Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In general, public toilets are poorly maintained. Always carry toilet paper. While a wo-
man may take a young boy into the ladies' room, it would be socially unacceptable for a
man to take a girl into the men's room.
Health & Safety
The main issue is diet. Drink only filtered/bottled water for starters. It's also best to avoid
raw vegetables unless you are assured they have been properly prepared. When traveling
with young children, be particularly careful about their diet, because diarrhea can be espe-
cially dangerous to them and because the vaccines for the prevention of hepatitis A and
typhoid fever are not approved for children under two.
Sun exposure can be dangerous, particularly at high altitudes, so make sure kids are ad-
equately covered up and using sunscreen. Altitude can also be an issue, so make sure the
family acclimates slowly. It's safer not to take children under three to high altitudes.
Children under nine months should not be brought to lower-altitude jungle areas be-
cause yellow-fever vaccine is not safe for this age group.
The two main malaria medications, Lariam and Malarone, may be given to children,
but insect repellents must be applied in lower concentrations.
Since street dogs are common, it's good to be up to date with rabies vaccinations. Most
dogs are mild-mannered, but avoid those that seem aggressive.
For more information, see the Health chapter (
Click here
)
.
Dining
While restaurants don't offer special kids' meals, most offer a variety of dishes suitable
for children or may accommodate a special request. You can always order it
sin picante
(without spice). It is perfectly acceptable to split a dish between two children or an adult
and a child. Don't wait to eat until everyone is too hungry - service can be quite slow.
High chairs are available in some larger restaurants.
Adventure
Routine travel, such as train rides or jungle canoe trips, can amount to adventure for kids.
In rural areas, community tourism can be a great option. Many of the activities aimed at
adults can be scaled down for children. Activities such as guided horseback rides and
canyoning usually have age limits (usually eight and up), but are invariably OK for teen-
agers. Some rivers may be suitable for children to float or raft; make sure outfitters have
life vests and wet suits in appropriate sizes.
