Traveling with Children in Southeast Asia

One of the most striking aspects of a trip to Southeast Asia is the welcoming attitude to children. The smiles and indulgent reception given to pint-sized visitors is wonderful, and travelers to the region can expect to be treated better with kids, than without!

The sincere respect for the family unit inherent in many Asian cultures means that children in Asia are adored - to the extent that adults will often give up seats on public transport for youngsters - and families traveling in the region can expect a universally warm welcome. Friendly locals will shower attention on your children at any opportunity, friendly local kids make ready playmates and temporary nannies are on hand at virtually every corner.

Another plus is that opportunities for low-cost meals and lodging in Asia abound, and with relatively cheap jet travel, affordable family accommodations and favorable currency exchange rates, the term ‘family values’ has real meaning in Southeast Asia. Worried about young eaters? For those with a fussier palate, international kid-friendly cuisine is also readily available and most restaurants welcome children so eating out isn’t a chore. Indeed, with shared dishes, patient and attentive staff and hands-on regional grub, dining in Asia can often be great fun for families.

Exotissimo Travel offers a great selection of exciting adventures featuring a wide variety of activities for the whole family. From elephant riding and mahout training to jungle trekking and canoeing and rappelling adventures, regardless of where you want to go, we’ll find you comfortable, child-friendly accommodation, and plan your trip to ensure that each member of your family has the time of their lives!.

Have a look at Family Jungle Escape in Kanchanaburi for your family trip to Thailand.

Colonial Chic - Swishful Thinking

Like a living museum, Asia’s grand colonial hotels are the lavish legacy of the region’s colonial past, and provide a glamorous window into a time when the expanding empires of France and Britain in particular cut mighty swaths across the globe.

Wealthy traders and entrepreneurs like the famous Sarkies brothers, flocked to exotic new outposts in the Far East and were quick to leave their imprint on the occupied territory, importing familiar customs and, above all, familiar architecture to the native landscape.

Mostly built early last century, these plush properties like The Oriental in Thailand, Hanoi’s Sofitel Metropole, Vientiane’s Settha Palace and The Strand in Yangon, provided a decadent refuge for the rich and privileged in a very foreign land. Lofty ballrooms, exquisite dining halls, sweeping stair-cases and luxurious suites all supplied the lush backdrop to an endless round of parties and intrigues.

But more than simply a grandiose tribute to imperial decadence, these institutions set high standards in luxury and architecture that their current owners take pains to preserve. Though most are now in the hands of luxury hotel chains, such as Sofitel, Raffles and GHM, which have the funds necessary to maintain them, many of their historical traditions, such as high tea, Tiffin and classical French cuisine, happily live on.

From the rattan furniture and potted plants, to the marble floors and brass fittings, these great colonial hotels still evoke the wonderful opulence of their golden days in the 1920s and '30s. They all offer welcome despite from sterile, modern and often charmless hotels and give us the chance to experience the un-adulterated glamour of a bygone era.

The Asian Spa : Well ahead on Wellness

The concept of traveling for wellness and spa treatments is certainly not a new one; Ancient Greeks traveled to Epidauria, Roman patients traveled to Bath, and from the 18th century, wealthy Europeans traveled far to visit spas from Germany to Egypt. Today, however, relatively low-cost jet travel and favorable currency exchange rates have taken the industry beyond the wealthy elite and spa and wellness tourism, especially in Asia, is booming.

President of the Spa and Wellness Association, Dr Theresa Chew, believes it is Asia’s unique heritage and culture that have enabled the market to flourish. Indigenous Asian therapies such as Indonesian Jamu, Chinese Tui Na, Thai massage and Indian Ayuverda, coupled with a traditional emphasis on preventative medicine and a service-minded culture, all make Asia the undisputed hub of the international spa and wellness industry.

As consumers worldwide are becoming more health conscious, the demand for healthful holiday options is growing. Increasingly travelers are including a detoxifying stay at a destination spa or health retreat in their Asian itineraries, and with the region boasting some of the finest destination spas in the world, it’s little wonder that they do!

The Shinta Mani is a beautiful boutique property located in the center of Siem Reap, and is a member of the socially-minded Sanctuary Resorts group. The hotel’s award-winning ‘Sanctuary Spa’ features luxurious single and couple treatment rooms and offers a range of treatments to relax and rejuvenate.

With official spa figures currently over 800, Thailand is the current market leader for spa and wellness, and so unsurprisingly the Kingdom has a range of excellent health-minded resorts. Ko Samui’s Kamalaya is a complete wellness sanctuary which provides cleansing detox programs, yoga synergy retreats, holistic spa treatments and customized wellness packages in a in a natural beach-side setting.

The regal Thai beach town of Hua Hin is a veritable hub of wellness, boasting several luxury destination spas. The AKA Hotel Resort & Spa offers luxury villas inspired by Thailand’s meditative traditions, and even features a scenic jogging trail around the resort grounds in addition to its excellent spa facilities.

Also in Hua Hin is the exclusive health retreat of Chiva-Som. Nestled within seven acres of lush tropical gardens, the famous resort offers extensive fitness, spa and holistic health facilities and features over 120 holistic and medical treatments.

Six Senses Resorts and Spas group also have a destination spa in Hua Hin, as well as several other award-winning spa properties around Thailand and Vietnam. Each of their resort spas offer an impressive selection of holistic and signature treatments, while their fitness centers and Tai Chi and Yoga pavilions help guests play their way into good health.

All aborad! Seriously Stylish Cruising in Southeast Asia

The flowing waters of Southeast Asia form some of its most spectacular geographical features. Mighty rivers flow from the highlands in the heart of the region and run outward in all directions to meet breathtaking bays. Experience these natural wonders in styles aboard luxurious vessels that are almost as spectacular as the waters they cruise!

Thailand’s Chao Phraya is often dubbed ‘The River of Kings’ and Manohra’s lavishly converted rice barges offer a truly regal river experience. The 20-metre-long barges feature warm teak, Padua and mahogany woods throughout, custom designed furniture and sophisticated Southeast Asian art, and can be hired by couples or groups for private charter.

In the northeast of Vietnam, just a three-hour drive from Hanoi, is the stunning World Heritage Site of Halong Bay, a dense cluster of almost 2,000 limestone monolithic islands, each topped with thick jungle vegetation rising spectacularly from the ocean. Cruise the bay in the style of yesteryear aboard the Emeraude, a luxuriously appointed replica colonial paddle steamer with a romantic history to match the polished wood and brass fittings!

Myanmar’s Irrawaddy River is the life-line of the nation and flows through the centre of the country for almost 2000 km. Cruise its mighty waters in comfort aboard the RV Pandaw 1947, an original Scottish-built colonial steamer, commissioned at the end of the Second World War. With sixteen beautifully appointed cabins, elegant dining hall, saloon and sun deck, Ayravata Cruises offer cultural and exploration cruises in comfort.

Or enjoy the timeless landscapes of Southern Laos from your luxurious vantage point on “the river-borne boutique hotel’ of Vat Phou. The beautiful 34-metre steel hulled craft features a charmingly appointed interior and gives leisurely cruises along the mighty Mekong. On a different stretch of the Mekong in nearby Cambodia, Mekong River Cruises offer a unique experience of a fascinating country in serious style!

So why not embark on the trip of a lifetime with our Emeraude Experience Cruise.

Order of the Day - Dining with a Conscience in Southeast Asia

In a region famous for its delectable cuisine, several Southeast Asian restaurants are now also dishing up opportunities for the local community with their socially responsible policies and vocational training programs.

In Siem Reap, Le Jardin des Delices is the training restaurant of the famous Paul Dubrule Hospitality & Tourism School and was established to provide young, underprivileged Cambodians with an opportunity to train in the skills of the hotel, restaurant and tourism industry.

Delicious Khmer and European fusion cuisine is served on a terrace fronting a lush exotic garden. But the tastiest aspect of all is that while you enjoy the savoir faire of the students, you are also contributing to the sustainability of a vital educational project.

In just five years, the Hanoi based KOTO (Know One, Teach One) has grown from a small sandwich shop to a 120-seat restaurant and an internationally accredited hospitality program that is breaking the cycle of poverty amongst street and disadvantaged youth in Vietnam.

The young people in the KOTO program study hospitality skills and English, while gaining practical skills working at the KOTO restaurant. Indeed, KOTO boasts a 100 percent success rate in placing its graduates in their first job in the hospitality industry.

In Thailand, the popular restaurant chain Cabbages and Condoms was founded by the kingdom’s leading philanthropist and former Minister of Health, Meechai Viravaidya, in an effort to make condoms as common - and as accepted - as cabbages.

The food is consistently delicious (and ‘guaranteed not to cause pregnancy!’) and all proceeds from the restaurants are used to fund the social programs of the Population and Community Development Association (PDA), a non-profit organization founded in 1974 by Meechai himself.

Choosing to eat at socially responsible restaurants such as these can make a big difference to the most vulnerable sectors of the local community. In a region that traditionally suffers from child prostitution and exploitative labor, a socially responsible service industry is now becoming the order of the day.

On your next trip to Southeast Asia, why not sample the delicious fare of these restaurants and support their valuable work? Join the ten-day Best of Vietnam tour and visit KOTO Restaurant in Hanoi and experience Vietnamese hospitality.