Travel can be an amazing opportunity to expand the minds of your kids, get them slightly outside of their comfort zone and instill a lifelong love of exploration. For families looking to take their first international trip to an exotic location, Southeast Asia should be a top consideration for a number of reasons.
First off, Southeast Asians generally love kids. Family is extremely important in Southeast Asian culture, so everyone from tour guides to hotel staff to strangers in the street will usually go out of their way to ensure your kids are having an enjoyable time.
Secondly, Southeast Asia is home to a number of exotic animals and fun ways for families to get up close and personal with them.
Have you ever wanted to be an elephant owner for a day? The Patara Elephant Farm in Chiang Mai, Thailand offers families the chance to help bathe, feed and interact with elephants that have been rescued or born on site as part of the farm’s conservation programs.
How about giving your kids the chance to visit a sea turtle hatchery and help release tiny baby sea turtles (the cutest things ever!) into the ocean? Vietnam’s Con Dao National Park offers ranger-guided tours where guests get to both watch female sea turtles lay their eggs on the beaches, and then assist in releasing baby turtles that have hatched in the park’s nursery back into the wild.
Third, Southeast Asia has some of the greatest beaches in the world. Whether you’ve got young kids and want to relax with the warm water and soft sands of Khao Lak, Thailand, bring your older kids to embrace the activities (sea kayaking, parasailing, dinosaur-themed mini golf, surfing) available at Kata Beach in Phuket, Thailand or take your teenagers for an adrenaline-filled surf/kiteboarding/dune buggy adventure on Mui Ne Beach in Vietnam, you’ll find an amazing beach with fewer crowds than in more popular vacation destinations.
Finally, Southeast Asian culture is truly unique and will offer your family a glimpse of traditions, foods and celebrations that are very different from what they are used to in the Western world.
Imaging spending a day touring the incredible archaeological ruins of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom with a guide who can explain the history and stories carved into the temple walls. Or picture your family in the midst of thousands of other local families releasing flaming sky lanterns into the air for the Loi Krathong festival celebrated throughout Thailand each fall. Getting your family out of the typical Western traditions can be a life-changing experience for the good.
For families looking to plan a Southeast Asia adventure, or really any trip to an exotic locale, I’ve included my top 12 tips for a successful journey with kids below:
- Book as far in advance as possible for better rooms. When traveling with your family, getting that coveted family room (or at the least, connecting rooms) in your hotel can make everything easier. The sooner you book, the better chance of having all room types available.
- Choose a family-focused travel agency. Before booking a family vacation with an agency or tour company, talk to them about family-friendly activities and restaurants. If the company knows its stuff, they will be able to arrange opportunities for your kids to interact with local kids in the countries you visit.
- Bring along some activities for long drives and airport layovers. Passing the time on long drives or during extended airport layovers will be much more enjoyable if your kids have something to occupy their attention for part of the time. Pack a few portable games and coloring supplies, or talk to your tour operator about what they can provide.
- Bring snacks. Before embarking on any long journey, whether that’s the flight out or a long day trip in the middle of your vacation, be sure you have easy snacks on hand that you know your kids will eat. It’s one thing to pull over at a roadside food stand and find something you’ll eat, but it’s another thing altogether to find something that will please picky kids.
- Prepare your kids for the food of the region before you leave. For Southeast Asia, this means rice. My life and travelling with my kids is so much easier because they are always happy with rice. It fills them up and while it might not be the most nutritional food in the world, it is great when they are tired, cranky and just need something in their stomachs. Every country has their staple dish, so if you can start introducing it into mealtime at home before you leave, you’re much more likely to get your kids to eat it while travelling.
- Plan plenty of downtime. Whether your kids are young enough to still take naps or just might enjoy the opportunity to relax by a pool without any scheduled activities, downtime will be essential if your family is going to have the energy to appreciate all the other activities you have planned on your trip.
- Don’t be afraid of room service. Kids can get wiped out travelling, and some nights it is good to just stay in, eat dinner and have an early night. Don’t feel like a failure just because you don’t eat out at local establishments every night.
- Bring along a portable charger for your iPad or other devices. Long flights or road trips can drain batteries on your devices fast, especially if your kids are watching movies or other energy-intensive activities. Don’t run out of juice 15 minutes before the end of a favorite movie. Instead, pack a portable charger to boost battery life. Oh, and don’t forget to bring along an extra cord to charge your devices in case you lose yours.
- Let your kids in on the plan. Tell them in advance where you’re going and what you’re planning to do while there. Let them help pack their own suitcases (with your help). The more kids feel like they have some measure of control, the more they will relax and enjoy the ride.
- Set expectations. From when my kids were very small I have explained to them that I am not the activity director on the plane. I will provide snacks and help with any issues, but they have to keep themselves entertained. I’m sure there are amazing moms everywhere willing to play 14 hours of UNO 30,000 feet in the air, but I’m not one of them! For the most part, my kids respect this and as they get older it seems to be even better. They play with each other, watch movies and play in their activity books and I get to read, watch a movie or (miraculously) sleep.
- Be kind. This is our travel mantra. When everyone gets tired and cranky and just wants to get there already, kindness helps. Siblings that are at least thinking about trying to be kind fight less and this mantra is probably for me more than anyone.
- Have fun. And don’t sweat the small stuff!
By Andrea Ross, CEO of Journeys Within Tour Company, a boutique Southeast Asia tour company dedicated to delivering its guests unforgettable, customized trips through Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. For more on visiting Southeast Asia with kids, visit Journeys-Within.com.