SOUTH ASIA BLOG October 6th, 2024 - BALI to HANOI

 

 

10/6/24– Another morning of sleeping in and buffet style breakfast. Our hotel is allowing us to stay in our room until 1pm, which helps as we have a pickup scheduled for 2:30pm to take us to the airport. Our last few moments in Bali, so sad I know.

Waiting in the lobby, I take a bite of the croissant I kept from breakfast only to find a swarm of mini-ants all over it. Unfortunately, I didn’t see them before I probably inhaled several so I guess I’m getting extra protein today.

Our driver picks us up just before 2:30pm (which cost under $8 USD) and get to the airport within thirty minutes as traffic is extremely light. Maybe it’s because of Sunday, or maybe due to the celebration yesterday and everyone has a hangover. Who knows. We also zip through check-in and security, arriving at our gate #3 an hour before boarding.

Knowing our flight won’t serve us food on the plane, as it’s another super budget international flight, we get a Vietnamese style hoagie sandwich and wait patiently. If you ever had Pho, that’s the type of beef it taste like and its quite good except for how small it is, and that is looks nothing like the photo on the menu.

Shortly before we are to board our VietJet flight, there’s an announcement that another airline is using our gate #3. Strange as the terminal board shows our flight hasn't changed gates, but also states “boarding closed” next to it. With no place to really turn, I know something is about to go down, just don’t know when. Sure enough, a VietJet attendant comes to the gate announcing our flight has moved to Gate #7. And here we…… go!

We take our time knowing the plane is not taking off without the passengers scrambling down the hallway. We did receive a message this morning by email stating our departure time has been delayed by thirty minutes, so not too much of a shock to go through this. While getting situated, I notice the bar connecting the seat in front of me separated from the base. Well, this is not a good sign.

The flight last just under five hours and as expected no free meal service, no screens to watch and no power to charge our phones. We do try to purchase a drink on board but its cash only. Other than a twenty minute turbulence area where the plane sways back and forth for a bit the flight is overall decent, and we land just after 10pm in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Immigration is a bit of a line, but our luggage is one of the first ones on the belt, which is nice. We go to the ATM to withdraw some Vietnamese cash, purchase a ham & cheese croissant and locate our pre-booked driver to take us to The Chi Boutique Hotel. Along the way, we see the streets full of people at midnight and restaurants open like its Vegas.

Side note: For those curious, Sharece is already feeling better today. Unsure how the next few days will go with temperatures in the 90s but at least the humidity is lower.

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