Travelling with an 8 month old - What were we thinking?
My wife alas, the true organiser and in control of everything fell ill on the way out, literally as we passed over the cliffs of Dover - not a good start. What was there to do? Well in the case of Emirates who we were lucky enough to be flying, take my daughter off my hands for a few minutes and take polaroids of her. Something which kept her amused for atleast 10 minutes - but that was 10 minutes less that I didn't need to worry about.
I won't bore you with the details but after two long flights which thankfully mummy and daughter slept for the majority we arrived in paradise, timing of the flights is key!
Now my daughter Summer, has never been abroad, well unless you count Wales, has never been on a plane, and certainly never been to the Indian Ocean. So why did we decide to take her away on such a trek? Simple really we have both travelled extensively all our lives and while I know that she won't regale dinner parties when she is older of "the first time I dipped my feet in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean", I do hope that she may get some experiences which may stay with her - donuts for breakfast was one! Oh dear -10 traveller/parent points.
We were lucky enough to stay in 3 resorts over our three week trip, Le Touessrok, the Four Seasons Anahita and for Mum and Dad our second stay at the Oberoi. Let me be honest with you now, the main reason for this trip was so Mum and Dad could eat again at the Oberoi, as the food was nothing short of sublime. So yes please call me a fool for subjecting my daughter to this journey on the back of a need to indulge in Michelin star dining, but I would also ask you to hold fire till you have gone there yourself and tried the Indian Thali, or the divine ice cold cooking of the baked Alaska in carbon dioxide.
The food at all three hotels was superb as you would expect, but away from the fine dining in the evening, the staff were so helpful and on hand to help with our daughter's needs and even took her away to her shrieks of delight to see the chef and his sous-chefs in the kitchen. What happened in there I never knew but she always came out with chocolate on her face and a smile from ear to ear, so can't have been all bad. The staff at every possible opportunity did everything they could to make our life easier, from the food, to making sure we were shaded when eating to giving us tips on when certain pools were quieter so we could take our wee one and not upset any of the other guests. I know we had as much right to be there as everyone else but I just thought it was a nice touch so everyone could feel comfortable and not have a selfish, as long as I'm alright policy.
I could not recommend these properties enough for families, as I was not sure how it would go down before I left with such a young child in such luxurious settings, but the staff were amazing and made this holiday, the best holiday my daughter will never remember!
If you would prefer to go on holiday and remember it, then please get in touch and I'd love to help plan your next trip to paradise.