Traveling 1-Year-Old Has Visited 12 Countries With Backpacking Parents
Esme's parents brought her along on a trip to Southeast Asia.
— -- Meet little Esmé Bayes, the 1-year-old world traveler.
At just 10-weeks-old, she was off with her parents, Karen Edwards and Shaun Bayes, on her first trip to Singapore.
“At 8 weeks old she went to Ireland but not sure I count that so much,” Edwards told ABC News.
After touching down in Bangkok today, the traveling tot will have visited 12 countries, which her mom beautifully documents for her 12,000 Instagram followers.
Edwards says she hopes her daughter gains three things from this experience: “Develop her insight into different cultures, develop her social skills, [and] develop a desire to see the world.”
The apple certainly doesn’t fall far from the tree.
“Since finishing university, I have been on a mission to visit as many countries in the world as possible,” Karen wrote on her blog, “Travel Mad Mum,” where she provides tips and tricks for parents looking to travel with their little ones. “In the seven years I have been traveling, I have visited more than fifty countries! I have traveled alone in the past which is an amazing experience. However, it has been amazing to have a partner in crime (Shaun) for many of my travel adventures.”
When Edwards found out she was pregnant with Esmé, she admits she “instantly thought ‘That’s it, travel days are over.' Needless to say that has not been the case so far.”
Baby Esmé was born in London, but her mother is from Ireland and her father is from New Zealand.
“The gal is destined to travel!” Edwards wrote on her blog.
Edwards and Bayes temporarily moved to New Zealand after Esmé's birth. The family decided to use Karen’s maternity leave creatively and backpacked through Southeast Asia for 7 weeks with Esmé in tow.
“Breastfeeding and baby-wearing is what made this easy,” she explained. “I don't think I could have done it with having to carry and sterilize everything.”
The proud mom said her favorite place they’ve visited as a family is Vietnam.
“The people are so friendly and helpful with Esmé,” she said. “The place is just incredibly beautiful.”
The only downsides to traveling with her youngster is not being able to enjoy the nightlife in all of these exotic locations, and sometimes not being able to explain exactly what they need for their child.
“You don't get any evenings as bed time is generally the same time for all of us as Esmé has to sleep,” she wrote in an email. “When in less-well-traveled countries, it's harder to communicate what you need for Esmé. Google Translate is always a lifesaver and can be quite hilarious at times.”
Overall, the “Travel Mad Mum”’s only regret is “not bringing enough Western, healthy, sugar-free baby snacks.”
And the biggest thing she’s learned?
“It's easier to be away and have quality family time together than it is to be home cooking and cleaning and maintaining a household,” she said.
Edwards says she plans to write a travel book chronicling their adventures.
