Traveling with Grandchildren in the Far East!

We are now on Phu Quoc Island just off the island of Vietnam and Cambodia. My husband and I are traveling with our son's family and his friend. We had 4 children in tow....10, 8, 4 and 4. We are staying a resort called Cassia Cottages. There is no TV nor is there a "recreational director" to amuse the children. This resort is rated #2 on Trip Advisor for the island. I can see why. Everything is really, really perfect!

I am not as experienced at this type of travel as my son's family is so I did expected there to be some difficulties. Food choices, things for children to keep them happy and a general need for entertainment seemed to lurk as possible obstacles to be over come. As it turns out, there are no problems. The reason may be that these people know how to pull this off without a hitch. Here are some things that I have observed.

Sharing a two bedroom suite with another family makes things very affordable
An ipad for each child fills enough of the time that they do not miss TV.
Food is very tasty and everyplace we have visited from Sapa to Phu Quoc has American things on the menu.
Trading off for "child care" time between our group allows everyone some "adult time".
Trip Advisor provided information about "family friendly" resorts.
Food here is so cheap that we have eaten exotic food without wincing when we looked at the tap.
Children are very strong, resilient and willing to partake in adventures. These children walked through the rice paddies in Sapa for 6+ k and didn't miss a beat.
People here love children so even children that are noisy are not a problem

We celebrated Christmas morning with a cup of green tea. The children opened stocking filled with simple things like bubble bath, M&Ms and playdough. They were such a simple beautiful things and they were thrilled.

Merry Christmas everyone. I hope your day is as joyful as ours has been.

Comments

Five Little Ducks...stories played out!

The children's song about the little ducks leaving the nest to fly away has always been one of my favorites. Every mother has seen their babies fly away and rejoiced. Life comes full circle. Animals live that same cycle. Babies grow up. Birds leave the nest. Life goes on. So when the three ducks show up every year near my patio I am not surprised. But I am puzzled that it always seems to be the same three. Something just doesn't seem right. It appears the one did not fly away at all. Five little ducks Went out to play Over the hills and far away. The mommy duck went "quack, quack quack," Four little ducks came swimming back... And then Three Two and One. A drake, a female duck (a hen) and a not quite a drake but still not a hen gather here on the 5th green of the golf course. She leads and the other two follow along obediently. They eat, sleep, and guard each other. Each and every day this time of year they come. I have not named them. Jinxing them would be very pos...

How to be a Snowbird in 2024

Early years in RV resort! Our motor home is parked next to our first Park Model When it begins to cool in the evenings and the geese fly in formation, my mind turns to Arizona. Yearning for the desert air and vibrant blue sky is compel me to fly away. I do it every year and will as long as I am allowed. Townhome near Tucson's Pantano Wash and bike trail. We started this way of life when we retired. First with a fifth-wheel trailer, later with a motor home, and finally in something permanent that evolved over the years. First, it was a park model in an RV Resort, then a townhouse close to walking trails, and finally into a home on a small golf course. Congress Hotel from window of near by hotel. Each time we moved, we upscaled and increased our monetary wealth. That is the way our mind works. It is as though we couldn't just have fun without working a lot. We painted and planted flowers and haunted thrift stores to find just the right furniture. We were always hav...

How to be a 12 Month Snow Bird

Vacation Rental in Mexico I live around snowbirds 6 months of the year. I have heard those people say that they all want to live the "snowbird" lifestyle when they go home. But it just is not possible. They are isolated and cold. Social activities with friends and beautiful weather are greatly missed when they return to the realities of their "real" life. One couple I visited with lately returned to Florida this morning where they own a home. The woman is a nurse and works in the summer. They are not going home until May this year. It is too cold in Michigan in the spring so they are hoping to extend their good weather season by simply staying away. Besides that they love their Florida lifestyle a lot. Last week I visited with a woman that lives the snowbird lifestyle year around. No going home to the Midwest in the spring. They essentially vacation 12 month out of the year. And I thought their solution for avoiding unpleasant weather and keeping their lifestyle in...

Retire In Style Blog Too

Search This Blog