After 6 months of travelling around Southeast Asia with kids, I would like to share my experiences with you. This is the info I wished I had when planning for our trip and I know it will help you plan yours. You see, Southeast Asia with kids is easy if you know-how. Taking an extended trip with your family is easy too if you know-how.
Meet our Family
Firstly, let me paint you a picture of us. My husband and I were big travellers pre-kids. We backpacked all over the world on extended trips. Our plan usually involved working for a few months, and saving all the money we could, then quitting our jobs and heading off for 6 months to a year of travel. Since we started reproducing these trips changed into 2-week vacations for the most part, as with kids seems to come mortgages and more and more commitments.
Somehow amongst all that we had an opportunity to travel around Australia for a year in a caravan with our 3 kids under 4. This showed us that long-term travel with kids was possible!
We got Itchy Feet
5 years and an extra child later, we decided to recreate the trip around southeast Asia that we had done as fresh backpackers in 2004. Sort of anyway. So we scrimped and saved, sold our car and our much-loved caravan, rented out our house and put everything else into storage.
We quit our jobs, bought one-way tickets to Bali and here we are, still going strong 6 months on with our 4 kids who are aged 2, 6, 7, and 9. Follow us on Facebook or Instagram to see more of us.
Where to Go
Southeast Asia is the area of Asia as far south and west as Indonesia, east to the Philippines, north to the border of China.
- Indonesia
- Thailand
- Laos
- Vietnam
- Cambodia
- Philippines
- Malaysia
- Myanmar
- Singapore
- Brunei
When planning your trip have a close look at the map and you can see a perfect path to travel overland between many of these countries, or to save time (and sometimes money too) you can opt to fly between centres.
Sample Itinerary
For us, our 6 months with our 4 young kids looked like this:
- One month in Bali – Uluwatu, Canggu, Amed, Sidemen and Ubud
- Flight from Denpasar to Phuket
- One month in Thailand’s south – Khao Lak, Ao Nang, Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi, and Phuket
- Flight from Phuket to Siem Reap, Cambodia
- One month getting to know Siem Reap
- Flight from Siem Reap to Bangkok
- A week in Bangkok, then flight to Chiang Mai
- Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai for 3 weeks
- Flight to Hanoi, Vietnam
- Hanoi, Sapa, Halong Bay, Hoi An and Da Nang over 6 weeks
- Flight from Da Nang to Kuala Lumpur
- 6 weeks in Malaysia
Overland Path
An epic overland trip would look more like this. This would be better suited if your kids are older than ours, and can carry their own packs:
- Arrive into Singapore
- Head north along the west coast of Malaysia – Malacca, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi
- Cross the border into Thailand (this border crossing can be dodgy so with kids, I recommend flying from Langkawi into Phuket instead)
- Spend a month exploring the islands of Thailand’s south
- Fly from Phuket to Cambodia – either Siem Reap or Phnom Penh
- One month exploring Cambodia
- Fly to Bangkok and head north
- Cross into Laos and catch the 2-day slow boat down the Mekong to Luang Prabang
- Fly from Vientianne to Hanoi
- Overland from Hanoi to Hoi Chi Minh
When to Go to Southeast Asia
If you are going for an extended length of time, there is no right or wrong time to go. You just have to go when you are ready. Our 6-month trip went from March until September.
We have had the hottest weather in South Thailand, Siem Reap and Hanoi, the monsoon season in Vietnam, and the major summer holidays for Chinese and Vietnamese.
But it didn’t matter. If we were here in peak season, we would instead have bigger tourist crowds and more expensive accommodation costs.
Have a look at some of our country-specific weather posts here which outline each place’s peak and off-peak travel periods:
What Age Kids are Best?
Each child has their ups and downs when travelling. Mister 9 misses his friends the most, and I suspect this will get worse as he gets older. Mister 7 is probably the most cruisy of the lot. Miss 5 is at a delicate age as this is her prep year, and I have to teach her to read and write! Little Miss 2 is definitely at the most difficult age for travel. But having said that, 2-year-olds are difficult by their very nature. She would be challenging if we were at home too, but she would be better at sleeping and have a routine in place.
Visas
The most important consideration when planning your trip is how long you can spend in each country either with a visa or visa-free. We are from Australia, but these rules apply to passport holders of major western countries too.
- Indonesia – Visa waiver 30 days (Bali Visa Requirements)
- Malaysia – Visa-free 90 days
- Thailand – Visa-free 30 days (Visa Requirements Thailand)
- Vietnam – Visa for 30 or 90 days (How to get Visa for Vietnam)
- Cambodia – Visa for 30 days (How to get your e-Visa for Cambodia)
- The Philippines – Visa waiver 30 days
- Laos – e-Visa or Visa on Arrival 30 days
- Singapore – Visa-free 90 days
- Myanmar – e-Visa 28 days
- Brunei – Visa on arrival 14 days
Proof of Onward Travel
Many countries require proof of onward travel on entry too. This seems to be mainly the airlines who ask to see proof though, as they will be responsible for a return flight if you don’t get let in.
To get around having to book an onward flight if you are unsure of your plans, we recommend these options:
- Book a fully refundable flight with a carrier such as Singapore Airlines
- Use Expedia as they sell flights that you can cancel within 24 hours
- Don’t book anything and wait until asked and then hurriedly book something at the airport before departure
Passports
All countries require you to have at least 6 months of validity left on your passport. This is a non-negotiable and I have seen people denied boarding as their passport only had 5 months and 20 days left.
Protect your passports in a family passport wallet such as this one is a godsend. I love having them all in the one place with room for other essentials such as spare credit cards, cash and a pen.
Keeping in Touch
Every hotel, Airbnb, restaurant, cafe and fast food joint has free wifi. I also recommend you bring an unlocked phone and buy a local sim card in each country. These will cost between $5 – $10 to set up with around 5G of data and unlimited calls and can be easily topped up at convenience stores.
Getting Around Southeast Asia with Kids
We have found using 12GoAsia to be invaluable when planning transport around Southeast Asia. Here you can compare prices across all the below transport options, view timetables and book.
Flying
Flights are cheap with Air Asia and this can be a great way to travel around Southeast Asia with kids. It definitely saves time, and airfares are super cheap. You will have to pay extra for your luggage though.
Bus
Long-distance buses are great for travel around Asia. I personally max out my bus trips to around 4 hours. The buses do not often have a toilet, but they will make refreshment stops. Malaysia has the best bus service.
Private Minivan
We used these a lot, especially in Bali, Thailand and Vietnam. A private luxury van was the best way to get from Hanoi to Sapa for example. However, in Malaysia, they are just not cost-effective.
Train
Trains can be a great way to travel. I love them with kids as we have extra room to move around, and they are a gimmick too. The overnight trips are comfortable as long as you get a cabin all to yourself (I pay extra to secure 6 beds in a cabin). It is cheaper combining travel and accommodation all in one.
It’s also great not to have to worry about the crazy highways in some countries (such as Vietnam). However, the train does not always get you to exactly where you want. Some great train journeys in Southeast Asia with kids are:
- Bangkok to Chiang Mai
- Hanoi to Da Nang (and Hoi An)
- Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh (and Cameron Highlands)
Boats
If you are island hopping or travelling down the Mekong, you may need to catch a boat. These options are also found on 12GoAsia. For small kids, it is advisable to bring your own lifejackets.
Ferries from Phuket to the islands, from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, and from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang are some excellent trips you can do by boat.
Taxis
Locally, getting the Grab app and using the app to order and pay for your taxis is the cheapest and easiest way to get around. This is basically Asian Uber. They have options for motorbike taxis (great for solo trips), normal-sized cars (just Grab) and 6 seater cars (Grab plus). They also deliver food too!
Download the app before leaving home, and get a local SIM card in your airport arrivals hall in each country to make life very easy.
Other taxis abound, just make sure they turn the meter on. We had problems in Bangkok with drivers not wanting to use their meters which was frustrating.
Tuk-Tuks
In Bangkok, and Siem Reap, Tuk-Tuks are the preferred transport options. They are cheap and fun to travel in. In Siem Reap, short journeys around town only cost $1 and they easily fit the 6 of us in. In Bangkok, the fares are more expensive and you have to bargain hard. And the traffic can be pretty heavy so travelling long distances in the fumes might not be that fun.
Renting a Car
This can be a viable option for getting around the place. Cars are cheaper in some places than others. Thailand is cheaper than Malaysia for example. And you wouldn’t drive in Vietnam because the highway is just too crazy.
We hired a car for a week and explored Chaing Mai to Chiang Rai, and it was awesome!
We also hired a car in Malaysia which was the best experience!
You will need an International Driver’s Permit to hire a car in Southeast Asia.
Motorcycles
Hiring a motorbike is a fun way to get around. We have done it in Bali and Thailand too. It is perfectly legal here to ride around with as many kids as you need to fit, helmets or not. Know the risks and don’t be an idiot.
Please make sure you are covered for travel insurance and be incredibly careful of hazards such as monkeys and chickens. We only travel at a super slow pace, and only in really quiet places.
Bicycles
Some places are easy to explore via bicycle. We had bikes in Chiang Mai, Tam Coc and Hoi An. The bikes will usually have a back luggage rack which is perfect for a small child. (Just watch out they don’t get their foot stuck in the spokes as ours did).
Walking
This is the best way to discover a new city. Beware that traffic conditions are not the same as you may be used to. Cross the road with caution. Watch out for motorbikes driving along the sidewalk randomly. The footpath may be non-existent or may have big holes or hazards. Wear closed in shoes, and watch where you tread.
In Vietnam, they drive on the right, everywhere else in Southeast Asia drives on the left.
Safety in Southeast Asia for Kids
The People
The locals in Southeast Asia are so friendly and love kids. We get so much more interaction with people thanks to travelling with children. And because 4 children is an oddity in Asia, that doubles the attention we get.
The craziest interactions though were in Cambodia. All of the Chinese tourists at Angkor Wat were clamouring to take photos of our kids. They didn’t ask permission and would grab the kids’ arms and try to drag them in for a photo. Not cool. They would make my kids cry!
The girls got very good at saying ‘no touching’ after many attempts to pat them on the head. And miss 6 with her curls is especially great at ducking out of the way, just in time.
Travel Vaccinations
Getting your kids up to date with their normal vaccination schedule is imperative when travelling here. That means making sure they have been dosed with measles, polio and tetanus for a start. The flu shot is advisable for any international travel. Hepatitis A and Typhoid are also highly recommended.
Depending on your trip, your GP may also recommend malaria, and rabies prophylaxis too. See your GP or travel health professional at least 3 months prior to travel.
Check out our detailed articles below:
- Vietnam Vaccination Requirements
- Thailand Vaccination Requirements
- Bali Vaccination Requirements
- Cambodia Vaccination Requirements
Water
Do not drink the water out of the tap in Southeast Asia. Drink only bottled water, and even use this to brush your teeth. To lessen your impact of plastic bottles on the environment, you may want to consider a filtered water bottle such as Lifestraw.
Traveller’s Diarrhoea
We found the kids got sick more frequently when we first started our trip, but since then must have developed some immunity. We have had our share of tummy bugs in 6 months but no more than we would have had if we were at home attending school.
The most important thing is to make sure they don’t suffer from dehydration as a result. We always travel with Gastrolyte or Hydralyte electrolyte replacement. They even come in ice-blocks which are great for younger ones.
Also, taking a pro-biotic for a few months prior to your trip is a great way to protect your gut while travelling.
Mosquitoes
Prevention of mosquito bites is the easiest way to stop the spread of dengue fever and malaria. Cover up, especially at dawn and dusk with long sleeves and long pants. Use a repellant containing DEET (bring one from home), and spray your room before bed with a bug killer spray. Sleep under a mosquito net.
Travel Insurance
You will need to have a comprehensive family travel insurance policy in place. We have our insurance through our Commonwealth Bank credit card. This covers us for up to 12 months, for free, if we book flights on the card.
Doctors and Hospitals
There are International Medical Centres in each destination if you should need them. Some are better than others. And some doctors will make house calls.
I always make note of the nearest one for me, in each new place in case of an emergency. Read the reviews on Trip Advisor and Google. Your hotel receptionist and taxi drivers are also good resources for locating good doctors.
I can personally recommend Dr Cuong in Hoi An.
What to Bring
We have a list of what we packed in the beginning. Our contents have evolved a little as we have gone along though.
Mostly, the climate is going to be hot, with not much respite. We have only pulled out our cardigans in Sapa, Vietnam and one the occasional freezing cold aeroplane trip.
I definitely used my jacket when I ascended the top of the Fansipan Mountain (via cable car) in Sapa. This is Southeast Asia’s highest peak and was cold, wet and misty at the top.
You can buy awesome light cotton clothing all over the place for cheap. I think that buying climate-specific clothes is great. A pair of long light pants and a long-sleeved shirt is great for mosquito protection. Swimwear is definitely important too, including sun protection.
Packing cubes are essential.
Don’t Worry if you Forget Something
Anything you forget to bring is readily available. There are shops everywhere. Suncream and insect repellant are not great though, and super expensive so bring your own. You can easily find nappies, wipes and baby formula, though they may differ from your trusted brands.
Stroller or No?
We started off bringing a compact travel stroller but found there were no footpaths to speak of in many places, so ended up ditching it early on and preferring the baby carrier. Miss 2 is getting a bit heavier now, and the footpaths have been better lately in Malaysia. So it depends on what suits you and your bub.
First-Aid and Medicine
A good medical kit is essential when travelling in Southeast Asia with kids. We have been grateful for ours on more than one occasion. If there is anything you forget or run out of, or find that you need, you can always buy stuff over the counter at the many pharmacies around the place too.
- Paracetamol
- Ibuprofen
- Ondansetron (anti-nausea wafers, from GP)
- Immodium (anti-diarrhoea)
- Norfloxacin (take with Immodium for diarrhoea, from GP)
- Anti-histamine
- Electrolyte replacement sachets and iceblocks
- Betadine
- Nappy rash cream
- Suncream
- Compact travel first aid kit
Luggage
Travelling with only carry-on would be ideal. I just can’t do it. We would save money on flights, and save hassle too. But with 4 kids, I need more luggage than that. We travel with:
- 120L Kathmandu Duffel Bag with wheels (read our review here)
- Mountain Buggy Bagrider (read our review here)
- Tula Toddler Carrier (read the review here)
- And a surfboard (don’t ask)
- Laptop bag (with 3 laptops for school and blogging)
- GoPro (Hero 7 Black)
- Drone (DJi Mavic Air is the most compact drone for travel – read our review)
- Small carry-on bag each
Fun Things to Do in Southeast Asia with Kids
This is such a fun destination. It is nice and cheap, so your dollar definitely goes further here. Which is why we are able to spend at least 6 months travelling with a family of 6. There are not many places you can achieve this.
Some of our most fun things to do with kids are detailed in these posts:
- Bangkok with Kids
- Hanoi with Kids
- Vietnam with Kids
- Siem Reap for Kids
- Malaysia for Kids
Also, check out:
- Kidzania, Bangkok
- Elephant Sanctuary, Chiang Mai
- Finn’s Recreation Club, Bali
- Waterbom Bali (coming soon)
- Artbox, Siem Reap
- Legoland Malaysia
- Ba Na Hills, Hoi An
- Ho Tay Water Park, Hanoi
- Ice Skating in Hanoi
Accommodation in Southeast Asia with Kids
With 4 kids, I will be the first to admit that finding somewhere to stay has been challenging at times. Sticking to our budget of $50 per night was easy except for in Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok where we had to spend more like $100.
Hotels
Family rooms on most hotel booking sights such as Booking.com are really aimed at 2 adults and 2 kids. But you can sometimes find listings which have the capacity for extra beds, or a mattress on the floor.
At a pinch, we have stayed in these rooms with 2 double beds and put our compact hiking mattress on the floor for miss 5 to sleep on. Or look for a room with a couch.
Favourite Hotels in Thailand for kids
- Little Bear’s Home, Chiang Mai Old Town, Thailand. Cute family rooms in an awesome location close to excellent restaurants and street markets. Heaps of stuffed teddy bears in the room. The family room had 2 king beds and a couch.
- D & D Inn, Khao San Road, Bangkok. Family room with 2 double beds. Avoid the rooms in the street wing as they are super noisy. Fantastic rooftop pool with views across to the Grand Palace.
- Sanctuary Lanta, Long Island, Koh Lanta, Thailand. Very low key budget a/c huts right on the impeccable white sand of Long Beach. The best beach on Koh Lanta!
Favourite Hotels in Cambodia for kids
- Naga Gate Boutique Hotel, Siem Reap, Cambodia. This place was so beautiful we stayed for 2 weeks! Stunning interconnecting rooms with rich timber floors and the comfiest beds in Southeast Asia. Excellent breakfast included by the luxury swimming pool.
- Neth Socheata Hotel, Siem Reap, Cambodia. This place was a great budget stay, right in the heart of town, hidden in a stylish alleyway. Breakfast included too!
Favourite Hotels in Vietnam for kids
- Golden Palm Villa, Hoi An, Vietnam. This is 1 km from the Ancient Town, but has free bicycles, a lovely pool, delicious breakfast and heaps of eateries nearby. A Family room has 2 big beds, and extra beds are available.
- Hotel de la Coupole, Sapa, Vietnam. the most beautifully decorated hotel I have ever seen taking pride of place in Sapa with endless valley views. Even if you don’t stay here, go up and have a cocktail at the rooftop bar.
- Hotel Muong Thanh, DaNang, Vietnam. Awesome sea view apartments in this perfectly located highrise.
Airbnb
Airbnb has been very useful in Asia. We have been finding more often that listings are duplicated on both Booking.com and Airbnb with different prices too! So it is important to check both. If you haven’t joined Airbnb yet, use this invitation link and you will get a decent discount off your first night’s stay.
We love Airbnb because we can usually get enough beds for all of us for the same price as a hotel room. They also have a kitchen and laundry, saving you money on food and washing. And they will usually offer discounts on week and month-long stays.
Favourite Airbnbs in Thailand for kids
- Baansuan Farmstay in Ao Nang, Thailand was one of our favourites, though it may not please everyone. 2 bedrooms in a traditional thatched farmhouse complete with giant geckos, cats, and baby goats set in a gorgeous tropical garden. The owner is kind and helpful and makes a delicious breakfast each morning. It is a couple of km from the beach, so you will need to hire scooters.
- In Chaing Mai, you have to stay at Rakang House. A beautiful space with 4 king beds in a cute and stylish neighborhood. Free bikes and great coffee nearby made us stay for ages.
Favourite Airbnbs in Bali for kids
- Just outside of Ubud, Bali, you will find this beauty – Teman Home. It is about 20 minutes to town but the owner who lives downstairs will drive you anywhere. Meals available and breakfast is included.
Favourite Airbnbs in Vietnam for kids
- The best place for a bigger group in Hanoi, Vietnam, KemKay Homestay is the best location and the comfiest beds you can possibly find. Loved it.
- This Beachfront Condo with Views for Days is in Da Nang, Vietnam. On the 29th floor, you can see the whole city and the beach too.
Favourite Airbnbs in Malaysia for kids
- In Kuala Lumpur, stay at this stylish apartment which is walking distance to everything in Bukit Bintang including the famous food street Jalan Alor. You can see the Petronas Towers from your loungeroom! And the view from the rooftop jacuzzi is even better.
- Silverscape Apartments is the best place to stay in Malacca, Malaysia with awesome views across the Malacca Strait. The Elements Mall is right next door and features a movie theatre and indoor playground.
Money in Southeast Asia
When travelling for a long time, you need to have a budget in place. For our budget, we aim for around $100 – $150 AUD per day for everything. If we blow the budget by say, doing an overnight Halong Bay cruise, then we will spend a quiet few days not doing much and self-catering.
How Much Money do You Need?
We sold our car and caravan, saved as much cash as we could, and rented out our house in order to afford this trip.
We quit our jobs, but you may have other ways around this such as long-service leave, maternity leave, or leave without pay. You might be lucky enough to have a job you can take with you. The wifi connection is quite excellent and reliable all over Southeast Asia.
We Spent…
In trying to have as much fun for as cheap as possible, we have spent around $25,000 AUD in 6 months which is closer to $1000 per week.
We believe in having a good time too, so we have a few beers and visit the attractions. We catch taxis around, and occasionally splash out on a flash dinner.
In cities, you will spend more, and flying around costs more too. Tours will set you back a bit, but if you use online booking agents such as GetYourGuide or Klook to book, these can save you money on tours and admission costs.
Price of Food and Beer
Food is cheap in Southeast Asia for kids and adults. In places like Thailand, the street food is amazing and only sets you back a couple of dollars to feed the whole family! Right now we are in an apartment in Malaysia where we do a lot of self-catering with vegetables, eggs and rice.
Beer is the cheapest in Cambodia and Vietnam by far. I’m talking about $0.50 cents per beer. Bintangs in Bali cost around $2 – $3 from the convenience store, and in Thailand, they are more like $4 from a 7-Eleven. In Malaysia, the taxes are extreme so beers are the same price as Australia. $7 for a tallie from a convenience store or $3 for a small can.
Different Currencies
ATMs are our favourite way to get cash out, we never use money exchange. However, some machines charge hefty fees. Thailand ATMs added $10 to each transaction! To avoid this we have an ING Orange Everyday Visa Debit card which refunds international ATM fees (under conditions) Check it out.
Here are some important posts detailing the money situation in some of the countries we have visited so far:
- Currency in Cambodia
- Money in Thailand
- What you need in Bali
- Money in Malaysia
Food in Southeast Asia for Kids
I thought after 6 months here, that our kids would be loving Nasi Goreng or Green Curry. But, I was wrong. They have tried things, but haven’t been super into Asian dishes at all.
Finding Western Food
Luckily, at most restaurants, you are able to order some sort of Western food. Wood-fired pizzas are very popular across the region, and you can usually get french fries and burgers too.
Well-known chains such as McDonalds, Burger King and KFC can be found if you are desperate. (No McDonalds in Cambodia though).
Our kids also loved the toasted ham and cheese sandwiches at 7-Eleven convenience stores in Thailand.
Get Breakfast Included
We have found that getting a place with breakfast included is super helpful when travelling with kids. Or find an Airbnb with a kitchen, and buy some cereal. We also know that after a big day of sightseeing, our kids are not keen on going to another restaurant for dinner. If we self cater, we can usually buy pasta, or rice, eggs, corn and broccoli. There are heaps of fresh fruit vendors.
Get it Delivered!
Another option for dining in is to order dinner on your phone and have it delivered to your door via the Grab app (the same taxi one, available all over Asia) or Food Panda (Thailand and Malaysia).
Homeschooling the Kids as we Travel
After discussions with our kids’ class teachers, we have devised an educational plan for them which is based on the Australian Curriculum.
We have to teach our 6, 7 and 9-year-olds as we go and we try to spend an hour each morning, every morning doing school work.
Homeschooling Resources
- Signpost Maths books for their year level
- New Wave Literacy
- New Wave Maths Mentals
- Reading Eggs Workbooks
- Blank white paper and pens
Online resources – we have the paid versions of these but most offer a free trial and free version:
- Maths Online paid memberships
- Reading Eggs online paid membership for Miss 6
- Study Ladder paid membership
- Minecraft Homeschool subscription
We actually found we finished all the workbooks easily after 6 months so now we are just doing revision. One of the projects we enjoy doing is researching each country we visit, learning some basic language, and currency conversion.
This should keep all the kids up to the curriculum at home so that when we do settle back into mainstream school again next year, they will be on track.
The Best Bits of Longterm Travel with Kids
We definitely have become closer as a family. Our trip through Southeast Asia with kids has meant we get to spend every minute of every day together (see also the bad bits). Our little one has enjoyed playing with her siblings all day long, instead of them leaving her all day to attend school.
We have seen southeast Asia through their eyes, and been happy to visit all the water parks and theme parks we come across! It has been so much fun!
I know deeply the strengths and weakness in the kids’ learning. And it has been a pleasure watching them grow as people, from shy little guys to confident and friendly little people now. They get so much interaction with locals over here.
Minimalism and Gratitude
Living and existing with minimal items has made us appreciate what we do have. This will definitely overflow to our lives back at home. We are no longer going to fill rooms with things we don’t need.
Our family has also learnt to be grateful for what we have, for where we are from, for each other and our beautiful country Australia too. We are so privileged to be in the top 1% of the population who actually have the means to do a trip like this. And we appreciate it.
The Bad Bits
There are definitely some bad times too. Miss 2 has plenty of public meltdowns when things don’t go her way. Routine is fairly out of the window, as each day is different to the one before. The kids stay up too late at night. They don’t eat enough vegetables, and they drink soft drink way too often.
And spending all day every day together can be hard too. You literally don’t get a break. We have had to find creative ways to snatch some ‘couple time’ too! The challenges of having a sex life with 4 kids anyway are multiplied when on the road.
Homeschooling is hard. Everybody needs to be motivated to make it successful, and that ain’t always the case.
Anxiety
I worry about them constantly. Going missing, getting kidnapped, sickness and injury. So they are always getting nagged when we are out and about. And anxiety makes me cranky.
The Verdict – Is Southeast Asia for Kids?
If you can do it, 6 months in Southeast Asia with kids is an epic adventure. It has changed our life! We have had so much fun travelling as a family. We knew we could do it thanks to our past holidays. But actually taking the plunge and re-visiting our favourite places of our pre-children life has been amazing!
6 months is a perfect amount of time, as it will allow you a month in each country, slow travelling your way around. Sometimes we spend 2 weeks in a place, just because it has a good feel and a comfy bed.
Time to go Home
But now, our travels are winding down. We are conscious of money stocks dwindling, and we need some cash to set ourselves back up when we go back to Australia. After this amount of time, you start to miss home and your people.
I have had enough of being a teacher. The kids have probably had enough of me too. And I miss my coffee machine and being able to cook an awesome steak on the Weber.
We probably have another 2 months or so left in Southeast Asia with kids, and then we will begin the journey home. Until the next time!
Luke drayson
Hi,
I really enjoyed reading your families blog! What an epic adventure and just the type of thing we wanted to hear after lots of disapproving comments from family and friends.
We’re a family of 4 with children who will be aged 6 and 4 by the time we are hoping to travel at the end of this year, the main concern about South East Asia was to make sure the children are kept healthy as possible and the potential for dengue is kept low, on your travels other than tummy bugs (which we always seem to have in the UK anyway!) were you all kept in pretty good health on the road? Your itenary looks like you had lots of downtime along the way, definately want to make sure we’re travelling at the right pace for them. Anyway, thanks for posting! Here’s to many more travels along the way.