MaiStoryBook

This summer, a dream of mine came true~ We took our 9 month old Baby on his first trip to Vietnam! It is mai dream to be able to bring the kid(s) back to Vietnam every summer, so that they have the same experience and connection to Vietnam that I did growing up. I would love for them to feel like Vietnam is their second home-away-from-home.

Our trip to Vietnam lasted 3 weeks, and this was the first time I traveled to the Central and North Vietnam. Our extended family lives in Saigon, so growing up we would always stay in the South. The whole country is gorgeous, with so much natural beauty, and each region is different in terms of weather, cuisine, and dialect.

However, visiting different regions meant a lot more traveling: plane rides, bus rides, car rides. Plus, there were the initial *long* plane rides to Vietnam and back. All that traveling can be hard with a Baby, but Mai Little Lover had the most amazing trip. From bearing the warm and humid weather, trying so many new foods, and meeting new people, to adjusting to the time difference, riding on motorcycles limousine buses, and bus rides, he had the best attitude with every new experience.

In our traveling group: Me, Husband, Baby, Mai mama, younger brother, and a family friend from Vietnam

Below I am sharing what Baby Essentials helped us the most during out travels, including toys, clothes, carriers, and other traveling details with a Baby, and I documented a quick recap of our stay in each region: where we stayed, some of the major highlights of each region, tours, etc.

If you have any question about traveling with Baby, or Vietnam, leave them in the comments below!

Check out mai Instagram Story Vietnam Highlight for video footage of our trip!

Traveling with Baby: Baby Essentials:

We tried to pack as light as possible. For our 3 week stay, for Baby, Husband and I, we packed 2 overhead-bin sized suitcases (but ended up checking them in since they were too heavy), a backpack for our computers/ chargers and other personal items, and Baby’s diaper bag. We would have access to washing machines so didn’t back too many clothes. I shared my suitcase with Baby so packed all of his clothes with mine. Husband used his suitcase for his own clothes, and then filled the other half with diapers and Baby wipes. Check out more details below:

Diapers

We decided to pack as many diapers as possible, rather than buy them in Vietnam. This was the advice I generally received when I asked other parents about diapers and traveling. Most of them recommended to pack your own since it can difficult to find the right brand/ quality that you and Baby are used to when traveling abroad.

For our 3 week trip, we packed 75 diapers, 15 swim diapers, and 2.5 cases of Baby Wipes. (We stuffed diapers everywhere! The majority went in Husband’s suitcase, but I had a handful in my suitcase pockets, the diaper bag held as many as possible in all the pockets, and our backpack had a stash). The diapers actually lasted us almost perfectly! We used the last diaper on the last airplane ride home. We did however buy a case of 25 diapers while in Vietnam, just in case since we were cutting it close. We ended up only using 1-2 of them however, because they turned out to be pull-up diapers, which weren’t ideal for our 9 month old, and were harder for us to change him, especially when he pooped (We had to use scissors to cut off the diaper instead of pulling it off).

Carseat

Originally we weren’t planning on bringing the carseat. This is because Vietnam does not use carseats. Even though we traveled by taxi and bus the majority of the time, it is standard for babies to ride on their parents’ lap. Because of the traffic speed and flow, this was and felt totally safe! (I was worried Baby would have a hard time adjusting to the carseat once coming back home, but the transition was smooth).

The only reason we ended up bringing a carseat was because we took a Lyft to the airport, and needed to transport Baby. We checked in our carseat at the airport, and then traveled around Vietnam with it, leaving it in our apartment/hotel room and taking it with us when transporting to different regions. It was a slight inconvenience, but nothing major. If we had driven our own car to the airport, we would have left the carseat in the car.

Bassinet

The airplane ride to Vietnam was broken into 2 flights: a 14 hour flight to Hong Kong, and a 3 hour flight from HK to Vietnam.

Tip: We booked overnight flights so that Baby would sleep through most of it. Our first flight was at 1am, and Baby slept for the first 6-7 hours. On the way back home, we also took an evening flight, and once again Baby slept.

Another Tip: If traveling with a Baby on an international flight, book the seats with the Bassinet! The seats are at the front of the section, and a sturdy tray table folds down for the flight attendants to attache a bassinet. We contact-slept our baby the whole flight, but when he was awake, the bassinet was a lifesaver! We were able to put him down in it to give our own arms and bodies a break, and he was able to sit and wiggle and play in a contained area on the airplane!

Toys

Since we tried to pack as light as possible, we took a limited amount of toys with us: 8 in total. These 4 however were the most helpful and entertaining for Baby, especially during travel on airplanes and car rides. Whenever he would start to get fussy, these would help distract and entertain him for exended periods of time.

Clothes:

The weather in Vietnam is very humid and hot, especially in the summer. Summer is also raining season. We needed to pack Baby light, airy clothes that could “breathe.” We packed him around 14 outfits. Since we had access to laundry, this left us a good amount of extra outfits for blowouts and multiple changes throughout the day if he got dirty or too sweaty. Here are a few of our favorite outfits that were perfect for the weather.

Carrier:

We did not bring a stroller to Vietnam, so we relied on our baby-wearing-carriers to help carry Baby. Especially in the cities, the streets are crowded and using a stroller isn’t practical. I actually rarely saw strollers, or baby carriers. Most parents just carry their littles on their hips. I saw the most strollers in Ha Noi, but it was still the minority to see. These are the two carriers we loved, that gave us the most support, and used throughout our trip

Food/ Feeding

Baby tried so many new foods while in Vietnam: pho noodles, all types of broth, rice, rice rolls, spring rolls, meatballs, fish, his first shellfish, and more! Since he is only 9 months, I did limit sodium as much as I could, but also let him eat with us as much as possible. However, I did still buy and bring him his own foods when we went out for meals, just in case we had something he couldn’t eat or that was too seasoned or slaty for him, and for him to have all his nutrients! Our go-to’s for Baby were sweet potato, mango, avocado, hard boiled eggs, and banana while we were in Vietnam.

Traveling throughout Vietnam: Our Itinerary

Below is a brief outline of our itinerary in Vietnam. I linked the tours, destinations, and air bnbs that I was able to find websites to. Our trip started in the South in Saigon, and then we made our way through the mountains, to the Central region, and then up north to Ha Noi.

Saigon

While in Saigon, we mostly reacquainted with family and friends for meals, and ate at local restaurants and cafes. We didn’t do too many tourist things or travel far from our location since we’ve been to Saigon before. (Otherwise, visiting the MeKong Delta and Cu Chi Tunnels is for sure a must!)

Ben Thanh Tower Apartments: This apartment included two separate rooms: one with 2 bedrooms, one with 1 bedroom. Both rooms had a kitchen, a bathroom with a tub, and a laundry machine. There is a stunning rooftop pool and a gym. It is centrally located, in District 1 right in the city center, walking distance to the famous market and boardwalk. (The link takes you to several apartment listings in the tower)

Highlights:

Da Lat

Da Lat is a beautiful mountain town in South Vietnam. Because it is in the mountains at a higher elevation, the weather is actually a lot less hot. It’s not as humid, and the temperature is around mid-70s, making it a nice respite from the humidity and heat. Da Lat has one of the best night markets as well, and beautiful waterfalls!

To Da Lat: We drove to Da Lat from Saigon- about a 8 hour drive- in a Limousine Sleeper Bus! It was an incredible experience since the bus had private bed compartments for each passenger so you could lay down and sleep! It was perfect for Baby because there was plenty of room to crawl and move around during the long drive.

Wooden House Air BnB: This is the most beautiful place we stayed at. The house is made with a dark wood, the wall paper designs were exquisite, the plants in the house were beautifully curated, and their were vinatage items used as decor scattered around. Included 2 bedrooms and a third larger room in a loft area on the second floor.

Highlights

Da Nang

The Ocean Resort Home Air BnB: Beautiful house with a small pool! Included 3 bedrooms, a beautiful kitchen, and lovely modern design.

Highlights

Hanoi

Vincom Tower Apartment: This apartment is located in the center of the city. We were on the 42nd floor and the view was stunning! Included 3 bedrooms, laundry and dryer, 2 bathrooms, and a kitchen. The views from each room were amazing during the day and night!

Highlights

Overall, it was the most incredible trip. Baby was so stimulated by the environment around him~ in the best way~ and people there are so helpful and kind with babies. Adults would come up and fan Baby, make sure I had a seat if I was carrying Baby, they would talk to him, hold him~ I would love for Baby to grow up surrounded by a large and loving community.

We ate the best foods, saw the most beautiful sites, and soaked in the language and culture. As I mentioned, it is my dream to return to Vietnam annually, so I cannot wait to go back soon!

Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions!

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*~Also, I’d love to see and hear about your own irl adventures and reading adventures you are having with your little learners, so please share your story times and family travels below in the comments ~ Or Tag me on Instagram @MaiStoryBookLibrary , FaceBook , find me onTikTok, or contact me via email . I’d love to hear from you!~*~*

Link nội dung: https://lytc.edu.vn/boy-cu-nung-a80462.html