Hey Everyone ! Its time for a new travel diary post and this time , we took a trip to the richest country in the world DOHA,Qatar! So, if you are a frequent traveler of Qatar airways, you ‘ll know that to get to most of the nearby countries you ‘ll be making a stop in Doha. We decided to book a weekend trip to Doha this time, with our 2 year old. I created my itinerary for 3 days , keeping my two year old Azlan in mind. The other important thing to remember is the time difference specially, if you are traveling from North America.
Some of the must things to do are as follow and most of these were on my itinerary.
Museum Of Islamic Art
Souq Waqif
Villagio Mall
Dhow Boat Trip
The Pearl Monument
Katara Beach /Cultural Center
Grand Mosque Of Doha
Walk on Corniche
Khor Al Udeid Beach
I am pleased to announce with a 12 hour difference in time and a toddler we were able to visit most of the these places. We visited the malls and restaurants and with a toddler I wasn’t always able to take photos of everything and we were waking up pretty late lol. So here is an overview of how it all started ….We arrived in Doha around evening and about the time we checked into our room it was quite late around 11:00 PM. We stayed at the amazing Marriott Marquis Doha City Center. I will be doing a separate post regarding our stay at the hotel.
The next morning we got up and went for breakfast at the executive lounge of Marriott Doha. It had spectacular views to offer along with an interesting choice of breakfast. You ‘ll see the photographs below.
To request this baby bed you have to call your airline ahead of time.
AT THE AIRPORT
Marriott Marquis Doha City Center
Before heading to Souq Waqif we took a cab to the Museum of Islamic Art which is open until 7 pm every evening and has no entry free. Its a great place to take a walk and enjoy with your kids but especially to enjoy a beautiful sunset.
Afterwards we took a cab to the lively street life at Souq Waqif, Its a great place to walk to shop, eat and buy souvenirs. They have plenty of restaurants that you can choose from to enjoy a great dinner.We stopped at The Village to enjoy our dinner.
Katara Beach/ Cultural Center is a must go if you are traveling with kids. We took a cab here from our hotel and we almost spent more then half a day here because Azlan didn’t want to leave. Its a kid friendly beach and offers instagram worthy views of the Doha Skyline.
Watch The Video Tour
I hope you guys enjoyed reading this blog and enjoyed the Photographs ! Feel free to comment your questions below.
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Hey guys, I am so excited to finally be able to share this with you guys. So, you guys probably have a good idea that we travel a lot and I mean A LOT! I am pretty blessed to have a child that stays so calm and does absolutely amazing in airplanes, I guess he gets it from his parents or mostly prayers lol . Azlan is about to be 2 years old in November InshAllah and he has traveled quite a bit already ! The first time we traveled with him was from Dallas to Michigan and he was only 2 months old at the time.He has traveled Internationally and Nationally now, i will try to cover everything I have used and loved until now so let me begin.
Nuna MIXX Stroller 499$
So before deciding to purchase a stroller , I did a lot of research and it was so hectic. I ended up going for this because first of all its originally a European brand from Amsterdam but they are global and ship all over the world.When I went to Europe few months ago I saw the most stylish strollers and I was just like uh wow! Its not just the design but the quality of the products is amazing and they will definitely last you longer. I purchased it when Azlan was 3 months old and I ‘ve been using it since and haven’t had a problem once. Took it with me to Europe , traveled to 3-4 different countries with absolutely no worries. Its really hard to talk about but I will just share another instance of how strong this stroller is. Back home in the US, I went to the mall and was crossing the road that clearly had a pedestrian sign on the side and two STOP signs on both side of the road. There was a car on the other stop sign which I thought would obviously stop and let us pass but unfortunately that didn’t happen and I am not sure if he struck us on purpose or a mistake but he didn’t stop until he struck us and it felt like he actually sped up in the end and made sure that we were hit. The whole incident was just terrible and the only thing is that I am so thankful to God that both of us were scratch free and absolutely okay physically lol I am emotionally still definitely scared and shocked. By Law, nothing much could be done because according to the cops no one died lol.. So unless you die or are hurt no one can get a ticket or go to jail for almost running you over but all I could do was file a claim for my stroller which is ridiculous.
My point being that as bad as this incident was , I think a lot of credit goes to a good stroller too because the stroller survived the impact with a dent on it and kept my baby safe. Alhamdulilah. This is when I realized that I made a good decision making this purchase even though it was a bit on the pricy side. Back to the stroller , I am just gonna share some main points that I love about this stroller below:
Comes in different colors I went with Black because black is always classy!
Tires Come Off If you ever need it to make it fit because the tires are quite big and take up space.
Big tires mean they hold up pretty well in snow, rain, sunshine where-ever I have used it in all these weather with no problem at all.
Seat bends all the way so your kid can easily sleep.
With a slight push off buttons seat can be turned outwards on inwards in case if you want to keep an eye on your little one.
Storage place at the bottom is quite spacey.
Comfortable for kids , Azlan loves his stroller and is always ready to be in it.
Purchased it at Dillard’s because they didn’t have the black color available on their website.
Comes with a rain cover.
SKIP*HOP® Chelsea Diaper Bag $99.99 BuyBuy Baby
I am just gonna say it that basically everything that I was buying was a hard decision to make LOL. Just because you have so many choices and you don’t have time to waste money and you just want to buy something that you love and that ‘ll last. This diaper bag has done just that for me I love it , I always get compliments on it and Its definitely lasting seeing that all the chaos it has been through. Lots of pockets to keep you organized and it looks great. Its not only great for putting baby stuff but its got plenty of pockets to keep your essentials and stuff in place as well. I went through two different diaper bags before I invested in this and both of them had starting tearing up and they weren’t even this spacious. Having a spacious, good looking and lasting diaper bag is definitely a necessity and this was it for me.
Munchkin Arm and Hammer Diaper Bag Dispenser 4$
So before I found this “GEM” I used to keep grocery bags with me in a case of emergency where I am not allowed to throw diapers. Of course that is still a bit of weird thing to do to pull out Walmart or Target grocery bags out of my diaper bag lol. So when i found this I was like why didn’t I know that this existed! Seriously, if you are a mom to a newborn or a toddler you better buy this if you travel a lot or even if you go out a lot with your baby , this will really come in handy trust me. Its really easy to use and it smells amazing. I just have it inserted like a keychain onto my diaper bag and its very lightweight you wouldn’t even know its there! Once you run out of it , they sell refills separately which are a lot of them for only about 7$. I love it and it comes in handy every-time and nobody will ever know that there is a diaper in the trash. 🙂 This is available at Target, Walmart etc but I bought it at BuyBuy Baby !
Mommy’s Bliss Gripe Water $9-$10
Usually available at Walmart, Target,Whole Foods. I’ve found it to be the cheapest at Walmart by a $1 not a big difference. I’ve used another brand too but this is my favorite and it works great for Azlan.I’ve been using it since Azlan was an infant still use this even at 22 months , sometimes he eats something such as chickpeas they are known to be gassy and by taking this he stays asleep and doesn’t wake up with tummy aches or gassy tummy.This is a natural product so nothing harmful for your baby. A definitely must have for new moms because if not everyday , there are definitely some days your baby might have a colic or just normal gas problem and this comes really handy.
Babo Botanicals Soothing Diaper Cream $6.65
This is the best rash cream out there. I have tried a couple of different ones but after i tried this never had to buy another one. This seriously works in hours and is formulated with natural ingredients. This is definitely a must have , I bought it at Central Market , I believe its available at Whole Foods as well but if none of those , its available on amazon too. I hope you give this a try , you will not be disappointed I am sure.
Little Martin’s Drawer Baby Nail Trimmer File with Light $29.95 on Amazon
So when Azlan was born, I was really scared of trimming his nails.I was scared that he is gonna move and we are going to be in trouble. This actually really helped me during the early months , I would say until about 4-5 months after that I stopped using and was confident enough to do it without. It actually works pretty good but still if you are not careful it can hurt his skin that comes after when the nail is trimmed.It happened to me once , but if you are new mother and scared like i was definitely give this a try it ‘ll ease your stress. :p
BABYBJORN Baby Carrier Original – Black, Cotton $45.89
This was also one of the purchases I am really proud of . It helped a lot in cold winter Michigan days to keep Azlan warm and right next to me when he was a baby. I used it in Europe as well even when Azlan was around 15 months . The weight limit is 25 lbs so it was working fine for us but not anymore since Azlan is past the weight limit. So with the amount of traveling we do , I think I need to purchase something new because it really helps a lot and makes carrying your baby easier. It washed easily and by itself didn’t weight a lot which made it easier for traveling and very easy to put on and take off .
Car Back Seat Organizer with Tablet Holder by Spinscher $40.47
I purchased this from Amazon a while back before we headed out for Europe. We actually took it with us to Europe as well and it really helped out with the long car trips around. Plenty of space for your kids to keep there stuff and it easily folds and fits anywhere in your luggage and will definitely keep your kid entertained ( with an Ipad inside lol ) for long trips. It even got really dirty at one point because Azlan spilled his milk in the pocket and I washed it in the washer and it has been absolutely fine with no problem to the quality. So, I believe those $40 were totally worth it. It installs in seconds easily around the front seat. Its currently out of stock though. :[
Good luck to all the mamas out there , I hope you guys enjoyed this post and it helped you make some decisions. Post your comments and feedback below if you have any ! 🙂 I will do another post all about how to prepare for traveling with your child soon !
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Hey everyone, I hope you guys are having a great week. Summer is almost coming to and end and the Texas heat doesn’t seem to stop so how do you plan to stay cool and have fun with the kids. Well if you stay in the DFW area or if you are visiting from a different state , don’t forget to head on over to Fort Worth Zoo. Fort Worth Zoo is a must visit if you are in the area not only because it was ranked in the top 5 Zoo is North America by USA today but because it has everything that you need to have fun. I ‘ll definitely do a whole blog post on the zoo but this one is dedicated to my experience at the Safari Splash.
So what is Safari Splash? Well, Safari Splash is water fun for kids under the age of 12 and yes including toddlers and babies. Safari Splash is zero-depth water so you never have to worry about your kids drowning or anything unfortunate like that. They have slides , water fall , water canons and separate toddler area. Chaise lounge chairs and other chairs are available but if it gets crowded you might not get a seat. Go early as possible so you can enjoy in peace but it does start to get crowded fast.
Price:
The price to enter is 5$ each Adults+Kids , Toddlers under 2 are free. You can’t purchase the Safari Splash tickets at the zoo entrance it has to be at the entrance of Safari Splash.
Safety:
No life guard is on duty because of zero depth. First aid is available , they do have workers keeping an eye on the area who make sure kids are sliding one by one and stuff like that but they do ask that you always keep your kids under supervision.
Hours:
Opens July 2nd till October 28th (2018) 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
Dress Code:
Family appropriate dress code is required. Toddlers who aren’t potty trained should wear a swim diaper. Azlan isn’t potty trained yet so I had his swim diaper with me , you can also purchase it at the merchandise store on location.
Cabana Rental:
Since we went with family , we thought it would be nice to have a bit of privacy so we rented a small Cabana. They have three small cabanas and one big one. Small one is priced at 40$ and it accommodates 10 people. ( 15$ for each extra hour ) Small cabana comes with three chaise lounge chairs and 4 chairs with a table.
We went with our family which included 5 adults , three kids under the age of 12 and my toddler Azlan under the age of 2. Azlan didn’t enjoy much because he didn’t like water being dumped on him, instead he kept trying to go and sit inside the slides where water was being held. So yeah of course you are not allowed to go in there because kids coming off the slides can hurt you. Staff was pretty friendly, I asked ’em if i could take Azlan on the slides since he is a toddler , they said its up to me a lot of parents do walk their kids up to the top. We tried that…Azlan went through with it but he was scared at the end and cried for a few seconds.lol The cabana was a really nice addition for us because we got to sit together as a family and enjoy snacks because its hard to find seats together on the “free” chairs. I did have some expectations of it being a lot more fun but I don’t think it met that expectation but i think its great for a little while even babies young as 6 months were enjoying. But I don’t think you would want to spend more then an hour or two here. But we did have a wonderful time and we would definitely go back next year. Don’t forget the photographs and video tour below.
” The face you make when you find out your momma ate all your chips lol “
Video Tour
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Hello everyone and welcome back. In this post I ‘ll be sharing my experience of our stay at the Camping Jungfrau Holiday Park in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland.
So before I go into details I would just like to stay that when you are in Switzerland , you want to be as close as possible to the nature , open air which is why I would recommend not to go looking for high end hotels. When I found this gem , I thought to myself this is going to be the best trip ever. I have always wanted to camp in a place that offered breath taking views when you wake up and trust me this is it and it ‘ll be worth every penny of yours. Another thing I had to keep in mind was my 17 month old , I obviously couldn’t go in the middle of no where with him and Camping Jungfrau is absolutely child friendly. If that isn’t enough for you then let me just say that Camping Jungfrau received a 9.4/10 on booking.com 2017 Guest Review Award , 4.5/5 on tripadvisor.com 4.6/5 on google reviews , I mean basically everywhere you ‘ll look you ‘ll find nothing but excellent reviews and once you are there you ‘ll see why.
Arriving
We arrive at Genève Aéroport early morning around 7:00 from Belgium. We got our car and left right away for Lauterbrunnen , drive of about 2 hours 20 minutes. There are plenty of fast food and healthy food options along the route but they ‘ll end about around 30 minutes before you are in Lauterbrunnen. You know you have reached Camping Jungfrau Holiday Park when you see the Staubbach Falls. We parked in front of the reception located right next to the restaurant Weidstübli Lauterbrunnenon on site. We arrived around 1:30 pm the reception was on lunch break so we had to wait outside. Luckily somebody came, asked us our information and showed us to our bungalow and kindly asked us to check in once the reception opened around 2:30. That was really nice of them because traveling with a child can be super tiring and that gave us some time to settle in and get some rest. When we went to check in the super friendly staff checked us in as well as helped us decide what to do and see the three days we were going to be there.
Bungalow Details
We got a fully equipped bungalow which included one bedroom with a queen sized bed ( i am guessing ) , the other room had a bunk bed , bathroom with shower area and a full loaded kitchen which included utensils , pots , coffee maker, toaster and a fridge. I think the kitchen was such a great addition for us I was able to warm Azlan’s milk ( my 17th month old ) , make breakfast and tea whenever we needed to relax.
Nearby
Inside the reception there is also a grocery store which has everything that you might need for your stay from fresh milk , eggs to other needs as well as souvenirs. Right next to it there is wonderful restaurant as i mentioned before called Weidstübli Lauterbrunnen. They have a pretty diverse menu to choose from so, I am pretty sure you can find something for even the picky eaters. There is a playground right on property near where the RV’s are parked for kids , which is a great thing if you are traveling with little ones like we did. I think its important to find time to just walk around the area , there is a lot to see as you keep walking obviously the Staubbach Falls is the first thing you’ll see but if you walk towards the left side you ‘ll small family farms along the way take deep breaths and just enjoy nature like its meant to be enjoyed.There is a train station nearby about 10-15 min walk that can take you to nearby towns.
I hope this article helped you guys , if you have any further question while you are planning feel free to ask. Enjoy the photographs and the video tour below.
Photographs have been reduced in size for faster loading.
Mommy’s Bliss Gripe Water $9-$10
