These posts capture our days as they unfold while travelling long term as a family. They’re written in real time, without polish or hindsight, and reflect the small moments, routines, and rhythms of life on the move.
Longer reflections and feature stories live separately on our Blog page.
Day 68 - Last Run in Hanoi & The Chaos of Train Street
Our final full day in Hanoi was anything but quiet. A chaotic 5.5km run through broken footpaths and 6 million motorbikes, salty coffee that tasted like seawater, and the surreal moment a train roared past our knees on Hanoi’s famous Train Street. Add a smoky Grab ride, a stomach bug, and 4am alarms… and it was a classic pre-travel day scramble.
Day 67 - Cabin Fever in Hanoi and Australia Day Far From Home
Our first full day in Hanoi was slower than expected. With Kia still recovering, the kids battling cabin fever, and travel logistics piling up, it was one of those days where nothing went wrong, but everything felt heavy. From budget blowouts to spicy dinners and missing Australia Day back home, Day 67 was a reminder that travel isn’t always highlight reels.
Day 66 - From Tam Coc to Hanoi – Smog, Sick Bags & Beef Katsu Don
Travel day out of Tam Coc and everyone is finally on the mend. Pancake breakfasts, a last-minute cash scramble, heavy northern Vietnam smog, Maddie’s classic stop-start car sickness moment, and an unexpected Japanese curry feast in Hanoi. A big transition day before our flight to Austria.
Day 65 - Turning the Corner in Hoa Lu: Coconut Coffee, Ancient Ruins & Small Wins
Day 65 felt like a turning point. The sickness is slowly easing, coconut coffee delivered a surprise win, and a slight navigation mistake led us through misty temples and the ancient capital of Hoa Lu. Add in one of the best lunches we’ve had in Vietnam and a 10km bike ride with Maddie, and it turned into one of those imperfect but beautiful travel days.
Day 64 - Trending in the Right Direction
Another rough night, but slightly better than the last. With coughs still lingering, we layered up and headed out anyway. We rode bikes into town, coffee by the river watching the foot-rowed paddle boats glide past, a short mountain ride, failed Strava attempts, fire pits at dinner and another spaghetti disappointment. Not our biggest day, but a steady one. Health improving. Spirits lifting. Slow travel at its most honest.
Day 63 - Holding the Fort in Ninh Binh: Caves, Cold Rides and a Sick Day Split
A rough night left half the family down and out, so Maddie and I split off for a freezing bike ride across Ninh Binh. What we found was unexpected, caves, paddle boats, bird sanctuaries and one seriously adventurous day inside the UNESCO-listed Trang An landscape.
Day 62 - Segments, Sickness and Solo Kilometres
A sore back, a sick family and rainy skies in Tam Coc didn’t stop the kilometres ticking over. Between a 4km run, 26km on the bike, a surprise Strava segment win and pharmacy runs for vitamin C and zinc, Day 62 was a mix of solo efforts and quiet family recovery. Not our most adventurous day, but a real one.
Day 61 - Sick Kids, Rice Fields & Sweet Pizza in Tam Coc
Day 61 in Tam Coc was a push and pull between sickness and adventure. With the kids still unwell, we tried to balance rest with a gentle bike ride through rice fields, a café stop by a waterfall, and a wood-fired pizza night that didn’t quite hit the mark. Travel doesn’t stop for sick days, but sometimes you just slow it down.
Day 60 - Sick Beds, Solo Rides and a Very Bad Burrito
Day 60 was a slow one. A rough night with everyone sick, a quiet breakfast barely touched, and a full day of rest for Kia and the kids. While they recovered, I found myself riding through limestone mountains and lakes, discovering craft breweries and European-vibe cafés and finishing the day with the worst burrito we’ve had all trip. Not our best day, but a reminder that travel isn’t always adventure, sometimes it’s patience.
Day 59 - Sleeper Bus Chaos, Sick Kids & Arrival in Tam Coc
A rough night, a six-hour sleeper bus, vomit bags, bottle wees and two sick kids later, we finally made it to Tam Coc. Big transport days while world-schooling aren’t always glamorous, but they’re always memorable.
Day 58 - Ducks, Paradise Cave & a Long Night in Phong Nha
A sweaty morning run, dancing ducks at the farm, and a breathtaking walk through Paradise Cave made Day 58 unforgettable. But as the sun set over Phong Nha, a pounding headache turned our adventure into a long night of parenting on the road.
Day 57 - Scooters, Waterfalls & A Floating Bridge in Phong Nha
A broken scooter, a mountain waterfall, a floating bridge on barrels and an uncomfortable reminder about plastic waste. Day 57 in Phong Nha was equal parts adventure and reflection as we soaked up one last full day before heading to Tam Coc.
Day 56 - Peanut Butter Coffee, Rice Field Adventures & Scooter Lessons in Phong Nha
A slow morning in Phong Nha turned into rice field bike adventures, peanut butter coffee discoveries, a dodgy scooter moment, and big family decisions about our next stop. Not every travel day is epic caves and bucket-list highlights, sometimes it’s freedom, frustration, and figuring it out together.
Day 55 - Kayaking Into Darkness: Exploring the Phong Nha Caves as a Family
We paddled against the current into the glowing blue limestone caves of Phong Nha, turned off our headlamps in total darkness, hiked through ancient tunnels, swam in an underground beach, lost a shoe to the depths, and ended the day riding bikes to dinner. One of those days that reminds us why we chose this life.
Day 54 - First Day in Phong Nha: Bikes, Banana Pancakes & Roast Chicken Nights
Our first morning in Phong Nha started with hot showers, omelettes and banana pancakes, before a family bike ride into town that tested patience and moods in equal measure. We splashed out on pizza, planned our Austria logistics, played Monopoly over beers, and ended the night with roast chicken and dramatic declarations of starvation. A calm, grounding first day before tomorrow’s cave adventure.
Day 53 - Farm Farewells, Train Chaos & Arriving in Phong Nha
Our final morning at Hygge Farm started with pig pens and cow poo, and ended with a near-miss train departure in Da Nang. From farm chores to sleeper cabins and six hours rolling through rural Vietnam, Day 53 was a full transition day as we made our way north to Phong Nha.
Day 52 - Last Full Day at Hygge Farm: Snakes, Noodles & Community Fires
Our final full day at Hygge Farm was packed with salted coffees, rock painting chaos, a surprise snake encounter at the quarry, and cooking dinner for 24 people. It ended around a fire, reflecting on community, slow travel and the routines we didn’t realise we’d grown to love.
Day 51 - Farm Life: Banana Trees, Banh Mi & Barely Any Sleep
A freezing night on the floor, digging trenches, hauling banana trees down a Vietnamese back road, kids with machetes, salted coffee wins and a sweaty sunset run through the rice fields. Farm life on Day 51 wore us out in the best possible way.
Day 50 - Sunset Runs, Septic Pipes & Settling Into Farm Life
Fifty days into our worldschooling adventure and we’re finding our rhythm on a Vietnamese farmstay. From digging septic trenches and sharing bánh mì breakfasts to a golden sunset run through backcountry roads, Day 50 was simple, social, and deeply grounding. The nights are rough, the showers are questionable, but the community vibe is real and we’re learning how to slow down.
Day 49 - Building a Farm in Vietnam: Trenches, Cold Showers & Community Living
Day 49 on the farm in rural Vietnam. From digging trenches for a new septic system and cold bucket showers to hammock chats, karaoke nights and a deeper conversation with the farm’s founder about his vision for local kids. Farm life is uncomfortable at times, but it’s slowly teaching us something important about community, resilience and slowing down.