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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Original poster

Tanzania with small kids? Would you....?

8 replies

Backinthebox · 06/03/2012 09:15

I work for an airline, and have the opportunity to take my family on a trip to Tanzania over the Easter holidays. DD is 4 and DS is 19 months. They'd travel in Club and stay in the staff hotel, which is western standard with air conditioning and a lovely pool area very suitable for small kids. We could go to the beach too. The weather would be warm, but it is the mossies - and malaria - I am worried about. I've been working out there roughly 8 times a year for the last 9 years and haven't got malaria, and I don't take the tablets but I do coat myself in DEET.

I've been waiting for a trip somewhere less tricky, like the Bahamas or New York, to take them on, but whenever I get one of those my husband seems to have a Very Important Thing at work, and my DD goes to school now and they get booked right up in the school holidays. Africa is not so popular for families, it would seem!

Has anyone taken kids to malarial Africa, if so, how did you do it, and would you take them again?

OP posts:

AnnawakeFourkiller · 06/03/2012 09:24

For a stay in a western style hotel & a nice pool I probably wouldn't bother. For visits to friends, a taste of the country I possibly would (even though risk would be greater), but maybe wait till they're a little older

PestoSansVesto · 06/03/2012 09:29

I haven't, but my friend did a couple of summers ago.

The difference was her dcs were 9 and 11 and she is a pharmacist so was able to sort out the most suitable malarial meds for her family relatively easily (although was still extortionately expensive - think £100's )

They had a great time, did safaris and then a little time on the beach. But, I don't think she would have done it had her DC's been a lot younger as it was definitely a PITA having to take the anti-malarials.

PestoSansVesto · 06/03/2012 09:30

Also Yellow Fever jabs were required and I think Hep too. You need to check this out properly I think.

Good luck

MuslinSuit · 06/03/2012 09:31

You are very naughty not taking antimalarials! Make an appt with your local travel specialist HCP - all areas have them - for the options for your DC. All antimalarials are horrible and have varying side effects - I think for a relatively short stay your best option would be the antibiotics you can get, can't remember the name. They made me very physically sick but I took them for months when I was there - they'd be fine for a holiday. Most others have psychoactive ingredients which I wouldn't give my DCs! Possibly Malarone would be an option, it's pricey but was the best option when I went. Anyway you need to speak to a specialist HCP about your options. I'd go, personally, if I was satisfied that the children were adequately protected from malaria. They might need some jabs too, like yellow fever - again wouldn't bother me, but if you're a conspiracy theorist anti-vacc then could be an issue for you. Chance of a lifetime, you'd so regret it if you didn't go!

Original poster

Backinthebox · 06/03/2012 09:39

I don't take antimalarials because we would have to take them all the time - work there each month except for the months I have leave, and have done for 9 years. Long term anti-malarial use is not recommended by our in-house tropical medicine experts (and we have a dedicated tropical medical clinic at work.)

It's not the chance of a lifetime, theoretically I ought to be able to take my kids to all kinds of lovely places, but it's always been difficult to get DH to cooperate (he will have to accompany the kids on the flight as I will be busy ) and now DD is getting older she really wants to come to work with me (I show her the view from my windows on Skype) but getting seats on the flights in school holidays is difficult.

I don't know whether to keep waiting for a better trip DH can come on, because pigs might fly before that happens! (I had 2 trips to the Bahamas last months - unheard of! But he was busy. )

OP posts:

MuslinSuit · 06/03/2012 19:24

Well it sounds like your only issue with it is the antimalarials, so speak to the specialists and find out what would be best.

I'd go - a holiday's a holiday, especially for kids

timbuktutu · 14/03/2012 21:56

I took my dd to the Gambia when she was two. She had all the necessary vacc.s and took paediatric malarone. Malarone needs to be started a few days before you leave and for a week when you return (daily). My dd took it no problem at all, I put it inside a piece of banana, I think. If you do this and sleep in an air-conditioned room and also use 50% DEET once the sun goes down, your chances of getting malaria are very minimal. You could also bring some impregnated mosquito nets to sleep under if you want too. If you're going to go at Easter you need to get to a travel clinic pronto, though. GPs in my experience are useless at advising on this kind of trip - ask your GP to refer you to a NHS travel clinic. Hope you enjoy yourselves!

CaurnieBred · 27/03/2012 15:34

My friend was in the High Commission there with her baby and he seemd to be fine and wasn't on anti-malarial drugs. When we went to visit I was TTC so it was recommended not to take the anti-malarial drugs. I just made sure I was covered from head to toe in repellant and we took and burned the coils in the rooms and if we were out and about.

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