Tag: pool

Must See Spots in Vietnam

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Vietnam is a beautiful country with so much to see! This is definitely not an exhaustive list – going back I would definitely try to visit the Mekong Delta and a couple of the Southern islands (such as Con Dao or Phú Quốc). If I didn’t have young children tagging along I may have done a hike through one of the National Parks and braved some of the long rural stretches around northern Vietnam. BUT, this list gives a good mix of amazing places which all have something unique to offer. All were super child friendly locations too!

So here are all my must-see spots in Vietnam (ESPECIALLY if you are visiting with children):

Hanoi

Hanoi is chaotic, hot and frantic but is a must see part of Vietnam. The food and coffee scene is killer and the markets and shops are never ending! Definitely my kind of city!

Ninh Binh

Ninh Binh is beautiful and green – such a great place to just chill out and enjoy nature. There is also a big mountain you can climb if you like to challenge yourself a bit more (its particularly challenging in 37 degree heat!

Halong Bay

Halong Bay is the jewel of Vietnam – we did a cruise through the cheaper and less crowded Lan Ha Bay which is really the exact same as Halong Bay. Go luxury here and enjoy a 5 star cruise if you can because nothing beats sailing through this bay watching the sunset from the swimming pool of your cruise ship.

Da Nang

We stayed by the beach here – it was absolute bliss staying right next to the beach but being so close to all the amenities a city offers! Find a hotel by the beach on booking.com.

Hoi An

Hoi An is one of those towns you just want to keep wandering through as there is something new and beautiful around every corner! It’s also a great idea to time your visit for the monthly lantern festival where the night lights are extra phenomenal (although there is a little bit of this magic every night).

Vinh Hy

Vinh Hy is the place to go to feel those real authentic Vietnam vibes. Its still very much off the beaten track which is so rare these days. Hardly anyone speaks english and tourists are few and far between (international ones anyway!) If you like a local experience with great landscapes and seafood I highly recommend checking this bay out!

We went to Vietnam during rainy season in the south so we didn’t get down to that end of the country – if we had we would have visited Ho Chi Min City (Saigon); Phu Quoc Island, The Mekong Delta and Con Dao Island. If you have been to these places please let me know any must sees! – I’m planning to hit these spots up next time I go.

Erika xx

Places my baby slept in Vietnam: Photo Essay

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I went to Vietnam with my 2 month old baby (She was 3 months old when we returned after 3 weeks!) and it was the best decision I ever made – It is so easy to travel with a newborn when you can carry them everywhere and they sleep ALL the time!

Here is a sweet photo essay of all the sleeping my baby did while me and the rest of my family were enjoying ourselves! If you would like practical tips on travelling with a baby or young child please see my post here instead.

Disclaimer: I highly recommend you also get an actual hotel room via booking.com. Despite appearances my child did actually spend every night and a scattering of day naps sleeping in a cot at a hotel haha.

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In the above picture my baby is sleeping in the Koo-di Pop-Up Travel Bassinette. It can be used for sleep in a hotel room but is also handy to have for at the airport, beach, park etc. so baby can have a safe space to lie down.

Oh and just for fun here’s one of my toddler falling asleep at the hotel pool too! Travel is TIRING. She slept there for 2 HOURS.

There you have it – sleeping on an aeroplane, a train, a boat, a cruise ship (at the bar), multiple restaurants, a vineyard, a pool, in our arms, on a massage table , in the carrier, on the bed and in a bassinet. And these are just the times we took photos! This baby experienced so many things while travelling haha!

What weird places have your kids fallen asleep? Let me know in the comments!

Erika xx

Top Tips for Travelling Vietnam with Babies or Toddlers

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We have just come back from an amazing family holiday in Vietnam. Our 2 kids have just turned 3 months old and just turned 3 years old. I highly recommend Vietnam as a child-friendly destination but you need to follow some steps to make sure a trip here goes smoothly! Here are our top tips for travelling Vietnam with kids:

  • Book in advance – seems obvious but many travellers like to play things by ear. Once you have kids to travel with planning is your friend! You don’t have to book absolutely everything in advance but i highly recommend all hotels, a lot of your transport and even restaurants if you know the place you want to go to will be busy – you don’t want to be waiting around for a table with kids. You should also have a good idea of what you want to get done each day and the time you have to do it in so that you can make sure you don’t get waylaid and end up hanging around the hotel all day.

The most user friendly place to book is booking.com and its usually the cheapest too. I like to head here to book all our accomodation as I can easily compare deals and view ratings.

  • This one should be obvious BUT I still feel I have to specify: bring your carseats and don’t ride on motorbikes. Just because the locals don’t use carseats and take their children on motorbikes this does not mean its safe. It’s not worth risking your child’s life. Having said that you can make it easy for yourself with a few tips and tricks:
  1. There are travel car seats on the market for older kids that take up much less space if you are moving around a lot and don’t wan to lug carseats around. We took the Bubble Bum Booster Seat for our toddler.
  2. You can stay centrally so that you don’t need to lug your carseats around day to day – you will be able to walk to most attractions and restaurants if you stay in the right area. The best way to get around further afield is by hiring a car with a driver so you can easily leave your seat in the car during activities.
  3. If you have a small baby and you can afford it – take the best travel capsule on the market: the Doona infant car seat. This thing is AMAZING and saves you having to take a travel stroller also. It also means you can just hop in a taxi anytime you like as you won’t have to lug your carseat around afterwards like we had to.

  • The best thing I took with me to Vietnam was life jackets for my 2 young children. We were doing a LOT of water based activities and some places provide children’s lifejackets but these were ill-fitting and weren’t going to fit my 3 month old baby! Taking along one that fit really well for my toddler meant she actually wanted to wear it and we always had piece of mind. Also for babies you can get special jackets that fit snuggly and tighten under the bum so that they don’t slip out. We used a baby lifejacket when we took her on a kayak, rowboat and a speedboat and felt so much more comfortable (what a daredevil baby she is!).

  • Even if your child normally eats really healthy, varied food (you are living the dream my friend) don’t sweat the small stuff while you are on holiday. Mealtime battles are just not worth ruining the trip. Kids are more tired than usual and on edge due to being in unfamiliar territory – it’s ok if they just eat white rice/bread/chips for every meal and ask for an ice-cream every day. Remember they are on holiday too and let them enjoy it. We found that if we didn’t push her, once my toddler had had a good rest and got in the swing of things she was ready to try some unfamiliar foods – and she still got to experience the novelty of going out to eat all the time and trying all the amazing tropical fruit on offer. It’s still great for their development and sometimes there is nothing you can do – such as when we asked for a small spoon and received a plate of hot chips which my toddler immediately tucked into – the desire for a spoon forgotten.

  • Talking about overtired kids, plan some nap or rest time into your days. Even if your child has outgrown naps they may revert back to taking them while you are away. Even adults tend to start taking naps when they are on holiday so its a reasonable expectation. Napping will allow them to handle the new experiences a lot better, escape the heat in the middle of the day or make way for a late dinner out.

  • If your kids won’t wander through a museum at home – don’t expect them to when you are overseas. Plan activities that you will both like – places they can wander and look at nature, swimming pools, playgrounds, shopping, beach, buses etc. if they are really into that, boats if its a novelty – travel to your kid’s interests. You can still have a great time and find some cool alternative things to do.

  • Lastly, If you can – bring help! Travelling with the grandparents, aunties and uncles or friends is the best idea ever. You can take turns babysitting, there are more eyes on the kids and more interesting people for the kids to interact with. Plus it makes the cost of hiring a car etc. cheaper. Not everyone will have this option but even going with another family with kids helps to spread the responsibility.

Following these tips I’m sure you will have a fantastic time with your kids – and make memories that will last a lifetime. I know we sure did!

Erika xx