mornings and in the evenings!

Qf does not fly to Han...J* flies to Sgn from Syd/ Mel, and you can book a LCC like Viet Jet to Han and Dad etc.

• kpc

• 

I assume that as you are spending 10 nights at Dad, you will be travelling around the region....suggestions would be 2-3 nights in Hue, and 3-4 nights in Hoi An (also consider making some clothes here as they are the tailors of Vietnam....do on Day 1 to allow time for alterations if you are planning to!)

Maybe a day trip to https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attr...51-Reviews-Sun_World_Ba_Na_Hills-Da_Nang.html

A guided street food tour in Saigon is a must imo...

 

[JackMiles]

I'm going to Danang later this year (and love HK) so very much on board for this TR. Hope it all goes well, looking forward to reading all about your travels.

 

[Flyfrequently]

I guess you are prepared for the heat and humidity

Post in thread 'Planning Vietnam, appreciate thoughts and experiences'

Jan 12, 2025

My first thought is that July is not the best time to visit Hanoi...it is very hot and humid, and rains a lot. I went to Hanoi in early August a few years back and the heat and humidity were stifling. We had to retreat to our airconditioned hotel room between 10am and 430-5pm!...we only ventured out in Hanoi early in the mornings and in the evenings!

Qf does not fly to Han...J* flies to Sgn from Syd/ Mel, and you can book a LCC like Viet Jet to Han and Dad etc.

• kpc

• 

I assume that as you are spending 10 nights at Dad, you will be travelling around the region....suggestions would be 2-3 nights in Hue, and 3-4 nights in Hoi An (also consider making some clothes here as they are the tailors of Vietnam....do on Day 1 to allow time for alterations if you are planning to!)

Maybe a day trip to https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attr...51-Reviews-Sun_World_Ba_Na_Hills-Da_Nang.html

A guided street food tour in Saigon is a must imo...

Thanks @kpc I do remember your post especially re humidity!
Basing ourselves in Danang and will do day trips, appreciate the links also and the tip about the tailor, hence not going HLO!

 

[VPS]

Enjoy

 

[NSun]

That should be fun. I've seen a fair bit of Vietnam in the last 2 years, but not Da Nang so looking forward to hearing about that part of the country.

 

[Flyfrequently]

Not much done in the way of packing yesterday but have sorted the medication/first aid kit and had a pedicure - am not only a catastrophiser but a procrastinator too!

Not long after booking our flights I got working on accommodation.
For simplicity I have booked our hotels through ALL as Accor + Gold and thanks to @goldenhorn secured a great deal via Fora in HCMC.

We usually do one stay via Qantas Hotels to trigger the $500 pp spend for our TI then take out our pre-existing.
Q hotels were considerably more $, so for this trip, I booked our internal flights SGN-DAD-SGN on my Westpac Platinum Mastercard.
Like I said, am a journey girl - fully flexible J flight for 90 minutes

Now at T48, eVisa done
Hotels all emailed with our ETA etc
Hard copy folder itinerary etc
Medications
Email to family re flights, itinerary, "important" phone numbers

Hotels booked
Novotel Hong Kong Citygate - overnight
Saigon Ibis Airport overnight (as we get in late)
Sofitel Saigon Plaza 3 nights
Grand Mercure Danang 3 nights
Pullman Danang Beach 7 nights
Saigon Ibis Airport 1 night - like to give myself a buffer should, you know, if a typhoon happens....

 

[JackMiles]

Like I said, am a journey girl - fully flexible J flight for 90 minutes

On my last trip to Vietnam I too flew J domestically on a couple of short trips. The cost is low enough to justify it, IMO, and it does make a lot of difference - perhaps more so at the airport, where check-in and security are a breeze, than the flight itself.

 

[Flyfrequently]

T-24 and have done online check in.
J looks to have one seat not allocated.

Family en route here for lunch.

Following with interest the flights to/from HKG, many delays in the past few days though of no concern, if delayed just more time in the Flounge
Flight to SGN is the next evening - some slow travel.

 

[RB001]

many delays in the past few days

Effects of Typhoon Danas, now considered dissipated.

 

[Flyfrequently]

T-24 and have done online check in.


Following with interest the flights to/from HKG, many delays in the past few days though of no concern, if delayed just more time in the Flounge
Flight to SGN is the next evening - some slow travel.

Text from Qantas, flight delayed. Now departing nearly 3 hours later, at least we get a sleep in

 

[ellen10]

Safe travels, your plans sound great and I hope for a smooth trip for you and Mr Flyfrequently. Even if a bit delayed.
I will look forward to following along. Enjoy!

 

[Flyfrequently]

Sunday:
With last night's message notifying of a delay to our flight and another text at 4.48 am, we gave ourselves a sleep-in.
Thanks to @Melburnian1 and @tomlee1986 for their updates.

Problem when you have time up your sleeve is, you can unintentionally dawdle a bit.
Our plan was to leave home at 0900. We left 30 minutes later and chose to go the slightly longer way to the airport, as many streets were closed in Melbourne CBD with 25,000 participants doing the Run Melbourne 2025.

90 minutes to get to our off site parking. 15 minutes later, deposited at First Check In, very seamless.


No issues at Security and Passport gates for once and apart from a brief detour via Lotte Duty Free, we settled into the Lounge all within 30 minutes.


Service and food spot on

Lounge became quite busy after midday.

Luckily, I was able to get a spa appointment and voted with my feet - had the very relaxing foot and leg massage.

And before I knew it, boarding was announced.

 

[Flyfrequently]

About to board Sunday afternoon

I was just finishing off my spa treatment at 1.20 pm and could hear what I thought was the muffled boarding call for QF29. It was to announce boarding was now to be at 1.30 pm
Decided to head to gate 16 anyway, the masses were already lined up.
Not a bad turnaround for a flight that had only landed 60 minutes earlier.
Quite a few of Group 1& 2 were already on board. J looked full, staff were terrific under CSM Roger. Tania worked my side of the cabin efficiently, PDB offered straight away, (Jacquart Mosaique Brut)


Meal orders taken promptly with a likely pushback imminent - until the announcement of an engineering issue. It seemed to get sorted fairly quickly and eventual departure was about 2.30 pm - 40 minutes later than anticipated.

Crew were great with updating the passengers who were obviously coming close to, or would miss their connecting flights.

Once in the air, lunch was served about an hour into the flight.
Not being particularly hungry, I went with the Tasting Plate

Chicken Skewer was much better.

And Humpty Doo Barramundi


Settled into Season 3 of The White Lotus but drifted off to sleep in episode 2, will save that for another day.


Flicked over to the music movie "Queen Rock Montreal". Glasses off, eye shade on and listened to Freddie and the lads lull me to a semi slumber.
Woke refreshed and set about emailing the family - oops no wifi on this bird.

So, another movie, "Paddington in Peru" and I really enjoyed it!
Declined the snack and before we knew it, on descent arriving around 9.25pm.
A "scenic" 15 minute taxi to the gate.

Although 3 planes landed together, the formalities were quick, bag collected and out into the humid night air to the shuttle.

Settled into Novotel Citygate Hong Kong within an hour or so, enjoyed our welcome drinks and time for some shut eye.

A drop I hadn't had before..... a Chardonnay from China.

 

[Flyfrequently]

Monday:
Very happy with Novotel Citygate Hong Kong for an overnight stay.


Lazy start to the morning with a leisurely breakfast, standard Western and Asian fare.
I went with the asian theme, soup, followed by rice and a bao, ok but my local does way better.

Took ourselves over to Citygate Outlet Mall, at least we were getting our steps up - also getting lost in the maze of shops!

Would have liked to have done some exploring but by this time we were ready to check-out.

Mr Flyfrequently and I have very different views on Hong Kong. His mother was born there 100 years ago and although, in his retirement, he has embraced and spoken to community groups on Geneology and Family History - there is a tinge of sadness.
His Mum came out to Australia aged 8 with her younger brother when her mother died, to live with her Australian relatives. Her older siblings were all born here, but the family Shipping business was located in Hong Kong.
She only returned to her birthplace in the '1980's, to find her family home had been bulldozed and a shopping mall carpark was in it's place.
By 1997 none of her family remained in Hong Kong.

Anyhoo, back to our day, took the shuttle over to HKIA.
I love airports!

Seamless security and border control and headed to Plaza Premium First Lounge near Gate 1.
(Email from Vietnam Airlines indicated to ulitise their Lotus Lounge in HKG, note, there isn't one)

Our journey with VN deserves it's own post, excellent on every level - more to come.

 

[Flyfrequently]

HKG-SGN - more of Monday.
Vietnam Airlines staff were so good, very attentive and always asking if we needed anything during our 140 minute flight.
Flight left a few minutes late, just catching the sunset

but made good time and arrived early.


Business Class (all 8 of us) got their own air-conditioned bus

ferried across to the terminal.
It takes about 7 minutes.

Then the fun begins.
I take back my "I love airports " comment from previous post.
It took well over an hour to get through Passport Control. After the orderly way HKG handles this, SGN was noticeably chaotic.Three planes arrived simultaneously and no one ushering any one into the congested 8 queues, just a bunfight!
A few pax were doing livestreams on their phones right under the "no filming" sign. There was one ground staff member observing from a distance - not sure what his role was.

Once we made it to the head of the queue, rubber stamping took maybe 2 minutes. The officer did an eye roll then smiled when I handed over my tidy blue folder with our visas

By this time, carousel 1 was empty and a stash of luggage including ours was thankfully there on the floor next to the carousel.

Our driver was waiting and within 10 minutes we were checking in at the Ibis Saigon Airport hotel.
Having forgotten about the one hour time difference, and thinking it was nearly 11pm we quickly deposited our luggage in the room and headed up to "T" floor as they call it - to the rooftop bar before it closed.

Great views of the airport and a beautiful balmy evening breeze.

 

[Flyfrequently]

On my last trip to Vietnam I too flew J domestically on a couple of short trips. The cost is low enough to justify it, IMO, and it does make a lot of difference - perhaps more so at the airport, where check-in and security are a breeze, than the flight itself.

International arrival on Monday evening at SGN was madness @JackMiles !

 

[ellen10]

Your nice tidy folder with your itinerary and visas looks just like mine!

 

[JackMiles]

International arrival on Monday evening at SGN was madness @JackMiles !

I've heard many stories of arrival madness, but luckily enough not experienced it myself. Although last time arriving internationally to SGN was 2019 and I honestly don't remember how long a wait it was (perhaps something to do with having spent the preceding ~17hrs in CX J + The Wing). But I can say with certainty that the last two times I arrived at HAN (2023 and 2024) I was landside incredibly quickly. In fact, having heard all the stories, I timed my arrival in 2023: disembarked at 11:43 to an almost empty airport, hardly any walk at all to immigration, no lines, was through to baggage claim at 11:46.