This post is not going to be about a typical experience in Da Nang. It is highly influenced by the effects of the Coronavirus, more recently referred to as COVID-19. As such, this is observational both of traveling in this city and in these times.
I’ll start with getting here: Our flight had been booked with AirAsia, which flies out of a small satellite airport in the middle of nowhere, 45 minutes outside of Melbourne. Arriving at 10:45am for a 10:45pm flight (to avoid sight-seeing with luggage), we killed time until the gates opened at 8:45pm. NOTE: There’s a possibility that we could’ve stored our bags in a locker at Southern Cross train station and made better use of our day, but we didn’t attempt it. Our bags cost us $280 to check and would’ve cost another $100 if I hadn’t move 1 kilo of gear into my coat pocket.
There were a lot of open seats on our AirAsia flights. There were no movie screens on the seats and drinks (soda/water) were $6. It was a long 8 hour flight. We had a 9 hour layover in Kuala Lumpur which we spent in the Priority+ lounge depleting their stock of Carlsberg.
Upon arrival in Vietnam we expected a health screen, but were basically handed a brochure that explained symptoms and suggested self-quarantine if you suspect infection. I thought it was too easy, and I was right. We’d been told to get a printed copy of our eVisa at the service desk, and they wisked us away to a small reception area where an interpreter was informing a gob-smacked girl that her options were 14 days quarantine at the hospital or an immediate return flight to the US. Our spirits dropped. But upon explaining that we’d been in Australia for 2.5 months, they sent us out the door into Da Nang!
At the baggage claim belt, we realized our AirBnB had been cancelled, but it was very easy to book another. We would soon realize, Da Nang is a ghost town.
Tips/Considerations:
Our flights into Osaka has been cancelled and there’s a possibility if we fly anywhere right now, we may be turned away and forced to pay for another flight. Different sources (online, travel agents, airlines) site different policies, so we’re trying to sort out the reality.
Our flight out of Osaka to Tbilisi, Georgia has not been cancelled, so we’re uncertain if we can’t get to our flight in Japan, can we recover the cost?
Although it probably sucks for the hosts, AirBnB policies to refund payments to renters who are unable to make their reservations has been an appreciated and welcomed gesture. VRBO, less so… if the renter doesn’t agree to refund the reservation, then you have to convince VRBO to do so.