Take your child on an overseas trip!
My baby is now two and a half years old. When he was two, my spouse mentioned hoping we could take our son abroad for a family trip this year. The idea mainly came from the following reasons:
1. Many friends around us have taken their children on overseas family trips, and those kids were all between 2 and 3 years old—an age that is already suitable for international travel;
2. All friends said their previous concerns about their child’s health, diet, and adaptability abroad were unnecessary—the child’s adaptability turned out to be much higher than the adults’;
3. We want to broaden our child’s horizons and give them more experiences if we have the chance;
4. Work is usually busy, and especially as a father, I don’t get to spend much time with my child. So, I also wanted to plan a family trip to enjoy some happy moments together and get closer to my son.
So, my wife and I started planning our family trip around National Day last year.
First, we considered where to go. Based on several key factors such as the child’s age, flight duration, leisure vacationing, and activities available, we ultimately chose Phuket, Thailand.
We chose to stay at Club Med, mainly because we didn’t want to travel too far with the child. This resort is an all-inclusive package—food, accommodation, transportation, and activities are all covered. The resort has its own beach, which is beautiful and charming. It also offers a full range of recreational facilities including swimming pools, bars, Zen areas, golf, archery, bungee trapeze, and a kids’ playground. We could satisfy both adults and children without leaving the resort. We also bought an extra elephant riding experience outside the resort for our child. In this way, our whole family had a joyful and happy holiday.
Mommy and Daddy took me to see the sea—it's so big and beautiful!
Regarding the adaptability of children, which many parents worry about, that was the most delightful and surprising part for me. I hope my experience with my child’s trip can offer some small help to parents planning a family trip to Thailand with their kids.
Children’s adaptability is far stronger than we imagine.
The child’s adaptability throughout the trip was our biggest pre-trip concern. Even though many friends who had taken their children to Thailand assured us not to worry, it was still our first time traveling abroad with our child, and the journey was quite long. Worry is normal for every family. Thoughts of the child crying during takeoff and landing, potential stomach issues from the local food and water, digestion problems, heatstroke, and any other conceivable or inconceivable problems flooded our minds. These worries prompted us to do a lot of preparation in advance.
Worried the child might cry due to ear pain during takeoff, we searched online for answers;
Worried about potential stomach issues, we prepared a box of bottled water in advance;
Worried about indigestion or colds, we packed various children’s fever patches, cold and fever relief medications;
Worried the child might not like the resort food, we brought a kettle, a small rice cooker, and a bit of rice.
We also specially prepared a foldable stroller for the child’s convenience while traveling locally. Some readers may wonder why we went to such lengths—yes, traveling abroad with a child is like moving house.
So, on March 20th, our family embarked on our trip to Thailand. We departed from Beijing. In terms of airlines, both Air China and Hainan Airlines offered direct flights from Beijing with a 6-hour flight time. But because it was our first time traveling abroad with the child and the journey wasn’t short, we were worried the child wouldn’t handle the long flight well and might get restless on the plane. My wife and I specifically chose Dragonair, which had a layover in Hong Kong so the child could rest a bit. As parents, we had prepared quite thoroughly for this overseas trip with our child.
The child was super excited about going on a trip!
The child woke up at 4 a.m., brimming with excitement, knowing he was going on a trip today. Full of energy, we arrived at the airport, and he stayed alert through checking in luggage, getting boarding passes, going through customs, visiting the duty-free shops, all the way until boarding—he didn’t close his eyes once. He had an Airline Child Ticket booked in advance, so he had his own seat. Once seated and buckled up, he played happily in his little space, asking us “why” about everything, showing no signs of confusion or fear.
My biggest worry was that the pressure change during takeoff might hurt the child’s ears and scare him. I quietly observed him. After the plane reached cruising altitude, I saw he was completely fine—and I finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Dragonair prepares children’s meals for every young passenger. Shortly after takeoff, they serve kids’ meals first. Compared to adult meals, the most noticeable difference is that they’re less oily and come with a small toy—so kids can eat and play to pass the time. Maybe it was the novelty of eating on a plane, but the child ate very obediently, accepting whatever was given without being picky—a scene rarely seen at home. He was also very well-behaved when using the restroom.
I’d like to mention one thing in particular: when we were flying from Beijing to Hong Kong and approaching landing, we hit some turbulence, and the plane shook quite violently. The adults felt uncomfortable, but the child kept laughing and even murmured, “This is fun!” From Beijing to Hong Kong, and then from Hong Kong to Phuket, the child unexpectedly caused us no worries throughout the trip.
During the six days in Phuket, the child also performed wonderfully. For breakfast, lunch, and dinner, we mostly gave him light meals and fruit. We didn’t let him try any food he hadn’t had before. For drinking, we only gave him boiled purified or bottled water.
For clothing, it was just shorts and vests. The daytime weather in Phuket was very hot—around 38–40°C—with very strong UV rays. To avoid direct sun exposure, we had prepared a thin long-sleeve shirt in advance, which we put on the child whenever there was direct sunlight. Since the child was young, we didn’t apply sunscreen, worrying it might harm his skin. His sleep was very good every night, usually sleeping from 10:30 p.m. to 8:00 a.m., very regular.
It’s fair to say that during this entire trip, the child didn’t cause any trouble for the adults at all, nor did he ever make us anxious. Whether on the plane, eating, drinking, or sleeping, the child’s adaptability was very strong—far beyond what the adults expected.
So, I want to tell all parents out there: you really don’t need to worry too much about taking your child abroad. Children’s adaptability is very strong. However, I still suggest that parents do prepare thoroughly and carefully before the trip—this will make you feel more at ease during the journey.