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Wanderlust Haaks
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Work With Us
  • Destinations
    • Americas
      • Guatemala
        • Antigua
        • Lake Atitlán
      • Mexico
        • Mexico City
        • Oaxaca
        • Quintana Roo
        • San Miguel de Allende
    • Asia
      • India
        • Delhi
        • Jaipur
        • Kerala
        • Udaipur
      • Vietnam
      • Laos
      • Thailand
      • Indonesia
      • Malaysia
  • Travel Tips
  • Links and Maps
  • Shop
Work With Us
Work With Us
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Work With Us
  • Destinations
    • Americas
      • Guatemala
        • Antigua
        • Lake Atitlán
      • Mexico
        • Mexico City
        • Oaxaca
        • Quintana Roo
        • San Miguel de Allende
    • Asia
      • India
        • Delhi
        • Jaipur
        • Kerala
        • Udaipur
      • Vietnam
      • Laos
      • Thailand
      • Indonesia
      • Malaysia
  • Travel Tips
  • Links and Maps
  • Shop
$0.00
Wanderlust Haaks
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Work With Us
  • Destinations
    • Americas
      • Guatemala
        • Antigua
        • Lake Atitlán
      • Mexico
        • Mexico City
        • Oaxaca
        • Quintana Roo
        • San Miguel de Allende
    • Asia
      • India
        • Delhi
        • Jaipur
        • Kerala
        • Udaipur
      • Vietnam
      • Laos
      • Thailand
      • Indonesia
      • Malaysia
  • Travel Tips
  • Links and Maps
  • Shop
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wanderlust.haaks

🌍Showing you what family life abroad is really like
🎒Real costs | Travel tips | Month 11 on the road
📧anna@wanderlusthaaks.com
⬇️ Free travel ebook

Would any of these have changed you? Follow @wand Would any of these have changed you?

Follow @wanderlust.haaks for more family adventures that are amazing and insane, but always worth it!
I cannot believe we saw these! Look closely and t I cannot believe we saw these!

Look closely and there are 4 of them!

We were out on a day cruise from Cát Bà Island when we stopped to kayak for a bit.

After paddling a short ways we sat in this quiet spot surrounded by cliffs. That’s when our guide whispered “look over there” and there they were.

Four Delacour’s langurs perched on the cliffside, staring back at us.

These langurs are critically endangered, found only in the limestone karst mountains of northern Vietnam. 

With their easy to spot white rump patches, they’re unforgettable, but now there are fewer than 300 in the wild.

It felt surreal. One of those moments that makes you feel so unbelievably lucky, to witness something this rare with your family.

✈️ Comment READY and I’ll send you our FREE ebook so you can start planning your family adventure today.

👉 Follow @wanderlust.haaks because we share the real side of family travel with once in a lifetime wildlife encounters, chaos with kids, and the stories you’ll never find in a guidebook.
When your toddler moves from lap infant to their f When your toddler moves from lap infant to their first “big kid” airplane seatbelt… it can be rough. 

She had just outgrown being a lap infant (2 years old) so it was her very first “big kid” airplane seatbelt. 

Suddenly she was squirming, standing, and absolutely determined that buckling in was not happening. As a parent, it felt like all eyes were on me.

Here’s what made the difference:

👉 Family boarding gave us extra time to ease her into the new seat instead of immediately boarding and going!

👉 Patience and encouragement (not yelling or forcing) helped her feel safe enough to finally buckle.

👉 The sweetest flight attendants offered cookies, reassurance, and reminded us we weren’t alone.

And you know what? That stressful start turned into a surprisingly sweet flight with movies, cookies, and snuggles.

The bigger lesson? 

Don’t worry about the people around you. Everyone can spare a little patience. Forcing kids doesn’t build trust or make travel smoother in the long run.

Now at 3½, my daughter is a champ flyer. She loves boarding, buckling herself in, and watching out the window. 

Long flights have actually become the easiest because she understands the rhythm: when the seatbelt light goes on, you buckle in.

💡 If you’re in that tough moment, remember: your child will get there. Travel is a skill they learn over time, and it’s so worth it when they do.

✈️Save this for your next trip & share with a parent who needs this reminder!

🌎 Follow @wanderlust.haaks for more family travels tips and hot takes because we are sharing all the details you’ll actually need!

#familytravel #travelwithkids #traveltips
Stop overpaying for Ha Long Bay cruises, there’s Stop overpaying for Ha Long Bay cruises, there’s a better way for families. 🙌

When we got to Vietnam, Steven knew he wanted to see the famous Ha Long Bay. 

The problem? The overnight Ha Long Bay cruises were gorgeous… but also expensive, luxury-focused, and not practical for a full-time traveling family with kids.

So after some research, we found a smarter option: staying on Cat Ba Island. By basing ourselves there, we were able to do multiple day cruises, not just in Lan Ha Bay (where the boats depart) but in Ha Long Bay too.

And here’s the kicker: you literally can’t tell the difference. Even our guide admitted you’d never know which bay you were in unless he told you.

We got everything from swimming in Ha Long Bay, kayaking, a fresh seafood lunch, limestone cliffs, hidden lagoons...without the steep price tag. 

Plus, we had the flexibility to explore Cat Ba Island itself, which we would have missed if we’d booked an overnight Ha Long Bay cruise.

👉 So here’s your sign: skip the overpriced Ha Long Bay cruises and make Cat Ba Island your base instead. For families, it’s more adventure, more value, and way less stress.

💬 If you want all of our favorite spots in Cat Ba, Hanoi, and Ninh Binh, comment MAP and I’ll send them to you.

✨ Follow @wanderlust.haaks for more family travel hacks, budget-friendly destinations, and tips for exploring Vietnam with kids because traveling with family doesn’t have to cost a fortune to be unforgettable.
That did not go as planned...😳 Our day cruise That did not go as planned...😳

Our day cruise landed at Monkey Island and the way off the boat was a plank

No dock. No stairs. Just one narrow plank stretched over the water. One by one, everyone else walked down the plank like stairs.

Our 5-year-old? She did it.

Our 2-year-old? Absolutely not. 

Steven was about to attempt the world’s most dangerous dad move (child in one arm, balance on the plank with the other) when the crew jumped in. 

Without hesitation, one of them scooped her up and carried her through the water to shore. While the entire boat watched.

She was officially the smallest passenger onboard, and definitely the only one who got a VIP water escort.

Luckily that was the only time we had to walk the plank. 😂

✈️Would your kids have walked the plank or needed help?

👉 Follow us for more real + ridiculous family travel moments (because let’s be honest the chaos is half the fun).

#familytravel #travelwithkids #catbaisland
1️⃣ SE Asia: Moves slower & is way more flexib 1️⃣ SE Asia: Moves slower & is way more flexible.
US: Fast-paced, scheduled, & puts efficiency first.

2️⃣ SE Asia: Generations live together & kids are welcome everywhere.
US: Independence is valued & kids are expected to adapt to adults.

3️⃣ SE Asia: Street food is cheap + central to life.
US: Eating out is pricey, fast food = convenience.

4️⃣ SE Asia: Public transit options are common & traffic just flows.
US: Cars dominate, public transit often neglected.

5️⃣ SE Asia: Daily life is affordable, luxuries cost more.
US: Everyday costs are higher, goods are often cheaply made and disposed of fast.

6️⃣ SE Asia: Low violent crime & communities watch kids.
US: More violent crime, but stronger legal systems.

7️⃣ SE Asia: Long hours, but a “good enough” mindset.
US: Hustle culture where success = career + money.

8️⃣ SE Asia: Spiritual practices are visible daily.
US: More private, often weekly services.

9️⃣ SE Asia: Streets messy, homes spotless.
US: Public spaces clean, homes more casual with shoes in the house.

🔟 SE Asia: Healthcare = affordable, fast, good quality.
US: Healthcare = advanced, expensive, stressful.

This is our experience from slow traveling as a family.

💬 What’s been your biggest culture shock abroad?

👉 Follow @wanderlust.haaks for more real, unfiltered family travel insights + about raising kids overseas.

#malaysia #travelwithkids #familytravel #southeastasia

Wanderlust Haaks

We’re a full-time traveling family, proving that you don’t have to wait for “someday” to explore the world with kids. From beautiful destinations to practical travel tips on slow travel, budget travel tips, and making it all possible—we share everything you need to turn your travel dreams into reality. Follow along for travel itineraries, travel hacks, and real-life family travel experiences that actually work!

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