Paradise 
Are CPAP devices counted towards your carry on luggage?
Rainy season in DaNang but getting a couple of hours of fine weather each day to get out and about but going to alter plans slightly as parents are currently in China for 4 weeks and we are going to fly up to Chongqing and catch up them for a few days before they do Yangtze cruise number 6. We have a few days to kill so we will make our way over to Shanghai and have a few days there before heading back to HCMC to fly home
Side note, I broke a tooth here yesterday and the hotel concierge advised me to go down to the DaNang Family hospital. Wasnāt expecting to get anything done but booked in straight away, consultation, x-rays all done within 30 minutes. The dentistry section probably had 40 operating chairs so waited about 5 minutes and then tooth extracted and stitched up, given some pain killers and on your way. Was at the hospital for just over 2hrs. Asked of I wanted to pay or claim on insurance, total cost 1,200,000VND or about $70. Paid cash and took some brochures as Iām missing a couple of other teeth through sporting injuries and looking to eventually go and get multiple inserts. Maybe a dental holiday next year
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Cool.
And how good is Vietnam!
Very.
And getting to do with my dad and a bunch of his fellow war veteran buddies made it even better.
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Yeah, we love it here. In the last 10 years we have pretty much dropped off one Bali trip each year and pivoted to Vietnam instead with the plan being to spend at least 1-2 weeks in Vietnam each year
Does anyone have any recommendations for a nice hotel to stay in Istanbul, to see the sights?
Sultanahmet is the old city area and probably the best area for sightseeing but have never stayed in that area. There is no shortage of accommodation in Istanbul but I canāt recommend anything in that part of town as we stay over at Besiktas or near Taksim square and just use their good PT system or taxi to get around
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As Aceman posted, Sultanahmet is the best area to stay. Stayed at Armada Istanbul Old City Hotel last May - was ok.
Walking distance to the major attractions and the tram.
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Coincidentally I just arrived in Shanghai now and will be here for a week or so. If you see a bloke on the Bund wearing a Bomberblitz cap, that will be me.
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I travelled to Istanbul many times.
Always stay at The Story Hotel Pera. Central to all tourist stuff and good for the business traveler like I was. There are cheap rooms without much of a view and more expensive with views. Always found Istanbul safe to walk around, taxis are cheap and there is lots to see. Museums are excellent, food is great and nightlife is fun.
Anyway look around, as some places can be expensive and there are always deals to be had for hotels.
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We stayed on the Asian side of the Bosphorus in Kadikoy for 5 nights. We found it a great area with the majority of people being locals, not like Sultanahmet, which is chocablock full of tourists.
Only a 50c ferry ride across the Strait which takes 30 minutes or the underground metro for same price if you want to get over quicker. You notice the difference straight away, on the Kadikoy side people leave you alone and go about their daily lives, as soon as you get to Sultanahmet, the hassle of the carpet store guys, tour guides, people pretending to be friendly but have ulterior motives etc starts around all the main sites, and the whole area is very crowded with both pedestrians and cars.
We found it a relief getting back to the Kadikoy side each day and the area has a lively night vibe with heaps of pubs, cafes , open to all hours, but again we were left alone over there, both day and night. Highly recommend if you prefer staying where locals stay, and obviously itās a bit cheaper too.
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5 days until we fly out to Seoul. Figured weād shoehorn in one last out-of-school-holidays family trip before Little Miss B starts high school next year. From hereon in thingsāll be confined to school holidays and the price gouging that goes with themā¦
Canāt wait (though the 10-14 degC in the forecast looks on the chilly sideā¦)
It seems we are getting in too late (after 11 pm) for the airport-city metro and also for the airport-city bus. The airport transfers seem extortionately expensive, which leaves taxis (or Uber/Kakao etc.) as the realistic option. Anyone had experience with getting from Incheon Airport to Seoul City Centre after 11 pm?
Does your hotel offer a free shuttle service or a paid airport transfer service?
Taxis are easy and plentiful but for around the same cost you can book a private car which can be better if you have heaps of luggage.
No - hotel doesnāt have shuttle transfer service, unfortunately.
2 adults, 1 child - each with a suitcase and daypack.
Lots of Taxis and cheap enough, about $40. Taxis are strictly controlled so the fares are reasonable.
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As @Bacchusfox has mentioned, taxis are plentiful, easy to use and very strictly regulated. If Iām getting in at that time of night though I just want to get straight to my hotel so happy to pay a little bit more for a private transfer where you get greeted at the exit and whisked away. It may only cost you $20 more and you wonāt have to fight with the masses for a taxi. Incheon will be very busy at that time of night still
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I stayed a year ago at the Sirkeci Mansion Hotel, which is right in the heart of old Istanbul, European side. It was great. A bit old fashioned, but I had a very large room with a good bathroom and the staff were all pleasant and helpful. If you have Qantas frequent flyer points you can pay with those.
The one downside is that most taxi drivers will tell you that they canāt drive into the street, but if you arrange the airport transfers through the hotel there wonāt be a problem. If you stay there I strongly recommend booking a Hammam experience in the hotel itself; if you havenāt had one before itās quite amazing and leaves you feeling absolutely sensational. Allow three hours for the treatment and recovery, because afterwards you will not want to do anything except sit and relax.
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Thank you.
Going to Asia for a few weeks and looking at getting a travel eSIM. Anyone got experience with what is best and easiest. Simify has been suggested, no idea how it works. Does it use a new Sim or can you still get calls on your phone number.