Places to visit within a 3 hour plane trip from Seoul with baby?
Nov 6th, 2010 | 02:25 PM
#1
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Joined: Sep 2004
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Places to visit within a 3 hour plane trip from Seoul with baby?
Hello,
We are currently living in Seoul and have a 7 month old baby. We would like to explore places outside of Korea that would be safe with a baby. I prefer scenic areas (love photography), but oftentimes, it is hard to get around with a baby if hiking is involved. We will have a stroller. We'll probably have to do short trips with her at first ( 2-3 nights) so see how she handles traveling, so places that are not too cold in the winter would be ideal. Places my husband suggested for the next few months include Shanghai, Okinawa, Hong Kong, or somewhere in Taiwan. I've been to Taroko Gorge in Taiwan which I loved (although I didn't have a baby at that time, so I wasn't really noticing if it would be hard to travel with one there). Thanks!
We are currently living in Seoul and have a 7 month old baby. We would like to explore places outside of Korea that would be safe with a baby. I prefer scenic areas (love photography), but oftentimes, it is hard to get around with a baby if hiking is involved. We will have a stroller. We'll probably have to do short trips with her at first ( 2-3 nights) so see how she handles traveling, so places that are not too cold in the winter would be ideal. Places my husband suggested for the next few months include Shanghai, Okinawa, Hong Kong, or somewhere in Taiwan. I've been to Taroko Gorge in Taiwan which I loved (although I didn't have a baby at that time, so I wasn't really noticing if it would be hard to travel with one there). Thanks!
Nov 6th, 2010 | 11:13 PM
#2
Joined: Feb 2003
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Just bear temperatures in mind for some of those places. Shanghai will be about as cold as Seoul, not sure if this appeals or not. Mountain areas in Taiwan could be quite cool too. I would say Shanghai offers little opportunity for outdoor activities, as it is a city of about 20 million people. I think you would have to travel from there to see the countryside. With only 2-3 nights that may not work. But of course there are many things to do in Shanghai (their winter air pollution is quite bad, however, IMO). Beijing would also be cold, but offers lots of interesting things to do and see and also the opportunity to go to the Great Wall or other countryside areas.
Hong Kong would certainly work, but it is closer to a 4-hour plane ride (not including the hour or so it takes to get to the airport in Seoul). If that is OK, then Hong Kong would offer many options, like walks and if you have a backpack baby carrier, then hikes as well. Some of the walks could be done with a stroller, although there may be stairs or hills at points (very little is flat here!) But certainly walks like the circuit loop around the Peak or other areas on the Peak, or along the esplanade from Repulse Bay to Deep Water Bay are certainly easy to do with a stroller. And there are ferry rides to outlying islands. Or the cable car up to the Po Lin Buddha. The one problem we have in winter is that our air pollution can be bad on some days (can’t really see very far across the harbour today, for example). But temps are nice. And Christmas is quite festive here, or Lunar New Year when there are fireworks in the harbour. There are places like Hong Kong Disney or Ocean Park for more “pure” children’s activities (although a 7-month old baby probably would not get much out of those places.) Nov, Dec and most of January are nice temps with sun. Feb is cool and can be overcast but is doable, esp for Lunar New Year. March is quite damp, foggy and cool and to be avoided if possible, IMO.
I think many places in Japan would be accessible in that time frame. Try someplace like Nisesko in Hokkaido, tons of snow (literally) and outdoor winter activities. Fly to Sapporo (2.5 hours) and then take a bus (I believe about another 2 hours). Not sure if that is too much travel for 2-3 nights. IMO it’s hard to beat Kyoto for photographic loveliness. A 1.5 hour flight to Osaka and then the superfast train to Kyoto in about an hour. Of course Okinawa would offer warmer temps. The cherry blossoms on Tokyo in the spring would be nice. Guam is about 4 hours on a non-stop and may also work.
Hong Kong would certainly work, but it is closer to a 4-hour plane ride (not including the hour or so it takes to get to the airport in Seoul). If that is OK, then Hong Kong would offer many options, like walks and if you have a backpack baby carrier, then hikes as well. Some of the walks could be done with a stroller, although there may be stairs or hills at points (very little is flat here!) But certainly walks like the circuit loop around the Peak or other areas on the Peak, or along the esplanade from Repulse Bay to Deep Water Bay are certainly easy to do with a stroller. And there are ferry rides to outlying islands. Or the cable car up to the Po Lin Buddha. The one problem we have in winter is that our air pollution can be bad on some days (can’t really see very far across the harbour today, for example). But temps are nice. And Christmas is quite festive here, or Lunar New Year when there are fireworks in the harbour. There are places like Hong Kong Disney or Ocean Park for more “pure” children’s activities (although a 7-month old baby probably would not get much out of those places.) Nov, Dec and most of January are nice temps with sun. Feb is cool and can be overcast but is doable, esp for Lunar New Year. March is quite damp, foggy and cool and to be avoided if possible, IMO.
I think many places in Japan would be accessible in that time frame. Try someplace like Nisesko in Hokkaido, tons of snow (literally) and outdoor winter activities. Fly to Sapporo (2.5 hours) and then take a bus (I believe about another 2 hours). Not sure if that is too much travel for 2-3 nights. IMO it’s hard to beat Kyoto for photographic loveliness. A 1.5 hour flight to Osaka and then the superfast train to Kyoto in about an hour. Of course Okinawa would offer warmer temps. The cherry blossoms on Tokyo in the spring would be nice. Guam is about 4 hours on a non-stop and may also work.
Nov 7th, 2010 | 01:16 AM
#3
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Thank you Cicerone! That was just the type of information I was looking for. There seems to be a lot in Japan that we would find fascinating, so we may reserve that for a week long trip on our way to moving back to the US. Keep the suggestions coming!
Nov 7th, 2010 | 05:10 PM
#4
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Actually I just looked on-line, and see that Xian is only a 3-hour flight from Seoul. Not sure you want to go in the winter, check websites for temps, but that is a very interesting city and 2-3 days would be good there. Even in the cold there would be plenty to see and do. It’s not just the terracotta warriers, which are spectacular, there is an interesting old town area, a good museum, and an almost completely intact city wall. Harbin is only 2 hours by air, but IMO you would want to go in the freezing winter for the ice festival, so not sure if that appeals. I understand you can ski near the city as well.
I don’t have kids, but my impression is that the younger they are, the easier it is to take them on long plane rides, as they will sleep. It is toddlers who will want to move around and will get bored. So I would think you could take longer journeys than 3 hours. This would esp. be the case to places where the time change is only 1-2 hours, as neither you nor the baby would have any jet lag to get over (which is worse for babies from what I have seen).
The only thing you would have to worry about is avoiding areas where Malaria is a real problem, as I don’t think you want to give anti-Malarial medication to an infant. The Scottish NHS has very useful travel health website at http://www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk/home.aspx (see esp their Malaria page). There are many places within a 4-7 hour non-stop range from Seoul which have no Malaria issues. Singapore for one. Bali for another. Most parts of Thailand have no Malaria concerns. So going to Bali or Bangkok or the beaches of Phuket should be fine. (Note that many of these places, even Singapore, have a Dengue Fever issue and so you would want to have mosquito repellent for the baby even if there is no Malaria.) Bangkok would work well for a 2-3 day trip, IMO or perhaps Phuket. Hanoi is 5 hours, and IMO would be a nice spot for 2-3 days, and then perhaps include more of Vietnam on a longer trip (parts of Vietnam are malarial). Guilin and Lijiang China are about 7-8 hours, which may be a bit long for 2-3 days, but perhaps works for a longer vacation. Even a place like Sydney, which is 10 hours by air, only has a time difference of an hour so may work well for a longer vacation. In Australia you also have the option of renting your own car (something you would not want to do in any of the places above other than Singapore or Hong Kong where of course you don’t need a car), which does give you flexibility and ease with a baby.
I don’t have kids, but my impression is that the younger they are, the easier it is to take them on long plane rides, as they will sleep. It is toddlers who will want to move around and will get bored. So I would think you could take longer journeys than 3 hours. This would esp. be the case to places where the time change is only 1-2 hours, as neither you nor the baby would have any jet lag to get over (which is worse for babies from what I have seen).
The only thing you would have to worry about is avoiding areas where Malaria is a real problem, as I don’t think you want to give anti-Malarial medication to an infant. The Scottish NHS has very useful travel health website at http://www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk/home.aspx (see esp their Malaria page). There are many places within a 4-7 hour non-stop range from Seoul which have no Malaria issues. Singapore for one. Bali for another. Most parts of Thailand have no Malaria concerns. So going to Bali or Bangkok or the beaches of Phuket should be fine. (Note that many of these places, even Singapore, have a Dengue Fever issue and so you would want to have mosquito repellent for the baby even if there is no Malaria.) Bangkok would work well for a 2-3 day trip, IMO or perhaps Phuket. Hanoi is 5 hours, and IMO would be a nice spot for 2-3 days, and then perhaps include more of Vietnam on a longer trip (parts of Vietnam are malarial). Guilin and Lijiang China are about 7-8 hours, which may be a bit long for 2-3 days, but perhaps works for a longer vacation. Even a place like Sydney, which is 10 hours by air, only has a time difference of an hour so may work well for a longer vacation. In Australia you also have the option of renting your own car (something you would not want to do in any of the places above other than Singapore or Hong Kong where of course you don’t need a car), which does give you flexibility and ease with a baby.
Nov 8th, 2010 | 04:18 PM
#5
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After doing more research into length of flights and cost, we're modifying our plans to just 2 trips, each between 4-7 days, instead of more frequent long weekend trips. I've researched all of Cicerone's suggestions and we've decided to go to Hong Kong in January and Japan in April. I would have loved to see the Great Wall esp since I am Chinese by heritage and have never been to China, but I am too worried about taking a baby there with the pollution. I hope it's not too bad in Hong Kong. Hong Kong has a good mix of city and nature. I definitely would be interested in the hikes that are not too difficult with a baby. I really like the hike Cicerone has in the profile pic, but I suspect that would be too difficult for us. I am in the process of going through Cicerone's threads with his recommendations. We wouldn't mind taking a quick peek at hte markets, but we are not shoppers. I've been to Lantau to see the big Buddha and I want to go back there again. Thanks for all your help, Cicerone!
Nov 8th, 2010 | 06:36 PM
#6
Joined: Feb 2003
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There is an easier version of the walk pictured on my profile. It is not quite as scenic, but still a nice walk. See my post called “Cicerone’s Favourite Hong Kong Walks II: Paradise Found! From Happy Valley to Stanley in High Heels! (Almost) The Tsz Lo Lan Shan Path” at http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...eels-alm-1.cfm
I would also recco the Severn Road walk, as it really could be done with a stroller; although there is one uphill bit on stairs where a stroller will be a little awkward. (I could tailor that description to provide a way to do this walk with a stroller, although it takes a little longer). You might also consider the Dragon’s Back (would probably want a baby backpack for that one, although there are walks in that area that are primarily flat with some limited uphill on streets/sidewalks, see Option #3 and #4 of my Dragon’s Back post). See “Cicerone's Favourite Hong Kong Walks III: The Dragon's Back” and “Cicerone's Favourite Hong Kong Walks: Severn Road, The Peak “. You can find of these posts by clicking on these links:
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...d-the-peak.cfm and http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...agons-back.cfm
You could also try looking at http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...l-night-ma.cfm which has some walk ideas.
With a stroller, you could certainly walk up or down from the Peak via the escalator and then using roads and paved paths, and you do see people doing this route with strollers (although why you would want to push uphill for that long does escape me I have to admit; and hanging onto a stroller going down a steep incline does take some stamina). There is also a way to walk from the Peak via Blank's Link all the way over to the top of Happy Valley where you can get the bus to or from Stanely; this walk offers some very nice views (and terrifically pricey real estate) and most of it is flat with some limited uphill or downhill inclines but no stairs.
Finally, if you want to send me an e-mail at [email protected], I have a nerd-like collection of descriptions and photos of various walks and I could send you some other suggetions. There is a circuit walk around the Po Lin Buddha which is quite nice and easy other than one short uphill section. There are also several walks up or down to the Buddha from Tung Chung if you can commit to a few hours, one in particular could almost be done with a stroller as it a paved path the whole way and passes through several small ramschackle monasteries (but there is some steepish downhill and some stairs, so it’s perhaps a stretch to say you would <i>want</i> to do it with a stroller).
I would also recco the Severn Road walk, as it really could be done with a stroller; although there is one uphill bit on stairs where a stroller will be a little awkward. (I could tailor that description to provide a way to do this walk with a stroller, although it takes a little longer). You might also consider the Dragon’s Back (would probably want a baby backpack for that one, although there are walks in that area that are primarily flat with some limited uphill on streets/sidewalks, see Option #3 and #4 of my Dragon’s Back post). See “Cicerone's Favourite Hong Kong Walks III: The Dragon's Back” and “Cicerone's Favourite Hong Kong Walks: Severn Road, The Peak “. You can find of these posts by clicking on these links:
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...d-the-peak.cfm and http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...agons-back.cfm
You could also try looking at http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...l-night-ma.cfm which has some walk ideas.
With a stroller, you could certainly walk up or down from the Peak via the escalator and then using roads and paved paths, and you do see people doing this route with strollers (although why you would want to push uphill for that long does escape me I have to admit; and hanging onto a stroller going down a steep incline does take some stamina). There is also a way to walk from the Peak via Blank's Link all the way over to the top of Happy Valley where you can get the bus to or from Stanely; this walk offers some very nice views (and terrifically pricey real estate) and most of it is flat with some limited uphill or downhill inclines but no stairs.
Finally, if you want to send me an e-mail at [email protected], I have a nerd-like collection of descriptions and photos of various walks and I could send you some other suggetions. There is a circuit walk around the Po Lin Buddha which is quite nice and easy other than one short uphill section. There are also several walks up or down to the Buddha from Tung Chung if you can commit to a few hours, one in particular could almost be done with a stroller as it a paved path the whole way and passes through several small ramschackle monasteries (but there is some steepish downhill and some stairs, so it’s perhaps a stretch to say you would <i>want</i> to do it with a stroller).
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Nov 16th, 2010 | 04:31 AM
#9
Joined: Mar 2008
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I know you said "not Korea" but what about Jeju Island for an easy break?
I'm also fond of Singapore. I've had a few stopovers there and I find it to be "manageably exotic". Some people say it's like the Toronto of East Asia (which can be a good or a bad thing, depending on what you're looking for). It's not too big, but it's big enough to have good restaurants (I love the food in Singapore), good shopping (I think of it as the "fun shoe" capital of the world), some interesting museums and areas to walk around. The night zoo is great, there are green spaces/parks, and there are some nearby islands that are resort-like. It's clean, it's orderly and the airport is easy to handle - and there will be lots of flights into and out of Singapore. While it wouldn't be my first pick for a wild weekend, it could be just the right place for a holiday with a baby.
I'm also fond of Singapore. I've had a few stopovers there and I find it to be "manageably exotic". Some people say it's like the Toronto of East Asia (which can be a good or a bad thing, depending on what you're looking for). It's not too big, but it's big enough to have good restaurants (I love the food in Singapore), good shopping (I think of it as the "fun shoe" capital of the world), some interesting museums and areas to walk around. The night zoo is great, there are green spaces/parks, and there are some nearby islands that are resort-like. It's clean, it's orderly and the airport is easy to handle - and there will be lots of flights into and out of Singapore. While it wouldn't be my first pick for a wild weekend, it could be just the right place for a holiday with a baby.
