Travelogger

We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment.

Travelling Pregnant: Preparations

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pregnant travel

When I found out that I was pregnant (for the 3rd time!) a couple of months ago, some of the issues that came to mind was having to cancel a trip to Singapore for our anniversary in July (too early in the 1st trimester), and the long-postponed Christmas trip to Europe (at 8 months, forget it). A bore, but the good news now is that I’ve just entered the “honeymoon period” of pregnancy, also known as the 2nd trimester, which means, yes, we have a 2-3 month space to plan a fabulous holiday before life gets even crazier with a third child.

When one is pregnant, the most vital aspect to keep in mind is the safety and health of both Mum and baby. Obviously that vetoes ultra-exotic destinations where jungles and industrial strength mosquito repellent are involved, multiple-modes of transport (including camels, bumpy dirt tracks, elephants end the like) and of course, extreme sports (duh). So with my nightmarish first-trimester all-day nausea behind me, I am eagerly surfing the web, looking for the ideal spot.

According to the BBC, from 12-24 weeks is the ideal time to travel, and this is what one should be preparing:

Preparing to travel

* Check with your doctor, midwife or consultant that in your particular case, it’s all right to travel.
* Take a copy of your pregnancy records with you.
* Keep a record of your blood type.
* Check with the airline that they’ll allow you to travel. Some companies won’t take women after 32 weeks of pregnancy.
* Ensure you have all the medicines or remedies you’ll need for typical pregnancy symptoms, such as heartburn, constipation, and so on.
* Make sure your health insurance is valid while abroad, and during pregnancy, and covers a baby (if you did give birth at 24 weeks, your baby would need some very special and potentially very expensive care).
* Find out about medical facilities at your holiday destination, so at least you know where to go if there are problems.

First Class High

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1st class

If you’ve flown a long-haul flight, then I’m sure you’ve experienced how difficult it is to try to sleep on one. Flying coach, especially, can be an ordeal. The seats are so close together, you’ll consider it a minor victory to grab an armrest, never mind trying to tilt your seat back to get a comfortable position for sleeping. My aunt, whenever she flies with her daughters, just lays a blanket on the floor and makes them sleep there. Flying first class, of course, is way better, but it still depends on the airline and the aircraft.

Well, if you’ve got money to spare, try out Emirates’ new A340-500 First Class cabins. Short of owning your own jet, this airline offers the ultimate in luxury. Think: life as a sheik (he he!). Their seats are called suites, and they really do them justice. There’s only 12 suites in the cabin, arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration. The suites have their own doors, which can be opened and closed at will. There’s even a ‘do not disturb’ sign outside the doors. The centre suites also have privacy screens that can be raised or lowered to separate you from the adjacent suite.

The leather seats can be converted to a fully-flat bed. The hand-held mode controller allows you to personalize everything, from your choice of movie to ordering a meal. You can even adjust the lighting in your suite, from bright sunlight to a starry night. And peace and quiet can be assured by your Noise Cancelling headphones, which can be set to exclude potentially irritating cabin noises.



Westin Family Package, Nusa Dua: Thumbs Up!

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ddd

It was the first time we took our two kids, ages 5 and 2 on a proper family holiday abroad without any help to speak of, so when when it came down to choosing the best hotel in Bali, the Westin Nusa Dua seemed like the perfect choice. Not just because it looked pretty, clean, and was in a safe neighborhood, but because of its Kids Club and the reasonably priced “Family Package” (from US$135 ++) which promised my husband and I the chance of some ” R & R” in our two-week holiday.

Upon arrival at hotel, the kids were given paper bags, each containing a sippy cup (refillable at any of the resort’s f & b outlets), which upon receiving they promptly started filling with the bowls of boiled sweets on the tables. I was also given a handy info sheet which said that all kids meals and laundry were 20% off, that we could ring “service express” for any needs of the kids (like a step stool for the sink, which I did), and that the Kids Club was free. Oh, and we also got 2 free tickets to the Bom Bom Water park. Super!

room

We settled into our ground-floor room, which although was the cheapest category, was perfectly lovely and spacious, with a large bathroom and private veranda which looked out into the garden and sea. After a delicious room service dinner (the kids meals had large portions!) and a bit of Disney channel, we all slept soundly in the “heavenlly beds” the Westin is famous for.

After a sumptous breakfast of absolutely everything (the kids loved going from station to station filling their plates with waffles, cheese, sausages, eggs etc..), we headed for the Kids Club. First there was a small shop with sleeping area behind it (great bunks, toys, tv and kid sized bath tub and loos), and behind it was a arched entrance with 2 super playgrounds, trampoline, sand area, outdoor musical instruments area and even a large hutch with rabbits and iguanas! To the side was an enclosed glassed area with tables, chairs, tv area, and enough toys, and activities to rival a small pre-school. And, two separate video game/computer rooms. My kids were thrilled!

Karmini and the other ladies in charge were very helpful and upon registering the children, told us that there were activities throughout the day which changed daily. That day there was arts and crafts followed by kite making. I could order lunch for them there too. The only hitch was that children under 4 could not be left unaccompanied, and so I had to call for a babysitter ($5 an hour) for my 2 year-old boy. Her name was Darmi, and although my 5-year-old didnt like her much (glasses and funny teeth), my boy didnt seem to mind, so she stayed our babysitter for the entire holiday.

All in all, I have to say that we couldnt have had a better time at the Westin, or asked for a better family-friendly hotel for all of us. Most days, the children stayed at the Kids Club after breakfast while I went to the spa, did a spot of shopping or simply sunbathed. We then had lunch together at the pool, then my husband took them swimming in one of the 3 pools (complete with slide and swim-to- bar for ice cream stops!). We also took a glass-bottomed boat out to Turtle Island (not what you’d expect, but the kids still enjoyed it), bought and flew lovely kites on the beach, explored a bit of the island, but most of the time just relaxed around the resort, having a perfectly lovely time. The food was excellent in all the restaurants, there were several cultural shows in the evenings (which entranced the children), and daily sunset rituals near the beach, which my daughter and I would dash to watch and enjoy with a cocktail.

Considering we ate most meals at the resort, and did most of our activities there, the whole holiday didnt cost too much, in fact it was one of most reasonable we ever had. A place definitely to return to!