Tuesday, 10 March 2015

What Medicine To Take When Traveling with Kids



The first time I traveled by plane with my firstborn was when she was just a month shy of turning a year old. It was just 1, 5 hour flight to Singapore but the preparation I did took me days. Packing for a baby is exhausting really. Even going for a check up to the doctors seems a huge task. I always worry about them being sick abroad. So I always take very careful time to pack their medicine.


Once before landing at Hong Kong International airport my son catches a fever. He had a cold and we knew it was nothing serious but knowing Hong Kong the authorities there will have asked to you to leave once you set foot there. SARS has been their nightmare and letting people in with a fever is a big no no. So I was glad that I bought Sanmol Syrup(Paracetamol) with me. He was healthy again the next day all the way until we arrived back home.


So my routine before going on a holiday abroad is to pay a visit our pediatrician and ask for medicines to take with us. I suggest every parent to do the same. You never know what will happen so it’s better to be prepared.


We never forget to bring this every time we travel and of course a reliable travel insurance is a must:



1. Apyalis Syrup ( Vitamin)
2. Alco plus (Flu+cough)
3. Sanmol (Fever)
4. Ibuprofen (Fever, I combine this with Sanmol/Paracetamol)
5. Stesolid (Seizure prevention)


Hong Kong Disneyland



As a little girl, watching Disney movies was my favorite pass time. So you could imagine what it meant going to Disneyland to a Disney lover like me. Back then the nearest Disneyland was in Paris, and was still under construction. Since I moved quite a lot, when it was time of the opening my parents gave me the bad news, which was moving time AGAIN! BUT wait…the city we were heading was the location for the only Disneyland in Asia at the time, Tokyo Disneyland! Yeeeaayyy…even though it took me a long time, I finally went in my high school year. Magic Mountain was the main attraction for me and my brothers. I have the pictures of us back then but I’ll have to go to my parent’s house first and then later share it with you.

Anyway, I had med school after that so I had to put all my dreaming behind. Everything changes after I had my little girl though. Times have changed as well, now we have Disney Channel and Miley Cyrus apparently. So when the time comes for us to go on a vacation, guess where we're heading? Yes! Disneyland! No need to go back to Japan for that, Hong Kong is slightly closer. The second Disneyland Park in Asia.

Let’s talk about that now. Hong Kong Disneyland is about 5 hours by plane ride  from Jakarta. We booked the tickets about 3 months in advance; prices could get pretty low for early birds. My girl was just 3,5 years old and my boy was just 1,5 years old. Some people thinks it’s too young for them to remember, but in our case, this only happen for my boy. My little girl still remembers the time she was playing with the fairies on the parade. She asks to go again next year because of it.

From arriving at The Disneyland Hotel and being treated to Disney Movies in the waiting area while the parents check in was a treat for them and moi hehehe. The ambience of the lobby was great, very classic Cinderella. The service was so fast, efficient and friendly. We had a room overlooking the swimming pool and they provided a cot for my boy, even though we didn’t ask for it. I think it was very thoughtful of them. 
Main Entrance

Waiting area by the check in desk

Our double room


We took a taxi with the help of the concierge to have dinner at Citygate Outlet. It was only about 15 minute drive, very close from the hotel. There you can find Food Temptation and many branded outlets and also a convenient store below.

We start our day with breakfast at the Enchanted Garden, this is really is a must when staying here, because you’ll have private photos taken with the characters like Mickey Mouse, Daisy Duck, Goofy and Pluto. No need to find them because they will go to each table and say hi to you. They have a special person to help you with your camera, so need to worry just smile and say cheeseeee….!!!  
Entrance to Enchanted Garden

Everything Mickey here...!

With The One and Only Mickey Mouse
 Then is off to Disneyland we took the the shuttle bus from the hotel to the park. Because The Disneyland Hotel is the first stop, we had a lot of seats available. But not to worry though even if it gets full, they have so many shuttles running every 3-5 minutes. We arrived at the parking lot situated next to the Disneyland train/MTR station. If you didn’t stay at the hotels here then, this is where you will end up. From here you are greeted with the famous Disneyland green gate. Having entered the gate, you will have to walk about 20m to the Mickey Mouse Fountain; from there you buy your tickets or if you already have them like us from the hotel, then just go through a security check and through the door.
Start queuing here

Inside the shuttle

You can hear the music from here

The Surfer Mickey Fountain
From here your adventure begin, first thing first, you must take a Disneyland map or if you already have them look through the location of different attractions and time schedule for shows and character appearances and their location. We decided to go through shops at Main Street all the way towards Fantasyland, ride Dumbo the flying elephant, spins with the Mad Hatter Cups, watch The Golden Mickey Show and the cool off inside the It’s a small world castle. After having lunch at The Main Corner Cafe we decided to watch The Lion King Show at Adventureland and then off to Toystoryland for a Slinky Dog ride. We cooled off playing water canon at Grizzly Gulch.
The Snow White Castle

Dumbo the flying elephant

Golden Mickey show in Chinese though

Kids Menu at Corner Cafe

Then comes the time to watch the Flights of Fantasy Parade, make sure you arrive early so you can seat in front. I believe the best spot is in front of Main Corner Cafe. Children will have more chances at getting picked to dance with the characters or dancers. For my little girl this is actually her best and most unforgettable experience.

Dumbo Leads the parade


My daughter's unforgettable moment

The perks of sitting in front

After the parade we look around Tommorowland for a picture with Mr. Buzzlightyear, my son’s favorite character and ride the Orbitron. We waited for the 8 o’clock firework show but last minute the rain just couldn’t be stopped and showered us hard. We took cover at one of the shops in Main street and decided to buy raincoats so that we can walk out towards the shuttle.Well, even though it ended with rain but we had an amazing time.

Orbitron

Mr. Buzz Lightyear to the rescue

Before the storm

In the words of Mr. Walt Disney...If you can dream it then you can do it...see you later Disney Lovers!

Monday, 9 March 2015

Traveling with my kids

Traveling with the whole family has its ups and downs. It requires plenty of energy and patience of parents. But the satisfaction you get after coming home knowing your children still remember new things they learn from the trip is a joy. I would love to share our experience and hopefully help your family on your next journey. 

What is the first thing I should prepare before travelling? That’s always in mind  before a trip. Paling penting dan yang terutama adalah TUJUAN. Apakah tempat wisata tersebut ‘children friendly’ atau tidak?

Singapore sangat ‘children friendly’ mulai dari airport yang sudah menyediakan stroller buat anak. Toilet khusus buat mommy and baby, this is really a big help when your are traveling by yourself. Ada tempat menidurkan bayi kita, gantungan buat diaper bag sehingga mommy juga dengan leluasa menggunakan toilet. Buat yang membawa toddler, mereka juga bisa menggunakan toilet in their size (kalau yang ini kayaknya udah mulai ada dibeberapa mall ‘childrenfriendly’ di Jakarta. 

Hampir semua jalanan di Singapore sangat stroller friendly. MRT station juga demikian, ini yang agak beda dengan Hongkong. Di Singapore semua MRT Station yang kami lalui ada entrance/exit khusus untuk wheelchair yang berfungsi juga agar kami yang membawa anak dengan stroller dengan mudah melewati. Kadang ini yang bikin pusing kalau ditempat yang tidak punya fasilitas demikian karena berarti anak harus dipeluk, stroller dilipat dan bawaan otomatis harus ditenteng sendiri. Just thinking about again makes me sweat hehehhe. 

Kalau tempat wisata juga lumayan banyak yaa, like Universal Studios Singapore (USS), Gardens by the Bay, Singapore Flyer and Singapore Zoo. Tapi kalo yang terakhir menurut saya pribadi lebih bagus Bali Safari and Marine Park karena binatangnya lebih banyak and  its just like in their natural environment, Singapore is so man made. This is my personal opinion yaa. Belum lagi antrian di Singapore Zoo….ya ampuuuun dech luar biasa panjangnya. Antri taxi juga wow..!

Hongkong is a little challenge except Disneyland of course..! Seperti yang saya cerita diatas, MTR di Hongkong banyak yang tidak stroller friendly, entrance/exitnya single person aja bahkan elevatornya juga tiny banget. Sambil gendong si kecil dan bawa diaper bagnya sambil menarik stroller yg sudah dilipat itu sesuatu banget dech. Apalagi kalau anaknya lagi tidur. Tapi karena Hongkong is my shopping heaven then I can put all my ache and pain behind hehehehe. Rela aja gitu gotong-gotong anak sambil bawa belanjaan. Lebih enak lagi waktu anakku  masih bisa pake baby carrier. Setiap keluarga yang suka travelling kayaknya harus berinvestasi membeli baby carier yang bagus and can carry up to 25kg seperti Ergobaby 360.

Kuala Lumpur is also a nice city to go with your children. Tapi memang tempat wisata buat anak-anak tidak banyak, harus ke Genting atau ke Johor Bahru. Kuala Lumpur sendiri untuk a little escape sih worth it kok menurutku. Visiting the twin towers, nongkrong diparknya lumayan refreshing. 

For now, this is all I can share hope to write more which means 'mari menabung' buat suami tercinta.

Tips saya untuk travelling with kids:
  • Cari ticket dari jauh-jauh hari agar bisa dapat harga bagus, untuk Singapore and Kuala Lumpur try Lufthansa, KLM and Air France, karena mereka sering memberi promo tickets to those destinations.
  • Hotel kalau kami biasanya hanya lewat www.booking.com  and www.agoda.com
  • Bawa stroller yang ringan dan mudah dilipat, kami pernah menggunakan Quinny Zapp tapi lebih prefer MacLaren Volo yang lebih ringan. Jangan lupa membawa penutup plastiknya/ raincover, sangat berguna jika cuaca tidak bersahabat. Jika naik pesawat stroller di drop didepan pintu pesawat dan akan di kembalikan setibanya ditujuan. Tapi ada beberapa airport/airline yang pengambilannya di conveyor belt bersama bagasi.
  •  Sebelum packing bikin list dulu agar tidak ada yang terlupakan. Kalau saya biasanya membawa plastik vacuum yang saya beli di ACE Hardware, lumayan untuk menghemat ruang dikoper. Apalagi saat pulang dengan begitu banyaknya baju kotor.
  • Kalau bawa anak sebaiknya orang tua membawa jas hujan, ini akan memudahkan kita tetap beraktifitas. Kami memakai jas hujan yang dibeli di Hongkong Disneyland, setiap toko didalam menjualnya. 
  • Must do a lot of research, banyak browsing, or nanya diforum pengalaman orang lain juga sangat membantu.
  • Have the right mind set and always positive thinking, ini penting disaat capek, anak rewel or saat hujan hehehe
  • Last but not least, try and have tons of fun…..Happy travelling..!!

Setiap take off/landing biasakan si kecil
minum susu/mengunyah untuk mengurangi
tekanan ditelinga mereka.
Disneyland Hongkong


Seeing their happy faces is everything.

Terpesona dengan si Elmo

Tetap happy walau cuaca kurang mendukung

Petronas Twin Towers

Singapore Zoo

Disneyland, is definitely for the young and the young at heart