Saturday, January 31, 2015

Traveling with the kids 1/5

This Xmas break, we took as much time off as we possibly could.
After getting rid of all the day-off we're legally entitled to, we were able to book flights to Bali spanning 4 full weeks.
Let me rephrase that. After scouting the internet for the cheapest flights possible *keeping in mind that we wanted to fly with a relatively safe company*, we figured out that to fly low-cost without flying low-cost would require to stay clear from the blackout dates: Christmas and the first week of January.
Our first destinations of choice were Thailand and Borneo (Malaysia side) but the whether conditions, the price tag of jungle trips, and the determination of the in laws helped us decide to give up on potential Orang Outan encounters and elephant rides, and meet them in Bali instead. 
Mahi Mahi Route Map
Image credit Mahi-Mahi Dewata


We got ridiculously cheap tickets for the entire family, then had to make in work with the days-off we had left. I did use 5 "personal days" that are supposed to be dedicated to move flat, try out the new nanny, pick up your in laws at the airport, or deal with similar personal events in your life that usually require 1/2 off. Since it's personal, don't ask me and keep walking why not use them all at once the way we like.

there is no ad on my blog, I just could not resist the romance being back
From the 19th of December to the 15th of January, we traveled to Bali mainland (Ubud-Sanur-Padangbay-Ahmed), and to Gili Trawangan, Lombock (just passing by), Nusa Lembongan. Spoiler alert: everything was awesome, with Sanur being our least favorite place to stay and the Islands being hands down the best ones.
Never underestimate the power of transport medication   


We saw monkeys, buffalos, one snake, flying fishes, reef fishes, turtles, toads, birds, geckos, 12 temples, factories and handicrafts, balinese danses, night markets, took speed boats and slow ferries, bemo and cars, and each ate our weight worth of Nasi Goreng and nautamine tablets.

In summary: we took a break as long as if we were in between jobs, enjoyed it, and decided that Bali is one of the easiest and most enjoyable place you can go to with kids. Next post: what to do in Ubud!