Family holiday of a lifetime- suggestions.

[awomaninsane]

Next summer (early July) I want to take the family on a memory making, fantastic 2 week holiday. It will be me, hubby and 2 girls who will be ages 15 and 18. Last year we went to Menorca and after a week everyone was bored and they complained there was nothing to do. I want to change that and give them loads to do!

My first thought was Thailand- some time in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket. I've made some initial enquiries and a price of £5000 has been quoted for flights from Newcastle, transfers between resorts and B&B in each place. I'm sure I could get the price down on doing more research.

Anywhere else that you have been that was fantastic? I'm thinking of a multi centre, cultural experience to cram in as much as possible and ideally I'd like the price to be £4000 (or less!)

Suggestions gratefully accepted!

 

[MossCommuter]

Next summer (early July) I want to take the family on a memory making, fantastic 2 week holiday. It will be me, hubby and 2 girls who will be ages 15 and 18. Last year we went to Menorca and after a week everyone was bored and they complained there was nothing to do. I want to change that and give them loads to do!

My first thought was Thailand- some time in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket. I've made some initial enquiries and a price of £5000 has been quoted for flights from Newcastle, transfers between resorts and B&B in each place. I'm sure I could get the price down on doing more research.

Anywhere else that you have been that was fantastic? I'm thinking of a multi centre, cultural experience to cram in as much as possible and ideally I'd like the price to be £4000 (or less!)

Suggestions gratefully accepted!

South Africa; starting in Cape Town for shopping, restaurants, bars, a couple of nights in Constantia for scenery, wine and braais then a short drive to Franschoek for a little time for more of the same. Then fly to Jo'burg (stay there if you fancy more shops, restaurants and so on) and then a short drive to Sun City for casino, cabaret, pool and an afternoon in Pilanesburg and then from there fly to Mpumalanga - find a private game-reserve for a bit of luxurious game spotting and the, when you get the idea, slum it a bit by going into Kruger Park for some self catering and self drive game spotting.

 

[TVC]

Thailand is wonderful and culturally very interesting.

How about Sydney? Flights are the biggest expense but if you are willing to avoid the most popular stop overs then you can get a good price. In Sydney rent an appartment, they are much cheaper than hotels. Food is well priced and there are plenty of places open for breakfasts if you don't want to do the self catering bit some mornings. Transport is good and you can buy passes for the ferries and public transport. As for stuff to do, beaches and the city obviously, but you can buy excursions into the Blue Mountains or to the wine areas.

 

[awomaninsane]

I once had a hankering for doing the Florida Keys @User , have you done that?


I lived in Australia for a year a long time ago and would love to go back. Do you think it's a bit too far though for a 2 week holiday @The Velvet Curtain ?

 

[spen666]

How about a fly drive in the USA? There's some really good routes and I can recommend a couple of companies.

...

Route 66?

 

[Crackle]

http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com/things-to-do/mule-trips/

 

[TVC]

I once had a hankering for doing the Florida Keys @User , have you done that?


I lived in Australia for a year a long time ago and would love to go back. Do you think it's a bit too far though for a 2 week holiday @The Velvet Curtain ?

If you just do one location then why not, many people think they have to try to do the whole of Australia in one go and rush around too much.

I do recommend Thailand too, perhaps not Phuket though, there are much nicer seaside places to visit. Phuket is on the Russian and Chinese package tour map now.

 

[ianrauk]

I haven't done the Keys. The last one we did was the West Coast (LA, Palm Springs, Phoenix, Sedona, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas (via Hoover Dam), Death Valley, Yosemite Park, San Francisco, Carmel, and back to LA). Lots of driving but great fun.

I've done near the same thing a couple of times. But included Monument Valley, Arches, Zion and Bryce Canyons. Friggin' awesome dude!

 

[outlash]

We haven't that long been back from touring (in a car unfortunately) New Zealand with a short trip to Queensland in Aus. Awesome. As is the Canadian Rockies.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Swindon.

 

[TVC]

Swindon.

Are you sure that would be suitable for the 15 year old? Best leave it as an adults only thing.

 

[MartinQ]

Next summer (early July) I want to take the family on a memory making, fantastic 2 week holiday. It will be me, hubby and 2 girls who will be ages 15 and 18. Last year we went to Menorca and after a week everyone was bored and they complained there was nothing to do. I want to change that and give them loads to do!

My first thought was Thailand- some time in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket. I've made some initial enquiries and a price of £5000 has been quoted for flights from Newcastle, transfers between resorts and B&B in each place. I'm sure I could get the price down on doing more research.

Suggestions gratefully accepted!

We've done a couple of tours of Thailand which covered those places (bangkok, kanchanaburi, chaing mai and hua hin / Koh samui) over a couple of weeks. £5k for 4 would be ~the going rate. In the summer you may get more rain on the west coast. Why not try Easter (better weather) and see if you can catch songkran (kids would probably love it). Plenty of stuff to do in the places you mention, depending on your interests. Great food, people friendly, ... good beaches, temples, countryside, ...

 

[Crackle]

Swindon.

and Basingstoke.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

I'd go to America (in fact I do, it's my destination of choice), it's more than £4K but always brilliant, fascinating country. You meet some great people too, forget all that bollocks you always hear about 'yanks'.

 

[spen666]

As long as you remember what was Route 66 is now mainly Route 60 - otherwise you have a very short tour!

Part of the fun is to find the old alignments of Route 66, including some of the unpaved bits