Pick A Destination For Us

[frlcb]

Dh and I are having a hell of a time planning a trip for next Summer. It is a big birthday for both of us so we want to do something big.

Here are the parameters:

2 adults, 2 kids (they will be 7 and 4 next summer and are very well traveled)
No N America/Central America
No Africa (we plan on doing a safari with the kids when they are older)
No Caribbean
Would prefer not to do Europe, mainly because my in laws live there and they will want to see us, but I could be persuaded for an awesome trip - we have done most of Western Europe.

Any thoughts?

[tcu2003]

Egypt? I did that one a few years ago (before the revolution) and LOVED it! So much history - the Nile cruise was awesome with all of the amazing stops. Plus everything in and around Cairo.

[chicago]

How about Australia and Fiji or New Zealand and Fiji? Argentina?

[alleinesein]

Well that limits you to Australia, New Zealand and most of Asia.

How long of a flight are you willing to deal with?

The only drawback to Australia is that it will be winter and the weather wont be that great in some parts of the country.

India will be ridiculously hot and humid because of monsoon season. If you are willing to put up with the weather you could visit Kerala and cruise around on a houseboat for a few days and then head down to Goa for a few days at the beach.

[MauMau]

I absolutely loved Darwin and then Kakadu National Park in Australia. I did a three week tour of Australia including Canberra, Sydney, and Cairns. And Darwin and the surrounding areas were by far my favorite part! Plenty warm up there despite winter. Sydney and Canberra were a bit cold but very mild compared to where I am from.

[mdgirl]

Japan! History, gorgeous temples, easy to get around, fun stuff for kids.

[origami]

Jul 22, 2014 1:04:59 GMT -5 mdgirl said:

Japan! History, gorgeous temples, easy to get around, fun stuff for kids.

I was just going to say this. We are going to tokyo for our first trip after moving to asia because there is a lot for kids and adults to do. I would take a train and see other cities too, if I was flying a long time to get there. ETA: bonus: direct flight from ATL

[marina007]

Thailand!

[dorothyinAus]

Jul 21, 2014 23:03:28 GMT -5 alleinesein said:

The only drawback to Australia is that it will be winter and the weather wont be that great in some parts of the country.

Actually, I find winter the better season for trips.  The temperature is bearable, not pushing 40, and by and large it's less crowded, even during school holiday weeks.  I've haven't been north of Brisbane, but I can say that Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Kangaroo Island are far less crowded in the winter months.

If you plan Australia, I would say skip extra days in Sydney and visit Adelaide and Kangaroo Island.  They were both much more interesting than Sydney, which I found to be just a big city with a bridge and an opera house.

[Brit]

Jordan? Petra, Dead Sea, snorkeling in the Aquaba?

ETA: Wadi Rum, the sand dunes from Lawrence of Arabia...

This could be high end or low budget, too. You can stay in Bedouin camps or the Four Seasons.

[frlcb]

Jul 21, 2014 23:03:28 GMT -5 alleinesein said:

Well that limits you to Australia, New Zealand and most of Asia.

How long of a flight are you willing to deal with?

The only drawback to Australia is that it will be winter and the weather wont be that great in some parts of the country.

India will be ridiculously hot and humid because of monsoon season. If you are willing to put up with the weather you could visit Kerala and cruise around on a houseboat for a few days and then head down to Goa for a few days at the beach.

Or South America

[alleinesein]

Jul 22, 2014 6:04:15 GMT -5 frlcb said:

Jul 21, 2014 23:03:28 GMT -5 alleinesein said:

Well that limits you to Australia, New Zealand and most of Asia.

How long of a flight are you willing to deal with?

The only drawback to Australia is that it will be winter and the weather wont be that great in some parts of the country.

India will be ridiculously hot and humid because of monsoon season. If you are willing to put up with the weather you could visit Kerala and cruise around on a houseboat for a few days and then head down to Goa for a few days at the beach.

Or South America

Same issues as Australia....wintertime!! I've done Chile in June but Santiago didn't really strike me as a kid destination but I also don't have kids so its not something I really pay attention to.

Rapa Nui? The weather will be nice and the kids will probably enjoy checking out the giant heads and the beaches.

[frlcb]

Jul 22, 2014 6:28:55 GMT -5 alleinesein said:

Jul 22, 2014 6:04:15 GMT -5 frlcb said:

Or South America

Same issues as Australia....wintertime!! I've done Chile in June but Santiago didn't really strike me as a kid destination but I also don't have kids so its not something I really pay attention to.

Rapa Nui? The weather will be nice and the kids will probably enjoy checking out the giant heads and the beaches.

I've been to Rapa Nui, so we've ruled that out. We haven't ruled out everywhere we have been (I've traveled a lot) but some places we have, that is one. I agree on the cold, although we aren't averse to it.

[rupertpenny]

My first though was Peru, but Machu Picchu is probably a bit much for a 4 year old.

I'm in Singapore right now and it is insanely kid friendly. It would also be really easy to do the city thing here then head to the beach in Malaysia for a little while.

I also find Hong Kong to be reasonably kid friendly but it isn't quite as easy to add other destinations from HK as it is from SG and I know if I was flying all that way I might want to go more than one place. There is always Macau though, and Taiwan is a short flight.

I haven't been to Japan but I think it oils also be a good choice.

[frlcb]

Jul 22, 2014 7:31:45 GMT -5 rupertpenny said:

My first though was Peru, but Machu Picchu is probably a bit much for a 4 year old.

I'm in Singapore right now and it is insanely kid friendly. It would also be really easy to do the city thing here then head to the beach in Malaysia for a little while.

I also find Hong Kong to be reasonably kid friendly but it isn't quite as easy to add other destinations from HK as it is from SG and I know if I was flying all that way I might want to go more than one place. There is always Macau though, and Taiwan is a short flight.

I haven't been to Japan but I think it oils also be a good choice.

Japan is our front runner. I love Singapore but didn't think we could spend more than 3-4 days there, but adding Malaysia is an interesting idea. My dh is going to be in HK and Macau in January so not sure he will want to go back in the Summer, but maybe he will! I haven't been to HK since I was 9, so it has been a long time

[frlcb]

Jul 22, 2014 1:24:50 GMT -5 origami said:

Jul 22, 2014 1:04:59 GMT -5 mdgirl said:

Japan! History, gorgeous temples, easy to get around, fun stuff for kids.

I was just going to say this. We are going to tokyo for our first trip after moving to asia because there is a lot for kids and adults to do. I would take a train and see other cities too, if I was flying a long time to get there. ETA: bonus: direct flight from ATL

The direct flight is super tempting! Where are you guys staying in Tokyo? Everywhere we have found is outrageously expensive.

[anna7602]

Brazil is pretty mild during their winter (I've been in June and July and still been able to go to the beaches in Rio and Salvador). The only catch is that the upcoming Olympics have made prices sky-rocket for everything. I'd love to take DD at some point. 

If not Brazil, what about the Galapagos? 

[frlcb]

Jul 22, 2014 7:58:21 GMT -5 anna7602 said:

Brazil is pretty mild during their winter (I've been in June and July and still been able to go to the beaches in Rio and Salvador). The only catch is that the upcoming Olympics have made prices sky-rocket for everything. I'd love to take DD at some point. 

If not Brazil, what about the Galapagos? 

Dh goes to Brazil once a month for work for a week so he has nixed Brazil. Love the idea of Galapagos but I think my kids should be older? Same with a safari

[rupertpenny]

Jul 22, 2014 7:41:49 GMT -5 frlcb said:

Jul 22, 2014 7:31:45 GMT -5 rupertpenny said:

My first though was Peru, but Machu Picchu is probably a bit much for a 4 year old.

I'm in Singapore right now and it is insanely kid friendly. It would also be really easy to do the city thing here then head to the beach in Malaysia for a little while.

I also find Hong Kong to be reasonably kid friendly but it isn't quite as easy to add other destinations from HK as it is from SG and I know if I was flying all that way I might want to go more than one place. There is always Macau though, and Taiwan is a short flight.

I haven't been to Japan but I think it oils also be a good choice.

Japan is our front runner. I love Singapore but didn't think we could spend more than 3-4 days there, but adding Malaysia is an interesting idea. My dh is going to be in HK and Macau in January so not sure he will want to go back in the Summer, but maybe he will! I haven't been to HK since I was 9, so it has been a long time

Yeah, i wouldn't want to spend a ton of time in Singapore either. We are here 4 nights and it's plenty.

I actually haven't been to Malaysia (yet, I want to go soon!) but I think there are lots of great places to go. I really want to go to Penang, but I think if you go to the Borneo side you can also do rainforest stuff and see Orangutans. I think Kota Kintabalu is a good place for that stuff.

Maybe VRBO would be a less expensive option for japan?

[origami]

Jul 22, 2014 7:42:33 GMT -5 frlcb said:

Jul 22, 2014 1:24:50 GMT -5 origami said:

I was just going to say this. We are going to tokyo for our first trip after moving to asia because there is a lot for kids and adults to do. I would take a train and see other cities too, if I was flying a long time to get there. ETA: bonus: direct flight from ATL

The direct flight is super tempting! Where are you guys staying in Tokyo? Everywhere we have found is outrageously expensive.

yah I'm a bit nervous about how much everything costs there. 3 people have warned me not to take a taxi, and esp not from the airport. :S that said, we are only staying 4 days so we splurged. Four seasons. (expedia had a small deal and I was swayed by their kid friendly stuff. I'm a sucker.) I wanted to be right next to the subway that goes to Disney. Expedia had some other better deals (<$250) when I looked but they were all booked for the dates I wanted. You might have better luck if you have more date flexibility. Hopefully someone with more knowledge of the city can post a rec.

[frlcb]

Jul 22, 2014 8:49:00 GMT -5 origami said:

Jul 22, 2014 7:42:33 GMT -5 frlcb said:

The direct flight is super tempting! Where are you guys staying in Tokyo? Everywhere we have found is outrageously expensive.

yah I'm a bit nervous about how much everything costs there. 3 people have warned me not to take a taxi, and esp not from the airport. :S that said, we are only staying 4 days so we splurged. Four seasons. (expedia had a small deal and I was swayed by their kid friendly stuff. I'm a sucker.) I wanted to be right next to the subway that goes to Disney. Expedia had some other better deals (<$250) when I looked but they were all booked for the dates I wanted. You might have better luck if you have more date flexibility. Hopefully someone with more knowledge of the city can post a rec.

We would love, love to stay at the Four Seasons, it looks awesome for kids. If we could get a deal I would be willing to do it for a few days and then move on. When do you go? Will look forward to hearing about it!

[spankswife]

I was going to say Galapagos as well. Even though your kids are younger, they would probably still love it!

Tokyo sounds like a good idea as well (especially the direct flight).

[frlcb]

Thanks all! We have a lot of deciding to do

[origami]

Jul 22, 2014 9:36:34 GMT -5 frlcb said:

Jul 22, 2014 8:49:00 GMT -5 origami said:

yah I'm a bit nervous about how much everything costs there. 3 people have warned me not to take a taxi, and esp not from the airport. :S that said, we are only staying 4 days so we splurged. Four seasons. (expedia had a small deal and I was swayed by their kid friendly stuff. I'm a sucker.) I wanted to be right next to the subway that goes to Disney. Expedia had some other better deals (<$250) when I looked but they were all booked for the dates I wanted. You might have better luck if you have more date flexibility. Hopefully someone with more knowledge of the city can post a rec.

We would love, love to stay at the Four Seasons, it looks awesome for kids. If we could get a deal I would be willing to do it for a few days and then move on. When do you go? Will look forward to hearing about it!

I saw some "stay X nights get 1 free" deals for the Four Seasons in July of this year so hopefully you can find some kind of deal for next summer! We are going in early September (for Korean thanksgiving).

[origami]

Jul 22, 2014 9:36:23 GMT -5 @sfgal530 said:

Jul 22, 2014 8:49:00 GMT -5 origami said:

yah I'm a bit nervous about how much everything costs there. 3 people have warned me not to take a taxi, and esp not from the airport. :S that said, we are only staying 4 days so we splurged. Four seasons. (expedia had a small deal and I was swayed by their kid friendly stuff. I'm a sucker.) I wanted to be right next to the subway that goes to Disney. Expedia had some other better deals (<$250) when I looked but they were all booked for the dates I wanted. You might have better luck if you have more date flexibility. Hopefully someone with more knowledge of the city can post a rec.

Don't get a taxi from the airport if you want to save $$ - ours was $250 one way. You can make Japan affordable but you will find the Four Seasons doesn't help much in that regard. We stayed at the Mandarin Oriental and getting a "cheap" restaurant recommendation on the nights we wanted one was very difficult because budget dining is not something that most clients staying at these hotels want. I would do research ahead of time on forums like TripAdvisor if you want to try certain types of food, because we stayed 5 nights in Tokyo and for 4 of them we spent over $300 (per night) on dinner. Granted two of those nights we had booked fancy meals so that was okay, but one night we had shabu shabu for $350 and the other night we had sushi for $450. It is obviously possible to dine for much less, but luxury hotels don't tend to be well-suited in recommending places where you can dine for $50 all-in so just plan in advance.

If you like ramen, then check out Ramen Street in the basement of Tokyo station. It's like $12 a person.

Thank you!! And holy crap $450 sushi?!!

We will have my 3 year olds with us so we won't be eating anything fancy. I'm good with ramen.

[GilliC]

Jul 22, 2014 8:49:00 GMT -5 origami said:

Jul 22, 2014 7:42:33 GMT -5 frlcb said:

The direct flight is super tempting! Where are you guys staying in Tokyo? Everywhere we have found is outrageously expensive.

yah I'm a bit nervous about how much everything costs there. 3 people have warned me not to take a taxi, and esp not from the airport. :S that said, we are only staying 4 days so we splurged. Four seasons. (expedia had a small deal and I was swayed by their kid friendly stuff. I'm a sucker.) I wanted to be right next to the subway that goes to Disney. Expedia had some other better deals (<$250) when I looked but they were all booked for the dates I wanted. You might have better luck if you have more date flexibility. Hopefully someone with more knowledge of the city can post a rec.

We spent a week in Tokyo in April, and I was amazed that it was so affordable! Everyone talks about how expensive it is, but when we stopped to do the currency conversion, it was shocking! Much less than we would have been spending someplace like London or Paris. I guess it helps that the Yen is over 100 to the Dollar this year, but I was expecting much worse. Aside from a few high-end meals, it was even cheaper than Brazil.

Also, there's really no reason to take a taxi from the airport unless your flight arrives at a ridiculous time. The Narita Express was a cinch and Haneda is right on the Tokyo Monorail. The Narita Express even has dedicated luggage racks at either end of the carriage, complete with locks if you're worried about security (no one bothers to use them).

[CloudBee]

Guam and Saipan! It's as gorgeous as Hawaii, yet more exotic. You can do an overnight layover in Tokyo or Hong Kong if you want to swing into either of those cities for a quick dinner or hire a taxi/car to drive you around.

We stayed at the Hyatt in both Guam and Saipan, and can't wait to go back. Both are US territories and easy to navigate. We rented cars and spent our days beach hopping, visiting WW2 combat sites, visiting a local zoo, eating out, and shopping. While you're practically in the middle of nowhere, there's also some chain restaurants and upscale shopping - like Louis Vuitton.

I've never been so blown away by beaches. Most of the waves break well offshore, so you can walk out for many yards, and only be knee deep.

[CloudBee]

You have to report back when you decide!