Dubai – the city that has it all!

Summer vacations begin and with that the excitement to plan a vacation with your child. We have a 5 year old son who shares our love for travel. This year we chose to visit Dubai. It’s known to be a child friendly destination and we also have some family there making it worthwhile to visit.

We planned a trip for 10 days so it is not too hectic or rushed. The way we planned our itinerary was to have a mix of activities for our son and us. Dubai seems to have everything and if it does not have it, they seem to be building it. So there were many things to do. Here are the activities that we did in Dubai with our 5 year old son –

1.     Malls

Dubai is known for its malls and they have set it up such that there are many activities to engage even the kids within the mall itself. So we were able to shop, eat in the food courts (which are way better than India) or other specialty restaurants and engage our son in a play zone – all under the same roof. This was a good option during the day time to escape the intense heat. We started our exploration by visiting Underwater Aquarium in Dubai mall. It was particularly fascinating to see the vivid splash of colours and the size and shapes of various under-sea animals. Our son was happy to get clicked with many of them. We also visited the Magic planet in Mall of emirates and Fun city in Ibn Battuta mall for fun games and play zones for our son.

2.     Global Village

We visited Global Village which was an open area with sections dedicated to different countries where you could taste dishes local to that country and buy items famous there. This place had a lot of street food and we enjoyed sampling it. It was a unique experience though slightly hot with the massive crowd and open air arrangement.

3.     Lego Land

Dubai is also known for its adventure and theme parks. But the point to keep in mind is that there is a height criterion for most rides. We explored all the parks and scrutinized the criterion for majority of the rides. This narrowed down our options considerably and we finally picked Lego Land theme park where he was allowed on all barring a couple of rides. His passion for Lego made our choice that much easier. Lego Land was great fun – not just for him but us as well. We were allowed to accompany him on the rides and enjoyed the experience. We became a child again seeing our son enjoy.

In particular we loved flying the plane, saving a burning building in our fire truck, dodging water on wave racers and pedalling our way up and down the flying machines. Our son was fascinated to see how the Lego bricks are made and thrilled to get a brick with his name embossed on it. However, he spent maximum time doing what he loves the most – lost in the world of Lego blocks – building his own creations!

4.     Desert safari 

Desert safari was a unique experience for us and our son says it was the most enjoyable part of the trip. He was giggling away as the land cruiser engaged in dune bashing. He enjoyed rolling on the desert sand and chasing the shadows therein. We also got to watch some interesting shows including a belly dancer, a fire eater and a juggler along with authentic middle-eastern dinner. Camel ride was fun for our son.

5.     Others

We went to the Abu Dhabi Mosque which is a short drive from Dubai. It was an architectural marvel with cool marble flooring and marvelous chandeliers. Like most religious places, one felt at peace in such surrounding.

We visited the landmark buildings of Dubai – Burj khalifa, Burj Al Arab and Atlantis. The musical fountains were a delight to watch and our son watched with awe the water dance. The souks offered a variety of souvenirs, spices, dates to take back home. We soaked in the experience of Dubai city strolling down the souk one evening.

We enjoyed a hearty dinner at Al Qasr hotel where we had to take a boat to reach the restaurant. An evening walk on the Marina was refreshing and nice.  We tried many authentic restaurants offering middle-eastern food and flavors. Pappa roti which offers a coffee flavored bun with your choice of sweet or savory toppings along with coffee is highly recommended. JBR place gave the feel of hanging around boardwalk in USA.

A few tips that I would give to parents traveling to Dubai are-

o    Acknowledge that it is extremely hot and save yourself from the sun exposure in every way. Ensure you stay hydrated and carry plenty of water with you every time you step out. Also, try to avoid going out in peak sun time (11am to 3pm).

o    There is considerable amount of walking involved everywhere – huge malls, adventure parks etc so wear comfortable shoes and carry a stroller if your child is not used to walking.

o    Carry summer clothes for the trip but also pack a light jacket especially for your child as night time can get fairly cool. Sunglasses and cap are a must in the strong sun rays. Also, clothing is conservative in that part of the world so respect and abide by that.

Overall, Dubai is a fantastic place with lots of fun activities to engage in. We created many wonderful memories there with our son, to cherish forever.

Author’s Bio:

Prerna Wahi worked in the corporate world for 7 years. In the past few years, she has been a stay-at-home mom. She has been enjoying the new role ever since and likes to write about her personal experiences. Her write-ups are inspired by the two men in her life – one she calls her strength (husband) and the other her weakness (son). Follow her  facebook page.

Singapore Chronicles

I promised myself that this year I take my kids along in my journey and I am so glad I am being able to slowly bring them on the same page. I want them to experience the world as I believe nothing teaches better than travel and exploration. My elder son has created this entire travelogue on his own, so this one is through his eyes but my words.

But before I go further in my blog, I would like to mention that DO NOT plan to go to Singapore in summers ever!! It’s hot and humid and the sun just made us sick. I googled the time of the year that you should visit Singapore, something I should have done earlier when I planned this holiday. Anyway, mid to end October is just a perfect time to head there.

p.s. Singapore weather is humid and it rains here unpredictably, so packing some foldable umbrellas and waterproof footwear will be a good idea.

Singapore needs around 4-5 nights to cover the entire city. The good thing is that it’s very well connected with the metro and public transport.Taxis are cheap most places within 15-25 min and fare between 15-20 dollars, of course, it depends on where you are staying. Our stay was at a service apartment in Orchard street which was central.

p.s.There is a Sentosa shuttle which  is for free starts from Vivocity mall and takes you straight to Sentosa Islands. Alternatively, you can also take a cable car from Vivocity into Sentosa.

Without much ado, here is our travel itinerary of Singapore which will help you to plan yours;

Day 1: Singapore Zoo

When you browse for information you will realise that there are multiple options available like  Jungle safari , Night safari and River safari for kids to experience at the zoo. What you may not realise is that they are showing you mostly the same set of animals in different settings, so don’t waste your money trying to do all. Mom had experienced the night safari earlier and this time, she decided that we should try the Jungle safari. While night safari is a unique experience but you don’t get to see many animals in the dark, it is kind of scary and still awesome. There are a variety of shows over there. Watch out! They might choose someone in a show and make you pet a baby python, and when you’re at it, two people bring a huge baby python, and you may wet your pants if they tell you to pet it. There is a place where your kids can play over during the jungle safari. I would say that the River safari is the best way to see all the animals. So choose which one are you going to try.

Evening: You can head to Clarke Quay, which is an entire with best views of Singapore and bars. While this is not a kiddy destination, kids are allowed and so parents can enjoy a few drinks. There is also a river cruise which you can take there.

p.s. When you travel via Singapore airlines, you get a discount on all entrance tickets to these attractions.

Day 2: Universal Studios

Located on the Sentosa Islands, this can take up your entire day, so best to maximize it with kids. The good thing about Universal studios the rides are not all ‘kiddy’, so you will enjoy them as much as your kids. The transformer 7D ride, the dinosaur water slide ride, and Steven Spielberg’s  special studio effects are worth it. They also have certain shows which happen at fixed times at fixed venues like Waterworld again worth watching. One thing to remember is not to head to this place on a weekend or you will end up in long lines. We went on a really hot Monday at 10 am and still  had lines.

Day 3: Garden by the bay and Bugis Street

By the third day, we had had enough sun and decided that we will only get out when it is cooler in the day.

Shopping : In the morning mom headed to Bugis street and Orchard street for shopping. Bugis street has some great deals when in comes to clothes, watches, souveniers etc. It is a covered street so you can shop for hours without feeling the heat. Orchard, on the other hand, has high-end brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada etc.

We had a late lunch at 2pm, Orchard street offers some great options. We then headed to Garden by the bay in the evening. It was magnificent, gigantic and lovely. It’s perfect to visit Garden by the bay early evening around fiveish when then the temperature cools down and the lights come up. Apart from beautiful rows and rows of roses, tulips and many unique species of flowers from all over the world in the flower dome, the cloud forest is incredible. You can experience a huge waterfall, sky bridge, stalagmites, caves and feel close to nature.

Night: We headed to Syed Alwi Road for Indian food( you can find Punjabi to South Indian to everything Indian here) and then after putting us to sleep mom headed to the Marina Bay Sands casino and she had a good time there.

Day 4: Legoland Malaysia and Premium Outlet Mall

Why go to Malaysia while in Singapore? Because it’s one hour and a half ride to Malaysia and it takes about 15-20 minutes to pass both the immigrations.  You will need a Malaysian visa for this, but you can get one on arrival. The Legoland Malaysia is located in Johar Bahru. There is nothing to do in Johar Bahru except Legoland and the Premium Outlet Mall so go there while you are in Singapore. It takes the whole day to cover Legoland. I recommend the technic workshop as the best thing to keep little minds interested, it was my favourite thing to do.  The dragon roller coaster is the best ride over there. The Premium Outlet Mall is a good half an hour drive away, so plan your day accordingly. The premium outlet mall has brands like Prada, Gucci, Michael Kors, Coach etc at 50% discount and more. These are genuine products and you can get a good deal. My parents just went crazy there.

Night: We headed to Syed Alwi Road for Indian food( you can find Punjabi to South Indian to everything Indian here) and then after putting us to sleep mom headed to the Marina Bay Sands casino and she had a good time there.

Day 4: Legoland Malaysia and Premium Outlet Mall

Why go to Malaysia while in Singapore? Because it’s one hour and a half ride to Malaysia and it takes about 15-20 minutes to pass both the immigrations.  You will need a Malaysian visa for this, but you can get one on arrival. The Legoland Malaysia is located in Johar Bahru. There is nothing to do in Johar Bahru except Legoland and the Premium Outlet Mall so go there while you are in Singapore. It takes the whole day to cover Legoland. I recommend the technic workshop as the best thing to keep little minds interested, it was my favourite thing to do.  The dragon roller coaster is the best ride over there. The Premium Outlet Mall is a good half an hour drive away, so plan your day accordingly. The premium outlet mall has brands like Prada, Gucci, Michael Kors, Coach etc at 50% discount and more. These are genuine products and you can get a good deal. My parents just went crazy there.

 

Author’s Bio:

Prerna is a popular mommy blogger, follow her at MaaOfAllBlogs. Eeshan is Prerna’s 10 years old son. Eeshan also has a blog of his own, you can check it out EeshansBlogOfHappiness. 

My Road Trip with Atlas

I recently moved from Los Angles California to the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. I drove across the US with my  car packed full of my belongings and my toddler in the backseat. We turned a 44 hour drive into a three week trip, stopping along at lots of incredible places.

The places that we stopped at along the way were places I had been wanting to go for a really long time, so this was sort of like a dream trip being able to do them all in such a short amount of time. Atlas, my three year old is a really great travel companion who goes with the flow. I usually take him on trips that wouldn’t necessarily be considered “family vacations”. In all honesty, often times he’s having a blast playing with rocks on the ground, while I am staring at the sunset, at places like the Grand Canyon.

I think kids can have fun anywhere they go. Atlas has been to over fifteen states in the past year and we are going to three different countries in the next three months. I feel that the best learning comes from experiences like these and I want my children to spend more time in nature than I did when I was a kid. There is so much more appreciation already with him, at such a young age.He stops to smell flowers; even though they may not smell, he still says things like, “Mom, this smells incredible!” He also often points out how “beautiful” the sky looks.

We started this trip in the beginning of June and drove in my Volkswagon Jetta. The back seat folds down, so we slept in the car most nights, whether at a campsite or at Walmart.

We went to the Trona Pinnacles, Valley of Fire, Lake Mead, Antelope Canyon, The Grand Canyon,Monument Valley, Maroon Bells, Lone Rock Beach and Rocky Mountain National Park. We saw almost every sunrise and sunset; it was quite a magical experience.

Author

Corrine Rice, travels with her son and is an active Instagrammer as Nomadic Mom

Let it Snow!

In the summer holidays of 2015 we took Vivaan to Kashmir for a family holiday. He was super excited by the idea of seeing snow. Towards the end of our flight before landing we could see mountains covered in snow. It was such a fascinating sight for Vivaan.

He was super excited to further learn that we were staying in a Houseboat. His questions never seemed to end on how can a boat be a house? His experience of travelling to the Houseboat in a Shikara and seeing the Houseboat from inside with his own eyes answered all his questions. He was simply thrilled by the whole experience.

To add more thrill to his experience he visited places full of snow such as Sonmarg, Pahalgam and Gulmarg of course. In fact, he thoroughly enjoyed playing in the snow. He did horse riding, sledging and other rides of the snow. The Gulmarg cable car was another unique and memorable experience for him.

Up on the mountains, he went inside the snow thrice, while walking and playing. He also tried making a Snowman. 🙂 Apart from all the fun he was very interested in knowing the lifestyle of people living there. Their dresses and style of wearing long pherans, their work and most importantly how they beat the cold with the small heaters that they carry along to keep them warm.

Vivaan also understood the reason of why so many army men were seen around. He also clicked pictures with them. The weather din’t deter him from enjoying the snow.He loved his visit in the snow and we will be going back for sure!

Author

Payal Bhaskaran, Content Head at Candy Cane Club

A School Day during Holi-Day

 

To resonate my ethos of ‘how much kids learn during travel’ just with their mum, and to exemplify her as the best teacher,  I wanted to showcase how a typical day is almost like a school day this time on our vacation.

We flew to the breathtakingly beautiful atolls of Maldives. Mostly his curious mind posed queries about marine animals and everyday life on these remote islands. It was only until I starting researching to answer these , I realized how I was teaching him 5 subjects just like his regular school day consists of 5 classes!

1.Geography

After boarding our flight , we conventionally  pulled out the airline magazine and towards the end of it we stumbled upon a map. I showed him the exact location of Mumbai and where in the Indian Ocean was Maldives. He learnt about the capital city Male and saw what the country flag looks like. We also discussed nearest cities such as Colombo, Lakshwadeep and Kanyakumari.

2.Math

He wanted to know how long we would take to reach there and what is the duration of the flight. There were many numbers and concepts thrown at him such as 2 hour layover between flights  , 20 minutes sea plane transfer and time difference of 30 minutes between India and Maldives. Later on, during the holiday when we were at a cooking session with him and his foreign friends , he flaunted his newly acquired subtracting skills that as we had five cakes but since two kids din’t turn up for the session we only get to decorate three cakes!

3.Language

During our holiday he picked up many new words such as archipelago, lagoon ,reef and such.He learnt the meanings of such words which will in turn make him use them in future with ease.The new words brought about a confidence in him to ask anyone the meaning of any new word he comes across during the holiday even if it was as simple as ‘famished’.

4.Science 

There were so many science lessons right from the biology of the whale sharks including their anatomy and size , to how a sea plane evolved as an alternate mode of transport , the reasons why a snorkel mask can make you look inside the water and the physics of how the spectacle of fly boarding works! Phew 

He got a chance to view the coffee manufacturing in progress and all its stages from roasting , grinding , extraction to filtration which turn coffee beans

to coffee! Industrial science to moral science he had lessons in them all!

5. Art

We had a big doodle maker perched in the room throughout the trip. He loved to draw what he saw everyday right from fish to corals to clouds. Additionally , he had to tie a wish on the Tree of Wishes and since he couldn’t write his wish he decided to draw a rocket to indicate he wished to be an astronaut!

He learnt so many subjects in one holiday and so does every child!Not only has he learnt , but in answering his how’s and why’s I have myself learnt many new things! 

Author Bio:

Prachi Kagzi is the founder of Little Passports India and mother to a 4 year old.

From ‘my’ point of view

My granny wanted to see Kanyakumari, so my dad took us there and you know what

interested me to go that place? That place is the meeting point of 2 seas and an ocean.

Till date, I was thinking that sea and ocean are the same just like the beach we see in

Chennai. But they are so different, water colours are different, and ocean has lot more

water than a sea. I got really scared to see that much water at a single point and the

waves are coming in three different directions also. But had lot of fun observing the

waves and the boats from my hotel room. Went on a boat ride too and that was too

rough a boat ride, I didn’t get a chance to meet the driver nor see the steering wheel. I

got so disappointed by that ride and started crying too (look at me in the photo

crying for the same), as I wanted to drive the boat like how I did in the river Godavari.

My dad told me that, since the seas are rough, the boat man uncle will not allow small

children like me to drive the boat. I got very angry and asked me who that small kid here

is? I am a big boy of 4 years now and he can’t say just that right.

We had a gala of time, seeing the sun rising and setting in the waters. I took lot of

pictures and videos of the same. But had a doubt as to how come Hanuman could jump

so high to catch the rising sun? Though he is my best buddy, I am not able to jump

more than a cot high. My mommy says that I need to eat a lot to gain Hanuman’s

energy levels. Any idea, how much should I eat?

I also met my dancing friend Michael Jackson in a wax museum at Kanyakumari. His

guitar was kept near the wall and I wanted to get it home along with me, but the guards

there didn’t allow me. When he is not playing guitar anymore, MJ can gift that to me

right, I don’t understand why he didn’t do it. Anyways, I got my own guitar now. I also

met Captain Hook there. He is a very funny guy.

The train journey is as memorable as it would always be and the TTE uncle had

answered lot many questions to me in the Egmore station at Chennai. I could also see

how a line man uncle would work in the Kanyakumari station. All that in a different story

later on.

Author’s Bio:

Suhasini is mother to a 4 year old and writes a blog on her musings.Inspired , she will be a writing a series of blogs for us. Like her writing? Read her children’s book, too!

Scared to travel with a baby: Time for some Inspiration

 

I am married to the man who is a craver for holidays. And travelling together has been a bliss.

 To deep sea diving in Koh Phangan.From river rafting in Zanskar, Ladhak.We did it our way,together.

We have actually been there and done that. So after I got pregnant life came to a halt. We weren’t sure if this was the beginning or the end of a new phase. Because around us,literally no one travelled with kids. So all the plans we made also revolved around how soon could we leave him and explore the world again.

It came as a not so pleasant surprise when absolutely everyone just refused to take care of my bundle of joy while I fly away to peace and tranquillity.

So as the say beggar’s are not choosers.We took our 4 month old son for his first holiday. We didn’t dare something far off. Just to a picturesque mountain clad Barog(Himachal Pradesh) India. With a group of friends. It was indeed the icebreaker.

We dared to take a leap of faith when he turned 6 months. Travelling from Ludhiana to Chandigarh- 2 hours. Waiting at the airport  another -2 hours.Flight to Mumbai 2 hours again. Connecting flight to Goa and taxi to the hotel. All together 8 odd hours of travelling. Everyone questioned us. Are you taking him? Of course we are. ( Did we have an option).

Mark my words, the only man who had a blast in Goa was my son. Be it Brittos or Thalassa. He made sure every girl hits on him. Me and his dad were paranoid most of the time. Rubbing those mosquito repellents, boiling water for food in the right vessel,too much exposure to sun. We wanted to keep any kind of discomfort at bay.But the little man was oblivious to our antics.

Next 16 months comprised of such 5 more domestic trips. You read that right. We are a crazy couple. And with every flight we took our faith in our baby strengthened. He was a born traveller.

Of course there were momentary hiccups like pooping in the flight, throwing up at the best  gourmet restaurants, ear pressure while landings and take off’s. But babies are fighters. They glide smoothly through them all. Its we as parents who create a scene.

Then came the big daddy, in a lapse of sanity we planned another trip. To travel to two countries with our little buddy. He was just over 18 months. Passports, Visas, travel insurance, hotel bookings all done. And yet everyone asked, Is he still going along?

Isn’t that obvious said my confident husband. Whenever I had an anxious moment he would say,don’t you trust me.

With Travel hours just a little more than 11 hours we reached our first destination Singapore.

That’s when my son taught us that a time lap of 3 hours is also a time lap. First days travelling, plus that lap was a tinny Winny tough on him. Post that his motto,when in Rome do as the Romans do. He was ready to rock and roll.

Singapore is a place that has excellent options for kids, be it food, activities, fun parks. Every nook and corner is baby ready. Places where both parents and kids can have a ball. And cherry on the cake, the people. The amount of compassion they have for people travelling with kids is commendable.

Planning a trip to Singapore, do it now

Safety measures at Sentosa are fabulous, our baby did Ludge with us. He is now a certified Ludge driver too.

Our smart move was to stay at Sentosa for two days. So we were never in a hurry to go back to Singapore mainland . From 8 in the morning to 8 at night party was on.

5 fabulous days at Singapore and we moved to Bali. Beaches, martinis, crabs. It’s live life king size in Bali, Indonesia.

Our trip was brilliantly planned with two days at Hard rock, Kuta. Then moving on to a private pool villa in Seminyak. With a day well spent at Ubud, be it the monkey forest or coffee plantations, its a power house of everything nature has to give.

The pools at both the places were to die for. We were unsure as to what we would do with a baby at a pool villa, but he sure knows what luxury is and enjoys it too.

Not to forget the freshly prepared icecreams. We commited the cardinal Sin, gluttony, or rather they made us do so. You just cant ever have enough.Coming back was a little sad. But also came an assurance that travelling with your baby anywhere in the world is indeed a blessing. Specially because you dont have to worry as to how well is he without you back home and as its said, best teaching is through travelling. My prayer for my son, Let world be your oyster.

Author’s Bio:

Neha Verma is a mother to a toddler and a travel enthusiast.Read her blog here.

Adventure Seeker

Travelling means the world to me. And I am an Adventure Seeker!

Any travel destination I pick I make sure there is atleast one thing I do that I

have never done before. This time it was travelling with a 1 year old. Yes, that

was an adventure in itself! And of course there was scuba diving too!

Andamans is a place I could go back to any number of times. And I think the

trip has been so memorable because of my experiences attached to my little

son. I lived every moment of ‘firsts’ with him on this trip. First time on a flight,

First time in the water, First time on the sand, first time on beaches, first time

in a swimming trunk, first time on floats, First time on outdoor food, and first

time encounter with a variety of sea creatures! His expressions and reactions

were priceless.

It was a full week long vacation and we travelled by air, we took the cruise, we

travelled by road and it was as if my son was born adapted to travel. A

blessing! My son has this love for listening to people speak. All I do is make

anything and everything into a story and he is all glued and occupied. Where I

work , we actually design and curate innovative game play for parents and child. So

gamifying every bit of this travel became so easy for me. I made sure

everyday we did one activity that my husband and I wanted to do and one that

my son would totally enjoy. I dint really have to carry a lot of books or toys for

the long flight journey either. We played games that involved my child and I

staring out of the window and spotting things and then we played some other

games that involved snacking on a healthy meal during the flight.

We played for hours in the sand, spotting dead and live mussels, collecting

and counting shells, decorating them on the beach, sorting them based on

their size and colours, digging tunnels, running races, making art out of dead

leaves, counting between the waves! There are a whole lot of things that can

be done on a beach with a child than just standing on the beach, splashing or

making sand castles. The next time you are travelling with your little one to

any destination, make sure you make every bit of the trip interesting from their

point of view, because I realised when my kid started responding and enjoying

the little tasks we would do, I started to really enjoy my time on the trip and I

was sure I could travel anywhere with my son and it would be a totally

awesome trip! Happy travelling!

Author Bio:

Sumana Sethuraman is the content manager for Candy Cane Club and mother to a toddler.

How to Choose your Travel Destination with Your Little One !

With the advent of summer and school holidays just round the corner , I noticed a sudden spurt of this question on various mommy groups on facebook and discussion on many parenting blogs. The perennial travel question for mothers, ‘Where should I go with my little one?’ by first time mommies, moms of toddlers, seasoned mums of teenagers and so forth. Here are some questions, which will help the mommies answer, what they should look for on their next trip!

1.Do you want to go ‘all that way’?

If your little one will be on a long haul flight for the first time keep in mind the travel time involved. For newbie parents, it is often advisable to take 3 hour flights at the most. The distance involved is crucial as the start of the journey should be on a happy note, and the short flight would be manageable for most moms. Travel tip for first time baby flyers: check out airlines with a ‘flying nanny’.

Suggested places : Singapore, UAE , Hong Kong/China

 

2. I need a holiday or does the child need a holiday?

At the onset of your travel planning, it must be clear in your mind if you would like the holiday for yourself or for the child. If it’s tipping towards yourself (because you are fatigued being a new mom) or just want some peace and quiet (being the second time mom) , I highly suggest a relaxing holiday. Choose a resort based holiday which keeps the kids busy and you can catch those winks you have missed or just laze by the pool. Since there is no offsite travel involved  , your days can be leisurely paced , with no schedule to adhere to purely enjoy those moments with your kids.

Suggested Places: Child Friendly Resorts in Goa, Kerala, Mauritius, Thailand, Bali, Seychelles , Maldives

Alternatively, for seasoned mums whose kids are looking for a holiday, I suggest a destination which will entice an all-round experience. A city usually has some cultural aspects and city life experiences , while the countryside offers more adventure and nature. Choose your destination wisely to include both as they can get a taste of each aspect. This in turn also behaves as neutraliser for the parents , as they also get a fulfilling holiday which is not child-centric.

Suggested Places: Greece, Slovakia , Spain, Manali , Nainital , Coorg , Sikkim

 

3.Don’t I have enough sunshine back home?

Depending on your month of travel,the weather can greatly vary even in one hemisphere. As a family decide which weather you are more susceptible towards. If you like the cooler temperatures , don’t make the mistakes of heading to Asia. The weather although not really a deciding factor many a times  , is what actually makes or breaks the holiday! Wait another time to go to your bucket list destination if the weather isn’t right!

Suggested Places: Kashmir, Ladakh, Norway, Iceland for cooler temperatures  ; Hampi, Jordan , Tanzania ,Kenya for sunshine! Don’t forget Australia has the opposite weather.

4. Is this holiday exciting for my kids?

Some times what you would like to experience at this stage in your life is not age appropriate for your child.Discuss with your kids what type of holiday they would like and come to a consensus as it’s easier to be adaptable to their likings at the planning stage than after reaching your destination!

Don’t bore the pre- teens on a museum tour through Europe as their active energy levels are best encompassed at an amusement park. Don’t take the tiny tots on cruises as they aren’t independent enough to be at the kid zone and want the parents around. These are some commandments by experienced parents , and who better to understand what our child wants than us!

Suggested Places: Parks and Zoos for toddlers , Amusement Parks in Americas or Safari in India/Africa for pre teens , culture & adventure sports for Teenagers

5.Is too early to introduce them to ….?

Be adventurous with your kids , they understand and learn much more faster than you can imagine. They are open minded and embrace new experiences without fear. Be it a new interest , or a new cuisine , don’t hesitate to try it out with them as they might surprise you!

Suggested : Introduction of new foods for the toddlers ; Skill based trips such as Scuba/Ski for pre teens and South America for older kids

Hope these questions will give you some answers to decide your next trip ! Wherever you go always remember to carry some humour along , and capture every moment in photographs to create memories! Happy Exploring !

 

Author Bio:

Prachi Kagzi is the founder of Little Passports India and mother to a 4 year old.

Blue hai pani pani …

 

Mumma daddy ” muje blue pani main khelna hai  hum log gummi gummi jaye ” these simple words by my angel made us take her to summer  vacation  to Mahabaleshwar Saj resort.
Though she is Hydrophobic , she herself  wanted to take out her phobia of  water, and that’s y keep on saying, Mumma , I will go to pool this time.  We started from Navi Mumbai the place where  we live, in an Innova with one more  friend family and  their two kids. The journey  started with eating lot of stuff in car itself. By the time we reached Lonavala  Junction, all kids slept,  but I made them get up to see the lovely atmosphere  outside was. Water fall , trekking sites, hill, mountain, beautiful  scenery.. Just a bliss to see Lonavala  during rainy season.

Though the day we went was very clear. We reached the resort,  took some rest, and went for a buffet lunch. After taking lunch, I took my daughter  to play in a pool, first she was scared again, but I insisted my hubby  to go along with her inside.  He some  how managed to take  her inside, but still she was just sitting in border n splashing  with water. But then my hubby took her in shoulder n made her touch the water till her neck, she enjoyed  a lot.  After sometime  the pool manager came with kids tube, Author:and seeing that she became  so happy, that she started swimming herself and I was most happy person  on earth that, finally her phobia for water went away. 

In Mahabaleshwar  we took her to Verna Lake, where we did boating, ate Icecream, hot pakoras and garma garam  bhutta.  What most attracted my angel was colorful fruits especially  Strawberry  and jamun. She was so fascinated by straw  berry that she ate alone, without  sharing to anyone. We took them mapro garden  where, how chocolate  n jellies are made, shown to kids. She even learnt making jellies. In the mapro garden, there  was a food court and kids activity centre, where we all tattooed Strawberry on our hands. N even made video of making it.  Then we went to different  points n clicked unlimited  pics of her.  In whole 3 days of stay in Mahabaleshwar  she loved the best part of resort is food and pool..

Author: Sneha Jain

 

 

 

Missing of the Heartbeat…

This experience even recalled today gives me goose bumps. We generally keep reading news of violence, accidents & abduction – get disturbed for that moment and move on. But when it is about your own kid, you lose senses.

We, two families together, were on a holiday to Kerala. Our 1^st destination was ‘Thiruvananthapuram’. After a long day touring the city, our last point was the Padmanabhaswamy temple which was also in the news for gold being found there.

It was a very pleasant & divine atmosphere there; as per the temple rules, we entered it only after wearing the white sarees and dhoti which we rented out from there itself. It looked like a white sea with all people in whites and pretty crowded. We all tried to move in a group, holding the kids securely. The temple inside was mesmerizing, very huge, an old stone architecture; Aadi, my son was amazed looking at everything around.

After our darshan, we ladies got ourselves into shopping of local traditional items , outside the temple premises itself as had to wait for my father in law who got stuck inside as the ‘Aarti’ had begun and the authorities closed the door. Prashant (my husband) and Yogesh (our friend) went on to return the rented clothes along with the kids. We met at a pre-decided point.  Suddenly I realized that Aadi was MISSING.

I asked Prashant “Where is Aadi??” He checked on his side and said “Was just here with me”. My heart beat missed for that moment – All different stories about kids started flashing in my head…. All of us cried his name, but No Answer. My eyes were no less than a hawk’s eye trying to search Aadi, but inside I was going through an emotional turmoil, with all negative thoughts taking charge over me. After 10mins or so when we were not yet able to trace him, I was totally petrified, almost started crying “Prashant, where he might be? I want him now”. He too obviously was tensed and was going through the same emotions but tried to console me “Aadi will never go away with any stranger; he must be around”

All of a sudden, I saw his back, standing on one of the stairs & facing towards the temple. I beckoned Prashant   immediately and we both ran towards him, calling his name. He turned around and waved; the relief was beyond anything….

 He sensed the tension through our expressions and realized that he has done something wrong…thus started giving explanation that he was waiting for Dada(his grandfather ) there. I was very angry with him for not informing us before leaving, but did not say anything, just hugged him, hold his hand tight and started moving down the stairs… He kept pleading – “Sorry Mamma…Are you mad at me??”,I just kept walking;  

No I was not trying to give him hard time, It was just that I was collecting myself….

Author: Sayali Garware

Me and Aadi 🙂

Reach the Beach!

The whole thing started with mum’s friend Nidhi (MBA classmate) coming to visit us with her daughter Avni…What would be a good experience for someone coming from the Gurgaon chills? Beach, of course! With some help from friends and the Internet we froze on Prakruti Resort. And boy am I glad that we chose it!

The drive to the resort from Chembur takes about 4 hours with a short 15-20 mins break…the drive is fun and, for me to see all kinds of roadside vendors (fruit, pillows, inflatable toys, plants) was a first! Do carry some food as there are hardly any good eateries along the drive, but you could buy fruit along the way.

As soon as you enter Prakruti Resort, it beckons to you; we were greeted by a refreshing welcome drink while we cleared the check-in formalities. The lobby was tastefully done with interesting antique pieces.

We were then shuttled to our room by a golf cart, which was a fun experience, perfectly setting the holiday mood 🙂 Our room was very spacious, clean and had a really big bed! It had a balcony attached overlooking the pools and the bathroom, though didn’t have a bath tub, was neat, had hot water and enough toiletries.

Once we quickly settled into the room, we packed up our sand toys, swim suits, towels (you can also buy them at the resort store) and headed to the only restaurant Nisarg. All meals are served at Nisarg and are buffet. We enjoyed a sumptuous meal and proceeded to Prakruti Resort’s private beach which is short walk from the resort.

The beach was stunning! The sand was lovely and white and waves were perfect; the beach was absolutely clean…there wasn’t much crowd as we went on a weekday. After the mums’unsuccessful attempts to keep us busy with sand play while they tried to grab a snooze, we hit the water! And it was sooooo much fun!!

Next, we decided to take up some water sports and decided on aqua scooting. It was my first aqua scooter ride and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The waves were quite high and it was an exciting experience!

We then changed, dried and made our way back to the resort by…Bullock cart! The resort ferries its guests from the beach to the resort by bullock carts which was an incredible experience that I will never forget! The uncle ferrying us was very friendly and let me hold the ropes all the way and also let me pat the bullocks…I conversed with him all along and learnt that the bullocks’ names were Raja & Saja! I also tried my Marathi on him and it worked! We enjoyed the ride so much that we went for one again the next day.

Once back from the beach we refreshed (includes watching TV) and headed to explore the resort…Luckily as we stepped out, we got a ride on a golf cart and we noticed that the resort was quite vast and spread out.

We then explored the playground but it was getting quite dark and we had something more interesting to do…The dance room!!! Here, Nidhi aunty was in her element! As were Avni & I!! Reluctantly, we left the dance floor and headed to Nisarg for dinner…After a quick dinner we returned to the dance floor and finally retired for the day, totally exhausted but with a big smile.

Author’s Bio: Veena Rao

Mom to a daughter, she blogs about life, travel and things in between.Follow her blog.