This is How You Go Adventure Travelling with Children

I’ll be the first to admit that travelling with small kids can be difficult, especially when you’re a new parent. But with some adjustments and proper planning, it is possible.

Let’s say you’re an avid hiker and love going on trekking trips. You can still go on long-distance hikes with a baby or toddler on a hiking carrier. But once your kid is three or four, it might be wise to plan short hikes rather than venturing on 10km trails.

For culture vultures who like museums and historical sites, I would recommend picking out just one or two sites to visit on a trip, rather than trying to hit every single one of them.

Travelling with a kid doesn’t mean you need to stick to Disneyland or all-inclusive resorts. Based on my experience, kids do well on road trips as there are lots of variations every day in terms of experiences and things you see. My husband and I love road trips too, as it’s a convenient way to get around and explore the back roads.

A destination with plenty of nature and wildlife is always a huge hit with kids. Children need space to run around, play and have fun — where better than out in nature?

Iceland, South Africa, and Costa Rica (all of which are my daughter’s favourite countries) are perfect for nature-loving kids. An African safari with kids can be so much fun, especially for older children who know a thing or two about animals. It’s also really fun to travel Morocco with kids, as there’s a huge variety of things to do, ranging from running up and down dunes in the Sahara to surfing on the beaches of Agadir.

Families tend to over-pack and end up travelling with more stuff than they can carry. I understand the need to bring items that kids are familiar with, but limit that to one or two items.

I’m a strong believer in ‘less is more’. The less you travel with, the more convenient it will be for your family to move around. Lugging around lots of luggage will only lead to frustration. The most important thing to remember packing is medication.

If you miss something you need, you can always buy it at your destination. It might be trickier when travelling in a developing country, but we’ve never had any problems finding milk, fruit or nappies, even in Timor-Leste and Haiti.