Hanoi, Hue and Hoi An ... Vietnam!

When: October 2009
Kids: Big Sister 5y4m, twins 2y10m
Flights: Hong Kong - Hanoi v.v. on Dragonair and Hanoi - Hue and Danang - Hanoi on Vietnam Airlines (Hue - Danang / Hoi An by car)
Booked through: myself / direct (KA flights on points, VN flights booked online on their website, which was a novelty back then!)

Always wanted to go to Vietnam, so when we moved here in 2008 that was high on my list. Once the twins were slightly older and got my act together, I came up with the itinerary and booked everything accordingly. Visas are easy to get in Hong Kong. Application through the Consulate in Hong Kong takes 3 working days (e.g. drop off on Monday, pick up on Thursday) for $300 per passport; same day is $500. Update: Please note that as of early 2013, the fees have been increased. Apparently a 3-day wait is now $500 per person for a single entry (valid for 1-month), not sure about same day pick up. Visa on arrival (VOA) is possible for Vietnam put you still need to pre-apply (cost involved), wait for the confirmation and then line up at the airport and still pay for the visa fee. It's quicker and easier to apply beforehand as you never know how many people you may have in front of you when you arrive.

The airport is fairly far from the city centre and lots of taxis have ripped metres. It's highly recommended to only use the main taxi companies (check with your hotel), good and reliable ones are Vinasun and Mai Linh. We had booked Somerset Grand Hanoi, which is officially a serviced apartment but offers 1, 2 and 3-bedroom suites, which offers lots of space, a full kitchen, a washer and dryer, playroom and pool. It was kind of run down, but looking at the current website it should have been newly refurbished (which was really necessary). Somerset / Ascot, Fraser Suites and Marriott Executive Suites are all serviced apartment chains found in almost every major city in Asia and a great option with children, and usually a better deal financially as well.

Hanoi is a lovely and very lively (in terms of motorcycles and scooters) city with quite a few sightseeing options like the various lakes (Hoan Kiem Lake and West Lake), the pagodas, the Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh Museum (quite an "interesting" view), a cute old city you can stroll through and the water puppet show, which is incredibly touristy but the kids absolutely loved it.  It only takes an hour so even at age 2 mine were able to sit through it fairly easily. Make sure you book your tickets right when you arrive (or in advance if possible) as it may be sold out already for the next few upcoming shows.

Restaurants we visited:
* The Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi for lunch, right in the old city.
* The Press Club for a quick break
* Indochine in a beautifully resotred colonial villa (very child friendly with plastic dishes and cutlery)
* Seasons of Hanoi, fairly fancy looking but still very affordable, not necessarily kid-friendly but our kids' favorite is soft shell crab ... which they serve about everywhere, plus they are generally well-behaved.
* Tamarind Cafe in the old city for a quiet moment and a snack.

From Hanoi we flew to the old imperial city of Hue, which is also an UNESCO World Heritage site, close to the Perfume River from where you can take boat tours to other monuments. We stayed in a lovely boutique hotel with two nice (but not large) connecting rooms called La Residence Hue Hotel & Spa. Unfortunately we weren't very lucky with the weather, slightly wet as Typhoon Ketsana had just battered the area (which was clearly visible in Hoi An), but we kept it dry most of the time, just very grey. We had lunch in the hotel and then got into two cyclos to explore the Imperial City which is lovely and was very quiet ... the weather must have helped with that. We even got a last minute baby sitter through the hotel as the kids were so tired and we couldn't be bothered to have dinner so early so instead we went out. I honestly wished we would have another night in Hue as it was too short and we didn't have time to go on the river and visit some of the outlying sights.

The next day we had a transfer to Hoi An (about 2 1/2 - 3 hours by car) where I had booked Victoria Hoi An Beach Resort & Spa. We had two connecting rooms with sea view and plenty of space. The hotel is about 4 km out of town but offers shuttle service to Hoi An which is only 10 minutes away. The hotel is right on Cua Dai Beach, a lovely strip of 16 km beach. There are a few hotels further down but when we were there it was very quiet and the other hotel was actually completely damaged by Ketsana. Even at Victoria all the beach front rooms had significant damage, but the hotel was operating as normal. The hotel also has a small kids' club and with Hoi An closeby there are plenty of dinner options if you don't want to eat at the hotel. It's a lovely place and not super touristy but still some culture around the corner if you want a break from the beach.

Danang is only 25 minutes away and we got our flight back to Hanoi where we stayed one more night in the Sheraton Hotel close to Hanoi's Westlake, which is closer to the airport as it was only for a night in order to catch our morning flight back to Hong Kong (they had changed the schedule from a morning flight to an evening flight after we had booked the flight from Danang so we ended up with an extra day). The Westlake area was nice to explore, we did some (slightly worn, but no sinking involved) pedal boating with the kids, had a nice lunch and a swim at the hotel pool. Mostly a time to wind down after a week of travelling. Hotel was fine, nothing special, service touch and go, but got upgraded to a larger room and had lots of space. Ended up being good value for money, the nearby Intercontinental Hotel was significantly more expensive.

Angkor What & Siem Reap via Ho Chi Minh City

When: March 2010
Kids: Big Sister 5y10m, twins 3y4m
Flights: Hong Kong - Ho Chi Minh City v.v. on Vietnam Airlines and Ho Chi Minh City - Siem Reap on Siem Reap Airways International
Booked through: Lastminute in Hong Kong and hotel in HCMC directly on Marriott Reward points

This was a slightly unexpected, last minute trip after some issues at my husband's former work. Since most flights from Hong Kong to Siem Reap go via HCMC, we decided that a stop over in former Saigon was a must. Especially after having visited Hanoi, Hue and Hoi An just before in October 2009. Through Lastminute in Hong Kong (had email contact with them) I found a good package to Siem Reap via HCMC which is much cheaper than booking the flights separately. However, because of the planned stop over I asked them to book our return flight to Hong Kong 2 nights later on the way back and I would take care of the hotel in HCMC myself. That way we could still benefit from the great package price and have some flexibility at the same time. For the hotel we used our almost expired Mariott Reward points and I was able to get 1 night free in HCMC's Rennaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon. Not the greatest option, location is good, rooms were large, we had connecting rooms (one was actually a large corner room) but everything looked a little tired and dull (the typical standard, not so new Marriott that could have been anywhere in the world). It did have a nice roof top pool and service was fine, so for the price we paid, it was still worthwhile. I was able to stay at the Asiana Saigon twice afterwards (no kids though) and it's definitely a nicer, more modern option with a very nice pool area as well. Will post some more ins & outs on Ho Chi Minh City in a separate post as I have been back twice afterwards with friends and family, but no kids.

On our way to Siem Reap we simply changed planes in Ho Chi Minh Airport which is small but has plenty of facilities (and after a recent visit I noticed things even improved further with free wifi in the coffee bar area, a Burger King and a few other food options as well including fairly decent shopping). The connecting flight is only an hour or so and Siem Reap is a small and easy airport to navigate through (the departure area even has some decent souvenir shops, though it gets very crowded). We were lucky to be seated in the front of the airplane being one of the firsts to get in line for immigration, which obviously makes a difference at 8 pm at night with 3 small children. Application for a Cambodian visa can be done online, then upon confirmation (takes 2-3 days), simply print out the visa and keep it with your passport. Cost: US$25 per person (including $5 processing fee) and for children under 12 years old it's only US$5.

We stayed at the Victoria Angkor Hotel & Spa in Siem Reap after having a good experience at the Victoria Hotel in Hoi An (Vietnam) in late 2009. The Victoria Hotels are very child friendly with small kids' club facilities, connecting rooms, kids' menus, etc. The hotel had a nice pool which is a necessity with young kids  after being outside in the heat at the temples of Angkor. It's only a small Asian chain with a few hotels, fairly luxurious (but nothing fancy or over the top) and with a cosy, local feel to it. We stayed for 3 nights and visited several temples, including all the main ones like Angkor Wat, Angkor Tom, Ta Prohm and Bayon over the two days (we bought the 3-day pass for Angkor, currently US$40, I am pretty sure we didn't pay for the kids back then) including a few slightly further away, e.g. Banteay Samre which was so quiet and serene while we were there, so definitely worth visiting a few temples slightly off the beaten path and soak in the amazing atmosphere. Just a kiddy tip, we did bring our fold-able and portable potty (with its plastic bags) as toilets are not always easy to find at the various temples. And with two 3 year olds you won't always have time to make it to a toilet, so it made things a lot less stressful, knowing we had it with us (we hardly used it of course ...).

One afternoon we did a carriage ride through the Cambodian country side at Happy Ranch, which was a nice change from all the temples and an opportunity to see something different. We had friends who had been to Tonle Sap Lake, but they found it so touristy and not worth it, that we didn't risk bringing the kids out. The city of Siem Reap has plenty of lunch and dinner options. We had lunch at Blue Pumpkin, and dinner at Chivit Thai and Red Piano, but I remember the kids were still little, quite tired, the days long and it was a hot time of year! The day we left we visited the Cambodian Cultural Village in the morning as we had a few hours to spare. It sounded great, though a little kooky, but after being there I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. It was very quiet, super touristy and we were hassled non-stop with all kinds of kitsch souvenirs nobody really wants to have (the lack of having other  people to haggle didn't really help either). Shows were not running, everything looked tired and old, it was quite painful to watch. The biggest mistake was entering the Tunnel of Judgement, it was distasteful and it scared the hell out of the children (no warnings outside of course) to the extent they talked about it weeks and months later (but luckily no nightmares!).

Siem Reap is a great place to visit with some magnificent temples, but do try to visit some smaller, less popular sites as it will be way more quiet, and you actually get to enjoy the temples and the surroundings a lot more. You can easily organize a tuk tuk driver (or car) for the day and have them drive you anywhere you want to go. For the further temples you may be better off with a car though. A great little guide book I can highly recommend is the small and light LP Angkor Wat & Siem Reap Encounter, especially for those staying only a couple of nights in Siem Reap and not visiting other places in Cambodia. We used it a lot and have lend it to others several times. Have various destinations as it easily fits in your bag and you don't have to lug this heavy guidebook around, which is great when travelling with children as there will be plenty to carry already!

From Beijing to Shanghai via Hangzhou

When: April 2011
Kids: Big Sister 6y10m, twins 4y5m
Flights: Hong Kong - Beijing and Shanghai - Hong Kong on CX (Beijing - Hangzhou - Shanghai per train)
Booked through: myself / directly (except train tickets; airline tickets on redeemed points)

Although husband and myself had been to both Beijing and Shanghai, we were looking forward to coming back and bring the kids. They were particularly excited about the "Great Wall of China". Even more so, about visiting their great friends friends in Shanghai, fellow twins, who had recently moved from Hong Kong to China.

Via Tripadvisor I stumbled upon the Park Plaza Hotel in Beijing (you can check my review as well), which had raving reviews and a great price tag. I booked on their website, got a great deal since we booked 4 nights, and 2 (connecting) rooms ended up costing less than HK$2000 a night. The hotel is fairly new and well located, close to Wangfujing Street (lots of shopping, albeit slightly touristy). There is a subway / metro stop around the corner, a few restaurants in the neighborhood including Starbucks. A great dinner option which is super close by is a very good duck restaurant, called Dadong, in a small luxurious mall less than 5 minutes away, just across the street. The kids loved it, very child friendly and they have high chairs too from what I recall. We did book in advance through the hotel as it's very popular. The restaurant has various locations throughout the city but this one is by far the closest.

There is so much to do and see in Beijing, I would recommend at least 3 days, but you could easily stay longer. We visited Temple of Heaven, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Panjiayuan Antique Market and various neighborhoods including a cyclo ride through the hutongs. We also hired a driver for a private transfer to and from the Great Wall of China (we chose Mutianyu which is far less crowded than Badaling, but still not too far outside the city, it took us about 1 1/2 hours), it's an excellent section and the kids loved it. We took the cable car up, walked around (going left is far less busy than going right to the toboggan which most people tend to take down but we didn't want to considering the kids). Total transfer cost for the day was about US$50 (don't recall exact amount), the guy was super friendly, a safe driver, his English wasn't great, but he spoke Japanese and I happen to speak that a little too!

Lunch locations:
* Vinyard Cafe in Dongcheng, easy Western food, got very busy.
* Element Fresh in North Chaoyang, also easy Western food and outdoor seating (mall / shopping area)
* Hutong Pizza in Xicheng, the cyclo driver dropped us off, nice pizza.

Dinner locations:
* Din Tai Fung, our kids' favorite, the Taiwanese dim sum chain
* Dadong, for tasty Peking Duck (see above)
* Dali Courtyard, Yunnan cuisine in a courtyard of a restored hutong house. There is no menu, and the chef decides the 5 to 6 dishes for dinner. It was very nice, but I would only recommend this place to non-picky eaters. It may too adventurous for some, especially children.

The last night we ate in the hotel prior to our departure to Hangzhou by night train. The train ride took about 12-13 hours from Beijing South station which was absolutely spot less (like a modern airport terminal). We had booked a 4-bed  sleeping cabin via China Tripadvisor. The twins shared a bed as they were technically free (below a certain length, in this case 120 cm) but I booked one bed for the two of them, and the three of us had our own bed (that way we had our own cabin in the D-train soft sleeper which has 4 beds in total). The kids loved it, twin B spent hours peaking outside into the darkness. The train was much cleaner, newer and nicer than I expected, even the toilets and washing areas were much better than most airplanes, although I still tried to limit my visits. I brought the kids' fold able potty (with bags) so they could just use that instead of peeing all over their feet, in a Chinese style toilet. The train tickets were delivered by courier at the hotel we stayed in, smooth and easy. We decided to bring our own snacks, drinks, etc. on the train, although they do sell items and they have a restaurant wagon as well. We didn't need much anyway during the night.

In Hangzhou we booked one night at the Hyatt at the famous West Lake. We were slightly unlucky with the weather but were still able to do boat tours, a trip around the lake, have a swim in the hotel pool and enjoy the area, which is lovely. The hotel is slightly outdated but the location cannot be beaten. Also through some research I found out that Hyatt has a "family plan rate" (HYFMPL) which allowed me to book the kids' room for 50% of our room rate. So definitely worth asking, although they had to dig it up. We had lunch in the hotel, dinner in a place the hotel recommended (it was raining terribly) but I would not recommend it at all. Should have done more research in terms of dinner options, my mistake.

Around mid-day we left Hangzhou for our final destination, Shanghai, per high speed train in slightly more than an hour as we chose to go to Shanghai Central which is closer to our friends in Pudong. Most trains however go to Hongqiao Station on the opposite side of the city. The train goes well over 300 km per hour, and the ride is super smooth and the seats are spacious. I can definitely recommend using the train in China, at least the more luxurious and high speed trains, although safety horror stories keep going round.

In Shanghai we mostly enjoyed time with our friends, the kids had an opportunity to play together, search for Easter eggs, but we did do a day trip to Suzhou together to see some wonderful gardens (although the kids thought they all looked the same). We had trouble finding a restaurant for lunch so ended up at McDonalds, always the last resort anywhere in the world, and the kids were happy with that. We also visited the city and had lunch at House of Roosevelt, outside on the terrace, on the Bund. Kids were in a horrible mood, one of these fairly rare (luckily) moments but the setting is lovely, food fairly pricey but good quality. They didn't have a kids' menu so we had the kids share some dishes, which is fine for slightly older kids I would say. But there is always bread and butter!

Four nights in Luang Prabang, Laos

When: October 2010
Kids: Big Sister 6y5m, twins 3y10m
Flights: Hong Kong - Hanoi on Vietnam Airlines, Hanoi - Luang Prabang v.v. on Lao Airlines and Hanoi - Hong Kong on Dragonair.
Booked through: Lastminute Hong Kong

This was another fall break to a destination which was high on my list. It was also one of our first destinations that we were brave enough to have a connecting flight and no stopover (we had been to Hanoi already). We visited Siem Reap earlier that year with a one-way stopover, so we were ready to do it both ways. What was a little bit of a headache was Lao Airlines, which didn't sound too inviting. But after some researching I found out that their not so favorable safety record was mostly related to Chinese build airplanes prior to 2000 while the Luang Prabang route to Hanoi (a very touristy route) was flown with an ATR72. Recently they've even started using A320, so things must be taking off ... another reason to go soon in my opinion! The ATR72 is a small turbo-prop airplane, but since it's only a one hour flight (in which they still serve a meal too), it doesn't really matter. It was easy, smooth and on time, what else could we wish for?

We had applied for our Lao visas in Hong Kong, which was slightly unusual apparently but they let us. We really didn't want to arrive at night with 3 young children and another 70 passengers, and having to do it all there (two windows open at immigration (they didn't have more). If you haven't applied in advance, make sure you're one of the first ones to get off the plane (which in our case meant being seated in the back). We were out of the airport in less than 15 minutes.

Research told me that not a lot of hotels in Luang Prabang have pools, but as a break from the temples we figured it would be useful especially with kids. One of our few affordable options was The Grand Hotel Luang Prabang which is about 4 km out of town (a short tuk tuk ride, about US$2-4). We booked the Presidential Suite (for a not so Presidential rate so don't you worry), which was a 1-bedroom suite overlooking the Mekong River. The living area of the suite connected into a regular room where the kids slept (extra bed put in). The room was fine, some wear and tear, definitely not brand new, but I wasn't expecting that. We paid about $23k for the five of us for 4 nights (including 5 return flights), so you cannot expect a Four Seasons or Ritz Carlton. However, it was very spacious (came with a fridge and small kitchenette and extra toilet, dining area and sitting area) with everything we needed (including wifi that worked quite well given it was Laos), a great breakfast area (breakfast itself was rather basic but they would make eggs, waffles and pancakes if needed), a very new pool at the time and the views were magnificent, the area very quiet. Staff was friendly and helpful, English not great but sufficient.

Over the next few days we visited temples, made a cruise on the Mekong River, visited some weaving towns in the area and took a day trip to the Tad Se waterfalls which was absolutely lovely (we considered the Kuang Si waterfalls but Tad Se sounded slightly more child friendly after the research I did). We also climbed Mount Poushi for some excellent views over the town and nearby area. It's a great place to watch the sun go down and many people sit down for a little while sipping their Beer Lao. Only thing we should have done and didn't do was the early Alms Giving Ceremony with the monks ... but I really couldn't bother to get 3 kids out of bed that early. The night market is also a fantastic place to browse with lots of locally made arts and crafts. Restaurants are easy and plentiful, toilets can be a little bit "iffy". We had dinner at Tamarind, Dyen Sabai (slightly hard to find and we had to cross the river in the tiniest boat ever while the water kept coming in ... I've never heard my oldest scream so loud, she thought we were not going to make it across, which was about 20 metres) and Blue Lagoon (needed a break from the Asian food). We had lunch at the Saffron Cafe overlooking the Mekong. But honestly, just look on Tripadvisor and you'll find many great suggestions, food is everywhere. After dinner you can buy crepes at one of the stalls all over town.

Luang Prabang is a lovely destination with some great temples (UNESCO World Heritage) but keep in mind, it's very different from Siem Reap. The temples are more "Thai" style if that makes sense, scattered around town and the area is much smaller. The best part of it all is that's still fairly quiet without large tour groups and buses. We encountered a few Thai groups at some point. Generally, you'll have temples mostly to yourself. You'll see tourists everywhere but they're all individual travelers in small groups, it's definitely not taken over by tourists ... just yet. Luang Prabang has a lot to offer in terms of sightseeing, food and places to stay. I found it a extremely relaxing and easy going holiday. No need to rush, plenty of time to see things and have breaks at the same time. Kids walked everywhere, enjoyed the tuk tuks, swam every day in the pool, loved feeding and riding the elephants at Tad Se waterfall and the food was really not a problem either. Can highly recommend to those who want something different.

There may be better apps right now, but I found the Travel Fish app very useful with some simple maps, restaurant recommendations, etc.

Looking for new ideas? I always am!

Shouldn't stop dreaming right? Still many things to see, especially in this region. I am always open for suggestions and new ideas especially destinations away from the large tourist crowds. Places that are still high on my list are:
- Palawan (including Coron) in the Philippines
- Phu Quoc island in Vietnam
- Phan Thiet & Mui Ne for an easy beach vacation in Vietnam, altough the 4 hour drive from HCMC doesn't sound too inviting!
- Xian in Chian
- Myanmar / Burma, a friend is going there for Chinese New Year and cannot wait to find out more details
- Chiang Mai in Thailand

But you never know what else I come up with! New ideas pop up in my brain regularly. Another great resource is Travel & Leisure South East Asia. It's nice to picture yourself in exotic places. However, a lot of places (and ads) are more likely to be in the more touristy places and/or 5* resorts, but still, got plenty of suggestions on newer and less traveled destinations with hotels to match. It's a nice and relaxing read either way!

This Easter, we're travelling to Phnom Penh (2 nights), Kampot (1 night), Kep (3 nights) and back to Phnom Penh for 1 night in order to catch our morning flight back to Hong Kong. Loved Cambodia before, so looking forward to going again. Found some some nice and very affordable places to stay, nothing super fancy, but well reviewed and suitable for our needs, so will definitely report on that later.

Any other great suggestions, feel free to share!

Bohol, Philippines: Chocolate Hills, Tarsiers and beautiful beaches

When: October 2011 (fall break)
Kids ages: Big Sister 7y5m, twins 4y10m
Flights: Hong Kong - Manilla - Tagbilaran v.v. on Philippines Airlines
Booked through: myself / directly

Originally we were not planning to go very far nor spending a lot of money, but my plans changed after talking to a friend who had been to Bohol and finding fairly inexpensive tickets ($11k for all 5) on Zuji. On Tripadvisor I found the Amorita Resort on Panglao Island which is connected to Bohol via a causeway. We booked 4 nights in a Deluxe room (it's not really Deluxe, especially the bathrooms, but it's fine, nothing special but more than sufficient for what we needed) which had 2 Queen Beds and a small sofa (about 120 cm wide) so we could all fit in the one room (it's hard to find places for a family of 5, and we often end up with 2 rooms). They also have Villas with small pools but we wouldn't have been able to fit in one villa anyway. More importantly the fact that the twins weren't confident swimmers yet, having them stay in their "own" pool villa sounded like a bad idea. Plus it would have made it significantly more expensive.

We were lucky that our flight to Manilla left on time as we're trying to catch the last flight of the day to Tagbilaran. Changing to domestic flights on Philippines Airlines means in most cases (a few large domestic destinations excluded) that you have to change terminals. Normally not a big issue but in Manilla this means you basically have to clear immigration, customs, get your bags, step in an urban taxi, survive Manilla traffic, and check in all over again! Without rushing (and having a little more than 2 hours between flights), we barely made it, we could board straight away! Tagbilaran is, according to my kids, the smallest airport ever! The arrival lounge is basically the size of a large living room.

On the way back we were not so lucky. Our flight to Manilla was delayed, we missed our connection to Hong Kong and had to wait for another 4 hours for the last flight of the day (luckily there was one). Next time I am connecting in Manilla I would strongly suggest using Cebu Pacific* as all their flights land and depart from the same terminal so at least you don't have to fight your way to Manilla traffic! It's often cheaper as well though Philippines Airlines has good deals (we had one of those). You still have to clear completely, go back upstairs to check-in but it should at least save you a valuable 20 minutes or so, and the hassle of getting into a taxi, etc.

Please note that these days no terminal change is necessary anymore (so no urban taxi rides) however, you still need to clear completely before checking in for your next flight again ...

Bohol is a very nice destination, besides the beach there are some sights worth seeing as well, the famous Chocolate Hills, go see the Tarsiers (the smallest mammals in the world), visit some historical churches, do a Loboc river cruise with the most tacky musicians and not the greatest food but still a fun hour or so. We used this travel agent to book our trip (we shortened it as we didn't have to overdo it with an 8 to 5 or 6 pm tour. They were responsive, showed up in time, and would recommend them. You can visit some outlaying islands like Virgin Island and Balicasag Island which are only a boat trip away. You'll find plenty of banka owners on the beach trying to get you on board.

Amorita Resort is build on a cliff and overlooks Alona Beach, which offers plenty of bars and restaurants. Nothing fancy, or super impressive, but quite some choice for a decent meal, and the hotel also offers some reasonable choices. The end of the beach, close to the hotel was quiet. In the afternoon we would go down to the beach, buy a cheap beer from one of the bars and let the children play on the beach. So quiet, and so peaceful! Alona Beach is touristy in a Filipino way but nothing compared to big resort towns, it's very simple, very friendly and easy going. For more detailed information on the hotel you can always check my Tripadvisor contributions.

* Unfortunately at this moment (Jan '13) the Manila - Tagbilaran flight on Cebu Pacific leaves early in the morning, not offering a connecting. Other airlines to check are Air Philexpress (Philippines Airlines low cost carrier and Zest). Make sure you have at least 3 hours if you want to play it safe; you could get lucky in a little over 2 hours IF your flight arrives on time in Manila.

Off the beaten track in Bali, Indonesia

When: October 2012 (fall break)
Kids ages: big sister 8y5m, twins 5y10m
Flights: direct on CX (booked 4 out of 5 tickets on points) about 10 months ahead.
Booked through: myself / directly

My husband had no desire to go to Bali at all (mind you, he has been, several times)! Bali to him was Nusa Dua, Kuta and Ubud. My husband now knows that Bali has way more to offer than just that. Via the Tripadvisor forums I got some lovely advice from a fellow Dutch (coincidentally) about some "off the beaten track" plans for Bali with children. Since time was limited to only a week of fall break, plus the fact that we were travelling on miles allowing us only a 6 night stay we, well I, decided on 3 different destinations based on the advice I got, the time we had available and a few hours of Tripadvisor and internet searching.

Let me start by saying the welcome to Bali is far less than inviting. We spend 1 1/2 hours standing in line to get through immigration is not the welcome we had envisioned, although we were warned. Fast track is available, though not legally, for US$25 per person (including kids) on top of the visa fees (also US$25). However, the kids were fantastic though and the only good thing was that our bags had already arrived ... of course. First stop was Balam Bali Villa in Mengwi (about 30 minutes west of Ubud) in the middle of the rice paddies. A quiet 5-room bed and breakfast rated number 1 in Tripadvisor owned by French who moved from Tahiti a few years before. Mengwi is about 25 minutes west of Ubud. The Villa is located on a quiet road surrounded by rice paddies. There is a temple a short ride away which is worth visiting and we had arranged a driver for a trip to Ubud.

Next, we organized a driver to bring us to Munduk, up north in the mountain with views over the Balian Sea. We had booked a family package at Munduk Moding Plantation, a coffee plantation in a beautiful setting. The package include a few trips including one to the lakes, Munduk waterfall, horse riding for the kids and a massage for the parents. The kids loved going to the horses, wondering through the coffee plantations and see the vegetables grow in the garden and picking a few strawberries while they were at it. Fantastic views with a great room for families (a family suite on top of the restaurant with 2 rooms connected via the balcony and each their own bath room). Food was lovely, people so friendly and it was just really relaxing breathing in the clean air and enjoying the view.

The last stop of our trip would go to Bali Eco Stay in the heart of Tabanan ... our only "hotel", as the kids would call it, without a pool! Which was kind of a worry for them. What were they going to do? Where were they going to swim? Getting there was the biggest adventure, 10 km of unpaved road and 30 minutes later, we arrived. The most beautiful green rice paddies, silence and a small 4 bungalow accommodation  We booked the 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom Rice Water Bungalow and it was absolutely fantastic. Yes, it's a little damp, dark and noisy with the animals so close to you. And you'll get dirty but the views are amazing, the food was fantastic and the kids still think as of today it was the best "hotel" ever. They played in the river, walked through the paddies, played with the owner's son, the dog, visited the waterfall on site. It was excellent. Very different but a great experience for all of us.

When going back to the airport, and driving past Canggu, Seminyak and Kuta, I was grateful ... grateful for having had this amazing opportunity to see a snapshot of what Bali really has to offer. I cannot recommend it highly enough, and almost want to scream on the top of my lungs, get out there, go west, go north, go east, run away from the crowds, it's simply gorgeous, and so worth visiting!

Our track record

Having lived in the States and currently in Asia, the children obviously have done a great deal of travelling, there is simply no avoiding if you want to go back to your home country, visiting family and friends. I am very organized person and a good planner, I've always loved to travel. To show that I am fairly "pathetic" person, I keep track of my children's flights mileage. As of the end of 2012 Big Sister has flown 179,518 miles (288,906 km) in 8 1/2 years, that's more than 7 times around the world. The twins obviously only started 2 1/2 years later on their journey and they currently have 106,932 miles (172,090 km) or more than 4 times around the world under their belt. I know it's silly but the numbers are sometimes mind boggling thinking about how I would "just" take car trips to France and Italy when I was this age. In order to give some ideas, where have we been with them, what have we done?

We've done far less travelling in the States than in Asia, but being pregnant and giving birth to 3 children 2 1/2 years apart obviously makes things a little more difficult. We've done road trips as well in the Midwest, including a big one. Not even sure what I was thinking at the time but right before we left the States. In a very cold December month, it took me about 3 hours to pick up our rental car from O'Hare International Airport in Chicago instead of the "normal" 25 minutes because of winter weather conditions, this is the Midwest right? We decided to go south while our container was going east to Europe. We traveled with 3 year old and barely 1 year old twins by car from Chicago to New Orleans via Indianapolis, Louisville, Nashville, Memphis, Jackson, Vicksburg, Natchez and Baton Rouge. Luckily temperatures started to rise after ... well, Jackson, MS, the last part of our trip. Over the years, we've visited NYC, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Florida, South Carolina, California, Colorado and did some road trips to exciting Wisconsin and Iowa as well. I wish we'd done more but that's always in hindsight ...

With the kids being slightly older, travelling has become a lot easier and Asia offers so many great (and fairly inexpensive, or let's say less expensive) destinations. A short overview of what we have done so far with the 3 of them. Also, we've been lucky to have been to a few of these and other places before prior to having kids, so we're trying to find new places to go to together as well. In the end it needs to be fun for all of us, not just the kids!

* Long city weekend Taipei (Taiwan)

* Long countryside weekend Guilin (China)

* The beach in Cebu (Philippines)

* Long city weekend in Bangkok (Thailand)

* Visiting friends in Manila (Philippines)

* City, history and beach in Hanoi, Hue and Hoi An (Vietnam)

* Mostly beach and nature in Kota Kinbalu (Sabah, East Malaysia)

* Culture in Siem Reap (Cambodia) via Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam)

* Fun in Singapore

* Relaxing cultural visit to Luang Prabang (Laos)

* Visiting our friends again in Manila (Philippines)

* Lots of culture and visiting friends in Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai (China)

* Beaches and several great things to see in Panglao Island, Bohol (Philippines)

* City and beach in Bangkok & Hua Hin (Thailand)

* Off the beaten track in Mengwi, Munduk & Tabanan on Bali (Indonesia)

I'll try to flashback with travel suggestions, what we did, where we stayed and link those to my Tripadvisor contributions. 

The middle of the road in travel

Another travel blog? Yep. However I plan to keep it quite simple. It's just a way to share the trips we have done with our 3 children. We call them the 5 W's at school ... basically why, who, where, when and what. Let me start by saying, I love luxury 5 star hotels with all possible amenities. However, with 3 kids you usually end up with 2 (connecting) hotel rooms and it easily starts adding up per night. We try to be creative as we can only spend every $ once. Also, I truly believe, my kids don't necessarily need a 5* hotel with kids' club in order to entertain themselves. We've been to hotels with kids' clubs and usually they end up spending very little time there. They're just as happy playing at the pool, at the beach or finding another completely random activity. On the other hand, I don't do really basic either ... not a camping type at all. With 3 kids in tow, I really like some facilities or amenities but it just doesn't have to be top of the bill. I guess, it's really about finding that middle of the road. Also, at some destinations, especially the ones less visited, there simply aren't 5* hotels like they have in Phuket and Nusa Dua, so you have to settle for something a little more simple and adjust your expectations. Unfortunately we don't travel every break or long weekend (would love to though), so I'll try to flash back on previous trips we have done as well just in order to share more travel ideas.