Day Thirty-Seven - 27/12/25

Woke up in our new accommodation, opened the windows… and yep, city. Buildings everywhere. Da Nang is big. We’re in an interesting pocket of town, a bit rough around the edges in places, with plenty of construction going on. Hard to tell how much the recent typhoons have affected this area, but overall the city looks like it’s holding up pretty well.

Breakfast was a bit of a let-down. Because of our late check-in the night before we slept in and were pretty late to breakfast, so it felt like the kitchen had mentally clocked off. Omelettes had to be ordered, but most things weren’t being restocked. A bit of rice, noodles, salad, toast, some fruit… and that was about it. Kia only managed half a coffee before the pot disappeared for good. We all left slightly hungry and very keen for caffeine.

Luckily, redemption came quickly.

Just near the hotel we found a small street coffee vendor, and hands down best coffee I’ve had in Vietnam so far. Unreal. Kia’s was excellent too. Safe to say, we’ll be regulars there.

From there we wandered down toward the beach. Lots of minimarts, massage places, food spots, definitely feels like the right area to be based. The beach itself looks a bit washed out from recent weather, but still beautiful. We walked along for a while, watching surf lessons and then got completely distracted by a woman juggling while hula-hooping. Just casually, on the edge of the water. We sat and watched for a good few minutes, it was mesmerising.

Eventually we started heading back toward the city. Maddie was pretty cooked by this point. She was tired, grumpy, and very focused on lunch. She just wanted to be back at the hotel and horizontal. On the way back, though, we struck gold again. A small bakery selling steamed buns and bánh mìs.

$7 AUD fed all of us.

Properly fed.

And it was delicious.

That place is now officially on the “must revisit” list.

Back at the hotel, we slowed right down. There’s a gym here, which the kids jumped into earlier in the day, but the afternoon was all about recovery. Kia and I both managed a nap (much needed). The kids absolutely refused to nap and negotiated tablet time instead, which we accepted gratefully while we recharged.

In the evening, we headed out to the local night markets. Grab taxi there, easy enough. The markets were great. Heaps of stalls selling clothes, bags, jackets, souvenirs, and enough random stuff to fill an entire suitcase if you weren’t careful. The kids bought new giblets for their Crocs, which felt essential to them.

Dinner was beef skewers with rice. Tasty, but surprisingly close to Aussie prices for meat-on-a-stick. I grabbed a lemon tea-style drink, Kia went with sugarcane juice, and then the kids talked us into dessert.

Rolled ice cream, the flattened, rolled-up kind. Watery-milky chocolate sheets rolled into little tubes. Oreo flavour. Surprisingly good.

After that, we wandered along the river. There were boats cruising past, fountains going, Christmas decorations everywhere, an dj pumping tunes from the back of a yacht and the Love Bridge all lit up. Da Nang at night has a really cool energy.

The only hiccup was getting home. Phone reception here is pretty patchy. Not sure whether that’s lingering typhoon damage or just the network, but it made ordering a Grab a bit painful. Eventually one came through, and we made it back to the hotel.

By the time showers were done and kids were in bed, it was around 9pm. Another late one. Fingers crossed tomorrow doesn’t come with grumpy-kid consequences.

But all up — a solid first day in Da Nang.

Big city, good vibes, excellent coffee, cheap eats, and plenty more to explore.