Choose your own baby adventure
Emma castle discovers there’s more than one way to holiday with a baby in tow.
Emma Castle discovers there’s more than one way to holiday with a baby in tow.
Have baby, will travel! Figuring out where to take your baby on their first big trip can seem overwhelming. After all, what should you pack? How will bubs cope with a long car trip or flight? How will you cope? And exactly what kind of holiday will work for your new family?
It’s scary stuff, but this guide is designed to take the guesswork out of where to take your baby on holidays. Because let’s face it, no-one needs a holiday right now more than you. So, new parents, it’s time to choose your own adventure.
Camp
Where to go? Australia Nicole Leyden is an intrepid camper who has taken her four-year-old and two-yearold camping since they were born.
Nicole says, “Be prepared for the first night to be harder to get the kids off to sleep, but if you do it often enough they get used to it. Our four-year-old now sleeps in a swag outside of the tent and loves it.
“When it comes to bathing your baby, stay in a camping ground with hot showers or, even better, buy a really small inflatable baby pool and use that to bathe the kids in,” suggests Nicole.
Packing guide “When it comes to packing, we take the IKEA high chair with us; it’s hard to squeeze in, but it’s worth it. Don’t take too many toys as they just get lost, broken and dirty. Make sure you take plenty of changes of clothes. If you have a camp fridge, cook meals and freeze them before the trip. Otherwise plan really simple meals,” says Nicole.
Tips “Go with family or friends if you can. Packing up can be frustrating so having someone who can keep the kids occupied while you pack is really useful,” says Nicole.
Beach
Where to go? Oahu, Hawaii Hawaii is an ideal place to take a baby because it’s so easy to get around, English is the main language and the culture is very family-centric.
Adrienne Steward took her eight-month-old son to Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, located less than an hour’s drive from the airport.
Adrienne says, “The resort had certain areas for babies; a splash pad and a toddler area, for example. It has outdoor movie nights and a river ride (just big tubes you float down a gentle ‘river’ in) and, of course, there are Disney characters everywhere.” Packing guide The weather in Hawaii is consistently warm, so pack light cotton clothing, swimmers, swimmer nappies, sunscreen and a hat.
Tips The resort’s babysitting service, Kama’aina Kids Sitters, offers in-room babysitting for children aged from six weeks, charged at an hourly rate per child. Just across the road, Ko Olina Resort is a good place to stock up on nappies, baby food and formula. A Pack’n’play crib, bed rails, bottle warmer, diaper disposal system and a high chair can all be requested from Paradise Baby Co.
Ski
Where to go? Austria It might not seem like the obvious choice for Aussies, but Austria caters extremely well for both babies and older children. Eva Wintersberger took her son Max back to her home village of Gastein for a ski holiday when he was 10 months old.
She says, “There is a quality certification in Austria called ‘kinderhotel’. It’s a group of hotels that have been assessed to meet particular standards for families. This includes both high-end options and lower-cost versions.”
Packing guide Eva says, “For your little one, I recommend a one-piece snow suit, gloves and a beanie. Have them in a lamb fur (or fake fur) bag when they’re in the pram and make sure that you have warm shoes and socks for them. Make sure you pack an oil-based moisturiser for both of your faces (water-based products will freeze) and take sunscreen, as you will still get sunburnt on top of the mountain.”
Tips Regarding language, Eva says, “English is spoken by everyone under 40 in the main tourist regions so you shouldn’t have a problem.”
Cruise
Where to go? Some cruise lines (Carnival Cruise Line, Cunard Line, Disney Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International) welcome children aged over six months for Australian and South Pacific cruises. On transatlantic, transpacific, Hawaii and South America cruises, the minimum age to cruise is 12 months.
Packing guide You need to pack your own sealed formula and commercially packaged baby food because the ship’s kitchens don’t cater for babies. Distilled water is available for making up formula. Some onboard stores stock nappies, but they are in limited supply so make sure you take plenty with you. There’s one catch: children have to be toilet-trained to go in the pool. No swimmer nappies allowed.
Tips Most cruise lines provide cots free of charge; you just have to notify them at the time of booking. Single and double strollers can be hired for a fee.