Kristina finally got FF tickets to Vietnam!
Aug 31st, 2008, 03:43 PM
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Kristina finally got FF tickets to Vietnam!
Some of you may have seen my posts on the other thread about AA frequent flier tickets to Bangkok, but I wanted to share my good news!
I was <i>finally</i> able to secure 2 business class tickets using AA miles to get us to Vietnam next July.
We are flying
LAX-Tokyo on AA (code share with JAL)
Tokyo-Hanoi on JAL
~
(12.5 days in Vietnam here then we need to get to BKK for another 2.5 days)
~
BKK-Tokyo on JAL
Tokyo-SFO on JAL
SFO-LAX on AA
I called 330 days out to book these tickets and ended up waiting until I was 330 days from the return date to actually reserve seats.
I'm pretty happy with them, though I would prefer not to have to go through SFO to get to LAX.
I wanted to return from Hanoi but could not find seats. Plus, the return flight option was not great-getting back from Hanoi was going to be a 26 hr ordeal (11 PM departure from Hanoi to Osaka (5 hr layover) to Tokyo (another 5 hour layover) to LAX.
We will now spend a few days in BKK which will make D very happy, even though I don't think we will be able to afford to stay at his "favorite hotel in the world", the Peninsula. I might try the Sheraton Grand using starwood points though.
Any advice on how to split up our time in Vietnam is greatly appreciated, especially with consideration given to time of year and weather (July-hot and rainy).
I am thinking, Hanoi, Sapa (and other towns in that region), Hoi An, Hue (not necessarily in that order). I think we will skip Halong Bay this time as we just toured the karst formations in Thailand in '06 and I'm not sure the weather will be good for it.
Wondering if there are options for flying back to BKK other than from Hanoi. I'd like to avoid backtracking if I don't have to.
This will be my 6th trip to BKK so recommendations for anything unusual to do would be great too! I might try and get Tong again for a day, assuming she has availability 10 months from now and isn't already booked!
So, now the fun (planning) begins! Ten months and counting...
I was <i>finally</i> able to secure 2 business class tickets using AA miles to get us to Vietnam next July.
We are flying
LAX-Tokyo on AA (code share with JAL)
Tokyo-Hanoi on JAL
~
(12.5 days in Vietnam here then we need to get to BKK for another 2.5 days)
~
BKK-Tokyo on JAL
Tokyo-SFO on JAL
SFO-LAX on AA
I called 330 days out to book these tickets and ended up waiting until I was 330 days from the return date to actually reserve seats.
I'm pretty happy with them, though I would prefer not to have to go through SFO to get to LAX.
I wanted to return from Hanoi but could not find seats. Plus, the return flight option was not great-getting back from Hanoi was going to be a 26 hr ordeal (11 PM departure from Hanoi to Osaka (5 hr layover) to Tokyo (another 5 hour layover) to LAX.
We will now spend a few days in BKK which will make D very happy, even though I don't think we will be able to afford to stay at his "favorite hotel in the world", the Peninsula. I might try the Sheraton Grand using starwood points though.
Any advice on how to split up our time in Vietnam is greatly appreciated, especially with consideration given to time of year and weather (July-hot and rainy).
I am thinking, Hanoi, Sapa (and other towns in that region), Hoi An, Hue (not necessarily in that order). I think we will skip Halong Bay this time as we just toured the karst formations in Thailand in '06 and I'm not sure the weather will be good for it.
Wondering if there are options for flying back to BKK other than from Hanoi. I'd like to avoid backtracking if I don't have to.
This will be my 6th trip to BKK so recommendations for anything unusual to do would be great too! I might try and get Tong again for a day, assuming she has availability 10 months from now and isn't already booked!
So, now the fun (planning) begins! Ten months and counting...
Aug 31st, 2008, 05:41 PM
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Congrats on getting your tickets! I think it's always an accomplishment to be able to turn in your frequent flier miles and get something you really want!
I think your plan for VN looks good. There used to be a flight (not every day) from DaNang to Bangkok. Sorry, I can't remember which airline. Check both Thai and VN.
I think your plan for VN looks good. There used to be a flight (not every day) from DaNang to Bangkok. Sorry, I can't remember which airline. Check both Thai and VN.
Aug 31st, 2008, 07:18 PM
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I smell a mini-GTG in VN.....
Some friends who are coming to Cambodia in a few weeks are taking that flight from DaNang to BKK that Kathie mentioned. I will inquire.
Now can you please cash in my miles? I need to get from BKK to Rome.
Some friends who are coming to Cambodia in a few weeks are taking that flight from DaNang to BKK that Kathie mentioned. I will inquire.
Now can you please cash in my miles? I need to get from BKK to Rome.
Sep 1st, 2008, 06:39 AM
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Thanks Kathie! It is certainly very nice to get "free" tickets in Business Class. Tax on those two tickets only cost $126!
Funny thing is, when I looked up my flights on JAL's website, they were over $3000 in <i>economy</i> and over $7000 in Business. Ouch!
Lori- I'm all for a mini-GTG in Vietnam.
As for your tickets to Rome from BKK, I highly recommend the tactic to call 330 days in advance. The other option, if you can travel on-the-fly is to be willing to go with a month or so notice as sometimes they open seats close to departure dates.
Any info on the DaNang-BKK flight would be appreciated. It looks like Air Asia has a couple of flights a day for about $85 per person from Hanoi to BKK, but I'd rather not backtrack if possible.
Funny thing is, when I looked up my flights on JAL's website, they were over $3000 in <i>economy</i> and over $7000 in Business. Ouch!
Lori- I'm all for a mini-GTG in Vietnam.
As for your tickets to Rome from BKK, I highly recommend the tactic to call 330 days in advance. The other option, if you can travel on-the-fly is to be willing to go with a month or so notice as sometimes they open seats close to departure dates.
Any info on the DaNang-BKK flight would be appreciated. It looks like Air Asia has a couple of flights a day for about $85 per person from Hanoi to BKK, but I'd rather not backtrack if possible.
Sep 1st, 2008, 12:42 PM
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Good for you! We're hoping to be able to go to Vietnam in December 2009 using our Aeroplan ff miles. Unfortunately there's no way that we'll have enough to go business class, but a more or less free ticket is better than no ticket at all!
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Sep 1st, 2008, 08:27 PM
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And so the negiotiations begin...
D and I were just loosely discussing the trip and I said I wanted to explore the northern hill tribe region.
His reaction was, "Why? Won't it be basically the same as Northern Thailand?"
I suppose I should ask this in a differnt thread, but how can I convince him that it will be different? Or won't it?
I also discovered today that there is only one airline which flies direct from DaNang to Bangkok. It's PB Air, 3 days a week, a 50 seater plane and the ticket is approx. $220 one way. Ouch.
D and I were just loosely discussing the trip and I said I wanted to explore the northern hill tribe region.
His reaction was, "Why? Won't it be basically the same as Northern Thailand?"
I suppose I should ask this in a differnt thread, but how can I convince him that it will be different? Or won't it?
I also discovered today that there is only one airline which flies direct from DaNang to Bangkok. It's PB Air, 3 days a week, a 50 seater plane and the ticket is approx. $220 one way. Ouch.
Sep 2nd, 2008, 11:46 AM
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While I didn't spend as much time in Northern Thailand as in Northern Vietnam, visiting hill tribes in Sapa felt much more 'real' to me than in the Chiang Rai/Chiang Mai region. Sapa was the highlight of my stay in Vietnam.
Congratulations on scoring the tickets. It's a big deal!
Congratulations on scoring the tickets. It's a big deal!
Sep 6th, 2008, 01:51 PM
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Hi Kristina, I hope you read my trip report for VN since I was also there in July. You were so helpful to me about SR, so glad to return the favor.
We didn't go to SaPa because we really didn't want to spend a night on the train, nigt in SaPa, night back on the train. We also were concerned that if we got rainy weather in SaPa we were screwed -- whereas rainy weather in other places there were still sights to see. I had also been to hilltribe areas in China, Laos and Thailand, but many people told me SaPa was really special. If you only have 12 days in VN, really think about how you want to spend your time.
I am sure we would have loved SaPa, but we just couldn't do everything.
We had 13 nights in VN, similar to your time.
We lucked out with weather and it was beautiful everywhere in VN, especially HaLong Bay. We hit almost no rain and nothing that impeded our trip. It wasn't even particularly hot, and I'm a Los Angeleno, too, so not used to steamy weather.
Let me know if you have any questions about our trip.
I'm sure you will really enjoy Vietnam -- we certainly did.
We didn't go to SaPa because we really didn't want to spend a night on the train, nigt in SaPa, night back on the train. We also were concerned that if we got rainy weather in SaPa we were screwed -- whereas rainy weather in other places there were still sights to see. I had also been to hilltribe areas in China, Laos and Thailand, but many people told me SaPa was really special. If you only have 12 days in VN, really think about how you want to spend your time.
I am sure we would have loved SaPa, but we just couldn't do everything.
We had 13 nights in VN, similar to your time.
We lucked out with weather and it was beautiful everywhere in VN, especially HaLong Bay. We hit almost no rain and nothing that impeded our trip. It wasn't even particularly hot, and I'm a Los Angeleno, too, so not used to steamy weather.
Let me know if you have any questions about our trip.
I'm sure you will really enjoy Vietnam -- we certainly did.
Sep 7th, 2008, 01:08 PM
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Hi Alison-
Yes, I remember your report. I went back and read it, thanks again. As of right now, I think we are going to skip Halong Bay and HCMC, so hopefully that will leave more time for the area around Sapa (that is, if I can convince D to go).
Yes, I remember your report. I went back and read it, thanks again. As of right now, I think we are going to skip Halong Bay and HCMC, so hopefully that will leave more time for the area around Sapa (that is, if I can convince D to go).
Sep 8th, 2008, 01:19 AM
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K~
I've been wanting to put my two cents in on the sapa excursion...
I loved Sapa, (I wouldn't go back. It's one of those been there, done that kind of places.) but I loved it as a one-off. It was unique.
I loved trekking out to meet the hill tribe ladies selling textiles. Had I not been there specifically to buy from them, I think they would have made me nuts as they are very pushy. Once they knew I was buying, they settled down a lot and we had a good time with them. I think if you weren't buying textiles the experience would be a bit different and possibly overly annoying. Don't know what your threshold is.
The scenery is absolutely stunning, the weather is a blessed relief. The food is outstanding. And you will get some amazing shots with your sexy new Nikon...
http://www.pbase.com/loricarlson/sapa&page=all
I loved the train and the Victoria Hotel was also wonderful. The town of Sapa has some good restaurants and interesting markets.
If you get up there, try to plan a trip to Bac Ha Market; I thought it was fascinating.
http://www.pbase.com/loricarlson/bacha&page=all
Good call to give a pass to Halong; after the first couple of hours I was bored out of my mind, which then led to too much drinking (!) I mean it's beautiful and all, but just boring.
If you're into trekking and want a more authentic experience with the hilltribes, then I would advise a three day trek through Mai Chau, but it doesn't sound to me that's what you're into this trip.
Go to Sapa. It is getting very Disneyland up there; soon it won't be worth going at all. We've loved it to death.
Where does DH want to go instead?
I've been wanting to put my two cents in on the sapa excursion...
I loved Sapa, (I wouldn't go back. It's one of those been there, done that kind of places.) but I loved it as a one-off. It was unique.
I loved trekking out to meet the hill tribe ladies selling textiles. Had I not been there specifically to buy from them, I think they would have made me nuts as they are very pushy. Once they knew I was buying, they settled down a lot and we had a good time with them. I think if you weren't buying textiles the experience would be a bit different and possibly overly annoying. Don't know what your threshold is.
The scenery is absolutely stunning, the weather is a blessed relief. The food is outstanding. And you will get some amazing shots with your sexy new Nikon...
http://www.pbase.com/loricarlson/sapa&page=all
I loved the train and the Victoria Hotel was also wonderful. The town of Sapa has some good restaurants and interesting markets.
If you get up there, try to plan a trip to Bac Ha Market; I thought it was fascinating.
http://www.pbase.com/loricarlson/bacha&page=all
Good call to give a pass to Halong; after the first couple of hours I was bored out of my mind, which then led to too much drinking (!) I mean it's beautiful and all, but just boring.
If you're into trekking and want a more authentic experience with the hilltribes, then I would advise a three day trek through Mai Chau, but it doesn't sound to me that's what you're into this trip.
Go to Sapa. It is getting very Disneyland up there; soon it won't be worth going at all. We've loved it to death.
Where does DH want to go instead?
Sep 8th, 2008, 08:08 AM
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Thanks Lori! I'd been meaning to email you about this. Your photos are part of the reason I want to go up there in the first place. And actually, I'd love to get more "out there" than just Sapa and have been looking at Mai Chau as well. I just don't know if I can convince David that it's substantially different or better than what we did in Thailand 10 years ago. Also, I'm not sure how much he is willing to "rough it" or if that's even a good idea in July.
What I'd wanted to ask you about was a guided trek up there. I thought you'd done something like that? Something that was outside Sapa? And no, I'm not that interested in buying textiles, but I really do want to see the markets and get out into the more rural areas on this trip.
As for D, I don't think he has any idea of where else he wants to go instead. He usually leaves all the planning up to me (which is why I was so shocked when he espressed any opinion at all regarding Sapa).
What I'd wanted to ask you about was a guided trek up there. I thought you'd done something like that? Something that was outside Sapa? And no, I'm not that interested in buying textiles, but I really do want to see the markets and get out into the more rural areas on this trip.
As for D, I don't think he has any idea of where else he wants to go instead. He usually leaves all the planning up to me (which is why I was so shocked when he espressed any opinion at all regarding Sapa).
Sep 14th, 2008, 06:34 AM
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K~
While I would concede to being a bit of a princess at times, I would still call the Mai Chau trek "roughing it". The homestays are extraordinarily basic as is the food, and well, you're HIKING all day up and down, up and down. After a full day of that you need a nice bed and some good food and you don't get either. Having said that, I wouldn't trade the experience as I believe I saw a bit of real life in Vietnam and some outstanding scenery.
We saw the hilltribe people, going about their business, but did not interface with them at all, as they would run away when they saw us coming. Staying with the brave souls who would over night us in their homes was the extent of it and that was wonderful. Of course I had along the ubiquitous frisbee and was able to make friends with lots of little boys.
In Sapa we hired a guide to take us on day treks. We would have done better to go on a 2-3 day trek up there and do some homestays, but it was cold and rainy and as I said, sometimes I'm a princess. The guide's name is Dao Long and his email is [email protected]. He was a super nice guy, spoke great English, had all the usual requirements of a good guide. I think someone from the board recently contacted him and said his rates were high, but I don't remember them being bad, but it was a year ago, perhaps things have changed. He's the same fellow that took us to the market at Bac Ha as well, via car, trek and boat. We went directly from Bac Ha to the train station and he arranged a "day room" so we could take a shower, etc. Very accommodating.
How is Sapa different from Northern Thailand? Well, northern thailand is THAI and northern Vietnam is VIETNAMESE. There's nothing the same about it in my mind. the food, the culture, the scenery, all different.
While I would concede to being a bit of a princess at times, I would still call the Mai Chau trek "roughing it". The homestays are extraordinarily basic as is the food, and well, you're HIKING all day up and down, up and down. After a full day of that you need a nice bed and some good food and you don't get either. Having said that, I wouldn't trade the experience as I believe I saw a bit of real life in Vietnam and some outstanding scenery.
We saw the hilltribe people, going about their business, but did not interface with them at all, as they would run away when they saw us coming. Staying with the brave souls who would over night us in their homes was the extent of it and that was wonderful. Of course I had along the ubiquitous frisbee and was able to make friends with lots of little boys.
In Sapa we hired a guide to take us on day treks. We would have done better to go on a 2-3 day trek up there and do some homestays, but it was cold and rainy and as I said, sometimes I'm a princess. The guide's name is Dao Long and his email is [email protected]. He was a super nice guy, spoke great English, had all the usual requirements of a good guide. I think someone from the board recently contacted him and said his rates were high, but I don't remember them being bad, but it was a year ago, perhaps things have changed. He's the same fellow that took us to the market at Bac Ha as well, via car, trek and boat. We went directly from Bac Ha to the train station and he arranged a "day room" so we could take a shower, etc. Very accommodating.
How is Sapa different from Northern Thailand? Well, northern thailand is THAI and northern Vietnam is VIETNAMESE.
There's nothing the same about it in my mind. the food, the culture, the scenery, all different.
