30 Mar 2025 - Saigon Disembarkation
Disembarked the Pandaw boat at 8:30 am in the centre of Saigon where we had moored overnight.
We were dropped off at our hotel for the day, the Majestic. The Hotel Majestic is a historic luxury hotel. Built by local Chinese businessman Hui Bon Hoa in 1925 in a French Colonial and classical French Riviera styles. Bon Hoa was one of the richest business men in southern Vietnam at the time
All the people from the boat were staying at different hotels and the coach went round them all. The Majestic was one of the original hotels in Saigon. Our room was not available until 11:30 am so we had 2 1/2 hours there to kill . So we read for a while and then wandered off for over an hours walk, even risking crossing the streets of the city which has 10 million motorbikes in a population of 14 million people. We walked along the river to a large bridge and then back again, the day already being very hot out in the sunshine then we walked on to the Opera house and back again.
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It was a really nice, somewhat old-fashioned room with a lovely view over the pool two floors down below. We spent an hour or so in the room before going down to enjoy the pool, though the pool attendants were rather too invasive. Once back in the room we had a lunch snack and then wandered out again about 4 pm, hoping to reach the iconic post office. But rain prevented this and in the end we had to shelter for a while before arriving back at the hotel with a trifle damp Chris
We aimed to leave at 7 p.m for the airport. But at 6:30 pm a knock on the door presented us with more fruit and two drinks vouchers, so we accelerated the departure and got down in time to have two very agreeable happy hour cocktails before we called the Grab transport to the airport.
The world and its friend seem to be outside the airport that it was not too bad once inside and David got checked in through business class, as he had purchased business class from Istanbul on the previous day. Our flight took off at 10 pm and we were delighted to be two seat seats just by themselves and it was a fairly comfortable 10 hour flight to Istanbul with reasonable food.
We landed before 4:30 am at Istanbul Airport and made our way to the Turkish Airlines lounge, which is one of the best in the world , with more than nine hours before the flight onwards to Valencia . We made ourselves comfortable enjoying super food again before 2:30 pm flight to Valencia. The airport at Saigon David had spare Vietnamese currency to spend, so he bought me a lovely silk scarf and a Saigon bear with a coolie hat snuck in as well.
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Then on to Business Class flight to Valencia. The Boyzz alway travel Business Class, even when we do not
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