Holidays with children at sea

Vacation with children at sea is a great way to spend your vacation with pleasure and benefit.

The sea air is very useful for the child, the health-improving effect will not take long to wait - after the sea vacation, the immunity of children increases, the frequency of respiratory diseases decreases, the functions of the nervous and musculoskeletal systems improve.

You can relax at the sea not only in summer, different seas can receive tourists all year round. In this article, we will tell you where to spend your vacation at different times of the year, as well as what you should know when going to sea with your child.

Where to go

January February

In January and February, you can go to the beaches of Australia, where the water temperature reaches 23-24 degrees. Winter months are also good for a beach holiday in India, on the island of Hainan in China.

Winter is a hot season in the Maldives and Thailand, as well as in Sri Lanka.

Beach holidays in European resorts at this time freeze, as well as in Russian ones. But a warm sea and a lot of sun in winter can be obtained in the countries of North, Central and South America (Mexico, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Jamaica, Venezuela and Colombia).

March

In March, a warm sea (more than 24 degrees in water) awaits in Australia and Thailand, and even warmer water in the first spring month - in the resorts of Indonesia, Sri Lanka and island China.

At this time, the flow of tourists to Asia, as well as Mexico, Colombia and Cuba, is increasing.

April

If your vacation falls in April, feel free to buy a trip to the sea to Indonesia, the Maldives and Canary Islands, Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, and at the end of April - to Egypt and Israel.

May

May on the beach can be spent in Greece, the beach season is just beginning here, but the water temperature is already about 22 degrees, the warmest is on the islands of Crete and Rhodes. In Turkish Antalya, the water in the Mediterranean Sea is already warmed up to 24 degrees in May.

Among the European countries that are ready to receive tourists in May are Italy and Spain. The summer season begins to open on the Russian Black Sea coast - in Anapa, Gelendzhik, Sochi, Kabardinka and Lazarevskoye.

June July August

June, July and August are favored for recreation in the Russian Black Sea resorts (Sochi, Adler, Tuapse, etc.), on the Sea of Azov (village Golubitskaya, Yeisk), in the Baltic (Kaliningrad region), in the Caspian.

Australia and Sri Lanka, Cuba, Colombia, Seychelles and Canary Islands are also hospitable during the summer months. The influx of tourists is in Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Spain.

Beach resorts in Croatia and France are opening and starting to work in full force. The resorts of Turkey and Egypt are very popular among Russians at this time.

September

September is the velvet season in most Russian resorts, prices are falling compared to summer, and the weather is still optimal for swimming and sunbathing. The most popular tours abroad this month are to Turkey, Egypt, Italy, Spain, Greece, Tunisia, Montenegro, Montenegro, Israel and Cyprus.

You can relax warmly and pleasantly in September in Bulgaria and Croatia.

October

If parental leave falls in October, do not worry about this. There are beaches that will welcome you like family and give you both warmth and peace of mind. The active swimming season in Turkey continues until mid-October.

In Egypt, the season does not even think to end, here the water temperature is confidently kept at around + 26 degrees. You can go to Tunisia, Cyprus and Israel.

In Vietnam, the rainy season is declining, but the sea is very warm (+28 degrees), and therefore it is quite possible to go to this Asian country.

It's cool in the evenings, but in the afternoon - like in summer - in Greece. In October, the high season begins at the resorts of the United Arab Emirates.

November December

November and December are quite beach months, you just need to choose the right direction of your trip.

If financial possibilities permit, you should no doubt go to the United Arab Emirates (it is not cheap, but the weather will please - the water temperature is +25 degrees, the air temperature is about 30 degrees.

Vietnam opens the high season for tourists. You can fly to the Seychelles and Canary Islands, Goa, Cuba, Maldives. It is winter in Russian resorts.

How to choose a direction?

When choosing a sea, a country and a resort for a successful family vacation, several important points should be considered:

Child's age. Very young children are not recommended long flights, a sharp change in time and climatic zones, since all this becomes the reason for a long and difficult acclimatization. From the point of view of common sense, it is not worth taking a small child to exotic countries in the midst of the Russian winter. There, in addition to the difficult acclimatization of the child, other dangers lie in wait - local diseases, to which the crumbs definitely do not have immunity.
The number of children and their leisure time. Adults are capable of lying on the beach and enjoying the sun and sand for a long time. But children who want new experiences will need something else to be truly happy. When choosing the direction of travel, be sure to find out as much information as possible about where in the chosen place you can go with children, whether there are water parks, dolphinariums, cinemas, amusement parks and attractions nearby.
Financial opportunities. Even with a small family budget, you can plan and implement a great holiday by the sea. It should be remembered that in low seasons at all resorts prices are reduced by almost half. The tourist market in some countries is loyal to children - accommodation for them is free or cheaper than for adults. Earlier booking of hotels is 30-40% cheaper.
Infrastructure. For a comfortable stay with children, it is important to think over every detail of the vacation. It is very important that the living conditions are suitable. If the opportunity allows, it is better to give preference to hotels with children's clubs, water slides, with a swimming pool adapted specifically for children. If the child is under 5-6 years old, it is important that a special children's menu is prepared in the hotel restaurant (cereals, omelet, yoghurt, etc.).
You can have a good rest with kids in a sanatorium, a boarding house, where it is usually much quieter and calmer. This is very important for infants and toddlers under 3 years of age. It is advisable that there is a hospital or clinic near the place of rest (if medical care is not included in the price of the voucher), a pharmacy where you can buy the necessary medicines, grocery stores, shops selling baby food and diapers.

We will tell you in more detail about some of the points that determine your final choice:

Acclimatization

There are no children in the world who would not have acclimatization upon arrival at sea. In order not to spend your vacation in a hotel room with a thermometer under your arm, you should evaluate your capabilities and strengths in advance... In infants, acclimatization is longer - it can last up to 21 days. Older children tolerate the new climate and time zones more easily, they have an average acclimatization period of 5-7 days.

Most often, this natural physiological process manifests itself in respiratory and intestinal disorders. The child may begin to cough, he develops a runny nose, congestion in the ears, body temperature rises, and unpleasant symptoms such as diarrhea and even vomiting make themselves felt.

Almost all babies in the first few days are drowsy, capricious, whiny, and subject to sudden mood swings.

Parents cannot cancel acclimatization, there is no medicine for it. But parents are obliged to make the process less painful and faster. To do this, follow a few simple recommendations:

All vaccinations must be made to the child no later than one month before departure for vacation to the sea.
At the time of departure, the child must be healthy.
The sharper the climate change (from Siberia to the subtropics), the harder the acclimatization. If a child is traveling to the sea for the first time, it is worth avoiding exotic countries; it would be better if you choose a place in which the climate resembles the usual for your region.
When you arrive at the resort, you do not need to take your child to the sea on the first day. It will be enough to walk in the fresh sea air on the territory of the hotel or the embankment. It is better to leave water procedures for later.
You cannot give your child local water to drink, because its composition is significantly different from what he is used to. To make acclimatization softer, for the first time take a few bottles of "native" water from home, and let your baby drink only it. Then, when stocks run out, buy bottled water from stores. Make sure your child does not swallow seawater.
There is no need to treat acclimatization, but if symptomatic treatment is required (ear drops for ear pain, nose drops for a runny nose, etc.), then be prepared to provide the child with such treatment.
Do not start feeding your child with local food right away. This is especially true of food unusual for him - Thai, Vietnamese, Indian cuisine, Mediterranean cuisine, rich in seafood. Regardless of age, even if the child is already 12-14 years old, dishes new for him should be introduced gradually, otherwise digestive problems cannot be avoided.

Exotic diseases

Before leaving, be sure to check the official website of Rospotrebnadzor of Russia, where information about the incidence in different countries is updated online. If somewhere there is a focus of infection with one or another ailment, it becomes immediately known. As they say, forewarned means forearmed. Some diseases should be vaccinated in advance. For example, in India and Colombia, you can be trapped in malaria. Knowing this, you should go to the clinic and get vaccinated against a dangerous disease.

Vaccines for exotic ailments are not included in the National Vaccination Schedule, and therefore they are made on a paid basis.

It makes sense to get a rotavirus vaccine for everyone who leaves for the sea at the height of the tourist season. Where beaches are crowded, the incidence of rotavirus infection always increases. When traveling to Asian countries, take care of the typhoid vaccination.

Responsibly weigh all the pros and cons, if you are with a baby, whose immunity is still being formed, he is doubly defenseless against possible threats.

Travel first aid kit

For a trip to the Russian coast, it is advisable to collect a travel first-aid kit, but not necessary, because in any seaside village or city there are pharmacies where the pharmacist speaks Russian, and therefore will perfectly understand you and sell the necessary drug. For a trip abroad, it is desirable to collect a first-aid kit, but it is not always possible to carry it in full build (in a number of countries, the import of certain medicines is prohibited).

If you or your child requires a certain drug that is prohibited from importation, take the doctor's prescription and a certificate confirming the need for the drug. In all other cases, there will be no problems if you put together a modest first-aid kit, which will contain only the most necessary things for the child:

Antipyretic;
Antihistamine;
Antidiarrheal;
Ear drops (Otipax);
Drops in the nose from the common cold ("Nazivin", "Nazol");
Pain reliever and relieves spasms (No-shpa);
Means for oral rehydration ("Regidron");
Plaster, bandage, elastic bandage;
Antiseptic (Miramistin);

How to save?

Many people save money for a sea vacation in advance, but almost always there is a need to save. If you approach the issue of vacation planning with all seriousness, you can find a lot of nuances on which you can significantly save without compromising the quality of your vacation:

Hotels. In addition to early booking, you can save on accommodation where there is no charge for extra bed in the room. Thus, you will be able to pay for a double room, not a family room, and the child will be given a cot or an extra bed. It is best to choose hotels that work on the "all inclusive" system, since eating in restaurants and cafes, if it is done three times a day on its own, leads to large expenses.
Sanatoriums, boarding houses. It is better to buy a ticket in six months, then the net savings will be 20-25%.
Guest houses, hostels. Prices here are about two times lower than in hotels, but meals are not included in the payment. In guest houses on the Russian Black Sea coast, almost everywhere there are kitchens for self-cooking, and in Europe this is practically not accepted. In this case, the calculation of the benefits should be approached more carefully, having found out the price level and calculating the possible costs.
Self-service rental. Many Russian tourists prefer to rent their own accommodation. This can be done in any country, the main thing is not to become victims of scammers. Recommended resources for finding property abroad - VPUT, Booking, Homeaway, Airbnb. For private rentals, the general rule applies - the earlier the booking is made, the greater the discount will be.
Excursions, entertainment. It is quite easy to save money on a cultural program. To do this, you do not need to use the services of small tour agencies that are available in every hotel, on every beach and on every street in the resort town. It is better to use the services of professional guides in a large travel agency. At first glance, it only seems that it is more expensive. Large travel agents recruit large groups, due to which the cost of the excursion for each member of the group is reduced. In addition, they guarantee that you do not have to pay for "unforeseen" problems with the transfer, unnecessary services that private traders simply "forgot" to warn you about.
If we are talking about going to museums, galleries, water parks, then you do not need a guide. Purchase tickets exclusively at the box office of these properties. Intermediaries, which are excursion bureaus, travel companies and others, increase the cost of your tickets by 10-15%. You can see a lot if you plan your trips around the country yourself. As a rule, local guides are less demanding, and by contacting them upon arrival somewhere, you can save about 20-40% of its cost on excursions.
Nutrition. It is not so easy to save on food, especially when it comes to sea holidays in Europe. Cafes and restaurants are very expensive here, and bargaining in markets and shops is not accepted. Real savings are possible only in one case - if you cook on your own, living, for example, in a rented apartment or in a villa. But even here the cost of the products should be taken into account.

Practical advice

Be careful with UV light. If you are relaxing with a child, it is best to visit the beach in the morning (from 8.00 to 11.00 local time), and then in the evening (from 16.00 to 20.00 local time). So that the child does not overheat, let him drink more often, cover his head from the scorching sunlight with a panama or a kerchief made of light natural fabric. Avoid a child under 3 years old for a long time in the open sun, so find out in advance if there is a rental of umbrellas, trees, palm trees on the beach, if necessary, buy and take a compact beach umbrella with you. Do not neglect cosmetics (creams and sprays) with sun protection.
Be careful with water. Make sure in advance that the child has inflatable cuffs, a life jacket, an inflatable ring. All these goods at the resort are 3-5 times more expensive. These devices are useful because you can learn to swim in them, the child will not be afraid of water.
Choose the right clothes. If the child is comfortable (not hot and not cold), then the seaside vacation will give him maximum benefit and pleasure. Do not take things made of synthetics for your baby, only natural fabrics in which the skin "breathes" well. If you are going on vacation during the velvet season, at the end of the season or at the very beginning of it (in different countries these are different months), bring a windbreaker or raincoat, as the weather can bring surprises.
You should also choose the direction of travel in advance because different countries have different entry conditions. On the website of the embassy of the selected state in Russia, carefully read the conditions of entry. Find out if you need to apply for a visa in advance, how much it will cost, what documents you will need. Even if you decide to go to a visa-free country, check the validity of the passports of all family members, including the child.
At the resort, try to adhere to your child's usual daily routine. Then it will be easier for the baby to get used to the changes. If you have chosen an exotic country with a significant time difference, start preparing your child for the new time zone in advance. Within a couple of months, start shifting your usual bedtime by 10-15 minutes daily.

Reviews of seaside vacations are rarely negative. Even if something did not work out with living conditions, with food, usually the sea compensates for everything, because people go to the sea, and not to a plate of delicious soup! Do not neglect the study of reviews. Sometimes they can provide a lot of valuable and useful practical information about any particular resort, beach, hotel, water park, or even a culinary masterpiece by local chefs.

Negative reviews require the most attentive attitude, usually they have a healthy and rational grain, knowing about some of the nuances, local traditions, behavioral features of the population, service personnel, it will be easier for you to make a choice and meet, perhaps, similar situations in reality.

It's no secret that some laudatory reviews are written by professionals for money; they usually have nothing to do with reality. Distinguishing such "odes" from truthful information is quite simple. They usually start with the words "I want to tell you about my wonderful vacation in ...". In addition, by clicking on the author, you can find other reviews. If they are in the same spirit, it is most likely someone else's work.

How to choose where to go on vacation with children, see the video below.