Buenos Aires, Argentina
by Kelli
(Houston, TX, USA)
Temaiken Zoo
Abasto Shopping Mall
For two years, we have enjoyed living in Buenos Aires, Argentina with our 3½-year-old and 7-month-old. The Argentine love for babies and children is literally our favorite thing about the whole country! It is WONDERFUL!
Upon arrival at Ezeiza international airport, you can feel the love — families with babies or pregnant women are immediately shuttled to a priority line in immigration/passport control. Customs officials seem more wont to allow families with small children to pass through without grievous luggage examination, too.
Getting around town is generally pretty easy using buses, trains, and subways. Despite the crowding that comes with a mega-city, I always get a seat close to the door when my children are with me. An inherent deference for mothers with small children means that people instantly and cheerfully give me their seat, and I can count on whatever help is needed to get the kids and gear loaded, pay the fare, etc. What's more, fellow passengers enjoy entertaining and interacting with my children during the ride.
Restaurants — even nicer ones — welcome children, and we have never eaten in a place that did not have a high chair. (Important note: the high chairs tend to be open, without a tray, so that can sometimes be challenging with a smaller baby.) Many restaurants have an attended and supervised pelotero (play area) where the kids can play while the parents enjoy their meal.
Wait staff typically bring the child's plate before everyone else's, so that you can help the kids get fed before your food arrives.
One of the places our kids have enjoyed the most is Temaikén, a zoo-type ecological reserve just north of the city. It is clean, spacious, and very natural. Our daughter thoroughly enjoys it! (Money-saving tip: On Tuesdays Temaikén offers 2-for-1 entrances.) We were even able to rent at very low cost an extra stroller so that our 3-year-old didn't have to walk all day long.
Another fun place is Abasto Shopping, a large mall near the Aguero stop on the subway B line. In addition to typical mall fare (food court, toy stores, etc.), there is the children's museum (Museo de los Niños) and a small indoor amusement park area (Neverland). A large exposition area on the top floor hosts a changing array of activities as well; last year we enjoyed a free(!) Discovery Kids program that took our daughter through several activity stations based on popular Discovery Kids shows like Backyardigans and Pinky Dinky Doo.
If you're up for an international trip with your little ones, I can highly recommend Buenos Aires!
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