Poor little Ella. Her parents are, seemingly, prepared to risk disturbing her young life quite a bit in order to have some new dinner party chat.
Babies aren't babies for very long - so enjoy yours now and take a holiday that won't cramp her style. You can go back to the flash ones when it's more appropriate for all the family.

Susie, Oxford,

Just a consideration re South Africa:
We are complete South Africa fans - have been going for 12 years now. Took our baby when he was 6 and 18 months old and both times he caught horrible viruses from the local kids, many of whom don't have access to flush Wcs, running water. Even a cuddle is enough to transmit and he got lots of those from the kids we know out there.

The other consideration is that the sun is so strong out there that you have to spend a fair amount of your day indoors - even factor 50 and a sunsuit aren't going to cut it for long with your average white baby.

travelling mum, London,

Hilarious. I well remember being the 'new parent' and stubbornly refusing to let having a baby cramp my travelling. How naive was I?! One thing is for sure - any significant change in time zone is going to make you wish you'd stayed home and watched TV for a week. I used to travel regularly between the U.S. and the U.K. with my first and it was a nightmare. Exhausting. Obviously hadn't learned my lesson and recently took my 12 months old and three year old from the U.S. to Panama on vacation. They both came down with stomach bugs despite not touching the water and also ear infections at the same time and we were staying two hours away from decent healthcare. We came home early, exhausted and $5000 worse off. Sorry guys...it's time to give in. Your old lives have gone for good. Don't worry - you'll adjust eventually. Give it another year :)

Simone, Plainsboro, New Jersey

Although i think it is great for chidlren to travel and see how other people live, these new parents should remember that they chose to bring a new baby into the world.
'Without Ella cramping our style' - this phrase says it all.
Why have they decided to have a baby if all she is going to do is cramp thier style?
When will parents realise that having a baby is a commitment and they wil have to change their daily lives?
Why don't they holiday in the UK where they will not be worried by malaria, polio and a vast range of other diseases?
When Ella is old enough to appreciate travel, she will enjoy visiting new places. But they don't have to be long haul.

Mari, Brighton, UK

Believe it or not, babies actually get born, grow up and prosper throughout the world. With some precautions it should be possible to take your baby almost anywhere. It's probably safer for them than for the adults, as they can consume uncontaminated breast milk.

Most other countries have a much more enlightened view on children, and your baby will probably be a way of entering conversations with all sorts of people.

I also have a horror of "kids" type holidays and the type of people that visit them!

Victoria, London, UK

How utterly selfish to expose your child not only to numerous tropical diseases, but the many 'old fashioned' child killing diseases, against which baby Ella is not yet fully vaccinated.

Pity you didn't get this 'tick box' mentality to the globe out of your silly systems before you had children.

Patricia, Oslo, Norway

Ellen, Arnhem, Netherlands, I'm sure you don't mean to, but you are sounding like an awful hag. I did regular transatlantic trips with my parents from the age of two moths (they couldn't help it; my da was posted in South America and this was the only way my folks would get to see their familyin, like, AGES!). It was never, EVER a problem for me. It sure cramped my folks' style though, so bully for the two that want to take their baby on a holiday. I like the way they don't seem to be content living up to the lame stereotype of the sad new parents who, having bred, just give up on life and become an explosive combination of embittered, out-of-touch with each other, and snobby towards others. Have a nice holiday folks, and take lots of pix of your little kid in a sunhat--I'm sure she'll cherish them, and they're great highschool yearbook material!!

mili, athens,

Isn´t it a bit egoistic to expose a 3-month old to long haul travel? Aren´t their any places nearer by ?
Apart from that, you probably will be "loved" by everybody on board... whilst your baby tries to adapt to the different air pressure.

Ellen, Arnhem, Netherlands