Sydney: Vacationing with kids during Hubby's business trip

This is the first time we (me+kids aged 2 and 5) are travelling with my spouse on his business trip. I realized that this is an entirely different ball game. I have to manage/engage the kids for the whole day and wait for the evening for my husband to come back so that I could have some respite ;)

I loved Sydney. We spent 7 days there and here is what I did.

Hotel selection: As usual I pored over 100's of reviews to select 'Raddisson'. It was in a perfect location - close to bus stops, train station, convenience stores, super markets. I had got a good hotel-deal in Wotif.com and it fit  into our budget.
A good friend suggested http://www.stayz.com.au/ which had great apartments listed, unfortunately my trip was very last minute decision and I couldn't secure any good places.

Flight: It was a 8 long hours flight and I had booked a day flight. But blog after blog I was reading how parents glided over the trip in a night flight. I was quite scared on how it would go, but lucky me. There were a lots of empty seats and was quite comfortable. I had filled my daughter's cabin suitcase with puzzles and toys and they were handy.
Regulation on food stuff that can be taken into Australia is pretty strict and I had fully studied their website and bought some ready-to-eat indian curries. I planned to buy rice and dal locally if my kids needed it.

By the way, we had a lost luggage this time.. somebody had taken our bag and left theirs! Thank God I got the kid's bag intact... anyways after many flights, we do forget our first travel tips: 1) Packing one set of clothes in cabin luggage is safe 2) Tie a ribbon to identify our bags! Lesson learnt is its good to follow the tips 'always'.


For the Moms who vacation while on Spouse's business trip:

My tips:
1) Research research research...get an understanding of you hotel's location. Do your part in choosing what suits you well. A kitchenette will be really helpful... if not a microwave, a toaster or just a friendly hotel kitchen can help us a long way.

2) Take it really easy on the itinerary. You will not be on time, accept it.. and keep it simple.

3) There is no way you can get away being stuck indoors the whole day. Take the kids for a stroll if nothing else works out. A new place each time will be good.

4) Check out for any local parks. It might not be on a tourist list, but check what locals do to entertain their children. You might not be able to check off an item in your "to-see", but at least you will have happy kids.

5) It is my husband's nightmare that I will lose my elder one. Booo! But there is a real chance of it happening. Keep one eye on each child always! Make your child repeat your hotel's name over and over again.
I saw one TV show with a great idea of having a bead bracelet with your local phone number for the kid.

6) Avoid over crowded places, swimming pools if both kids are not good swimmers yet.. in short avoid places where you will not be able to comfortably handle the kids single-hand.

7) Carry some finger food, in case there are no good eateries.

8) Love the time alone with kids in a new setting. Its vacation and let the kids lead you!

Itinerary:
The Night we landed, ordered food from the room service. Slept well.

Day 1:
Had to wait ("waste") the whole morning because me and my hubby had nothing to wear. Thankfully the airlines passed our baggage late in the day.

We then did Manly beach. Bought our 'My Multi Zone 3' cards (very cost effective) which gives 7 days unlimited travel in public transport.
We had "Pavlova" - a heavenly 'Aussie/NZ' dessert.
Took a scenic ferry route to Manly beach. Water was COLD but children had loads of fun.
Children (mostly my son) had started to crave rice by then :(
Found an Indian restaurant "Ashiana" very close to the beach and fed the hungry stomachs.

Day 2:

Three sisters and the Jamison Valley

Being a weekend, it was my hubby's day off and we went to the 'Blue Mountains'. I suggest to stay overnight at this place if you have time. In our case we dint and we could not imagine exploring any caves or doing bushwalks with our 2year old. So, the next best option was "Scenic world" for us. We did the steepest railway ride (my kids loved it), skyway, cable way and appreciated the beautiful Jamison Valley. Some part of it resembled the Grand Canyons. My son by this time was on a "I will eat Indian only" kind of a mood, so again we had our lunch in one of the indian restaurants (they are plenty of them all over).

Steepest railways in the world...Do you see the train?

Day 3
Today was the rest day, so strolled around the city. Went to Hyde park (there was a family carnival going on then) and kids did some bouncy castle jumps. Then we went to St. Mary's cathedral (Wow.. is the word... there was a mass going on and it felt so peaceful). Correction - peaceful it would have been if I dint have children tugging at my dress, or if I dint have to worry about maintaining the silence inside the place! Dream on..!

Had ice creams, watched the world pass by, did some window shopping and ended the day feeling contend.

Day 4
Hubby was off to work and we started a relaxed day. I took the kids to Darling Harbor water play area and let them play to their heart's content. I had packed some pasta I made in the Hotel kitchenette. I really enjoyed this time with the kids.

Day 5
Being in Australia and not seeing Kangaroos? Nay! Off to Featherdale's - an completely Australian animal's park. Total total fun! My kids were up and close with Wallabies.. they seemed to be more receptive. The kangaroo's were lying down and were not bothered by us. So were the Koala bears... they were soooo furrrry! There so many new animals that I saw... did you know that Dingo is a dog that does not bark? I din't.. Next time when I play "Name Place Animal Thing" I will have a bit more choices for Animals!

Day 6
Time alone again - we went off on our own to the Australian Museum. They had a children's play area.. which was educative. The best was the Tyrannosaurus exhibition. I saw loads of fossils and was very informative..wish the kids let me spend more time 'reading' the information there. The audio visuals/Computer graphics were just great! Just realized that my elder one has started to warm towards Museum ... hurray!

When hubby was back we strolled to the Darling harbour and had a Pizza/Pasta dinner.

Day 7
Shopping alone with Children need not be a nightmare.... they seem to be ok as long as we are shopping for them !!! :S
Went to a souvenir shop and browsed and browsed... now a days guess I have become too thick skinned to keep wondering if my kids are a bother for the shop. As long as they don't break anything I am fine... and I am happy to find a shop with no other customers... Sales people are usually happy to baby sit and let me browse at peace.
Went for a closer look of opera house and had a relaxed evening with the whole family.

One point to remember is that most attractions and malls close by 5 pm in Sydney. After that all that is open are the pubs and restaurants... so its parks and other open areas for us parents of young kids.

Sydney was not on my "To-visit" list.. I was little worried that we were channeling our money on a trip that I was not so keen about... but I fell in love with Sydney... what a vibrant place. Seven days were so little to do any justice to Sydney... Hey hubby, when is your next business trip to Sydney? ;)

Delhi-Agra-Jaipur with Kids

Hi People! I am Recounting my vacation in the hopes that someone might find this useful when they are planning a trip to the Great Indian 'Golden Triangle'.

At the time of vacation my kids were 4.5 and 1.5 years old.The Details I have given about the places are dated Nov 2013. So, things could have changed. Double-check! Anyways with kids don't we always double check... phew!

The trip was a 7 day round trip starting from Chennai, then onto Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. We took a flight (Spicejet)back to Chennai from Jaipur and not Delhi . This saved from doing the road trip from Jaipur to Delhi (after I made sure there was nothing important to see in that route).

  As with any vacation I started planning at least about 2 months before. I always use Tripadvisor and Agoda reviews to help me decide the hotels. Agoda reviews are nearly 100% authentic, Tripadvisor has loads of bogus reviews either by mud-slinging competitors or by enterprising owners claiming they are better than Taj Group of Hotels! Usually reading a bit further will give us the true picture. We were travelling with my father and my domestic helper - So got a 4 bedded options everywhere. Btw, this was my third golden triangle trip, but the first one with my kids and husband.

Delhi - Day 1

Arrived from Chennai. Had booked a four-bedded room with HOTEL GRAND PARK INN in Karol Bagh. Secured a "free" airport pick-up - Its always hassle free to have a pre-arranged pick-up in a new city with kids tugging along.

         Staying anywhere in Delhi should be ok I guess, assuming you have booked a car at disposal for sight-seeing. I chose Karol Bagh to stay, as my accommodation in other cities were in quiet neighborhoods and I cannot go without zing for long ;) . We had a good South-Indian restaurant (Adyar Anandha Bhavan), traditional Delhi foods eatery "Bikanerwala" and "Aangan" (Take ur kids here to introduce them to Delhi foods - they have 100s of choices) and loads of road side shopping in the vicinity. Of course, I always feel good when I find fresh fruits stalls close by. Shopping here would involve extreme haggling (a skill that I lack!) 

Delhi - Day 2

             One problem with the Golden triangle is that the car drivers take you to shops where they get commission; be firm and let them know your itinerary. I was well informed about this, but then again ended up falling in this trap more than a couple of times in this very trip!

We visited 

1) Birla Mandir (Kids enjoyed running around)

2) Indira Gandhi House/Museum (Kids did not enjoy - probably bcoz it was too crowded for them)

3) Qutub Minar (My lil one was sleeping, so we let him have his rest in the car with my helper)

4) Lotus Temple (Just my hubby and elder one did it.. my lil one took his next nap in the car!)

5) Drove through India Gate and Parliment

6) Went off shopping in Ajmal Khan Road, Karol Bagh with hubby leaving the rest to take rest.

Can you guess who she is ? Clue: This was hanging in her grandmother's house

Our ex-PM's house

Delhi - Day 3

We started off with Redfort. I had liked it best in Delhi earlier and was looking forward to this... but... the car parking was a good 1 Km away (at least I perceive it to be 1 Km).. by the time we entered Redfort all of us were tired.. Never the less, it was not a disaster. After a while of exploring, the kids rested in the garden while me and my partner went off to do some clicking and more exploring. There are paid toilets in this complex and I did see some ramps (more of this below). While returning back, we could have taken a rickshaw as we were too tired to walk to the car park, but then we got our driver to pick us from the main entrance.

What a long walk from car park - phew!

Our next stop was Raj Ghat (Gandhiji's samadhi). My lil one was napping in the car with our helper. My elder one had fun running around and most importantly seeing hundreds of school children in uniforms. Of course, she relished being the 'cute little kid' to the grown up school kids.

       Last thing we did that day was visit Akshardham. I have always loved temples and I love them only when they are sprawling and when they are 1000 years old. So, I was not looking forward to visit a 5 year old temple... but man, I was blown away. The architecture was awesome! Must see!!!

Kids enjoyed here too.. There was a boat ride, laser show etc which I think a kid would enjoy...we dint see them as they were under maintenance then.

Delhi - Mathura - Agra -> Day 4

Taking a Train from Delhi to Agra was very tempting, but then we decided against it. Car seemed a better choice with our luggage and we wanted to do Mathura enroute. Liked the temple!

Did Sikandara fort then(we liked it, but you can miss this if you are seriously out of time). If you like any curios peddled by locals, buy them - should be cheaper than any showroom. Of course haggle first.

Sikandara - sprawling gardens! We saw black bucks, peacocks roaming about.

By Sunset we did Agra fort. Loved it! It was Number 2 monument for me after Taj Mahal.. but mosquitoes did scare me...there were huge masses of them. We used the audio guides here. If you have time and don't have kids tugging at you, its a great option.

Agra Fort - Its a wonder that mosquitoes have not lifted off this fort!

We then stayed this night at Sai Homestay, Agra. This was a two bedroom plus dinning hall kind of accommodation and it was home-like. Kids loved it.

Agra - Jaipur -> Day 5

This was the big day! We saw the TAJ MAHAL... every time we see it, its still awesome... but nothing can beat the first glimpse awe.. my hubby had it now and some of it rub on me too. No words can prepare you for the first sight of Taj mahal, let me simply say - "If you haven't seen it, See it".

We spent more than 1 hour in the main dome complex. We simply din't want to rush it. Kids loved Taj.

Guides "recommended" by drivers drag us around to remote corners for just one shop who would pay heavy commission to the guide. So, its better to take the official guides. Beware that all of them 'claim' to be official. Usually we could get an official guide while buying the entry ticket.

Enroute to Jaipur we stopped at Fatehpur Sikri. It was my 3rd time there, but just realized that I had not known that 'Sikri' - a sprawling palace existed there. Every time, the unofficial guides take you just to Fatehpur as they are not allowed inside Sikri...

Do you see the Ramps - they are a boon to people using strollers and wheel chairs!

Sikri - what an awesome place.. it has become my favorite right after Taj... I saw where Akbar Slept, the individual quarters of his three main wives including Jodha Bai, His Treasury, his entertainment zone, his official meeting hall.. man no words can describe the pleasure I had. Awesome p(a)lace...!
We had dinner on one of the road side Dhabas but the food was just so-so :( and the price pricey! During my last trip to Delhi, I had food in a road side Dhaba which was heavenly and cost peanuts.. so no luck on that front this time around.


Jaipur -> Day 6, Day 7

Here we stayed in "Umaid Bhavan Mahal" - this was a place modelled like a palace.. the next best thing if you can't really stay in a Palace. We got a 3 bedroom apartment and loved it.

Our hotel!

Day 7 in Jaipur we did the usual Jantar Mantar, City Palace Museum, Jal Mahal and Amber fort. Again we had a bad experience with a "free" guide suggested by our driver. The guide pushed us to visit some handicraft shops, while we wanted to spend more time exploring the monuments. We paid him off and got ourselves another "official" tour guide in Amber fort and loved it.
That night we went to Chowki Dhani - a must do if you have kids. The place is designed like a rural Indian fair complete with elephant ride, camel ride, horse ride, dancers, singers, handicraft stalls, etc etc. My daughter loved it and when asked what she loved the most about the trip, she mentioned this before Taj Mahal!

A maze we all loved playing!

Food - a typical Rajasthani fare, but my kids dint enjoy it :(

Overall a nice trip!

Cutting short my blog as I seem to be rambling a lot.. please feel free to drop me a line with questions regarding this itinerary.

Prices we had paid for tour guides, food, travel:

Take tour guides, they will make the trip worth it!

Redfort Official guide in unofficial price: Rs 150
Sikandra guide - incompetent guide: Rs 100
Agra fort Official audio guide: Rs 118 (two headset ports available; carry your own for your partner)
Taj Unofficial guide: Rs 300
Fatehpur Sikri Official guide: Rs 200 (we paid Rs 250- the official rate as we were happy with his tour)
Amber fort official guide: Rs 200
Jaipur City Palace & Jantar Mantar Unofficial guide: Rs 150-200

Food expenses for 4 adults and 2 kids per meal on an average was Rs 700-Rs750 (I had estimated Rs 500 - food prices have sky rocketed in India)

Car - Delhi Local Sightseeing per day : Rs 1800 (all inclusive)

Delhi-Mathura-Agra-Jaipur Package for Car - Rs 16,000 (all inclusive)

How to have a memorable Vacation with infant/toddler/kids

Kids thrive on vacations. Give them sufficient rest, on time food and some fun things to do...you all would be having the best vacation possible.

The days where one had to wait for kids to "grow up" to have vacation are long gone. Vacation with kids can be very enjoyable, only thing is - we need to be prepared. Research, research and do more research before travelling.

Things to consider:

1) Choosing a destination:

Roaming around ancient ruins or scuba diving vacations are very compelling, only thing is that it might be a tad difficult lugging your little one. Strollers are your best friends in a vacation, so choosing a stroller friendly city might be easier if you are travelling without a support system . Checkout for the best time of the year to go. You won't be caught in a stormy weather if you check this out as the first thing. If you are really scared travelling with an infant, choose some place familiar to you. That said most destinations are do able with kids with proper planning.

2) Choosing a hotel:

The hotel can make or break your vacation. Remember that unlike your child-less vacations, you are not going to be roaming around all day. Children need their rest and you will most likely spend more time in your hotel room than you would like to. So, research research research and find the most kid friendly hotel. www.Agoda.com and wwwtripadvisor.com are the best bets. Always remember to check under the "family" category and read reviews of people who "traveled with young kids". Renting out a hotel in a location which is in the midst of all the action will be helpful. You could head to the hotel for a quick nap and continue your touring without too much of a travel.

3) Itinerary:
Include your kids in your sightseeing plans. The zoo in your destination might not be a "must-do", but it might become be the highlight of trip to your kid. If possible include a shopping mall or air-conditioned indoors in the itinerary for the afternoons. It will help kids doze off.

4) Support System:

If you get along ok with your parents or parents-inlaw or someone else consider inviting them along too. They could help you with babysitting while you and your spouse can take the much needed time alone.
Some hotels offer the baby sitting services, I am unable to comment on them as I have not tried it. Please do leave your thoughts in comments section below if you have a say on this.

5) Travel light

I have carried rice cookers for a couple of times but not anymore. Kids usually find couple of things that they might like in the local menu.
You are bound to buy souvenir T-shirts and local toys. So, just pack less clothes than necessary. And... now is the time to forget packing 'your' extra sandals. You are bound to carry your kid around, so traveling light will ease your burden ;)

Research before you book:

1) Find a hospital/doctor near your hotel - Just in case of emergency.

2) Check if the hotel has anything to occupy your kid (a slide, a pool or a TV with cartoon shows)

3) A hotel may be ultra scenic with its lotus ponds and water features, but is it safe for your child who will run wild ?

4) Are there any supermarkets/convenience stores nearby in case you need something urgently? When I  stayed in remote corners with sparse civilization, I did stock up well from the last shop I could find. Stock up items: your kids favorite fruits, biscuits and drinks.

5) What do the locals feed their infants and kids ? For example, I found that Indonesians feed burbur (rice porridge) to their kids and I was able to order it for my kids at the very first restaurant we ate there.
Look for Indian/south-indian restaurants nearby, in case kids dont eat the local food with enthusiasm.

Things to pack:

1) Stroller - preferably a old one which you could subject to rough use. Most likely this will be the place of afternoon naps for most of the days.
2) Little of - Light snacks, cup-o-noodles/maggi or other readymade food items incase your kid takes time to adapt to the food there.
3) If your kid is still on bottle - Travel Sterilizer or Sterilizing tablets (I get mine from mothercare)
4) Bottle cleaning solution, kids soap/liquid/cream
5) Ubiquitous Diapers, of course your vacations will become more normal if your kids are off diapers.
6) Medicine for cold/allergy and fever. Some pre-biotics and Electrolyte sachets. Be prepared, a young kid is bound to have an upset stomach in a new environment - part of the game!
7) Depending on the destination, mosquito patches or raincoats or sweaters etc

My experience:

My first vacation with my Kid number 1 was when she was 7 months old. We drove from Chennai to Banglore (a five hours journey)... but we took 7 hours (the number of diaper changes en route were a record break). I was breastfeeding her and so the car offered me the much needed privacy.
Highlight: We went to some unknown reservoir and water was gushing out like a huge falls. My kid loved it and this gave us a High!
Not-so-highlight: Everyone in my travelling party were having a great time in Banergetta zoo, while I was just sitting with a sleeping kid in my lap ... motherhood! phew!

My first vacation with my Kid number 2 was when he was 7 months old too. Its was an ambitious 10 day tour in Bali. By now I was a veteran in travelling with kids and all of us ended up loving Bali.(Inspires me to write a whole post just about it).
Hightlight: When the little one reacted very happily rolling about the bed in our destination - I believe he enjoyed our trip.
Not-so-highlight: When my elder kid got one of her wheezing episodes. We were well prepared though and handled it effectively.

I do know that most of my blog readers are avid travelers who travel with kids. Please do share your tips in the comments section below. I am sure it will help me in my next vacation :)