When a family holiday means bringing the entire kitchen along

The packing list for some family holidays is longer than the list of personal luggage: vegetables, marinated pork, a hotpot, an electric stove, an icebox, knives, cutting boards and even a rice cooker.

For a three-day, two-night trip to Phan Thiet, 16 members of a multigenerational family from Ho Chi Minh City prepared food before leaving home. The children looked forward to swimming, playing in the sand and exploring. The adults expected a chance to gather after months of busy schedules.

Instead, the kitchen became the first stop at their rented homestay. One person sliced meat, another cooked, others set the table and cleaned up. Preparing a meal for 16 people took time, and the work continued after eating with dishwashing, garbage collection and cleaning.

The family acknowledged that cooking can make sense on a large trip. It allows people to choose food for children and older relatives, control flavors and sometimes reduce costs. Eating out for more than a dozen people can be expensive.

But the time saved on meals may come at the expense of the holiday itself. Two hours spent in the kitchen are two hours the family cannot spend walking, playing with children, looking at the scenery or simply sitting together. The article suggests that family connection may be found in a walk with grandparents and grandchildren, parents watching children play, a quiet afternoon by the sea or a simple meal at a local restaurant where nobody has to wash dozens of dishes afterward.

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Remember to buy more vegetables. Has the pork belly been marinated? Bring the hotpot. Don't forget the electric stove. Oh, and take the icebox too.