I’ve been travelling and living overseas for eleven years and now I want to explore and travel with my baby! Sure, we haven’t left our city with her in the 12 weeks she’s been in this world but, in no time at all, I envision she’ll be ready to head off to explore somewhere new. But where can you travel with a baby?
If you follow any family travel blogs then you’ll know you can go just about anywhere with a baby (I’ve linked to some at the bottom of the post if you fancy some further reading). Since I like to carry my baby in a supportive carrier or wrap (my personal favourites are Ergo and Solly), I feel like I can pound the streets of pretty much any city. But equally, baby is not quite ready for a cramped ten hour bus journey through the Sichuan grasslands yet. Here are the places I think would be baby friendly and fun enough to take her for her first trips:
The UK
Baby girl’s first big international trip will be to the UK of course. Being born in the US to a British mum and an American dad means she automatically gets dual citizenship. Of course, she also has a whole family living there she hasn’t been able to meet yet. We’ll be making plans to head back there sometime in the next few months. I can’t wait to take her for a walk in London’s many beautiful parks before heading up to my hometown to meet family and friends. On future trips, when she’s a bit older, I’ll look forward to her exploring the Natural History Museum and Science Museum.
East Asia
East Asia is a huge part of our lives. From meeting in South Korea in 2006, to moving to Beijing, to travelling in Japan– Justin and I can’t get enough. I can’t wait to take baby girl to visit the region we consider out second home (or maybe that’s third home, after the UK and US!). It will be fun to take her to see our old hutong neighbourhood in Beijing, check out the bright lights of Seoul and ride the bullet trains from Tokyo to Kyoto and beyond.
Hawaii
I’ve never been to Hawaii but Justin lived there for a while when he was a kid. I think Hawaii would be a great vacation with a baby. There will be lots of pool, beach and outdoor time and mum and dad taking it in turns to slip off for a massage and spa treatment. Plus, living in California it isn’t *too* far away. When can we go?
The Rest of the US
I know I already mentioned Hawaii but the US is huge and there are so many places to take her. We would love to visit Colorado- where Justin went to University but I have only ever driven through on a road trip. We can take her on some hikes and eventually, when she’s older, ski trips. We also might be in Michigan this summer – a new state for all of us. Then of course there is the whole west coast to explore. We could take her up to Big Sur for a change of scenery, camping in Yosemite or Joshua Tree or recreate segments of our babymoon trip from California to Canada (though the whole two week itinerary might be a bit much for now! Post on that coming soon.).
Bali
Bali struck me as a very family friendly destination when I visited a few years ago. The people are friendly, the country is beautiful and there is a good balance between tourist infrastructure and traditional, cultural elements. You get such a lot for your money there too- beautiful hotels and delicious fresh food are all affordable. Just like Hawaii, there is lots of relaxation to be done for mum and dad with (cheaper than Hawaii!) massages and yoga. Then there are all the pretty temples and lush rice fields to show baby- she’ll love the colours and being outdoors in the fresh air. We’d definitely be using a car instead of motorbike on this trip however!
Why These Places?
To me, all of these destinations seem pretty simple, safe and fun with a baby. There are other places I really, really want to go (revisit Myanmar– where we went on the first leg of our honeymoon in 2013, visit Nepal, Sri Lanka…) but I’m less sure about travelling with a baby to any of those for the time being. Maybe in a couple more years.
Pin It For Later
If you’re interested in seeing how other people travel with kids (I know I am!), here are a few bloggers to check out. Some of them I read, some of them I also know personally and some of them have recently been recommended to me to start reading.
Little Ashleigh (This is actually her super cute instagram as she doesn’t really blog much now- but her super cute expat family life in Medellin is worth checking out. Check out her ethical shop too: Fosterie)
What do you think? Have you been to any of these places (baby or not)? Where do you think would be a good place or a difficult place to travel with a baby?
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