You might have traveled a couple to times, around the world but your trip to China can be complicated with kids if you haven`t packed smartly and relied on time to handle odd situations. Traveling to China is easy but roaming around the country means a lot of train or taxi time. When your kids are with you, these may become not-so-happy hours, so you need to change your travel strategy and follow the below mentioned tips to make things convenient and comfortable for yourself and kids.
Fewer Clothes More Necessary Products
China is not too expensive when it comes to clothes; you can buy a kids t-shirt & trouser set for 2$ to 5$ from any local market. So packing up too many clothes for kids is not a good idea. But there are certain products which are not only expensive in China but are different also. So it is a common complaint of travelers that their kids' nag and get irritated because of this change –baby pampers and wipes are one of such products. Baby feeder nipples, dry milk, candies, padlock for bags, extra shoes, raincoat, extra pair of eyeglasses, skin products, etc. are more important as compared to clothes.
Keep your Kid`s Favorite Toys
Keep your kid`s favorite toys especially dolls and stuff toys. Usually, you will not find the American style dolls, and stuff toys in China local markets as they have their country made products which do not look like Barbie, Elsa or Rapunzel. You have to visit a mall to find them, and they are quite expensive too.
It is ideal to buy 2 to 3 new toys to keep your kids busy during the long train or taxi time, at waiting for stands and the airport as well.
Do not Forget to Keep Electronic Gadgets
Keep the tablets or game consoles and other indulging electronic gadgets with you. Also, buy some new DVDs for your kids or download a few favorite movies or cartoon episodes for your kids. The problem is that in a few cities you won’t be able to tune American channels TV or will have Chinese dubbed transmissions.
Though the Wi-Fi facility is common when you travel to tribal areas or upper mountainous regions, internet connections might not work efficiently.
Sling and Pram
Families traveling with toddlers or newborn babies should keep a pram and a sling when going to China. Remember, your trip to China is not like that of Thailand, Dubai or London as you have to walk, walk and walk a lot here. From the entrance gate to the actual site there will be a long path; secondly, train or busses are congested during rush hour, and you might have to hike or climb stairs often –carrying your baby in a sling can be tiring and problematic for you. Pram is ideal as most of the places have a ramp for wheelchair or pram.
While traveling in a taxi, for cruise or boating trip, mountain climbing and congested sites, a pram is not ideal. So keep both, pram and sling with you for your ease.
Pack Some Snacks and Munching Items
China local snacks are not loved by most of the kids traveling from western or Arabian countries. The flavor if Chinese salt and local herbs are new for most of the people and it might not go well with your taste buds.
In case you are from a Jewish or Muslim community, it will be a big problem for you to find halal food. Secondly Chinese eat worms, insects, and all types of animals which might not go with your mood and stomach as you are not used to it. 100% vegetarian food is also an issue in a few cities in China. That`s why it is recommended to pack snacks and munching items in your luggage to avoid the hassle of finding the required variety of snacks or buying the products at expensive rates.
Keep Required Medicines
In tribal areas, Tibetan regions and a few cities people prefer to cure the diseases with meditation or herbs. Your kids might not accept that so keep useful medicines with you. It is recommended to keep medicine for travel sickness, motion, vomiting, pain killer, constipation, headache, allergy. Also, keep the medicines that you regularly take.
Keep a Mini Dictionary Or Translation Tool
Keep a mini dictionary or a translation tool with you. In many cities of China, people don`t understand English, and it might take 10 to 15 minutes to ask about a simple thing. The signboard sometimes doesn`t have English translation so finding your route, placing an order at a restaurant or asking for a required product at shops can be a daunting task. Translation tools are ideal as they make the process quick and easy but a mini dictionary can also minimize your troubles.
Hopefully, you will find these tips useful while traveling with kids to China. Do not forget to give feedback or add your very own tips to this blog to help out other travelers. We wish you a very joyful and fantastic time in China.
