In our travels, we often create unforgettable memories.
Sometimes it happens when we meet a fascinating local. Other times, it happens during an adventure where we conquer our fears. There are many possibilities.
On my 4-day trip to Northern Vietnam, I collected a few of these moments. One of the most memorable happened at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport.
I landed at midnight. And what should have been a routine arrival turned into a small adventure of its own.
Let me share my story so you can get an idea of what to expect, and know what to do if you find yourself in the same situation. I’ll cover three things.
- What the arrival area at Noi Bai International Airport is like in the wee hours
- How to buy a SIM card there, and
- My experience trying to sleep on the airport benches.
Hi reader! It’s Eljon, and before we continue, I want to welcome you to my blog, Explore to Thrive. Here, I share my experiences with traveling, reflections on spirituality, personal growth and insights on building an online business, all to make a difference. But my mission goes beyond that. You can learn more about what I do by visiting my homepage.
The Story
To be honest, even before my trip to Northern Vietnam, I had a feeling my flight to Hanoi that night would be special.
It was going to be my first time flying by myself, without friends or family by my side.
My very first solo flight!
It wasn’t supposed to happen that way through. Because, my friend and I had planned to travel together for the entire trip.
Things did not work out for that flight, and the reason is a long story. But to keep it simple, it all came down to our tight budget.
When we were booking flights, the discounted seats sold out fast. We missed the chance to get affordable seats on the same flight. You know, the usual Cebu Pacific Piso Fare seat sale.
In fact, I almost missed out on the last discounted seat when I was booking my flight. When I tried to book, there was only one left, and it was the latest flight of the night. I wanted a different time, but there was no cheaper option, so I booked that one.
Because of that, I didn’t get to Hanoi until very late at night. In fact, it was already midnight when I arrived in Noi Bai International Airport.
Wee Hours at Noi Bai Airport
When I arrived, the airport was still operating, but hardly anyone was around.
All the shops, restaurants, and even fast food places had closed. Only the information booth and the telecom stalls where you can buy SIM cards were open.
The buses had already stopped running, too. So if you wanted to get to the Old Quarter or go straight to your hotel, there was only two options.
The first was Grab, which is the Uber of Southeast Asia. The second was taking a taxi parked outside the terminal gates.
Either way, neither option was cheap. When I checked Grab that night, the fare was nine times higher than the bus. If my memory serves me right, I also asked the taxi drivers how much they charged. It turned out the price was almost the same as Grab.
As a guy traveling in his 20s on a tight budget, I chose the option that made the most sense for me.
I went with the adventure option. Or better said, the stay in the airport until the bus service resumes option.
I turned the airport into my temporary base, catching sleep wherever I could.
Also, picking up everything I needed for the rest of the trip. That meant buying a SIM card and securing an internet connection.
Buying SIM Card in the Airport
Before the trip, I had already researched how to buy a SIM card in Vietnam, so I wasn’t stressed when I got to the airport.
At the airport, however, I saw a few stalls for different network providers. For example, Viettel, Vinaphone, and Mobifone. Among the three, I decided to go with Viettel. My research said it had good coverage in all the places we were planning to visit.
Spoiler, later in our trip, Viettel turned out to be the right choice. The signal stayed strong almost everywhere we went.
It only struggled in rural areas between towns and attractions. There was still coverage, but the data slowed down a lot. During bus rides through those stretches, we could barely watch YouTube.
Still, it was not a big deal since our bus had wifi. As soon as we noticed the data connection drop, we simply switched to it.
If you are thinking of buying a SIM card at the airport, here is the process.
- Choose the provider you prefer and tell the staff which plan you want.
- They will ask for your passport for registration.
- Pay for the plan, then let them install and activate the SIM for you.
- You can test it before leaving the counter to make sure everything works.
Sleeping at the Airport
After grabbing a SIM card, I searched for a place to sleep. It wasn’t hard since it was already the wee hours.
Most of the long benches in the arrival lobby were empty. Although, a few travelers were already there, trying to get some rest too.
At first, I picked the benches near the airport gates since there weren’t many people there. But as I got closer, I saw random folks like taxi drivers coming in and out.
That made me feel uneasy and a little suspicious. I started wondering if it was safe, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep with that thought hanging over me.
So I moved to a spot in the middle of the arrival hall, away from the gates but not too close to the dark, sketchy corners.
The benches weren’t 100% comfortable to lie on. But they were long enough for me to stretch out. And to be honest, that was good enough, at least for me, lol.
What about my things? Where did I leave them?
I had only one shoulder bag and a piece of luggage with me. I thought about using the airport lockers. But after seeing that they had closed the second floor of the arrivals area, I gave up on the idea.
Instead, I lay down, rested an arm on my luggage, and used my shoulder bag, where I kept all my important things, as a pillow.
That way, I could rest while keeping an eye on my stuff, and I would notice anyone trying to pull it right away.
I have to say, getting any sleep on airport benches is tough. I couldn’t stop thinking about all the crazy scenarios that might happen while I’m asleep.
What if there are a bunch of sketchy people lurking around, waiting for me to doze off? What if someone takes a photo of me and posts it online to make fun of me?
In the end, I told myself, screw it, I’m tired, and I’m going to trust that most people in the world are decent and good. So I closed my eyes and let go.
The next thing I know, I hear the loud clatter of the airport shops’ metal shutters rolling up as they open. I checked my bags and thanked God that all my things were still with me.
Next up was my bus ride to Hanoi’s Old Quarter. I’ve written about it in a separate blog post. This part of the trip wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, but I’ve included some tips that might come in handy. Check it out!
Final Words
Sleeping on airport benches, not in a capsule, hotel, or even a massage chair, is actually kind of a wild experience, isn’t it?
It’s one of those crazy moments I’ll never forget and always love sharing with my friends when airports come up.
However, I probably wouldn’t do it again, and only would if I had no other choice.
Heading to Hanoi or Northern Vietnam and still piecing your trip together? If flights, stays, transfers, or tours are on your mind, you’re covered. I created a simple one page planning resource to help you organize every part of your journey with ease. Take a look and start traveling with confidence.
Planning to Visit Northern Vietnam?
Don’t forget to grab all my Northern Vietnam maps to make planning easier. Just click any map below to see the details. Also, check out my travel planning resource page (button also at the end). It has everything you need, from flights and hotels to transfers, tours, and more.
Discover more than 30 attractions with my tourist map of Northern Vietnam. It includes 8 towns and surrounding sights, from scenic coastlines to spectacular mountain peaks and time transporting historical landmarks.
Thank you for reading
I hope my trip and experiences spark ideas for your travels and help you plan your next trip. But before you go, if you haven’t checked it out yet, drop by my homepage so I can give myself a proper introduction. Catch you there!
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