Travel schooling at a bucket list destination? No, thank you!
Why we left out bucket list destinations during our travel schooling sabbatical
We learnt and tweaked our approach to curating appropriate travel schooling destinations and experiences over an entire year dedicated to travel schooling our two preschoolers. Yet, the question that jumped at us frequently was, should we travel to our bucket list destinations with our little people?
I’ve written about why travel-schooling is not just another family holiday. When we travel specifically to enhance learning we forgo some once-in-a-lifetime experiences if our kids don’t show much inclination for what these offer (just yet). Such as, making the choice to leave the Sydney Opera House out of the itinerary during our excursion to Australia last year. Naturally, if you have not or cannot make traveling part of your regular lifestyle, you would be tempted to sweep a region when you do travel there. This is especially true if it is a trip to somewhere far away. However, we decided not to and over time, our experiences vindicated our approach.
On our very first travel schooling trip, we took our daughters along for a helicopter ride over Tahiti. The experience was mesmerising for both my husband and I. The vistas are etched on my mind’s eye forever. Yet, our daughters did not enjoy it as much. My elder daughter disliked how noisy and hot it was in the helicopter. The captain speaking through her earphones startled my younger one who eventually puked from the blazing heat.
We learnt not to push our kids into activities that may be bucket list activities for us. Instead, we now curate activities that are more age appropriate.
Indeed, our decisions to leave things out may be based in our assumption that there would be more trips in the future to this part of the world. But who knows? There are never any guarantees. For instance, my husband and I decided many years back to revisit Zanzibar and we still have not gotten around to doing so. What if there is no second time? We have simply chosen to take a chance that we will live with mere imaginations about some exotic destinations rather than letting an education-focussed visit dash our romantic visions.
Now you might argue that everything is interesting and enriching to young children. Even if we curated something that was very important to us but not necessarily catering to our kids’ curiosity, they would learn anyway. As pointed out by one of my readers, Caithlin,
Kids learn from the whole experience.
However, when they are young (toddlers/preschoolers), they also get pushed around in many activities that interest adults. This is neither fair nor beneficial for them. Moreover, for many other activities, they’ll simply not be permitted to participate based on age or height restrictions. So, in my experience, it all becomes win-lose, either for the parents or for the kids.
It is better to plan travel schooling in destinations where there is plenty for everyone in the family. And yet, if a few things were missed, you would not be carrying a big regret. For example, Chiang Mai in Thailand is usually not on many bucket lists. Yet, it caters to adults as well as kids so very well. All four of us enjoyed interacting with elephants at sanctuaries, spending hours at bamboo playgrounds (unique to Southeast Asia) and walking through night markets every day of the week. We missed many must-see places in Chiang Mai too (blame it on parental burnout). Such as, the Doi-Suthep, a magnificient hill-top temple that is a prime attraction for many visiting the city. Yet, we have no regrets! Instead we are grateful for the immensely educational and immersive experiences that we did enjoy.
Now I wouldn’t say the same thing if we had decided to go onward to Bagan in Myanmar and then not be able to take a hot-air balloon ride over the pagodas because children under six cannot fly. We considered it but eventually decided to leave Myanmar out altogether. We’d rather do it when we can do it thoroughly and well. That is where the picture at the top of this article is taken, in case you were wondering.
Much of what I say here will change in the years to come. Flying with little kids anywhere will be challenging in the immediate aftermath of Covid-19, let alone to our bucket list destinations. Still, I am waiting with optimism for the day when my girls will be older so we can all be involved in fulfilling each others’ dream adventures. At that time, we’ll probably share bucket lists and have them kickstart their own too.
Will be exciting times!
