Hello people! I hope you’re all good! So as it says by the title we have had our first family trip abroad!
This is the first time I’ve travelled in 4 years and the first time baby (or madam toddler I should say) has travelled. She’s now 22 months and we travelled to the Canary Islands – Tenerife.
The above image shows the beautiful Bahia Principe Fantasia hotel where we stayed. One thing I appreciate about that hotel is how friendly and understanding the staff were. We couldn’t have picked a better choice for our first trip. At this time of year London is cold and dark so we wanted to catch some winter sun somewhere that wasn’t too long of a flight. Tenerife did not disappoint. The daily average was 24 degrees but it felt hotter than this.
One thing to note – if you’re travelling with a child around this age, be prepared! Snacks are a must, as well as your patience. The plane journey was just over 4 hours long which wasn’t too bad. Here are some essentials to pack if you’re preparing for your first trip with a toddler (especially if it’ll be sunny)
Things to pack:
- Books, toys, pen and paper, tablet etc as activities for the flight
- Nappies, wipes, spare clothes to take on board for any changes needed
- Hand wipes/ child friendly sanitiser. One of my personal favourites is the Vital Baby Sanitising Water
- Sun hat, sunglasses (with UV protection)
- SPF – my daughter has sensitive skin so I’m very cautious with trying new products for her. I went with the baby version of the La Roche posay sunscreen. I personally use the adult version for myself and haven’t had any issues with it so as they have a baby version, thought it’d be a good one to try. Also being a dark skinned woman it’s important my SPF doesn’t leave a grey cast. I had no complaints for the baby one, it’s lightweight and absorbs well.
- Snacks, snacks and more snacks! Remember to include some high fibre snacks like raisins if you’re little one likes them
- Sandals
- If your little one is going to want to splash then swimsuits, swim pants (reusable or disposable), swim vest and/or floatie
- A small backpack your little one can carry it in (not essential but it helps) that way you know where to find them easily
For those of you travelling with a little person for the first time, another thing I learnt was organisation is key! Beyond the obvious day to day, there’s an extra layer of preparation required when travelling abroad.
Try not to take too many bags of luggage, it increases the risk of something getting lost (coming for first hand experience). Important documents and valuables like passports, keys, purses/ wallets etc keep in a personal bag on your person at all times (where possible).
Even though we had our moments of exhaustion, looking back, every little misstep became a memorable part of our journey. So enjoy it and make sure to capture the memories
Traveling abroad has expanded our horizons in more ways than one. It’s shown us a different way of life and helped us to appreciate what we have while also igniting a curiosity about what else the world has to offer. We can’t wait for the next one
Until next time,
The Sister Mama,
Cheral