Round-the-World SAS EuroBonus Challenge Part 2: Bali to Vietnam – The Points Guy

I am doing SAS EuroBonus Million-Mile ChallengeIn total, this challenge will require me to travel 25 days on 18 flights and visit 15 different countries on 15 different SkyTeam airlines 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’s time to take to the skies again. Here’s where I went next and what I did.

Flight 4: Garuda Indonesia

I arrived at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) two and a half hours before my flight, which is quite early for me (I’m a last minute fly type of person).

I was surprised that when I arrived the airport was not even open as it was early in the morning and there were queues of people waiting to enter. This probably happened because I was in the domestic part of the terminal, as my next flight was to Jakarta.

Finally, after the doors opened and after going through security, I headed to the Blue Sky Lounge. It could be one of these best priority pass lounge I’ve seen a full barista-staffed coffee bar and even a chocolate fountain. Small bites and other beverages also became widespread.

Unfortunately, I was stuck with the middle seat on my flight, but it was only a two-hour hop on a Boeing 737, so it wasn’t too uncomfortable, especially because the seats had good 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 trip to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK), the service was excellent, even at the economy level, with full meals and very pleasant conversations.

I was very surprised to have a hot breakfast in economy class on such a short flight. I think the domestic American flyer in me is being surprised by the better service outside the country. It wasn’t restaurant-quality food, but the omelette tasted fresh and the sausage was good. I also appreciated the eco-friendly wooden cutlery.

The only downside to this flight was the lack of Wi-Fi, although since it was so short, it wasn’t a problem for me.

When I landed in Jakarta, I had about six and a half hours to fill, so I caught a Grab (A) ride-hailing service which you can find all over Asia) and head to the massive Grand Indonesia Mall to kill some time. I’m still amazed at how cheap it was to travel. Grab cost me $8 for a 45-minute airport ride round-trip.

My day was going quite well until I came back to CGK and checked in for myself vietnam airlines flight. Then I had to face some problems.

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

Once I sorted it out, I asked the Vietnam Airlines check-in agent to add my SAS EuroBonus number to my ticket, and he told me I was the 11th person to ask for it to be added that day. I’m really hoping there are some TPG readers out there chasing these millions of miles with me.

After clearing security and immigration, I went to the Plaza Premium lounge, where there was not much food and beverages available and the air conditioning was also not working. Needless to say, I was not late.

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

During this flight, a more full meal service was available with a choice between chicken or beef dishes. I chose beef, the sauce of which was delicious, but the meat itself was very tough.

Like my previous Garuda flight, there was no Wi-Fi, but that was okay as the flight time was less than three hours.

vietnam highlights

From bustling cities with streets full of motorbikes to beaches and mountains full of beautiful scenery, I wish I had five weeks, not five days, to explore Vietnam. I will definitely return.

For this trip, I started in Ho Chi Minh City, which was bustling with pre-holiday activities. I spent a few days exploring its various neighbourhoods, visiting temples, its grand central post office and the famous Bui Vien walking street, which is popular with backpackers.

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Chris Nelson/The Points Guy

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

Of course, I ate as much local Vietnamese cuisine around town 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 a total of $260 for three nights. This proved to be an excellent option as the hotel had free laundry facilities and I had a few piles of clothes that needed washing.

In Hanoi, I saw temples, pagodas, the Old Quarter and the famous Hanoi Train Street, which was worth a visit. The sheer number of markets, cafes and street vendors selling food and other goods along the train tracks was astonishing. I arrived early enough to get a seat at a café so that I could see the train arriving just a short distance from where I was sitting. This was encouraging.

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Chris Nelson/The Points Guy

And as I did in Ho Chin Minh City, I tried almost every local dish I could find, plus a very tasty pizza at a restaurant called Pizza 4PS.

Overall, I had a great time in Vietnam.

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

I also loved how affordable my trip was. The average price of my Grab ride was less than $1.50 and the cost of my meals, even at sit-down restaurants, was usually less than $4. Budget and mid-tier travelers can easily make do on $40-$70 per day without sacrificing anything about the experience. Luckily credit cards were accepted everywhere I went, so I was able to pay with my main travel card Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card And earn valuable points along the way.