Day Thirty- Eight - 28/12/25
We all slept in this morning, which felt very needed. Everyone was still pretty wiped, so catching up on some proper sleep was a win straight away.
We headed up to breakfast a bit earlier than yesterday, hoping that might improve things. It didn’t. Breakfast was… honestly awful. Spaghetti with a sauce made from tomato sauce and sweet chilli (somehow spicy and wrong), eggs absolutely swimming in oil, terrible coffee, and the same sad salads and toast. I couldn’t even finish a cup of coffee. I ordered fried rice from the kitchen instead, which was at least edible, and everyone shared a bit of that.
They advertise yoghurt and granola, but both days we’ve asked, they’ve had no granola. At this point, I’m not even bothering tomorrow. I get that it’s a cheap hotel, but breakfast being basically inedible is pretty rough.
After that disaster, we headed out to the coffee cart we found yesterday. Straight away, things improved. Good coffee again, juices and smoothies for the kids, and just sitting there chilling felt like a reset.
Back at the room, Kia and I had a proper chat about accommodation. We’ve definitely learned something important. Hotels that are just rooms don’t work for our family. The kids want to explore, and we don’t want them wandering hotel corridors nine or ten floors up with open voids, balconies, and doors that barely shut. It’s stressful, and we can’t relax.
We realised that resort-style or villa-style places on the ground, with pools and open spaces where the kids can roam safely, are essential for us. Our hotel worked in Ho Chi Minh because everything was new and contained, but now the kids are more confident and adventurous, we need to give them freedom without anxiety.
So we cancelled our next Hoi An accommodation and started messaging a few villa-style places. We found one we really like that only has two villas left. Now we’re just waiting to hear back about whether they’re close together or opposite ends of the property. Fingers crossed.
While we were back in the room, I caught up on my verbal blogs (I was a few days behind), did some Instagram bits, and ticked off a few admin tasks.
We also managed to fit in a gym session, and I went for a short run up and down the beach. It was hot, sweaty, but really nice. I jumped in the rooftop pool afterward, which was freezing but refreshing.
For lunch we headed downstairs and found a noodle place near the hotel. I had beef noodles, which were great. Kia and Maddie had pho (they weren’t overly impressed), and Emmett had rice. Not a standout meal for everyone, but solid enough.
Later, we walked the opposite direction from yesterday along the beach. We stopped to watch some surf lessons, cheering people on as they wiped out and slowly figured it out. Eventually, we found a little park, and the kids ran wild with heaps of other kids around. Kia and I grabbed a coffee and just sat there, watching them play and actually relaxing, which felt really good.
For dinner, we picked a place just out the front of the hotel that did pizza, pasta, and burritos. Easily the best meal we’ve had in days.
Incredible pizza
Really good spaghetti
Maddie’s burrito was a hit
We ordered one pizza, one spaghetti, one burrito… then immediately ordered another pizza because it was that good.
Every main meal came with a free beer, so I tried a local Da Nang beer called Huda, which was really nice. Even more surprising, Kia drank one too. She’s not a beer drinker, so that tells you how good they are.
We headed back to the hotel reasonably early. After a bit of mucking around, the kids were in bed by around 9pm, absolutely exhausted.
All in all, Day 39 was about learning what works for us. Some frustrating moments, but also good movement, beach time, solid food, and clearer direction for the next leg of the trip.