Round the world with kids – what to know before you go - travel tips and articles

Oct 5, 2011 5:25:18 AM

Round the world with kids – what to know before you go

Daniel Palmer
Lonely Planet Author

Note: Javascript is disabled in your browser.
To see the gallery in all its glory, you'll need to enable Javascript.

View gallery

Fed up with the stresses and strains of a working life in London that left little time to spend with our two boys (then aged 6 and 3), my partner and I decided to do the modern equivalent of running away to join the circus: we let the apartment and took the kids travelling the world for a couple of years.

We had little idea of how we would cope, whether we could provide an education for the children, and if three months later we would be home, shamefaced, saying ‘Oh, it just didn’t work out’. Here we are, though, a year and a quarter later having crossed Borneo, Indonesia, Thailand and Laos, and having had the adventures of a lifetime along the way.

If you’re thinking of a similar adventure, here are a few things we’ve learned along the way:

Kids and travel do mix

Don’t assume that children are a barrier to intrepid travel; they are surprisingly tough and thrive on adventure. Our lives are richer for having stayed in a tribal longhouse in Sarawak, Borneo; spotted orang-utans in the majestic rainforests of Malaysia; and cycled through the dreamy karst scenery and tranquil villages of Laos. The kids are always first to make people smile, and if they are too young to walk far you can often ‘cheat’ by hiring transport to villages close to the road.

Don’t set too hectic a pace

Small children tire quickly when things become monotonous and need to be able to spend a good deal of time just playing. If you’ve been moving around a lot, stop somewhere nice and give your family a chance to recharge batteries and make friends. It’s amazing how quickly a place feels like home.

Take proper precautions with your family’s health

Take out insurance, plan your vaccinations in good time and find out how to keep your family safe before you go. But don’t be paranoid: our children have both been healthier than they ever were in London.

Beware the buses

Travel in the developing world often involves appallingly long, uncomfortable bus journeys with speed-freak drivers, doubtful safety standards and aircon that is permanently set to ‘max’. We keep spare clothes and sick bags (as well as games and books) in the hand luggage, but when we can we take the train, boat or plane instead.

Keep yourselves sane

They may be the apples of your eye, but caring for children 24/7 while experiencing the ups and downs of long-term travel can be tiring and stressful. When the opportunity arises, we hire childcare and take a romantic evening out together, or we take it in turns to head off and indulge in more individual pursuits, such as diving or climbing.

Educating on the road

You’ll need to give your kids an education, of course. We have had to discipline ourselves to set aside a few hours every weekday for some one-on-one home schooling. It hasn’t always been easy – the boys would much rather be off grubbing around in the dirt chasing small creatures – but we generally win them over by adapting exercises to their interests and making use of our surroundings in the lessons.

Take a laptop

Apart from its important roles as cinema, games console and Skype-with-the-rellies hub, a computer has been a vital tool for our home schooling. We can access educational resources and conduct research wherever there is Wi-Fi.

It is a cliché, of course, but travelling itself is the best education. Rather than just heading to the beach, seek out interesting and unusual experiences to maximise the value of your trip. Our boys have wandered reef, forest and mountain; hung out with some startlingly different cultures; explored ancient temples and exotic markets; and seen crocodiles, hornbills, orang-utans and many more creatures – in the wild, not in a zoo. Experiences like those can’t be had at school.

Where should you go with children? Lonely Planet has lots of suggestions.

Inspire your kids to travel and start their own bucket list with Lonely Planet’s new Not For Parents series.

(PS. They’re also available on the iBookstore! Check out Paris, Rome, London, New York and The Travel Book.)

Like this? Sign up to get our best articles by email

Comments

2 February 2011 9:08AM explorerdad Report this comment
Very good advice - young kids travel well as long as you build in some breaks and don't try and do too much (eg short hikes fine but longer ones are out) and are prepared to stay flexible and take things as they come. Kids open up lots of opportunities to see a place in a new way (see through their eyes/experiences) and engage with local communities (yes kids are the first to make people smile).
We've taken our young kids (now 2, 5 and 7 ) around the world a couple of times for a couple of months at a time and has worked really well.
Cheers, Andrew www.explorerdad.com
11 February 2011 5:03AM tomcelroy Report this comment
Great article with great tips. Running into you and your family in Papa New Guinea was such an inspiration. You're kids are getting the adventure of a lifetime--and they're not even 7 years old! Incredible! Keep writing, I want to hear more about how this break-from-the-norm has re-shaped everyones lives.
25 April 2011 10:45AM with2kidsintow Report this comment
Hi Couldn't agree with you more! We're currently on the road traveling SEA for the year with our 3 & 5yr olds and it's going easier than we could have hoped for and we're spending less but doing more than if we were at home! Cheers with2kidsintow
[www.with2kidsintow.com]
12 May 2011 5:01AM rockrug Report this comment
Great input. We're headed to India and Thailand with out 18 month old in December!
cheers...www.briancruickshank.com
12 May 2011 7:06AM lajollamom Report this comment
Timely article as I'm currently recovering from jet lag. I just took my 4 year old (without my husband)to Hong Kong and Singapore for 3 weeks. I also think that parents must have managed expectations. Kids will get sick, fussy, and not want to always do the same things that you do. You may not get to tick everything off your list, but that's ok. I've written a ton about flying long haul with kids, having been an expat.
-lajollamom www.lajollamom.com
16 May 2011 2:30AM lorraine35 Report this comment
Very good article.....we have taken our boys (now 3 and 6) to India (3 times), Vietnam (twice) and lots of other Asian, Middle Eastern and European countries. Born in Oman and living in the UAE with holidays in a different country every year, travel in in their blood. I am always pleased to see and hear about other travelling families.
Keep on travelling...
Cheers Lorraine
16 May 2011 5:04PM troutadrenaline Report this comment
I just jumped on here to post a question about tips on traveling with kids. I've bought and read the LP book, but wanted to hear from real people. We're heading to Borneo with our 6, 8, and 10 year old in December. My specific question is to do with my wife. She gets stressed whenever she thinks the kids could get hurt....
16 May 2011 5:05PM troutadrenaline Report this comment
Oh, I have blogged about adventures with kids, but keen to hear from others....
http://downunder2borneo.wordpress.com/2011/05/01/adventures-with-kids/
16 May 2011 9:03PM bridgetobhutan Report this comment
Thanks LP and Daniel for the helpful piece. Here is another interesting family travel blog. A year on the road www.capitolcreek.com Happy Trails~
9 July 2011 3:37AM medtravelmexico Report this comment
Thanks for this great information. It's certainly true that travel with children can sometimes add a huge element of stress to the process of travel. I run a blog about medical travel to Mexico, and thought that these pointers may be helpful to some of my readers. I linked back to this article, would love for you to check it out! www.MedTravelMexico.com, and I'm also on Twitter @MedTravelMexico. Thanks and have a great day!
15 October 2011 7:05PM thatshamori Report this comment
Thanks for the excellent advice! I find with my kids travelling Europe 3 1/2 months now with about 6 to go, we snack regularly! I know it sounds funny, but a little something to keep my 5 and 7 year old going between meals stops the melt downs. We also have a rule of no more than 1 day travel every 3 days. And our family's max is around 5 hours in the van. You can still cover amazing amounts of road, especially through Germany, and still make your destination point before the sun goes down. Travelling slow with kids in tow, makes a happy travel family!
Eva :)
2 November 2011 7:44AM natdalton7 Report this comment
<a href="http://familytravelnet.com">Traveling with kids</a> has seemed so daunting. My husband and I have stayed away from any major vacations with our kids. This year we want to join my family in Paris but the idea of traveling the world gives me anxiety. I appreciate your article it makes me a bit less stressed about traveling with my kids. Thanks!