I am proud to call the small sugarcane growing community of Ingham, Australia, my home.
It has blue skies, sandy beaches and Australia’s longest single waterfall. But its location – the northern tip of Queensland – is a problem for me.
Seventeen years ago, I traveled to London on a two-year working holiday visa, lured by a desire to explore Europe. I had no idea that a handsome British stranger I met in a bar one night would be my future husband. That’s why I’m now a permanent resident of the UK, raising two little boys who speak with British accents and have no idea what Vegemite is.
Our return to Australia each year involves multiple long-haul flights and a 10 hour time difference. So we booked a stopover to shorten the distance.
We try to stop somewhere new every time. Here’s what we’ve found so far.
Stop: Seoul, South Korea
Pros: Street food in Seoul, kid-friendly Korean Air
The movie-themed Hotel28 provides popcorn and gift bags for children on arrival. The minibar is also free. It’s located in the heart of the lively Myeongdong district, filled with Korean BBQ, fried chicken, noodles and seafood restaurants. Around the corner from Minggou Night Market, we enjoyed a Korean pop music performance while tasting street food such as fried crabs.
Author MaryLou Costa with her two children in Seoul, South Korea.
Source: Mary Lou Costa
Korean Air is very convenient to travel to Seoul, and parents can pre-order children’s meals such as pizza, hot dogs and grilled chicken. Additionally, they also offer kid-sized headphones for in-flight entertainment.
If there is no connecting flight to the destination on the same day, Korean Air will provide you with a free night’s stay at the five-star Grand Hyatt Incheon. We took advantage of this on our way back from Australia. Accommodation included a sumptuous breakfast buffet, and we enjoyed Korean cuisine and Western classics before boarding our 14-hour flight from Seoul to London.
Disadvantages: transportation and translation issues
Nearly half of South Korea’s population lives in the Seoul metropolitan area, so traffic in the city is very heavy. Our taxi ride into town took an hour, but the trip back to the airport during rush hour was three times longer. We arrived 30 minutes before our flight and were not allowed to check in. It still pains me to think of how much this oversight has cost us.
Many people speak English, but if you have food allergies, I recommend using a translation app to write down your needs in Korean or rethinking your stopovers.
Stop: Bangkok, Thailand
Pros: Cheap flights make it an Asian vacation destination
Bangkok is a great stopping point between London and Brisbane. From there, it doesn’t take much to reach Thailand’s famous coastline.
We took a 1.5 hour flight to the beach town of Krabi and spent a week at the Krabi Shell Resort. Our four-month-old slept in a stroller by the pool while our oldest drank mocktails, took Muay Thai classes, and collected seashells from the beach. We dined al fresco under a homemade gazebo and attended a local music festival.
The family set off from Bangkok and stopped by Krabi, Thailand.
Source: Mary Lou Costa
Back in Bangkok, we swam in the hotel pool, visited the night market where we tried banana fritters and BBQ skewers, and had an entire bag of fried insects for our biggest dinner.
Cons: Bangkok is busy
When traveling with two young children, Bangkok may not be everyone’s choice. Never-ending traffic makes walking difficult and the air quality is questionable.
However, we didn’t have the same airport journey issues we had in Seoul. As an added bonus, our flight to Krabi departed from Don Mueang International Airport, a less busy airport in the north of the city.
Stopover: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Advantages: many attractions
Home to the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, and one of the largest water parks in the world, Aquaventure Aquaventure in Dubai is an exciting place to be around for our four-year-old. Building a family day here is a no-brainer with these two attractions.
MaryLou Costa’s family have shortened the distance between the UK and Australia through relay stops, such as this trip to Dubai where they spent time at Aquaventure Waterpark.
Source: Mary Lou Costa
Staying at the 25 Hours Hotel is an attraction in itself. The lobby is bustling with activity and the rooftop pool overlooks the impressive building museum of the future.
We were here during Ramadan and attended a quick iftar buffet in the hotel’s main restaurant, which included a range of curries and sides, with freshly carved rotis being handed out on the grill outside, served with bejeweled rice and salads. It is very popular with local families who come to enjoy this special meal.
Disadvantages: expensive
Dubai is expensive. A family day pass to Aquaventure Waterpark costs about $260, while tickets to Burj Khalifa and Dubai Aquarium cost another $243.
Stop: Singapore
Pros: Late check-out, flight options
One of our stops in Singapore was for preschool, but we will probably repeat this one as it is such an easy place to visit. We paid a fortune for a club room at the Mandarin Oriental, which included late checkout, champagne breakfast, and free dim sum afternoon tea. A late checkout would definitely come in handy for the kids, especially to shower and change before their next flight.
Of all the Asian cities we visited, Singapore has the most connections to Australia. Changi Airport feels like it’s designed to keep kids busy, with butterfly gardens, koi ponds and free massage chairs.
Disadvantages: lack of excitement
Clean, easy access, great food options, excellent English skills – it’s hard to imagine a downside to a stay in Singapore. If I had to be picky, I’d say it’s not as lively as Seoul and Bangkok, and it’s also more expensive.
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