Travel Tips With...Abbie Ting

As a former luxury travel PR Abbie (Bikinis and Bibs) knows a thing or two about travel. She is single handedly responsible for my holidaying in Ibiza with H. Her blog and tips made me realise it could be child friendly. So I had to interview for the blog and get the insider know how on how to holiday with kids in style.

Hello Abbie, You’re always travelling but where is home?

South East London

Tell us a little about your travels and where you’ve been this year…

This year has been very 'European' which has been so lovely and easy with our little one. In January we went to Valencia - my husband, Ross, has his parents living there so it's an annual trip which we love. In May we went to Crete in Greece for a week  - we stayed at a gorgeous family friendly resort called Daios Cove and then we went straight to Mallorca for Ross's job where we stayed (don't hate me) for two months. 

What’s your favourite place to visit and why?

Oh so many places it's hard to choose one. Bali has long been a favourite of mine, I have been around ten times since I was 20 and I still love the vibe there, I don't feel it anywhere else...you feel very far away and tropical. I am also a huge fan of the Balearics and would love to live in Mallorca after our stint there...it's so chilled and easy with kids.

Has the type of holiday you like changed since having children?

Definitely! Ross and I were the ultimate beach bums renting shacks on the beach and scootering off on mopeds...now it's all a lot more planned and less spontaneous. It's a different type of holiday but we have learnt from experience that you can enjoy it still, you just have to have the right things (for you) in place. For me that is nice spacious accommodation with a garden or pool because we spend a lot more time in it.

What’s your favourite travel resource on the web?

It's a mixture because I like to do a lot of research on different types of holidays. I'll look at both Conde Nast Traveller and Lonely Planet for initial inspiration and then I'll probably Google a lot to see what other alternatives comes up. I love looking at everyone else's travel blogs and this year have been inspired by Tash Oakley's travels on Abikiniaday, Courtney Adamo's Somewhereslower and Petitepassport. is a recent one I've discovered and love. I am addicted to all of their Instagrams! 

For families looking to go abroad with a baby for the first time where would you recommend?

If you're nervous about travelling with a young baby for the first time I recommend going somewhere not too far like France or Spain. You want a short flight so you can trial everything out and then a short transfer when you arrive. These destinations are also generally very child friendly with most restaurants welcoming children. If you are a little more adventurous (like we were) then the world really is your oyster and actually travelling long haul with a young baby is probably the easiest time to do it...we went to Vietnam at three months old and it was much easier than our holidays now!

In your experience would you recommend villas or hotels for family holidays?

I am a big fan of villas or any self catering. I just prefer to be able to do what I want to do when I want to do it. Yes there is still cooking and cleaning but I find it a lot less stressful than sitting in a hotel restaurant or being in a hotel pool where other guests are trying to holiday peacefully. There is generally more space and I think kids are a lot more chilled when they aren't so confined. Having said that there are some brilliant family hotels with excellent kids clubs...and kids club is an awesome invention.

Which city break is the most family friendly?

My dad is from Singapore and so we visit there a lot and I find it really family friendly.  There are play areas in most shopping centres, the streets are really wide, clean and easy to navigate with a buggy, the MRT (their tube) is easy to use and quickly gets you around the island.  There are also lots of amazing activities such as the Singapore Zoo, Gardens By The Bay, Sentosa. You can also take your kids to most posh restaurants and they won't bat an eyelid...the Chinese generally love children.

Where is the place you would happily return to again and again as a family and why?

The South East Coast of Mallorca near Santanyi. It's just so easy to holiday there - amazing calm beaches, not too busy and touristy, sophisticated but not flashy, just nice and everything is easy to get to on foot or by car.

What's your top travel outfit tip?

Layers - t-shirt, light jumper, comfy trousers, take a scarf in your hand luggage - it's always useful if anyone gets cold or needs a pillow.  Slip on shoes especially on long haul so you can quickly get them on and off. Take a spare set of clothes for the inevitable time when your child vomits or poos on you (sorry but it will probably happen at some point)

How do you make it homely while you’re away?

Weirdly, having all my son's toys everywhere instantly makes it feel like ours -  we usually bring a bag full.  I like to unpack everything straight away though so we are organised...that makes me feel like we have nested for a while at least.

Quick fire. Let’s talk packing

What suitcase do you use? Samsonite Lite-Shock Spinner in Extra Large - it's the strongest and most spacious family suitcase I have used.

What three items are always in your hand luggage? Scarf, Antibacterial hand gel, Chocolate for emergency meltdown situations (usually consumed more by me than my son!)

What do you always pack for your lil one for plane journeys? At this age (2) he has a Kindle Fire game and headphones, books to read, colouring in and stickers and lots of snacks

What can’t you live without while you’re away? Hairbands...my long hair lives in a topknot in the heat

How many sandals do you pack?....too many

Fill in the blanks….

You win the lottery, where do you want to live…In a beach house in Byron Bay and a Finca in Mallorca (because I'll probably be able to afford two)

Most romantic place you have ever been taken to… The Cliff restaurant in Barbados

The best pizza can be found in…The Gowlett Pub, East Dulwich

Never take children to…Never say never, try everything once

Finally…if we could only ever visit one place where would you recommend and why?  Anguilla in the Caribbean - it's understated luxury at it's best

You can find out more about Abbie here.

Hope you enjoyed our Travel Tips post. Let me know what you think and where else we should check out. Or if you have some travel tips you'd like to share please get in touch.

**This is not sponsored :)