Have you ever thought of leaving your life behind, travelling around the world with 2 kids and a backpack each? Neither have we, until our desire to travel the world overtook our desire for comfort.
The idea of exploring the globe, unencumbered by responsibilities with a one way ticket, became an obsession and an ultimate goal.
After selling our business of 4 years in New Zealand, we were finally ready to leave it all behind and set out on a journey to explore the diversity of our planet, with nothing more than a few backpacks, 2 young kids, and a desire for adventure.
Throughout our journey, we encountered various cultures, breathtaking landscapes, and life-changing experiences.
Chasing sun, sand and simplicity around the world in flip flops!
kida.co
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Table of Contents
Where on Earth did we go?
The decision to leave it all behind.
Deep down, we always held onto the idea that one day we’d pack up our lives and travel the world without an end date. This dream was mine actually, but soon enough, the entire family caught my travel bug.
I can’t say for certain how much this deep desire influenced our minimalist lifestyle. However, when we relocated from Australia to New Zealand five years ago, we were fully aware that this move was not permanent. With this in mind, we bought only what was necessary and created a minimalist home.
When my lifelong best friend sent us an invitation to her wedding in Hawaii, we knew our moment had arrived. We had just emerged from pandemic lockdowns, our business had reached its peak, and everything seemed to fall into place like the final pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.
It felt as though the world was calling us, like a guiding light. (Sounds cliché, I know.)
Planning and budgeting for a one-way trip.
Honestly, there was hardly any planning or budgeting at all.
We purchased our tickets to Hawaii for my friend’s wedding, arranged a day-use hotel due to our early arrival, and secured a week’s stay in an apartment near Waikiki. And… that was the extent of it.
As for budgeting, we had a total budget of around US$100k, but it wasn’t a fixed or strict budget, and there were no specific timeline restrictions.
When our friends discovered our virtually blank itinerary, their reactions were typically 🤯, to which we would simply respond with a ‘heh’.
How do you afford to travel around the world?
Another popular question we get asked often is how did we manage to fund our travel around the world as a family of 4.
As mentioned earlier, we did not have a specific budget set in stone. However, we kept a record of all our expenses and made adjustments as needed throughout our journey.
There are several guidelines and factors that contributed to our budgeting strategy:
- First of all, we relocated to New Zealand for business and have always known it was our temporary home. So we rented our home, bought disposable furniture and lived in minimalism.
- We sold and donated everything we owned except a few carry-ons, which were later reduced down to a backpack each that we took around the world with us.
- We primarily lived off of savings for the 250 days we roamed around the world. Initially, we had the idea of becoming digital nomads and figuring out a new work-life balance along the way. However, my lovely husband left our laptops behind when loading the car to the airport, so the ‘working’ part went out the window. In hindsight, working while travelling with kids would require a very different nomadic lifestyle, which we talked about in this blog post here.
- We had no debt or bills to pay back home.
- We planned strategically for each leg of the trip, searching for budget-friendly airfares and being open to our destinations. We chose a range of accommodation options that offered a balance between cost and quality, ensuring that our baseline comfort was not compromised.
- We used Wise Travel Card for 99% of our expenses, avoiding hefty currency exchange fees and carrying cash. You can read our full review of Wise Travel Card here.
Travel planning as we go
Planning as you go might seem nerve-wracking to many, but it’s actually far less stressful than mapping out everything in advance. When you’re travelling the world with a one-way ticket and no fixed endpoint, it’s the spontaneous spirit and openness to unexpected opportunities that truly enrich the journey.
There are so many unpredictable variables that can crop up along the way, and the last thing you want is to be tied to a hotel booking deadline or spend a day grappling with flight cancellations. Keeping our itineraries open was one of the best decisions we made for this world trip.
As expected, we had to change our plans at the last minute on numerous occasions. Out of a dozen of these instances, we only had to forfeit two relatively inexpensive flights.
Storytime – Expect the unexpected.
Our journey was shortly met with a hiccup. We had to cancel our flight to Vancouver after catching Covid during a campervan trip around Lake Tahoe in the US. Since we were unable to leave the country, we decided to go on a road trip to Disneyland, following the scenic California Coast drive.
However, Disneyland passes were in high demand and the earliest we could find was two weeks away. So, after spending hours on the phone with Disneyland while my husband moaning in bed with Covid, we planned our next leg of the trip, which was just a couple of days away.
Our road trip along the California Coast was planned around the availability of Disneyland Park tickets. During this road trip, we had the biggest quarrel and came close to parting ways. But as the journey continued, we adapted and learned, and we never had another fight quite as memorable ever since. From LA, we eventually made our way to Montreal, Canada.
In Quebec, we discovered that Tadoussac is one of the best whale-watching spots in the world where you can see Beluga whales. We fell in love with Canada and extended our stay in Quebec for a road trip around Saguenay, which turned out to be an unforgettable journey.
From the UK, our original plan to travel from London to Europe had to be changed. The trains to Paris or Belgium were fully booked months in advance, and our travel coincided with rail strikes causing congestion in London’s transportation system.
As a result, we altered our itinerary and hopped on a domestic train to Edinburgh instead. While in Edinburgh, we found a fantastic flight deal to Portugal, which unexpectedly became our entry point into Europe.
In Colico, Italy, we were stranded for a day due to a national rail strike, so we had to push back the rest of our itinerary for the week.
We added extra destinations, such as Catania and Phuket, to align with our friends’ holiday plans. And we had to book a last-minute flight to Singapore due to onward flight requirements from the Maldives, only to forfeit them later due to a family reunion in Sibu, Malaysia.
You see? Despite our best intentions, last-minute changes were inevitable, even when we left travel planning until the eleventh hour. Just imagine if we had every leg of the trip planned out months in advance. We would’ve had to rewrite the entire story and probably ended up coming back home much sooner.
Upcoming RTW Travel Book
Around the World in 250 Days with 2 kids
Dive into the nitty-gritty of our RTW journey. Explore our detailed itineraries of each destination. Hear real stories, practical tips and gain in-depth insights on travelling around the world with kids. We promise to spill the best-kept secrets and a treasure trove of family travel insights.
Be the first to know when the book is ready for release!
Packing Essentials for a Minimalist Travel Lifestyle
If you are not already a minimalist, it may take some time to shift your mindset and adapt to a minimalist lifestyle. (We specifically have a module on Minimalist Mindset in our JourneyUp Program.)
As long-time advocates of travelling light, we thought we were already pretty minimalistic. We packed a hard case carry-on each, with a few pieces of summer clothes, toiletry bags, and essential tech such as cameras and a drone.
However, just 3 months into our travels around the world, we began to feel the burden of carrying our suitcases while keeping our kids safe. We simply didn’t have enough hands.
As a tipping point, we discovered that Ryanair charged extra for carry-on luggage, prompting us to downsize even further to just a backpack each (which qualified as personal items that could be brought onboard for free). We disposed of all the organisational bags and donated half of our clothes along the way.
Initially, we allowed the kids to bring a couple of small toys each, but as we journeyed around the world, we realised toys were unnecessary. The kids always managed to find random, yet fascinating things in nature.
The Ultimate Family Packing List
Crafted by a mother of 2 with a focus on minimalist travels, this family packing list is all you need for a stress-free packing experience.
The reality of travelling the world with young kids
Travelling is about 80% of transiting and 20% of living the dream, and that 20% is what you’ll remember for the rest of your lives.
Kida.co
It’s easy to forget that travelling is mostly about moving from one place to another. Let’s not sugarcoat it, packing, unpacking, transiting, and travel planning like clockwork is undeniably exhausting, especially when travelling with young kids.
However, there are many tear-jerking moments when you are reminded of how precious it is to be with your kids. You’ll have light-bulb moments to appreciate the intangible soft skills you’ve learned along the way. Patience, tolerance, communication, collaboration, adaptability and planning, just to name a few, are essential qualities that contribute to your and your kids’ long-term happiness. And that is what you’ll remember years down the line.
Travelling can push you out of your comfort zone and force you to grow as a person. This is especially beneficial to young kids whose comfort zones are still being shaped, making them more open to embracing differences. This early exposure to a broader perspective will set them up for success in life.
So, to answer the most asked question about our travel “How on Earth did you travel the world with little kids?”. Our answer is: slow down, embrace minimalism, be patient and stay curious.
On top of that, there needs to be harmony in the family unit, clear communication between each and every member of the family and most importantly positive mindsets.
Most people focus on pursuing financial success, believing that it, alone, will bring happiness and the freedom to travel the world. However, the truth is that while financial freedom helps a ton, it’s far from enough on its own.
Achieving a fulfilling travel experience with children requires a delicate balance of various aspects of life. These include effective time management, strong organisational skills, nurturing relationships, positive parenting, financial literacy, and adopting the right mindsets. If any of these elements are lacking, travelling the world with kids would be much less enjoyable and sustainable.
That is why, the first thing we did after settling on the Gold Coast of Australia, was putting together this holistic program to help other young parents find harmony and balance in life, laying the groundwork for their own adventures around the world.
Live. Love. Thrive.
JourneyUp is your simplified yet powerful guide to navigating modern family life, helping parents like you:
- Reclaim work-life balance.
- Break free from the daily grind.
- Lay the groundwork for financial freedom.
It is a life-changing handbook that adopts a holistic approach covering 9 of the most important and relevant aspects of family life.
The Blueprint to Happiness Freedom & Success Digital Handbook
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Expectations vs. Reality
Over the years, I’ve learned to let go of expectations, as things never turn out exactly as you imagine them. What you see on Instagram, or even on this blog, are the final products after hours of post-processing and editing.
We don’t whip out our phones to take photos when our children are having meltdowns, nor do we record the moments when everyone is under stress, but that doesn’t mean those moments don’t exist.
Travel planning isn’t easy, especially when there are so many people in the family to please. So, our best tip is to prepare everyone for unexpected turns of events and ensure everyone is on board with an open mind.
The world doesn’t operate as expected, and we either learn to embrace the unknown, or we risk missing out on the beauty and opportunities that come with spontaneity and unpredictability.
Life’s most rewarding experiences often come from the unexpected twists and turns, the unplanned detours that lead us to breathtaking views, or the chance encounters that result in life-changing epiphanies.
Expectation
- A hard case luggage each.
- World schooling our 5yo.
- Digital nomad life.
- Travel plan before coming out.
- Blog & vlog as we go.
- Ask people to take our family photos everywhere.
Reality
- A backpack each.
- No time for schooling.
- ‘Someone’ left our laptop bag behind.
- Plan the next leg a few days in advance.
- Thousands of photos are yet to be organised.
- Most people don’t even know the rule of thirds.
Our biggest challenges while travelling full-time
Being with each other 24/7.
This was probably the toughest challenge of all. After a while, it can be hard to be around the same people all the time, even if they’re your family. Sure, you can rotate babysitting and give each other a break, but we didn’t end up doing much of that, simply because we wanted to share every new experience as a family.
Honestly, it all comes down to nurturing strong relationships within the family and maintaining harmony and balance at home before going on a roller coaster ride.
Leaving our friends and social circle behind.
We missed our friends and family, and it was difficult to make lasting new friends while we were travelling. It was important to stay connected with our loved ones back home, keeping them in the loop of where we were and what we were up to. We also tried making an effort to line up our itineraries with our friends’ holiday schedules so we could meet up. However, we still felt detached from society and had a lack of sense of community.
For this reason, we changed our initial idea of the dream life from travelling full-time like nomads to having a home base and returning to the same community when we feel homesick. We want our children to have long-lasting friendships and experience the best of both worlds.
Putting together itineraries that everyone in the family was happy with.
This wasn’t so much of a challenge, but a compromise that we learned along the way. We prioritised finding places that were interesting and exciting for both adults and kids, and we had to make sure that we were all on the same page about what we wanted to see and do.
We had a family meeting to discuss alternating between kid-friendly activities and sightseeing or “boring” grown-up stuff. The perk of travelling with very young kids is that they don’t really have specific wants yet; you can take them to a playground in a local park and they’ll have a blast.
Travelling with a 2-year-old.
The “terrible twos” phase. This was one of the most challenging aspects of our trip. Our son was still learning how to walk and talk, and he was constantly on the edge, pushing boundaries. We had to be on guard all the time just to keep him away from danger.
Another common challenge that all parents face is meltdowns. Luckily for us, he was our second child, so we had some clues on identifying self-conflicting triggers and understanding why and how to tame his tantrums. The key is to slow down, take breaks, and break up your day.
On the other hand, our 5-year-old girl was an absolute joy to travel with. She was very independent and patient, most of the time.
Understanding Parking Rules.
Travelling to a country where you don’t speak the language is no longer a challenge, thanks to the rise of technology. You have a personal translator right in the palm of your hand. However, parking can still be difficult to understand, even with a translator.
We were fined three times during our journey, in Luxembourg, the UAE, and Canada. We were as careful as we could be, but the signs were not always clear, especially for foreigners. In Canada, we couldn’t download the parking app because of country restrictions in the app store, and there were no other payment options available.
There were many other times when we weren’t sure if we had parked legally and had to take a risk. We minimised this problem by choosing accommodations close to attractions in urban areas and parking out of the way in rural areas.
Unfortunately, we can’t provide any tips on this, apart from asking a local for help. However, this is not always practical, as you won’t believe how quiet the world is during working hours. We’ve come to accept that misunderstandings like parking metres are just one of the challenges of being a foreigner.
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The 3 things we’ve learned
If we were to share only 3 tips from our journey around the world with kids, it would be these.
1. Travel light, and I mean extreme minimalism.
Not just pack less, but also remove the mindset of needing more to survive altogether.
Yes, you can survive with two summer dresses for months on end. When they become worn and old, replace them at a local market, wherever you are. This is where fast fashion is welcomed. You can get by with one small eyeshadow palette and lipstick.
Avoid buying organisational bags and folders; they are extras that take up space in your luggage. Use ziplock bags instead. Yeah, they may not be as pretty or Instagrammable, but hey, we live in the real world here.
Minimise battery-operated items or tech that require many accessories.
We were surprised ourselves at how little we could live on, and it felt so incredibly liberating.
2. Be extremely flexible, meaning go with the flow every minute of the day.
If you have certain expectations and criteria that must be met, travelling long-term will be extremely stressful.
Our world is a diverse place, and our perspectives are built on our past experiences. However, when you’re travelling around the world, you’ll realise how vastly different we all are.
Some standards may be expected back home, while the same standard is nonexistent in other parts of the world.
For example, you may think it’s ridiculous for the driver to be an hour late for your private boat transfer, while it’s perfectly normal on the outer islands of the Pacific Islands. We had this experience in Fiji, where our driver showed up over an hour after our booking time.
Without even acknowledging or apologising, he enthusiastically welcomed us to the island, completely oblivious to the fact that we were newbies to the concept of “island time.”
So, should you spend the rest of your week on the island complaining? Because that will just confuse the Fijians as to why you’re even upset.
Back to the point, avoid booking everything set in stone, rushing to be at a specific place at a specific time. Expect the unexpected, have the flexibility to change your plans, and be extremely open-minded. It may not work out the way you imagined it to be, but everything will work out just fine, and that’s the fun part of this life-changing journey.
3. Wander off the beaten path and blend in with the locals.
If you’re a first-time traveller, by all means, tick off the world-famous landmarks and destinations like Paris and London.
However, if you’re a seasoned traveller, wander off the beaten path and explore the places that no one knows about. Those are the places where you’ll get genuine hospitality from the locals, welcoming you into their cultures like old friends and learning more about their way of living than superficial Instagram photos.
When is the best time to start a round-the-world trip?
We aligned the start of our world trip with my friend’s wedding in Hawaii near the end of May. In hindsight, depending on where you’re flying from, April to May seems to be the perfect month to start a round-the-world trip if you prefer an extended summer vacation. This is when the Northern Hemisphere is mostly warm and sunny and you’d have about 4 months to get around North America and Europe before it starts to get cold.
The downside of chasing summer is some places do get really hot during the day. Everyone seems to be less patient in the heat and tantrums are like ticking bombs around early afternoon. As long as you’re aware of this and plan your day accordingly, bring lots of water, be sun smart and stay in the shade as much as possible, a year of summer can be very enviable.
From October to April, the Middle East would be cooler to visit, South East Asia enters the dry season and the Southern Hemisphere starts to warm up. Depending on which way you’re going around the planet, you can celebrate a summery Christmas in Australia or watch the world’s most spectacular NYE fireworks in Dubai.
Always bring a set of warm clothes for those spontaneous trips up a mountain or overnight camps at a National Park.
Of course, not everyone prefers summer all year round, so do your own research on each continent’s weather conditions based on your preferences. Plan this out before the start of your voyage.
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Fun Facts
- Our 2yo started collecting rocks around the world. It was his greatest joy at each destination.
- He could magically pull out coins scavenged from all kinds of places, then lose them all on the same day.
- Our daughter had a collection of poses for photos. The most iconic pose was the love heart hand gesture that marked her favourite places.
- We collected a souvenir magnet from each country to cover our fridge and regretted each time as the weight accumulated over time.
- We took between 100-150 photos and videos on average per day.
- We didn’t experience any scams or crimes during our world travel, only witnessed many tourist scams. We feel very blessed.
Our top 3 favourite countries in the world so far
This is the first question we get asked a lot after coming back from our trip around the world. To be honest, it’s very hard to pick just one or even a few, as each country has its own unique characteristics, both good and bad.
We loved every country we visited, whether for its stunning scenery, delicious food, friendly people, rich culture, unique experiences, family-friendly resorts, or a combination of all of the above!
If you asked each member of the family separately, you’d probably get different answers from all of us too. Anyhow, here are the top 3 countries that stood out from the rest for us.
1. Italy
Italy holds a special place in our hearts as one of our family’s favourite travel destinations.
It’s a country that, quite unfairly, seems to have it all. The food is a gastronomic journey in itself, from the hearty pastas of the north to the vibrant seafood dishes of the south. I gained at least 5kg while travelling in Italy!
The people are some of the warmest and most welcoming in the world, epitomising the very best of hospitality and making us feel at home wherever we go.
The culture is rich and diverse, a beautiful tapestry woven through centuries of history and tradition. The diversity is astounding, with each region offering its own unique charm and character.
The scenery, from the rolling hills of Tuscany to the azure waters of the island of Sardinia, every turn is breathtakingly beautiful.
And the history, oh the history! From the ancient ruins of Rome to the Renaissance masterpieces of Florence, Italy is a living museum.
For all these reasons and more, Italy is our family’s favourite, a country that we will definitely revisit again.
2. The UAE
Another favourite country of ours, without a doubt, is the United Arab Emirates.
Dubai often steals the limelight when we mention the UAE, but beyond the glittering skyscrapers, bustling city life, the true beauty of the UAE lies in its lesser-known corners on the other side of the country.
The serene dams of Hatta and Al Rafisah, and the rural scenery of Khor Fakkan and Kalba offer a stark contrast to the urban sprawl, revealing a side of the UAE that is often overlooked.
The people here are among the most courteous in the world, and their hospitality is second to none.
There are family-friendly facilities everywhere you go and we felt very safe walking around at night.
What sets the UAE apart from other destinations is its uniqueness. During the day, the cities are quiet due to the hot, dry weather. From around 4pm, the country comes to life with vibrant markets and lively restaurants, and the world-class tourist hotspots open their doors.
Needless to say, the desert safari was one of the highlights of our trip around the world. It was the first time that we took the kids to ride real camels.
3. Canada
We’ve had many debates about which countries should make it to the top 3 in the world. There are so many other incredible destinations – The Netherlands, Andorra, The Maldives, Singapore, Malta, and the list goes on. Since I’m the final decision-maker, Canada holds a special place in my heart, which earns the last spot on our top three most favourite countries list.
I was able to tick off a long-time bucket list item here – visiting Niagara Falls. The sheer power and majesty of the falls left an indelible impression on me. I treasured our photos taken at Niagara Falls, so much so that we lost almost all the photos due to shuffling for extra storage. It was an emotional rollercoaster, to say the least.
There were many memorable moments in Canada, but this one is definitely worth mentioning. After we returned from our whale-watching cruise in Tadoussac, Quebec, we decided to fly a drone across the St. Lawrence River from the comfort of our Airbnb, hoping to catch another glimpse of the whales. By sheer dumb luck, our drone caught a Beluga whale coming up for air. I squealed like a girl.
Despite the loss of the photos, the memories of our time in Canada remain vivid our my mind, making it one of our top 3 favourite countries in the world.
Our kids’ favourite “countries” in the world
The Country of Hawaii
The Country of Disneyland
In Conclusion
Travelling around the world with our kids has packed what feels like years of life experiences and memories into just a few months.
In essence, our journey around the world in 250 days was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that taught us the value of minimalism, flexibility, and the importance of embracing the unexpected. We were reminded again how diverse our world is, and our perspectives are built on our past experiences.
The further we wander, the broader our minds become.
Kida.co
Travelling full-time with kids was a testament to the power of embracing change, adapting to new environments, and the joy of discovering the world through the eyes of our children. It was a journey of growth, learning, and unforgettable experiences that we will cherish forever.
We have so many more travel stories, tips and inspirations to share and we look forward to sharing them all in our upcoming book “Around The World in 250 Days”. Pop your email down to be notified when it’s out!
Upcoming RTW Travel Book
Around the World in 250 Days with 2 kids
Dive into the nitty-gritty of our RTW journey. Explore our detailed itineraries of each destination. Hear real stories, practical tips and gain in-depth insights on travelling around the world with kids. We promise to spill the best-kept secrets and a treasure trove of family travel insights.
Be the first to know when the book is ready for release!
📌 tap ‣ pin ‣ share ‣ save
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