Little hip tear jerker...

Oh my word. We've discussed the joys of owning a Trunki at The Little Hip Traveller before, but we've never shown you this little gem (it brought tears to my eyes). You just have to watch this wee little film, and perhaps have a think about getting your little 'hip' a Trunki for christmas? We've still got our eyes on the new editions Freddie Trunki and Penelope Trunki (although I still think we need the Gruffalo one!)

little eats' little hip travel tips

Today, I am once again, going to hand over to one of Melbourne's fabulous Mumpreneurs. I am hugely excited to be chatting to the wonderful Jemma from Little Eats. Not only is Jemma and her little clan in love with frequenting Melbourne's child friendly coffee spots, and then sharing her brilliant tips with us all, but she is also a big fan of Bali. Jemma has kindly agreed to spill the beans on her favourite spots in Bali, and share her tips and tricks on travelling with very young kids to Bali. 

Here we go...over to you Jemma;

So, tell us a bit about you and your family?

My name is Jemma and I am a mamma to two gorgeous little girls India (21 months) and Aurora (4 months).  I am also the creator of Little Eats - we are all about cafe culture for Melbourne’s little ones and we review the best kid-friendly cafes around town.  Oh and of course there’s my darling hubby too. And Ketut the cat.

And where have you been of late with your little ‘hips’?

We have just come back from Bali, the beautiful island of the Gods. We love Bali and have been many many times over the years.This time we met up with my parents (who live in Switzerland) for a family holiday.

How did you get there?

We flew with Jetstar.  Now I must stress that we only flew with them because we used our Qantas Frequent Flyer points...we would not have flown them by choice!  

Our flight leaving Melbourne was delayed by an hour and we were stuck on the tarmac for that time.  Also when we arrived at check-in they had not booked a bassinet for us, and weren’t seating us all together even though we had confirmed everything in advance.  After another long wait queuing up to speak to the guy at the service desk, we finally worked it out, or we thought we did. Then when we got on the plane we had been seated on the two side seats, which is very squashy when there’s two adults, a toddler, a baby and a whole lotta hand luggage!  And then sitting in the middle row of four seats were two guys! That’s right, two guys! With four seats, two bassinet's, plenty of room... but no babies.  Doesn’t seem very fair does it?  

Then coming home we had to come via Sydney and clear customs and then hop on a domestic Qantas flight home. A similar thing happened - we were seated separately and in a normal row with no bassinet's, yet up the front where the bassinet's were, were business men flying solo ‘sans’ babies.  Not fair again! I asked one of the flight attendants why this was the case as it didn’t seem fair, and she was very rude and told me that obviously they had requested them and I hadn’t. What the??!!  Of course I requested a bassinet. And then I questioned why on earth the businessmen would have requested a seat with a bassinet, and she said “for extra leg room”. So their legs are obviously more important than my babies! 

Just on a side note, last year we flew to Europe with Singapore Airlines and they were simply fantastic. Very reliable, and also very sweet, polite and helpful staff. With 9 month old India we were treated liked royalty. I highly recommend them.

Where did you stay?

We stayed in a stunning 4 bedroom villa with in Canggu, which is a popular surfie beach and about a 20 minute drive from trendy Seminyak.  You still have all the cool Seminyak restaurants and shops close by, however the beaches are much quieter, and you are surrounded by rice paddies and in the heart of traditional Balinese village life.

We usually stay in a villa, as we prefer that style of accommodation to a hotel, as we are in our own house with a kitchen, lounge area with TV and DVD, separate air conditioned bedrooms, our own private swimming pool and... wait for it... they are fully staffed with cooks, maids and this one even came with a driver! It really is a perfect option when you are traveling with little ones as it means that you can put them down for a nap in the bedroom, while you can still read, swim and relax right next to them.  It also means that in the evening once the baby is tucked up asleep in their portacot in the cool bedroom, you can still hang out in the lounge area, have a nightcap, watch a DVD or even have a midnight swim.  It sure beats being stuck in a hotel room.

Your biggest challenge?

Probably the flight over. India was not as well-behaved as normal (to say the least), and didn’t sleep at all (despite leaving Melbourne at 7.45pm at night which is her normal bedtime).  She was so over-tired by the end of it that she was delirious!  Apart from that, luckily, there weren’t really many other challenges or issues at all.

Any big recommendations?

Ok, places to go, things to do... where do I start.  Well if it’s your first time in Bali then I think some of the “must do’s” are:

• Treat yourself to a massage (or two, or a few!) - my favourite places are Jari Menari and Bodyworks
• Enjoy a Bintang beer on the beach whilst you watch an amazing sunset
• Eat lots of yummy, super cheap Indonesian food - nothing beats a good Nasi Goreng
• Stock up on DVD’s - they have all the latest movies and TV series
• Shop!

My favourite places to eat are:

Breakfast - Corner Store, La Lucciola

Lunch - Trattoria Pizza, Cafe Moka, Grocer & Grind, Bali Buddha

Dinner - Kuni’s, Trattoria, Osteria Telese, Cafe Bali, The Beach House at Echo Beach and a little warung on Seminyak Beach called “Juice Park” where you can get a mean Nasi Goreng for just a couple of dollars.

Or for somewhere very special if you have hired a nanny for the night and are dining ‘a deux’, then try Ku De Ta, Metis, Sentosa, Sarong, the restaurant at the Tugu Hotel, La Lucciola and the new Cocoon.  These places are pretty pricey, so they can also be nice to just visit for a cocktail and dessert.

If you are traveling to Bali with your little ones, then you definitely need to check out Bali Baby.  You can hire playpens, highchairs, cots, car-seats, booster seats, monitors, prams, strollers, toys, rockers and play-mats. You name it they’ve got it! The hire prices are very reasonable, and it is all so convenient as Gabi will liaise on your behalf with your accommodation, and will arrange to have everything set up in your villa or hotel for when you arrive. You can also order and purchase Huggies nappies and wipes, Heinz baby food, and Johnson and Johnson bath and body products. So you can really save on excess luggage!

What are your main tips for travelling with kids?

1. Be organised. And make lists. Lots of them! 

2. Call ahead, confirm and double check. 

3. Take more than what you think you will need, but don’t go too overboard

4. Don’t pack too many toys. 

5. Prepare for take off. 

6. Don’t worry about what other people think. 

7. Don’t take it, hire it! 

8. Expect the unexpected. 

9. Throw your normal routine out the window.

10. Enjoy. Relax. Have fun. You are on holidays after all! Although holidays as you know it (ie: pre-bubba) will never be the same again, you are still up for an incredible journey with lots of special memories, happiness and laughter.

What would you not have left home without?

Lola, India’s baby, I mean dolly.  And also her bunny Kaloo that she sleeps with. Lola comes pretty much everywhere with us including most cafes we review for Little Eats.  She is pretty much part of the family now!

Seriously though, there is not that much that I wouldn’t have left home with out.  You really don’t need all that much for Bali as it is so warm and you just live in your bathers and a sarong most of the time.  And if there is anything you desperately need or you have forgotten then you can pretty much buy it all there.  

And finally, anything else you want to add?

Trunki’s rock!  Such a great idea for little hip travellers!  Our’s is pink and her name is Trixie. India had great fun riding her and pulling her around at the airport... as well as riding her around the garden at the villa.  She was also the make-shift “toy-box” when we were at the villa.

We took lots of little things to keep India occupied on the plane and on holidays.  She loves drawing (well, scribbling) so we took a little bag of Crayon rocks, a container of ‘Big Pencils for Little Hands’ and colouring-in books, drawing pads as well as stickers and the latest In the Night Garden mag.

We also took our iPod, and there were sound-docks at the villa, so it was great to have familiar tunes, including the CD from India’s music class. 

+++++++

Wow, thanks so much Jemma. I just want to go there now! If you want to read more about Jemma's top tips on travelling to Bali, plus of course, have a good look at Little Eats, please click here. Thanks so much Jemma. We love Little Eats and are really excited about sharing this fabulous website with everyone.

The little hip 'trunki'

So, everyone is talking about them, especially now that Penelope the Princess, and Freddie the Fire engine are about to be released. Both left and right hip are in love and desperately want one for our next hip travelling adventure, so perhaps Penelope and Freddie may end up under our Christmas tree this year?

Image: www.trunki.co.uk

Well, for those not in the know, who or what are we talking about? Let me introduce you to the 'Trunki' - "the world's first ride on suitcase for globe-trotting tots". No more tears whilst rushing through airports as little ones can just pop onto their Trunki, whilst you whizz through to the boarding gate. Very lightweight, but also very sturdy, the Trunki is an excellent piece of hand luggage, suitable for the bits and bobs required by the 'hips' on your journey. It has a strap at the front for you to pull along behind you, or a carry handle if you need to do a quick dash.

Amy, recently travelled to USA with her hubby and young daughter, and wanted to share with us her fabulous Trunki experiences. Thanks Amy. Here we go;

"As soon as we spotted the Trunki in a local Melbourne store, I knew it would change air travel with our daughter. The sales woman carefully plucked our daughter’s lady bird Trunki from the front display and handed it down to her. Immediately there were smiles and bright eyes gleaming as this new “toy” was placed down beside her. My daughter proceeded to drag the Trunki around the whole store like it was already hers. I knew it would be a hit.

Time for our travels came and we packed the Trunki with our daughter’s travel goodies that she would need on the plane, as we were told we could use it as carry on for her. We got to the airport and sure enough, it was small enough for carry on, yet big enough to carry a blanket, nappies, wipes, PJs, books, and a whole assortment of toys to play with on our 14 hour plane ride to Los Angeles. Once through security, I set down the Trunki, much to my daughter’s glee and she immediately started dragging it around, asking to sit on it and be dragged (it has nifty little handles in the front for little kiddies to hold onto, so they are stable whilst being dragged around on it). It was endless fun for her during the 3 hour wait at the airport. I don’t know how many times I went back and forth, up and down the hallway while at our extra secure gated area, waiting to leave for the U.S. I honestly don’t know what we would have done without the Trunki to provide continuous joy to our daughter.

It provided very useful on the plane as well. A convenient little contraption to access nappies, PJs, toys, etc. at any time, as it fit easily in the overhead compartment. Each time we brought it out, my daughter’s eyes lit up and she would do a little seated happy dance. Luckily she didn’t feel the need to drag the Trunki up and down the aisles. She was content to just play with the Trunki and its contents.

The Trunki proved useful on many occasions, while visiting relatives or staying in hotel rooms, the Trunki was always there to play with and drag around. I don’t regret for one single moment buying the Trunki in the store. It was well worth the cost. Even to this day while not travelling, my daughter still finds the Trunki stored away under her cot and gets that gleam in her eye and proceeds to drag it around the house for hours. The Trunki is patiently waiting for our next big adventure in travelling and is decidedly content on being played with around the house for now..."

Wow, thanks Amy. I think we need a few of those now (mmmm, early Christmas presents?)

Alongside Penelope and Freddie, say hello to Harley, Terence, Trixie, Tipu, Bernard and a special limited addition of the Gruffalo Trunki. Trunki even got a grilling on the BBC's Dragons Den - the entrepreneurs didn't want it! Trunki, of course, got the last laugh! Have a little look at the TV coverage below.

Available in Australia through Yooneek or internationally through Trunki themselves, those multiple award winning Trunki's are just totally worth having, even if it is just for that mad dash to the departure gate, or for playing with round the house!

hip tips from little melbourne

Today, I am passing the baton over to a fabulous guest blogger, Jo, from the wonderful Little Melbourne. THE guide to all the latest happening's in & around Melbourne for Babies, Toddlers and Kids. Those of you in Melbourne, those of you who want to be in Melbourne, and those of you who are planning an interstate or international holiday to Melbourne, you have to check out Little Melbourne.

Jo is here to tell us about her tips for travelling with the hips...enjoy, and thanks so much Jo.

So Jo, tell us a bit about you and your family?

In our little family you'll find:Jo - mumma and founder of Little Melbourne

David - Proud Papa

Ruby - 'Busy as a bee' Toddler

Henry - Our Christmas Day babe

& Ash - our senior citizen cat!

And where have you been of late with your little ‘hips’?

Auckland, New Zealand

How did you get there, and where did you stay?

We stayed at Grandma's house right next to the Botanic Gardens. She immigrated to NZ from the UK about 7 years ago.

We travelled with Air New Zealand.They were fine until we arrived at Auckland airport and we realised our Maclaren stroller was missing! After a restless night we received a phone call saying it had been located and sure enough a courier delivered it at 9.00am that morning. Very impressed!

On board staff did everything to make our journey as comfy as possible, we were given a few bottles of Only Organic food, a sippy cup, an activity pack and one flighty fished Ruby a muffin from business class!

Your biggest challenge?

Definitely getting Ruby to eat proper meals. This was a new challenge for us as she normally devours everything on her plate. There were tears, tantrums and lots of refusals, but she did find a new love though....Kumara (sweet potato) and happily devoured a 'fluffy' (babycino) at the many cafe stops.

Any big recommendations?

This time we did quite a bit of touristy stuff;

Kelly Tarltons Antarctic encounter, which was a bit over-priced and we personally found our underwater world in Melbourne way better.

Butterfly Creek was a big hit - a great day out with the family, there is an animal farm, train ride for the kids, playground, crocodile encounter, butterfly house, a cafe and so much more.

We made daily trips to the Botanic Gardens, fed the ducks, ran around on the grass with a ball, spent money at the cafe and like Melbourne, they have a children's garden too.

One of our highlights was the Ambury Regional Farm Park. The park sits on ash-covered lava flows from Mangere Mountain and has views across the harbour to the Manukau Heads and Waitakere Ranges. It's a working farm and you can mingle with the farm animals in their paddock. Bring the wellies!

Other than this, it rained A LOT during our visit, so we ventured off to lots of kid friendly cafes; The Library Cafe welcomes kids and families and I have never encountered a more friendlier cafe experience. They had it all and I felt happy to support their eco practises and the fresh organic food was divine!

What are your main tips for travelling with kids?

Be organised and always try to plan ahead (or have some idea of what you'd like to see and do!) I always research our destination before we head off and read lots of books about travelling and aeroplanes to our little one. We also took some time 'studying' a map of the world to give Ruby some kind of indication we were going on holiday and leaving home for a little while.

What would you not have left home without?

We have a list of things.......;

Trunki (hard case suitcase on wheels) was Ruby's fantastic travel companion. They're a must have for any toddler and so much fun at the airport when you need to get from A to B in a hurry.

Brauer's Calm - A natural medicine to help soothe irritable or restless children.This worked well for both flights.

Tiger Tribe magnetic play books - to ease the boredom.

Baby Wipes - We like Gaia natural's as the top closes and they don't dry out.

Sigg water bottle.

Rafferty's Garden smoothie pouches and muesli bars, they're quick and easy snacks for when you're on the go.

Whole kids organic sultanas - we love these

Ipod with a long playlist including favourite songs by Yo Gabba, In The Night Garden, Justine Clarke, Playschool and Music Class.

Ruby's bedtime friends, Teddy Bear, Minty, Dolly Katie and Suki.

Books, Colouring Books and Micador travel pack of crayons and pencils.

And finally, anything else you want to add?

Some great links we found very useful:

www.thelittlehiptraveller.blogspot.com - Great tips for travelling with the hipsters

www.kidsfriendlytravel.com - great site for visiting NZ

http://www.librarycafe.co.nz - Very Family Friendly Cafe

http://www.brauer.com.au - Brauer Calm Relief

www.metromum.com.au - To purchase Trunki

http://www.butterflycreek.co.nz - Butterfly Creek

www.littlestyles.com.au - Tiger Tribe Magnetic Play Books