A relaxing day at the beach, in readiness for a late night and an anxious watch of the England v Switzerland match.

Our hotel, The Little Oasis is situated half way between the beach and the old town, so having visited the centre we decided to hit the sand and their sister beach club.

The hotel has a free courtesy bus out to Ang Bang beach, so by 10.30am we were safely ensconced on our sun loungers. The view is pretty special and we could see across the water out to the nearby Cham Islands where we plan to visit in a couple of days for snorkelling and diving.

We spent the next few hours rotating between reading on the loungers and dipping in the sea. It’s a hot day, with the temperature exceeding 37 degrees and no clouds, so by mid afternoon we decided to retire to the beach club for a bite to eat.

The beach club a great view out over the beach and we soon settled in with a salad & chilled drinks. Sometimes we have to pinch ourselves that we are here, experiencing these wonderful times and we don’t want to miss a moment.

After a couple more hours on the beach, we returned early evening in readiness for our complimentary dinner at the hotel. It was a big surprise to learn that as part of our extended stay they had included a meal on the hotel. It doesn’t get much better than this.

We have become so used to light meals in the evening, when our three courses arrived it was slightly overwhelming. The fresh food was presented so beautifully, we had to leave it for a few moments to take in the spectacle. We have realised how much better we feel eating healthily and are determined to maintain our SE Asian diet when we return to the UK.

The meal was superb, served by friendly snd hospitable staff. Given how much we have enjoyed the last day or so, we have decided to stay in Hoi A for 2 weeks and try and see as much of the area as we can.

Added to this we love the hotel set up and are blown away by how reasonable it is to stay here, way less than you’d pay for a basic travel-lodge hotel in England.

After dinner we stayed up to watch the next instalment of the England journey in the Euros. As we are 6hrs ahead, the game only kicked off at 11pm so when the match went to extra time and penalties it was the middle of the night. For once though it was worth it, England were victorious and we have the semifinals to ‘look forward to’ on Thursday morning in Vietnam. Here’s hoping we can beat the Dutch and get to the finals!

Waking up to sunshine really helps to set you in a good mood for the day. So it was today in Da Nang.

Andy woke early and feeling particularly healthy, went for a 10k run along the seafront.

We are checking out of our hotel this morning and taking a short taxi journey 20k south to Hoi An, where we have booked to stay in a country retreat called the Little Oasis.

Arriving in Hoi An, a return visit after our brief stay a month or so back, we realised why we decided to come back. The place is stunningly beautiful and we have landed on our feet, with a great find on Booking.com a stunning boutique spa hotel half way between Hoi An town and the beach.

We were greeted with the most amazing hospitality, complimentary welcome drinks, a voucher for a evening meal at the hotel and discount offers against a host of things including restaurants in the town, tailors and tours to do. Within an hour we’ve booked tonight’s restaurant in the town, a walking tour, a day trip to My Son sanctuary, an archaeological Chang temple site.

It was then time to go and explore the hotel pools and relax in the sunshine and make further plans for the next few days.

After a quick shower and change, we made a detour to the hotel bar for a swift Saigon beer, before getting a lift into Hoi An for a wander around the town before dinner at Little Faifo, a stunning Vietnamese restaurant.

Whilst we have been to Hoi A before, going back solo made us realise how right we were to return. It’s such a pretty place and full of great restaurants as well as a bevy of shops selling leather goods and cashmere & silk scarves which may end up ‘investing in’ by the end of our stay!

There’s so much to see whilst wandering the streets, with local craftsman making decorative pieces for the many tourists, many of which appear to emanate from South Korea who have taken over from the Chinese in recent years.

Seeing the town in the daylight is great, but it takes on a magical feel once the sunsets and the lanterns come to life.

We spent a hour or so looking for gifts for our daughter Amelia, before Michelle wilted and bought herself some Gucci lookalike sunglasses!

After a hunt to find the restaurant we eventually found the place and were instantly impressed by our table spot, sitting on the veranda over looking the street and river beyond. The food was a mix of Vietnamese and Indian, so we tried a bit of both tapas style accompanied by a cool Saigonese lager 333.

As the evening wore on the place got busier and there was a lovely atmosphere, accompanied by good service and very reasonably priced food & drinks.

After going for post dinner drinks in one of the small bars close to the river, we headed back to the hotel who conveniently provide a complimentary courtesy bus to pick you up. The hotel has proven to be a great find and we plan to stay for at least a week, given how reasonably priced the place is and the good service on offer.

Here’s looking forward to another enjoyable day tomorrow.

As this is our last full day in Da Nang we decided to make it a relaxing one.

Andy went for a massage at Panda spa, a place we’d been recommended by people we met on a tour, whilst Michelle got herself comfortable at B&B, a French themed bakery which did the most amazing cakes.

Our walk from the hotel to the spa took us along the beachfront. In the sunshine the sandy beach looks so idyllic and we can definitely see why Da Nang is a big favourite for Vietnamese holiday makers.

All along the beach are huge seafood restaurants with fish and shellfish swimming in tanks ready to be picked and served.

As Andy worked up a sweat having a sports massage at the spa, Michelle ached over which cake she might want first. So many choices!!

After the spa workout and lunch, we went for a walk along the main beach and watched the Vietnamese and South Korean tourists at play.

What we’ve discovered is that during the hottest times of the day, the beach is often pretty quiet, and it’s only around 4.30/5pm when people start to arrive and go for a dip into the sea.

The only people to be found on the sand in between times are Europeans who like us can’t miss the opportunity to soak up the sun and top up their tans.

As a city beach, you couldn’t ask for more, it’s long wide and very sandy and the water doesn’t get very deep until you’re a good 50m or so out into the ocean.

As we watched people line up to go paragliding off the back of a speedboat, we debated whether we should have a go. Having seen three young sisters go up together, we got close to committing.

https://videopress.com/v/XJzneAAi?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

The Vietnamese love their ball games and football is a big sport here, with young and ‘old’ kids playing on the beach and watching it on the tv now that the Euros are in full swing.

After the beach workout we decided we needed some liquid refreshments and made our way to East West Brewery. What a find, the best pale ale and IPA we’ve drunk since leaving Australia. Not a bad place to drink and soak up the sunshine.

After ordering our three varieties of beers, we got comfortable and decided to stay and have an early dinner looking out across the beach and ocean.

The music and vibe of the place felt like we’d been transported to an Aussie resort, such were the number of voices from that part of the world. Good fun and a different type of night to others we’ve spent in more local Vietnamese establishments.

After an enjoyable meal and a couple more pale ales we made our way back along the beach to our hotel. Despite being dark and after 8pm, there was still a fair number of people working out on the beach and swimming in the sea. The place has a very welcoming feel and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed our weeks stay in this fabulous city and our hotel with a great view.

Tomorrow we plan to get a Grab down to Hoi An, early afternoon and check into a small hotel we’ve booked for a few days before deciding our next move.

It’s likely we will head north to Hue and then on to Phong Nha to see the famous paradise caves. After that a couple more stops on the coast and finally back to Hanoi.

Until then.

A return visit to Da Nang city today, to see what we missed on the walking tour yesterday, before moving on to our early evening cruise on the Han River.

The waterfront was a real pleasure to walk along, helped by the addition of Apec Park. It’s a popular spot for art enthusiasts, and frequently hosts exhibitions showcasing paintings and photographs from the region. The park sits over two levels, with beautiful flowers adorning the paths.

The park is used as an entertainment venue, with lots of space for community activities, new and beautiful design, and most importantly no admission fee. There were food trucks close by, all of which are clean and orderly, and there is a real sense of national pride. The area came alive in the evening when the streetlights on the sidewalks leading down to the marina were all lit up.

The design of the Apec Park reminds us of a similar structure we visited in Seville, Spain a few years back which also sat beneath a honeycomb shell like structure.

It’s quite the spot for tourists to stop and take photos and we spotted a father and son with traditional headdress waiting for their roll call to have their picture – so we got in there first!

Despite the rising temperature, there was a pleasant breeze from the river so we decided to walk down to where the river cruise start out so we knew where we’d be meeting later on.

The area was redeveloped about 10yrs ago and has transformed the waterfront, especially in the evening when the place is fully illuminated.

After walking for a couple of hours and getting our 10,000 steps in, we took a break at one of the cafes near the river and ordered our favourite Vietnamese Strawberry smoothie.

Post our late afternoon refreshment, we enjoyed a wander along the Northern end of the river front past Song Han bridge where the fireworks festival is currently being held.

As early evening approached we took a Grab to the marina and boarded our cruise for the hour long trip up and down the Han River.

We were pleasantly surprised to witness the spectacular nightly light shows that appear on the bridges and buildings on either side of the water.

There was a procession of boats up and down the river all lit up in the most spectacular coloured lights. Alongside this some of the larger buildings had ever changing images, notably the Vietnamese flag and messages of peace & happiness.

The Vietnamese do love a light show and Da Nang has taken it to a whole new level making the night cruise an extra special experience.

We passed under the Dragon and Song Han bridges which were both fully illuminated in the colours of the Vietnamese flag.

It was wonderful to see Da Nang this evening from the river. It really came alive in the illuminated night’s sky.

As tomorrow is our last day in Da Nang we plan to have a relaxing day at the beach.

On Friday we take a short taxi drive down to the beautiful town of Hoi An, about 45mins away, for a return visit after our brief stay a month or so back.

As we have done in other cities throughout our trip, we organised a walking tour via the app GuruWalk. This connects you to a local who over a couple of hours shows you around their city.

To get us in the mood, we headed off from the hotel late morning and walked the 3 miles or so to the Da Nang Museum of Cham.

The route took us across the Han River and the previously visited Dragon bridge. It’s a magnificent structure up close, with the yellow steel dragon wrapped around the central section.

We took the opportunity to walk across early afternoon outside of rush hour when we could stop and get some close up photos.

The bridge is one of nine that sits along the section of the Han River, with six having been constructed in the last 20yrs as part of the plans to expand and develop the waterfront for tourism.

Within a hour we arrived at the Cham sculpture museum, which first opened some 100yrs ago having been designed and constructed by the French during the colonial years.

The museum was something of a tardis, not looking like much from the outside, but once inside it became clear it had been extended several times over the years and now houses the world’s largest collection of Cham sculpture.

Champa was a southeast Asian civilisation that flourished along the coasts of what is now central and southern Vietnam between 500 and 1700.

This area has had major influences from India, Indonesia, Islamic and Chinese cultures, alongside religions including Hinduism and Buddhism

The artefacts were so beautiful and ornately sculptured despite their age, with symbolism of the many gods and animals that are so sacred in this part of South Asia, notably the elephant, lion and dragon. The latter can be seen in numerous pieces and is the imperial symbol for both the Chinese and Vietnamese. The Rong beast is a hybrid of a dragon and sea monster within Indian mythology and serves to highlight the blend of cultures between the Champa and Dai Viet people. The country’s name actually means Viet people living in the south (Nam).

The Cham people lived on the coastal plains of South central Vietnam and live within a matrilineal families, where the mother is the central figure of the community.

When the walking tour started we found out we were the only guests so we had the tour guide Hung to ourselves.

He was a friendly guy and incredibly knowledgeable about all things Da Nang, having worked in tourism for over 15yrs. Since Covid this is much diminished, with visitor numbers still only 60-70% of what they were before the pandemic.

He gave us a more detailed tour of the museum before we moved on to visit the Long An Temple. This is one of the oldest pagodas in the area and definitely had a lived in feel of it. In fact parts were a work in progress with building materials strewn along the floor. The main section however was stunningly beautiful with rich vivid colours and a real eye to behold.

We then took a walk along the riverfront which has undergone significant change since 2000, having once been a place where the homeless frequently, it’s now a clean and safe place modelled on Singapore, a favourite city of the local governor who led the expansion and redevelopment of the city through the early 2000’s.

The Han market is a bustling trading hub and provides an insight into the local cuisine and culture.

A final point on our walking tour was a visit to Tan Dinh church. It was built in the 1870s when Vietnam was part of French Indochina. It has been painted pastel-pink both on the exterior and interior since 1957, earning it the nickname “the pink church”.

After saying our goodbyes to Hung our guide for the day, we found a corner cafe for a drink and an opportunity to watch the locals at work and play.

The cafe was located at a busy intersection where there were no lights and the traffic guides its way across by a combination of peeping their horns and careful judgement about when to slow down and speed up.

It’s an amazing sight and it’s a wonder no one gets hit, but somehow they seem to avoid each other.

After our busy day, we walked down to the river front and treated ourselves to a pizza and enjoyed a relaxing hour or so before heading back to our hotel in a Grab. The evening was local key, Andy went down to the hotel gym and pool while Michelle caught up with her reading. Later on we spoke to our daughter Amelia back in England to see how she’s settling in post holiday and to hear her plans for moving into her new home in Loughborough.

Tomorrow we are back in the city for an early evening river cruise and plan to explore Da Dang a little more by foot.

Our first early morning start for a few days. We have booked a tour of the main attractions in the Da Nang area which meant for an 8am pick up from our hotel and a minibus ride to our first stop the Lady Buddha.

We first visited one of Laughing Buddhas which symbolises prosperity and abundance and you are encouraged to rub the large stomach, as being fat rather than thin, is a sign of good fortune.

Linh Ung Bai But pagoda, Son Tra is the largest of its kind in Da Nang City. The structure combines the modernity and tradition of a Vietnamese pagoda.

The pagoda with turtle shapes is located on a hill of Son Tra peninsula, halfway up the mountain, facing the sea, with its back against the primeval forest with many animals and birds of Son Tra peninsula – today we just spotted the monkeys who are watching and waiting for food, or anything else to hand!

Being the tallest Buddha statue in Vietnam, Lady Buddha is located at Linh Ung Pagoda on Son Tra Peninsula. The Lady Buddha Da Nang statue is inside Linh Ung pagoda courtyard with a height of 67m.

The statue leans on the mountain, facing the sea, the kind eyes looking down, a hand exorcizes while the other hand is holding a bottle of holy water sprinkling peace to the offshore fishermen

From the statue we can see the whole city, mountains and Son Tra Sea. Looking into the distance, Marble Mountains and the beach are surrounded by a fine white sand shore. It’s truly stunning.

Our next stop was a visit to the Marble Mountains, via a marble factory just in case anyone on the trip had a spare $25,000 to purchase an urn.

The area is known for stone sculpture making  and stone-cutting crafts. Direct rock extraction from the mountains was banned recently. Materials are now being transported from quarries in Quang Nam Province.

The Marble Mountains are a cluster of five marble and limestone hills located south of Da Nang City. They are named after the five elements: Kim (metal), Thủy (water), Mộc (wood), Hỏa (fire) and Thổ (earth.

All of the mountains have cave entrances and numerous tunnels, and we climbed to the summit of Mount Thủy. Within the mountains are several Buddhist sanctuaries.

The mountains were very near the American Air Facility during the Vietnam War and contained a hospital as well as a place for the Vietcong to hold up when attacking the American airfield and helicopters.

The Marble Mountains are home to several Buddhist and Hindu grottoes.  A stairway of 156 steps leads to the summit of Thuy Son. It provides a wide panoramic view of the surrounding area and the other marble mountains. There are also a number of grottoes, including Huyen Khong and Tang Chon, and many Hindu and Buddhist sanctuaries.

The sanctuaries feature statues and relief depictions of religious scenes carved out of the marble.

There is a huge cave known as Am Phu, and deep inside is a re-creation of a Buddhist hell where sinners confess crimes, suffer punishments, and hope to reach heaven’s light.

After a thoroughly enjoyable tour led by our local guide Tony, we were then treated to a late lunch at a nearby Vietnamese street restaurant.

The food was the best we’ve had since returning to the country, helped by understanding how best to eat the food and the order to place in the lime, crackers and greens, as well as the oh so spicy chilli.

After the tour finished mid-afternoon we headed to a local cafe we’d been recommended where we drank flavoured coffee & banana smoothies next to a carp filled pond, in a hidden town garden. It was very atmospheric and the drinks were pretty good too.

After our busy day, we decided to have a relaxing evening in and ordered Vietnamese rice and salads to our room and enjoyed the sunset from our balcony overlooking the sea.

Tomorrow we are on a walking tour of Da Nang when we hope to see a few of the art galleries and museums, as well as the odd coffee shop and/or bars!

Until then.

Today was spent walking around Da Nang Beach.

Doing our best to avoid the heat, we headed out early afternoon for a walk along the beach front and onto the famous Dragon bridge, which connects into the main CBD.

Immediately in front of our hotel is a park area leading on to the white sandy beach. Having strolled along the water front for a short while, it became clear that if we were to avoid heatstroke, we should head for shade along the street.

The walk along the ‘promenade’ took us past countless hotels, many strewn with colourful flowers in front.

As we walked we past a number of the made in Vietnam cars, known as Vin – the one below was one of the sporty numbers, the Vinfast. The owner of Vin made his money in pot noodles, before diversifying into car manufacturing as well as residential apartments and you see the name everywhere.

After a 50min/2 mile walk we eventually arrived at the Dragon bridge, which since its opening in 2013 has become a major tourist attraction and is much photographed.

Close by is another bridge called Cau Tinh Yeu, or the love bridge, where people leave lockets with their names inscribed.

After our long walk, we treated ourselves to egg coffee and a mango smoothie before sitting down to watch the boats go by along the Han River. Whilst the mango smoothie was a big hit, we forgot how sweet the egg coffee is, which tastes like there’s a dozen sugars in it!

On our way back, we traversed through the suburbs of Da Nang Beach and marvelled at the general greenery along with the French influence feel to the older buildings.

With our thirst still not quenched, we popped into a Insta style coffee and fruit juice bar on a side street. We were the oldest by a good 30yrs, with most customers being teenagers taking photos or doing Tik Tok videos with the drinks they’d bought!

We decided to go for a passion fruit and grape juice, which was delicious and thirst quenching.

As we neared our hotel, and the main water front, we came across two locals cultivating some mint plants, as well as a lady selling a noodle soup made on the street in front of you. This is the rub with Vietnam, they may all have this new tech and buildings, but there is still room for tradition and the old ways.

As the heat of the day subsided, we saw the locals appear and head to the beach, which by 5.30pm was at its busiest. There were thousands of people playing on the beach and in the water.

After a work out in the gym for some, we decided to head out for dinner at one of the local seafood restaurants. Having found a suitable place, we were shown chairs which were perhaps more suited to the smaller frames of the locals….??!!

After a dinner of local fish, we washed it down with a Tiger beer or two and then sat watching the evening world go by.

We had a very enjoyable evening mixing it with the locals and got a proper feel of the informality of Vietnamese eating out. Even at a restaurant, people prefer to be outside on the pavement throwing their unwanted beers and fish bones on to the floor. At the end of the meal this is then brushed up and new people then sit down.

Tomorrow we are off on a tour to see the Lady Buddha, nearby caves and the marble mountain.

Finally not forgetting the England result in the Euros which we are still recovering from!

A day of getting to know beautiful Da Nang.

Our hotel definitely provides a room with a view. Waking up to blue skies, a white sandy beach and a clear turquoise sea just can’t be beaten.

We are in Da Nang at the height of the Vietnamese summer, however due to the intense heat, it’s over 36c today, the beaches remain relatively empty. It’s only later in the day when the temperatures start to ease, that the locals arrive and take a dip in the sea. In the meantime the only people we spotted sunbathing were Europeans desperate to soak up the sun and top up their tans!

Da Nang is a growing city and the number one place where Vietnamese people want to live. As a result the skyline is changing at pace and we witnessed dozens of new developments along the seafront, many aligned to hotel chains such as Radisson, Hilton and Holiday Inn.

Our walk along the beach brought us into contact with local fishermen, whose small circular boats sit on the sand, they still wear traditional dress as they fish as they have done for hundreds of years. All this against a backdrop of a burgeoning modern city skyline.

Having witnessed the locals fishing on the beach, we walked less than a few hundred yards to the main beach where palm trees and beach clubs sit and you have lifeguards doing their best impersonations of their Aussie counterparts!

Nowhere in Vietnam is changing as fast as Danang. For decades it had a reputation as a quiet provincial town, but big changes are ongoing. Strolling along the Han riverfront we saw gleaming new modernist hotels, and apartments and restaurants are emerging. Spectacular bridges now span the river, notably the Dragon bridge which we crossed when arriving from the airport a day or so ago.

The entire Danang Beach strip, where our hotel sits, is booming with hotel and resort developments.

After a walk around the neighbourhood, grabbing lunch, sorting out our laundry (now fresh and clean again) we decided to book tonight’s dinner on the hotel roof to watch an international firework festival between China and Finland. Yes you’ve read that right, Da Nang is hosting the festival where countries from around the world compete to show off their skills.

Before then Andy had an appointment at the hotel gym to get his 5k run fix.

Our evening dinner appointment on the hotel roof proved to be a night to remember. Perched on the 25th floor with unspoilt views across the Da Nang skyline we settled into our dinner of tapas and unlimited drinks for the next 2 hours.

China was first up with a 20min display of their firework finesse. It was very impressive, especially to the uninitiated, but did go on a little longer than expected and we struggled to understand how they are judged….!

Next up was Finland, similar format, although not surprisingly it wasn’t as impressive as China, who’s reputation proceeds them. Well that’s what we were told by one of our fellow dinners who knew a little more about the whole affair.

https://videopress.com/v/icNlhlek?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

As we sat and watched this spectacle we had to smile, if someone had said this morning we would be watching competitive firework displays we would have never believed them, as we didn’t think such a thing existed. Anyway we can add this to the crossed off bucket list!

Next up was Finland, who performed well, but our enthusiasm had started to diminish and instead we focused on the fast flowing wine and beer included within our dinner package.

By just after 10pm it was all over and we strongly suspect China had the victory in the bag.

As things came to a close we found ourselves chatting to a friendly couple from Japan, the guy was English and originated from Accrington, but has lived near Tokyo for close on 30yrs. He was soon giving us useful tips of places to visit and things to do when we visit in October. As well as the offer to stay in one of their chalets in the mountains of Hakuba.

A fun night all in all and a real experience to watch competitive firework displays!!!

An emotional day.

Today we were back saying goodbye to Amelia, as she flew back to the UK and we headed to Da Nang in Vietnam.

Fortunately we were staying close to BKK airport and the hotel provided a free minibus service so we were able to see Amelia off properly and at the departure gate.

It was an emotional time for us all, as we’ve grown close over the 2 weeks since she’s been over in Thailand.

From past experiences, we wanted to try and avoid the tears and upset of another goodbye, but it was inevitable and Michelle and Amelia were comforting each other as we walked to security and the final goodbye.

It was difficult waving off Amelia, as there was tears from us all, however the plan is to meet up with her again in September before she starts back in her second year at Loughborough Uni.

After Amelia left the next few hours before our flight to Da Nang were supposed to be relaxing in BKK airport, however speaking to one of the airline check in staff we suddenly realised we were at the wrong airport!

Long story short we needed to be at Don Mueang International an hour’s drive away. After a mad dash across Bangkok, we thankfully made it in time for our flight, and were soon up in the air, on our way back to Vietnam.

We had a trouble free arrival into Da Nang and with the hotel only 10mins or so from the airport, we were soon checking into our hotel, home for the next 7 days.

We have an amazing room with incredible views from the 19th floor out over the beach and seafront.

After unpacking we headed for dinner at a local Vietnamese restaurant a couple of blocks back from the beach. We had a really healthy combo including vegetable spring rolls and chicken Pho, with the obligatory Tiger beers all for a very reasonable price of just £6. So good to be back in Vietnam!

Being Friday night Da Nang was busy with locals and Vietnamese holidaymakers as well as the odd Western tourist. We walked back past a number of beach bars with karaoke in full swing and lights illuminating our way. It’s such a lovely city and one we are looking forward to exploring over the next week.

After a very relaxing 9 days on the island of Samui, we are saying goodbye and returning to Bangkok. It’s been a fabulous ‘break’ from our wider travels and a wonderful family holiday. We have so enjoyed spending time with Amelia and have witnessed how she has grown up since going off to University and the time we have been overseas.

As our flight wasn’t until late afternoon, we were able to make the most of the day and spent the last few hours doing what we do best, chilling by the pool. It was more of the same, Michelle pushing on to finish reading her last book and Andy & Amelia messing around in the pool, followed by more card games won mainly by Michelle and Amelia!

Amelia has become a regular at Seven Eleven since arriving two weeks ago and was keen to purchase one last smoothie before we left the island and headed to the airport.

With the sun shining, we squeezed every last minute at the pool before we said our farewells to the staff at U Samui and got a Grab to the nearby airport.

Like the rest of Thailand, Samui is embracing Pride month and the airport has even gone and got its sign and flags updated.

Samui airport is pretty modest and is open to the elements with a pond and gardens to sit in before you board. Makes a pleasant change to the larger airports we’ve spent time in over the last 7 months or so. We flew back with Bangkok Airways who are our new favourite carriers providing food and drink even though the flight was barely an hour long.

Having picked up our additional bags from the airport storage, we were back to full capacity and were soon on a courtesy minivan to our nearby airport hotel, Siam Mandarina. We somehow managed to get upgraded to a family suite and for one night only Amelia had a room and lounge to herself and we were in a separate double room with connecting doors. A flash way to finish our family holiday together.

After helping Amelia to pack for her return flight to London, we also successfully organised one last issue with Amelia’s car which should mean she’ll be a lady with wheels. Thanks to our friend Rich McGuire in Oxford for helping with the car issues – we so appreciate it. We owe you lunch on our return!

Well that’s about it for today, tomorrow we head back to the airport to wave Amelia off on her return flight to the UK, then we get our own flight on to Da Nang, Vietnam.