The ultimate vacation. There’s nothing quite like sitting for two-three weeks on a beautiful tropical beach full of coconut trees and soft white sand. In those moments, where i lay, wet and relaxed, on a tanning bed, drinking coconut milk, put on my earphones and do some bonding with the sun, i feel the full extent of the good life.

There are loads of places in the world where that dream can come true and in ridiculous prices. So if you haven’t watched the waves rolling day after day in a long time, everything that’s left is choosing the destination that fits you, and promise the kids a lot of sand castles..

♦ When you go to choose your tropical beach, pay attention to the seasons. double check from a few different sources. Tropical weather isn’t at all like weather anywhere else. The rain in R-A-I-N and the humidity can teach Tel-Aviv at summer what humidity really is.. Check the average days of rain in the month you’ll visit in, the humidity percentage, the average hours of daylight. At the end of the day the weather is the most important factor in a beach vacation..

☂And pack an umbrella.

♦ Most of the tropics, sitting on both sides of the equator, are home to some very unpleasant diseases. Check the disease situation in the places you’re planning to visit. Especially mosquito transferred diseases. Visit the consultation center in a traveler’s clinic and get updates and recommendations for your destination. If you’re afraid, do some research and you can easily find some places where there aren’t diseases, or at least very little.

♦ Take with you some mosquito repellents, but don’t put them in your carry on bags on the plane. It’s just so you won’t have to search everywhere for them when you get there. And anyway know that anywhere touristic has a wide range of repellents.

♦ While on the beach- first put on sunscreen then the mosquito repellent.

♦ Check what kind of sand the beach has. If it’s a reef, a rocky beach or soft clean sand. Gear up properly. Special swimming shoes will protect the kid’s feet from sharp corals, crabs or sea urchins.

⛱ Don’t take with you all the toys for the beach. They take up too much space in the bag. Buy some after you get there and leave it there, for whoever comes next.

♦ Also, check the water level at the time of your trip. There are beaches that look amazing some times of the year and very bad in other times.

♦ Take with you small bag for the shells collection the kids will have after every visit to the beach..

tip: Try to eat lots of ? Tomatoes and foods with tomato sauce (Ketchup also works). Let the kids go wild with French fries, Pasta, shakshooka…it’s best to start a bit before you leave and continue throughout the whole stay at the tropical beach. In Tomatoes there’s something called Lycopene that functions like a natural sunscreen.

That of course doesn’t mean you should’nt use sunscreen. Although, a moderate sun exposure is healthy. Put sunscreen on the face, shoulders, back and chest but leave the arms and legs to soak all the good the sun has to give (of course, not overmuch)

♦ A bit before you leave expose the kids to as many kinds of seafood as possible. Clams, Squids, Shrimps. Some people are sensitive to those foods, and it’s better to find out about your kid resistance before you leave and prepare accordingly. That also goes for tropical fruits (especially Mangoes..).

? If you’re already at a tropical beach, and the Coconuts are so tempting and easy to get, don’t be shy getting them. Let the kids enjoy the clear drink straight from the nut. It’s very healthy and low in calories!

♦ There are places where it’s best to avoid any drinks with Ice. Up to you. You can always take a few Bananas and freeze them in the mini Fridge in the hotel. That way the kids can  freeze their throats, as kids do, and you can count a few less Popsicles for each kid daily..

♦ Don’t immediately go and purchase tour packages of the area. Wait a bit. Most likely you’ll find a fisherman who’ll take you around in his boat or you’ll find lots of nice places nearby you can visit without any need of a travel agent. Small natural gems can be found in any beach or tropical island. So you can keep the guided tours to a minimum, and still get to know the place and offer the kids enjoyable activities.

♦ Beware of motorbikes. Both on the road and when you’re riding them. And be even more careful of schemes by the Merchants that rent you the bike or any other equipment.

♦ Choose the hotel and room type based on the age of the kids. If the kids ate very young- you shouldn’t take a room with too easy an access to the swimming pool or the beach. You came here to rest, not to chase the kids and be on guard all day… And if the the kids are older- take a room with a view and close to the beach and the pool. That way you can sometimes go swimming alone (or as together ❤) without being worried.

♦ A hotel with Breakfast and a restaurant is always preferable to one without. That way the kids can eat alone and you can keep sleeping..

♦ And bring a walkie-talkie with you. That way you can easily communicate with the kids even if you are laying with a book on the beach while they are busy somewhere else.

? Swim a lot, eat well, drink a million shakes and go back tanned and healthy!

Check out two of my favourite places for an exotic beach vacation with the kids: muine, Vietnam and bohol, Philippines.