On this trip, I traveled to work in Vietnam. My mission was to go to the southernmost city of Vietnam called “Ca Mau.” This city is quite small, with a population of less than a million people. It is about 300 kilometers away from Ho Chi Minh City. There are two ways to travel between Ca Mau and Ho Chi Minh City: by road or by plane. For this trip, I chose to travel by plane because it took approximately 1 hour, unlike the road, which could take up to 6-7 hours. The road traffic in Vietnam has several limitations, such as narrow roads with only two lanes and strict speed limits, making it difficult to drive at high speeds.
Traveling by plane between Ca Mau and Ho Chi Minh City had its limitations – there was only one flight per day! And the sole provider of this service was the national airline, Vietnam Airlines. The flight operations were handled by a subsidiary called Vietnam Air Service Co., Ltd., or VASCO, whose slogan was “Short distance, long happiness.” They operated the ATR-72 Turboprop aircraft for these flights. Here are the details of this flight:
Flight Number : VN8060
Airline : Vietnam Airline (Operated by VASCO)
Route : Ca Mau (CAH) – Ho Chi Minh (SGN)
Flight time : 07.25am – 08.30am
Duration : 1 Hour 5 minutes
Aircraft : ATR – 72 Turboprop
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I arrived at Ca Mau Airport around 6.45 AM (with a 40-minute buffer before the departure, thanks to the hotel’s complimentary shuttle service). I headed to the check-in counter at the airport, which was quite small with only two counters. This meant there was no need to hurry or worry about approaching the wrong counter. After all, there was just one flight per day, operated by a single airline 😀 (You could say that once this flight was done, they could close the airport until the next day). 😆
The atmosphere outside the airport was vibrant, and inside the departure hall (which was almost adjacent to the arrival hall because the airport was incredibly small), I could feel the excitement in the air. I approached the check-in counters, eager to begin my journey.
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After checking-in, I got the boarding pass.
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In the meantime, I had enough time to find something to eat while waiting to board the plane. However, once I passed through security, there were no more shops or vendors available. Luckily, there was one restaurant in the departure hall that served snacks and coffee. I decided to treat myself to a bowl of traditional Vietnamese phở and a refreshing iced coffee. It cost me 50,000 VND (approximately 2.50 USD), and it was worth every penny.
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After going through security, I made my way to the boarding gate, where the aircraft was already waiting for me. However, the staff informed me to have a seat and wait a little longer as the plane wasn’t quite ready for boarding. Nonetheless, after about 5 minutes, they unexpectedly announced boarding (perhaps to maintain order and avoid chaos, considering the airport was incredibly small). Instead of having everyone standing and crowding around the boarding gate, they wanted to ensure a smooth process.
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Once the boarding time was coming, the ground staffs had opened the gate and inspected the boarding pass. Then, I walked to board the aircraft which is only 20 meters away from the boarding gate.
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The interior ambiance was quite pleasant. The seats were arranged in a 2-2 configuration, typical of the ATR-72 aircraft, and there was only one cabin. The seat pitch was suitable for my height, as I stand at 183 centimeters tall. It was fortunate that the flight was only one hour long; otherwise, I might have felt cramped with this seat pitch on a longer journey.
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As the plane was taxiing, they began distributing cool towels and drinking water (which was surprising because once the flight takes off, they usually don’t offer anything else).
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Then, I took to the skies, leaving the city of Ca Mau behind and heading towards Ho Chi Minh City. One advantage of flying on a turboprop aircraft (Turbodrop) is that it doesn’t fly at a very high altitude, allowing for a clear and vivid view of the landscape below. 🙂
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After a while of sitting, the plane began to descend, preparing for landing at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. From the elevated perspective of the bustling capital’s commercial hub, I could clearly see the distinct view of Vietnam’s trading capital.
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Once the captain smoothly landed the aircraft, it taxied to its designated parking spot. Following the usual procedure for the petite ATR-72 aircraft, which was too small to reach the aerobridge, we had to use a bus gate. Afterward, I proceeded to collect my luggage at baggage claim belt number 1.
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All of this was a short domestic flight review within Vietnam, using the turboprop aircraft of Golden Lotus, the logo carrier airline of Vietnam, as I embarked on another memorable and delightful experience. Traveling along this route in my neighboring country…. Vietnam. 🇻🇳
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Written by : SHIPY SIWARIT TIASUWATTISETH
Shipy-Ship 