Mum's gone 2 Aus

When I recently picked up my 85 year old Grandmother from Sydney airport I realised, not for the first time, that the world IS a small place. My Gran has been here for a week and she is so well established in our home and family routine that it feels like she’s always been here.

I’m blown away by the fact that she was willing to make the long journey to Australia by herself, and that she’s made it all … Read more

Before we had children, a stopover in Singapore was all about the shopping, mostly for electrical goods, and enjoying a Biryani at a restaurant in Little India. How things change when you have kids! Here are Mum (and friends’) list of favourite family activities in Singapore.

By the way, if you think you can handle six floors of shops with the children in tow, Sim Lim Sqaure (SLS) is the place to go for electrical and IT goods in Singapore.… Read more

The flight time from the UK to Australia, via Singapore, is as quick as it’s going to get, but if you’re travelling with children, a break from the plane may still be necessary, for everyone’s sanity. Here are Mum (and friend’s) recommendations for family friendly hotels in Singapore.

Crown Plaza Hotel at Changi Airport

If you’ve only got a short stopover and aren’t interested in looking around Singapore, the Crown Plaza Hotel at Changi Airport is a breeze. It might … Read more

Last month Mum wrote about Thailand, one of our favourite stopover destinations when travelling from Europe to Australia (and vice versa). To continue our series of Australian stopover destinations we’re reviewing Singapore, in South East Asia.

As a backpacker Mum spent time in Singapore and has transited at the spotless and well organised Singapore airport on several occasions. In fact, spotless and well organised are terms you’d use to describe everything about Singapore, these qualities alone make it a … Read more

Hua Hin is 200km south of Bangkok, around 2.5 hrs by car or mini-van. It’s known as the Royal resort, being the oldest beach resort in Thailand and a favourite of the King’s. Hua Hin is a major resort, with a five kilometre stretch of sand, a huge variety of international hotels, and vibrant nightlife.

For the majority of our time in the area we stayed at Koh Takiab (also spelt Koh Takiap). Koh Takiab is a hill four kilometres … Read more

The island of Phuket is a major Thai tourist destination, and only a short flight from Bangkok (1.5 hrs). Patong is the most famous resort on the island, with a lively nightlife and wealth of shopping opportunities. Mum doesn’t recommend staying in Patong for a peaceful family stopover. Bang Tao sits north of Patong and is infinitely quieter. The transfer from Phuket airport to Bang Tao is about 40 minutes by taxi.

Bangtao and Surin Beaches

Bangtao beach is around … Read more

The travel path around Thailand in South East Asia is well worn by backpackers, students on a gap year or those later in life on a career break. When Mr Mum’s gone 2 Aus and I had a career break in 2004 Bangkok became our home away from home, and Thailand one of our favourite places in the world.

Six years later, relocating from the UK to Australia, Thailand was the perfect stopover destination. The backpacks had gathered dust so … Read more