Aqua Safaris specializes in kids’ travel! After having our first child, I thought our travel life was over. My wife and I traveled the world with the thought that we would not be able to travel as much with kids, boy were we wrong. We are still going strong with our two kids plus other SCUBA diving families. What a blast, the kids have as much fun as we do!

Why travel with kids? It is great to have the whole family share the experience; your child can be the ticket to seeing the inside of the culture. Adults and children in places around the world may be intimidated talking directly to you, but people can be much more comfortable talking to and about your children and theirs. It's an easy common link that most people have. Unlike our culture, most cultures are much more kid friendly. Sometimes the younger the better.

The expense of traveling with kids is not as much as you may think. If the child is under two years old, most airlines do not charge for an infant riding sitting on laps. If you request a front bulk head seat in advance, often baby basinets are available. A baby basinet/bed attaches to the wall in front of the seat and the child can sleep in a fully reclining position in front of you. I wish I fit in that bed, it's better than first class! Families receive early boarding on many flights, especially if you request it. It is also customary to have kids stay at resorts for free as long as they share a room. Most restaurants have kid’s menus and will make your child anything you want if asked. Kids often share parent’s meals at no charge.

Other hot tips for kids travel: Bring toys, small games, books and crayons for the airplane. A small portable DVD player does wonders for kids over 2; the cost for those is less that $200. Have easy snacks and drinks readily available as well as a change of cloths—pajamas work well. Walk around the airplane frequently. Before the flight leaves ask for a tour of the front cockpit, in flight show your kids how in flight food is prepared and how the bathroom works. Ask the flight attendant for an in-flight kid’s package with games and toys. Make sure they ask for an airline pin.

Health tips: If flying, makes sure your kids drink a lot of water. The air in airplanes is very dry and dehydration is a problem with kids and adults. We have found the jet lag felt is often due to dehydration. Switch your watch as soon as possible to the time zone of your destination. Stay up extra late or go to bed extra early in an effort to acclimate to the time difference, and take frequent naps wile traveling. Encourage the kids to take naps or have quiet rest time on the plane. Have a night time snack valuable for your child if needed. Encourage your kids to run around the airport especially if you will be switching planes. Try to have fun, active things to do until it is bedtime in the new time zone. Keep them drinking lots of water. We also suggest having some basic medicines handy including children’s Sudafed, children’s Tylenol, and children’s nasal spray. If your child is breast or bottle feed, it is a good idea to feed during assents and descents during take-offs and landings, this will allow the child's ears to equalize pain free. If the child has a runny nose or is otherwise congested, you may consider a children’s decongestant like children’s Sudafed. Alternatively, you could give an older child candy or gum which also helps ear equalization.

Malaria and other diseases: In our opinion, some countries just are not safe for kids to travel to; it’s not worth the risk. We recommend checking with the Center for Disease Control to get the latest information. Often tropical diseases are seasonal (for example, dungie fever is usually prevalent during the rainy season, and it may be safe to travel during the dry season). The preventative medications for diseases such as malaria and yellow fever are not considered by many to be safe for children. Malaria and yellow fever can be fatal for young children. Aqua Safaris does not recommend taking children to areas in the world that are known to have these diseases. Some vaccinations that we do recommend include hepatitis A and B, as well as the standard list of vaccinations recommended in the US. You should consult with your physician about these and other preventative medicines recommended.

Nice thinks to bring to make the trip easier: Strollers are great in airports and can be checked and picked up at the gate when you board the plane. Because dehydration is such a problem, both flying and in hot tropical areas, we recommend a camel-pack water pack for both kids and adults. Make it fun and special and they will be proud to wear it and drink from it continuously.

Other things to bring: Sunscreen, sun exposure suits, wetsuits, life jackets, rain jackets, mosquito repellent, 33% deet and all natural, mask and snorkel for children over 3. Aqua Safaris either sells or can help you find these items.

How to get started: If you are contemplating a dive trip with kids of any age, give us a call! We’ll tell you which trips we’re bringing our kids along on, which ones you should avoid, what the costs will be—everything you need to know.