What’s it like to travel the world with kids?

A year of travel around the world introducing your children to the delights of different countries and cultures can be educational, memorable and inspirational.

It can also be a challenge. In a conversation with Jesse Mulligan on RNZ Afternoons, Ella Ewens recalls one of those challenges in India, a few months into a journey that will take her family of four to 25 countries.

Ewens, her husband, Darren Rawlins, and two children – Isabella, 9, and Hugo, 7 – were walking down a street near the Ganges River in northern India. Among the many beggars there was one man with no legs or arms who wriggled down the road with a bell in his mouth as a way of asking for money. It was a confronting sight for parents and children who are from Auckland.

“They talked about that one for a while as you can imagine,” says Ewens. “We found that quite full on.”

Moments like that have fueled many conversations at dinner or during quiet play in whatever country the family is in, conversations about privilege, poverty and injustice. Sitting with those hard-to-reconcile experiences is one reason Ewens and Rawlins took their kids out of school, saved hard, and spent tens of thousands of dollars for 12 months of travel.

The family are part of a small but passionate movement known as worldschooling, where parents press pause on the doldrums, safety and comfort of Western life to give their children an experience that is both unforgettable and educational.

The goal is to “build some family memories,” Ewens says.

“We think it’s really important to build a tolerance in the children and let them understand different ways of living and different ways of life.

“And we certainly feel like we’ve been exposed to that and had some experiences to help us on our way there.”

‘Pretty abrupt transition’

Ewens’ kids didn’t have a lot of screen time before they travelled and were used to more unstructured schooling at the Steiner school they attend (Steiner schools place a greater value on play-based, student-led learning than a typical school). The kids were involved with the 10 months of planning that lead up to their year of travel so they had more ownership over the trip.

However, “it was a pretty abrupt transition to be fair,” says Ewens, speaking by phone from Colombia where the family is staying for a few weeks.

Isabella and Hugo had to get used to being occasionally uncomfortable, tired, hungry and hot – temperatures in India reached well over 40 degrees. Hugo especially struggled in the beginning with new cultures and languages.

“When he started off he was pretty young and he had to grow into it,” Ewens says.

Missing friends has been another challenge, as has being together 24/7. The kids do miss their friends and their class but get to speak through video calls.

“For me personally, not having my girlie catch up. I miss that quite a bit,” Ewens says.

What about school?

The kids’ school was supportive of their year away. Ewens bought school curriculum books and met with teachers before they left so she could continue with her childrens’ education while they travelled.

“They’re gaining a lot of experiences, which they write about in their travel journal,” she says.

“They’ve got a nice, detailed travel journal, which they stick things in, and write and draw and they do some reading every day as well.”

The family has also connected with a world schooling organisation so they can network and meetup with other travelling families and digital nomads with kids. The organisation runs formal programmes in different areas around the world and the family spent a week in Vietnam with other families, sharing activities and learning exercises.

Isabella and Hugo do school work and create travel journals.
Photo: Instagram/Rawexplore.life

While many families homeschool within the world schooling movement, others are ditching formal education for “unschooling” that is self-directed, life learning away from books, courses and teachers. Some families are planning months of travels. Others have been on the road for years.

“It’s amazing seeing [the kids] learn so much, and having those experiences together and being with them all day. It’s a lot different to when we’re in New Zealand they’re at school all day,” says Ewens

“We’re seeing how their brains are growing, first-hand. So, it’s been quite amazing.”

‘Sensible, but not fearful’

The journey has so far taken the family through South East Asia including Thailand, Laos and Vietnam as well as Spain and parts of Europe. They have woven their way through Central America, visiting Mexico and Guatemala.

Now, they are in Colombia, a country that struggles with gun violence and drug cartels. Safety is a constant concern but not a debilitating one, says Ewens.

A parent will be on the road side of the footpath when the family walks down the street. They are conscious of holding their children’s hands while out and about in some places. A child is never the last to get out of a cab, especially in Mexico City where kidnapping is an entrenched issue.

Ewens does explain the dangers to her kids – like kidnappings or theft – but “we try to be sensible but not make them fearful,” she says.

Travel tips

Ewens has landed on many of those safety protocols through experience and speaking with other travelling families. She has also learnt to carry snacks with her at all times.

The family keeps a few activities handy for travel days like a game of Snap or colouring in pencils, but getting a bit bored and staring out the window is part of the experience.

“I guess one thing that we have learned is that it is okay for a kid to be bored and you just have to be comfortable with it,” Ewens says. The family only travel with a small backpack each to avoid the cost and inconvenience of checked baggage.

The four backpacks the family travels with.
Photo: Instagram/Rawexplore.life

Too much planning can kill the joys of travel. She typically books a few nights of accommodation in a new country but then takes time to “talk to locals, get a feel for the place,” before making more plans.

“Walking around the supermarket can be enough fun for one day,” she says.

Booking an apartment with a kitchen might cost a bit more money, but it saves money on food. It also gives kids more space to have a regular “chill day” and keeps the family in their pre-travel ritual of having porridge for breakfast each morning, another money saver.

“Kids love routine,” she says.

How to pay for it?

Ewens and her husband Rawlins spent 10 months saving “tens of thousands of dollars” to kick start their trip. Rawlins works remotely part-time and the family spent about $200 a day on accommodation, food and activities across countries in South-East Asia, which tend to be better value for travellers.

Isabella and Hugo in India.
Photo: Rawexplore.life/Instagram

They often go for public transport rather than taxis or car hire. Airbnb apartments, bed and breakfasts and homestays are their normal accommodations.

“We are very grateful for the type of travel we are doing,” Ewens says.