Toddler Travel

Going places with a toddler is a huge challenge, believe it or not. Whether a 3-day break or a month-long vacation, by land or by air, domestic or international, traveling with a baby entails a major production especially in the packing department. And this is only the beginning of the story. The baby's disposition is a critical factor in the enjoyment of the trip, a major consideration that parents cannot overlook.

We didn't know how right that was until we went to Balayan (Batangas) with Indie in tow when she was about 2 months old. Colicky Indie cried for the most part of the 3-hour drive. My husband Nubs had a hard time concentrating on the road; I, keeping my sanity intact. The preparation was only a little less, if not equally, strenuous. We hardly slept the night before, packing for close to 5 hours and stuffing the car full with Indie's bathtub and other bathing essentials, feeding bottles and sterilizer, crib complete with 2 sets of beddings, rocker, diapers, clothes, rattles, musical toys, etc., etc. As for the succeeding Balayan trips we took visiting my parents, the crying became less and less for we learned a few tricks along the way like bringing at least five different toys and stopping over in Tagaytay or Santa Rosa, knowing that monotony always gave Indie a reason to bawl. We never mastered the art of traveling light though.

The sight of Indie crying...
you can just imagine the sound that goes with it.

The rocker, Indie's daybed.

Still in a good mood. Wait till she gets bored!

A year old and not much of a cry baby anymore.

A stopover in Santa Rosa when Indie was 5 months old.

Another stopover in Cliffhouse, Tagaytay when Indie was 15 months.

Yet another stopover in Buon Giorno, Tagaytay when Indie was 16 months.

Sixteen months after her first long drive, it was time for Indie's first plane ride on a visit to her father's hometown, Roxas City, Capiz. We were so worried that she would have another one of her crying fits. Luckily for us (and the rest of the passengers), she was too excited to be in wailing mode that early morning in November '06. We were not as lucky with our luggage though. Our two bags together were several kilos over the allowed weight. Our handcarry was over as well. There was literally too much in our hands—a pillow to keep Indie comfortable, a bag of snacks to keep her happy and a toy to keep her entertained during the flight. Then there was her baby bag containing several servings of milk, water, diapers and change of clothes. Plus of course my own handbag and Nubs' backpack. Whew!

Look at one of our handcarry bags in the background.

The poor thing fell asleep on our 5:45 am flight.

Indie's lolo's 70th birthday testimonial luncheon.

Trying out the waters of Roxas' Baybay.

The house where Nubs grew up, now a school.

Tourists in Roxas City. From T to B: the Provincial
Capitolyo, Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Plaza.

Still, we were not discouraged. We brought Indie with us to Boracay 3 months after, before she turned 2. This time there was a new point for deliberation, the choice of hotel. We found no difficulty in finding a place that met our toddler's requirements: a pool so she can bathe in peace without fear of waves; a hot shower and an air-conditioner that really work; and a beachfront location or somewhere close but not too busy and on the quiet side. Getting there, the overweight luggage came as no surprise and therefore not an issue anymore. The actual surprise came from Indie herself who, upon setting foot on the island, began to act like a small adult, maybe trying to be grown-up like my sister Pie who came with us. She walked from station to station like a big girl, dined like a 10-year old and behaved the whole time like she was a lot older than her age. She was totally game! The only downside being the absence of a night life. Our evenings were limited to dinner and dessert as it was our young companion's only time to rest. Over all, it was our best out-of-town trip with our little girl so far.

Walking the walk in Bora.

Thank goodness she's not afraid of the water!

Trying to sunbathe just before the sunset.

Family souvenir shot.

Coffee with the girls at Cafe del Sol, D'mall.

Feeling Bora's fine white sand.

Dinner at Cyma, D'Mall on our last night.

Sand, sand still on our last day.

Given Indie's new level of "maturity", we thought it was time to bring her out of the country. Our next destination... Beijing.

Coming up in my next post.