Travelling – Chiang Mai, Thailand to Phu Quoc, Vietnam

Posted on Aug 12, 2016 in Experiences

On the road again – Chiang Mai – Bangkok – HCMC – Phu Quoc

Excess baggage sucks big time! If you do the crime, you must be prepared to pay the fine but it’s hard to swallow when you do the right thing and dump some kilos and then see others taking carry on baggage larger than our check-in…. Air Asia provide an efficient and cost productive product but they need to work on their consistency.

In hindsight, I probably didn’t need those little airline pillows anyway….

Aside from that little hiccup, Chiang Mai airport has everything you could need in a small, international airport. While not luxurious, it’s clean, easy to move around and has plenty of seating at the gates. No tips required here, it’s a no-brainer.

An hour later, we were back in Bangkok – a little different to the 10 hour drive almost a week previously but definitely not as much fun! In Bangkok, Air Asia fly into Don Muang airport and that suited us fine because we were also flying with them to HCMC so no need to change airports.

If you are using a different carrier, most depart from Suvarnabhumi but there is a shuttle service for ticket holders. (Downstairs, out the front of the international gates – pick up a ticket at the stand near the bus stop, free for current ticket holders, allow at least an hour for transfer.)

These days, Don Muang is much-improved from the earlier version. It’s separated into two terminals for domestic and international but it’s an easy (internal) walk between the two. There isn’t much in the way of food when you get close to some of the gates so if you feel like something substantial, it’s best to take care of that early in the walk.

Our bags are checked directly through to HCMC so our 2 hour wait in Bangkok is plenty of time for a stretch and something to nibble on. Although I try to make use of my transit time to catch up with jobs, I also like to take time out to contemplate. Normal things like the lives of the people around me, the wonder of air travel, how small the world is and how much there is to see… but maybe that’s just me! On this occasion it did occur to me that, after 3.5 months in Thailand (with a small side trip), we were leaving. Not sad, just a weird feeling. Enough of that… it’s time to board.

Bangkok to HCMC was exactly the same story with Air Asia – smooth flight, friendly service, masses of carry on baggage (we even had to help the flight attendants when they were struggling with one oversize bag!). A quick nap and 1.5h hours later, we’re back in Vietnam. So excited!!

As our Vietnam extension wasn’t planned when we left Australia, we needed to obtain a Visa on Arrival. Luckily we did our research prior to departure from Thailand and discovered that the whole process would be easier if we started it online. After finding the right agent (research carefully, many are scams), completing the forms and emailing with the first payment (A$25), we were supplied with a Letter of Approval (a bit like an introduction to Immigration) and very clear instructions. Although this procedure wasn’t a big deal, it is still quicker and easier to apply for a visa before departure from your home country.

We arrived at the Visa on Arrival counter and found there was one more form to complete. When complete, we handed over our forms, a passport photo and another A$25 and after about 15 minutes, we were done. Our bags came off the carousel quickly (and so they should considering their hefty surcharge!). The distance from international to domestic is approximately 300m so it’s an easy walk down a covered walk way and baggage trolleys are available but it is external so it can be a bit warm.

Air Asia doesn’t service Phu Quoc at this stage (but in their plans for world domination of air travel, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time!) so we choose to return to the National carrier, Vietnam Airlines. We’ve always been happy with VA – delightful service, well maintained planes and appropriate pricing (no excess baggage charges here!). As Phu Quoc is one of their smaller destinations and it was late in the day, this plane was a little baby (ATR72 I’m told!) and as soon as we’re directed to Gate 8, we know it’s a walk out on the tarmac for us. Our flight departs at 6.00pm so there’s still enough daylight to see a monsoonal storm roll in but just when you think everything is going smoothly, bulging, black clouds soon open up and rain pelts down on the terminal so that we can no longer see through the windows. It’s thrilling to watch but having done this before, I know they won’t delay boarding so we resign ourselves to sitting in a puddle for our final flight and just when we’ve regained our sense of humour… rain stops and the sun shines through. I love it!

On time departure, a short 50 minute hop and it’s touch down Phu Quoc! It’s our third visit but it’s been four years since the last time and we were already seeing change at that point so it will be interesting to see what’s happening…

So 11 hours and 1,900km later, here we are! It’s a long day but I would still prefer to do it all at once rather than waste multiple days moving around.

Visited: August 2016