CONTRIBUTED BY MEREDITH NOVARIO
I have spent some of my hottest and fullest days in Thailand. But those were single days. Husband-less and child-less. So I am not a real help for this next question. Although there is lots to do on foot in Bangkok I just didn’t have my parent vision then so I can’t confidently recommend much.
How about you?
I’m starting to plan a family trip to Thailand. I have a daughter who is almost three. We are a pretty adventurous family and have already traveled to Mexico and the Caribbean with her. I am looking for recommendations for family friendly locations in Thailand… Which cities did you enjoy? What hotels were family friendly? Which sites in particular are “must sees”?
Lucia – How did you go about finding your private guide?
Hi, Lucia. I saw your note about staying in Phuket. We also just got a package deal quoted for us staying at the Marriott, with a 3-year old. It it close enough to other activities (ie, elephant rides and some shopping for the mamas)? And, it seemed like the amenities at the Marriott might be more expensive than at other hotels. Was it too expensive? Thanks for your help!
i went to thailand this summer without my kids, but i thought i’d throw in just a few tips. my biggest concern with kids would be the public restrooms, which can be a little daunting. bring your own tp, as it is often not available. we were also very glad to have bug spray. bangkok is huge and traffic can be a real problem. i would highly recommend ayutthaya, the ancient capital. it was very peaceful and you can take an elephant ride around the ruins.
A few more things. Plan your trip during one of the “cooler” months like November, December, or January. And also, travel light. Laundry is pretty inexpensive and can be done quickly in the hotels (their in-house laundry services or sent out). If you need a stroller, don’t bring a big one…there aren’t a lot of sidewalks outside of Bangkok and even in Bangkok they are crowded! We did spend a few days in Bangkok, but it was the King’s birthday so many things were either very crowded or shut down. Not the easiest city to navigate with children (but I am sure our experience was also affected by the holiday crowds).
I could (and perhaps will) write a whole post about Thailand travel with kids. It was truly one of the highlights of traveling in Asia. We spent one week in Phuket (a week before the tsunami hit) and two weeks in Northern Thailand (Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai), Burma/Myanmar, and Laos. Our time in Phuket was pure relaxation (JW Mariott resort….water slides, kids club, hammocks everywhere, beach massages, etc). Our favorite experiences were up north…harvesting rice, feeding wild monkeys in a remote temple, hill tribe villages, lantern festival (November) amazing food, and very friendly people. A big thing that made our time in Northern Thailand so wonderful was our private guide,Nikki. She works primarily with families from Okinawa (I hope she still does…I’ll e-mail her to find out). Nikki is amazing and having a private guide takes so much stress off,especially with kids. She found some great accomodations for us and truly listened to what we wanted/needed. Thailand is special place with so much to see and do. I’d suggest really thinking about what you want to get out of your trip…relaxation? adventure? shopping? cultural exchange? and do some research on-line and through travel books like Lonely Planet (and others at the base library).