When we say “sleeper buses in Vietnam”, what comes to mind?
For most Singaporeans, it’s not something that we consider at all, with most of us preferring to take flights within Vietnam. But we’re here to present the VIP Cabin Bus from Ho Chi Minh to Nha Trang, which is more like a pod hotel with swanky private cabins that come with LED lighting. Honestly, they look more like spaceships.
The bus travels between 2 cities: Ho Chi Minh and Nha Trang, a coastal city in Southern Vietnam. It’s a 9-hour bus journey altogether. If you’re taking the bus from Ho Chi Minh, the bus company will send you details of the meeting point, which is one of the city’s biggest bus stations. This is where you’ll get onboard a minivan, which will then shuttle you to another bus station where you’ll board the VIP Cabin Bus.
When boarding the bus, you’ll be required to take off your shoes. Don’t worry about losing them, the bus operators will hand you a plastic bag, and there’s a compartment in your cabin to store them.
Unlike the usual sleeper buses that feature seats that only recline halfway, this one looks like a capsule hotel with private cabins featuring privacy curtains. Each cabin also has its own flat screen TV and a control panel at the side with buttons like “sleep”, “light”, and “LED”.
You don’t have to worry about exceeding your data roaming, because each cabin has Wi-Fi along with a charging pod for your devices.
Image credit: Seek Sophie
And unlike the usual sleeper buses in Vietnam, the seats here fully recline, functioning like a bed. If you’d rather sit instead of lie down, it can also be set upright to be turned into a seat.
There’s also a night light, should you want to do some reading.
If you’re a night owl, enjoy the ride while looking out of your window. Otherwise, you can pull the shutters down to block out light coming from outside.
Image credit: Seek Sophie
There’s an option to choose between double or single cabins. The bus with double cabins comes with a small toilet onboard. But if not, it makes frequent stops along the way – so you don’t need to worry about holding it in.
It’s an overnight bus lasting 9 hours, so there are 3 departure timings late at night: 10.20pm, 10.30pm, and 11pm. When booking, we’d advise you to take into account your arrival timing and make arrangements with your hotel if you’re arriving in the wee hours of the morning.
Image credit: Klook
There are various platforms where you can book your tickets, but most of them are in Vietnamese. We did, however, find the tickets for this journey on Klook – so you can be assured that the booking company is legit.
Tickets cost S$26.59 for a single cabin and S$41.55 for a double cabin, which can fit 2 people comfortably.
You may be thinking, “Is it worth it to take the VIP Cabin Bus in Vietnam?”
In comparison, a 1-hour plane between Ho Chi Minh to Nha Trang costs around S$50/person. So taking the bus can save you some money, but the entire journey takes a much longer time.
It depends on your priorities when you’re travelling. If you only have a few days in Vietnam, we’d say just book a flight. But if you’re travelling on a budget or have more time on your hands, the VIP Cabin Bus can be a really cool experience.
And if Ho Chi Minh and Nha Trang aren’t on your travel itinerary, we also found a similar bus service between Ha Noi and Sapa. So you really get to choose your own adventure.
If you love slow travel, check out:
Cover image adapted from: @l2dpy08 via Instagram & Klook
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