Time to wrap this one up I think.....sorry I'm pretty much done photo wise.
Not much to say about arrival back into Oz. Getting through immigration and customs was straight forward. We crammed all our stuff into a taxi and the kids were back in their own beds just before midnight Saturday.
Two things made it clear we were in Perth. The lack of traffic, and the cost of the taxi. $130 for the 38Km drive.
Sheesh.
How would I sum up the whole experience?
The concept behind this trip was to avoid the misery the kids create during the long summer holidays. Or at least be somewhere else while we experience it.
And it worked. Although we had issues, there was nothing out of the ordinary. The demand on their capacity was actually lowered by the novelty of it all. Certainly the pool helped too. And the regular access to treats, juice, food, and of course new ipads. We just had to be a little flexible in our own thinking also.
They both mostly embraced the chance to do new things, be it coconut boats, making their own jewelry, or whatever. They didn't shirk from cultural differences and they mostly respected the way things are done and how people live and go about their lives in Hoi An.
So from that perspective I think we got everything out of it we had hoped for.
If you've read this far thank you. I've tried to give a real impression of how things went for us, warts and all.
Hoi An is a very good place for anyone looking to head to VN for the first time. It's small, easily navigated, and full of genuine local culture. Yes it's also heavily tourism oriented, and people will drive you nuts trying to take your money, but for the most part it's a friendly, welcoming town.
After a month though I reckon we've exhausted Hoi An as a future destination for the most part. I'm much more interested in going back to Da Nang specifically. To check out things like Ba Na Hills, or head to Hue etc. There's also obviously Hanoi, HCMC, or even a couple of more resort type options to explore.
Maybe even for Christmas 2026. Who knows?
