Comments for the article "Traveling in India with Kids"

dhans

Post your comments for the article "Traveling in India with Kids" here.

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Tips for trips to India with (young) children: India with kids
Stories about our travels in India: Journal

webtraveller

dhans
Great Post!!!
It is indeed a lot of information for the travellers with kids. I think this should be one of those informative bunch along with "beach" India Confusion.

WT

susanmallugal

You mentioned that diapers are not very good in india...Just what i want to hear!!!!

oh no! that's not good.

we are going to travel like you but we won't be driving as much as you. we will be flying from city to city and get the most lux car to drive around!

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Susan

fajitanumerouno

Wow, I read your trip details and this and am happy to be taking my nearly 4 and nearly 7 year old on a trip to visit family in India. We will be in Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Kerala and with local family the majority of the time. But the amount of pizza and fries you found is reassuring. My kids like certain things the in-laws eat but sometimes the old familiar stuff really helps on a trip and I like the play time you all always found. Hopefully our trip will go as smoothing in December. We still need to finish up with the shots and no one here in the us has mentioned polio, have to work on this, did your kids get this?
Anyhow thanks for showing it can be done enjoyably as my father in law is not the most reassuring.
Valerie

dhans

Polio is standard for infants in the Netehrlands, so yes they did get this one.

Have Fun,

Hans

reshmi

Indian diapers do very well for our babies' bottoms, esp Pampers If you do not wish to lug diapers all the way, resta assured that big medical stores/general stores in most metros (Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai) stock not just Indian-made Pampers, Huggies, etc but also foreign ones.

dhans

Yes, Pampers brand diapers are fine, but not widely available. IMFD (fake just like the IMFL) are not very good (and that's an understatement).

Have fun,

Hans

dcmred

Hans, This is just fantastic!! What lucky children and what an incredible experience for your family. Your photos are amazing....the photo at the Taj is wonderful.....

The pinching is a difficult one isn't it? Fortunately our daughter is a HUGE extrovert and thrived on the attention! I still remember her vividly at 2 1/2 years, entertaining a huge crowd on Chowpatty Beach. It was hysterical...and allowed us to feast on our pani puri in peace!! (Just kidding!)

Thanks again for such a wonderful resource. I might be back to ask you about your accommodation!

dhans

Thanks for the nice comments dcmred. And do share your experiences; "travel with kids" is a work in progress.

Hans

andersl

Dear Hans
Thanks for a great article
I am going with my wife and two kids to Goa for three weeks - mid december to beginning of Jan.
We are looking for a nice place - any suggestions?
We are hoping to find relatively cheap and simple beach huts on a nice beach. Preferably a place with a nice bar/restaurant and friendly staff.
We are not sure whether it should be Anjuna or Palolem area.
We were in Goa 13 ys ago before we had kids - wild rave parties and a good looking Enfield. This time we are looking for a place somewhat quieter, although I am realize Goa during x-mas is a crazy place.
Our kids are 8 and 10 years old.
Any suggestions on specific beach huts?
Anders

CdnKimmer

Hi Hans.
Thanx so much for the reassuring article on travelling thru India with kids. Our friends seem to think we are nuts for taking them, but we can't wait for the adventure. Sure it will be different as parents, but that's part of the fun - seeing it thru their eyes. We are taking our 2 (very fair) Canadian kiddos (3.5 & 5) starting in the south - kerala, and moving north, with Mumbai being the northernmost point of our trip this time. Of course they are most excited about the houseboats and potential animal sightings in the Nagarhole, as well as the miniature train in Ooty. Santa is bringing them a Jeep Safari & Elephant Ride for Xmas this year, and that's it - exactly how we want it.
Just wanted to thank you for all the info, especially the packing list! Have been trying to figure out exactly what to take, so that was of great value! Thanks again!
The Jeffery's

dhans

Hi anders and jeffreys,

Thanks both for the friendly comments.

Sorry, Mirjam and I were in Goa before we had kids, so no good tips on a place to stay there. Ten years ago we stayed at Caphina Cottages in Benaulim for Rs 200 (hot water, double). Liked the relaxed atmosphere there, but did not look at kids possibilities at the time.

And if the friends think your nuts, then take some nuts for them when you get back from India.

Have fun!

Hans

CdnKimmer

Hi Anders, not so cheap, but they have family type huts in a nice (read: non-all night raves) area
http://www.yabyumresorts.com/
We'll be there for a couple nights in Dec. - too bad I can't give you more info now... but check out tripadvisor for reviews on the place. Good luck! Kim

chitra0828

Hi Dhans: sounds like you've travelled quite extensively in india but still prefer the car-car driver combo? We are a family of 4 travelling in Karnataka this august 09. Would you have arecommdation for a car-driver that we should talk to about renting/hiring? Do we really need to get the combo? can;t we drive by ourselves? We;ve done it thru the mountain roads of Costa Rica, Mexico and even Greece where we found drivers amazingly Indian-like in their road etiquette!!

Best Chitra

Dacoit Chief

This is probably the wrong thread to be asking so someone might move it.... but here goes:

To save you from all the standard responses like "India and Greece are as different as chalk and cheese", I'll actually agree with you on this one! I actually love driving in India. On my last trip I had a driver, and I got so frustrated with him. He was the worst I had experienced in a long time, and I felt so hopelessly out of control! I have done a lot of driving in India, and if I can organize a self-drive next time I definately will!

Of course you can drive in India. There is no problem at all! I know I'll probably get gunned down for saying this here, but it does sound like you've been to India before and know a bit about the driving there.

Once you get used to it, driving in India actually has a very illogical "logic" to it all and somehow works, probably saved by the fact that it employs all 5 senses rather than solely the sense of vision which is all that is needed in most other countries.

One of the problems you may face is actually finding a self drive car! Most "hire" cars in India are basically taxis and just come with a driver as standard! However, lately, some of the multinationals (e.g. Avis) have started popping up in some bigger cities.