Vietnam, January 24 - February 6
I started my planning by purchasing a ticket from United Airlines, round trip Detroit to Bangkok, for $920. Then, I downloaded a visa application from the Vietnam Embassy (http://www.vietnamembassy-usa.org/consular/visainfo.php3). The single entry visa cost $65 plus FedEx shipping both ways. The application process took about a week.

I left Detroit on January 22, 2005, in the middle of the winter’s worst snowstorm. We sat on the ground in Detroit for 4 hours and landed in Chicago 15 minutes after my flight to Bangkok had left. Crestfallen, I stood in the United Airlines customer service line commiseration with other displaced passengers. I was more than a little surprised when my Bangkok flight popped back up on the departure board. Franticly I ran to the gate and discovered that the plane had come back to be de-iced. The gate attendant told me, "You are the luckiest guy in the world," as he printed me a boarding pass.

The delay put me two hours late into Bangkok - it was almost 3 AM when I checked into the Airport Sirida Bangkok Hotel. 15 minutes south of the airport, this clean but spartan hotel is perfect for a quick overnight in Bangkok. It cost $25 a night. I have stayed there four times and make my reservation on the Internet at http://www.bangkokhotel.com.

On trips to Southeast Asia I usually find it cheapest to fly to Bangkok first and then on to my final destination from there. For years I have used Mandala International Travel (http://www.mandalatravel.co.th/) to purchase my onward ticket - usually paying about half or 2/3 of what I would if I had bought the same ticket in the US. At 9:00 the next morning my ticket to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) was delivered to my hotel - round trip cost $270.

I arrived in Saigon at about 2:30 in the afternoon and took a taxi to my hotel, The Spring. I had made my reservation on the Internet at http://www.vietnamonline.com/spring. This was a wonderful place: a great location near downtown, helpful and friendly staff, free Internet access in the lobby and pretty quiet considering how noisy Saigon can be - all this for $25 a night. I loved the place.

I stayed at The Spring three nights and also had them make my onward arraignments. They purchased a ticket on Vietnam Air from Saigon to Hue and returning from Da Nang, which cost $110.

On January 27 I flew to Hue. I had called the Dong Loi hotel from Saigon and made my reservation. They offered to send someone to the pick me up at the airport - without thinking I agreed. It ended up costing my $8 - twice what a taxi would cost. The hotel was a pleasant place next to a fine restaurant and across the river for the main part of Hue. The surrounding area was conveniently full of restaurant, bars and Internet cafes. My room was small, but very quiet - I paid $20 a night. I spent three nights at the Dong Loi.

On January 30 I boarded a train for one of the loveliest rides I have ever taken. The line from Hue to Da Nang is carved out of the mountain: on one side was lush forest and shear rock faces and on the other a dramatic drop to the sea. I hung out a window between the cars trying to capture it with my camera.

In Da Nang I stayed at the Phuong Dong, a government-owned hotel, in the center of the city. I had made my reservation by phone from Hue. The place was large, modern and pretty quiet. The restaurant served Vietnamese and Chinese food for breakfast, which will tell you who most of the clientele were. The hotel cost $35 per night.

After two days in Da Nang, I took a local bus 40 minutes south to Hoi An. I stayed at the Vinh Hung I (there are four different Vinh Hung hotels in Hoi An). I had made my reservation by phone from Hue also. This was a lovely Chinese-flavored place in the old city with a very friendly staff. My only complaint was that my room was infested with mosquitoes and by the time I left, my arms and face were covered with little spots. I stayed three nights, but could easily have lazed around for a few more days, despite the mosquitoes. I paid $25 a night.

Finally on February 4, I took a car ($10) to the airport in Da Nang and flew back to Saigon where I again stayed at The Spring. After two nights I flew back to Bangkok where I stayed at the Bangkok Asia Hotel. I had made my reservation on the Internet (http://www.asiahotel.co.th/bangkok.htm). I paid $39 a night excluding breakfast. This was my second stay at this large, busy hotel. Its single best feature is it is directly connected to a BTS (Skytrain) stop making it very handy for getting around congested Bangkok.

After four nights in Bangkok I flew home to cold Detroit where I found the snow that complicated my departure was still on the ground.

Ann Arbor, Michigan
March 2005

Part One: Hue & Da Nang
Part Two: Hoi An & Saigon

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