I want this! Kids Travel Sickness Lollipops

Keep your kids quiet and ease travel sickness?  Yes please

Every toddler loves a lollipop and what better to keep them quiet on a plane than give them one of these on take off....

I bought a pack for my upcoming flight to LA this weekend.  Will keep you posted as to how effective they are.

Jetset Babies - Baby supplies shipped to your holiday destination

Here's an interesting idea....  A company that will ship baby supplies to your holiday destination.
I came across this website by accident and if you are travelling within the US and concerned about luggage allowance etc, you should definitely check it out.

http://www.jetsetbabies.com/index.htm

The company offers a wide range of goods from food & drink, baby toys, bath time, diapers to pool toys.  Simply check with your hotel that they will receive a package on your behalf and then place your order at least 14 days prior to your visit.

The website mainly focuses on US travel but it does offer shipping internationally.

Family Friendly Chiang Mai

I've mentioned in a previous post that Dragonair have started direct flights from Hong Kong to Chiang Mai - hooray!

Sassy Mama recently stayed at Le Meridiens, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.  Check out the article here:

http://sassymamahk.com/sawadika-family-friendly-chiang-mai-and-chiang-rai/

On offer are temples, markets, Tiger Kingdom, Monkey Centre, Crocodile Farms....

For older kids you can't beat the elephant trekking and a day at thai cookery school

If you have unlimited cash, stay at the Four Seasons Chiang Mai.  Their Gecko Club welcomes children 4-12 and offers complimentary games and activities daily.  If you wish to nurture your own culinary genius, why not pack your kids off to the Gecko Club and enrol yourself at their onsite Cooking School?

Travelling to the US? Check if you need an ESTA

My friend was headed to the US on a business trip via Vancouver.  Having been planning my own US road trip I mentioned the word ESTA to him....  His response, Esther?  Who?

Well here's the thing... if you are travelling to the US under the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) YOU REQUIRE AN ESTA!

Luckily most applications get a response immediately so you don't have to panic.

Check here to see if your country requires you to have one:

http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html#countries

Here is the form for your ESTA:
https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/

To complete the online form, have all your family's passports (children require ESTA), wallet and travel details e.g. Flight Number, Address on Arrival

An ESTA will cost approx USD $14 and you can pay by Credit Card.

For further questions, check out this useful site:

http://www.essentialtravel.co.uk/magazine/q-and-a/esta.asp

Blog recommendation - Bubs on the Move

I came across a great travel with kids blog, written by an Australian doctor.  I was looking for the ultimate holiday medical kit inventory, which I will return to in a future post....

She has lots of top tips but I particularly enjoy her insight on travel health:

http://www.bubsonthemove.com/category/travel-health/

I want this! - Feeding pouch dispensing spoon

Sometimes I really wish I lived in the US...  One of my best mates lives in San Francisco and she's always telling me about the amazing purchases she's picked up at her local enormous baby store.  In Hong Kong not only are our choices limited but they're also double the price... grrrr....
Anyway, this week's amazing 'I wish I'd invented that' item is the Plum Dispensing Spoon

Yes this little beauty means you can screw the spoon directly on the pouch and straight it goes into baby's mouth.  Although made for Plum products, apparently it fits on any food pouch. I think this product would be great for travelling, especially on planes where you can never have enough hands.  I now just have to figure out how to get it to Hong Kong in time for my next plane journey.