Independent

Practicalities Types of Holiday Independent Where to Go 

It can be real fun to get off the beaten track, ideally with the help of a good guidebook. Read these carefully to make sure you are aware of local problems.

Vietnam for example is seriously contaminated by the levels of chemicals like Agent Orange which were dropped on it. These are now in the food chain and you see a much higher level of birth defects for example than in other neighbouring countries. Such chemicals are probably best avoided with young children.

In northern Australia you can only swim in the sea for six months of the year because of jellyfish, though the islands half an hour off shore don't suffer these.

Otherwise the broad rule of thumb is, the less developed the country, the more friendly to children. Intolerance of them seems to come with the stress levels which go with certain kinds of sophistication.

To repeat points made elsewhere, you do need to make sure you are comfortable with the standards of food, hygiene and medical care you may find. See Food and Drink, Health and Safety.

If going to a developing country you could consider taking clothes your child is about to grow out of, and leaving them as gifts to those with children who help you.