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Original poster

Egypt with a 20 month old, am i mad?????

27 replies

merrylissiemas · 02/12/2006 21:01

dh wants to go away in jan and we like the idea of egypt, but a bit worried about travelling with 20 month old ds, anyone with any advice please (winning smile)

OP posts:
henrybaba · 02/12/2006 21:43

This reply has been deleted

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Skribble · 02/12/2006 21:45

Big resort hotel yes, small hotel on a back street maybe not.

moondog · 02/12/2006 21:47

It's no problem at all.
I've done swanky hotels and backpacker type places with very small children.
Latter arguably more fun.

Just don't pack too much crap.

Chandra · 02/12/2006 21:47

I don't know about Egypt but every time we go away I can not help but being nostalgic about how easy travelling was when DS was so young (he was easy to care for, slept at night and during the day, and was not yet so fast as to be running after him to catch him before he got into trouble! enjoy!

eggnog · 02/12/2006 22:35

no, sorry i think it is far too dodgy. i stayed at a 5 star in luxor and we all got terrible tummies. is just not worth it with a small child. stick to the developed world. really. plenty of time to get more adventurous when LO has a stronger immune system.

moondog · 03/12/2006 09:16

Hmmm,the reason yopu were ill is probably because you were partaking of mass produced hotel buffets which were breeding bacteria under hot lights Eggnog.Quite literally a recipe for disaster.

Merry,I went to live in a very remote part of Turkey (near Iranian,Syrian and Iraqi borders) when ds was 3 mths.

He was weaned on yoghurt and flat bread in roadside shacks and is a strapping 21/2 year old now.

McDreamy · 03/12/2006 09:19

We live in Cyprus, my children are 3 and 1. Egypt is somewhere you can do for the weekend from here and I have to say we will not be going while the children are so young based on the reports we have had from people here. If we go it will be just me and my husband.

Tortington · 03/12/2006 09:24

completely

moondog · 03/12/2006 09:26

?????
I'd have killed myself if I thought having kids meant staying within the parameters of my own home town.

Chandra · 03/12/2006 10:41

Truth is you can have tummy problems, or not, in every single place of the world.

I think that the question is not whether a place is good for children but whether the plans you have for that place are suitable for them. Having said that, everything can be suitable but it's fully dependant on your own expectations.

Chandra · 03/12/2006 10:48

Moondog, I have a friend who was told by her paediatrician (FGS!) not to fly until her children where older as it was very dangerous to be in such confined spaces. She has not taken a plane in almost 4 years!

Having said that, said paediatrician also advised her not to breastfeed beyond 3 months to prevent her body to deteriorate for it! . Although I'm normally very careful not to offer advice that was not asked for (at least in RL) I couldn't help it but "Your doctor is an idiot!" came just straight out of my mouth!

eggnog · 03/12/2006 11:48

It is ridiculous to say that 'you can get a bad tummy whereever you go' yes you can, but your local stomach flu is A LOT DIFFERENT from a tropical pharoahs revenge. I think it is utterly negligent to take small children to developing countries when it is not completely necessary. My brother died, aged 4 of a viral illness in a developing country. WAIT until your child is older and stronger. Statistically you are much more likely to suffer a nasty illness and recieve poor medical care in these places. and yes i have travelled extensively myself (i went round the world through india, nepal, malaysia etc etc etc a few years back, so i know what it is like, and i will not be taking my ds travelling or go myself until he is much older!!!!!!!!) there are plently of interesting places to go to without unnecessarily exposing your child. i repeat IT IS NOT WORTH THE RISK. and sod off with your snotty comments about international hotel buffets. i have only ever been ill in developing countries, india, morroco and egypt. i ahve travelled through egypt extensively and repeatedly. i love the place. but it is not for small children. it will still be there in a few years when they can really appreciate it AND fight off and bugs they might pick up.

eggnog · 03/12/2006 11:50

god, you've really hit a raw nerve here!

Chandra · 03/12/2006 13:14

Go and sod off yourself, I'm happy to agree to disagree but there's nothing in this thread to justify that kind of reaction.

There was a case of a Canadian girl who died after being kissed by a kid who had a peanut butter sandwich a few hours before. I have a child with nut allergy and asthma, does that means that I should teach him not to kiss any Canadians in case he ends up having an anaphylactic shock? Of course not! he doesn't need to avoid Candians he only needs to follow the recomendations to be safe, which incidentally are always available if you look for them and apply to most countries.

FWIW generalisations are always bad, if we were going to be ruled by them we could not even go to eat sushi at London without worrying of radioactive food poisoning... now thinking of that... I got salmonela from a very nice and trendy sushi restaurant!

And yes, we have travelled extensively through developing countries and nothing has ever happened to us during the trips, why? because we are careful and take official advise very seriously to avoid putting ourselves at risk. Obvioulsy, there is an inherent element of risk but... there are risks everywhere, even at crossing the street just outside my house.

Chandra · 03/12/2006 13:15

BTW. My local flu is called the Moctezuma Revenge

and, please excuse my French

moondog · 03/12/2006 15:18

You're talking bollocks Eggnog.
Oh,and I have had a sibling die in a developing country too.
It's called bad luck.

moondog · 03/12/2006 15:26

Egyptians don't have small chiodren of course.
Place is too damned dangerous for them you see.

belgo · 03/12/2006 15:29

merrylissiemas - it depends on how used to travelling you are, and what you want to get out of a holiday. You can get tummy bugs and ilnesses where ever you go - it's how you deal with them that's important. If you're a seasoned traveller, used to travelling in less developed countries, and know what to expect, then go for it. If you're used to little effort package holidays, then I don't think Egypt is the most obvious place to take a small child.

belgo · 03/12/2006 15:36

and of course it's important to know how to avoid those tummy bugs in the first place! And to know what other safety precautions to take - some GP practises have travel clinics which give good advice. Or buy a Lonely Planet guide.

eggnog · 03/12/2006 16:44

Egypt has a very high infant mortality rate. Few GPs would recommend you travel with tiny children there. You make your own luck, statistically speaking you are far more likely to get sick with a nasty bug in a developing ocuntry than you are elsewhere, bad luck? No. Obviously you can lessen your risks (obviously avoiding buffets in luxury hotels should be top of your list), but for me they are still too high. young children are vulnerable and we have the choice where we take them. Most mothers i know who have experienced having a sick child in a developing nation would never, ever take the risk again. why bother??? the question is should this lady take her child to egypt. my opinion is no. there are plenty of other places to go that dont pose the same risk.

eggnog · 03/12/2006 16:50

uk infant mortality rate is 5.45 per 1000 live births. egypt is 44/1000- although in reality is probably higher as many deaths go unreported. yes, as you say egyptians do have children, but lots die i would hazard from water borne disease..... you take your chances.

moondog · 03/12/2006 16:54

Expecting a common or garden GP to give you useful advice on travelling abroad with small children would be aking to asking me to design a new heating system for yuor house.

McDreamy · 03/12/2006 16:56

I sensing the vibe that you do not have alot of respect for the medical proffession Moondog!!

moondog · 03/12/2006 16:57

I do but there are limits to what a generic doctor can offer in terms of services and knowledge and people need to understand this.

Just witness the guff they talk about breastfeeding!

McDreamy · 03/12/2006 16:59

Harsh

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