Travelling to Asia with Kids
- Asia is a great destination for families - your children are bound to get many comments and the occasional cuddles. With children in tow, you often find there is so much more interaction with locals.
- If this is the first time you have taken a trip with your children, plan for a slower pace than you would pre-children. Be realistic about what you can cover with little ones in tow, and then you are more likely to have an enjoyable and stress-free holiday.
- Use a destination as a base for day-trips rather than lots of moving. My three children have travelled throughout Asia, Europe & UK since they were babies - but we always try and stay at least 4-6 nights in each destination and explore that town/city and use it as a base for daytrips rather than lots of shorter stops.
- Try not to over pack - most things you will need for children can be bought easily in major cities and towns in Asia. Children’s clothes can be replaced cheaply. Having a change of clothes for everyone (2 changes for babies and toddlers) in your hand luggage is a must.
- Bringing a good first aid kit from home is very important. I always make sure I have more than one of any prescription medicines plus children’s Panadol, Gastrolyte, plenty of band aids, Aloe, Paw Paw cream etc. I also try and split this between 2 bags - that way if one bag was to go missing you still have the other pack.
- Bottled water is a must and I generally keep to fruit that can be peeled with the kids. That said don’t be afraid for your children to experiment and try local cuisines. One of my eldest sons favourite reasons to visit Cambodia is the cooked crab and squid at Kep (which he will tell anyone going to Cambodia is a must.)
- Research your destination; some activities your children may love may not be “regular” tourist attractions but activities catering to local children.
- From the age of 3, let the kids each have their own small daypack for flights and long train/car trips. Inside have a few snacks plus things to keep them entertained - colouring or storybooks for littlies, hand held games for older children. With our boys we make a rule that iPods, Nintendo and the like can be bought on a trip - but are for airports, flights etc. and they get a little “downtime” each night. They are not for during the day when they are in such exciting destinations.
The above list is just a few tips. I provide more extensive tip sheets to families travelling with children with their documentation.