RTE chef Donal Skehan has shared his genius hack for keeping young kids happy while traveling on holiday.
The celebrity chef and his wife Sofia have two kids together, Noah, six, and four-year-old Oliver.
Donal and his family frequently enjoy exotic holidays and often times the RTE star has to travel for work.
And he has offered his advice to parents with young kids on how he keeps his young lads quiet on long plane rides.
Speaking to RSVP, he said: “Entertainment comes first. I bought these toiletry bags that people hang on the back of their bathroom door, but I fill them with activities, toys, snacks and books. It’s perfect for a long-haul flight and it’s important to set them up with as much as you can, or else you will be up and down every five minutes.
“We brought the boys to Marrakech, somewhere that families don’t really go, but it’s important to be brave and let them have new experiences. You have to let them explore as much as you want to explore and don’t project any fears you might have on them.”
He explained that it is he and his wife’s dream to travel as much of the world with their kids as they can – and the family frequently visits Southeast Asia.
He said: “We would love them to experience it, and at a younger age, if possible. Those experiences are so formative.
“We always encourage them to try new foods and travelling overseas is a lovely way to experience new cultures.”
The dad-of-two also revealed that India is on his bucket list of countries to visit and would like to go there in the “next 10 years”.
Donal also joked about his biggest travel nightmare, which occurred just as he was leaving a hotel.
He explained: “I once managed to get a laptop into a safe, but I wasn’t able to get it back out. I had a total breakdown. It happened at the moment I was leaving the hotel, so there wasn’t time to deal with it.
“I was fit to kill someone at the time, luckily I can laugh about it now. Stressful and panicked moments happen on every trip.”
Recently Donal enjoyed a low budget trip to Madeira with his long-time pal Arthur Gourounlian.
The pair embarked on the trip as part of RTE series High Road, Low Road.
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Arthur enjoyed a luxurious five-star hotel in the heart of Funchal, the island’s main city.
He was put up in a suite that boasted panoramic views of the ocean and was priced at €784 per night.
On the low road, Donal took a bus to his more humble three-star €83 a night hotel room that had a twin bed and en-suite and kitchen.
Walking in to his accommodation, Donal remarked: “It’s not terrible… at least it’s clean.”
