WHERE to go in the whole wide world? With baby and toddler.
Replies: 5 - Last Post: Oct 30, 2012 4:32 AM Last Post By: emka72
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WHERE to go in the whole wide world? With baby and toddler.
1 1/2 years ago me and my husband went to Thailand for a month with our 7 months old baby. It was a wonderful trip and we're thinking of doing something similar in March/April/June 2013 when our newborn will be about 5 months. We KNOW that Thailand is extremely child friendly and nice, but since we've both been there a couple of times already we are trying to look at other countries. Here's what we're looking for:Not too pricey (the Thailand budget suites us well).
Somewhere we can relax and eat well. Sunny and warm weather and we have to be able to swim in the sea.
We're not looking for much adventure but it's nice if there are some tours/daytrips that we could all take. I guess the eldest, who will be 2 1/2 by then, will be needing some activities apart from bathing and beachlife every now and then...
Generally safe for travelling with kids. We don't want to be a longtail and a 16 hour busride away from the nearest hospital.
Good infrastructure and communications since we'd probably like to move around a bit.
I'm a big fan of Latin america in general, and Mexico in particular, but I'm having doubts since I find the region quite unsafe. I'm sure it depends on where you're going and how you're staing/travelling so if you have suggestions I'll consider it. It could also be somewhere in Europe if the weather is nice enough at the time, and it's not too expensive staying there. I'm also curious about the Phillipines... I'll be grateful for any suggestions/advice!
PS: We'll be travelling from Norway.
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Philippines is easy to travel around and many places have a good tourist infrastructure. We went a few years ago with an 18 month old. We didn't see enough to make many suggestions (where we went was nice, but I think there are better places). You need to check for the onset of the typhoon season (of which there seem to be several in a year), but many islands aren't hit badly. We visited Bohol, which is worth including but definitely see beyond as well!Bali is another nice easy SE Asia destination, and Sri Lanka also appears to be good (are planning a trip now).
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Hi,I agree that Malaysia would be lovely. KL for shopping, Penang for eating, and Langkawi for chilling on a beach! Of the 3, Langkawi would be best suited for a 2yr old. Our kids tolerated the cities, but loved Langkawi. It's a 35minute flight from KL, and you can hop from KL-Penang-Langkawi by plane if you like (we did this with my parents as they're not real overland travellers. Air Asia flights were very inexpensive).
I'd also recommend Sri Lanka. We took our kids (twin 6yr olds) there earlier this year, and really loved it... thought it was a bit of a find really, maybe what Thailand might have been like 25 yrs ago. Incredible beaches, cheap and easy to hire car/vans at each city for comfy travel with seat belts and AC for the kids! English widely spoken, genuine and friendly people, and amazing scenery up in the hill country. Hubby wrote tips on our blog site about it (www.gopofandt.com).
Egypt would be good, but I found it highly stressful (constant harassment by local men) and shortened my stay as a result. Still, Dahab on the Sinai Peninsula is great for diving, friendly locals and very laid back. The beaches weren't great though.
I've heard Turkey is great too (on my wish list).
Hope that helps. Happy planning!
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Traveling with a baby is somehow difficult, but I'm shure that you will find the perfect place. I'm from Mexico and I believe this is the perfect place for your vacations. Some states have continuous troubles (northern ones), but it isn't the same for the entire country. Oaxaca has a lot of beaches where you can rest with your family and feel safe, has a lot do if you are a backpacker. Cancun is one of the most famous places and it is really pretty. Good luck!5
Hi,My kids are 8 and 6 at the moment, we started traveling with them when the younger was 20 months old.
Here are some of the destinations we chose (the boys loved all of them, all have great food, good infrastructure, friendly people and are not too expensive):
1. Malaysia (Singapore, KL, Taman Negara, Tioman island) - this was our first trip as a family and was pretty easy and fun,
2. Jordan (Petra, Wadi Rum, Dead Sea, Red Sea) - the boys still talk about playing in Wadi Rum sand with a local boy and drinking mint tea, the beaches are not great though (snorkeling's good),
3. Mexico (Chiapas and Yucatan) - I found Yucatan safe, even though I was full of doubts after reading some report on bus robberies. I would love to go again.
In a couple of months we are going to Malaysia again. This time it'll be mainly Penang and Langkawi. After booking our flights I found some scary info about jelly fish (including deadly ones) present in Langkawi waters, it's good to take it into consideration (it may be that we'll stick to swimming in pools only). Still, I'm very excited about this trip and can't wait to try the famous Penang food.
Sri Lanka is next on our list, as well as Indian Kerala and Bali.
Hope this helps.
