"This Baby Will Just Disappear, Then You'll See Her In The Most Random Places": Millions Of People Are Blown Away After A Dad Hilariously Explained How Parent-Friendly It Is To Travel To This One Particular Place
Kent Murphy and his 1-year-old daughter Aoife (pronounced Ee-fah) have recently taken the internet by storm.
Nearly 2 million people are wide-eyed after watching Kent's TikTok about his experience traveling to Southeast Asia with Aoife:
In the video, he starts, "If you are someone who is thinking of traveling with..."
"ONE OF THESE..."
"...and that location is Southeast Asia, then do it! Because I am telling you now the hardest part about traveling with a baby is the airplane. That's it — the flights. Although Aoife here, she's done quite good with the flights. No issues that bad," he continues.
"But when you come to this country — we're in Vietnam at the moment — as soon as we walk in anywhere, the staff will just take her."
"The staff will take care of her, and it gives us peace to eat and do what we need to do. And then once we've finished our food, the staff will bring her back," he explained.
"There are so many times where this baby here will just disappear, and then you'll see her in the most random of places," Kent says, asking Aoife, "Hey, isn't that right?"
Kent then goes on to explain how he has proof with footage. "Yesterday, she was behind a bar with bartenders," he says before showing the clip:
The bartender hands Aoife the shot glass, and she looks thoroughly amused:
Honestly, both of the people caring for Aoife look genuinely happy for her well-being:
And, despite people being a little caught off guard watching Aoife behind the bar...
A lot pointed out that most of Southeast Asia is like this:
BABIES ARE TREATED LIKE CELEBRITIES!
And the love received by locals is unmatched:
All that being said, there were still some parents who admitted that, while this type of travel ease seems nice, the world is too scary to trust:
BuzzFeed spoke to Kent who explained how they ended up in Southeast Asia. "Aoife spent her first eight months living the desert life in the Middle East before we decided we needed a change of scenery. Originally, we thought about Thailand, but after some research (aka falling down a YouTube rabbit hole), we landed on Vietnam."
His wife Kateryna is also with them, and they plan to travel to more places in Southeast Asia now that they're there.
"The culture here is obsessed with babies in the best way possible. People are naturally drawn to little ones and will go out of their way to entertain them. Aoife has made more friends in Vietnam than I have in my entire life. Everywhere we go — from tiny family-run restaurants to our building’s security guards — people want to say hello to her, play peekaboo, or just shower her with attention," he said.
Kent said it often feels like Aoife is the guest of honor while he and Kateryna are just plus-ones — especially at the airport. "When we had a transfer flight from Thailand to Vietnam, we felt like celebrities. From check-in to security and even immigration, people were going out of their way to make sure Aoife was happy (which, in turn, made our lives much easier). But the wildest part? As we walked through the airport, shop staff literally lined up just to wave at her and give her high-fives," he shared.
And Kent was rudely awakened by the fact that his VIP flight experience doesn't exist without a baby. "I recently took a solo flight back to Dubai and suddenly realized that without Aoife, I was just another guy in the queue. I received no special treatment or VIP service. With Aoife, security rushed us through priority lanes, and at immigration, they literally opened a brand-new desk just for her."
Kent said that being able to sit down for a meal and actually eat without the stress of simultaneously entertaining a baby has been a game-changer. "Beyond that, it has been incredible watching Aoife interact with kids from a completely different culture, playing like language barriers don’t even exist. It’s a level of joy that's impossible to explain."
"This experience isn't some 'lucky break' that I've stumbled upon — it’s just how things are. It’s a cultural thing. People genuinely love babies; they have a great saying here: 'It takes a village to raise a child.' It’s hard to explain what that saying truly means; you just need to witness it," he added.
You can see this truth played out in other TikToks like this one and this one.
And the free childcare comes with no strings attached! "There’s no expectation of tipping for the extra kindness. We’ll walk into one of our regular spots, and the staff immediately start greeting Aoife like an old friend. That being said, we do always tip — because how could we not?"
In response to the people who say that leaving a baby with a stranger seems too risky, Kent said he always has his daughter's best interest and safety in mind. "I’m not just handing my kid over to random people on the street. We’ve been staying in the same area, and frequenting the same five or six restaurants regularly. The staff know Aoife, and she knows them. When I said in my video that, 'She disappears and shows up in random places,' I did not mean that literally. It was just my very British way of saying she’s always being entertained by familiar faces. Total strangers might ask to touch her hand or give her a little wave, but that’s about it. No one is running off with my kid!"
Overall, Kent's family loves Southeast Asia — to visit or live! "People here live life. They work hard but don’t let money or stress consume them. They take time to enjoy their families, their food, and the little things. Vietnam, in particular, has been incredible. If you’re thinking about visiting, stop thinking and just go. You won’t regret it," he concluded, before adding, "And Aoife is clearly living her best life here!"
You can follow Kent and his family on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram!