Hoi An: Heat, Hassles & Happy Hour Recovery

Our arrival into Vietnam was anything but smooth.

I breezed confidently through immigration feeling highly organised… until Bryan discovered his visa had been completed with the wrong birthdate. Small detail apparently. While I sailed through without issue, Bryan was left reapplying while trying not to melt in the airport humidity or murder me.

Eventually reunited, things didn’t exactly improve when Bryan’s e-cigarettes were promptly confiscated after learning they’re illegal in Vietnam. Not quite the warm welcome he had imagined.

Needless to say, Bryan’s introduction to Hoi An was a little shaky.

Then came the heat.

Mid-30-degree temperatures hit us like a wall. The kind of heat where simply walking to restaurant feels like cardio.

Day one exploring with Scottie by midday we were actively planning our next cold beer, shaded café stop, or air-conditioned escape route.

Thankfully Hoi An knows exactly how to help weary travellers recover:
cheap beers, incredible food, and daily massages.

Honestly, massages at $20 for 90 minutes may have to be a survival strategy.

Despite the dramatic start, Hoi An quickly worked its magic on us. Lantern-lined streets, riverside mocktails for me, buzzing markets, hidden bars, the constant soundtrack of scooters and horns and people watching helped us forget the heat and relax into holiday mode.

Bryan after several cold beers eventually forgave me for almost accidentally deporting him before the trip had properly begun.

Almost….