I've yet to catch up on blog posts for the last third of our trip, but I wanted to share a wrap up article I wrote for Bebe Voyage. Link is below. https://www.bebevoyage.com/blog/year-travel-baby-lessons-learned/
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Sometimes you just get lucky. The Filipino people love children, which is already a huge bonus. While staying at the Bohol Bee Farm, I met a fellow mom and her adorable son, Eiden (almost the exact age as Lily). The kids immediately hit it off, and mom Kady and I did too. They're from Marseille, so I got the chance to practice my rusty French. After hanging out at the resort a few times, Kady and I decided to venture out. We got a very kind and patient driver for the day. Then, we headed out to see the island with our little adventurers. After getting a short tour, we went to the Butterfly Garden. Lily and Eiden loved getting to know each other while looking at the butterflies. After driving through a huge forest and stopping for a local lunch, we headed to the Loboc river. In the little boat we rented, our captain navigated us past floating markets and restaurants. We ended our day at the Tarsier Sanctuary. Tarsiers are native nocturnal primates, abo...
Lily loved Bariloche as much as we did. She and Baron enjoyed running around the different lake areas. Watching the two of them together is one of my favorite moments from out time in Argentina. I have to say that the chocolate probably sealed the deal. Lily has definitely inherited her dad's love for sweets. The fact that there was chocolate everywhere made Lily a Bariloche fan. The entire Patagonia region is really made for kids, with a plethora of activities for all seasons. We can't wait to take Lily back to ski, when she's a little older.
I've been to Buenos Aires many times, and it's truly one of my favorite cities. I have to admit, I was a bit worried that my outlook might change as a mom with a small child. Happily, there is plenty to keep kids (and parents) happy in the city. There are playgrounds in every neighborhood. There were two within walking distance of our apartment in Palermo. There's also BA Beach, an man-made beach on the banks of the river, with a water park and playgrounds for kids. Parque Norte, in the Belgrano area has pools and more playgrounds. There are also some attractions just for the little ones. Lily loved the Museo de Los Ninos, where she even got to drive an (imaginary) bus. Above all Argentinian culture celebrates life. Good food, good wine and good people. Lily was definitely down with the agenda. She partied hard at the Park Hyatt's New Year's Eve celebration (where she got her first wristband). She also enjoyed brunch there on New Year's Day, where ...
Cuba was a dream for a family with a young child. Everyone was so kind and helpful. Older women would buy candies for Lily (to her delight, since they wouldn't take no for an answer). Fruit vendors wouldn't accept our money when we wanted to buy her a banana or apple. Strangers helped us get our stroller up and down stairs without asking for anything in return. The most rewarding part, as a parent, was seeing the joy Lily got from meeting and playing with other children. She would squeal with delight every time we saw another "baby," and shower them with hugs and kisses if she was able to get close enough. In Old Havana, she met a four year old and they ran around the plaza together. Lily also loved the music. One band let her try out the maracas--she was enthralled. If you're thinking about Cuba and worried about it being difficult with small children, don't. Just make sure you bring all of the supplies you might need (diapers, wipes, etc)...
South Africa is one of my absolute favorite places. Traveling there with Lily for the first time, I was thrilled to find out that it's also incredibly child-friendly. Lily loves the beach as much as her parents do, so she had a lot of fun in the Cape Town sand. Clifton 4th Beach was a favorite. Grand Africa Cafe, my go-to Cape Town beach club, was the perfect place for her to run around. One of the coolest experiences was seeing her reaction to the famous resident penguins at Boulders Beach. Lily was unsure what to make of them at first. She promptly decided that penguins are hilarious. Surprisingly, the surrounding wine country also offered a lot for the little ones. We went to a strawberry farm with our good friends, in a beautiful area near Stellenbosch. Lily loved picking (and eating) the strawberries. Since we were in Cape Town for a full month, I enrolled Lily in not one, but two music classes. It was sometimes more than I wanted to do, but it...
Romania turned out to be a very child-friendly place, much to my (and Lily's delight). We were approached in each city and town we visited by kind strangers who just wanted to get a smile out of Lily. Being the shy toddler she is...kidding! Lily ate it up, and it kept smiles on the faces of her parents. We were lucky enough to be invited into the home of our Romanian friends. Not only did they cook an amazing feast, they treated Lily like royalty. It was so great to see her comfortable and at home, so many miles from home. It was definitely a highlight for all of us. As far as child-friendly facilities, Romania was ok, but not as accessible as a lot of European countries. I'd expected this and wasn't shock, but it was frustrating in some places not to have a changing table or high chair. Overall though, it was very workable. I would not hesitate to book another trip to Romania with a child.
Blogging with a kid, like traveling with a kid, can be hard. After a busy couple of months, I'm catching up on posts. Slovenia, like a lot of other European countries we visited, was amazingly kid friendly. There was never an issue finding a high chair or changing room. Lily loved the food markets and public squares. Like her parents, she especially loved the natural beauty of Slovenia...serene Lake Bled and stunning Vintgar Gorge were two of her favorites. The best part for all of us were visiting our friends. We'd met a great, fun couple in Croatia a few years back. They told us about Slovenia and we were sold. Fast forward a few years and three kids later. They were kind enough to invite us to their home for a fantastic dinner. Lily had a great time playing with Oliver, who is a few months older. They thoroughly enjoyed their adorable dinner date. It was great to enjoy dinner with another couple who understands the blissful insanity of parenthood. I think L...