I am so excited. We are off to Bali tomorrow! This trip has been planned months ago, and I have been counting down the many hundred days leading up to this. I am turning 30 in December, and instead of having a big party I opted for a lovely holiday. We will be staying in a 5-bedroom private villa. So blessed that we get to share this holiday with some of our closest friends and my parents will also be joining us from Malaysia! That would mean my parents are around to help babysit Micah while I relax and chill… very much needed especially before the arrival of our 2nd bub in March. Also looking forward to some adult only, child-free nights in Bali… I am so excited!!!
I have decided to write a blog post because leading up to this trip I also had a long list of things To Do and To Pack. There are a lot of things to consider before a trip like this, especially when you have toddler. So here’s a checklist of a few things to keep in mind… for my own personal future reference as well as yours if you are about to go on a similar trip with your family!
GENERAL CHECKLIST (3 Months Prior):
- Accommodation booked and confirmed
- Flights booked and confirmed
- Passports are up to date with at least 6 months validity from when you arrive at destination
THINGS TO PACK (Check In):
- Portable cot
- Bedding for cot
- Items for bedtime routine (in Micah’s case sippy cup for his milk, his childrens’ Bible for bedtime story, his favorite blanket)
- Baby monitor
- Travel stroller
- Nappies
- Nappy Bags
- Large plastic bags e.g. Kitchen Tidy bags for disposal of bulk nappies as well as to pack anything wet / could leak on the way home.
- Swimmer nappies
- Baby wipes
- Swimwear
- Sufficient clothing
- Underwear
- Footwear
- Sunscreen
- Insect repellent
- Snacks
- Outdoor toys – beach ball, frisbee, etc.
- Hats
- Basic toiletries eg toothbrush, toothpaste, shaver, deodorant & facewash (others are provided by hotel)
- Meds – Panadol, Baby Panadol, Gastro meds, Travel sickness meds, Painkillers, Antihistamines, Insect bite meds, Nappy Rash Cream, etc.
- Phone & tablet chargers
- Power adaptors to suit power plugs at destination country
- Luggage locks to lock your suitcases
- An extra bag that folds flat for extra stuff if planning to shop
THINGS TO PACK (Carry On – Small Bag)
- Passports
- Itineraries
- Camera
- Phone
- Wallet / Purse
- Your Keys + Keys to Luggage Locks
- Money
- Basic makeup for freshening up
- Panadol and Travel Sickness Meds
- A few nappies
- Baby wipes
- Nappy bags
- Toys
- Books
- Tablet with movies to keep little one occupied
- Headphones
- Water bottle
- Snacks – biscuits, lollipops, etc.
- Change of clothes
- If planning to use your credit card, please inform your bank that you will be overseas so your card doesn’t get blocked!
- Do not use roaming – it is too expensive. Do research on local phone carriers with prepaid options with data if you need to stay connected, if not, switch off your phone and relax!
- Make sure some of your activities which needs to be pre-booked are booked.
- Depending on where you’re going, find out if it’s best to exchange your money in Australia or when you get there. In Bali’s case we get better rates in Indonesia so we are exchanging our currencies only when we get there.
- Make sure all is in place with your accommodation and transport, in our case, we have communicated all special requests to our villa and pre-booked our arrival meals and let them know our flight details and contact names for pick up at the airport.
- You can also choose to hire baby cot, stroller, high chairs etc so you don’t have to worry about bringing those items.
- Car rental arrangements if applicable.
- Airport parking arrangements if applicable.
- Duty free shopping list :p
- Spend some time making sure your house is clean and tidy. You don’t want to come home to a messy house!
Note that some things not on my list MAY be on your list e.g. baby carrier (we don’t carry Micah, he is much too heavy!), bottles, formula, etc… depending on how old your baby / toddler is.
My list may seem pretty lengthy… okay maybe it is… but really we are travelling quite light! 1 x large luggage bag fits both hubby and mine’s clothing (mostly because we are travelling to a tropical country so clothes are thin and light) and 1 x small luggage bag to fit all of Micah’s stuff. 1 carry on, and 1 camera bag which serves as my handbag. Portacot and stroller will be checked in and those baby items are NOT included in the total luggage allocation, they are like bonus freebie weight so we don’t have to worry about exceeding our weight limit.
I hope I haven’t forgotten anything…..
Kimba's Living 
This is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. I love seeing blog that understand the value of providing a quality resource for free. Backpacking List
LikeLike