2-3 months in a warm, cheap country with a baby... advice?
Replies: 11 - Last Post: Sep 12, 2012 10:38 PM Last Post By: MarkMark
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2-3 months in a warm, cheap country with a baby... advice?
Hello!I am a soon-to-be-mother (expecting in a few weeks) and my husband and I are having a unique opportunity to be able to live for a few months in a cheap country while on parental leave. Right now we're in Sweden and it would be easy enough for us to rent out our apartment for a couple months in the wintertime or early spring and take off for a while. Ideally we'd like to break even as far as costs - it's pretty expensive here and when we went to India for two months over a year ago we ended up breaking even so this seems pretty reasonable. I personally feel like I'm going to go a bit crazy with another cold, dark Swedish winter so I'd love to get advice from experienced travelers with kids.
We're looking for a warm, cheap country that would be safe for a young baby. It would be great to be near the ocean. Also, it would be ideal if breastfeeding was acceptable in public although that's probably a lot to ask. We'd rather spent most of the time in one place with occasional side trips.
Has anyone done this? Or if you can offer any advice it would be warmly welcomed! Thanks!
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Australia is great but not that cheap.. breastfeeding is no worries where ever you want to feed, it is against the law to harrass or tell a mother to stop breast feeding in public...Australia is a very friendly country and you would easily find mothers groups, play groups etc to meet like minded mums.It is coming into our summer now and the best place in Australia to be is coastal Queensland or Northern NSW. Although not to far into Northern Queensland as it is 'stinger season' and you can't swim in the ocean, but southern Queensland would be ideal. Best of luck with the new bub.... SPJ :-) PS message me if you want any further info!!
Edited by: SouthPacificJunky
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I'd love to visit Australia someday - it sounds amazing - but I'm worried it's out of our budget right now, especially with a flight from Europe (I got estimates of around 1300USD). I suppose it could be possible to find someone willing to do an apartment exchange but even so, the flight would wipe out any savings from that.4
I agree that Thailand is a good option. Nice beaches, child friendly, cheap and good medical care available. You'll have to be discreet in breastfeeding, but it is OK in public.6
I really liked Chiang Mai. We stayed there for 2 weeks when our daughter was 18 months old.You have temples, great food and shopping and a lot of options for making trips in the surrounding countryside.
As for a beach destination I can recommend Ko Chang. We have been there this March and really liked it. It's a rather big island but not overly developed yet.
I haven't been to Ko Lanta, but it sounds also very nice and family friendly.
Hope that helps, have a lovely trip!
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Thailand is a good choice. There are a lot of islands that would meet your criteria- Ko Pha Ngan,Krabi- those are more touristy and then there are a bunch of more isolated islands on the adaman side.I love Costa Rica and Mexico and they are baby friendly though parts of them are not too cheap. I have been to both with babies and had a really nice time.
Enjoy!
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I'm also thinking somewhere in S. America. I love Venezuela or somewhere in Brazil...Also, Vietnam would be a good choice. I love Thailand too but Vietnam has a lot to offer, gorgeous scenery, great food, warm, friendly people... Lots of variety too, in a small area. Very cheap.
I'm no expert but a travel agent friend said that there are some security problems in Southern Thailand. I also get warnings on FB, Twitter... I haven't investigated them but you might want to, before deciding. Maybe it's overblown? So hard to access but all might hinge on the decisions you would make while there.
You might also look at Malaysia and Indonesia, not the big cities but somewhere more remote. Some might hesitate because these are Moslem countries but you decide what you're comfortable doing.
I can't tell you much about Africa. I've only been to S.Africa (and Morocco) but don't rule it out yet. I have a friend who is right now in Ghana with her kids.
9
Mexico is my choice. cheap and easy. mix of beaches and cities10
I presume this is your first child...In general i recommend AGAINST booking any kind of long-trem travel until the baby is here. Your feelings about being away and travelling will change drastically. Your baby may be a fussy sleeper, have reflux, or any other minor (but common) problem. You may want to see a health care provider who speaks your language. you may find that you spend most of your time being sleep-deprived and just want the comfort of home. You don't know until you get there.
So of course it is possible, but how you feel now about going away is often VERY different from how you feel about it once the baby is here...
