South East Asia With an Infant

This is a guest post from Pamela Schutz, who very generously shares her story of traveling around South East Asia with her seven month old daughter Mika. She also shares a list of her favorite gear for backpacking with a baby.

“Miss Mika’s South East Asia Adventures” was what my husband Owen and I fondly labelled our four month backpacking jaunt with our then 7 ½ month old daughter Mika. In that short time we visited Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. You see the trip was really more about our daughter than us anyway...and as any new parent can surely attest, that’s just fine. It is a trip I will always feel as one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and one I soon hope to replicate with Mika and our 11 month old daughter, Tysier. Although, maybe somewhere else on the globe.

I learned a lot about myself and being a first time parent on this trip...sort of a crash course in parenting and in life I guess you could say. Everything from on the go diaper changes in filthy urine soaked toilets in Vietnam, to stinking hot strolls on white sandy beaches in Malaysia, with baby fastened securely to my chest. I would do either one again in a heartbeat.

One stop on the South East Asian tour that I will never forget was Chao Doc, a tiny town on the southern tip of Vietnam that we made on route to the island of Phuc Quoc for a little secluded R and R. We had been to Thailand and Cambodia by now and looked forward to some intentional sun and sand. It was here that I finally understood what it might feel like to be a celebrity. Here the locals rarely see tourists of the Caucasian variety, and even less likely to see one that is only 9 months old suspended in a front carrier. We were mobbed constantly and I found it difficult to walk even a few steps without being stopped by the locals for a curious peek or pinch of the baby. I quickly learned the Vietnamese term for “don’t touch’ as we navigated our way through outdoor markets replete with raw meat, flip flops and everything in between. It is custom here to find one’s luck in the pinching of fat, rosy baby cheeks, and Mika’s were no exception.

Of course no trip to South East Asia is complete without a nasty case of dysentery. Oh yes I had it...and for about 2 glorious months I was hard pressed to shake it. So with the breastfeeding, never ending diarrhoea and vomiting threatening every bite I ate, weight loss was certain...24 pounds to be exact. Don’t get me wrong, to be thin and deeply tanned upon our homecoming was superb, but the invariable trips to the washroom and extreme fatigue in 35 plus degree humidity with backpack and baby...not so much.

Aside from being treated as a “walking ATM”, there was never a feeling of ill will towards us or our child on this marvelous journey. The people we met were some of the finest, hardworking and happiest individuals I have ever met, folks who clearly valued children and family above all else. Quite a task given some of the modest living conditions, and 16 hour work days we witnessed them living. Sleeping in past 6 am meant one was to assume you are ill.

It is always interesting to me to describe these countries as “third world” and “undeveloped”. Sometimes I think North America could stand to be infused with a little bit of these “traits”, especially if it would lead to a deeper appreciation of all that we have grown accustomed to and sometimes taken for granted.

So yes, I would attempt this trip again and many others when and if the opportunity presents itself.

Cambodia with Baby

Luckily I have a quick “must have” list for travel with baby that I have at the ready and considered very useful at the time.

• Bungee Cord (or anything long and stretchy) that you can attach various toys to, then wrap around seat in front of you i.e. bus or plane. That way when baby is on your lap she has something to swat at and play with that doesn’t constantly fall to the floor. Just be sure to change up the toys so baby doesn’t get too bored with them.
• Umbrella Stroller. Okay I know this one’s a “no-brainer”, but we started our trip without one and by the time we got to Singapore(about three months into the trip), I was drooling at them in the stores and made my husband buy me one. They double as a highchair, bed for naps and luggage carrier when you are holding baby in carrier. Lightweight enough to carry on your shoulder when not needed.
• Campers Utility Knife. Not just a knife, but also has a spoon, fork and other useful contraptions that are interlocked together so you always have eating utensils when needed. We had our’s engraved with our daughter’s name, year and places we traveled. Nice little souvenir in the end.
• Jolly Jumper. This was perfect for our daughter! She got tons of exercise when she was not yet walking or crawling, and it hooks up easily to any nearby tree on the beach or anywhere you can imagine that is stationary and strong. You can use the V-like “jaws” they come with or rig some strong, safe rope to wrap around. Just be prepared for some curious looks from locals who have never seen babies bouncing from trees.
• Baby Carrier. We got so much use out of ours. Our daughter loved it and was so comfortable. She loved that she could see everything that we did. A definite must have. Just make sure you have a really good one that you can wear all day long that is easy on your back and shoulders.

Pamela Shutz can be contacted at pamelashutz AT hotmail DOT com. Thanks so much for a great article Pamela!

8 comments | Posted on January 12, 2009 | Save to del.icio.us

 Subscribe to our feed