With hindsight, it was actually my 16-month old daughter Blake who decided where we should go for our first proper family holiday. Her favourite sound is “Doh” so when we touched down in Mauritius and were confronted with a gift shop full of the cuddly now-extinct birds which once populated this island, we knew we’d come to the right place. “Doh Doh” she exclaimed. Would this count as her first word?
It was to be a trip of firsts for all of us. The less said about our first long-haul flight with a toddler the better. But when we were greeted in arrivals by our driver in a spacious air-conditioned car, complete with already-fitted baby seat and fresh cookies, it was the first time I’ve ever felt delirious with happiness about an airport pick-up.
