Round-the-world SAS EuroBonus challenge part 2: Bali to Vietnam

I’m doing the SAS EuroBonus million-mile challenge. In total, the challenge will consist of me traveling for 25 days on 18 flights and visiting 15 different countries on 15 different SkyTeam airlines in order to end up with 1 million SAS EuroBonus miles.

My first week on the road took me from Portland to Seoul, South Korea, via Seattle, and on to Bali on a combination of carriers including Delta, Korean Air and Garuda Indonesia.

After several blissful (if rainy) days in Bali, it was time to take to the skies again. Here’s where I went next and what I’ve been up to.

Flight 4: Garuda Indonesia

I arrived at Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) on Bali two and a half hours before my flight, which is quite early for me (I tend to be a last-minute flyer).

To my surprise, the airport wasn’t even open when I arrived since it was early in the morning, and there was a queue of people waiting to enter. This might have been because I was in the domestic part of the terminal, since my next flight was just to Jakarta.

Eventually, the doors opened and after I got through security, I proceeded to the Blue Sky Lounge. This might be one of the best Priority Pass lounges I’ve visited, with a full barista-manned coffee bar and even a chocolate fountain. There was also a sizable spread of small bites and other beverages.

Unfortunately, I was stuck with a middle seat on my flight, but it was only a two-hour hop aboard a Boeing 737, so it was not too uncomfortable, especially because the seats had decent padding and seatback entertainment monitors. According to Skytrax, Garuda Indonesia won the award for best cabin crew last year, and I can see why. On this short haul to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK), the service was excellent, even in economy, with a full meal and very pleasant interactions.

I was pretty surprised to receive a hot breakfast in economy class on such a short flight. I guess that’s the frequent domestic U.S. flyer in me being surprised by better service outside of the country. It was not a restaurant-quality meal, but the omelet tasted fresh and the sausage was decent. I also appreciated the eco-friendly wooden cutlery.

The only downside of this flight was the lack of Wi-Fi, though since it was so short, that wasn’t an issue for me.

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Flight 5: Vietnam Airlines

When I landed in Jakarta, I had about six and a half hours to fill, so I caught a Grab (a ride-hailing service that you can find throughout much of Asia) and headed to the enormous Grand Indonesia mall to kill some time. I’m still amazed at how affordable getting around was. The Grab cost me $8 for a 45-minute airport ride round-trip.

My day was going pretty smoothly until I returned to CGK and was checking in for my Vietnam Airlines flight. That’s when I encountered a few snafus.

My visa for Vietnam had not been processed originally because there was an error, and it needed some revisions. I had submitted the revisions in time and was told it would be resolved in three working days, but in the end, it had not processed in time. Because of that, I was forced to pay a hefty $370 fee to get an expedited emergency visa on arrival. It was just my luck that my original visa was processed the morning after I got to Vietnam.

Once I got that sorted out, I asked the Vietnam Airlines check-in agent to add my SAS EuroBonus number to my ticket, and they told me I was the 11th person that day asking to add that. I am really hoping that there are some TPG readers out there chasing these million miles along with me.

After clearing security and immigration, I went to the Plaza Premium lounge, where there were not many food and beverage items on offer and the air conditioning did not seem to be working. Needless to say, I did not linger.

Once I boarded the Vietnam Airlines Airbus A321 that would be taking me to Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) in Ho Chi Minh City, I realized I had lucked out with an exit-row seat with extra legroom.

During this flight, there was another full meal service with the choice between a chicken or beef dish. I opted for the beef, whose sauce was flavorful, but the meat itself was very tough.

Like my earlier Garuda flight, there was no Wi-Fi on this one, but that was fine as the flight time was less than three hours.

Vietnam highlights

From bustling cities with motorbike-clogged streets to coasts and mountains full of beautiful scenery, I wish I had five weeks and not five days to explore Vietnam. I am definitely going to return.

For this trip, I started in Ho Chi Minh City, which was teeming with preholiday activity. I spent a couple days exploring its various neighborhoods and wandered through temples, its imposing central post office and the famous Bui Vien walking street that’s popular with backpackers.

I stayed at the Le Meridien Saigon, which had an outstanding breakfast buffet and was a solid value at around $130 or 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

Of course, I ate local Vietnamese cuisine around the city as much as possible, from steamy pho to crusty banh mi sandwiches to ultrafresh goi cuon (summer rolls). It was all delicious.

After two days in Ho Chi Minh City, I took a quick two-hour shuttle flight to Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) in Hanoi, where I spent the next three days.

I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn in Hanoi, where I paid $260 total for three nights. This proved to be an excellent choice as the hotel had free laundry facilities and I had some clothes piled up that needed to be washed.

In Hanoi, I saw temples, pagodas, the Old Quarter and the famous Hanoi Train Street, which was something to behold. The sheer number of markets, cafes and street vendors selling food and other items along the train tracks was astounding. I arrived early enough to get a seat at a cafe so I could watch as the train chugged by within arm’s reach of where I sat. It was exhilarating.

And just like I had in Ho Chin Minh City, I tried just about every local dish I could find, plus what turned out to be a rather delicious pizza at a restaurant called Pizza 4ps.

Overall, I had an excellent time in Vietnam.

When I return, I want to try doing the Ha Giang Loop, a famous four-day motorcycle route in the northern mountains, and hit the beaches of Da Nang on the central coast.

I also loved how affordable my visit was. My Grab rides averaged less than $1.50 each and my meals, even at sit-down restaurants, were typically below $4. Budget and mid-tier travelers can easily get by on $40-$70 per day without sacrificing anything about the experience. Luckily everywhere I went accepted credit cards, so I was able to pay with my main travel card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and earn valuable points along the way.

Bottom line

Things have been going smoothly, aside from my visa issue. That said, I’m bracing myself for the second half of my journey, where I have 12 flights in 10 days. I’m hoping that everything goes according to plan, and I’m looking forward to flying on some unique new airlines for me.

Stay tuned for part 3 as I journey to Taiwan, China, Thailand and Saudi Arabia, as it is going to be an action-packed sprint.