Day Thirty-Six - 26/12/25
Boxing Day started with my phone lighting up like a Christmas tree! Emails and texts from every brand I’ve ever purchased from and given my details to. Honestly, nothing kills the festive vibe faster.
Thankfully, I woke up feeling much better, which was a relief because today was always going to be a big one. Transport day. Our last day at Le Forest and the hub crew after more than 20 days in one place.
We started slow. Breakfast, a few quiet chats, then the realisation that packing up an entire family after nearly three weeks is… chaos. Stuff everywhere. Bags open, half-sorted piles, constant reshuffling. Somehow we got it all done and were out of the room by midday, but not without effort.
With our flight delayed (then delayed again… and again), we stored our bags on a friend’s porch and tried to make the most of the extra time. The kids jumped in the pool, adults floated between conversations, and there was that underlying “last day” feeling hanging in the air.
Maddie and I snuck out for one final scooter ride, ducking off to grab some cash (we’d well and truly cleaned ourselves out over Christmas) and stopping by King Kong for a few last bits. Maddie was determined to get one final iced tea from a place she’d grown attached to. A small ritual, but one that felt important.
Back at the resort, we had lunch, more pool time, and more goodbyes. It was genuinely hard leaving. Twenty-odd days of shared routines, kids forming friendships, parents doing the same. Water pistols appeared (thanks, Christmas), and the pool turned into absolute chaos. Laughter, ambushes, shrieking kids, and that beautiful kind of noise you know you’ll miss later.
By 6pm, it was time. The moment our original flight was meant to leave.
We grabbed a Grab to the airport. Check-in was surprisingly smooth, and we even received free drink vouchers, presumably compensation for the rolling delays. Security was interesting: shoes off, compulsory, no exceptions. That was a first.
Inside departures, we cashed in the drinks and grabbed burgers for dinner. While waiting, I struck up a conversation with a woman in line. Turns out she was from Brisbane… Kenmore, just a suburb or two from home. The first strong Aussie accent I’d heard in a long time, halfway across the world. Wild.
No more delays, thankfully. We boarded around 8:30pm and landed in Da Nang just before 11. By the time we sorted transport, checked in, and wrangled tired kids, it was after midnight before our heads hit pillows.
The kids were absolute champions. Tired but calm, no meltdowns. Massive win.
We scored an insane accommodation deal. What was meant to be a full apartment turned into two adjoining rooms, and honestly, I don’t know how they rent them separately because they clearly function as one space.
Driving into Da Nang at night was something else. Neon everywhere. Bright lights, movement, energy. After weeks of forest calm, it felt like landing in another world entirely.
Tomorrow, we wake up and actually see what this city is all about.