Vietnam holiday - getting organised

We had been wanting to visit Vietnam since 2008 but the slow and tedious visa process put us off and we visited other countries in the region that had visa on arrival or easier facilities. I would occasionally flick to the Vietnam Forum when on Trip Advisor and, in August 2023, I was happy to note that the visa process had been simplified and I could now obtain a visa online. 

https://www.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/web/guest/trang-chu-ttdt

The above link is the official Government website that leads to a visa for Australians at the cost of USD25. 

At about the same time, Vietjet, the country's low cost airline, introduced direct Brisbane to Ho Chi Minh flights. All the ducks were lining up and just about quacking! No excuses! We would be going to Vietnam real soon!

Some serious research followed. I knew where in Vietnam we wanted to go so researched the weather and climate history for each location and decided that March was the month that was most likely to be comfortable for us. That information sent me to www.vietjetair.com

The booking process was easy with four class options. Business class gave simply everything, including private transport from the terminal to the plane, 18kg carry on and 80kg check in bags [insane - who wants that allowance?] for just under AUD2000. [no airbridges for Vietjet in Vietnam - bus to and from the terminals to the plane] Skyboss was AUD200 cheaper with less baggage allowances but still huge. Then there were the Deluxe and Eco classes. Eco was 7kg carry on allowance and nothing else for AUD208. I selected the Deluxe level with 10kg carry on, a big 40kg check in, seat selection for AUD364 per person - one way.

Our itinerary was Ho Chi Minh to accommodate both the flight destination and proximity to Dalat, a thirty-five minute flight away. We were not interested in staying in a huge city and have previously been on the Mekong in Laos and Cambodia and could do without the heat and mosquitos of the Mekong Delta. 

From Dalat we would fly to Danang - Hoi An, take the train to Hue then fly to Hanoi. I really wanted to depart Vietnam from Hanoi however that would have involved multiple stops in different countries so I elected to go back to Ho Chi Minh for a couple of days for our departure. I always allow at least two nights at our departure point to allow for unforeseen events. This has proven wise on more than one occasion.

Taking note of all the advice and warnings about applying for visas on Trip Advisor, I lodged our via applications a month before our departure date. You need to state the date you want your visa to start and also the end date. As you MUST depart Vietnam before or on your stated departure date.  I have had the experience of having to delay my flight home due to illness so I extended our stay for an extra week only for the visa, and wondering if I should have been even more generous. 

Happily our visas came through within the stated 3 - 5 working days.

Realistically, as octogenarians, we need way more time to get around to see the sights and enjoy travel experiences than we did even ten years ago. Our itinerary reflected that reality and, apart from Ho Chi Minh at the start and end of our trip, I allowed a week, including a travel day, at each of our destinations, Dalat, Danang - Hoi An, Hue and Hanoi.

How was the flight? Great! The day before departure I checked the seating on Manage My Booking and noted that there appeared to be a lot of unbooked seats so I moved our seats back to where there were several rows of empty seats. The result was that we ended up with a row to ourselves and could stretch out and sleep. [Vietjet also offers a "spare seats beside you" for a small fee at check in. Worth the money if the plane looks full.]

Vietjet landing in Ho Chi Minh