Although factors such as the type of activities and the level of development, which have been analyzed in two previous articles about parent-child travel destinations, are certainly important, because you’re traveling in winter, there are also some other considerations when choosing where to go. Drawing from my experience taking Nuannuan to 8 countries and 14 provinces, I suggest considering the following factors when selecting a destination:
Comfortable Temperature
For me, traveling with my child, a comfortable temperature is the top priority when choosing a winter destination. While places like Tokyo, Los Angeles, Dalian, and Qingdao are undeniably beautiful, walking around outdoors with a child in the freezing cold is not a long-term solution. Therefore, I recommend choosing winter travel destinations with a tropical summer-like climate, or at least somewhere where you can comfortably wear just a T-shirt and a light jacket all day.
Close Distance
While planes have become the most convenient mode of transportation, and Nuannuan, who has flown 40 times, is indeed already adept and unfazed by air travel, flights longer than 8 hours can really test the patience of even the most good-tempered baby. So, for me, a flight time of under 8 hours is a threshold when choosing a destination. For flights over 5 hours, I usually opt for a red-eye flight so my child can sleep through the boring part. For flights under 5 hours, I prefer daytime flights because anything under 5 hours — whether taking off or landing in the middle of the night — is too disruptive for a child. If an 8+ hour flight is unavoidable, I suggest choosing a connecting flight, preferably with airlines like Emirates or Singapore Airlines, which offer well-developed and bustling transit hubs.
What Can the Baby Do There?
Once you’ve chosen a destination, make sure to check in advance whether there are suitable activities for your child. For babies under 2 years old, a nice hotel where they can play with water or sand is already a wonderful experience. For slightly older children around 2–6 years old, you can choose places with well-known amusement facilities, such as Chimelong or Disneyland. For school-age kids, you can then consider historical sites and cultural attractions.
Complete Supporting Facilities
The completeness of a destination’s supporting facilities largely depends on the area’s economic development or the maturity of its tourism infrastructure. Various situations may arise while traveling with children — whether strollers can be used easily, how convenient taxis are, whether restrooms are readily available, or how quickly medical help can be accessed in case of minor emergencies — all these factors should be taken into consideration.
Taking the above four principles fully into account, and also based on my own experience traveling with Nuannuan, I’ve selected the following 8 destinations across 3 categories that are not cold, not far, not tiring, and perfect for parent-child travel with your baby.
Island Destinations
1. Sanya
Reasons for Recommendation:
When moms of babies under 1 year old ask me for destination recommendations, Sanya is always my top choice. Located in the tropics, Sanya enjoys summer weather all year round, making it suitable for travel at any time. Moreover, it boasts some of the most beautiful seawater and beaches in all of China. Thanks to its early development, its hotel industry is very mature, and from Yalong Bay, Dadonghai, Sanya Bay to Haitang Bay, there are countless hotels perfect for parent-child travel with your baby.
What to Do:
Beaches and Sea: What else is there to do in Sanya? Of course, the top choices are the sea and the beaches. Though Sanya does have many attractions like Tianya Haijiao, they are really not ideal for bringing a baby. Even if you do nothing but stay at the hotel for five or six days, facing the ocean and enjoying the spring-like warmth every day is a wonderfully happy experience. Tropical Rainforest: Also due to the tropical monsoon climate, Sanya has well-preserved virgin forest vegetation. For slightly older kids, joining dad for a jungle adventure and enjoying the benefits of a natural oxygen bar offers a different kind of magical experience beyond the beach. Sanya’s Yanoda Forest and the Wuzhishan scenic area in central Hainan are both excellent choices.
Suitable Age:
Babies 6 months and older who can sit independently.
2. Phuket
Reasons for Recommendation:
The reason Phuket is recommended second is that it is a well-developed and mature tropical island in Southeast Asia. Thailand itself is not highly developed economically, so prices are relatively low, and Chinese visitors practically feel like they’re wealthy. Since many international brands manufacture in Thailand, you can also find discounted factory outlet products while enjoying the sea and pools.
What to Do:
Tropical Beaches: The seawater and beaches in Phuket are much better than those in Sanya, and there are more high-end hotels to choose from, with more humanized services compared to Sanya’s hotels. Phuket is quite large, and there are many beach options. There are lively city beaches like Patong, as well as secluded paradises like Karon and Bang Tao.
Suitable Age:
Due to the not-so-short flight time, it’s best to be at least 1 year old.
3. Bali
Reasons for Recommendation:
Bali’s hotels, beaches, and spas are absolutely its top three highlights. If you’re traveling to Bali with a baby, you don’t need to think twice—just staying at hotels all day won’t feel boring. There are many famous beaches in Bali, but I highly recommend staying at Nusa Dua Beach. It has many five-star hotels, and you can’t go wrong with any one of them. The hotel staff are super nice, and they take excellent care of babies too.
What to do:
Cultural charm: Unlike Europe, where you need to visit buildings one by one, Bali’s cultural charm is reflected in every detail. Whether you’re picking out ethnic-style clothes and souvenirs for your baby at Kuta’s ethnic shops or enjoying the comfort of staying in a villa between rice terraces and jungles in Ubud, you’ll experience Bali’s “no news, no shoes” laid-back vibe.
Tropical beaches: Bali’s beaches have a strong tropical character. Choose a good beach and hotel, then just stay at the hotel with your baby. Whether it’s playing in the sand, stepping on the waves, or swimming in the pool, it will keep your baby so excited they won’t want to sleep. At least that’s how Nuannuan feels.
Recommended age:
It’s a bit farther than Phuket, so it’s recommended for babies at least 1 year old and up.
Theme parks
4. Hong Kong
Why go:
Just the Disney factor alone makes Hong Kong a dream destination for kids everywhere. Though small in size, Hong Kong has well-developed both overground and underground transportation, so you don’t need to worry about traveling with children. Plus, Hong Kong is China’s duty-free shopping paradise—you can get affordable, authentic cosmetics and luxury goods for yourself, as well as many baby products that are either cheaper or not available on the mainland!
What to do:
Hong Kong Disneyland: Before Shanghai Disneyland opened, Hong Kong Disneyland was definitely the most convenient theme park to visit. I’ve taken Nuannuan to various theme parks such as Disneyland, Universal Studios, Chimelong, and Happy Valley. Disneyland is truly a gem worldwide. Whether it’s the rides designed for babies under 3 or the dedication of all the staff, it’s a magical experience. Nuannuan has been there 5 or 6 times, and she always wants to go back after each visit.
Ocean Park: To be fair, many rides at Hong Kong Ocean Park aren’t suitable for babies under 3—they’re mostly designed for older kids. But its aquariums and animal shows are still highly recommended!
Noah’s Ark Theme Park: This is a relatively new theme park in Hong Kong, located near the Tsing Ma Bridge on Lantau Island, themed around Noah’s Ark. It’s not very big, suitable for slightly older kids or for taking cute photos with little ones. You can join fun and educational activities inside the ark or visit the quaint Mui Wo Village to experience the charm of a traditional fishing village.
Recommended age:
Nuannuan first went when she was 1.5 years old and already loved Disneyland. However, it’s still recommended for kids at least 2 years old if possible.
5. Guangzhou
Why go:
As one of the largest transportation hubs in southern China, Guangzhou is very accessible. Additionally, as a first-tier city in the south, it has a relatively high level of development, yet the cost of living is lower compared to the other three first-tier cities—Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. Third, transportation is convenient—whether by taxi or subway, getting around in Guangzhou is a breeze. Fourth, Guangzhou has a subtropical climate with high green vegetation coverage and pleasant weather, making it suitable for traveling with a baby.
What to do:
Theme parks: The top reason to go to Guangzhou must be Chimelong. I’ve taken Nuannuan to zoos and theme parks in over ten domestic cities, as well as wildlife parks in countries like Singapore and Bali, but Chimelong beats them all. Among them, Chimelong Safari Park is especially recommended—Nuannuan has been there more than 5 times. Aquarium: Guangzhou Aquarium is located inside Guangzhou Zoo. Although Guangzhou isn’t a coastal city, its aquarium might not be as famous as Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Zhuhai. But it’s the world’s largest inland aquarium, home to over 200 species of fish and other unique, rare marine creatures. It’s a great choice for little ones who want to explore a wildlife park, theme park, and ocean world all in one city!
Recommended age:
1 year old and up is totally fine!
6. Zhuhai
Why go:
Zhuhai, being right next to Macau, is also a highly developed city in southern China. With its coastal location, both transportation and climate are very comfortable. I’ve taken Nuannuan to Zhuhai twice, and both my husband and I have really enjoyed the city. After exploring Zhuhai, a quick trip to Macau for some shopping is a great idea too!
What to do:
Chimelong Ocean Park: This is Chimelong Group’s second theme park destination after Guangzhou. The top recommendation is Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, which not only has countless rides but also many amazing exhibits and shows. The Whale Shark Aquarium features the world’s largest acrylic glass panel, and the beluga whales in the Beluga Aquarium are absolutely adorable with their bubble-blowing antics!
Recommended age:
2 years old and up.
7. Singapore
Reasons to recommend:
Singapore is an Asia-famous baby-friendly country. Singaporeans have a very high level of personal quality. The entire nation, in terms of both humanistic and geographical environments, is especially suitable for traveling with babies. On the other hand, Singapore is located near the equator and has a tropical marine climate. Its pleasant climate makes it a suitable destination for parent-child trips with babies in any season.
What to do:
Zoos: Singapore's tropical climate makes it a paradise for animals. Although it has a small land area, it has four major theme zoos: the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Wonders, and Jurong Bird Park.
Sentosa: It must be said that Sentosa Island is really a playground paradise in Singapore. It gathers many amusement places that babies like, such as Universal Studios Singapore, S.E.A. Aquarium, and Adventure Cove Waterpark, as well as several hotels famous for vacationing. The light rail on the island is also free. Here, you can completely achieve a "one-stop" travel experience without taking a vehicle.
Suitable age:
Nuannuan went there when she was one and a half years old. The zoo and the aquarium were no problem at all. If you also want to have a great time in Universal Studios Singapore and Adventure Cove Waterpark, it is recommended to go after the age of 3.
Natural category
8. Xishuangbanna
Reasons to recommend:
Many moms already know about Chiang Mai recommended above, but Xishuangbanna in Yunnan, China, also has beautiful tropical rainforests, yet many moms haven't put it in their plans. The average annual temperature in Xishuangbanna is above 25 degrees Celsius, which is very suitable for traveling. Moreover, it still retains a lot of pristine tropical rainforests, and the relationship between animals, plants, and humans is very friendly. It is a good opportunity for babies to get close to nature.
What to do:
Wild Elephant Valley: Xishuangbanna has never lacked elephants, and Wild Elephant Valley is a rare good place in China where you can get close to elephants and various other animals. In addition to feeding elephants, you can also ride elephants and touch pythons. It is really a good experience for children.
Botanical Garden: Although there is also a botanical garden in Beijing, the tropical botanical garden in Xishuangbanna has a different experience. The dense natural tropical vegetation amazes us who seem to come from the "frigid zone". Big water lilies can even let a child lie down on them. If you are lucky enough, you can also see fireflies!
Suitable age:
It is recommended for those over 3 years old.