While planning my Christmas holiday travels, I asked Zainab a much traveled mommy to share her wisdom.What came out was a treasure trove of information.I thought it was just fair to share all the pro tips for International travel which Zainab of slimexpectations.com shared with me and my readers.
Zainab says it’s always easier to travel to the countries where there’s visa on arrival.Try local food and carry cheese slices for those hunger attacks.
Do check the current status of Visa for the respective countries, before planning your travel.
Holidaying out of India is now not too difficult. Of course, there are places like America and Canada, Europe that have stricter policies for a visa, there are also some places which are not too stringent and welcome us with open arms.
Today, many countries offer visa on arrival to Indians. Places like Indonesia, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Thailand etc. Make sure to always have a pen and multiple passport size pictures at all times.
Dubai
Dubai is very close to India and will surely give you the feeling of home away from home. It has a ton of touristy activities and you will not get bored one bit.
Pro Tip:
Plan a trip for 6-8 days. You should not miss Desert Safari, Musical fountains, and malls.
There are lots of hotels and even flats to choose out from. Go here to see the hustle bustle of the city. This place has something for people of all ages.
Also, the Hindi language is easily understood by most.
Visa: Visa is generally very easy, and takes 3-4 working days. If you have a valid USA/UK visa then you can enjoy the visa on arrival too.
Thailand
Thailand is a beautiful place and you can plan a trip as short as four days or as big as two weeks. You can enjoy shopping in Bangkok, where you can buy bags, footwear etc for unbelievable prices.
Pattaya is a bit sleazy, but I don’t think of it as a very family friendly place. Again, it depends on your personal preferences.
Koh Samui, Phuket, Krabi are beautiful, but I hear (from friends) that they are low key and more like to go in a group.
Pro Tip:
Visa – Visa on arrival, is an option.
Mauritius
It is a long flight from Delhi, but depending on where you stay, the distance can be calculated. Mauritius, is definitely beautiful with Port Louis being the capital.
I personally found this place very pretty, but somewhat quiet. My children, however, seemed to have enjoyed it a lot.
Pro Tip:
Instead of a hotel, book yourself a resort. Check if that place has a ‘kid club’ if traveling with children. Another thing to keep in mind, is that all stores, markets are very far off from the hotels & resorts. So, make sure to take some non-perishable food with you.
You can of course always take cab from the resort and fetch things like water, sodas, crackers etc.
Visa- Visa on arrival
The best connection would be from Dubai, which is about 7 hours approximately
Singapore
Singapore is another amazing nearby destination, with tonnes to do and explore. However, this place is slightly on the more expensive side. Night Safari, Sentosa, Universal Studios, Trick Eye Museum are some of the many fun things you can do here.
Orchard Road is the best place to stay, as this road has all the malls. Another good market is Bugis Junction, and there’s a lot more.
Pro Tip:
Use buses or metro instead of cabs, to save some money.
Don’t miss out the Suntec City Mall, which happens to be the biggest mall of the place.
Visa- You will have to apply for a visa from India.
Hong Kong
Another expensive but mesmerizing city. The place, is full of fun-filled malls, street markets and some good theme parks. Disneyland and The Ocean Park, are the two major attractions of the city. Another exciting place s The Peak. You take a tram on a little uphill, and the view of the place is breathtaking.
Pro Tip:
As theme park visits are a whole day affair, it’s better to carry some food and water with you. Besides the food inside theme parks is tasteless & too expensive.
The cab drivers are not very friendly, and its always better to use the metro.
Visa- Unfortunately, Hong Kong no longer offers visa on arrival.
What to carry for young kids when traveling internationally:
Depending on the age of your child few of the following things might come in handy:
- Their fav toy. Must keep to distract them.
2 . If you are ok with gadgets and tablets then this is the best time to utilize it. -
Some easy food in your bag. Crackers, chocolates. You can also pack a fruit salad and some nuts.
Liquids are not really allowed, but you can always keep powdered milk if need be.
You can request the air hostess to warm some water! -
Some basic medicine: ear drops, Crocin and if the flight is awfully long perhaps a sleeping aid prescribed by your ped.
-
Carry books, pencil colors!
6 . A change of clothes if your child is small. Some wet tissues no matter the age .)
- Always make them wear comfortable clothes. Don’t worry about being judged! Opt for some good track pants and comfy sweatshirt. Socks as it gets cold in the plane.
And, prefer crocs over sneakers to avoid the hassle of tying laces!
Foods that I enjoyed
Dubai
Dubai offers halal food & I enjoy every variety of food out there.
From hummus to sheesh kabobs to Nando’s it’s always fun 🙂
Thailand and Singapore
They also have halal options and it’s easy to enjoy breakfast of pancakes and chicken sausages at McDonald.
There are a lot of vegetarian items too so don’t worry.
Mauritius
We were at a resort which had more than 6 restaurants. So being there for three night, we enjoyed a new cuisine daily.
If we opted for buffet one night, the next was Japanese or Mughlai etetera.
Lunch was mainly some sandwiches, with chips.
Hong Kong
Pizza Hut, Bubba Gum Shrimps, and Mc Donalds were one of our favs!
We would always have good breakfast and end up having lunch really late! That almost made dinner.
Make sure to keep the following in hotel room:
- Pot noodles
- Cheese Slices
- Bread
- Yogurt
- Cereal
I always carry cheese slices and non-perishable items like chips, and maybe Nutella.
It always comes in handy.Not the healthiest but well, it works 🙂
About Zainab :
A fitness and health blogger writing extensively on lifestyle has traveled a lot and loves sharing her tips for family travel internationally.
Check her out on her blog Slimexepctations.com
Say hi to her on twitter here
[bctt tweet=”Hi Zainab @slimexpectation .Loved this post !#drAmrita #Healthwealthbridge” username=”misra_amrita”]
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I’ve always loved reading Zainab’s travel experiences! Thank you for sharing this with us
Great post. Loved reading it. Thanks zainab for sharing this
Great tips, I have not been to Hong Kong and Dubai from your list, so will keep these points in mind. I have travelled to the rest of the places in your list and these were great fun as mentioned by you. Looking forward to Disneyland, Hongkong
That’s a great list of quick getaways, also at the right time as many will be planning their holidays! I liked the way the information is segregated in bte size information
Great article with some good advice. Enjoyed reading it. Thanks for sharing.
A good one to get a quick glance on what is on offer from the destinations in nut shell.
This is such an informative post for people planning a trip abroad..cheese definitely is a nice option for hunger pangs and with kids you can’t afford to let them go hungry if they don’t like the food
This place is on my list and thank you so Much for this post. It will be very helpful for our visit. Very detailed and informative
Her carry along list is a life saviour. Love all the tips shared by Zainab and thank you for posting this.
Loved this. You both are my inspiration and I love how creative you get with the content.
Great post! Such wonderful tips shared by Zainab. Especially the list to carry along is super useful.
That’s a good piece of advice along with the other details. I wish to visit Singapore and Mauritius sometime.
Great blog on international trip. Will. Plan some things NG similar with family.