Summer vacation has been put off until further notice. The kids are disappointed, as are you. The grandparents won’t get to see the ever-growing, ever-changing little tykes until maybe Christmas at the earliest. But truth be told, deep down, you welcome the reprieve from all the planning, packing, coordinating, rushing, checking, and double-checking which ultimately leads to the same conclusion each time – there is still something you either forgot to pack, buy or include in your travel folder. Yes, it feels wonderful not to drag the suitcases out of storage, coordinate all your confirmation emails from airlines, hotels, car rentals, and all the other bureaucratic tedium which comes along with planning a family trip.

This is however not the time to relax. This is the time to get your affairs in order for the next big trip. So, let’s take this moment to make a must-have travel list of the most useful tools, gadgets, and travel accessories you will need to make your trip that much more successful.

Packing Cubes

Available on Taobao for RMB 41 to 238

I pride myself on being an excellent packer. If I feel the need to bring my wall unit along, I will most likely find a way to pack it safely and neatly into my luggage. But I am also a notorious over-packer and will stuff a suitcase to within an inch of its structural integrity. That’s where packing cubes come in. These little containers are designed to maximize space in suitcases, allowing you to ‘stuff’ more, and not have your suitcase explode on you mid-transit. They are also excellent for organizing your belongings, making it easy and fast to access specific cubes and items without everything spilling out.

Mountain Buggy Bagrider

Available on Taobao for RMB 329 – 3,736

Suitcases all packed, you arrive at the airport then the next phase of your nightmare begins. The kids decide to stage a daring break for it. You are stuck wondering whether to abandon your luggage to go in search of them or just call the whole thing quits. Simple solution: strap them to the suitcase! I don’t mean to lash them to the actual shell of the suitcase and have them dangling there, but to safely secure them on the top with the Buggy Bagrider. They get a free ride while you transit peacefully.

Primo LapBaby/Lap Baby Belt

Available on Taobao for RMB 271 – 616

You’ve checked in and have an hour or two to kill before your flight. You decide to treat yourself to a lovely meal since, well, plane food is just plain disgusting, but you can’t focus on your meal because your little one is fussing and refuses to sit still. Enter the Primo LapBaby belt. Strap your feisty tyke right into it, and they get to sit when you sit, leaving both hands free to enjoy your adult meal before your flight. It also makes a great alternative in cases where there is no booster seat and is doubly convenient in taxis or on trains to keep baby safe and strapped in.

Sea-Band

Available on Taobao for RMB 16 – 86

Your kids might get excited by the prospect of flying, but the pressure from taking off, sharp swoops, and turbulence is enough to make anyone lose their cookies on a flight (quite literally). If your child experiences motion sickness, it might be a good idea to include a set of these soft acupressure wristbands in your packing. They are less expensive than you might think, and clinically proven to help reduce nausea and motion sickness (as well as morning sickness, moms!). It will certainly go a long way in reducing the stress of flying and having to ask for another sick bag from flight attendants.

Jet Kids BedBox

Available on Taobao for RMB 385 to 1,380

Unless you and the kids are traveling business class, you will often have to contend with small, stiff economy seats that are a pain in the neck to sit in for hours at a time. It’s even worse for kids who are too big to hold on your lap but too small to enjoy whatever little benefits a reclined economy seat can offer. Whether a short or long haul flight or train ride, a Jet Kid Bedbox can be a trusty companion to help your child have a restful journey, allowing them to fully stretch out and sleep on a flat, comfortable surface. It can also be conveniently folded away, not taking up more space among your luggage than it needs to.

And from the essential to the fun…..

Mini-Projector

Available on Taobao for RMB 179 – 1,499

Every parent knows the pain of having to watch your child’s favorite show over and over again on the big screen. Travelling doesn’t make the demand for their fave show less. You have to consider packing your laptop just in case, along with all the attendant luggage when traveling with kids. Well, no more. With a mini-projector, all you need is your phone and a reliable wifi connection to stream anything you want. The hotel room wall or even the camp tent can be your very own movie theater screen, and you could even get one so small that it fits in your pocket.

KEEP READING: “Do You Think It’s Important for Children to Travel?”

Photos: Unsplash

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 June issue

As a family, the Cliffords are used to traveling long distances. Mom Kim and Dad Aaron first met in their home country of Canada then jetted off to set up their new lives together in China just 40 days after their wedding. They welcomed their son Lachlan to the clan in 2013, and have since enjoyed exploring Thailand and Malaysia as a family, as well as taking a very special trip with their ayi to her hometown of Nanchang for Chinese New Year.

When it comes to finding great family travel advice, Kim says you just can’t beat the local expat community for the great wealth of information available, so we quizzed the young family for their best travel tips.

When Lachlan (middle) goes on vacation, he knows exactly what t-shirt to pack!

Kim

Pack food! You never know what will or won’t be available after you pass through security and it is better to have things you are sure your child will eat. Once when transferring flights in China we went through security to find there were no food places at all, so I made my husband go back to get McDonald’s. Also, let your children carry their bags or pull their luggage. It slows the little ones down!

Aaron

Download episodes from Netflix before you leave and turn the device to airplane mode so they aren’t lost. You never know which flights won’t have entertainment. And don’t forget your headphones.

Lachlan

Bring your stuffed animals to play with. I like to bring my camera too, then I can take pictures of everything!

KEEP READING:  How to Make Traveling Fun and Stress-Free for the Whole Family

Photos: Uni You

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 June issue

I’m sure that like me, over the years your friends and family have regaled you with cautionary tales about lost luggage, being stuck abroad after missing a flight, getting robbed in a foreign city, or worse, maybe even suffering an injury and having to seek treatment at local hospitals.  My automatic reaction to such stories is usually “that would never happen to me!” But the truth is, that, and much more could happen to us all. Contemplating worst-case-scenarios shouldn’t scare us out of a well-deserved annual vacay, but wouldn’t it be better to trade that constant low-level worry for the reassurance of knowing you will be protected should the worst happen? Let’s face facts. Unless you’re traveling within a country that offers universal healthcare, then without insurance you are very vulnerable in case of an emergency.

To help us on our way to a carefree travel experience this summer, we talked to Jean-Charles Herbert of Runxin Insurance to understand the ins and outs of travel insurance coverage.

Let’s face it. Travel insurance isn’t on the top of most people’s to-do list when planning a vacation…

First Things First

A good place to start is understanding what sorts of different travel insurance plans there are and how they actually work. These depend on the frequency, purpose, and destination of your travel. For example, single trip covers might be the most convenient for infrequent travelers and your annual family holiday. For frequent travelers, there are multi-travel covers that provide full coverage no matter the destination, for periods not exceeding 30 days. Companies can also cover their employees’ business trips under a group travel insurance plan.

What’s in It for Me?

A big misconception about travel insurance is it might get you a new suitcase or a new flight if your flight gets canceled last minute. But the main aim of travel insurance is to offer you  comprehensive medical cover. Depending on your policy, this might include medical cover with no overall maximum limit, in and out-patient treatment, evacuation, and repatriation. Some policies even include a crisis psychologist in the case of a traumatic event like a mugging, facilitate a ‘compassionate visit’ from a family member or next of kin, and should the absolute worst happen, funeral arrangements and the repatriation of the deceased.

If medical coverage is the primary function of a travel insurance plan, secondary functions can range from coverage for baggage theft, damage or loss, baggage delay, passport or cash theft, personal
liability against property damage and bodily injury, to travel delays, missed flight connections, daily hospital benefits, and legal assistance in cases where it is needed. The third function of an insurance plan is generally to cover you in the event a trip has to be canceled due to acute illness, injury, or even death.

Yeah… Still Not Convinced!

No matter how prepared you are for your trip, there is always a chance that something could go wrong, so it’s essential to read the fine print and understand exactly what you will and won’t be covered for in the event of a medical emergency. For example, without health insurance or ample cash, Chinese and American healthcare providers are simply not obliged to treat you. Even so, American healthcare services are so exorbitant that most travel insurance policies actually exclude the US from their standard plans, meaning you’ll have to pay extra if you need coverage there. Then while China’s healthcare services are far cheaper than in the US, you could face other issues, such as the language barrier, which could prevent you from getting necessary care.

Extreme sports enthusiasts are also excluded from most travel insurance policies. Activities such as hiking above 3,000 meters or deep-sea diving will land you in the same category as travelers to America, needing special insurance covers. But it’s not all bad news! There are companies and products on offer for this special category of traveler, and all at competitive prices, it’s just a matter of doing your research beforehand.

In Short…

Whether you are traveling within China or exploring the world, having travel insurance should be as second nature as food and shelter, as having it can literally turn into a matter of life and death. It’s easy to know which plan works for you by directly contacting an insurance agent and getting a quote so that you and your family can have peace of mind to enjoy your holiday to the max, no matter what happens!

Tips for Finding the Right Coverage Plan

1. When traveling in China, it’s best to go for a local insurance company plan. Bilingual customer service agents are pretty much guaranteed for foreigners, and will be able to help translate for local services in a way that overseas insurers may not.

2. Before settling on a plan, talk to several insurance adjusters to compare plans and pricing. Be sure to match your cover to your planned activities e.g. get a package insurance plan if you’re planning a non-refundable trip such as a cruise.

3. Confirm whether your destination country requires travel insurance to allow you entry into the country. For example, the European Union requires all non-EU travelers to have valid travel insurance for the entire duration of their stay.

4. Cheaper is not always better. Make sure you check for loopholes in the coverage being offered before signing on the dotted like. It might be that the policy has a much lower coverage limit, or doesn’t cover certain crucial aspects of your trip at all.

KEEP READING: Medical insurance – Why You Need It, and How to Get It

Information for this article was provided by Jean-Charles Herbet,
Business Development Manager|Runxin Insurance Broker Beijing Branch.

Photos: Unsplash

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 June issue

Many Beijing families will be spending their summer vacation in China for the first time this year and while domestic travel is a great option, there is no reason you can’t recreate that vacation feeling right here in Beijing. Here are some simple tips on how to be a tourist in your own home, and reignite the spirit of exploration and discovery that goes hand in hand with vacation.

Summer is the best time to fall in love with Beijing all over again.

Hit the Books

Pretend that Beijing is a new exciting destination that you’ve never seen before, and research it like you would any other place. Dust off the Lonely Planet guide books, check TripAdvisor, look up local bloggers, follow the official city hashtags on Instagram, and browse through back issues of beijingkids for inspiration. Get each member of the family to pick interesting places that they would like to explore, including places to eat, play, and learn, then make a plan to visit or experience as many as possible.

Do a Grand Tour

Even if you’ve lived here for years, we bet there are plenty of things about the city you haven’t discovered yet. We are really spoiled for choice with dozens of wonderful and experienced tour guides offering all kinds of different food, historical, cycling, and walking tours. Flip to p. 38 for a list of our favorites.

Phone a Friend

If you were visiting a friend in a foreign city, you’d hit them up for recommendations straight away! Do the same in Beijing, asking a friend to show you their favorite restaurants, parks, play centers etc. You could even take it in turns with another family, trading your favorite ‘secret spots’.

Get Moving

Changing your mode of transportation for bus, train, bike, walking, tuk-tuk, or even pedalo (on some of Beijing’s lakes) is a great way to literally change your perspective. It’s amazing how differently you see the city you either slow or increase your pace, or take a slightly different route.

Book a Staycation

If it is within your budget, book a night or two in a hotel in a part of town you don’t usually get to. This will make it even easier to explore the area and kickstart that vacation feeling.

Get Trapped

We’re not suggesting you should go and get ripped off, but why not take a chance on some of those ‘tourist trap’ restaurants and experiences that you’d usually avoid? Yes, you might spend a bit more money but you’ll be surprised at how fun and interesting these ‘traps’ really are.

Cheese It Up

Have you ever gotten a great family photo at Tiananmen Square? Or in a typical Beijing hutong? Now is the time to make all those fun cheesy holiday pics happen! Half the fun of a holiday is looking through all the fun snaps afterward, making this ‘Beijing holiday’ one to remember for years to come.

KEEP READING: Put Your Trust in Beijing’s Best Local Tour Guides and Agencies

Photos: Unsplash

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 June issue

While most international travel is still off the cards, that doesn’t mean you’re destined to be a couch potato all summer. After all, being an expat doesn’t mean you’re confined to exploring only the fine things our fair city has to offer. One needs to take advantage of living abroad to explore all the hidden corners of the country. You never know what adventure awaits.

Popular travel booking app Trip.com (also known as CTrip) contains a very handy but often overlooked function called ‘Explore the World’ which can help you find great last-minute flights and deals, especially if you’re not too picky about where you go. Think of it as a digital stand-by ticket for the super adventurous.

To access the function, simply follow these steps:

Step 1:  Download the Trip.com (EN) or Ctrip (CN) app from your preferred store

Step 2: Select ‘Flights’ from the app homepage

Step 3: Scroll down to the ‘Explore the World’ function

Step 4: Adjust the date and budget settings, and get exploring!

Tips:

Of course, these prices are highly subject to change, but if you’re in the mood for a quick escape and not too picky about where you go, the Explore my World can be a great way to save money and, well, explore your world!

KEEP READING: What You Need to Know to Travel in China Right Now

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 June issue

After months of limited mobility during the pandemic, the opportunity to get out of the city and explore is just too tempting to pass up. Visions of sandy beaches and Great Wall hikes shimmer like an oasis on the horizon. But having kids add a whole new dimension to the travel experience, and gone are the days when all you needed was a last-minute flight deal and a backpack with a bikini, passport, and sunscreen. Here are a few ideas to make your summer vacation plans a little less stressful and a lot more fun for the entire family.

The Anticipation

Half the fun of a new adventure (at least for me) is the planning, dreaming, and research beforehand and there is no reason you can’t get your kids involved. Pick up some child-friendly books about the place you are visiting, locate it on a map, and have them help you do internet research. Let the smallest members of your family choose activities, which can be as simple as building the world’s greatest sand castle or as involved as mapping out a Peruvian hiking trail. By doing this, you learn more about your child’s interests and they might turn you on to activities you never would have thought to try. So your little football player wants to learn the art of Batik? Cool!

The Backpack

“Are we there yet?”, “Will you stop touching me?”, and “Mom, I’m boooooored!!!!!” are arguably the most annoying phrases in a child’s vocabulary and all of them are likely to pop up if you spend more than 30 minutes in transit. Many people recommend packing a bag filled with activities to keep kids occupied, but pretty often the bag is ripped open and rifled through, and the kids are kicking the seat in front of them by the time you have reached cruising altitude.

Creating a series of ‘mini packs’ is a clever way to make an activity bag last the whole journey. To do this, get several smaller opaque bags, pencil cases, or containers and label them 1,2,3 etc.  Put things in each case that relate to a different phase of your trip and tell the kids you will let them know when to open each numbered bag. This adds an element of anticipation and makes opening the bag as much of an activity as the books and games inside.

The first pack can be opened while waiting at the terminal. It can include things like a blow-up beach ball to burn off excess energy, and which you can then deflate and save for later. The second bag should be opened after boarding/pre-take off and include things like sugar-free gum or candy to help little ears adjust to the altitude, and a new storybook. The third can be opened after the meal and can include a no-mess art project. I love Melissa & Doug brand ‘Water Wows’ (coloring books with a water pen) for travel because they are cheap and reusable. Depending on how long the trip is you can have an additional pack with soft PJ’s and a new toothbrush before bed. Finally, an hour or two before arrival you can let the kids open a pack with a healthy snack and books or photos about your destination and the friends or family you are about to see.

Don’t Over Pack

Especially with small children, it’s easy to want to bring everything you might possibly need, including enough baby wipes to survive the zombie apocalypse. But checking in luggage makes trips longer and more exhausting for everyone. Do you really want to chase your five-year-old around the luggage carousel with a cranky two-year-old on your jet-lagged hip? Instead, try to pack light and purchase disposables when you arrive. Better yet, ship things like diapers and formula to the hotel or place you are staying so they are waiting for you, and call ahead to ask hotels if they can set up a crib for you.

Make Adult Activities Child-Friendly

You don’t have to steer clear of the things you want to do just for the sake of the kids. With just a few minutes of preparation, you can enjoy a traditionally grown-up activity with your child. If you have scheduled a tour, write up a scavenger hunt for your little one. It can be as complex or easy as you like. For example, if you’re doing a Chiang Mai temple tour, you can get older kids to look for the ninja turtle sculpture at the white temple and try to find the Buddha in all seven traditional positions at the Blue Temple. Younger kids can tally how many elephant statues or pictures they can find throughout the day.

Cooking classes are also a great alternative to tours, as they introduce your kids to the local culture via food and are interactive. Just call ahead and make sure the menu is child friendly. The kids will need you to help with cutting but they can mix, measure, and of course, taste.

Plan, but Don’t Over Plan

On vacation, a healthy balance between activities and poolside chill time is vital. Remember that as exciting as travel can be, it can also get overwhelming. So, if three days in a row of tours and classes are too much, break it up with a beach day or afternoon at the movies. Stay flexible, as the objective is quality time not checking off a list of Must Do activities.

Grown-Up Time

Not every activity needs to be about the entire family. This is your vacation too, so plan at least one or two things that are special for you and your significant other. Get a babysitter and take time to reconnect. After all you were a family of two before the kids came along and you will be again long after they are planning vacations for their own children. Travel is a time to reconnect and strengthen your bond with each other away from the noise of everyday life.

Keep a Family Journal

My travel journal is one of my prized possessions. It is an evolving record of cherished experiences and it is one of the few things I would grab in a fire. To make your own travel journal, once a day during the trip have each family member share a moment and take turns recording their experiences. You can also add admission tickets, maps, pressed flowers, postcards or hand-drawn art that you or the kids made of the day’s activities. You can of course record this on your laptop or tablet but for me, there is something special about a physical book filled with barely legible handwriting, coffee ring stains, and washi taped ticket stubs.

Step Away From Social Media

I know, I know this is a radical statement and I am a traitor to my generation… but hear me out. Social media is a great tool for staying connected, but so often I see parents missing actual experiences because they are trying to craft a narrative for virtual ones. This sends a powerful subconscious message to our kids that the way others perceive our experience is more important than the experience itself.  I’m not suggesting that you go completely dark during your trip (unless you want to), but maybe limit your posts to one a day after the kids are asleep or one large post at the end of the vacation so you can relive the experiences. I also encourage parents to limit posed pictures. Instead, grab organic moments as they happen. The internet is flooded with posed, airbrushed photos that took an hour to get everyone framed and smiling, but pictures of imperfect people in a perfect moment are rare, beautiful, and worth sharing.

May your summer be safe, happy, and filled with adventures whether they are two hours or half a world away!

Julie Wolf is the Director of First Five Early Education Centers in New York and Director of International Education for Newhattan Early Education Centers in China. She has been working with children and parents for over 18 years as a teacher, arts integration specialist, curriculum designer and staff development expert.

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 June issue

When I was growing up my mom not only planned elaborate trips during summer vacations but often pulled me out of school to travel all around Europe. From spending weeks on a small vineyard in Languedoc, France learning about local food, wine, and the cultural differences between Languedociennes and Parisians to getting stranded in Rotterdam or very innocently discovering that Amsterdam’s famous red-light district is not in fact, a festive section of the city where people like to hang red lights for good luck, it was all part of the journey. My mom believed that not everything in life can be taught in classrooms and that it’s important to see places and interact with different cultures first-hand. She used to say that traveling gives you life experiences which are like the seasoning in a recipe and that life would be bland without it. And now as an adult, I’m so grateful for the experiences that my mom gave me as a child and I hope to pass that on to my daughter in the future.

Summers are reserved for traveling and discovering new adventures that broaden our horizons and while most people’s overseas travel plans have been put on hold due to COVID-19, it doesn’t mean that traveling is completely off the table. China is huge and there are so many amazing places to discover and fall in love with that you can stay within the country’s borders and still be wowed by all that you’re bound to discover.

In this issue of beijingkids we tackle the difficulties of traveling with a toddler as Julie Wolf shares her tips on how to plan a trip with kids as well as easy ways to keep them entertained. We interviewed a few of the city’s expat parents on their travel horror stories along with the hard lessons they’ve learned from their own personal little fiascos, so that other Beijing parents can learn from their mistakes and avoid unnecessary headaches. We also interviewed a travel insurance expert who gave us plenty of useful tips for choosing the best insurance plan for your family.

For those who are going to be staying put in Beijing, our beloved city is so full of cool things to do. If you’ve been living in Beijing for a while you might have started to take the city’s historical landmarks cultural heritage for granted. So, read up on a few tips on how to experience Beijing with fresh eyes and be a tourist in your own city, or contact one Beijing’s many unique tourism companies, and book the family a professional day out and about.

Finally, as the school year ends, we take this opportunity to say congratulations to the Class of 2020! Their final year in high school was filled with challenges that no one’s ever faced before but as they go off into the next chapter of their lives, these students can look back on all that they’ve overcome and know that they’ve become stronger for it.

Scan the QR code below to download a copy.

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 June issue