Saigon Airport 7 hrs - what to do ?

Travelling back in September from Osaka to Melbourne via Saigon with a 7 hr
break at Saigon Airport. Don't think its worth while leaving airport, checking
in & out and paying departure tax again.

Have not been at this airport before. What is it like to kill a few hours
there ? Any suggestion, comments most welcomed.

Many thanks,

There is nothing to do on airport. (airport is relatively small - 5 or 6
gates and not many flights)
If you can get visa on airport (I do not know yr nationality so cannot
advise) why do not you go
to citycenter and stroll along Saigon river and have a drink and some food.
Taxis , food and drinks are terribly cheap in Ho Chi Minh City.
Ho Chi Minh City is quite a difference from Osaka and Melbourne
and has a very nice still Far Eastern authentic atmospher which you could
find 25 years
in now (over-) developped cities like KualaLumpur and Singapore.


"Casual Looker" schreef in bericht
...
Travelling back in September from Osaka to Melbourne via Saigon with a 7
hr
break at Saigon Airport. Don't think its worth while leaving airport,
checking
in & out and paying departure tax again.

Have not been at this airport before. What is it like to kill a few hours
there ? Any suggestion, comments most welcomed.

Many thanks,

(Casual Looker) wrote in message ...
Travelling back in September from Osaka to Melbourne via Saigon with a 7 hr
break at Saigon Airport. Don't think its worth while leaving airport, checking
in & out and paying departure tax again.

Have not been at this airport before. What is it like to kill a few hours
there ? Any suggestion, comments most welcomed.

Many thanks,

Really, there isn't anything to do at Tan Son Nhat. Few crappy
handicrafts to buy. There might be Internet there now. In February
2003 when I was last there our SGN-HAN flight - a connection from
Melbourne - was cancelled and we had to take one 5 hours or so later.
We swallowed the USD14 departure tax, and got a taxi for a couple of
dollars and 20 minutes or so to Dong Khoi. Strolled up and down, see
the river, Notre Dame, had a cocktail up at Saigon Saigon in the
Caravelle (though I've heard the Sheraton is the place to go now) and
something to eat in Angkor Encore.

Of course, you'll need a visa. (We're residents). There is a
visa-on-arrival counter but I never see anyone there, and I don't know
anyone who's received one.

Cheers,

George W. Russell
Hanoi

It's gonna cost the 2 of us a total of about $180 just to get out. $70 Aus
each for visa and $20 Aus each for departure tax.

BTW this is the return leg having spend 10 days in Saigon on forwrd journey.

Vietnam Air does not allow break of journey on the return flight, otherwise we
would have paid the money and spent a few more days there. Bummer ! Take a
good book perhaps.

In article , (Casual Looker)
wrote:
Travelling back in September from Osaka to Melbourne via Saigon with a 7 hr
break at Saigon Airport. Don't think its worth while leaving airport, checking
in & out and paying departure tax again.

Have not been at this airport before. What is it like to kill a few hours
there ? Any suggestion, comments most welcomed.

Many thanks,

(Casual Looker) wrote in message ...
It's gonna cost the 2 of us a total of about $180 just to get out. $70 Aus
each for visa and $20 Aus each for departure tax.

I haven't been to HCM for about 5 years. But when I was there the exit
tax was $10 US and it was required to paid paid in US Dollars, not
Dong or anything else. Check with whoever is making your travel
arrangments to make sure you can pay in AUD (or any other hard
currency).

(Tchiowa) wrote in message . com...
(Casual Looker) wrote in message ...
It's gonna cost the 2 of us a total of about $180 just to get out. $70 Aus
each for visa and $20 Aus each for departure tax.

I haven't been to HCM for about 5 years. But when I was there the exit
tax was $10 US and it was required to paid paid in US Dollars, not
Dong or anything else. Check with whoever is making your travel
arrangments to make sure you can pay in AUD (or any other hard
currency).

I think he's just using equivalents. The departure tax is up to USD14
now and can be paid in either VND or USD.

George W. Russell
Hanoi

This is looking BAD. Do they at least sell food there, or do I bring 2 minutes
noddles and look for hot water ?!

In article , (Casual Looker)
wrote:
Travelling back in September from Osaka to Melbourne via Saigon with a 7 hr
break at Saigon Airport. Don't think its worth while leaving airport, checking
in & out and paying departure tax again.

Have not been at this airport before. What is it like to kill a few hours
there ? Any suggestion, comments most welcomed.

Many thanks,

"Casual Looker" wrote in message
...
Travelling back in September from Osaka to Melbourne via Saigon with a 7
hr
break at Saigon Airport. Don't think its worth while leaving airport,
checking
in & out and paying departure tax again.

Have not been at this airport before. What is it like to kill a few hours
there ? Any suggestion, comments most welcomed.


The lounge contains enough to keep you amused for about 45 seconds, unless
you want to use the overcrowded and horrifically expensive Internet booth.

There is a bar, so getting plastered is a possibility.

Go into town, if you can.

airport is very basic; Do not know if there is a restaurant there .
When I was there last year it was for picking up a flight to Kuala Lumpur
and another time to Singapore.
As I was travelling Business class I could wait for departure in lounge of
Vietnam Airlines where you could get some drinks and a
sandwich of undefined age.

see www.saigonairport.com



"Casual Looker" schreef in bericht
...
This is looking BAD. Do they at least sell food there, or do I bring 2
minutes
noddles and look for hot water ?!

In article , (Casual
Looker)
wrote:
Travelling back in September from Osaka to Melbourne via Saigon with a 7
hr
break at Saigon Airport. Don't think its worth while leaving airport,
checking
in & out and paying departure tax again.

Have not been at this airport before. What is it like to kill a few hours
there ? Any suggestion, comments most welcomed.

Many thanks,

(George W. Russell) wrote:
(Tchiowa) wrote in message . com...
(Casual Looker) wrote in message ...
It's gonna cost the 2 of us a total of about $180 just to get out. $70 Aus
each for visa and $20 Aus each for departure tax.

I haven't been to HCM for about 5 years. But when I was there the exit
tax was $10 US and it was required to paid paid in US Dollars, not
Dong or anything else. Check with whoever is making your travel
arrangments to make sure you can pay in AUD (or any other hard
currency).

I think he's just using equivalents. The departure tax is up to USD14
now and can be paid in either VND or USD.

George is correct.

For the first time, I paid in both currencies last month, as I still had a
few dong to get rid of.

Doug