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Albufeira Adventure Park

Posted on | April 13, 2012 | 3 Comments

While in Portugal with our kids this past summer we had plenty of sun days and pool days and even a couple of beach days but we got to the point where we were all done with lazing in the sun. So what did we do instead? We went zip-lining at the very fun Algarve Adventure Park in Albufeira. This turned out to be an excellent choice for our group of kids ranging in age from five to 15.

After the friendly and helpful French instructors kitted us out with harnesses and gave us necessary safety instructions we were off – with the littlest leading the way.

My niece, C, at 5 and diminutive, was fearless on the ropes. All the trails at the park are color-coded by height and ability which was helpful for steering the younger kids to lines they could safely manage alone.

Or sometimes with a helping hand from their older cousin.

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Related Posts: Portugal With Kids

Chu Chi Tunnels Saigon Vietnam

Posted on | April 6, 2012 | 4 Comments

BigB climbing into the Chu Chi Tunnels outside Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam. These tunnels were a vital part of the Viet Cong’s strategy during the Vietnam War.

And just about disappearing into the tunnel.

Inside the tunnels showing how small these spaces are – even for a 10-year-old boy who stands at about 5′ tall.
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Evening in Paros

Posted on | March 30, 2012 | 5 Comments

After I wrote my post about traveling to Greece in 2012 earlier this week, I realized that I really don’t have very many pictures of Paros, my favorite corner of Greece on this blog. So here you go: eye candy for you. Hopefully these images will give you a sense of why I love the place so much.

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Would You Go To Greece in Summer 2012?

Posted on | March 28, 2012 | 4 Comments

I was talking to a co-worker about vacation destinations recently. The conversation went something like this:
Him: “Yes, we had a really great time in Hawaii. My wife and kids loved it. I think we should try something similar but outside the U.S. next time.”
Me: “You should go to Greece. The Greek Islands are one of my favorite places in the world.”
Him (eyebrows almost into his hairline): “You’re kidding, right?”
Me (honestly confused): “Why?”
Him: “Ah, political unrest? Riots? Seriously, are you crazy?”

The truth is that I don’t think I’m crazy. I would go back to Greece in 2012 if I could and I do think he should consider it for his next family vacation.
True, there’s a lot that’s wrong about the Greek economy at the moment. True, there’s a risk of instability in that country, but, well, check out this photo:

That photo was taken on a ferry between Kos and Paros in late July 2011. Doesn’t it look just idyllic? Cerulean blue sea and sky, peaceful from end to end. Just days before this photo was taken there were major riots in Athens. Throughout the time we were relaxing in the Cyclades, there were riots, protests and sit-ins in major Greek cities. You can check, there’s even a wikipedia page on the subject. But I posit that no-one riots against tourists. Why would they? You’re helping them dig out of their economic mess.

All that said, here’s a few things I would keep in mind if I were planning a trip to Greece in 2012.

Be prepared for travel disruptions related to striking transportation workers. Allow an extra day or two between returning home and starting work for example. Even families can work around this. When we arrived in Athens off the boat from Paros the taxis were on strike so we took the bus to the airport. Buses run all day long, the bus ride is much cheaper than a taxi and it’s yet another reason to travel light so you can be flexible.

Bring extra cash. This one was a bit of a surprise for us. For our first few days on the islands we couldn’t get money out of any ATM. We assumed that this was related to the overall currency issue. Credit cards still worked but if I were heading to the Greek Islands tomorrow I’d bring enough cash to cover 3-5 days of expenses just in case.

Local accommodation vendors flocked to meet the ferries arriving on Paros. According to a local we spoke to, these small proprietors of family hotels and bed-and-breakfasts were the worst affected by lower numbers of tourists. To me, that spells an opportunity to get good deals on charming locally-hosted accommodation. Arrange your in-country transport so that you arrive at your final destination early in the day so that you have time to check out some properties before making your decision. If that’s not your cup of tea, research in advance and negotiate over email or by phone for best rates at your desired property. As a family, we opted to find accommodation on arrival in a number of places (including Kos). The trick is for one parent to take the kids for food or to the beach while the other checks out available properties.

There you have it. I bet you’ll find specials on flights and package holidays to Greece in 2012. If you’re willing to take a (small) risk you can do your bit to help the Greek economic troubles. I only wish I could be there too!

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Gentleman Kid

Posted on | March 26, 2012 | 4 Comments

This is what a crowded backpacker bus in Thailand looks like. Every seat filled with people standing and sitting all down the aisle. If you think that’s not safe, consider also that the backpacks belonging to the extra passengers were piled up behind the driver, blocking the entrance and there was no air-conditioning. Altogether not ideal but certainly not unusual for backpacker travel in South East Asia. Surprisingly even with a few grumbles about over-crowding the mood on this bus was cheerful and friendly. I guess everyone was focusing on the destination: beautiful beaches on the islands in the Gulf of Thailand.

Everyone, that is, except one American girl. She and her three friends were among the unfortunates who boarded the bus last and ended up sitting in the aisle. As the bus pulled away from the stop, when all of the aisle-seaters were arranging themselves as comfortably as they could, she started to panic. She became agitated: “I can’t do this. I can’t do this. This is claustrophobic” . Honestly I was afraid she would become hysterical which would have been unfortunate for her but also possibly dangerous to the people around her – including my two children who, at this time, were calmly sitting (on seats) reading their books.

As this girl became more upset no-one moved to help her. To me this was an interesting sociological scenario. Ideally, I’d support the Good Samaritan principle: help others when you’re not obligated to do so. However, in this case all the budget travelers on this bus had been equally swindled. This journey wasn’t going to be comfortable for anyone.

Then BigB stood up and offered her his seat. She grabbed it as if it were the last place on a Titanic lifeboat, thanking him profusely while I fumed (inwardly) at her selfishness. BigB beamed at the praise heaped on him by the kids seated around us. Murph and I piled on “Well done Buddy”‘s too. All the while I was thinking: “What a princess! She shouldn’t have come on a backpacker trip if she can’t handle the stresses budget travel sometimes throws your way.”

So, here’s my question to you: What do you think? Am I being too harsh on this girl? Was BigB’s charity appropriate? What would you have done?

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Goofing in Hanoi

Posted on | February 10, 2012 | No Comments

The Hoan Kiem Lake is a peaceful spot in central Hanoi – a little less peaceful the day we visited. Kids. You can’t take them anywhere

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Young Monks in Luang Prabang Laos

Posted on | February 3, 2012 | 2 Comments

We walked along the river in peaceful Luang Prabang, the old capital of Laos. It was a peaceful amble, not even a stroll. There was a cool breeze coming off the river and the punters at the riverside cafes were quietly sipping their tea or afternoon cocktails. We turned a corner and above our heads, like birds chattering in the trees, we heard the giddy laughter of this group of young monks perfectly camouflaged between the yellow parapets, terracotta pots and flame-colored zinnias.

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5 Reasons To Choose Whistler With Kids

Posted on | February 1, 2012 | 1 Comment

Last week I wrote an accommodation primer for planning a trip to Whistler with kids. It seemed natural to follow-up with 5 reasons to choose Whistler for your family ski trip. My kids learned to ski at Snoqualmie near our home in Seattle. As they were taking weekly lessons there we used a trip to Whistler as a high point of the ski season and a reward for their efforts. Why? Read on…

There’s an interactive version of this map here.
1. The Mountains
Size. Terrain. Vertical Feet. Skiable area. These are all terms you’d think more suited to a professional skier than a grade-schooler, but even at eight BigB was able to rattle of Whistler’s impressive statistics. At over 8,100 acres of skiable area on the two mountains Whistler is larger than all the other resorts in North America by far. Even a little kid can appreciate the scale by looking at the terrain map. If you have numbers-crazy boys like mine memorizing the facts became a game in itself. The benefit when visiting Whistler with kids? There is no way your child can get bored here. They can play on the snow, roll in the snow, slide on the snow, ski, ride, ride the gondola, and test themselves on Olympic-standard downhill runs and kid-sized terrain parks. Enough said.

2. Ski Runs for Everyone
A big mountain does not a good family ski resort make. There needs to be a good distribution of runs in each skill level. There needs to be opportunities for kids to try out a tree run safely and barrel down a steep with enough room for you to keep close by in case they wipe out. Whistler’s distribution of beginner, intermediate and expert runs is 20-55-25, Blackcomb’s is 15-55-30. Even from the top there’s a choice between easy green, wide, sweeping blues or sharp, straight black runs down the mountain. When you’re at Whistler with your kids it’s easy to accommodate a daredevil kid or a cautious skier and still have plenty of fun.

3. Mountain Features Made for Kids
Yes, that’s a house-sized tree fort, on the mountain. On Whistler mountain actually. Blackcomb has a magic castle. Even the runs into these are kid-sized – or so they always seemed to me. The view across the valley from in front of the tree fort on a clear day makes you feel like the world is laid out at your feet. Not that your kids will notice mind you, they’ll be too busy climbing and sliding, taking a break from the hard work of skiing to just play in this made-for-kids mountain feature.

4. Food, Glorious Food
If your kids are like mine, they’ll spend their ski day alternating between skiing and eating – with likely at least one badly-timed bathroom break. One of my favorite things about skiing on Whistler with kids is the profusion of food choices on the mountains themselves. I ski with pockets stuffed with granola bars, trail mix and chocolate, but they need real food to keep them going too. The resort charge option on Whistler’s lift tickets means that my kids, now a little older, can be independent about choosing and buying their own food.

5. The Peak to Peak Gondola
When the Peak to Peak gondola in 2009 opened I swore I’d wait “a few years” before riding on it. My kids had other ideas. We rode it every day, multiple times a day that season. Another one to chalk up on my list of the things you do with kids. And really, my kids were right. On a clear day the views from the gondola are straight from a picture postcard. You have to admire the engineering and, at 11mins start to finish, you have to admit that it’s a faster way to cross from one mountain to the other than downloading and uploading.

You don’t even have to be a skier or boarder to enjoy this panoramic gondola ride which is particularly good to know for anyone visiting Whistler with very young kids. Make a day of it: ride the Whistler gondola up for lunch at the Roundhouse, take the Peak-to-Peak across to Blackcomb for hot chocolate and stop at the sliding center on your way back down the mountain.

That’s it, there’s my 5 great reasons why Whistler is my pick for families. If you have any questions about this resort, or skiing in kids generally, leave a comment and I’ll do my best to answer your question, ok?

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Post-Trip Depression

Posted on | January 31, 2012 | 5 Comments

How does it feel to return to the real world after having taken a year out to travel, having executed on a life’s dream? Well, in a word, it sucks. There I’ve said it. I don’t expect your sympathy or even empathy. I’m writing this post today to round out the how-to series on our family world trip that I started just after we got back. It wouldn’t be right to leave you thinking that we all arrived home and life went back to normal without a hiccup.

We have done surprisingly well. Our kids re-entered the regular school system pretty painlessly. Murph and I are now gainfully employed again. We’ve had a variety of house disasters but those could have happened any time.

But. Even before we got back to Seattle I was worried about impending post-trip depression. Worried enough to strategize about how to manage it way back in July (I’m nothing if not a planner). After a healthy dose of self-analysis, usually over many glasses of wine, I’m happy to say that my post-trip stay happy goals are very similar to what they were before we left: exercise regularly, drink moderately, take time to stop and smell the roses now and then.

I heard stories of typical post-travel depression triggers from other travel-junkie friends: reverse culture shock; lack of comprehension of the enormity of your trip or the breath of experiences had thereon; lack of understanding of how seeing the world North and South, East and West had changed you forever. I thought about these triggers for maybe a minute before quickly realizing that they’re all like your first pregnancy. When it’s happening, it’s the most important thing to ever, ever happen to you. Your life will never be the same again. As the nine months progress, or maybe when it’s all over, you realize that no-one else really cares – at least not the same way you do. They’re happy for you and all, but they’re not obsessing about everything like you are.

Extended travel is like a pregnancy. Your friends will cheer for you when you announce your trip, follow your progress in a mildly interested fashion and congratulate you when you’re done, but mostly, they’re just living their own lives with their own priorities and that’s OK. Don’t let it upset you when you get home, your travel experiences will be yours to savor and treasure forever.

Which brings me back to my one day of real post-trip depression. I had all the classic symptoms: I was lethargic, I couldn’t concentrate, I was irritable and agitated. Why and when did this happen? It was my first day back at work after the winter holidays. The deadening responsibility of having to go to work every day from now until for-e-ver was like my own personal pathetic fallacy with the typical rainy winter day outside my window. It took a good night’s sleep and a re-evaluation of those stay-happy goals to help me reset myself.

So, my two snippets of advice to anyone fearing the re-entry after extended travel:
1. When you’re still on a floaty cloud of trip happiness, take a moment to think about what will help you keep that feeling when you’re back into humdrum daily life. Write down your ideas and goals and put them somewhere safe.
2. Remember that no-one else cares about your trip as much as you do. That’s just life. It’s your story, no-one else’s. This is a good thing, you get to play all the juicy parts, make it Oscar-worthy

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Crossing The Mekong From Thailand To Laos

Posted on | January 26, 2012 | 8 Comments

In Chiang Khong, Thailand, open boats ply the broad, muddy, mighty Mekong all day ferrying people from Thailand to Laos and back again. When we arrived we were winging it with respect to knowing anything about the border crossing, passport control and even how much the boat across would cost. BigB got a little frustrated waiting for us to find out this latter and went off to find out for himself. It’s good to be 10 and independent – even if you don’t speak the language

For more on this area of Thailand, check out Golden Triangle Asia and Drugs.

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