:::: Travel with your parents

Travel with your parents

With more older travelers heading to far-flung lands, turn your next holiday in Southeast Asia into an outing for the entire family. T+L gives you the low-down on strategies and destinations.

Caitlin Worsham, an American living in Hanoi, is a veteran travel agent. That is, a travel agent for her parents, who've made several trips to Southeast Asia in the past few years. At first, Worsham underestimated the effects of travel on her parents: distort distances from point to point became crucial given the prevalence of bad backs and knees, motion sicknesses, and the likely Now when they come to visit, Worsham creates a detailed itinerary, allowing for at least three to four days in each place, and handles all the bookings and transactions. Elf problems arise, I handle them. I think my parents really appreciate daisy's she says.

For years, much of Southeast Asia seemed suited only for the young and adventurous, but that changed once out-otkhe-way locales such as Luang Prabang and Siem Reap began developing. According to a 2007 report by Euromonitor, a marketing research group, more people over the age of 65 are heading oil-the beaten path.

While the idea of healthiest travelers, the heat is a major concern, and older people are more susceptible to sunstroke. With that in mind, Dotty Foote, an NGO worker in Indonesia, invited her parents to visit at the coolest time of the year. She then booked comforts like air- conditioned private cars and hotels with pools, and avoided activities during the hot midday, scheduling naps or swims instead.

While travel often brings you closer, spending every minute together can be maddeninplessica Rivington, a staffer at Toronto-based tour operator G.A.P Adventures, and her (sawyer- old grandfather made a point to schedule time apart during an organized tour of Vietnam, Thailand up at a place that's disappeared,'' he says. For this reason, Singapore is one of his top picks. Rattle city offers fantastic, sanitary hawker stalls and some of the region's best ethnic Chinese restaurant's Ng also praises Singapore's MRT system and abundant taxis. Mobility is often an issue, and even if your parents are fit, you don't want to run them ragged. Worsham's folks fell for Bangkok and its temples, massages, abundant cheap food and upscale dining. And, like Singapore and Hong Kong, Bangkok boasts a public transportation system that's easy to navigate. Worsham also suggests visits to small, walkable spots like Hoi An, Luang Prabang and Melaka, which combine local flavor with together, it might have been too much she says. riving each other space helped the overall harmony of our trip's of andtravel''-holidays taken by grandparents with their grandchildren-has gained popularity in recent years, traveling with your parents as an adult, especially in a culturally rich region such as Southeast Asia, can be rewarding too.

That's not to say it's always a smooth ride: tempers can fray and misunderstandings arise-particularly if it's the first time you've taken a trip together for years. But there are ways to keep your holiday afloat. Worhsam says preparation is key. Because travel in this part of world can be wearing (and sometimes unpredictable), she'll pack a little bag equipped to fend off unforeseen problems: ibuprofen, hand sanitizer, antibiotics, plasters, sunscreen, umbrella, a scarfs It's also important to factor in the tropical climate. For even the No one wants to spend their vacation bathroom-bound, so and Cambodia. Full we had spent every second together, it might have been too muchy'' she says. Driving each other space helped the overall harmony of our trip's high-end services.

Bali isn't pedestrian- friendly, but the island's experience with tourists runs deep, which Foote's parents appreciated.

Awhile it was exciting to get oft-the beaten path, they liked being in places where they could communicate with people around them in English and weren't always relying on me or an interpreters she says.

Of course, the easiest way to minimize headaches is to have someone else do the work for you, which is what Rivington and her grandfather opted for. Their tour group was international and multigenerational, giving the duo a chance to spend time with their peers.

planning enjoyable, safe meals is also an absolute must. Penang-born Aik Wye Ng, who works for a public relations firm in New York, says that food and hygiene are the biggest challenge when traveling with his mother and father. Run choosing where to eat, I always look for cleanliness: minimal flies, properly washed utensils, well-kept kitchens, decent bathrooms. Beforehand, 1'11 research restaurants and double-check that they're still operating so we don't end It also gave their-journey a new dimension. Candor's history and architecture were so interesting to both of USC's Rivington recalls. Cult really enhanced the visit to see it through two different perspective's