Ho Chi Minh City - (Spring 2025) - Departure Day

Takashimaya Mall

Went to a nearby mall in the morning to see if there were any good snacks in the food court

The McDonalds here has Korean fried chicken

Yamazaki (Takashimaya Mall)

There are few things more satisfying for me than the pillowy crustless sandwiches that you find everywhere in Japan. In the basement food court they had a Yamazaki shop that had these little pockets of happiness.

21 Grams (Cafe Apartments)

Went back to the cafe apartments to try a different shop and have another coffee before heading to the airport.

Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport

I would say the airport was the least appealing part of the Ho Chi Minh City experience.

The only positive thing is that it is not too far out from the city.

It is not the most organized place and a short flight to Da Nang turned into a long travel day with a 6 hour delay which was not very enjoyable.

I have also heard that VietJet is often delayed and they lived up that reputation.

Even after we arrived in Da Nang after a short flight, we were stuck on the plain for quite a while they tried to find ground support staff.

Trung Nguyen Legend Coffee

Went across the street from the terminal to kill some time at a coffee shop. This high end chain has a pretty bold marketing motto “The Energy Coffee That Changes Life.” Good coffee, yes, but life changing? That is a pretty high bar. Nevertheless, it was a comfy air conditioned place to kill time.

Big Bowl (Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport)

We were stuck long enough at the airport to need some food. This chicken pho place in the terminal was actually surprisingly good. You can just tell from looking at the broth that this bowl was going to be flavorful.