LIFE+STYLE | TRAVEL| Travelling with kids: How to make the most out of every family holiday
.
Actress Nurul Aini (second from left) and actor-singer Syarif (extreme right) brought their respective families for a holiday in Melbourne in June. PHOTO: COURTESY OF NURUL AINI
.
Elisa Chia
SINGAPORE – First to the Gold Coast, then to the Maldives, Phuket, Melbourne, Krabi and Langkawi.
These were the places that actress Nurul Aini had vacationed with her family since June 2022 after travel restrictions were lifted post-pandemic.
She and her husband, real estate agent Sofian Roslan, both 41, have a son, Shan Ehan, 13, and two daughters Shaista Eman, 11, and Shania Eva, four.
Memento Maxima Digital Marketing“We try to take them for a vacation every school holiday to destress and enjoy themselves,” says Nurul. “We also want to create memories with them. Kids grow up so fast.”
These days, they are occasionally accompanied by their friends – actor-singer and food entrepreneur Syarif Sleeq and his wife, co-business owner and former Singapore Idol contestant Malaque Mahdaly, both 33 – and their children, daughter Selma Malika, eight, and son Umar Nael, six.
The entourage of 11, which includes their domestic helpers, most recently went on a nine-day holiday to Melbourne in June.
Ads by:They will be embarking on another vacation together in December – a 14-day trip, mainly in London.
Whenever school holidays come around, travelling with kids is also high on the to-do list of other parents that The Straits Times spoke to. Chan Brothers Travel, one of the biggest travel agencies in Singapore, as well as travel and leisure e-commerce platform Klook attest to it.
Compared with 2022, Chan Brothers Travel has seen at least 50 per cent more bookings in the family travel segment in 2023.
Demand has returned to pre-pandemic levels, says its senior marketing communications manager Jeremiah Wong.
Holiday spots Australia, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are still among the perennial favourites, largely because of factors such as accessibility.
The ease of getting to the destinations, which includes travel time, is crucial for parents with young kids, Mr Wong adds.
These places are also top of mind for families because they offer a variety of activities and attractions that appeal to both children and adults.
Klook reports that Singapore families are actively seeking and booking kid-friendly attractions on its booking platform not only locally, but also in other countries.
There has been a fourfold increase in the number of sessions and searches from 2019 to 2023. Malaysia, Japan and South Korea have emerged as the top three destinations for family-friendly experiences, says Ms Sarah Wan, general manager of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore at Klook.
Besides reconnecting with one another, parents say travelling provides invaluable opportunities for kids to extend their learning beyond the textbook.
For instance, they can develop skills such as planning and budgeting, as well as experience diversity in cultures and nature first-hand.
Here, parents share tips on how to make the most out of every family vacation.
Involve kids in the planning
Working out the itinerary? Ask your children about the places and activities they would like to experience.
Actress Nurul’s eldest and youngest kids requested to see animals on their Melbourne trip, while her middle child wanted some shopping time.
Participating in the planning process not only excites them, but also teaches them that vacations require decision-making and organisational skills.
.
Mr Wong from Chan Brothers Travel suggests taking children to its regular series of holiday previews, usually held at its retail premise, where travel specialists showcase what a destination has to offer.
If you have teenagers, involve them in choosing the flights and accommodation, suggests Mr Ruperto Ancajas, a portfolio specialist at global boutique investment firm Foord Asset Management.
The 43-year-old and his wife, secondary school teacher Cheryl Anne Lim, 42, seize the chance to travel with their sons – Oliver, seven, and Elliot, four – whenever school holidays come around.
He says: “Tell them, ‘If you fly premium economy class, it’s going to cost more than economy class. Would you like to take the savings to eat and buy more things in Japan? Do you really want that extra leg space and wider seat?’”
When you break it down this way, they learn about opportunity costs and budgeting – and will not complain about your choices, he says.
Ask your teenagers to shortlist the accommodation options and compare the rates too.
Travel with the extended family or friends
The dynamics change when extended family members or friends join the trip. Nurul recommends that parents try it.
Her biggest travel group involved 24 family members, who had four days of fun in Krabi in June.
“When other people are with us, it can add to the travel fun. My kids also behave better because I think they are too paiseh (Hokkien for embarrassed) to fight,” she says with a laugh.
To have an enjoyable group holiday, be mindful to give and take.
“Don’t be too calculative,” she says. “For example, during the Melbourne trip, if (the other family) paid for lunch, I’d foot the bill for dinner that day.”
When her four-year-old daughter needed to take a nap, the other family was very understanding.
.
Experience one-on-one trips with each child
.
Training manager Steven Teo and his wife Poo Lai Fong, who holds a managerial job in the education sector, enjoyed an 11-day Hong Kong and Taiwan holiday in June with their kids.
The couple, both 45, have three daughters – Steffi, 15, Stacci, 11, and Starri, five – and two sons – Leroy, 14, and Louie, nine.
They will visit Taiwan again for eight days in November.
In September, Mr Teo and Louie also went on a seven-day trip to Seoul.
Mr Teo, known as ThePerfectFather to his Instagram followers, did one-on-one trips with his older three children before they started primary school. But his plans to continue that tradition with Louie were shelved for three years due to the pandemic.
Previously, he took Steffi to Seoul in 2014, Leroy to the Gold Coast in 2016 and Stacci to Perth in 2017.
“These trips are awesome for bonding and give me the opportunity to discover the true individual personality of each child,” he says. “I can focus on one child instead of taking care of the entire family, and not worry about displaying favouritism.”
He shares that Louie is usually one of the troublemakers at home, but he turned out to be a considerate and easy-going travel partner.
“I’ve come to realise that some of his bad antics are his cry for attention.”
.
Spark kids’ interest in learning cultures and geography
Mr Ancajas and Ms Lim try to expose their sons to different cultures during their travels to broaden their world view
They visited Nagoya for 10 days in June and were in Desaru for four days in September.
Come December, Ms Lim will head to Tokyo with the boys for nine days without Mr Ancajas, as he has work commitments.
“You can pull up a world map and tell them that Singapore is this little red dot, but it doesn’t really stick in their head unless they actually take the seven- or 12-hour flight,” says Mr Ancajas.
His sons also visited Auckland in 2019 and Sydney in 2022.
“Even though they were very young, we like the idea that they could experience different climates and food. Of course, we got to spend time together too,” he adds.
Mr Teo and his third child Stacci fondly remember the spectacular natural wonders they encountered in Western Australia, from the famous Wave Rock to the tall limestone spires of Pinnacles Desert to giant trees in the Valley of the Giants.
“Humans seem so small compared with nature,” he says.
.
Keep kids entertained on road trips
Getting to the next place of interest in a vast country can sometimes take hours on the road. Mr Wong from Chan Brothers Travel recommends getting kids to curate a music playlist for singalongs in the car.
Snacks are always a good distraction, so prepare some local goodies.
Do plan rest stops at interesting locations, such as picnic parks and playgrounds, so your kids can burn off some energy while you take a break from driving, Mr Wong adds.
Provide age-appropriate maps and encourage the kids to mark out landmarks and sights.
ST Smart Parenting has come up with a free travel scrapbook which you can print and take along for your next family trip to Western Australia. Download it at str.sg/WAscrapbook
.
Give kids a travel allowance
Children will always ask to buy toys and knick-knacks that they like. The urge to shop hits one even more during vacations – kids and adults alike.
This is why Mr Ancajas decided to give seven-year-old Oliver his first taste of managing a travel allowance on their Nagoya trip.
He encouraged his son to shop around and compare prices, but ultimately left it to him to decide what he wanted to spend on.
When Oliver exhausted his allowance of $50 after buying three toys in two days, he bargained for more. Mr Ancajas told him that the extra money would come from his Chinese New Year red packet savings.
The boy spent more judiciously for the rest of the trip, as he understood he would have less savings.
Mr Ancajas says this is an encouraging sign: “It shows me that he is beginning to understand the value of financial security.”
.
