Southeast Asia forum

Travelling South East Asia with a 4mth old Baby?

Violett23

newbie
Posts: 1

Hey Guys,

Just wanted to gather anyone's thoughts on traveling with a baby. We are planning to do most of the major tourist places in central and southern vietnam, cambodia and laos over a period of about 6 weeks. We will be heading off in November and will hopefully have a healthy 4 mth old to tote along with us (my husband and I).

We plan to have a daily budget of $100 AUD. Obviously, with the baby we would prefer to take a more flashpacker approach.

We would like to travel some legs overland and are prepared to fly some of the longer ones (we have extra money for this)

We don't really plan on doing a lot of shopping, but would like to do a few tours and some other touristy things.

So, Just interested in any thoughts or advice for traveling with the bub? If our daily budget sounds realistic? and any suggestions for legs that would be best to travel overland??

Thanks in advance.

#1 Posted: 17/1/2010 - 16:43
Jeffreyjho

newbie
Posts: 2

Bus travel in northern Laos (Luang Prabang, Vientiane, Vang Vien) is very slow and uncomfortable. Your baby will not enjoy it. Plan to fly in and out of these destinations if you can.

#2 Posted: 17/4/2010 - 22:16
MADMAC

mahout
Posts: 3999

Violett
I don't want this to sound wrong - but I have a three year old myself and brought her to Thailand when she was nine months old. We arrived in Bangkok, spent two days recovering from the flight, then drove via rental car to Yaso, my wife's home province. This was extremely stressful. Little children generally require a lot of time and care, they are not easy to travel with. If they get sick (which they do often), you will want to ensure you can acquire quality health care quickly. They are fragile and helpless at that age. Everyone here will love the child and want to touch it and poke it and so forth - which is sweet, but is also a vector for bacteria. Laos and Cambodia are developing countries, and the quality of hygiene is not always the best. Frankly, I would not take an infant on a tour running from place to place around this area. I love it here, and I love the people - so don't get me wrong. But infants are delicate things and when you first become a parent, your instinct (quite rightly placed) is to protect them. I live here, and I would not do what you are proposing. Small children with developed immune systems are a little different. But infants... different kettle of fish.

#3 Posted: 19/4/2010 - 01:25

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