2 MONTHS BALI WITH BABY - TRAVELING WITH BABY CARRIER
Flying with a toddler, let alone to such a faraway place? These were questions we often heard. Concerned colleagues and acquaintances surely only wanted the best for us. But we were confident; we could do it. Why were we so sure? It's not something that can be described in just one or two sentences. We simply asked ourselves: Why wouldn't it work?
We knew Bali; we had been there twice before and had gotten to know the country and its people. We had seen the warmth, the dreamy weather, enjoyed the good food, and had a great time. And what had always struck us were the tourists with toddlers and babies. So, for us, it was clear: we would spend our shared parental leave for 2 months in Bali. Of course, we didn't fly there recklessly and unprepared. We knew what it was like on the ground, that there were hospitals and medical care available. That children also grow up there, and we brought along what we might not get there.
There were times when the two of us flew to Bali with just one suitcase for 3 weeks. What do you really need when the sun shines all day long, and you can wear t-shirts, flip-flops, and shorts day and night? Of course, those times are over with a baby. You should plan a little more than that for your trip.
We'll give you our 10 tips for preparing for your Bali trip:
Baby travel pharmacy - when traveling with a baby, your travel pharmacy suddenly expands, as even at the end of the world, little childhood illnesses can occur. Beforehand, we discussed and obtained a list of medications with our pediatrician that we took with us on our trip. Among other things, useful are:
Nose drops for the flight and possible colds // Fever suppositories or fever drops (usually in combination with a pain reliever) // Disinfectant spray, which can also be used near mucous membranes // Herbal ointment for possible respiratory diseases // Electrolytes, in case the baby actually gets diarrhea
Sunscreen - what you can't imagine is the incredibly high price of sunscreen. Spoiled by drugstores, prices of 2-4 euros for a bottle of sunscreen are normal for us. In Bali, the price is more like 10-12 euros. The sun shines a lot in Bali and is very strong. Therefore, it is actually advisable to take enough sunscreen for both adults and children. For babies, it is advisable to keep their delicate baby skin covered with light fabric clothing as much as possible and only apply sunscreen to exposed hands, feet, and face.
Choose accommodations wisely - during our time in Bali, we moved several times and stayed in accommodations for about 10-14 days each. In our search, we paid attention to the following points:
Air-conditioned bedrooms with mosquito nets over the bed // Own cooking facilities and refrigerator // Small hotel complex with bungalows - these are usually family-run, lovingly furnished, and more personal.
Diaper stock for the first week - of course, diapers are also available locally, but let's be honest, after a long flight, a nocturnal arrival, and searching for something to eat, do you feel like dealing with where to get diapers first? Exactly, first arrive relaxed and look around in the first few days where you can shop well, where there are diapers and groceries for baby food. By the way, almost exclusively panties are available in Bali, diapers that you pull on like underwear and can tear open at the side to change. While here in Germany, the prices for such diapers are almost twice as high as for the classic ones with two adhesive closures, pant diapers are widely available and often the cheapest to get in Bali.
Socket protectors - of course, the sockets in the accommodations in Bali are not secured. If you have a little explorer baby with you who finds all cables and sockets incredibly exciting, it is advisable to take a handful of socket protectors with you that can simply be clicked into the sockets and travel with you from accommodation to accommodation.
Prepared for emergencies - it is definitely advisable to get an overview of where the nearest hospital or doctor is shortly before arriving at a new location. Thanks to Google Maps, this is possible from anywhere in the world. And the hosts of the accommodations can usually help best with such questions or even drive you there themselves.
Airplane seat with baby seat - if you are flying with children under 2 years old, you only pay the taxes of the flight for the children. Additionally, airlines offer baby seats that are mounted on the wall and allow you to lay your child there to sleep. Check with the airline well before your flight if you have such a seat and if your child still fits in the seat. The dimensions can usually be found on the airlines' websites. Another advantage of these seats with baby seats is that there is no row of seats in front of you, giving you a lot of legroom. Most airlines allow an extra piece of luggage and additional carry-on baggage for children under 2 years old. Check with your airline before departure to see what they allow.
Passport and visa for everyone - well before your departure, you should check if your passports are still valid for a long time and also apply for a passport for your baby. For a trip to Bali, the regular children's passport is sufficient. It is not biometric and cheaper than the "big" one. Additionally, for a longer stay in Bali, you need a tourist visa. We applied for a 60-day visa at the time. It was quick and uncomplicated through the Indonesian embassy.
Bed snake and stuffed animal - so that your baby feels at home no matter where in the world, you can conjure up the familiar feeling with a few simple aids even at the end of the world. Of course, the bedding smells different there than at home, and the room looks different too. For example, we took two stuffed animals and a bed snake with us, so the bed feels a bit more like home. Music box, cuddly cloth, pacifier, whatever belongs to you and doesn't require an extra suitcase, pack it.
Baby food for the flight - If your baby eats baby food, we recommend buying ready-made jars and taking them with you. Or buy the puree from squeeze pouches. We cooked baby food ourselves before our flight and took it with us, but it actually didn't taste good anymore. Whether that was due to the changed air pressure, the imperfectly maintained cold chain, or something else, we can't say, but next time we would skip it. By the way, baby bottles with water and baby food can exceed the common limit of 100ml/container. It's best to pack all baby food for the flight in a transparent bag so you don't have to search during security checks.
Prepared for emergencies - it is definitely advisable to get an overview of where the nearest hospital or doctor is shortly before arriving at a new location. Thanks to Google Maps, this is possible from anywhere in the world. And the hosts of the accommodations can usually help best with such questions or even drive you there themselves.
Airplane seat with baby seat - if you are flying with children under 2 years old, you only pay the taxes of the flight for the children. Additionally, airlines offer baby seats that are mounted on the wall and allow you to lay your child there to sleep. Check with the airline well before your flight if you have such a seat and if your child still fits in the seat. The dimensions can usually be found on the airlines' websites. Another advantage of these seats with baby seats is that there is no row of seats in front of you, giving you a lot of legroom. Most airlines allow an extra piece of luggage and additional carry-on baggage for children under 2 years old. Check with your airline before departure to see what they allow.
Passport and visa for everyone - well before your departure, you should check if your passports are still valid for a long time and also apply for a passport for your baby. For a trip to Bali, the regular children's passport is sufficient. It is not biometric and cheaper than the "big" one. Additionally, for a longer stay in Bali, you need a tourist visa. We applied for a 60-day visa at the time. It was quick and uncomplicated through the Indonesian embassy.
Bed snake and stuffed animal - so that your baby feels at home no matter where in the world, you can conjure up the familiar feeling with a few simple aids even at the end of the world. Of course, the bedding smells different there than at home, and the room looks different too. For example, we took two stuffed animals and a bed snake with us, so the bed feels a bit more like home. Music box, cuddly cloth, pacifier, whatever belongs to you and doesn't require an extra suitcase, pack it.
Baby food for the flight - If your baby eats baby food, we recommend buying ready-made jars and taking them with you. Or buy the puree from squeeze pouches. We cooked baby food ourselves before our flight and took it with us, but it actually didn't taste good anymore. Whether that was due to the changed air pressure, the imperfectly maintained cold chain, or something else, we can't say, but next time we would skip it. By the way, baby bottles with water and baby food can exceed the common limit of 100ml/container. It's best to pack all baby food for the flight in a transparent bag so you don't have to search during security checks.
Well-prepared, we boarded the plane in early January amidst frosty temperatures, heading towards the sun. A 16-hour flight can make beads of sweat appear on many parents' foreheads just at the thought, but here too, one must always say to oneself, "You can't plan it anyway." The more relaxed you are during the journey, the better. It's advisable for your baby to drink something during takeoff and landing to help with pressure equalization, and introducing a new toy, which it sees for the first time on the plane, can help pass some time. Of course, the flight wasn't like it used to be; back then, we'd already indulged in a beer at takeoff to kickstart the vacation, watched movies or slept throughout the flight, feeling like the vacation was already beginning in the airplane. However, with the baby crib for sleeping and good entertainment for the little ones, even the longest flight passes relatively calmly. Most airlines also offer small gifts like stuffed animals, coloring kits, or small books to the youngest guests on the flight. Additionally, if the children are already eating solid food, an extra children's meal can be ordered.
5 TIPS FOR A RELAXED TRAVEL ON SITE WITH BABY:
Balinese food by your own pool – In the past, we used to turn night into day, going out when it got dark to find delicious food in the fanciest restaurants and bars and to end the day with a few drinks. Yes, it's not that easy with a baby anymore. But you don't have to miss out on the beautiful evening with fresh food and drinks. We always looked for accommodations with a nice outdoor area, a pool, a veranda, or a nice garden. In Bali, it's super easy and inexpensive to have food delivered from almost any restaurant. Fresh, hot, and often environmentally friendly packaged, we could end the evening by candlelight while our son was already in the land of dreams.
Baby carrier – The places in Bali are not as developed as Berlin, Frankfurt, or any other German city. Pedestrian paths and curbs can be seen in some corners, but they also sometimes end in nothing or there's simply a hole in the middle of the path. Therefore, we decided against taking a stroller to Bali. Our son experienced Bali in the baby carrier. Traveling with a carrier had only advantages for us. He was safe with us, we could move freely without worrying about finding a suitable path for the stroller, in small cafes, we didn't have to park the stroller, and when he was tired, he could sleep cuddled up in his carrier. Is it warm to wear a carrier in over 30-degree heat? Sometimes, but to be honest, we didn't run around with the baby in the midday heat. This time could be wonderfully used for a nap in the air-conditioned bedroom.
Take time for yourself – every place we visited had incredibly many offers to do something for yourself for 1 or 2 hours. If you're traveling as a couple with a baby, take advantage of this and treat yourself to a massage in one of the many massage studios, go to yoga, or rent a surfboard for 1 hour. Since the places are all not big, you can reach almost everything within 5 minutes.
Breakfast without stress – in many accommodations, not only hotels, breakfast is offered. If it's not included, we always stored tea, muesli, fruit, and bread in the refrigerator so that we weren't forced to go out first thing in the morning to get something to eat. Especially with a baby, a "let's quickly go to the café and get a little breakfast" is not that easy anymore. And before someone gets a hunger attack if the night ended earlier than planned, such a small supply is advisable.
Baby monitor at the pool – when nap time approaches and the weather is again too beautiful to stay awake in the bungalow, then the baby monitor, which reaches to the pool, is worth gold. When booking accommodation, make sure that your bungalow is close to the pool so that the reception is sufficient and not blocked by huts in between. Then nothing stands in the way of your daily relaxation hour at the pool. After 2 months and unbelievably many beautiful memories, we embarked on the return flight.
For us, it's certain that this won't be the last time.
In our blog article "Vacation with Children," you'll find general information and tips for a relaxed vacation with a baby or toddler.
SCHWANGERSCHAFT VERKÜNDEN – KREATIVE IDEEN
GESCHENKE ZUM VATERTAG
GESCHENKE ZUM VATERTAG VOM BABY - IDEEN FÜR DAS ERSTE VATERTAGSGESCHENK
OSTERKÖRBCHEN - IDEEN FÜR KLEINE OSTERGESCHENKE
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