Travel is good for kids. But do you know why?

Travel teaches our children things they couldn’t learn any other way. Things like confidence, competence, and cultural diversity.

Travel shows our kids that the world is bigger than they are, and that people are different… and very much the same. Taking our children traveling is an investment into their future, and into the type of person they will become.

Here are a two of travel’s major benefits and a couple of tips for making travel with kids easier on you.

Travel Enhances Brain Growth

Studies show that the greater number of experiences you introduce a child to (or an adult, for that matter), the greater — and faster — their brain develops.

Mothers have known this instinctively, which is why they shake rattles, talk to their babies, and have them touch different textures.

“Everything a child sees, hears, thinks, and touches transfers into an electrical activity. Each time the brain is stimulated, the experience rewires the brain.” 

Parents will take their children to the petting zoo, the park, aquariums and museum, with the intent of expanding their minds by introducing them to new experiences.

Travel takes that concept one step further, because it helps to increase the amount, and diversity, of new experiences in your child’s life, literally increasing neural pathways and enlarging your child’s brain.

So instead of petting zoos, it’s safaris, crocodile preserves, and elephant rides; we can still visit the the aquarium, but there’s also beaches and snorkeling; Latin or Asian music; Hindu temples; boat rides and plane trips.

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Travel Builds Confidence

We’ve all seen our child’s confidence grow when they master a new skill. It starts when they can dress themselves, read a book on their own, or swim across the pool.

Traveling together offers additional opportunities for them to move beyond their comfort zone and learn new things. Whether it’s converting into the local currency, or saying ‘hi’ to a friend in a different language.

Even something as simple as learning a language has huge implications for your child’s development.

Jessie Wise, in her book The Well-Trained Mind, states that,

“The study of language shows a young child that his world, his language, his vocabulary and his way of expression are only one way of living and thinking in a big, tumultuous, complicated world.”

Exposing children to new languages contributes to an expanded global perspective, sharpens their cognitive skills, and increases understanding of their native language. Plus they’ll develop a greater appreciation of cultures, and most importantly, the ability to make friends of other nationalities.

So travel is good for your kids, but how can you make it easier on you?

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Tip 1: Travel Longer

This may seem counterintuitive, but traveling longer with your children (taking mini sabbaticals) will make the entire experience more enjoyable (and less stressful) for the entire family.

Spending two months during the summer in one location gives you the chance to really ‘settle in’ and fully experience the local ‘feel’, without the pressure of ‘seeing it all’ during your two week vacation, which ultimately leads to burnout.

You can do this by setting up a home base, by renting a house or condo, and then take weekend and day trips from there. Imagine all the additional adventures you could be enjoying with your kids when you have time to stop and smell the roses.

Tip 2: Get Help

Don’t expect to do or know everything yourself. Get help from those who have been there or know the area. Research online, use guidebooks, find Facebook groups and ask them the best places and things to do. Take your spouse, or an aunt or uncle for extra hands and eyes. Hire tour companies to handle the details of your day or week trips.

The most important thing is to not get overwhelmed by it and create unpleasantries instead of lifelong memories. Know that when you travel you’re doing good things for your kids.

Written by: Rachel Denning
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The post Benefits of Travel for Kids: Plus Tips for Making it Easier first appeared on Smiling Albino.

Several weeks ago I was enjoying a few lazy minutes going through my twitter feed (@danbfraser) before getting out of bed in the morning, when I came across a beautiful sunset picture posted by a friend in New York. As I looked out my window and saw the blazing red hues of a new dawn rise over the horizon, I reflected on how she and I were experiencing the same event from opposite sides of the globe.

The same event, similar in so many ways, yet at the same time distinctly different as I was facing East to enjoy my view while my good friend had to look West.

There are parallels in that scene with life in the East and the West. So many things are similar on the surface, but the real material differences are often much more subtle.

One of those subtle differences is the relationship of the individual to the family. Family is often the center of social life in Asian cultures – it’s so pervasive as to be automatic much of the time. In the West we often tend to have to be much more conscious about planning family time.

As we approach the traditional mid-April Thai New Year, known as Songkran,a time of catching up with friends and family as well as to paying respect to elders by gently splashing water on them (actually, it turns into a nationwide water fight, but that’s another story), I’d like to ask you to reflect on your relationship with your family and what you are doing to spend time with them and strengthen the bonds that tie you together.

Just as a new perspective turns a sunset into a sunrise, I would like you to allow Smiling Albino to show you a new perspective on travel. Please send me an email today at dan@smilingalbino.com and let me know how we can immerse you in the Southeast Asian culture to build a new relationship with your family and help you put together a trip that will bring you closer together than ever before. I can promise you a new dawn.

Happy Thai new year!

Daniel Fraser,
Smiling Albino Adventurer-in-Chief

Adventure Highlights:

Smiling Albino’s Customized Nepal Grand Slam

This trip was packed full of the incredible, so we can only spotlight a few of the magical activities possible in Nepal.

For starters you can explore the perennial city of Kathmandu on the back of classic Royal Enfield motorcycles including 2 UNESCO World Heritage sites. If you like water try rafting the Seti River in Pokhara from Damauli to a serene riverbank campsite, unreachable by vehicles.

In Pokhara optional activities include leisurely boats ride to the World Peace Pagoda with views of the Himalayas, a visit to Tibetan refugee villages, bike ride around the lakeside, or for the really adventurous try a tandem paraglide with a professional pilot and the new zipline! Plan your trip to Nepal.

Get Dan’s live photo updates on his adventures on his Instagram.

What’s Going On:

Dinner in a Cave on Halong Bay
We recently just hosted a private group in Halong Bay. This was their last stop in Vietnam and they wanted something extra special. We arranged a magical candle lit cave dinner that we put together as a surprise for them!

Do you have a special moment that you want to celebrate this year? Let us know and we can arrange something special on your trip itinerary. We also know the most romantic place for dinner for two in the bay!

Myanmar’s First Peninsula Hotel
Yangon will soon be the home to the first Peninsula Hotel located in the former and soon to be renovated Burma Railway Company headquarters. This luxury hotel brand will be in the central business district of Yangon, in a colonial building from the 1880s. The Peninsula Bangkok Hotel is one of Smiling Albino’s favorite hotel brands, we are waiting anxiously for the opening of this new venture.

Travel with us to Myanmar.

Giveaway to Facebook Fan

We’re about to hit 1,300 Facebook‬ fans and we want to say thank you with a give away to a Bangkok food walking tour and a night stay at Inn a Day Bangkok!

Invite your friends to like our page and stay tuned for more details. www.facebook.com/smilingalbino

Connect With Smiling Albino!

Facebook and Twitter: “Like” and “follow” us on Facebook and Twitter and you will get tuned-in to the latest breaking news and hot tips on travel and adventure in Asia.

Planet Asia Travel Channel: Subscribe to the Planet Asia Travel Channel and receive expert advice and insider tips on travel in Asia from the team at Smiling Albino and our network of in-the-know locals, expatriates, and travel enthusiasts.

NEW on Google+ and Pinterest: Now even easier to connect and stay up to date with us!

Contact: Get a hold of us any time.

The post Importance of Family – Albino Smiles, April 2014 first appeared on Smiling Albino.

Until a cool and overcast Thursday in Oxfordshire, England, it was considered impossible for an athlete to run a mile in under four minutes. Sportsmen had been trying for decades to break the time barrier and some medical professionals of the day declared it an unreachable milestone.

On May 6th, 1954, the impossible suddenly became possible when Roger Bannister ran a mile in three minutes, 59.4 seconds.

When asked how he had done it, Bannister is alleged to have said that he simply visualized his objective, and had done it repeatedly in his own mind so many times that it was a certainty that his mind and body would be up to the task on race day.

That’s how we operate at Smiling Albino. When we design an itinerary for you, we don’t consider just what is possible, we visualize what the perfect experience should be, and then find ways to make it happen. It’s this careful blend of risk-taking and hard work that allows us turn great trips into unforgettable memories.

Some of our greatest trip moments and experiences have come from exploring imaginative new options in the pursuit of an innovative idea that we just “had” to make happen.  Not accepting the ordinary and pushing for perfect execution sometimes results with our guests thinking we have achieved the impossible. On occasion, we have done just that.

Daniel Fraser,
Smiling Albino Adventurer-in-Chief

Adventure Highlights:

Springtime in Nepal

March – May are one of the best times of year to visit Nepal, as the wet season is a few months away, and the coldest days of winter are already gone. In early spring – March and April – you can also see the flowers in full bloom.  It’s a great time to go for a hike, or even a ride on a classic Enfield Motorcycle through the Himalaya’s.

Our hand designed trips range from premiere properties, to tea house stays, all with a stunning backdrops.  We can serve up high-intensity rafting, trekking and biking pursuits, introduce you to local characters, amazing venues and everything in between.  Whether you are looking for an epic day in the saddle or a comfy chair and a copy of The Ascent of Rum Doodle in hand, we’ve got you covered.  What are you doing this spring? We can personalize your travel.

What’s Going On:

The Hairy Bikers Asian Adventure Show begins!

Smiling Albino knows Thai street food – and now so do The Hairy Bikers! We were hired to help Si and David with their Bangkok street food episode, and we took them to all of our favourite spots. Watch their show of the BBC Two to get an inside look at the street food scene – or call us and we can arrange a night of scrumptious discovery and dining.

Watch on Youtube! Watch on www.BBC.co.uk

Bagan’s Archaeological Gems

If you thought Angkor Wat was stunning than you need to get to Bagan!  It’s no secret that Myanmar is getting a lot of attention, and the incredible archeological gems of Bagan is simply a must do on any visit there.

Want a quick comparison to something you’re already familiar with? Check out our latest Blog post “Rustic Chic Bagan vs Classic Siem Reap”, talking about the differences between Bagan and Angkor Wat.

Explore Myanmar on a 12 day trip with us. Check it out!

Phare – The Cambodian Circus

In Siem Reap a new up and coming must see attraction is the modern and unique Cambodian Circus. The beginnings of the circus started 20 years ago after the Khmer Rouge regime when a group of young men found healing through the art of dance and performing. View the official Phare Cambodian Circus site.

The show depicts stories from everyday life and beliefs in Cambodia through inspiring dance, contortion and balancing acrobatic acts. There is many other attractions nearby, we can arrange your tour travel. Inquire here. 

Phare Ponleu Selpak is now branching out into schools to educate the poor in the area and giving them skills to earn a wage and come out of poverty. Help their project.

Connect With Smiling Albino!

Facebook and Twitter: “Like” and “follow” us on Facebook and Twitter and you will get tuned-in to the latest breaking news and hot tips on travel and adventure in Asia.

Planet Asia Travel Channel: Subscribe to the Planet Asia Travel Channel and receive expert advice and insider tips on travel in Asia from the team at Smiling Albino and our network of in-the-know locals, expatriates, and travel enthusiasts.

NEW on Google+ and Pinterest: Now even easier to connect and stay up to date with us!

Contact: Get a hold of us any time.

The post Albino Smiles – March 2014 Edition first appeared on Smiling Albino.