Next to me, some other 9000 people follow this lovely traveling family on Instagram. You know they’ve got intresting pictures to share then 😉 Keri shares her traveltips on our blog today!
Names: Keri & Brad – Zoe (6), Liam (3) and Jack (1)
Blog: BabyGlobetrotters.Net
Full-time travelers or part-time travelers: We are part-time travelers. We are currently based in the UAE with Brad’s work so we use this as a great hub for exploring all corners of the globe with every bit of vacation time he can get. With trips back to our home country in Australia every summer, we are probably on the move about 8-10 weeks of the year.
Do you always take your kids along on your travels? Not always. We try to include and involve them as much as possible, but we need a break ourselves too. Now they are just a little bit older we have no problem leaving them with family so we can do our own exploring and relaxation once or twice a year, normally only for a few days at a time.
Why do you travel with your kids? At first it was simply a necessity, part of expat life to travel long distances with them – we thought our travel days for tourism and exploring the world would be numbered once kids came along. As we started adding in more stop overs though, we realized that having the kids in tow really shouldn’t stop our desire to see the world.
They don’t realize it yet of course, but it’s very educational for them, they see that things are different elsewhere in the world; different climates, people look different, behave differently, different buildings. It encourages them to ask so many questions, and makes us step back and look at the world differently too – I can genuinely say travel is a much richer experience with kids.
Best tip(s) to travel with children: Slow it down and lower your expectations! If you travelled pre-children it can be hard to adjust, but you need to squeeze less into your days and include more rest breaks. Keeping a bit of a routine around normally meal times and nap times will help your day run a lot smoother.
Favourite destination for kids: Our kids loved visiting their Uncle and Aunty in Alberta, Canada – they got married on a frozen lake last January, a magical moment for the kids to see. It was the first time that they remember seeing real snow and they were really taken by it all. Another trip that we all really enjoyed as there was something in it for all the family was Cape Town, South Africa – from wildlife to wine tasting, we had a really enjoyable time there.
Place you wouldn’t take your kids to: There are not many places, other than known war zones or areas of health risk that I would intentionally not take the kids to. I think you need to carefully assess ages and the appropriateness of where you are going though. If there’s little to keep them entertained, it can become an unpleasant experience for all of you. We will try anything from action and adventure to theme parks, cities or beaches.
Favourite Unesco World Heritage site visited: We have just come back from Cambodia and Angkor Wat. Now it’s not actually somewhere I recommend in hindsight is great for small, toddler aged children but it has been on my bucket list for years and I was as awestruck as I expected.
