Third World Travel With The Kids

Traveling to a third world country with your children will get you a heap of criticism, but there are some good reasons to do it anyway. If you prepare properly, the trip can be a very educational one for kids. Choosing the right country is also an important part of making sure that your children will be safe.

In general, if your child is too young to have the vaccinations recommended for a country, you shouldn't be taking them there. It is never a good idea to head off to a third world country without proper vaccination. Instead, look for a country where you don't need one, such as Guatemala or Belize.

You should study up on the country you plan to visit ahead of time. This will give you a good idea of how safe it is. However, I don't recommend that you pay much attention to US Embassy websites because they tend to be paranoid. Instead, go to a site like Lonely Planet and hit the forums to find out what real travelers have to say about the place.

Visiting another country can be a wonderful experience for a child. Children are especially open to new cultures and languages, so if you stay in the country for a while, you shouldn't be surprised to hear your kids spouting the local language. Language lessons can be helpful for this as well and your kids will pick it up way faster than you do!

The culture in third world countries is very different from our own. It is a good idea to prepare your children for this by studying up on the country you choose ahead of time. Make a list of sights to see with your children's help. Look up websites or travel guides and learn as much as you can before you go. This will make the whole thing a little less daunting when you get there.