Departure Day: Off to Chengdu
Finally, it is the day of departure! Our flight to Chengdu was scheduled for 5pm, and as usual for group travel, we were asked to be at the airport three hours early to meet our tour leader.
For tour groups with more than 20 people, a dedicated tour leader is assigned and coincidentally, our group had exactly 20 paxes. So far, all my trips with Chan Brothers have come with a tour leader, and honestly, it makes a world of difference. They handle logistics, keep everyone on track, and save us from unnecessary headaches so we can just enjoy the trip.
This post is part of our 13-day Tibet journey, documenting each day of our journey across Nyingchi, Lhasa, Everest Base Camp, and the Qinghai–Tibet Railway. Read the full itinerary here.
Changi Airport Terminal 2
This time, we were flying Sichuan Airlines from Changi Airport Terminal 2. Terminal 2 was renovated and reopened in 2023, and wow – it’s really beautiful.
Sichuan Airlines is good!
This was our first time flying Sichuan Airlines, and I’m pretty sure it won’t be our last. In fact, I think they are my new favourite airline. Their inflight food was good! I am not a big fan of inflight food to be honest. I’ve always found them tasteless but Sichuan Airlines inflight food was really tasty. So much so I finished the entire rice (a rare achievement).
They gave out a small packet of Chinese preserved vegetables which paired perfectly with the rice. In the meal box, there was also bread, strawberry milk, and a banana. And guess what, and on top of that, the cabin crew went around offering warm toasted buns separately.
Of course, this being Sichuan, there was also chilli. A stewardess was walking up and down the aisle with a bottle of chilli in their hands asking if anyone wants chilli. The lady next to me asked for some, and the stewardess happily scooped a big spoonful onto her rice. Oh wow… if I wasn’t worried about getting a stomachache mid-flight, I would love to give it a try.
Made an acquaintance on the flight
That same lady ended up becoming my flight buddy. I finished the rice but I didn’t touch anything that was in the box as I was pretty full by then. She, on the other hand, asked for a second serving of the inflight meal. Noted that she had been eating basically non-stop since takeoff – bread, snacks, milk etc. What really amazed me was that she was super slim and I am really surprised that she is such a big eater.
I casually commented – “wow you are so slim but you can really eat.. I noticed you eating non – stop since the flight took off and now 2 servings of the inflight meals“, and that became our ice-breaker and we ended up chatting through the flight – hah.
She shared with me that she had just graduated from university (dance faculty) and was heading home after a one-month long travel through Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore. We chatted about her studies, travels, her family and how her parents allowing her to take it easy and not stress about having to find a job immediately. Super friendly, very chatty and a nice lady. Suddenly the flight wasn’t as long and boring anymore.
Touchdown in Chengdu
We finally landed at Chengdu Airport. The walk from the arrival gate to immigration felt endless. While waiting for our luggage, I noticed a video showing how baggage is handled during drop-off. Safe to say, nobody can throw luggage around anymore.
Overnight at the Airport Hotel
Because we had an early flight to catch the next morning at 7:55am from Chengdu to Nyingchi, we stayed at Tianfu Joyhub Cheer Hotel, which is conveniently located within the airport vicinity about a 10-minute walk away.
Even so, we had a local guide picked us up at the arrival gate and walked us to the airport hotel. By the time we checked in, it was already around 10pm. With breakfast at 5am and checkout at 5:30am, there was just enough time for a quick shower before calling it a night.
Tomorrow, an early morning flight and the start of our journey into Nyingchi, the start of our Tibet’s adventure.
Continue reading: Day 2: Chengdu – Nyingchi