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Original poster

Am I Mad? to be considering a 9 hour flight to dominican with 20 month DD

16 replies

jbells · 24/01/2011 10:26

have found a couple of really good deals but will it be worth it with a toddler this age?

anyone been to dominican hotel with kids this age?

thanks in advance :)

OP posts:
Original poster
jbells · 24/01/2011 13:14

anyone?

OP posts:
mrsheathcliffe · 24/01/2011 13:15

If your dc is under 2, doesn't that mean that you don't pay for a seat and they sit on your lap? If this is the case, then yes, you're mad as a box of frogs Smile

stoppingat3 · 24/01/2011 13:21

We have just come back from a long haul flight with DCs (11 8 and 3) It was fine.

There were plenty on the plane that were younger - just go prepared, lots of games etc etc, I have a friend who books two seats together and a seperate one so that her and her OH can have some quiet time.

But you know your child best do you think they will cope?

As to the DR we have had a two holidays there - a couple one years and years ago that was nice and one at the club med resort which was bloody brilliant.

Would recommend trip advisor as this was spot on for the resort we went to.

have fun

Original poster
jbells · 24/01/2011 13:28

thanks, i am worried about the not getting a seat for DD she is big 21 month old, im hoping there will be spare seats on the flight and she can have her own

im thinking of going to melia caribe tropical, there is mixed reviews from people loving it to hating it, but i think it looks beautiful, im also 24 weeks pregnant so really wanting a nice hol b4 the new one arrives :)

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mrsheathcliffe · 24/01/2011 14:35

I'd say if you're 24 weeks pregnant already, you're going to have to pay for a seat for your toddler, as you just won't be able to hold her on your lap with a bump for 9 hours.

Original poster
jbells · 24/01/2011 14:47

its a good excuse for DP to have to hold her haha, no she wud need her own seat

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redrollers · 24/01/2011 21:03

i wouldn't rely on there being a spare seat.
we took DS to Caribbean when he was similar age, and he slept just as we were coming into land!! That was it! And he was too big for the carseat thing. It was fine really,we did it wrong, trying to get him to go to sleep, should have chilled a bit!

Original poster
jbells · 24/01/2011 21:16

did he have his own seat? was he ok or did he get really really bored, did u find the hol worth the flight

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Sidge · 24/01/2011 21:26

Did you know that Dominican Republic has a malarial risk?

If you're pregnant you wouldn't be able to have antimalarials.

redrollers · 24/01/2011 21:34

he was fine, and he is very active. we took loads of little stuff to play with, and a dvd player(!!)he stayed in his seat, well my seat the whole time. actually we were in business class, it was a celebration holiday!
yes the holiday was worth it!

Original poster
jbells · 24/01/2011 21:46

thnaks red

sidge- no i didnt know that hmmm mybe thats out the question then

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Sidge · 24/01/2011 21:50

Most Caribbean islands are malaria-free, but DR is one of the only ones that isn't.

In reply to your OP, the flight wouldn't put me off at all - certainly if you time it right eg late evening flights, a toddler will sleep a lot of the way there!

Original poster
jbells · 24/01/2011 21:51

the flight there is day and the one back is nite, all the other carribean islands r more expensive and further away :(

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Sidge · 24/01/2011 21:56

Have you looked at Cuba? We're off there in May, same sort of flight time (9.5 hrs I think it is) and similar prices to DR. But no malaria!

weegiemum · 24/01/2011 21:57

We were in the DR in the summer just past, and not resort based, but independently travelling.

Noone mentioned malaria to us and we hardly got bitten at all. DH is a doctor and usually right up there on vax/meds so not sure if it was the time of year or what but it never crossed our minds to take antimalarials (though we have in Venezuela, Guatemala, Honduras).

Its a great place, I'd highly recommend it and get out of the resort and see the real country, its amazing!

Also have done long haul with kids of this age, to Canada and Central America. I would do it again if I had to - its just one day of travelling, the return flight is overnight and the rewards are more than worth it.

DR is really worth it with older kids too, our surfed and snorkelled and learned Spanish and we (dh and I) learned to Scuba as it was our 40th birthdays last year.

Original poster
jbells · 24/01/2011 22:05

thanks for all your comments, i will continue to look at both cuba and DR and ask my gp whether i need the anti-malarials :)

i wud really like to treat me and my DP i went thru a horrific birth with DD and mistakes were made as a result i now have a lil bit of cash that i wud like to treat us to a holiday b4 the next birth (which hopefully will be a breeze ha) budget is 1400 so need to find a gud deal

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