I am proud to call the small sugarcane farming community of Ingham, Australia my home.
It boasts blue skies, sandy beaches and Australia’s longest single-drop waterfall. But its location in the far north of Queensland is a problem for me.
A desire to explore Europe led me to London 17 years ago on a two-year working holiday visa. I had no idea that the handsome British stranger I met at a bar one night would become my future husband. That’s why I’m now a permanent resident of the UK, raising two boys who speak with a British accent and have no idea what Vegemite is.
The annual return to Australia involves multiple long-haul flights and a 10-hour time difference. So I book a stopover to shorten the distance.
We try to stop somewhere new every time. Here’s what we know so far:
Stopover: Seoul, South Korea
Pros: Seoul street food, kid-friendly Korean Air
The movie-themed Hotel28 offers popcorn and gift packs for children upon arrival. Minibar is also free. It is located in the heart of the lively Myeong-dong district, which is lined with Korean barbecue, fried chicken, noodle, and seafood restaurants. It’s just around the corner from Myeongdong Night Market, so we sampled street food such as fried crab while watching K-Pop street performers.
Author Mary Lou Costa and her two children in Seoul, South Korea.
Source: MaryLou Costa
Traveling to Seoul was easy with Korean Air. Korean Air allows parents to pre-order children’s meals such as pizza, hot dogs, and barbecue chicken. We also offer child-sized headphones for in-flight entertainment.
If you don’t have a connecting flight to your destination on the same day, Korean Air includes a complimentary night stay at the 5-star Grand Hyatt Incheon. I used it on my way back from Australia. Our stay included a rich breakfast buffet, and we indulged in Korean and Western classics before boarding our 14-hour flight from Seoul to London.
Cons: Traffic and translation issues
Almost half of South Korea’s population lives in the Seoul metropolitan area, and traffic congestion in the city is severe. The taxi ride into the city was an hour, but the rush hour ride back to the airport would have taken three times as long. We arrived 30 minutes before our flight departure and were not allowed to check in. Korean Air gave me a free new ticket to Australia a week later. It still breaks my heart to think about how much this oversight cost us.
Many people speak English, but if you have food allergies, you may want to use a translation app, possibly reconsider your stopover, or write down your needs in Korean.
Stopover: Thailand, Bangkok
Pros: Cheap flights transform your trip into Asia
Bangkok is a great transit point between London and Brisbane. From there, it doesn’t cost much to get to Thailand’s famous coastline.
We took a 1.5-hour flight to the beach town of Krabi, where we spent a week at Shellsea Krabi Resort. Our 4-month-old son was sleeping in his stroller by the pool, while our eldest was drinking mocktails, taking Thai boxing lessons, and collecting seashells on the beach. We ate outside under a homemade gazebo and watched a local music festival.
My family took a detour from Bangkok to Krabi, Thailand.
Source: MaryLou Costa
Back in Bangkok, we swam in the hotel pool, visited the night market, tried banana fritters and barbecue skewers, and my eldest ate an entire bag of fried insects for dinner.
Cons: Busy Bangkok
Bangkok may not be everyone’s choice when traveling with two young children. Constant traffic jams make it difficult to get around, and the air quality is questionable.
However, I didn’t have the airport transfer issues I experienced in Seoul. As a bonus, my flight to Krabi departed from Don Mueang International Airport, which is less crowded in the north of the city.
Stopover: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Pros: Lots of attractions
Home to the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa, and one of the world’s largest water parks, Dubai’s Aquaventure Waterpark was a fun place to take my then 4-year-old for a family day out. It was easy to spend. Those two attractions.
Mary Lou Costa’s family has been shortening the distance between the UK and Australia, including this recent trip to Dubai where they spent time at Aquaventure Waterpark.
Source: MaryLou Costa
Staying at the 25 Hours Hotel was a charm in itself. The lobby is vibrant and the rooftop pool overlooks the architecturally impressive Museum of the Future.
We stayed there during Ramadan and attended the fast-breaking iftar buffet at the hotel’s main restaurant. There, we had a variety of curries and sides, and an outside grill served up freshly cut donor meat with jewel-like rice and salad. It was popular with local families who flocked in for a special meal.
Cons: Expensive
Dubai is expensive. A family day pass to Aquaventure costs about $260, while admission to Burj Khalifa and Dubai Aquarium costs an additional $243.
Stopover: Singapore
Pros: Late checkout, choice of flights
My last stay in Singapore was before I had kids, but it was such an easy place to visit that I might return. We popped into the club room at the Mandarin Oriental. This included late check-out, champagne breakfast and complimentary dim sum afternoon tea. Late checkout is definitely convenient for kids, especially for showering and changing before the next flight.
Singapore is also the city with the most connections to Australia of any Asian city we have traveled to. Changi Airport feels like it’s designed to keep kids busy, with a butterfly garden, koi pond, and free massage chairs.
Cons: Lack of buzz
It’s clean, easy to get around, has a variety of food options and speaks an excellent level of English. It’s hard to think of any cons to staying in Singapore. To be honest, it’s not as lively as Seoul or Bangkok, and the prices are high.
