Maldives: Heaven on Earth

Everything you heard about the Maldives is TRUE.  It has the bluest skies, clearest seas, softest sand, biggest coral and most gorgeous marine life!  Just a little piece of heaven on Earth!!

Maldives is a brilliant country that consists of over one thousand islands!  You heard me, right.  This nation of islands has over 200 resorts on 89 of its habitable islands.  The main mode of transport is by cruiser.  Once you are on one of the island resorts, time stands still.  Literally.

During our four days on the island resort, Vivanta by Taj, time became irrelevant. We ate when we felt hungry, slept when we were tired, swam when we felt hot and lounged when we got tired of being in the sea or pool.  Clocks and watches disappeared from sight and like they say, out of sight, out of mind.  Life was idyllic, peaceful and good! 

A hotspot for honeymooners and celebrities, Maldives is ideal for those who crave for some peace, quiet and privacy. I met local celebrity comedienne, Irene Ang yesterday at the Trend Micro event and she told me she just came back from Maldives too! Check out her lovely tan and how fresh she looks!

Is Maldives family friendly?

Absolutely!!  How can you go wrong with sun, sea and sand with the children?  While Vivanta by Taj did not have a kids club like some of the other resorts, the staff was very hospitable, understanding and helpful when it came to catering for the children.  For example, one morning my 2 kids were fighting over who should have the single yummy chocolate donut in the breakfast basket. Even before, we (the parents) could step in to stop the bickering, Amol, one of the waiters walked over with an extra chocolate donut.  Conflict resolved.

Later that evening, we wanted to dine Al fresco at The Grill.  As we scanned the menu, we noticed that there wasn't anything on the menu for the kids. We were about to get up and returned to our rooms to order room service when again, by his own initiative, the waiter serving us immediately offered to put together some spaghetti bolognaise for the kids. He even served them in separate pasta bowls so there'll be no messy division on my part. How thoughtful !

And one evening, we returned 'home' - that's what the kids were beginning to call our hotel room - to find a manually printed scroll addressed to my 5-year-old girl.  It was a storybook that the housekeeping had thoughtfully printed out 'just for her'.

This dream vacation was a delight in so many ways.  We enjoyed the island tremendously from the food, the activities to the friendly people we met on the island.   

Rowan with her mom (England)

The honeymooners (France)

And yes, Maldives is expensive.  Very expensive! Getting to the mainland, Male cost us US$70 per person.  But I tell ya,  the joy of experiencing Mother Nature's pure creations at such close proximity and all the first-memories I gained with my children?

• Our first midnight cruise ride to our island resort (50 minutes away from the main island of Male)
• Our kids' first snorkelling experience - the water in the lagoon is so clear you can see all sorts of Marine life!  
• Sharing our first glimpse of the famous natural, unsullied coral reef of Maldives together as a family  
• Feeding stingrays and seeing sharks and eels in their natural environment for the first time.

These memories are priceless! So, my husband and I will have to work harder and smarter for the next few years.  But at least we can say, we've been to Heaven, enjoyed it and came back to share with our friends.  

A picture can say a thousand words, we hope you enjoy our memories as much as we do. 

Best Vacation Guide

Term break starts tomorrow! Have you planned any getaways yet?

Whether you are going a quick trip away or an extended vacation, great planning is the foundation to a relaxing, beautiful vacation. To cut short your research time, we've scout the net for some great sites for you to start your holiday plans.  Here's what we found on cheap airfares, great hotel deals, reasonable rental car rates and essential travel insurance.

Affordable AIRLINES

1. www.ZUJI.com.sg
2. www.airfares.com.sg
3. www.priceline.com.sg
4. www.skycanner.net
5. www.gogo.com.sg
6. www.expedia.com (especially for North American flights)
7. www.united.com
8. www.singaporeair.com

Selection of HOTELS

1. www.hotels.com
2. www.asiarooms.com
3. www.agoda.com

Travel on RENTAL CARS

1. www.traveljigsaw.com.sg
2. www.avis.com.sg
3. Budget
4. Hertz
5. World Drive Holidays

Tarun C, a seasoned traveller who travels frequently for business and takes at least 2 family trips per year, swears by www.traveljigsaw.com.sg. He shares that this is by far the cheapest, most transparent and best site for car rental deals he had used.

“Some of the car rental sites may quote cheaper, but they have a lot of hidden charges that you have to pay for when you retrieve your car at the counter. This is the only site that informs you upfront of the charges so there is no further ‘surprise’ when you go collect your car.”

Essential TRAVEL INSURANCE

When you travel, it is always a good idea to get travel insurance. This is even more so when you travel with young kids, you get peace of mind and coverage for the following:

• Loss/misplacement of luggage, shopping or personal belongings
• Accidents – car or personal
• Illness – self or child

The amount of travel insurance you have to pay depends on the region you are travelling to and the number of days. Always do your own research to find which ones are suitable for you. Here are some travel insurance for you to consider.

1. AXA travel insurance
2. HSBC travel insurance
3. Aviva travel insurance
4. NTUC travel insurance

This article first appeared in theAsianparent.com

Travelling with kids

At a recent play date, a lively discussion ensued on the best destinations for the upcoming December holidays. It turned into anecdotes of travelling with kids, and quickly became a heated tête-à-tête over whether or not it was possible to have happy and patient kids on trips.


At a recent play date, one of my “mummy” friends asked about our travel plans for the upcoming December holidays. A lively discussion ensued on the best holiday destinations. It turned into anecdotes of travelling with kids, and quickly became a heated tête-à-tête over whether or not it was possible to have happy and patient kids on trips.

As patience depends on the child’s maturity (age) and the level of self-control, most of the parents agree that patience in a child hinges on the youngster’s emotional state. For example, if the child is happy, then he or she is more likely to be patient, (as will the parent).

Hence, keeping the kids happy on trips is paramount to the success of the trip. Otherwise, you may just need a holiday after the holiday.

Keeping the kids happy does not mean pandering to their whims and fancies. Instead, adopting the following tried and tested approach will guarantee you a delightful and stress-free vacation. Here’s what some travel savvy parents advise.

Preparation, Preparation, Preparation

Before we had children, the free-and-easy way of travel was the modus operandus. Today, with a toddler and a pre-schooler in tow, it is unthinkable to travel without any pre-planning.

Kathy Buckworth, a mother of four and an award winning author, said that “it isn’t too anal to plan your trip from beginning to end” and recommends that you “think about the ages of the kids, their temperaments (and yours), and make up a guide that will suit your family, from start to finish.”

Adrian Au, who took his 20-month-old daughter on a 10-day road trip in Switzerland, said he and his wife researched, researched and did more research on hotels, car rentals, airlines, sights, routes, and even food options.

“We took care of every thing possible before the trip,” he said. “We made the decision not to travel [in Switzerland] by train, got a big car so everyone was comfortable, specially requested one with a GPS system to reduce stress, bought travel insurance and loaded up.”

The Journey

Once, you’re safely buckled in and have started your journey, keeping the kids occupied takes precedence over all else. Whether you’re travelling by car, plane or a cruise ship, here are a few things to note:

a) Time Your Travel

Pauline Frommer, of Frommer’s travel guides advises that “if you can leave early or late, you not only avoid traffic, hopefully the kids will be tired and take a little rest.”

Seasoned traveller, Valery Wong-Crowhurst, spent her June holiday in Canada with her three children aged 10, 5 and 2 ½. She maintained that night flights are the best for long trips (18-22 hours) as the children could sleep a good 8 hours on the flight. However, it was difficult finding a comfortable position on the narrow seats in economy.

b) Business Class and Size

Try travelling on business class was Jacqui Chua-Warder’s suggestion. When her husband recently visited his family in the U.K. with their two girls, aged 6 and 4, he traded in his air miles so they could travel with him on Singapore Airlines’ business class, and related that “the journey was a breeze.”

Lorita Bedi-Soltysiak, a mother of two, was quick to concur. Whenever she travels with her children, she tries to travel via business class as it is roomier and “the flat-bed seats are very comfortable.”

To help their little ones sleep on the journey, many parents rely on cough syrup. The Asianparent team strongly encourages checking with your paediatrician before administering the medication. So what happens if you’re not in favour of “drugging” your child, and he’s awake throughout the trip?

c) Keep them busy, busy, busy

Lorita surprises her daughter with a new toy each time she travels. She declares that the toy is usually something small and inexpensive but it occupies her daughter the entire trip.

“The excitement of being on a flight is enough for [the kids]” said Jacqui of her 2-hour trip to Bali. However, on longer flights or journeys, these experienced moms share the following must-haves to bring on your trip:

 Portable DVD player or iPod for the older children.

 Small toys such as Ben 10 or Transformers action figures and playthings with buttons and an adjustable volume.

 Colouring and sticker activity books as well as reading books.

 Favourite stuff toy that doubles up as a pillow.

 Magnetic games that will endure the bumps on the road and in the air.

 Snacks to fill the little rumbling tummies.

 Little rewards or surprises like trinkets or gummy sweets for good behaviours

If your little tyke has gone through the above gamut of entertainment, and is getting restless, you could always try singing, telling silly jokes, narrating stories or play the more traditional games of “I Spy”, alphabet games, spotting games or 20 questions.

I allow my son to experiment with our digital camera on our trips. It occupies my budding photographer for a good half an hour and sometimes as a bonus, some really good photos emerge from his endeavours.

On a final note, our panel of parents recommend adopting a flexible attitude on the regular rules we have at home on television watching or consumption of food during the trip. After all, everyone’s on holiday.

This post first appeared in theAsianparent.com in 2009. It is also posted on the non-profit, I Love Children website.

The Singapore Traffic Police Department answers some of our questions on child safety when travelling on the road.

1. What are the general car seat guidelines in Singapore?
Under the Road Traffic Act, a child below the age of 8 years old, who is the passenger of a motor vehicle, has to be secured using a child restraint that is appropriate for his/her height and weight, or use a booster seat cushion in conjunction with the vehicle seat belts. (A note to clarify: a child restraint comes with its own seat belts, but a booster seat cushion does not. A person sitting on a booster seat cushion has to be belted up with the vehicle seat belts.)

The law does not specify the age group that has to use a child restraint and the age group that has to use a booster seat cushion, because different children may grow at different rate. It is left to the discretion of the parents / driver to decide whether a child restraint or booster seat cushion is more suitable for a particular child. Parents typically switch from using a child restraint to a booster seat cushion when their children turn 4 years old.

2. Is it illegal to have your car seat in the front seat?
There is no traffic rule which states where a child restraint should be placed (front seat or back seat). However, some cars do carry labels on their sun shade flaps, advising against putting a rear-facing child restraint in the front passenger seat, due to the location of the air bag in the car. Parents should check their cars to see if they carry such a label, before deciding on the appropriate place to put the child restraint.

3. How old should a child be for him/her to sit in the front seat?
The law does not specify where a child has to sit in the vehicle. A child can sit in the front passenger seat as long as he is secured with a child restraint.

4. Will the driver get into trouble if a child is not buckled?
It is the responsibility of the driver to ensure that all his passengers – whether they are adults or children — wear seat belts. If the passenger is a child, the child has to be secured with a child restraint or use a booster seat cushion. A driver who fails to ensure that his adult or child passenger is belted up commits an offence which entails a composition fine of S$120 and 3 demerit points.

5. Can a child sit in the front seat with an adult?
A child who is travelling in a motor vehicle has to be secured with a child restraint. If sitting “in the front seat with an adult” means that the child is sitting on the lap of the adult, with the adult holding on to the child, it is not allowed.

The purpose of a child restraint is to secure the child properly so that he/she can have a safe journey. It is not possible to adequately protect a child by carrying him/her in the arms. This is because, in the event of a forward collision, the effective weight of the child would increase dramatically. An adult would not be able to hold on to this weight.

6. What are the penalties for flouting the traffic law on car seats - are there any?
Any driver who fails to belt up or ensure that his adult or child passenger is belted up commits an offence which entails a composition fine of S$120 and 3 demerit points.

7. Advice from traffic police on car seat / child safety in a moving vehicle
Motorists,  especially  parents,  should be aware that they are responsible for  the  safety of  young children travelling in their vehicles, and that they  are  endangering  the  lives  of these children whenever proper child restraints are not used. The use of proper child restraints is a simple act that could help save lives.

8. Are there any rules on children traveling in vans, lorries or trucks?
Yes, a child can travel in vans, lorries or trucks, but the same rule will apply — that the child has to be secured using a child restraint that is appropriate for his/her height and weight, or use a booster seat cushion in conjunction with the vehicle seat belts.

This article first appeared in theAsianparent.com

Travel: A Family Affair

My first travel article published in Simply Her (Singapore), 2010.