Travel Tips – When you are travelling with an One-Year-Old baby in India

The mighty Himalaya called me again. There is no better feeling than enjoying the dense greens on the tough terrains, moving along the dangerous curves of the narrow roads cut through the mountains, the hide and seek game of clouds. Himalaya has always been a dramatic adventure for me. The last time I stepped on the crown of the earth – that was the craziest of a treck – from Mcloedganj to Triund without any trekking gear – but this time it is going to be a more formal, planned family outing. We went to Shimla-Manali-Kullu-Rohtang for a trip of 12 days.

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This time – it was different though – I was travelling with an Infant who has just started to walk and can only speak syllables to express his needs. It was a matter of worry in the beginning but was easy in the end. I will share my experience and what I learn from travelling with a kid. I will also try to guide you to the best places to visit and an approximate budgetary expenditure so that you may plan your next visit. In the first part of the travel-diary let me share some tips for travelling with an Infant. This is a list of things you should consider before planning the first trip of the little one;

• If you are from plains and choose a hill to visit – you need a lot of extra luggage – both bulky and heavy. (I did choose a Hill station but it would have been easier had it been a Coastal place or a forest.
• Choose some of the popular destinations – trust me you have more infrastructure and facility there and don’t play an adventure game with the kid.
• Reduce your own luggage as much as possible – the little one needs a lot of things
• Carry his food – you never know what you get in an unknown place
• Carry his utensils, bottles and kettle for boiling water – never trust the water of a new place, even if it is packaged water – boil it before feeding the baby. Your hotel must be providing you with a Kettle- don’t boil the Kid’s water in that.
• Carry at least two sets of bottles and utensils – you don’t know when do you get a chance to clean the used ones.
• Request your hotel at the time of booking to allow you to access their kitchen to cook food for the baby. If they don’t, you do not have many options.
• Adjust your baby with ready mix foods from at least a month prior to starting.
• Pre-book everything – at least as much as possible – you never know what’s going to happen when you are travelling with an Infant and roaming around with the baby is not a good option
• Consult the Pediatrician and take all the necessary medicine. (Note down the compositions so that you can find an alternative there) – trust me, these do not increase weight and does not take much space.

• Avoid long journeys – the baby gets tired and bored.
• Plan the trip in a way that every alternate day- or at least at a gap of two days – you have a completely free day with nowhere to go. This is the rest day for the baby and you. I know carrying the baby to places is also not a very easy work.
• Contact all your hotels and request them to provide you with infant friendly rooms – if they do not have such facility at least ask them to remove costly items from lower heights.
• Arrange for good quality baby carrying gears – it will be comfortable for both you and the baby.
• During the tour, at any place and time -don’t hesitate to do baby care- that’s your most important job. Don’t keep the baby hungry or dirty for too long – remember he too needs a lot of energy and enthusiasm to travel with you.

• Most importantly – both parents should share the work equally and understand each other. None of them should have all the works while the other roam around.
• Always keep some energy at the end of the day – trust me you will have some works to do for the next day.
• Keep on playing with the kid when you are travelling with an Infant- don’t let him get bored.
• Take a lot of pictures and keep a very good account of everything you do – the places you stay, you eat, you visit – everything. Remember, the kid will not have any memory- this way you can take the joy back to him.

Read the Travel Diary