There are four tips, easily applied to any situation or country, which will go a long way to guaranteeing a fun and memorable trip:

Observe

Do a bit of research about the country you’re visiting. When booking direct with an operator they will be well versed and able to supply you with any information regarding customs and expectations for the destination. On a solo trip? Check with local tourism offices and once you’re on the ground take some time to look around. If you learn that shorts are frowned upon, wear long pants or skirts. You’ll be more comfortable if you don’t stand out unnecessarily.

Make children a part of the pre-trip learning process. Their excitement for the upcoming vacation will increase the more they get to know where they are heading. Customs, such as removing shoes prior to entering a Buddhist pagoda or greeting a shopkeeper in France with a, “Bonjour Monsieur (or Madame),” are important to know and will help children acclimatize quickly on the trip.

Listen

When travelling, listening is a valuable skill. Encourage children to notice how people speak to one another. Tone transcends language barriers and in certain countries, people express themselves in less boisterous ways than in others. This doesn’t mean shushing ourselves (or kids), but occasionally adjusting our volume. There’s a reason visitors to cathedrals speak in hushed tones; it shows respect for fellow travellers and those who are there for spiritual reasons. The same when dining out; know when to sing out loud — in a beer garden in Germany — and when to speak quietly — in an intimate restaurant where tables are closely set.

[Tweet “When travelling, listening is a valuable skill.”]

Keep An Open Mind

Children are generally non-judgemental and open to new experiences, so there’s not much to teach them in that regard. It might be worth reminding them that people live with different circumstances and that we can all learn from one another. In some countries, children finish their schooling young. In others, boys and girls have different societal roles. Left to their own devices children will find a way to communicate with each other and some of the best travel experience they will have is unstructured, unplanned play time with other children.

Be Flexible

Greet new experiences with enthusiasm and your children will too. There will be times during a trip when plans derail — it happens — and nothing will take the joy out of a vacation quicker than not being able to adjust and move on. Children generally feel at ease with certain structure and knowledge for what is to come, but that isn’t always possible. When they see their parents calmly adapting to unforeseen situations, it will ease any trepidation they might feel. Flexibility in travel equals enjoyment in travel.

[Tweet “Greet new experiences with enthusiasm and your children will too.”]

It is a privilege to discover the world as a family. The planet is huge and there are so many nooks and corners and people to discover. Family travel is like mom and dad going to school with their children, but without textbooks to lug around and dates to memorize. The value of learning about the world and its diverse cultures cannot be measured and can only happen if we model respect in our own behaviour. Adults know not to run around airplanes, shouting and disturbing other passengers, and children can do the same. It’s simple, really. There’s a traveller’s code of conduct and it is spelled R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

Teaching children to appreciate customs and different cultures has multiple benefits: it opens young minds to the beauty in differences and allows the people whose countries we visit to feel valued and understood. Any success in parenting young travellers will be measured in how well children can adapt and fully live every experience.

Written by: Katja Wulfers

Katja Wulfers is a freelance travel writer who’s visited four continents so far and has been carting her children around the world with her their entire lives. She’s taught her kids how to pack lightly, order a meal using elaborate miming techniques, and sit on a plane for 15-hours. Now they’re flying off on their own and she couldn’t be prouder.

Katja also writes about culinary travel, food, and family and her work has been featured onYummy Mummy Club, Life In Pleasantville, and Canadian Living as well as other publications.

The post How to teach children to observe and respect the cultures you’re visiting. first appeared on Smiling Albino.

Time management. Efficiency. Productivity.

You might not realize it, but your holiday has begun the minute you contact Smiling Albino.

Sure, some people like to “do it themselves” and piece together a trip based on information gleaned from old Internet blog postings or out-of-date travel guide books, but the most successful people I know of are relentless in the pursuit of greater efficiency in their lives. Many of them have made careers out of making sure that their lives and organizations are run effectively and those people know when to leave a job to an expert.

We take your time very seriously, whether that is during the planning stages of your trip or once you hit the ground running in the country that you land in.

When someone plans their own trip they end up ticking off boxes on a list of things to do rather than entering a world of authentic experiences.

Smiling Albino has spent years reading local newspapers, asking local friends and wandering the streets in search of the best ways to really have an intimate cultural experience in whatever city you may find yourself in.

We take your ideas, dreams, and desires to customize a personalized experience that we are sure you will remember for a lifetime.

Start your next holiday right this minute – contact us now at info@smilingalbino.com.

Daniel Fraser,
Smiling Albino Adventurer-in-Chief

[Tweet “We take your ideas, dreams, and desires to customize a personalized experience to remember!”]

Adventure Highlights:

From our Blog: Benefits of Travel with Kids (Plus Tips for Making it Easier) Read more. . .

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

[Tweet “Here are two of travel’s major benefits and a couple of tips for making travel with kids easier on you. Read More. . .”]

What’s Going On:

Planes, trains, and Pagodas

Dan’s currently in Myanmar finalizing the finishing touches for our newest tour edition “Asia’s Golden Land”. First adventure will happen this November! See full itinerary here.

Contact Smiling Albino for inquiries and questions!

PURE Life Experiences 2014

We will be back at PURE LIfe Experiences 2014, November 10-13 in Marrekech. We look forward to seeing you there at the global marketplace of high-end experiential travel!

Coming Soon!

We are in the process of a rebrand to the Smiling Albino identity. To be released in July! Expect the same caring, detailed attention from Smiling Albino with a new and improved company website!

Good for a laugh!

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 Don’t waste your valuable time! – Albino Smiles, July 2014 first appeared on Smiling Albino.