Travel + Leisure

TRAVEL+LEISURE / MARCH 2016

little monsters running down the aisle on an aircraft slapping everypassenger’s shoulderorelbowlike
they’ve been entrustedwith some twistedwayof taking aroll call.Theyare all, of course,otherpeople’s

kids. I didn’t have anyjust so I could spare all ofyou out there trying to get some sleep in Business,
Economyand Premium Economy!

Others obviouslydidn’t return the courtesy. So all flights I take seem to be blessedwith children
who are to in-flight snoozing as DonaldTrump is to theAmerican presidential campaign currently:

Aggravating and successfullydisruptive.
But there are momentswhen I’m sitting at an airport and can’t help but smile on hearing some

adorable observation akid makes on anewplace, orthe questions they’ll ask.
The thing is that travellingwith children does have benefits. Getting to board the plane first, or

having a legitimate reason for going to Disneyland are just a fewof them. Children can be energetic,
inquisitive, excited, and surprisinglybrave.Theywill open up cultural doors foryou as strangers ask

them questions, storekeeperswill speak to them in broken English and local childrenwill invite them
to playtogether.As in other aspects ofyour life, kids shed newlight on thingsyou might otherwise

see through the dulled lenses of a jaded adult. Insights and ideas emerge in a multitude ofways:
conversations in the café, people-watching on the train, andwriting in journals.

But planning familyvacations can be atask similar

to losing those last five kilos.You knowyou have to

(summervacationswill be here soon, and puttingyour

kidsup foradoption isn’t an option), andyou know

you’ll feel fantastic onceyou get there (imagine getting

to finallytaste Butterbeerand ride abroomstickwith

yourkids atWarnerBros StudioTourof HarryPotter).

This issue,we’ve packed in over365vacation ideas,

fantastic ‘all inclusive’packages (that almost make me

wish I had acouple of kids), luxuryvillarentals loaded

with thingsyourkidswill enjoy, some intel onwhich

cultures and cuisines are best introduced atwhich age,

and atotallyawesome blockbusterguide on theworld’s

most fun theme parks, integrated resorts and rides.

So go ahead, pack some miniatures of Benadryl,

and hop on aflightwith the kids, theworld awaits its

elbowslapping mid-Atlantic roll call.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH

TRAVELLING WITH KIDS IS

LIMITED TO SHRIEKING

@TLRuchiraon Twitter

@pinterest/ruchirabose

editor’s note (^) | MARCH 2016
EDITOR’S PHOTOGRAPH: ASHISH CHAWLA; MAKEUP BY VIPIN ARORA
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