www.jetlagandmayhem.com
Sunday, 16 December 2012
Saturday, 15 December 2012
I Want This!: Travel toys website 'My Travel Surprise'
Sometimes you come across a great idea...think that's just what I need...and then you realise that of course this company is based in the UK and you can't get hold of this product in Hong Kong!
My Travel Surprise sells fun & interesting toys to take on holiday. Knowing that kids loves receiving presents (and parents are happy to oblige in shutting their kids up on a flight), the company even wraps them for you. Genius.
I know my nearly 4 year old would love the Sticky Mosaic craft project and the Princess Magnet Set for long plane journeys.
Check out the shop here: http://www.mytravelsurprise.co.uk/
Delivery within UK only
My Travel Surprise sells fun & interesting toys to take on holiday. Knowing that kids loves receiving presents (and parents are happy to oblige in shutting their kids up on a flight), the company even wraps them for you. Genius.
I know my nearly 4 year old would love the Sticky Mosaic craft project and the Princess Magnet Set for long plane journeys.
Check out the shop here: http://www.mytravelsurprise.co.uk/
Delivery within UK only
Thursday, 13 December 2012
The Big Texas Roadtrip - November 2012
We try to do a 2 week US road trip annually. Our mission to visit all 52 states and to eat at all the restaurants from the TV show, Man Vs Food!
This year it was the turn of Texas. I have written previous posts on planning road trips and I promise you, with careful preparation, you & the kids will have a great time.
Our route took us:
Hong Kong - Los Angeles - Fort Worth - Dallas - Austin - Lost Pines - San Antonio - Houston - Los Angeles - Hong Kong
I'll share my thoughts on each of these cities in separate posts but this truly was a road trip to remember. Certainly for all the Texan BBQ we managed to eat!
Here are some top tips:
Hiring a Car
http://jetlagandmayhem.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/hiring-car-for-your-roadtrip.html
Check your visa requirements
http://jetlagandmayhem.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/travelling-to-us-check-if-you-need-esta.html
Flight Reviews
http://jetlagandmayhem.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/flight-review-cathay-pacific-hk-lax-12.html
http://jetlagandmayhem.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/great-resource-for-kid-friendly-travel.html
Texas 2012 Road Trip Blog Posts
Fort Worth
This year it was the turn of Texas. I have written previous posts on planning road trips and I promise you, with careful preparation, you & the kids will have a great time.
Our route took us:
Hong Kong - Los Angeles - Fort Worth - Dallas - Austin - Lost Pines - San Antonio - Houston - Los Angeles - Hong Kong
I'll share my thoughts on each of these cities in separate posts but this truly was a road trip to remember. Certainly for all the Texan BBQ we managed to eat!
Here are some top tips:
- Don't be spontaneous. Plan your trips well e.g. book hotels and advise on crib/rollaway requirements
- Get a Sat Nav in your hire car
- Check when attractions are open. We drove 30 minutes to Sea World San Antonio, only to find out it was closed
- If you can, book suites in hotels. You can get reasonably priced 1 bed suites in the cheaper hotel chains. It is nice to put the kids to bed and then relax in your own room.
- For jetlag, get your kids on local time asap
- Try to pack light. If you are on the move every few days you will be bringing suitcases in & out of your hotel on a regular basis
- Don't move too quickly. Stay 2-3 nights per destination to allow yourself some relaxation time
- Limit car journeys to under 5 hours
- Get a car with an inbuilt DVD player or bring your own
- Buy/borrow a decent stroller (double if you have 2 or more). We borrowed this fantastic Graco stroller from a neighbour which carried my toddler and baby comfortably
Hiring a Car
http://jetlagandmayhem.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/hiring-car-for-your-roadtrip.html
Check your visa requirements
http://jetlagandmayhem.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/travelling-to-us-check-if-you-need-esta.html
Flight Reviews
http://jetlagandmayhem.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/flight-review-cathay-pacific-hk-lax-12.html
http://jetlagandmayhem.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/great-resource-for-kid-friendly-travel.html
Texas 2012 Road Trip Blog Posts
Fort Worth
Children's Area at Heathrow T4
Look what my mum saw at Heathrow Terminal 4.
Has anyone been? Is it good? Let me know!
Meanwhile here's a great link to kid facilities at other UK airports:
http://blog.kidstravel2.com/2011/06/just-how-family-friendly-are-uk-airports/
Has anyone been? Is it good? Let me know!
Meanwhile here's a great link to kid facilities at other UK airports:
http://blog.kidstravel2.com/2011/06/just-how-family-friendly-are-uk-airports/
Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Marrakech with a 16th mth old
Take a leaf out of Ortal's book and head for exotic climes with your toddler. Here's her review of a trip to Marrakech with her gorgeous 16 mth old Vincent:
Marrakech is super baby friendly and accessible, everyone wants to stop you!
You need to know your child as it's very busy and not great to let them out for a run when you are in the market, but if you know they will be distracted by the sights and sounds; horses, camels, motorbikes, cooking smells, bustle etc then it's doable.
Speaking French helps when travelling with a child there but not essential.
Flight & Airport
It is lovely and this was my 3rd visit. However, having now met the owners, I wouldn't return as they are quite strange and were very rude to my mum!
Things to do
Ortal & Vincent in the grounds of the Koranic School
You need to know your child as it's very busy and not great to let them out for a run when you are in the market, but if you know they will be distracted by the sights and sounds; horses, camels, motorbikes, cooking smells, bustle etc then it's doable.
Speaking French helps when travelling with a child there but not essential.
Flight & Airport
- Booked flights online with Ryanair to Marrakech
- Checked-in online which was quick and easy
- Priority boarding on plane
- Made to drink the water in Vincent's sippy cup at Security
- Vincent was very well behaved on the plane (pack carefully - have snacks, books, games etc with you)
- Expect a long queue at immigration on Morrocco side
Accommodation
We stayed at the very reasonably priced Riad Marrakech Puchka:
We booked the hotel by email and taxi transfers were provided from the airport. As there was nobody else at the Riad, we all had our own rooms with ensuite, very large and beautiful design. The hotel provided a travel cot.
The hotel has a plunge pool and jacuzzi.
There is no official 'restaurant' but you can eat your meals there if you give advance notice.
It is lovely and this was my 3rd visit. However, having now met the owners, I wouldn't return as they are quite strange and were very rude to my mum!
Things to do
- Check the weather before you go. I had seen it wasn't going to be great so I found: http://www.kawkab-jeux.com/ We spent 2 rainy afternoons at this play centre, probably Vincent's favourite part of the trip!
- The Jardin Marjorelle continues to be one of my favourite places in the city, it is very good for a child to run about although the attendants did worry about Vincent touching the cacti!
- The Saadian Tombs are a great sight and historicaly fascinating but we didn't linger as it wasn't too child friendly and was very busy
- The best places I visited with the boy in tow were the Koranic school and next door, Marrakech museum which was very safe for him to run and crawl around, there was lots of space and it was safely enclosed so I could drink it all in
Monday, 10 December 2012
Flight Review: Virgin Premium Economy London to Hong Kong
Who: Me & Sky (14 mths)
Where: VS 200 London Heathrow to Hong Kong, Premium Economy
How Long? 11.5 hours, departs 9:30pm arrive 5:00pm the next day
Precheck In
I chose Virgin's Premium Economy over BA as I was able to book an aisle bassinet seat. For some reason, BA would only let me have a middle bassinet seat (no thank you)
Check In
It's a bit of a scramble at T3's Virgin Check In area. Designated desks for Premium Economy.
Security
This was dreadful. We were ushered into a 'Family Lane' which despite being half the size of the normal queue, took twice as long due to parents being stopped to 'test' milk, unpack strollers, tend to crying babies etc.
Onboard
I took the stroller to the Gate and was given Priority Boarding as I had a baby. I transferred her to my Ergo baby carrier and then trudged aboard. The plane was an old A340-600 but I do seem to equate old planes with bigger seats.
Seating was 2-4-2 and I had the aisle seat of a '2'. As luck would have it, there were some empty seats in Premium and the guy seating next to me, moved leaving me with an empty seat beside me.
Seats in Premium Economy are roomy and recline quite far back. The seat was not in the best condition however and the tray table was dirty.
The Premium Economy pack contains an eyemask, pen, earplugs, socks and toothbrush.
The stewardesses were helpful and filled up her bottle with milk whenever requested. They weren't overly attentive (as I have experienced on other flights) but would appear quickly if I pressed the call button.
Food was pretty awful and I wasn't offered anything for Sky. Luckily I shared my meal with her and had packed snacks. The drinks service was good and they regularly offered water.
I hadn't packed much to keep her entertained. She was quite happy to crawl around at my feet, eat the inflight magazines, mess around with the window blind and play with the remote controls.
Bassinet/Sky Cot
You need to request this before you fly and then keep requesting at Check-In/Onboard to make sure they allocate you one.
Virgin's Sky Cot was an odd contraption that looked like a sunken car seat. On the outbound flight she wasn't that comfortable in it but on this flight, she slept a good 7 hours. I did have to spend about 10 minutes rocking the bassinet and also draping us both in a blanket to provide darkness! Check here for dimension's of the baby cots and also weight/height restrictions.
Where: VS 200 London Heathrow to Hong Kong, Premium Economy
How Long? 11.5 hours, departs 9:30pm arrive 5:00pm the next day
Precheck In
I chose Virgin's Premium Economy over BA as I was able to book an aisle bassinet seat. For some reason, BA would only let me have a middle bassinet seat (no thank you)
Check In
It's a bit of a scramble at T3's Virgin Check In area. Designated desks for Premium Economy.
Security
This was dreadful. We were ushered into a 'Family Lane' which despite being half the size of the normal queue, took twice as long due to parents being stopped to 'test' milk, unpack strollers, tend to crying babies etc.
Onboard
I took the stroller to the Gate and was given Priority Boarding as I had a baby. I transferred her to my Ergo baby carrier and then trudged aboard. The plane was an old A340-600 but I do seem to equate old planes with bigger seats.
Seating was 2-4-2 and I had the aisle seat of a '2'. As luck would have it, there were some empty seats in Premium and the guy seating next to me, moved leaving me with an empty seat beside me.
Seats in Premium Economy are roomy and recline quite far back. The seat was not in the best condition however and the tray table was dirty.
The Premium Economy pack contains an eyemask, pen, earplugs, socks and toothbrush.
The stewardesses were helpful and filled up her bottle with milk whenever requested. They weren't overly attentive (as I have experienced on other flights) but would appear quickly if I pressed the call button.
Food was pretty awful and I wasn't offered anything for Sky. Luckily I shared my meal with her and had packed snacks. The drinks service was good and they regularly offered water.
I hadn't packed much to keep her entertained. She was quite happy to crawl around at my feet, eat the inflight magazines, mess around with the window blind and play with the remote controls.
Bassinet/Sky Cot
You need to request this before you fly and then keep requesting at Check-In/Onboard to make sure they allocate you one.
Virgin's Sky Cot was an odd contraption that looked like a sunken car seat. On the outbound flight she wasn't that comfortable in it but on this flight, she slept a good 7 hours. I did have to spend about 10 minutes rocking the bassinet and also draping us both in a blanket to provide darkness! Check here for dimension's of the baby cots and also weight/height restrictions.
Don't panic... she always sleeps with her comforter over her face!
On landing in Hong Kong, my stroller was at the door of the plane although I did have to wait about 10 minutes for it.
Read my review of Heathrow's Terminal 3 here:
Here's what I packed in my Hand Luggage on this flight:
Sunday, 9 December 2012
Ideas for weekend away from HK: Taipei!
Supermum of 2 boys and pregnant with her 3rd, my friend Franny hit up Taiwan's Taipei for a long weekend from Hong Kong and here's her review below:
Taipei is a fantastic Asian city to visit with a family, everyone should go! My husband bravely took our 3.5 year old, 21 month old and 6 months pregnant wife to Taiwan for 4 nights at the end of October and I would whole-heartedly recommend it for a short family holiday.
Flight
The flight from Hong Kong is just over an hour, the city is easily reachable from the airport, and literally everything we did was very very easy
Hotel
We stayed at the Riviera Hotel It's a business hotel that I wouldn't normally have considered, but it was recommended by a friend who has been staying there regularly for a decade, and as we booked last minute, a lot of the bigger international chains had no availability for the family sized room we needed. The Riviera's executive rooms have an outer room where we had a cot and a single bed set up, which was separated from the decent-sized bedroom by the bathroom and a short corridor. For a young family it was perfect as there was no door to close between the two, my husband and I could see through to where the children were, but we could actually have an evening, watch TV and hold a conversation without having to worry about waking the boys. The breakfast buffet was good and the hotel had a cute rooftop garden growing vegetables and herbs for use in the kitchens. The hotel is opposite the city's beautifully maintained and very interesting Fine Arts Park. It was also very reasonably priced.
Getting Around
We only took taxis to and from the airport, using the MRT for everything else as it was so easy, even with a pushchair. There are well-signed lifts and escalators. There is no HK style scrum to get on the trains, just orderly lines. People leapt out of their seats when they saw I was pregnant and the boys were entertained and given gifts by people on virtually every journey. The MRT also produces a fantastic map of Taipei which is worth getting early on in your trip - we didn't find an English version until the last few days. The train lines go a long way and it is very easy to get out of the city and into the hills. The city itself is very green too with loads of gorgeous parks.
Things to do
Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park was fantastic for the boys: flying a cheap kite in front of Taipei 101, lots of bubble-blowing and ice cream, and some very impressive displays of breakdancing to gawk at.
Taipei Zoo - Asia's biggest apparently - was busy on a sunny Sunday, but at only $HK50 for entry, children under 12 free, we couldn't really complain.
You can get a gondola directly from the Zoo up to the tea-growing area, Maokong which was a lovely cool and breezy spot to enjoy some Taiwanese food and tea.
I would have spent more time at Taipei's famous night markets given half the chance, but they were a bit too crowded for 2 hungry little boys. They happily stuffed themselves on sticks of fruit, but didn't really experiment further than that.
Public toilets are numerous, clean and best of all, often featured a family toilet, with a normal sized loo, mini-loos for toddlers and changing tables all in one large room.
Taipei is a fantastic Asian city to visit with a family, everyone should go! My husband bravely took our 3.5 year old, 21 month old and 6 months pregnant wife to Taiwan for 4 nights at the end of October and I would whole-heartedly recommend it for a short family holiday.
Flight
The flight from Hong Kong is just over an hour, the city is easily reachable from the airport, and literally everything we did was very very easy
Hotel
We stayed at the Riviera Hotel It's a business hotel that I wouldn't normally have considered, but it was recommended by a friend who has been staying there regularly for a decade, and as we booked last minute, a lot of the bigger international chains had no availability for the family sized room we needed. The Riviera's executive rooms have an outer room where we had a cot and a single bed set up, which was separated from the decent-sized bedroom by the bathroom and a short corridor. For a young family it was perfect as there was no door to close between the two, my husband and I could see through to where the children were, but we could actually have an evening, watch TV and hold a conversation without having to worry about waking the boys. The breakfast buffet was good and the hotel had a cute rooftop garden growing vegetables and herbs for use in the kitchens. The hotel is opposite the city's beautifully maintained and very interesting Fine Arts Park. It was also very reasonably priced.
Getting Around
We only took taxis to and from the airport, using the MRT for everything else as it was so easy, even with a pushchair. There are well-signed lifts and escalators. There is no HK style scrum to get on the trains, just orderly lines. People leapt out of their seats when they saw I was pregnant and the boys were entertained and given gifts by people on virtually every journey. The MRT also produces a fantastic map of Taipei which is worth getting early on in your trip - we didn't find an English version until the last few days. The train lines go a long way and it is very easy to get out of the city and into the hills. The city itself is very green too with loads of gorgeous parks.
Things to do
Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park was fantastic for the boys: flying a cheap kite in front of Taipei 101, lots of bubble-blowing and ice cream, and some very impressive displays of breakdancing to gawk at.
Taipei Zoo - Asia's biggest apparently - was busy on a sunny Sunday, but at only $HK50 for entry, children under 12 free, we couldn't really complain.
You can get a gondola directly from the Zoo up to the tea-growing area, Maokong which was a lovely cool and breezy spot to enjoy some Taiwanese food and tea.
I would have spent more time at Taipei's famous night markets given half the chance, but they were a bit too crowded for 2 hungry little boys. They happily stuffed themselves on sticks of fruit, but didn't really experiment further than that.
Public toilets are numerous, clean and best of all, often featured a family toilet, with a normal sized loo, mini-loos for toddlers and changing tables all in one large room.
What I packed in hand luggage: 12 hour flight to London with 13 month old
Who: Me & Sky (13 mths)
Where: London to Hong Kong
What: Virgin VS200 Premium Economy, departs 9:25pm arrives 5:00pm next day
How Long? 11 hours
I took my Maclaren Volo stroller to the gate then switched Sky to the Ergo. Below is a list of what was packed in my hand luggage bag (which they actually weighed at the Virgin check-in desk - this has never happened to me before!)
Where: London to Hong Kong
What: Virgin VS200 Premium Economy, departs 9:25pm arrives 5:00pm next day
How Long? 11 hours
I took my Maclaren Volo stroller to the gate then switched Sky to the Ergo. Below is a list of what was packed in my hand luggage bag (which they actually weighed at the Virgin check-in desk - this has never happened to me before!)
- 2 empty milk bottles (I asked for milk on plane)
- 1 baby book
- 3 dummies
- 1 nappy pack with 5 nappies, nappy sacks, 1 half empty pack of wipes
- Spare sleepsuit & vest
- Spare plastic bag
- Food bib
- Cereal bars & fruit snacks
- Baby's teddy
- Grobag
- Baby medicine (3 sachets of Calpol, 3 sachets of Nurofen, 1 bottle Piriton)
- Tissues
- Eyemask
- Notepad & Pen
- Passports & airline loyalty cards
- Chewing gum
- Camera
- Keys, phone, wallet
Friday, 7 December 2012
Heathrow Terminal 3 Review - aka utterly rubbish for kids
I have recently flown with Virgin from London to Hong Kong which means I had the pleasure (?) of departing from T3. Unlike T5 which still gleams of newness, T3 is very rough around the edges and not that pleasant a travel experience.
Firstly it's a myriad of elevators and walkways from the carpark to actually enter T3. Virgin has a huge area for check-in which can be a bit of a bun fight as there's no easy queueing system. Unless you are flying Upper Class, where you are whisked away to a secret swanky lounge and your own security, you then trudge around the corner to join the masses at security.
On seeing a lone, anguished parent and a screaming child, a friendly face appeared and ushered me through to the 'Family Lane'. Big mistake.. huge... If you have this choice, don't take it! I promise you, even if the queues for security on the other lanes seem longer, you will get through faster. In the Family Lane, everyone is taking 10 minutes to unbolt their stroller, tend to screaming children, taste all their milk etc
Once through, there are the usual shops and a few good eateries. There is no designated children's play area that some of the other airports have. As mentioned in another post, I recently received an 'Airport Angel' card through Natwest and I had googled to see what lounge that would give me access to.
http://jetlagandmayhem.blogspot.hk/2012/11/airport-lounges-relaxing-way-to-start.html
The No 1 Traveller lounge is pretty good, nowhere near as posh as the actual Business Class lounge but there was free food & drink and lots of room for my baby to crawl around. If you are travelling with older kids there is a family room with a TV and table football.
Here is Heathrow Airport's Guide to their facilities across all Terminals:
http://www.heathrow-airport-guide.co.uk/childrens-facilities.html
Firstly it's a myriad of elevators and walkways from the carpark to actually enter T3. Virgin has a huge area for check-in which can be a bit of a bun fight as there's no easy queueing system. Unless you are flying Upper Class, where you are whisked away to a secret swanky lounge and your own security, you then trudge around the corner to join the masses at security.
On seeing a lone, anguished parent and a screaming child, a friendly face appeared and ushered me through to the 'Family Lane'. Big mistake.. huge... If you have this choice, don't take it! I promise you, even if the queues for security on the other lanes seem longer, you will get through faster. In the Family Lane, everyone is taking 10 minutes to unbolt their stroller, tend to screaming children, taste all their milk etc
Once through, there are the usual shops and a few good eateries. There is no designated children's play area that some of the other airports have. As mentioned in another post, I recently received an 'Airport Angel' card through Natwest and I had googled to see what lounge that would give me access to.
http://jetlagandmayhem.blogspot.hk/2012/11/airport-lounges-relaxing-way-to-start.html
The No 1 Traveller lounge is pretty good, nowhere near as posh as the actual Business Class lounge but there was free food & drink and lots of room for my baby to crawl around. If you are travelling with older kids there is a family room with a TV and table football.
Here is Heathrow Airport's Guide to their facilities across all Terminals:
http://www.heathrow-airport-guide.co.uk/childrens-facilities.html
Tuesday, 4 December 2012
Keeping babies amused on a flight
The internet is awash with people's advice on keeping babies amused on a flight. I'm about to do a 12 hour flight with my 13 mth old and am already dreading it. It's that awkward age where TV won't occupy them for long and THEY JUST WANT TO CRAWL/TODDLE AROUND THE CABIN!
Here's some good ideas for keeping kids amused on a plane:
http://www.deliciousbaby.com/journal/2007/nov/16/ten-tips-keeping-toddler-occupied-plane/
I particularly liked No 10.... 'Barf Bag Puppets'!
Here's some good ideas for keeping kids amused on a plane:
http://www.deliciousbaby.com/journal/2007/nov/16/ten-tips-keeping-toddler-occupied-plane/
I particularly liked No 10.... 'Barf Bag Puppets'!
Sunday, 2 December 2012
Super kid friendly Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport
There's nothing we love more than a child friendly airport. There are those that have it (hello Schiphol) and those that do not (Heathrow Terminal 3 I'm talking to you).
My parents recently transited through Amsterdam's Schiphol and took some pictures of the great facilities on offer. If you want to encourage people to use your capital's airport as a hub then this is what you need to do (hello Heathrow i'm talking to you again)
Schipohol Airport has a large area called Holland Bulevard. Apart from a casino (!) and a museum that closes at 5pm, there are some themed rest areas designed to look like a lounge.
My parents recently transited through Amsterdam's Schiphol and took some pictures of the great facilities on offer. If you want to encourage people to use your capital's airport as a hub then this is what you need to do (hello Heathrow i'm talking to you again)
Schipohol Airport has a large area called Holland Bulevard. Apart from a casino (!) and a museum that closes at 5pm, there are some themed rest areas designed to look like a lounge.
There is a library with both adult and children's books and seats with video screens.
Great kids play area
Baby Facilities
There is a large room with several curtained pods containing seating and a cot. There is also a kitchen area !!
For more information, check out:
Tuesday, 27 November 2012
Review of Princesa Yaiza Hotel, Lanzarote
This review comes courtesy of my fabulous friend Deborah who travelled to Lanzarote in September with her husband, twin girls (3.5yo) and baby boy (6 mths).
Booking
Booked direct with hotel via telephone +34 928 519 300
Flights booked through http://www.easyjet.com/en
Transfers organised through the Princesa Yaiza who also provided car seats.
Room
The Royal Kiko Suite was amazing. The suite had 2 bedrooms; one with a King sized bed and the other, a 'child themed room' with 2 single beds. In there, the hotel had gone to the trouble of putting 2 pink beanbag chairs for the girls as well as a kids' welcome kit.
The suite also had a lounge area and a kitchenette with steriliser, kettle, sink and big fridge. In the lounge, the hotel provided a lovely cot with a mobile.
Baby Stuff!
This is where the hotel excels. They provided the following, all included in the price of the room:
Booking
Booked direct with hotel via telephone +34 928 519 300
Flights booked through http://www.easyjet.com/en
Transfers organised through the Princesa Yaiza who also provided car seats.
Room
The Royal Kiko Suite was amazing. The suite had 2 bedrooms; one with a King sized bed and the other, a 'child themed room' with 2 single beds. In there, the hotel had gone to the trouble of putting 2 pink beanbag chairs for the girls as well as a kids' welcome kit.
The suite also had a lounge area and a kitchenette with steriliser, kettle, sink and big fridge. In the lounge, the hotel provided a lovely cot with a mobile.
Children's room in the Royal Kiko Suite
Baby Stuff!
This is where the hotel excels. They provided the following, all included in the price of the room:
- Changing table
- Bath seat
- Monitor
- Steriliser
- High chair
- Simple buggy
- Bathroom step-up
- Baby cook
- DVD player/ Playstation 3
Kikoland
This is kids' paradise with multiple kids pools, playground, soft play and Kids Club. The Kids Club looked a little bit grubby but there were lots of activities going on. They run a Kiko disco every night for the kids and there were lots of shows e.g. Disney Princess show which the girls enjoyed
Food
There is an amazing breakfast buffet. However, there aren't many inexpensive dinner options and most restaurants don't open until 7.30pm
In conclusion... on the positive side
We would definitely go back. The hotel is extremely family friendly and good value for money (we went off-peak). The staff are fantastic and make an effort to learn all the children's names. It's the little extras like having an onsite photographer who can do family portraits (no obligation to buy) that make this place special.
...on the negative side
Don't expect a super luxe, contemporary hotel. The hotel is nice but could do with a bit of freshen up. Also, the children's suites are in the family block which is over the road from the pools, restaurants etc. The hotel provides a decorated subway to get there but it is still a long walk and therefore not so easy to pop back up quickly to your room.
Friday, 23 November 2012
Product Revew: Baby Polar Gear Booster Seat
What do you do when there isn't a highchair? Feeding a wriggly baby on your lap isn't much fun.
First we tried the Gro Travel Harness. It's a clever contraption: essentially a cloth harness that you can strap to the chair. However, although its incredibly lightweight it's really not that comfortable for a child to be in for too long.
So we upgraded to the Polar Gear Booster. More bulky, but much more comfortable. It has the same seat as the Gro harness, but it is all joined on to a booster cushion. This makes it much more comfortable and stable. It was a great piece of kit on holiday, and also came in handy on a theatre trip.
Available to buy online at lots of places. Check out Polar Gear's website
www.polargear.com
Retails on Amazon.co.uk for £18, link is below:
www.polargear.com
Retails on Amazon.co.uk for £18, link is below:
Thursday, 22 November 2012
Flight Review: American Airlines LAX to Dallas FW (3.5 hrs)
Who: Me, Daisy (3.5), Sky (1) and husband
Where: American Airlines 2450, LAX to Dallas Fort Worth
How long? Approx 3.5 hours
If you are transiting from International to Domestic at LAX, allow yourself plenty of time. It took us approx 1 hour to pass through Immigration, collect our bag and then join the lengthy queue at Customs. It is only a 5 minute walk from Tom Bradley International Terminal to the American Airlines Domestic Terminal.
Check In
Checked in our bags and received our tickets at the Transit desk. Once at the Domestic Terminal, we were told our stroller was too big and we had to check this in (always make sure have your baby carrier on hand in case this happens!)
Onboard
The flight was on time and we were all seated together (take note Cathay Pacific....) There were no bassinet options so we kept our baby in the Ergo baby carrier.
No entertainment so make sure you bring your own books & DVDs
You can buy food & drink onboard or do what we did and buy an overpriced sandwich at LAX
Friendly & courteous staff
This 737 had a 3-3 configuration and our Economy seats were fairly roomy.
Keep your baby carrier with you, in case you have to check in your stroller
Where: American Airlines 2450, LAX to Dallas Fort Worth
How long? Approx 3.5 hours
If you are transiting from International to Domestic at LAX, allow yourself plenty of time. It took us approx 1 hour to pass through Immigration, collect our bag and then join the lengthy queue at Customs. It is only a 5 minute walk from Tom Bradley International Terminal to the American Airlines Domestic Terminal.
Check In
Checked in our bags and received our tickets at the Transit desk. Once at the Domestic Terminal, we were told our stroller was too big and we had to check this in (always make sure have your baby carrier on hand in case this happens!)
Onboard
The flight was on time and we were all seated together (take note Cathay Pacific....) There were no bassinet options so we kept our baby in the Ergo baby carrier.
No entertainment so make sure you bring your own books & DVDs
You can buy food & drink onboard or do what we did and buy an overpriced sandwich at LAX
Friendly & courteous staff
This 737 had a 3-3 configuration and our Economy seats were fairly roomy.
Tuesday, 20 November 2012
Airport Lounges - a relaxing way to start your trip
One of the perks of flying with my husband is his Marco Polo Gold Card. When I'm alone with the kids, I've normally got them crawling around the floor of the gate eating Starbucks muffins. With my other half, he's got access to the Cathay lounge at Hong Kong Airport and to One World lounges globally.
Whilst they won't always let us all in (I think the rule is one guest), having lounge access can ease the stress of a long flight ahead.
Our recent experience in HK's Cathay lounge, ahead of a long 12 hour flight was fantastic. I got the girls fed and one of the waitresses continually brought over snacks and water for them and gave me food to take in my bag for the journey. I was able to get my sneaky glass of wine in, steal lots of magazines and water for the flight and generally relax.
Even better was during our 2 hour layover in LAX - the American Airlines Admirals Club (part of One World) has a Children's Playroom. Absolutely invaluable after a long flight, the kids were able to let loose and we could relax with complimentary food, drinks & wifi.
Don't miss out on lounges... regardless of what class you fly, it's worth checking:
http://www.cpp.co.uk/airport-lounge/
Whilst they won't always let us all in (I think the rule is one guest), having lounge access can ease the stress of a long flight ahead.
Our recent experience in HK's Cathay lounge, ahead of a long 12 hour flight was fantastic. I got the girls fed and one of the waitresses continually brought over snacks and water for them and gave me food to take in my bag for the journey. I was able to get my sneaky glass of wine in, steal lots of magazines and water for the flight and generally relax.
Even better was during our 2 hour layover in LAX - the American Airlines Admirals Club (part of One World) has a Children's Playroom. Absolutely invaluable after a long flight, the kids were able to let loose and we could relax with complimentary food, drinks & wifi.
Children's Playroom - American Airlines Admirals Club - LAX
Don't miss out on lounges... regardless of what class you fly, it's worth checking:
- Does your airline loyalty card allow you access into a lounge?
- Does your credit card allow you into a lounge e.g. some Amex Cathay holders can access Priority Pass Lounges http://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en_HK/ffp/cobrand
- Does the airport have a lounge that you can pay to use? This could be worthwhile if you have a lengthy delay
- If you fly economy regularly, is it worth you buying a Priority Pass or Airport Angel card with access to lounges worldwide?
http://www.cpp.co.uk/airport-lounge/
Saturday, 17 November 2012
Flight Review: Cathay Pacific HK-LAX 12 hrs - Premium Economy
Who: Me, Daisy (3.5 y), Sky (1y) and Husband
What: Cathay Pacific CX 884/5 Hong Kong - Los Angeles
Cathay have recently introduced their Premium Economy seats on selected routes. On our recent US roadtrip, we decided to pay the extra on our 12 hour (15 hrs on return) flight to LAX. I often wonder if it's worth paying the extra but in Cathay's instance, I would say yes.
Pre-check In
Some advice - hassle both your travel agent and the airline to make sure you are seated together and if you have a baby, seated in the bulkhead. A week in advance of my trip, I called my travel agent and discovered that we weren't all sat together. I am fed up of this happening, I don't understand why airlines can't allocate families to sit together on booking? I decided not to let this stress me out as long as one of my 3 seats was in the bulkhead, surely at check-in or onboard people would swap with us....
Check In
As my husband is a Marco Polo Gold member, we used the Business class check in (there is also designated Premium Economy Check In). The check in assistant wasn't that helpful. He couldn't get us seated together but promised we did have one bulkhead seat. Unfortunately when we got on the plane, we realised that was not the case....
Boarding
Premium Economy can board first with Business & Marco Polo members although I do find with small kids, they'll often give you priority boarding regardless of class
Onboard
Premium Economy is sandwiched in between Business and Economy and takes up about 6 rows. On our 777, the configuration was 2-4-2.
Seats are noticeably larger and allow you to move them quite far back. As in Business, you get served drinks before take off.
Surprise surprise, our 1 allocated bulkhead seat (the other 2 seats were in the row behind) had no bassinet table in front of it. Luckily some kind passengers agreed to swap around. However, having paid extra for Premium Economy and also being Gold Marco Polo, I do find this unacceptable that the check in staff were inept at ensuring that the only baby in the Premium Economy section had the bassinet seat. Rant over.
The Cathay entertainment system was excellent with a varied selection for adults & kids. You also get the Business Class noise cancelling headphones (useful for cancelling our your toddler).
Don't forget to pre-order your child's meal. This was spaghetti with meatballs. Quite a lot of sugar in the meal although I did confiscate the Snickers before she saw it.
My toddler was also given a Cathay Kids pack with lots of stickers.
What: Cathay Pacific CX 884/5 Hong Kong - Los Angeles
Cathay have recently introduced their Premium Economy seats on selected routes. On our recent US roadtrip, we decided to pay the extra on our 12 hour (15 hrs on return) flight to LAX. I often wonder if it's worth paying the extra but in Cathay's instance, I would say yes.
Pre-check In
Some advice - hassle both your travel agent and the airline to make sure you are seated together and if you have a baby, seated in the bulkhead. A week in advance of my trip, I called my travel agent and discovered that we weren't all sat together. I am fed up of this happening, I don't understand why airlines can't allocate families to sit together on booking? I decided not to let this stress me out as long as one of my 3 seats was in the bulkhead, surely at check-in or onboard people would swap with us....
Check In
As my husband is a Marco Polo Gold member, we used the Business class check in (there is also designated Premium Economy Check In). The check in assistant wasn't that helpful. He couldn't get us seated together but promised we did have one bulkhead seat. Unfortunately when we got on the plane, we realised that was not the case....
Boarding
Premium Economy can board first with Business & Marco Polo members although I do find with small kids, they'll often give you priority boarding regardless of class
Onboard
Premium Economy is sandwiched in between Business and Economy and takes up about 6 rows. On our 777, the configuration was 2-4-2.
Seats are noticeably larger and allow you to move them quite far back. As in Business, you get served drinks before take off.
Surprise surprise, our 1 allocated bulkhead seat (the other 2 seats were in the row behind) had no bassinet table in front of it. Luckily some kind passengers agreed to swap around. However, having paid extra for Premium Economy and also being Gold Marco Polo, I do find this unacceptable that the check in staff were inept at ensuring that the only baby in the Premium Economy section had the bassinet seat. Rant over.
The Cathay entertainment system was excellent with a varied selection for adults & kids. You also get the Business Class noise cancelling headphones (useful for cancelling our your toddler).
Bigger seats in Premium Economy
We just about squashed our 10.5kg one year old in the Bassinet.
Premium Economy passengers receive a small pack by Goods of Desire containing eyemask, earplugs, toothbrush and socks.
My toddler was also given a Cathay Kids pack with lots of stickers.
Monday, 12 November 2012
Hiring a car for your roadtrip
For the last 3 years we have taken the kids on US roadtrips. Unlike a European roadtrip, this means my husband can go all out with his pick up truck fantasies. My only rule is that he has to be capable of parking it.
On our Texas roadtrip, we picked up our car in downtown Fort Worth and it took us approx 1 hour to get everything sorted. Even though we had all our paperwork printed, the customer services assistant still seemed to be querying the price we were given. There are also lots of decisions you need to make in terms of insurance, designated drivers etc. In addition, the car didn't come with the child seats installed, instead we had to carry them outside and put them in ourselves.
- When choosing a car hire firm, it's worth checking any loyalty programmes you belong to and see if you can get any special deals e.g. Gold Marco Polo members are entitled to a free car upgrade if they book on Avis
- Call the car hire company and ask if that really is the best price they can give. We managed to get a huge discount just for asking this.
- You can pick up & drop off from any city although it will be cheaper if you do it from the same place.
- Request all your kids carseat necessities
- Request DVD player if necessary
- Print booking confirmation
- Pack drivers licence
On our Texas roadtrip, we picked up our car in downtown Fort Worth and it took us approx 1 hour to get everything sorted. Even though we had all our paperwork printed, the customer services assistant still seemed to be querying the price we were given. There are also lots of decisions you need to make in terms of insurance, designated drivers etc. In addition, the car didn't come with the child seats installed, instead we had to carry them outside and put them in ourselves.
Friday, 2 November 2012
US Road Trip Planning: 2 Weeks in New England with toddler - Planning
By Georgina Sturmer
US Road Trip Review: 2 Weeks in New England with a Toddler
We chose New England as we love going to the USA on holiday. It wasn't too far (only 7 hours flight and only 5 hours time difference) and the driving distances are relatively short between destinations. We were there in early September which was ideal as older children have gone back to school, but it is before the fall 'leaf peeping' tourist season.
We booked most of our accommodation in advance and opted for suites (often known as 'efficiencies' in more budget American hotels) so that we could have a separate sleeping area from our toddler.
Read more about our New England Adventure:
Flight Review with British Airways to Boston
http://jetlagandmayhem.blogspot.hk/2012/10/flight-review-british-airways-london.html
Beginning in Boston (Part One)
http://jetlagandmayhem.blogspot.com/2012/10/us-road-trip-review-2-weeks-in-new.html
Midcoast Maine (Part Two)
http://jetlagandmayhem.blogspot.com/2012/11/us-road-trip-review-2-weeks-in-new_2.html
Relaxing in Cape Cod (Part Three)
http://jetlagandmayhem.blogspot.com/2012/11/us-road-trip-review-2-weeks-in-new_8080.html
US Road Trip Part 1: 2 Weeks in New England with Toddler - Boston
By Georgina Sturmer
US Road Trip Review: 2 Weeks in New England with a Toddler
Beginning in Boston
US Road Trip Review: 2 Weeks in New England with a Toddler
Beginning in Boston
Boston is a great city to begin a trip. The airport is a short journey into town, you don’t need a car at all and it’s easy to get around with a buggy.
Hotel
We spent two nights at the John Jefferies House in (www.johnjeffrieshouse.com). The hotel is in a great location and is pretty good value for central Boston, with suites available at around $200. The breakfast was basic (just some pots of coffee and a few pastries) but that suited us fine. Our room was small and dark and the hotel was difficult to access with a baby and suitcases (a flight of steps to get into the main entrance) and the staff where pretty unfriendly. We wouldn’t stay there again, but it is nicely located.
Activities
- The Freedom Trail is a yellow line painted on the pavement that guides you on your own walking tour around the city. It is buggy friendly and takes you around all the main sites. We stopped off in Quincy Market for coffee, and in North End for lunch.
- The original Cheers Bar is located in Boston. Total tourist trap, but a fun place to pose for some photos and have an easy toddler friendly meal. Boston Public Garden is lovely to walk around and play, our toddler loved playing with the ducks at the ‘Make Way for Ducklings’ sculpture
Read more about our New England Adventures:
Planning our New England Road Trip
Flight Review with British Airways to Boston
Midcoast Maine (Part Two)
http://jetlagandmayhem.blogspot.com/2012/11/us-road-trip-review-2-weeks-in-new_2.html
Relaxing in Cape Cod (Part Three)
http://jetlagandmayhem.blogspot.com/2012/11/us-road-trip-review-2-weeks-in-new_8080.htmlRelaxing in Cape Cod (Part Three)
US Road Trip Part 3: 2 Weeks in New England with a Toddler - Cape Cod
By Georgina Sturmer
Relaxing in Cape Cod (Part Three)
There's a reason why people up sticks and head to Cape Cod in the summer. We were only there for 5 days and we saw a collection of stunning beaches and lovely towns. We were looking for the toddler friendly 'holy grail' of a small town by the sea with a high street, beach and decent accommodation within walking distance. We opted to stay in Hyannis, the commercial hub of Cape Cod.
Hotel
We searched through the beach houses available via www.Homeway.com and found Bay View Cottage www.capecodbayviewcottage.com The cottage is a (smallish) 2 bedroom house that is technically in West Yarmouth but within walking distance of all the main attractions in Hyannis and just a few hundred yards from the small Bayview beach (which has a small set of swings). It was perfect for us, and the owner, Patty, was incredibly helpful - she even babysat for us.
Activities
We spent most of our time playing on the beach, eating and drinking. Our favouites in Hyannis were Fresh Ketch www.freshketch.com - great lobster mac & cheese) and Spanky's Clam Shack (average food but lovely view at the marina www.spankysclamshack.com) Further afield in Chatham we had lovely sandwiches at Chatham Cookware and an outstanding lunch at Hangar B www.hangarbcapecod.com The beach at Chatham was absolutely stunning, although parking can be a bit of a pain.
Flight Review with British Airways to Boston
Relaxing in Cape Cod (Part Three)
There's a reason why people up sticks and head to Cape Cod in the summer. We were only there for 5 days and we saw a collection of stunning beaches and lovely towns. We were looking for the toddler friendly 'holy grail' of a small town by the sea with a high street, beach and decent accommodation within walking distance. We opted to stay in Hyannis, the commercial hub of Cape Cod.
Hotel
We searched through the beach houses available via www.Homeway.com and found Bay View Cottage www.capecodbayviewcottage.com The cottage is a (smallish) 2 bedroom house that is technically in West Yarmouth but within walking distance of all the main attractions in Hyannis and just a few hundred yards from the small Bayview beach (which has a small set of swings). It was perfect for us, and the owner, Patty, was incredibly helpful - she even babysat for us.
Activities
We spent most of our time playing on the beach, eating and drinking. Our favouites in Hyannis were Fresh Ketch www.freshketch.com - great lobster mac & cheese) and Spanky's Clam Shack (average food but lovely view at the marina www.spankysclamshack.com) Further afield in Chatham we had lovely sandwiches at Chatham Cookware and an outstanding lunch at Hangar B www.hangarbcapecod.com The beach at Chatham was absolutely stunning, although parking can be a bit of a pain.
Read more about our New England Adventure:
Planning our New England Road Trip
Flight Review with British Airways to Boston
Boston (Part One)
Midcoast Maine (Part Two)
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