how to travel with kids – Family World Travel

In Routes

Philippine vacation with kids- flexible route for families

October 10, 2017 No Comments

The Philippines offer the very best of exotic vacations. It has everything you imagine when you think about a luxurious beach vacation. The soft white sandy beaches, the clear turquoise water, the fresh coconuts, sweet juicy fruits, happy-get-lucky locals (that speak English!), and lots of green jungles. An immense feeling of freedom.

Cheaper than Thailand.

And most importantly- jumping (real life!) dolphins! Free! We saw them while on ferries several times. They just show up, whole pods of them, swimming and jumping right next to the boat.

A few shorts words on the Philippines:

The Philippines are divided to four main districts. North (Luzon), center (Visayas), the south (Mindanao), and the island Palawan which is west of Visayas, towards Malaysia.

The archipelago consists of over 7,000 islands, and the main venues of transportation between them is by using the excellent ferry network (depending on the distance between islands, sometimes it’s a small ferry, sometimes a big one, almost a bus, and sometimes it’s a huge ferry that takes you 24 hours or more on the ocean waves), or by flight. You can also take a bus, I mean- you take the bus, and it goes on a ferry, and continues on another island:-).

The locals are charming, welcoming and hospitable, and always happy to help. But there’s two things they don’t believe in in the Philippines that it’s important you know about: hot water in the shower, and blankets.
Meaning you’ll only have hot water in medium level hotels and above. And the same goes for blankets.

It’s simply too hot there for either anyway.

The capital: is Manila, and she’s not welcoming to families. There’s a lot of traffic and sometimes the city just doesn’t feel safe. There are areas that bunch together strip clubs and gambling establishments. But together with all that- it’s the place to go shopping, there are crazy big malls there, with all the biggest brands. Personally I only go there to freshen up my wardrobe. My favorite place is called ‘Glorietta’ and it’s actually 4 connected malls. There are also some pretty big attractions (which I haven’t visited) like chinatown.

Family vacations- recommended hotels in the philippines

Money: the local currency is called Peso. $1=50 Pesos. You can find ATM mechines, but it’s not always easy, especially if you leave the highly touristic areas. Anyway the feeling is that there aren’t enough of them. Sometimes the line is very long. What they do have there are lots of money changers, and international money transfer. There are everywhere.

Visa: most people get free visa upon arrival of somewhere between 21-30 days but it always pays to check in advance. The most important thing is to have an exist ticket to somewhere.

Best seasons: it’s always hot in the Philippines. They have a rainy season and a typhoon season. December to May is the best time to visit. For vacations- Christmas! But summer vacation can also work, provided you can stay for a longer time, allowing for flexibility.

Food: it’s a tropical country so there’s a wide selection of fruits, dozens of types of Mango and Avocado, Coconuts, Jackfruit, and a lot of other we don’t even know about in the west. Most of their food is rice based, they have different kinds of white and pink and red rice… and a ton of seafood (goes without saying) as well as chicken and pork. They love their barbecue, and grill every type of meat they can find. You’ll see people fanning the flames everywhere. You choose the slice and they grill it for you on the spot. Try the chicken legs, a local favorite.

I will now write a recommendation for a fun route you can go on with the kids, based around central Philippines. I built it around the center on purpose as it’s considered the area best protected from typhoons, and therefore better at summer (and summer vacation). It’s flexible from a days-per-location perspective, so you could twist it to fit however long you have available.

1. Cebu

The route starts in Cebu. The second largest island in the Philippines.

You can stay in Cebu city, of find quieter places. I like recommending this hotel, on Mactan Island that is connected to mainland(ish) Cebu by bridge (the international airport is also on this island). It’s not cheap but will provide an excellent opening to any vacation.

Take two-three days to get over the flight and just have a good family time, then fly from Cebu to the tiny volcanic island “Cameguin”.

2. Cameguin

During the flight the staff entertains the passengers with riddle games. There are even prizes:-).
This tiny island sits on a volcano, which turns some of the beaches black. Beyond that, despite the size of the island it has many fun activities. There are some nice waterfalls (where you can swim), a site with a few hot spring pools, each with a different temperature. There’s a Zipline near the beach that goes above a sweet water lake, kayaking and other sea activities, and a site with giant clams (careful, they swallow everything!). A few museums and even an ostrich farm.

We’ve visited this island twice. Zig-zagged all across it on a bike we rented and discovered some lovely isolated corners. Climbed one of the mountains, and at the top we found a beautiful waterfall and remnants of volcanic ash.

When we went to the Zipline booking office the kids really wanted to go. For me it was enough to just see the cable stretched over the water to give up the pleasure. But the Zipline rules say you have to go in twos, so found myself being launched (twice! It’s a two-leg journey…) together with my youngest daughter.

I recommend to sleep in the hot spring campus called “Ardent”, that way you could go for a swim any time you want (the pools are open 24 hours), even after the kids fell asleep… :-). They have simple rooms with an A/C and a family room. Costs $80 a night.

There’s a restaurant there that’s not fantastic but it’s not bad either and the staff is nice. There are also a few stands just outside the campus. Basically, sausages and corn are readily available.

After three-four days of rest, day trips and being spoiled, take the ferry to Bohol Island. The ferry leaves every day at morning and by noon makes port in the city Jagna at central Bohol.

The journey takes about three-four hours.

My kids like Jagna because you can find the Filipino delicacy Calamay everywhere. Calamay is a sort of a sweet spread/jelly made of coconuts that they sell in a coconut shell packaging.

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3. Bohol

A word about ferries in the Philippines: I recommend that you bring some food with you, because the food on the ferry is expensive and the options are usually very limited.

And another thing- there’s no problem getting tickets in the port. Just make sure to get there some time ahead. Usually, especially before the ferry leaves, there are long lines. You’ll need to pay for the tickets (=first line), harbor tax (=second line), and for your suitcases (=third line). Children under 10 get a discount. Ask for the A/C class (=most expensive), or outside (=cheapest, and there’s a breeze:-))

When you get to Jagna you’ll have two options:

You can take a taxi or a minivan (air conditioned) to the biggest city in Bohol called Tagbilaran. Most tourists on the island go to its most famous beach, which is near Tagbilaran. It’s called “Alona beach” and it really is a nice beach with many nice restaurants, an ATM, agencies offering day trips and island-hopping, stores for beachwear, etc…

Family vacations- recommended hotels in the philippines

If you don’t want to party with all the tourists, you can always look for a guesthouse or a hotel in the city proper (it has a few nice malls, my favorite is ICM that has some video games in the top floor and even a 3D cinema). Or you can look around the road that surrounds the island, and soak in the magnificent ocean view. Another nice area is the town “Anda”, and near it the resort “Peace 1”, that has a private beach frequented by some sea turtles.

A minivan from Jagna to Tagbilaran costs 100 pesos per person.

Bohol is a relatively small island but it has a lot of attractions, and it’s a fun place to spend a few days. You can go on tours and watch dolphins, snorkel in the oceanic nature reserves near the island. There are kayak trips, an Extreme Park, river boating, a beautiful natural phenomenon called “chocolates hills” (yeah yeah) and some incredibly sweet creatures called “Filipino monkey” that became the island’s symbol. Professional name: Tarsier.

You can get almost any tye of food there, from real local food to big fast-food chains like McDonald’s, KFC and domino’s pizza. And of course Dunkin Donuts, that took over the Philippines and apparently conquered them.

We lived in Bohol twice, for a few months each time. We rented a small house with a private beach in a small fishing village and just lived with the locals and the ocean. We would shop at the local market, go for walks in the village, play with the locals, and learn from them about sea life.

We loved going to some nearby islands called Pamilican and Balicasag. On the way to them we usually saw dolphins. Near the islands there are beautiful reserves and we would jump off our little boat and snorkel for hours. We even saw small sharks and sea turtles. The boat’s driver would throw some breadcrumbs to attract the fish to us, to the great joy of my youngest daughter, that didn’t want to go too far from the boat.

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4. Siquijor

After Bohol, take another ferry to Siquijor. This is a small, peaceful island, with incredible quiet beaches. It’s also called the “Isle of Fire”, because of the millions of fireflies that fly near its beaches at night.

The island itself offer a number of activities, most of which are nature related (waterfalls, springs, ancient trees, night walks to see the fireflies).

And of course there’s diving and snorkeling.

We arrived there completely on accident. While visiting Dumaguete, we met at the hotela Filipino friend. After an interesting conversation with him, he told us that he has a resort in Siquijor (a quick boat ride away from Dumaguete) and invited us to stay there. So we found ourselves, a few weeks afterwards, in Siquijor :-).

Most of our time there we spent in the great swimming pool in the resort. It was so fun and relaxed we didn’t even need to leave.

4.5 Optional: Dumaguete

From Siquijor you can go slowly to Cebu Island. Before that take a short ferry to Dumaguete.if you have time you can explore it, it’s another nice island with plenty of activities.

Another article giving details about those four places, including costs, you can find here.

The Philippines have two types of public transport that I haven’t seen anywhere else. The Tricycle, which is a bit like the Thai Tok-Tok or the Indian Rickshaw, meaning, they took a motorbike and added a contraption with seats on it. The Filipinos like stuffing as many people as possible into those. It comes in different sizes, some only fit three people, and others fit six or more. The other vehicle is called a Jeepney and it’s actually a jeep that has been turned into a bus. They make it themselves, so every Jeepney looks a little different. They paint it in screaming colors, add some designs and sometimes even add a few quotes. It’s similar to an open bus, and there too they stuff as many people as they possibly can. Try to ride both those vehicles at least once. It’s an experience of a different type:-).

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5. Cebu

From the city Dumaguete leaves a (air conditioned) bus that goes on the ferry to Cebu with you inside it, and continues until Cebu City. You can also get off halfway there, in south Cebu there is a (debatable) attraction that offers diving/swimming/watching Whale Sharks. These are sharks that feed only on Plankton and, despite their huge size, they’re very gentle creatures. This activity is not cheap at $150 per person.

After you get back to Cebu City, you can finish the journey with some shopping in a few of the huge malls in the city. All the brands you know and then some:-).

More details to help you plan your trip and budget for it you can find here.

In Asia with kids

Southeast Asia with kids- recommended basic equipment

September 25, 2017 No Comments

Usually my approach is that the less you carry with you the better, and to just get things on the road as necessary. This is the most comfortable way (because you carry a lot less) and most if the time it’s cheaper too. But still, there are things you have to take with you. I list here the equipment that in my opinion is the most basic, things I would never have left Israel without.

A big backpack, comfortable to use and carry: whether you’re alone or a family, at least one high capacity backpack is a must. It’ll be used for all the trips and treks to which you only want to carry one bag with all the equipment for a few days, and also functions as an all-purpose bag/suitcase.

Very important that it be the most comfortable one for you. It’s one of the few things I’d never buy online but always go to the store and try it on. It’s vital that anyone who’s meant to carry the backpack will try it on and feel comfortable with it on.

Everyday bag– also comfortable to carry and use: same principles apply to your everyday bag. The difference between a comfortable quality bag and a shitty cheap bag is huge. It’ll effect how you feel physically all day long. If you’ll feel alert, energetic, and could keep going all day easily, or if you’ll feel back/shoulder pain, tired and exhausted by noon. Try it on before buying. And don’t compromise.

Excellent walking shoes– everything I said about the bags applies here too. Good shoes are the key to a good day. Both in hardcore treks and easy one-day hikes. If your shoes aren’t spot-on your whole trip will look completely different.

Towels that dry quick, antibacterial preferably- I’ve been using the same towels for 7 years. I didn’t compromise on the quality and bought the biggest they had. It’s the best feeling when getting out of the shower. And when you use them day after day for a period of time, you don’t want to be depressed at the end of every shower. They’re wonderful. Dry fast, don’t stink, and don’t get moldy. You can shower in the morning, hang them to dry, go have tea and when you come back they’re dry and ready to be packed.

High quality mosquito repellent– because when you’re out of the city, and the flies and mosquitoes fly around you, you want the best repellent there is.

Soap strips– on its face it looks like an unnecessary luxury. But it’s one of my favorite products. I keep one in every bag and sometimes even in my pocket. It’s always reachable and always gives me a quiet feeling that ‘it’s alright, there’s soap’. In every place and every situation, even on a 24 hour bus (with all the bug bags stored in the luggage compartment) on the road in the middle of nowhere.

Carrier sling- well, obviously. For treks, busy streets, packed cities, even to go shopping with nothing on your mind. A carrier sling the kid likes. And one that’s comfortable for the parents to wear. I don’t really need to go into details. It’s all so obvious.

first aid kit– always ready.

There are a few more things I wouldn’t recommend traveling without, but those you can buy on the road:

Scissors– always in the suitcase. I can’t even begin to count how many times over the years I suddenly needed scissors.

Knife with a plastic sheath– because you’ll get excited and buy a ton of great fruits and then realize at the hotel you have no knife.

Thin flexible chopping board– yes, you’ll be surprised but it’s much more comfortable chopping fruits or vegetables on it or even doing puzzles, clay art or writing something on the bed.

Thermos– I like having hot drinks with me, especially at long drives, and most especially when those are early in the morning. A thermos is also a lifesaver if one of the kids is sick and you want a steady tea supply.

Toilet paper and wet wipes– there’s nothing I make sure of more than that I always have both with me. To go out in Southeast Asia, especially with kids, is always a gamble. And I don’t like gambling. Well, not in this anyway.

A few empty plastic bags– because just when you need one you can’t find any. And there are some places in Asia that completely banned plastic bags, so you can spend whole weeks without seeing a single one. In any case they don’t weigh anything and don’t take up room. So why not?

In Asia with kids

How much does it cost: Philippines with kids

September 19, 2017 No Comments

If you’re coming to the Philippines, the first thing you have to prepare yourself for is that everyone will call you either sir or madam.

The best time to visit the Philippines is from December to May. Which means Christmas vacation is perfect. but summer vacation can also work if you can stay for a relatively long time (at least three weeks or more).

⇒In the Philippines they make all sorts of treats from a purple sweetpotato called Ube. Even ice cream! Water cost 10-20 Pesos (0.25$-0.5$) for a liter and a half, and bus tickets cost 8 Pesos (0.15$)

Hotels:
To get out list of recommended hotels in different destinations in the Philippines, including prices, please click here

Independent traveling:

Families that want to plan their trip to the Philippines by themselves can talk with me over the phone and get a lot of helpful recommendations, tips, and important information for correct planning. Answers to all the little questions and details you can’t find anywhere else. Send me an email (familytravelsquare@gmail.com) and we’ll settle on a time.

In general it’s possible to say that a trip (for the whole family) in a low budget will cost about 80$ a day, a medium budget trip about 150$ a day, and a high budget trip can get to any amount you want:-). In the Philippines there are R-E-A-L-L-Y nice luxury resorts, right besides simple Bamboo huts.

⇒Alcohol: the locals in the Philippines drink homemade Coconut wine. It’s worth a try, just take under consideration that you have to get used to it slowly otherwise you’ll get a stomachache. Excellent local Beer costs 30 pesos (0.65$) for half a liter.

Vacation packages and organized tours:

Many websites and agencies offer packages both for solo travelers and families that want to come to the Philippines. The packages include planning a route, with a guide, accommodation, and transportation. Usually the tour length us between 8-19 days. The cost moves from 75$ to 150$ per person per day (not including flights). And they depend on the agency and the quality of accommodation and transportation.

Trips in specific destinations:

You can book those in your own country or from the variety of agencies spread throughout the Philippines. We’re talking about “island hopping” trips of all sorts, and all kinds of special attractions such as sea kayaking, rice terrace tour, the underground caves, Palawan, and more. The prices also vary and the cost is between 15$ per day per person (a short trip of boating and visiting a few stations) and up to 80$-100$ per day per person (a tour to more distant locations or a unique trek)

Organized tours:

Organized tours to the Philippines there are plenty. In each one of the websites offering tours they offer a slightly different route and a varying day count. The average cost is between 270$-300$ per day per person. The selection offered to families, on the other hand, when it comes to organized tours is fairly small.

⇒To those with strong stomachs: they have a traditional delicacy called Balut, which is basically a Duck egg boiled with the embryo still inside. You can find it in almost every street stall in the city or the country. It’s usually painted purple or red to distinguish it from the other (regular) eggs.

Click here to get a month’s worth of food filled adventure in the Philippines.

Further tips and info:

Visa:

Citizens of most nationalities get 30 days free visa upon arrival, and can later extend their visa for a month or two, for a period of up to two years.

For visa information for your county click here

For visa extension cost click here

Currency and exchange rate:

In the Philippines the used Pesos. One Dollar is worth 50 Pesos, one Euro is worth 60 Pesos, one British pound is worth 70 Pesos, and 10 Indian Rupees are worth 8 Pesos.

Recommended seasons:

The best season in from November to February, and from March until May, when it rains the least and it’s not too hot. In the rest of the year it rains more but it’ll be hot, and the moment the rain stops the sun creeps back. In Eastern Philippines it rains year-round, but when ut doesn’t rain it’s sunny.

Internal transportation:

In the Philippines there are several airline companies, we especially recommend Cebu Pacific, an international airliner that offers domestic flights at reasonable prices.

A lot of the transportation between islands is done by ferries and these are best companies: Oceanjet, Oceanfast, and 2Go

Booking ferry tickets- not recommended to do through the internet. It’s a long and tiring process that requires showing all sorts of passport photocopies when you collect the tickets. It’s better to go to the ticketing office and buy directly. That way you can also make sure you have good sits and that all the family members share the same sleeping compartment (don’t forget to make sure of that again and again).

The public transportation in the Philippines is also excellent and cheap. Always when you get to a new island you can take a bus to anywhere on it.

In the Philippines you can find buses, air-conditioned mini-vans, rickshaws (normally referred to as ‘tricycles’), motorcycle taxis, and Jeepneys- a jeep-engine powered bus that is very very cheap (and the experience is free) 🙂
In bus stations and in the ferries they sell Bananas-deep-fried-in-Sugar-on-a-stick

⇒roosters: in the Philippines Rooster fights are legal. In almost every house you can see Chickens and Roosters. They take very good care of their Roosters, and across the whole country you can find stores that sell only Rooster care equipment. You can even find a special Shampoo for shiny feathers.

Useful information:

The most important thing to know about the Philippines is that against the common opinion, you don’t have to fly from island to island. It’s much cheaper to sail and take buses, and even if it takes a bit longer, there’s nothing quite like feeling the ocean wind and see the Dolphins jumping among the waves while sailing in the Philippines. Not to mention you get to avoid the whole headache around airports.

What is also important to know is that the Filipinos love their Seafood and Pork, and those that keep kosher might find it difficult. Chabad houses can be found in Manila and Cebu, the two biggest cities in the Philippines.

Money- in the Philippines there are ATM machines, but they’re sparse. In the big cities you can find one pretty easily, but in the villages sometimes there are none. And when you do find an ATM (even in the big cities) there’s sometimes a very long line. Commission-wise it’s better to go to the foreign banks because they don’t charge a commission for a withdrawal and in most cases you can withdraw larger amounts (HSBC, metrobank)
Money changers, however, are everywhere.

Sim card and mobile network- in the Philippines there are several companies that provide mobile network we recommend Globe (faster network) or Smart.

⇒Because it’s so hot in the Philippines sometimes, you can buy cold mineral water in a bug, from a machine. You should try, especially with kids

and one last tip: come with a waterproof camera.

In Asia with kids

Vietnam with kids- everything you need to know to plan your trip

September 18, 2017 No Comments

Here is everything I thought would help you plan a Vietnam with kids. I tried giving you a more general image as well as going into detail, in points that I found important.

Location:

On South China Sea, neighbor to Cambodia and Laos. An hour flight from Bangkok, Thailand. A long, narrow country, with a lot of beaches. Half of Vietnam is a peninsula.

Best seasons:

In Vietnam it’s hot all year around. Seasons are largely fictional. There are times of year it’s a bit warmer or rainier (and it’s still hot when it rains). Supposedly you can arrive all year around, but I recommend going in October-April, not too hot and doesn’t rain too much. Even when it’s hot, it’s not suffocating heat because you can go into the pool or the ocean, and there are air-conditioners in almost room.

Estimated budget for a family per month:

In Vietnam accommodation is the most expensive thing. Food and transportation and all else is negligible.

–Very low budget: low budget hotels without swimming pool, cheap restaurants and little or no adventuring, 1000-1300$ a month.

–Low budget: cheap hotels with a pool, cheap restaurants and street food, and staying put for the most part, 1300-1550$ a month.

–Medium budget: good hotels with pool and breakfast, right on the beach, good restaurants (even if in my opinion the best restaurants are cheap/street food), moving often from place to place, maybe even some water sports lessons (surfing, scuba diving, kite surfing), 1950-2100$

–High budget (vacation): luxury hotels, expensive restaurants, tours, diving and surfing, private transportation, 2600$ and above.

Visa:

Vietnamese visa you do In advance online. It costs 18$ a month or 30$ for three months, for single entry visa. Multiple entry visa costs 25$ for a month or 65$ for three months, and takes 2-3 work day to process and get a certificate, which you need to print, and then bring to clerk at the airport to put a stamp in your passport. In the airport you also have to pay a service fee of 25$ per person. It’s best to prepare dollars cash in advance.

Exchange rate and currency:

The Vietnamese currency is called Dong, and it has one of the smaller denominations in the world. One dollar is worth 22,500 dongs (VND). A good amount to get from the ATM is 4-6 million (2 million at a time). Yes, all you need to do to be a millionaire is fly to Vietnam.
The ATMs charge high commission. And in most you can only pull 2 million at a time.an ATM that doesn’t tale commission and lets you pull larger amounts is Citibank. Look for it.

Communication:

Vietnam has great WiFi almost anywhere. And it’s always free and usually without password.
Sim cards are readily available in stores. You can also get a very comfortable data package.

Places I recommend:

Mui Ne, a charming little vacation town on the beach, 3 hours’ drive from Ho Chi Minh city- sitting on a world heritage site. Because of the desert clime, there’s hardly any humidity and annoying critters, which makes it a perfect place for a vacation.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Hanoi, Halong bay

Dalat

Try This article as well- everything you need to know before you go.

Foods to try:

–Pho: a Vietnamese noodle soup, with some vegetables and lots of meat or seafood, traditionally mixed in with some fresh leaves for seasoning, and hot chili sauce if you like spicy.

–Banh Mi: Vietnamese Sandwich, cut in half baguette, with all kinds of meats and pastrami (usually pork), vegetables, mayo and chili if you want. One of the world’s best sandwiches.

–Banh Xeo: a salty crape fried in butter and oil with all the extras you want (usually meat and seafood), with some bean sprouts on top, sauces and herbs.

–Fruits: Vietnam has the best fruits in Asia. Better than Thailand or the Philippines or anywhere else. If you haven’t bought a few kilos of fruits for dinner, then you haven’t been in Vietnam. My favorite is Dragon Fruit but everything is delicious.

Here is a whole route for food loving familie :-).

Transportation:

Busses in Vietnam has an excellent network of comfortable busses (the best busses I’ve been in by 500%) that get everywhere cheaply and quickly.

A few words on long distance busses:

-The busses have inclined almost bed-like seats (sleeper).

-Inside the bus there are three rows of single “beds” and two stories per row.

-When entering the bus you’re asked to take your shoes off and put them in plastic bags.

-They’ll ask you to take as few bags as possible because there’s simply nowhere to put them.

-Most buses have wifi

-And air conditioning.

-I highly recommend booking the back row in advance. It’s the only row where you can all be together and you’ll have some extra room for your bags.

Trains- are also good and comfortable.

Flights- there are a few local companies that do domestic flights.
The four companies are: Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet, Jetstar, and Airmakong.

Taxis- also comfortable. Most use a meter. Beware of stings.

Scooter taxis- fun, and cheap.

Things you should know:

Holidays:

The biggest holiday of the year is called Tet, the Vietnamese New Year, around the end of January/beginning of February. The prices around Tet skyrocket. Almost to doubling. Including the food in the street food stalls. You could have soup at a stall for 15,000vnd one day, and the next day the same soup at the same stall will cost 25,000vnd. That’s accepted and shouldn’t be bargained over. Additionally, during the holiday most businesses will be closed.

Vietnam for those keeping kosher:

Keeping kosher is difficult in Vietnam, because they live on pork and seafood. Chicken and beef are common too, but they cook using the same ports and utensils. For vegetarians, a lot of times when you ask for a vegetarian soup the restaurant will just fish out the chunks of meat and serve you he same soup. Nevertheless, you can still find vegetarian restaurants here and there. Or an Indian restaurant (where they understand what ‘veg’ means).

There’s an abundance of fruits, vegetables, eggs, bread and markets to buy some basic ingredients.

In Asia with kids

Southeast Asia with kids- where to begin?

March 18, 2017 No Comments

The destination where you begin your travels has a lot of consequences. It’ll dictate the way you’ll see the crazy decision you made (honestly, who takes their kids to Southeast Asia??) in the mirror of reality. Meaning, if you’ll go to an unsympathetic destination you’ll feel you made a mistake.

The right destination, on the other hand, will make you feel like you’re on top of the world.

In my opinion, choosing the first destination is the hardest choice. A choice with a lot of things to consider.

Always dreamt of India? Been to India when you were younger and now you want to take your kids there?

Great.

So you’ll go to India, at some point on your travels but the first point to look at is:

You don’t decide on a destination based on fantasies.
The correct decision goes through some basic points:
When are you planning to arrive
How old are the kids
Who are you, what your limits as parents are and what kind of lifestyle you are used to
What scares you most about Southeast Asia?

The question many people struggle with and even ask me about is: what’s better, to start off sprinting and then everything will look simple afterwards, to start gently, slowly?

I’m always in favor of starting gently.

To anyone that thinks otherwise I (accepting and respecting) recommend you start with Varanasi, India. Delhi and Mumbai aren’t bad options either.

And if you want gentle:

Choose a destination where most people speak English. I would never start from a place where I can’t communicate the locals. That rules out China, Vietnam, Mongolia (Mongolia is a different story because in the capital city there is no problem) and more.

Choose a destination where the sanitation levels are high, especially concerning food. Give your digestive system time to get used to Southeast Asia slowly. Give the kids time to understand the hygiene rules there. That rules out India, Laos, and parts of China.
A destination where the season is pleasant and comfortable. No monsoon. No freezing temperatures. The tourist season. A bit before or after at the most. Beyond comfort, the weather effects many things like sanitation, diseases, mood… in addition, starting when there are so many other travelers around, when meetings are exciting, daily, and simple, gives you a lot of confidence.
A place where it’s easy to travel. Where there’s comfort and accessibility. The challenges save for later.

The things you’ll have to deal with in the beginning will not be neither few nor simple. And that’s the reason I think you need to choose a place where you can deal with them peacefully. This is a huge change in your way of life, in your everyday routine. Getting used to that change takes time, and requires patience, mental strength, and flexibility.

Every family member will undergo this change differently. And as parents, you will need to know how to deal with each one of the kids. And of course with the changes happening to you.

That’s why I warmly recommend you go to a place where you can relax, pass this time of changes without a million attractions and distractions, but first deal with them. Let the gears spin together smoothly again between all family members and for each one separately. And after that, the skies are the limit.

The three destinations I recommend:

If you have a high budget/very fearful- Thailand, around the beaches. Choose an area where you can meet more families. (Not recommended for everyone, just for those that feel they really need something gentle).
If you have a low budget/average family/averagely fearful parents- Nepal. This is my favored destination from every aspect. Nepal is gentler than India, its easy and light and pleasant, but also challenging in just the right amount. After all, landing in Kathmandu is not easy for those who haven’t been to Southeast Asia yet.
If you set out during the monsoon (July-August) only- the monsoon in Southeast Asia in problematic. It’s difficult to find a proper first destination. That’s why, only if that’s the situation, I recommend north India. Manali, Ladakh. This is the good season for those destinations. Still- India is India, even though the north is less wild than other areas.

Southeast Asia is made of a lot of countries, and in every country there are lots of options. You can open your mind and look outside the known and familiar beaten path. What about Taiwan? Korea? Myanmar? I haven’t been everywhere and I write here only from my personal experience. But I can tell you, I always enjoy finding a new and surprising destination, one that I haven’t thought of before.

In How to travel with kids

Southeast Asia with kids- how do I know where to go? Or: how to find the most amazing places where living is dirt cheap?

February 22, 2017 No Comments

Sometimes It seems people think I have a secret basement where I hide all the amazing places I sometimes write about. And just don’t tell anyone …

Someone told me once that walking in the street with me anywhere in the world is a different feeling. It’s like walking with a professional traveler, whose radar is primed and working and just knows where, when, what (and what not) and how much.
It was one of most meaningful compliments I got in my life. And he said it like it was so obvious, like there wasn’t even a reason to mention it.
(Thank you natty!).
And I wish it were true. But the truth is it isn’t.
Truth is I have no idea where to go.
Just like you :-).
And maybe much more. I’m such a clueless dreamer, that even when I try, and check online, and ask people, I still always get to a new place completely clueless.

And not just that, I usually only decide where to go at the very last minute, so anyway I don’t have time to prepare.
I usually land in “The Unknown” every time again.

So how do I manage to find those amazing places?

Oh.
The reason I wrote that introduction and told you so much about myself, is that the very fact that I’m like this that allows me to find and to know where to go.
Actually, it’s in the destinations I came most clueless to that I found he most amazing places and most exciting experiences.

Meaning:

1. Because I love this lifestyle so much, I’ll always keep reading just another snippet and another small article and another status on Facebook about interesting places. It’s not even something I decide, it just happens, without me even noticing. And so it happens that the knowledge does gather somehow. Something stays. And they sit there, small supposedly meaningless little details. Until the moment I really need them- and at that moment, they come forth and it looks like I actually know and understand…

2. For that reason, I’m always happy to catch travelers for a conversation, short as it may be, on where they come from and places they’ve been. Not long ago, for example, I met three travelers in Pokhara, Nepal. They spoke a strange language. Immediately I went to them and asked them where are they from (I do that a lot…). Apparently they’re from Burma. Wow, Burma, now that’s a place I’d love going to. So where should I go? How is it there? Know any cool un-touristic places? And what about costs? …here let me add you on Facebook. Roni, my 14 year old daughter, already wrote down a few names of places (they showed them to us on google images).

Now, maybe I really want to visit Burma, but it’s not really part of the plan right now. On the other hand, you never know. I got interesting information and I’m keeping it. In five minutes of conversation, Burma became that much clearer to me. Where to land, what’s from the east and what’s from the west, where’s the ocean, and what about that island they recommended I visit. And I made three new friends :-).

3. To most destinations I arrive with a clean slate. And that’s how I like it. And instead of searching online for hours, I just go with the flow of the place, with the opportunities, with the locals, with the knowledge already kept in some compartment with me or with other travelers that already walked those roads. I never ask people if I should go somewhere. Or what is there to do there. I’ll find that out on my own. I ask practical questions. Which area is the best to stay in, how to get there…
4. I trust myself. Because I’m clueless, and most of my time is spent learning the place, its ways, its pearls. That’s how I know that’s the fun part. The most interesting. And that it’s all going to be fine. I don’t give up.my faith that pearls can be found anywhere is what guides me, so even if sometimes it seems that we arrived a place that’s too expensive and boring (and it happened before), we’ll plow it, and enter the narrow alleys and sit with the street cobblers and local fisherman and hear stories from them about people and places and from there to eat with them… the adventure is just beginning :-).

5. I really do love it. And you can’t discover things like that without really loving it.

Bottom line:

Please don’t be mad at me when I email you to just forget about the internet and go explore yourself. The best places you won’t find online. Trust me on this.

Book a place online for the first 2-3 nights. Give yourself some time to explore. And just flow from there.

There’s nothing like thorough footwork to get to know the destination you arrived at. I know it’s not what you want to hear. In an age where the pinnacle of achievement is measured in how close to your destination you parked, footwork is almost a swearword. But in my opinion you can’t cut corners on that. You’re always welcome to get on passing scooter or explore the country roads on a motorbike. So long as you get to the small places, like water slowly pouring, seeping into every crease in the roadmap of wherever you find yourself.

Wait with the attractions. Save them for the end.

Accept the speedbumps as part of the experience, even if they seem hard to process at the moment. Flow with them.

To be stuck at 2am, in a taxi on a dark road, three hours away from Kathmandu with the ground still shaking four days after the earthquake, with a blown tire. and no spare. And my flight to Israel is departing at 6am… (Even managed a shower in Kathmandu eventually)… to find myself in 10pm, in the Indian Himalayas, wrapped in blankets in my bed inside a tent (a tent!) at 4,500m (15,000ft) above sea level with subzero temperatures… (in the morning we woke up to stunning views)… try fix some flatbread with olive oil, and fresh blueberries from the bushes by the river for breakfast on the fifth day of a journey that was only supposed to take three, with the food supply running out, on the Siberian border in the remote reindeer country… (Flatbread with olive oil and blueberries is a delicacy after petting reindeers)… to find myself in the dark, with my whole body hurting, after an exhausting 10 hour trek, in a filthy room with mud walls, on a straw mattress with the kids on the ground, in a remote village in Zanskar valley in Kashmir (as it turns out the Chai was amazing and the family that hosted us was so nice that Gali, my youngest daughter, didn’t even want to leave…)…

Trust yourself. You can’t discover these places you dream about without the faith that you’ll find them. Yourself. Come with confidence, with curiosity and with genuine love. Project that over to your kids, so that they too, in their time, will carry confidence and love with them everywhere they go.

In How to travel with kids

Four small things with amazing educational value you can do with your kids during your travels

July 26, 2016 No Comments

My life for me isn’t just traveling. And it isn’t just an easy way to make my way in the world. As you probably already know by now, this lifestyle is very meaningful to me. And in fact almost every step I take, and almost every choice I make, happens only after a lot of consideration and no little desire to do the utmost for me, but mostly for my children.

I try my hardest to take the points that make our unique routine, and make the most of them. To think, to be creative and use everything that our lifestyle allows, all to give my children morals, confidence and experience.
This post is born of questions that a number of families asked me while planning their trips or already traveling. I found out in in the short, practical answers I give to everyone, hides a lot more than just “how to pack for your trip”
So here are four things that seem small, but in reality are huge.

1. Their own bags

When going on a long trip, your suitcase or big bag and everything in it become a very big part of your life. Therefore, it’s important to put some thought into how to best distribute the equipment between everyone.
Give your children their own bags, let them decide what they take (with your well-meaning guiding), and make sure all their things fit into their own bag. That includes shoes, personal toiletries, and a towel if possible. That bag will be their private, intimate place, where their things are, and they’re responsible for it.

Give them the feeling that you trust them to know how to take care of their things, to remember packing them whenever you’re going to a new place, and make sure they can carry their bag themselves. Respect their privacy about the things in the bag, and give them that good feeling involved in being responsible over its contents.

2. Financial freedom

Southeast Asia presents a wonderful opportunity to let the kids handle money on an everyday basic from a very young age. Involve the kids with everything money, on the everyday level. But everything. They should know how much the room costs at the guesthouse, look at the prices in menus, and be aware of the daily budget you’re keeping to. Calculate exchange rates.

And beyond that- make sure they always have money in their pocket. To experience regular shopping, every day, according to need, but also desire. Slowly slowly they’ll learn not to buy ice-cream with that money, but to save it for when they’re really thirsty and just want a bottle of water. Or to pay for the laundry you asked them to collect. Or the bus ride. I’ve been giving my older children (14 and 17 years old) free access to the family wallet and money and they manage their money very responsibly.

3. social awareness

During your time abroad you’ll have to deal with a lot of things you might not think about beforehand. For example, friends’ and family’s birthdays and other events you won’t be able to participate in. to mark the important dates and feel that you share your loves ones’ happiness, despite the distance, set aside a small amount of money (that you would’ve spent anyway on the event) and go out with the kids to give that money to those that really need it. Make the kids a part of everything, ask them their opinions, and give them the chance to be involved. Buy fruits for the street urchins, clothe for poor families in your area, or donate a few books or toys to a local orphanage. To this day there’s a Tibetan woman in Pokhara that hugs me every time I pass her by, because of the warm socks and shirts I bought for her children for the birthday of a close friend of mine, in his name. Actually, it was my daughter that asked her what she needed and went with her to the store to get what she needed.

4. Full and active cooperation

Let the kids have a say about every decision, considerations, inquiries. Send them on info-gathering missions- starting from the currency exchange rates in whichever country you’re going to, and all the way to finding a place to sleep. My children, according to their ages, manage the trip completely alongside me. They search for plane tickets, find out all the info we need about the places we want to go to (visas, currency, diseases, etc..) and very often they’re also responsible for booking hotel rooms for the first few nights in a new destination. I don’t chase after them to do it, I trust them fully and give them all due credit. How to get from place to place, how much does it cost, which company to go with, how long does it take, where should we stop and rest. And many other fine-print details that amount to quite a list that we share amongst us.

The K-12 education program, experience public school at home.

In How to travel with kids

Mother-daughter trip

June 4, 2016 No Comments

Just you and her. A second before she leaves to find her own way. A second before you really have to let go and cut the cord.

Or maybe long after. After she got away. After she cut away and disappeared into the fog. And then came back. For a hug.

Mothers and daughters.

What simple a sentence. So easy on the tongue. So pleasant.

And so charged.

A whole world said in those two words. I write them with tears in my eye. It’s as if my soul wants to pour out a million sparks in a million colors that all make one picture.

This isn’t a post with keywords. No. it is not.

And yet… this potent combination “mothers and daughters”. It seems the keywords all bunch around it naturally.

Take her with you. Go together on a journey. A journey that starts and goes on for a bit longer than what you’re used to. A journey that will bring with it things you haven’t dealt with yet. New sights. Encounters .New ways and discoveries. Take her on an adventure that she’ll remember as something that was belongs only to you two. Hug her, let her tell you the story of herself, show you who she is out of school, out of the social circle, out of the slammed door behind her.

Let her see herself in a completely different light. To discover by herself things she didn’t know yet.

Let her see you. Out of the stressed routine. The cooking. The work. The chores. Stop being ‘mom’ for a few days. Be the woman you are. And give her a peek. Because that’s where she too is going. Be all your strengths, all your passions, all your love. All the peacefulness in you. Be everything you wish her to be. Let yourself discover things in her you didn’t know were there.

Go. And open new roads. New horizons. Take your courage and go all the way to the edge.
The memories you gather will have nothing to do with the shopping you did together. Not about the fights about the shower in the hotel. The memories will be everything in-between. The things that happen to us deep inside, in our chests.

To see my daughter climbing in the Himalayas. Bargaining with an Indian shopkeeper in Hindi. Jumping on a rickshaw, her hair fluttering in the wind, free. Petting a reindeer, making Chapati (flatbread) on an open fire in a tent in Siberia. Both of us doing a joint foot-massage in the middle of a Bangkok street. Diving, with her long hair, like a mermaid, in the clear torques ocean water in the Philippines, gathering starfish. And a million other memories that come to mind now as a I write. Big and small.

I remember her standing in front of me in a busy airport in China. Remember her eyes, set, secure, clear. When what we were just told was: either you’ll lose your bugs, or you’ll miss your flight. And we had to decide right there.

Remember her dancing in a room for her all Indian teacher that loved her like a granddaughter. Counting with the rhythm of his drum.

Remember how we stood on the Ferry in the Philippines, the view only of the blue Sea and the faraway horizon. And suddenly, right in front of our eyes, jumped a magnificent pack of dolphins. And how did we both shout from excitement, all the Filipinos next to us didn’t understand what’s it all about. And it didn’t bother us. We continued to shout and jump with excitement as long as we still saw dolphins.
And afterwards we acted again and again how we both looked like idiots in front of all these people that are used to these sights and don’t even understand that our dream came true at that moment. And we laughed till our stomachs hurt.

I remember this evening, tonight.When she said “what can I ask for my bat-mitzvah? There’s nothing I really want or need…”

Mother-daughter trip. That’s something I would like to do with my mother. Now. I’d want her to see me, just like this. With everything I am. The real me. Out of the slavery of the everyday, the pregnancies, the worries, holiday dinners. The uptight rules. The grieving. I’d want her to see the joy in my eyes, the passion, the storm. The woman I became. Without a hairstylist or cosmetics and without a gym or conquering reverse parking.

And I know it has nothing to do with her pride. Or the honor I bring (or don’t bring) her. It’s about the light in my eyes. And that is what she lived her whole life for.

Take your daughters and go to the world. A week. Two weeks. It doesn’t matter for how long. Climb the Himalayas. Dive with sharks. Go crazy with the shopping. Relax in the spa. Shake loose, meet each other and yourself. Now. Don’t miss the chance.

In Blog

About to go travel? The two most important tips I can give you.

April 22, 2016 No Comments

A second before summer vacation, a lot of the families I escort can already smell the flight date getting nearer. And the closer the moment comes for them, I feel a sort of confusion, a need to hold on to something, a minute before they lose control and head into the unknown.

So for their sake, and for any others that feel the need, here are the two most important tips I can give:

1. you already made a basic plan (after in depth research or maybe in less depth), bought flight tickets, consulted with a traveler’s clinic. Everything is more less arranged? Great.
Now let go. Leave the travel guides be. Leave the facebook groups, leave the blogs (even mine).
From now on, let the road set the way. Sit quietly, breath deep. Live already knowing that each one will get his/her own journey. It doesn’t matter if it rained on you on the way to Dharamsala or if it was boiling hot. If you have a hotel in New-Delhi or not. Those things are no longer in your control. All that’s left is to look on the road, the view, on what your journey will bring you.
That the decision that whatever comes your way- you’ll deal with. That you’re open and ready for adventures, of every kind and color. To meetings with others, with yourselves, with your family members. Accept that the way won’t necessarily be what you imagined it would be, or (and especially) what you planned. Changes and surprises will come. They’re part of the journey.

2. the hot springs in Vashisht are a huge gift. A little piece of heaven I’m grateful for everyday I’m here. We enjoy them and learn a lot from the experience of going to them.
Things that would’ve been very hard to teach my daughters any other way. And that I probably couldn’t teach them any other way, if it wasn’t for our stay here.
But not everyone sees it that way. In fact, most tourists that come here to see the hot springs don’t spend time on them, and definitely don’t dare to actually swim in the pools.
They see that place in an entirely different way. They see grey cement, dirt, bare brick walls.
And they run away.
And I want to thell them- wait a moment. Stop. Take those western glasses off for a minute. And look. Lean. Without prejudice, without criticism, without judging. Leave the west outside. Come try. Open a door to experiences, to curiosity, to love for something completely different, and not necessarily better or worse.
Open yourselves. Completely. Don’t close down because that’d be a shame. To visit a different place, a new place, totally different from anything you know and manage to really experience it on a deep level- that’s amazing. A whole world suddenly opened. A million flakes of inspiration, a million new points and each one of them can lead to a different and spectacular way. And it’s a shame to miss that.
Oh… all the things I learned in the last five years. From everyone. The tourists. The travelers. The views. The locals. There’s so much wisdom in them, a different wisdom, odd and fascinating. Yes, they think very differently from us. They see things differently. But that’s what’s so interesting!
I see tourists that made an effort and saved money for a very long time, invested a lot of money and and went really far. And all that for what?
Leave the books, the researches on the internet. Leave them. Go see the world with clean eyes. Sit with the locals, talk with them, ask them where they think you should go. Where is the best local food. And how exactly do you eat it. How to get from this village to the other one. Join that journey you took yourself into.
Come take of your clothes, slowly slowly dip your legs in the hot water, until you get used to them, look around you, see the women, the youths, the old ladies. How everyone here, free with their bodies, washing each other, dipping naturally in the pool, chit-chatting, laughing.
Come, get in, like it’s your first day alive.

watch this video– the girls talk about their experience at the hot springs in vashisht.