So I must admit that I felt a bit nervous about travelling oversees and on a plane for the first time with a baby!
Will he sleep on the flight? Will he adjust to the weather? Will it be too hot? How will I bath him? Will he cry on the plane? Will his ears hurt on take off and landing? What will he eat? Will he sleep okay?
All of these things went through my head at first. My first bit of advice is get organised and prepared. The more organised and proactive you are before you go will determine how relaxed you are when you arrive at your holiday destination.
We had the best time in Bali because I was relaxed and prepared for everything.
Flights:
I booked our flights to compliment his usual nap time. When going to Bali this is generally easy to do as you have a few airlines to pick from. I chose an after lunch flight on the way there and a morning flight on the way back. This worked really well for us. He napped both times. Have enough toys and food keep the occupied. I over packed snacks and also preordered food on the flight. If you preorder food, you also get served first which is ideal. You are allowed to take food and milk to feed your baby.
- Choose wooden ( not noisy) toys. I picked up a a few from Kmart and he loved them
- Pack some fruit, berries, water bottle, packet snacks, sandwich and milk if you are bottle feeding
- Pack a sleep suit, blanket and comforter on the flight
- Pack jumper and socks in case it gets cold
- Nappies, change mat, cream, wipes, hand sanitiser
We also booked a window and aisle in hopes no one will sit in the middle, this worked for us on the way there! I would do this again. He also loved looking out the window. Be prepared that you will be entertaining them every minute they are awake, its hard for them to be in a confined space if they are used to crawling/walking around. That’s why the toys and food come in handy.
We bough the Baby Jogger City Tour travel pram and we loved it! I also received compliments at the airport when people saw me folding it and putting it in the travel bag so easily! It held up really well on the Bali roads too. We carried ours on the plane as hand luggage. Airlines will usually check your pram and travel cot for free.
Accommodation:
I loved staying in a villa! Xavi had so much space to crawl and play. Also at night time we could put him to sleep in the room and we were able to watch tv and unwind in the lounge or swimming pool area, without bothering him. I would definitely only stay in a villa with a baby. Thats just my preference. We used Bali Villa Escapes and stayed at the Istana Satu Villa
In bali there is a lot of convienience that can be purchased! You can hire pool fences, toys, cots, walkers, have organic food delivered, have groceries delivered etc
I used Bali Baby Hire for toys and I went to the local Bintang Supermarket to purchase bread, fruit, milk, cheese, snacks to have in the villa so he could have fresh fruit everyday. Most villas will provide this for you and a lot also have villa room service.
Although I didn’t order any meals for Xavi because he just ate what we ate and I bought some organic sachets with us, there is a great company that makes organic baby food and snacks and delivers it to you! You can find more information here Mini Muncher
I bought a box of 1.5lt water to bath Xavi in everyday. We used 1 bottle plus 2 cups of boiled water for his bath water and his bath gel. We had hired a bath tub that was delivered the night we landed. There was no issue with him getting the water in his mouth if that is a concern.
Essentials:
So when it comes to packing for your baby, its easy to go overboard! I thought I had packed too much but I literally used everything I packed. It also depends on when you travel to Bali. July/August has beautiful weather and towards the end of the year is hotter and humid. The villa also provided a travel cot and mosquito net ( which is a must) in Bali, but you can hire them.
Sleeping:
- Bonds zippy wonder suits for sleeping ( yes its hot but the aircon is cold)
- Sleeping bag
- Sleep sounds (If your baby uses them) Baby Sound Spa
- I also bought the Adair kids room spray as we use this very night at home
- Their teddy/blanky/comforter
Play:
- I bought the Glen20 and sprayed all the toys I hired and high chair after every use
- I hired a walker which we use at home and he also loved it in Bali
- For swimming he loved the Swim Trainer
- We used the Huggies Little Swimmers
- We used the Soleo Organics sunscreen everyday
- We also loved the Mood Insect Repellent
Feeding:
- I bought plenty of organic snacks and Only Organic Sachets, I bought enough for x3 per day ( just in case)
- I bought a travel bowl, utensils and bibs. I loved the B.Box Range
- I also loved the Medea Quick Clean Microwave Bags I used them at least 4 times per day to sterilise Xavi’s bottles/utensils/breast pump parts.
- I also took my Enjo Vegetable Cloth because I literally use this everyday for his fruit
Clothes:
You can never have too many and they are so small they don’t take up too much room! Aim for 2-3 outfits per day! We took lots of short sleeved leg rompers, shorts, singlets, and singlet onesies!
I hope some of the above can help you and ease the stress of travelling with your bubs!
If you have any more questions please record below or see my saved stories on Instagram!
xx
Storm Courtney 