“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
– Mark Twain
Do you also dream of leaving the nine-to-five? Of forgetting about that pesky snooze button? The dishes in the sink? Well, I’m here to help you. take a wonderful break.
Whether you’re planning a short vacation to Vietnam, a one-year tour of southeast Asia, or an open-ended trip across continents, I’m here to answer all your questions, address all your worries, concerns or fears.
I offer an hour long session, during which I can explain to you everything you’re uncertain about, address all the fears you have of your trip, recommend locations and things to do in those locations, advise about your budget and anything else you might want to know. From small to big, I am here.
I will also send you a list of sure-proofed accommodations and local contacts you should have. As well as many tips and detailed info (such as how to handle money on each specific destination, which ATM is the best one to use, how to buy a sim card or how and where to get internet, and more).
Travelling in southeast Asia, even with kids, doesn’t mean being banished to the land of the wild things.
I write this post following a number of inquiries I got on the subject. The fear that becomes bigger the closer your flight is, that you’ll have to sacrifice your soft skin, not to mention those killer selfies, in return for the dust of the roads and adventures, probably lurks in every woman’s head.
(ok maybe it skipped me, after all, I ooze sexiness naturally).
So here are a few tips I learned from my five years of experience:
♦ Southeast Asia is a cosmetic heaven. It only looks scary from the outside. Once you get here, once you stick your head to the first store in India, you’ll see that a lot of your fears were empty. But really empty. A wide range of amazing companies (and every ‘Himalaya’ product you can dream of), tons of natural products, oils, soaps, creams, scrubs. In short: pack light.
♦ Just never forget to check the expiry date before buying anything.
♦ One of the more important parameters is the weather. The main principle in taking care of your face is matching the cream to the weather.
♦ Invest in a night cream, something that gets the job done. And during the day find something appropriate for the weather.
♦ When we made our way by night bus from Beijing to the Mongolian border, I slept on a bunk when underneath me was a beautiful young Mongol woman. at some stage, before she went to sleep, she shamelessly pulled out her toiletries bag, and during the drive, in front of everyone, took cotton swabs and tonic, cleaned her face, put cream, oiled her hands and went to bed. Since then I take her with me everywhere. 40 days and 40 nights of staying in the Mongolian wilds (you thought I was kidding with the title?!), no matter how tired or lazy I felt. Cotton, tonic, face cream. In darkness, cold, heat, rain, in the good, the bad. No half assing.
♦ Keep those in a place that’s easy to reach.
♦ Make sure to wash your face in clear water (even a river, waterfall, lake… whatever) at least once a day.
♦ Have a scarf in your bag. The local women use it to cover their faces and protect them from the road’s dirt whenever they find themselves on a bus/bike. I don’t do it but I’m just lazy.
♦ Watch what you eat. In southeast Asia it’s easy to take care of your face’s skin using fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, different kinds of tea, fruit juice. Pay attention and don’t go wild with the junkfood.
♦ Even if you’re trekking or adventuring in remote places- eat fresh cooked food (over instant for example)- what the locals cook for themselves, drink water or tea (not chemical juice), snack on nuts and dried fruits. Sweeten with honey.
♦ Beauty salons are everywhere. But everywhere. Waxing, eyebrows, moustache. And maybe some face treatments, haircut, color. You can maintain everything even during a trek. Just ask the locals. And there’s a chance you’ll earn a conversation with a fascinating local woman and maybe even learn a few new techniques.
♦ Invest in a hat that looks a-m-a-z-i-n-g on you. You’ll be surprised how useful it can be…
♦ Don’t let pimples erupt. For that there’s a small narrow tube containing a colorless jell for focused treatment (In every other shop in southeast Asia) that neutralizes them within hours.
♦ Make-up: personally I’d recommend one core principle when it comes to make-up: keep your face skin soft and pretty, so you’ll need the minimum and the minimum.
◊ Now, depending on the season but southeast Asia can get reeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaally humiiiiiiiid. No make-up is equal to this kind of weather. For this reason, I wouldn’t use much powder, mascara, or black pencil and all its variations.
◊ If anything, it’ll be in the locals stores that you’ll have a chance of finding the super eye-liners that you you could fly to the moon and back with without a single smudge. And it’ll probably cost 20 rupees.
♦ Hair: same thing here. Keep it shiny and healthy. Not so hard in southeast Asia because the range of hair products is simply never-ending. Asian women take care of their hair obsessively.
◊ And of course all the gadgets and stuffs and things for your hair. Everything is dirt cheap and the range is unbelievable.
◊ And let’s say you went on a trek and didn’t wash your hair for a few days- baby talc will absorb the extra oil and give off a nice smell. I heard there’s also “dry shampoo”.
♦ Skin and body care: depends on where you’re traveling. In Vietnam for example there are amazing (and cheap) spas. In India there are hot springs and natural oils, in Nepal there are amazing organic products, in short… go and discover. One of the pleasures or traveling this way is entering a cosmetics store or try out a new massage. I can tell you that the mud bath I did with my daughter, and the swim in a mineral water pool, and the other experiences we had in that area will not be soon forgotten :-).
◊ I use salt as cleaning-disinfecting pilling mask to the skin, preferably natural Himalayan salt (sometimes mix it with a bit of some oil) and honey as massage/cleaning face mask. But that’s only because I am too lazy to carry too much with me. I buy a small amounts and if anything is left I leave it behind.
♦ Nails– mani and padi there’s everywhere. I don’t see a problem. All the other decorations for nails I also saw almost everywhere.
♦ Yoga- it balances you both inside and out.
♦ It’s likely that travelling and the freedom and that feeling of letting go will also express themselves in how you take care of yourself. Don’t be surprised if you want to make rainbow stripes in your hair. Or if your whole definition of beauty completely turned on its head.
♦ And it’s also likely that your adventures, passion, love, adrenaline, and pleasure will all show themselves in the spark in your eyes, the flash of your cheeks and the light in your eyes. Spread out all the love within you.
♦ And then there are places that make you feel like the hottest woman in the world. Let them.
A first aid kit is one of those things that make you feel safe, even when you’re in the middle of nowhere in southeast Asia, and especially when you are with kids. When you always have one in your bag, you can be as spontaneous as you like and still be a ‘responsible adult’. It’s important, though, to never forget it in your room because that will be the one time you actually need it. Yes… I learned that the hard way :-).
Things I recommend taking:
Basic first aid- sterile pads, disinfectant, plasters of different sizes, bandages, tourniquet, and something special for burns.
Hand sanitizer (a small bottle just in case you really need but don’t have one).
Mosquito repellent. I always have some in my bag, but in my first aid kit I always carry some wet wipes with mosquito repellent, just in case.
2 hygienic bandages in a sterile wrap.
And empty plastic bag.
Multiple purpose disinfecting liquid- a little bottle that can disinfect anything, cuts, surfaces, toilets.
A salve to sooth the skin- stings/sun burns/nettles.
Antihistamine.
Two unopened tooth brushes+paste. The small kind they give in hotels and airplanes. Yes, sometimes you have dinner at a friend’s home and the girls decide to stay to sleep there.
Lavender oil for everything- scratches, cuts, burns.
Soap pages in a travel pack.
Lipstick for dry lips.
Hair bands.
A lighter.
In addition, it’s best if you give your kids a few basic safety rules. Whatever seems important to you. For example, my kids know to beware of certain plants that irritate the skin- you just need to point it out to them and tell them to be careful. They also know not to touch shoe soles or anything off the floor, or to come close to a motorbike’s exhaust pipe (in southeast Asia there are more bikes than cars)
You can buy a ready-made first aid kit and just buy a few more things that are important specifically for a trip in southeast Asia with kids. That’s what I did to begin with, but as time went on the bag got ripped and ruined so I bought a camera bag. A square bag, waterproof, opening from the top and divided to several compartments. I chose the size that fits comfortably in the bottom of our bag that still goes everywhere with us, and put everything in it.
A big fear many parents have is about the hygiene of foods and drinks in developing countries. Even doctors specializing in travel medicine recommend to be extra careful with those. I wrote here the ways we deal with it.
Drinks:
Many of the worst diseases originate in water.
2. That’s why I always go under the assumption that the water anywhere is not fit for drinking. Not taking any chances.
3. The most effective way to disinfect water is by boiling.
4. That’s why any dish containing water must be well boiled.
5. Drinking water- you can find different qualities of drinking water anywhere. From mineral water from abroad to locally treated and disinfected. Buy a few types, pick the one you like best and stick with it. And of course, pay attention to the lid signature.
6. Juices- fresh fruit juice is one of the ways to keep the kids healthy. It’s important to make sure they don’t mix it with water or ice. Also, pay attention to how clean the dishes are.
7. Cold drinks- sodas and the likes are perfectly safe to drink.
8. Hot drinks- usually there’s nothing to fear, the water is well boiled and even if they add milk- they boil that too for you.
Food:
The best way to disinfect food is by boiling.
2. That’s why it’s always better to eat food that was cooked in high temperatures, baked or well fried.
3. Meat is one of the biggest sources of disease, that’s why rule no.2 is twice as important if you’re going to eat meat. Don’t eat meat that hasn’t been well coocked!
4. You don’t have to eat meat.
5.Eggs- go under the assumption that the Eggs have been fertilized. If that doesn’t bother you, I recommend you to put Eggs in the same category with meat- make sure all parts of the Egg have been well cooked (I don’t order fried, boiled or scrambled Eggs, I order an omelet and ask it to be well done).
6. The locals prefer to be healthy and know all these rules even better than us. True that their digestive system is designed to those conditions, but they’re not immune either.
7.That’s why the local foods are always healthy and nutritious, while keeping to the hygienic rules relevant to that place.
8.On the other hand, it’s the western foods that are made only for the tourists are those that aren’t prepared properly according the hygienic rules and hence have a higher chance of making you sick.
9. In addition, take under consideration that the local food is what the locals cook best. Western food won’t be ‘like home’, and especially the meat- not always worth the risk (depending of course on the destination of your trip)..
10. In short, it’s recommended to just order the local food.
11. Another important detail- people are always warning of the cooling and keeping conditions of the food, but in local restaurants they never prepare food in advance. They only start to make it when they get an order. It takes a while (take a deck of cards with you J)… but together with that you can be sure the food is the freshest it can be.
Fruits and vegetables:
Fruits and vegetables that were watered with polluted water are not recommended to eat, because their peel is contaminated.
2. That’s why you have to make sure they were properly cooked.
3. Or properly peeled..
4. Or properly washed..
5. If there’s no way to wash/cook you should always pick the fruits or vegetables with a thick peel (Papayas, Oranges, Coconuts, Pineapples, Bananas). And those that grow on trees/bushes and not on the ground.
6. Many restaurants in touristic areas are aware of the problem and clearly mention that they wash their fruits and vegetables with disinfectant (iodine usually). Even with that, I don’t take risks and don’t allow the kids to eat fruits and vegetables that aren’t peeled.
Buying snacks or packed food:
One thing you have to remember: pay attention to the expiry date. If that’s not written, or if it’s expired, DON’T BUY!
Eating at food stands:
Usually their food is very fresh (and tasty!), they always make it that same day.
2. In large, the rules are the same rules, don’t forget them.
3. Pay attention how many locals eat from that stand. Don’t buy from an empty stand.
4. Pay attention to their utilities and where they sharpen their knives (there are stand owners that sharpen their knives against the sidewalk..).
5. Don’t forget to ask a number of times ‘not spicy’.
6. Or come with a ready-to-pull bottle of waterJ.
7. It’s best to come with your own disposable utilities.
8. And yet, I wouldn’t eat meat in stands.
General hygiene:
The utilities are washed with regular water, usually with soap..
2. They have a different way of washing dishes: they soak the dishes in a big bowl full of water, then scrub with soap, wash and leave in the sun.
3. Their use of the sun is not only to dry but also to disinfect.
4. They serve the silverware on a plate.
5. Table cleaning: oh well, it’s usually not very clean. You can ask them to clean, you can use a wet wipe yourself, or you can simply not mix the silverware with the table.
6. You don’t have to use glasses, drink straight from the bottle..
7. You can buy a packet of straws and drink through them for maximal hygiene.
8. Remember to wash your hands before every meal.
Bottom line:
Wash your hands before every meal.
2. Prefer local foods.
3. Cooked in high temperatures.
4. always suspect the water. Drink only purified water/fresh juice/sodas/hot drinks
5. Check the date of expiry on all packaged snacks.
It looks complicated but within a few days you get used to these rules and they become habit. Even the kids learn fast and the rules become a part of their life. they don’t even think about it anymore.
It’s one of the biggest and best website there are for finding accommodation at prices that fit everyone.
Not long ago i got an email from Yossi (i swear that’s his name), he asked me for a recommendation for cheap accommodation in Florence. And me, what do i know. I don’t remember where we booked that apartment we stayed at 3 years ago in Tuscany, and anyway we became friends with the owners and from the three weeks we stayed there, we only payed full price for the first one..
So i went to this website, and I did some research for Yossi. I searched ‘Florence’ without high expectations. Florence, after all, is an e-x-p-e-n-s-i-v-e city. Truth be told, i was surprised to discover it’s possible to find beautiful apartments for very low prices.
So i sent Yossi there.
The reason i searched in this specific website, is that just a few days beforehand i searched for myself cheap accommodation on the beach in Vietnam. And when i typed ‘mui ne rentals’ this is the website that gave me most cheapest, most diverse options. And when i entered this website, and i saw it’s name, i suddenly remembered that a few years ago a friend of mine told me she only books accommodation there. And i remember trying to remember the name of the website, and i even asked her about it a few times, because she travels a lot, this friend, she knows what she’s talking about, she was even in the Brazilian jungles. So of course i could trust her.
And after recommending it to Yossi i thought why not write about it in my website?
So i went and did a bit of research for you too. First i typed ‘Italy’. I found a lot of results for surprising prices, starting from a room for 10$ and through to a whole house on lake Garda, with a swimming pool (!) for 42$ a night. I moved on, and saw another house with a swimming pool on lake Garda for 61$ a night. Ok. But this is Italy, supposedly, i don’t know, something is going on with the economy.. The prices are low.
Then i checked the mother of all expensive destinations and typed ‘Tokyo’ just to see what I’ll get. I Found an apartment with park view, Internet and everything, for 422$ a week. Meaning less than 61$ a night.
I continued to Paris. Actually had me interested. Because living in Paris for a few weeks is a dream of mine. It was a bit more difficult there but i tried to be ‘large’ and searched for whole apartments, big ones, with a kitchen and everything. The price per night (even in the good quarters) was 100$-250$.
Why am I telling you all this? First of all- because if you’re looking now to travel anywhere in the world, and it doesn’t matter where or for how long- you should check the offers on this website. If you book through the link in my website you’ll automatically get 35$ free to book with.
But more importantly: this website has an amazing ‘referrals’ plan. According to it, the more friends you send to use this website, and the more people book through you- the more money you’ll earn. 35$ per booking, 65$ for anyone that offers his property for rent.
So it’s not really cash but more of coupons you can use on the website. And that’s why the title says ‘how to travel the world without paying for accommodation’. Because that’s exactly what you can do!
Think about it: say you’re planning a family trip to Italy in the summer. Or in Christmas. Or any holiday. It doesn’t matter. If you register now to the referrals plan, and make sure to tell everyone, within a few months you could earn enough to pay for all your accommodation! Or at least lower them drastically. Worth it isn’t it?
*by the way, if you have a property you can rent out you can even make some real profit. Jusy saying.
You’ll get a small window where you’ll need to fill email and password or login directly through Facebook. And that’s it.
Email confirmation will be sent within seconds and once you confirm your registration you’re signed up.
After registering you’ll automatically see your namw on the top right cpenre of the page. Scroll down until you see “travel credit”.
Click on it. You’ll get many different ways to refer your friends- through their email, through your email, through Facebook, Twitter, or through your personal link.
And that’s it.
You don’t need to book through the website or even know it to be it’s ‘referrals’. All you need is what I wrote here.
It’s all so very simple it’s really a shame to pass up the option to make your trip so much cheaper.
We have been saving hundreds of dollars using this program. Just recently we stayed at Singapore, Vietnam, and Bangkok for few nights at a time, absolutely free!
My new ebook is now available on amazon. click here, and find out how to travel the world with your kids for less then 1400$ a month (while staying at nice hotels, eating great food and forgetting all about laundry :-)).
Mui Ne is a wonderful stretch of beach in Vietnam, sweet and relaxing. i like to stay there with my kids for few weeks at a time, every chance we have.
I recommend it to any family or couple or really anyone looking for a welcoming place, where he can live like a millionaire (literally), and pay fair or even low prices.
Amazing hotels, excellent beach front restaurants, an atmosphere of freedom, bars and night-life, some water sports and bicycles. And everything is clean, air conditioned and has decent internet.
And here are some recommended hotels you should check out if you plan to travel to Vietnam with your kids:
Saigon Mui Ne Resort. one of the sweetest places.one of our personal favorites. Prices starting from 75$ a night.
Casa Beach House costs 100$ a night for a family room, including breakfast. With a lovely beach, a special atmosphere and all the extras you can think of. Very warmly recommended.
Shades Resort Apartments Mui Ne-. a breathtaking apartment hotel, with a charming view and wonderful atmosphere. Great fun. The apartments themselves are indulging, they have everything you need and the price includes laundry services! Prices starting from 65$ a night for a whole apartment
Tien Dat Resort– we like this hotel very much, the clean rooms, the amazing shower, the fun swimming pool (with a slide straight into the water) and mostly their breakfast, which is the best we got anywhere. There are all sorts of little things, like free bicycles the guests can use, a trolley that takes you back and forth, a bar on the water and more. we even shot one of our videos inside this hotel’s pool :-). prices starting from 40$ per room per night.
My new ebook is now available on amazon. click here, and find out how to travel the world with your kids for less then 1400$ a month (yes, even when staying at those really nice hotels :-)).
In the Philippines there’s everything a dream vacation has to offer. There are amazing beaches, sun and great weather, nice people, crazy hotels and shopping centers, loads of good food and juicy fruits and all at unbelievably cheap prices.
There] is also the option for a more extreme vacation, that includes treks, various views, Jeep journeys and diving with sharks.
There’s the option for a relaxing vacation on a beach with soft white Sand, breathtaking clear Ocean, clean well-furnished hotels, snorkeling, Dolphins.
And of course anything in-between :-).
Here are some of the hotels we recommend on ,in different parts of the Philippines:
Boracay:
Two amazing hotels, located in one of the most beautiful spots in the world:
Anahaw Studio Suites– rooms for 50$ a night- a minute from the beach, in a comfortable location. Kids up to 10 years old stay for free, and there’s even a small kitchen.
WaterColors Boracay Dive Resort– private beach, charming rooms, a clubroom for kids, every service you could possibly want. The rooms cost from 100$ a night, including breakfast.
Bohol:
Astoria Bohol Resort swimming pool, private beach, beautiful rooms, and an excellent location in one of Philippines’s more interesting islands. 120$ per night, including breakfast.
Bohol Beach Club Resort -private beach, swimming pool, and you can even bring your dog. Costs 120$ a night, including breakfast. Kids under 10 years old stay for free
Cebu:
Quo Vadis Dive Resort– private beach, a nice clean swimming pool, diving courses, bungalow style rooms, good food. Kids under 12 years old free, price per room- starting at 25$ a night. The hotel is located on a small island right off the shore of Cebu (you drive there from Cebu). Personally I wasn’t there, but my kids spent a wonderful two weeks there and insisted that I recommend it.. :-).
Crimson Resort and Spa big beautiful rooms, private beach, a huge swimming pool with a bar, a games room. Kids under 12 years old stay free. A 5 star hotel for 150$ a night :-).
Plantation Bay Resort & spa- THE-best hotel (in my opinion). With the most amazing swimming pool I ever saw, where you can also dive, kayak, do SAP and even go fishing! A private beach, charming rooms, game rooms, Bicycles, Sauna, climbing wall and so much more. In short- simply an amazing family vacation. A 5 star hotel, costing 190$ and upwards. Kids under 17 years old stay free.
Palawan:
The Funny Lion Inn a hotel in Coron with excellent reviews, a swimming pool and nice rooms. 85$ a night including breakfast.
Qi Palawan Resort-. a hotel of only 7 (huge) rooms, a private beach, swimming pool, and all needed services. 210$ a night, that includes breakfast and all drinking water. Click to see the special price and the showers :-).
Manila:
Studio Unit at Princeton Residency an apartment with a bed, living room, dining room, and a kitchen. In the apartment there is air conditioning and a fan and even a swimming pool. A guard and reception counter in the entrance to the building. Price- 30$ a night, kids under 7 years old stay free.
Max Pavilion Boutique Serviced Suites a 5 star suites hotel for under 100$ a night. Luxury rooms, spacious, with all the new technology and facilities. Pick up directly to or from the airport.
Siquijor:
Salamangka Beach and Dive Resort a 5 star hotel that costs 70$ a night. Right on the beach with a wonderful swimming pool and perfect diving equipment for rent. Very good review ratings.
Coco Grove Beach Resort a hotel on the beach, swimming pool, offer a variety of water sports, a good place for snorkeling. 80$ a night including breakfast.
Route recommendations or travel planning, recommendations for other interesting places, important tips and more- you can get from me personally. Contact me.
