moonininjuly

Is it possible to do Peru with a 2 year old and 4 year old around Christmastime? It is easiest to get a flight directly to Lima, but we are more interested in Machu Picchu and Amazon. Does that always involve internal flights or is it possible to rent a car and go by land? Any tour companies that would help with transfers and Amazon? We would likely use hotel points for Sheraton near Machu Picchu. Can we do this nicely without excessive amounts of hiking (due to the kids?)

thanks!

crosscheck

We took our kids all over the world, including as toddlers. But I would have worried about safety and meds in Peru at that age. You don't know how they'll react to the altitude, MP is not exactly baby-proofed, they might need anti-malarials for the Amazon and it would be difficult for them to do many of the treks/organized excursions.

I don't think the Amazon is doable from Lima by bus. Cusco would be a VERY long (14+ hour bus ride) hours, and you will still need to take a 3-hr. train to MP.

Instead I would recommend the Yucatán, aespecially the Tulum or Akumal area. The ruins are much more kid-friendly, you don't have to worry about vaccines and malaria, and the flights are MUCH shorter if you're traveling from the U.S.

P67742

we just came back. Although my kids are teens and we have travelled all over, I would not recommend. Taking toddlers would be hard as you will not be able to use a stroller. Cobblestones, uneven pavement, stairs all over Cusco-all adds to the charm but with young kids will be hard.

Altitude is another health issue. Diamox has not been studied in young children. If you only go to Lima, then its fine, but of course when in Peru, you would want to see MP.

moonininjuly

Those are great points- did not even realize altitude was an issue. My husband and I experienced this in Quito. Thank you for bringing this to my arttention.

So, Tulum... Mexico is on the state dept travel warnings list right now- I will have to take a closer look as to the particular threats to see if I really need to be concerned.

Any other destination suggestions - christmas with a 2 yr old and 4 yr old. We are open to anywhere in the world. We took them to Munich and salzburg last xmas.

crosscheck

Only parts of Mexico (mostly near the US border) are on the list. We go to Mexico every Christmas, and it feels extremely safe. Tulum is heaven on earth, and only a few hours away. We also love Sayulita (near Puerto Vallarta), but the ocean in Tulum (or Akumal, just to the north) would be much better for little kids.

Other nearby ideas: Costa Rica, Belize (although I would avoid the jungle) and Panama. In the US: Death Valley, Santa Fe or skiing. Or if you're up for a long trip, Turkey, Spain, Chile, Australia or New Zealand, or skiing in Europe. You could also go to the Cook Islands, one of our favorite destinations ever, but it's probably better to wait until they can snorkel.

I didn't like crossing many time zones when my kids were so little (more because of my jet lag than theirs), but we did travel to Europe often for work, and it was fine. We waited until they were tweens to venture into the more edgy malarial places.

moonininjuly

Gotcha that makes sense. Will research some of your ideas.