Thailand and Vietnam with preschoolers

Last month we were lucky enough to go to Thailand and Vietnam with preschoolers (our two boys, aged 2 and 4).  They both had a wonderful time, so although this may be a bit of an unusual post for a craft blog, I wanted to share some pictures with you.

And if you’re planning a similar trip, I’ve also included some ideas of activities and links to excursions and experiences that we enjoyed as a family.

Thailand and Vietnam with preschoolers

THAILAND & VIETNAM with preschoolers

Bangkok

Kids in Bangkok

  • Chilling out and watching cartoons with friends
  • Splashing about in the local outdoor swimming pool
  • Eating at the BEST cafe in town (pasta with the D-family)
  • Checking in at the airport with Nonno bear (allowed BEHIND the desk)!
  • Soft play (giant slides, bouncy things etc, plus magic sand) at Fashion Island mall.

 

Hanoi

Thailand and Vietnam with preschoolers Hanoi

Hanoi ethnology museum

  • Hanoi kids free tour (try street food and egg coffee, hear the legend about the lake, see local crafts & visit a traditional ‘tube’ house – your tour will be tailored to suit you and your family)
  • Visiting the park (opposite the museum of Ethnology) for climbing frames, see-saws shady benches and hoards of girls with selfie sticks wanting a photo with your cute little kids (they loved it)!
  • Seeing a water puppet show (short performances of Vietnamese legends to traditional music, hence no language barrier).  Who wouldn’t want to see fire-breathing dragons and water-squirting fish puppets?
  • Visiting the Museum of Ethnology – I loved learning about silk weaving and batik, but the boys preferred the gnarly tree roots and figures of fertility outside the tomb house (“look at his willy mummy!”)

 

Hoi An

Hoi An

  • Eating a scrummy chocolate pie at Dingo Deli (a restaurant with great coffee and a cool garden out back with a giant trampoline and sand pit)!
  • Taking a boat ride along the river and floating some paper candle lanterns – just magical.
  • Strolling across the Japanese bridge and checking out the colourful silk lanterns in the old town.
  • Scaling Marble Mountain (in an elevator!) to see the cool caves and giant carved Buddha.

 

Na Trang

Na Trang

  • Taking a mud bath at Thap Ba Hot Springs Spa (well, most of us enjoyed it)!
  • Underwater swimming practice.
  • Visiting Vinpearl Land (a huge theme & water park on an island with slides, rides, shows, an aquarium, soft play, 4D cinema, free play arcade and cable cars).

 

Saigon / Ho Chi Minh

Saigon 1

Saigon 2

  • Cyclo touring with Urban Adventures.
  • Looking at tanks in the grounds of the War Remnants Museum (the exhibitions inside were too harrowing for kids, so we took it in turns to go inside without them).
  • Holding a bunch of (live) frogs at the market.
  • Playing at one of the city parks (we liked the play area at Cong Vien 23 Thang 9 & the huge sand pit with pirate ship climbing frame at Tao Dan park).
  • Taking a tour on the Mekong Delta with our wonderful guide Mary (karaoke on the boat, sampling tropical fruits, eating coconut sweets, drinking honey tea and floating through the water coconut groves).

 

Hua Hin

Hua Hin

  • Double pony rides up and down the beach.
  • Cuddling a baby elephant at the Hutsadin elephant foundation.
  • Naughty monkeys at Chopsticks hill (monkey mountain, near the temple), who stole our sun cream!
  • Settling down for an ice-cream on the sea front.
  • Visiting the old train station with disused engines and carriages including a library and kids toy area.

 

Koh Tao

Koh Tao 1

 Koh Tao 2

  • Sunset dancing at Fizz bar, Sairee beach (friendly staff and yummy food, both Thai and International).
  • Enjoying a view of the local night life from our jungle apartment high in the hills.
  • Building sand castles and swimming in the sea and our own mini pool at our final (big treat) Haad Tien resort.
  • Waving at the longtail boats who will take you out for a snorkelling or island-hopping trip.
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16 thoughts on “Thailand and Vietnam with preschoolers

  • February 22, 2015 at 1:52 pm
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    Pictures are really awsome! Feeling like to go there.

    Reply
    • February 22, 2015 at 9:27 pm
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      Thanks Hajera – my husband took almost all of the photos, so I have to credit him for those! 😉

      Reply
  • February 23, 2015 at 10:42 am
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    Chocolate pie, mud baths, baby elephants and a whole lot more besides. Stunning pics capturing what looks like a memorable trip. Wonderful.

    Reply
    • February 25, 2015 at 10:29 pm
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      Thanks lovely – baby elephant cuddles definitely a highlight for me! Will show you some more pics when we see you soon xx

      Reply
  • February 28, 2015 at 7:20 pm
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    Wow! What amazing photographs of an adventurous time y’all had!

    Thanks for sharing your family’s memories with us at Inspire Me Mondays!

    Reply
  • April 25, 2015 at 11:36 am
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    What a fantastic adventure! I have been to both, but not for a few years, such fantastic countries! I totally love your attitude to travelling with small children, my two have done similar since they were months old, and people have always thought I was mad! But often, it really adds to the adventure, especially meeting the locals etc.! Emma 🙂 #timetraveller

    Reply
    • May 2, 2015 at 2:22 pm
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      I totally agree Emma! Travelling with kids is completely different to travelling as a couple, but there is so much family fun to be had and they really help me to see things through their eyes and experience a country differently (and more fully) 😀

      Reply
    • May 2, 2015 at 11:11 am
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      Thanks Ann (have to give my husband credit for the photos – he is the one who lugs the camera around everywhere with us)!

      Reply
  • April 27, 2015 at 1:04 pm
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    Wow what a fabulous trip you all had and you did so much in that time too, I’m amazed at all the different places you visited and things you did.
    I am intrigued to know if that is a Banyan tree up there – it looks very similar to one I saw in the states a few years ago.
    Thanks so much for linking up to #TimeTraveller I hope you get to go away again soon so you can share more with us.

    Reply
    • May 2, 2015 at 2:38 pm
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      Oh yes Mari – it’s always a packed schedule when we go away as a family – all good fun though! 😉
      I wish I could tell you if that was a banyan tree for sure – it definitely looks like one, doesn’t it?

      Our next trip is Ibiza for a wedding and we are all looking forward to plenty of beach time and dancing!

      Reply
  • May 6, 2015 at 12:47 pm
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    I was only talking to my hubby the other day, about whether to take our two to Thailand, and then I spot this post. Brilliant!

    Reply

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