Family holiday of a lifetime- suggestions.

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outlash

also available in orange
No driving at all I don't think. I don't like spending my time driving when on holiday, so I'd be looking for alternative transport- bus/train. I also think Australia is too far for 2 weeks holiday.
But who knows? The kids might love the idea!

Go to Orlando. Free buses to all the attractions (with the exeption of Cape Canaveral/Kennedy). Kids will love it, flights not too bad and well doable within budget. Job done.
 

Beebo

Firm and Fruity
Location
Hexleybeef
The trouble is that £4000 will barely get you 2 weeks in Spain during the school holidays for a family of 4.
A holiday of a life time would need some very careful planning or a much bigger budget.
The best holidays i remember as a kid were made up on the hoof. Dad would just drive around the UK for 2 weeks, going from various guest houses & hotels. We had some great adventures, you could spend £400 a day for 10 days and still be in budget.
 
No driving at all I don't think. I don't like spending my time driving when on holiday, so I'd be looking for alternative transport- bus/train. I also think Australia is too far for 2 weeks holiday.
But who knows? The kids might love the idea!

I'd say a big NO to south africa then. I believe Cape Town is the safest city, but when I was there about 2008, there was no public transport that white people used. There was a fantastic system of informal minibuses, but only used by blacks or coloureds. I don't think it would be suitable for tourists of any race, so you would be using taxis a lot. btw, another fascinating thing about South Africa, is you end up talking about race all the time. If really colours (sorry) everyone's experience, so you can't explain anything to do with people without mention what racial (apartheid era) class they belong to.

I loved driving around Kruger. You can't drive there at night, so we booked a night safari and shared a vehicle with 20 strangers. That was not a lovely experience, I'm afraid.

Australian cities have pretty good transport. And you will be able to book buses to interesting places with ease. You'll have a little less freedom than driving, but you can make it work.
 
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awomaninsane

awomaninsane

Senior Member
The trouble is that £4000 will barely get you 2 weeks in Spain during the school holidays for a family of 4.
A holiday of a life time would need some very careful planning or a much bigger budget.
.

Interesting that you say that because that's what I thought. However (and these prices are based on July this year as 2017 prices aren't yet available- so I know to expect a slight increase perhaps) but flights from Newcastle to Bangkok will cost us £1885. That is actually cheaper that going to Greece. I think I can do a family trip to Thailand, with flights like that, then staying in modest B&B and using local transport to get around for well under £4000. I think I'm talking myself into this!
 

Mrs M

Guru
Location
Aberdeenshire
Go to Orlando. Free buses to all the attractions (with the exeption of Cape Canaveral/Kennedy). Kids will love it, flights not too bad and well doable within budget. Job done.
I'd have loved Orlando as a kid, lots to see, do, eat and great shopping :smile: (and golf).
Been a few times, just us 2 big kids!
Mr M loves all the rides, I don't but there's still loads to do.
 

TVC

Guest
As was said earlier, July is not the best time to go to Thailand, it's the middle of the wet season. Although they don't have monsoons expect it to be humid and rain most days. Also you will find a lot of the beach resorts will have wound down and some of the National Parks closed to tourists.
 

vickster

Squire
Angkor is very accessible from Bangkok, loads of cheap places to stay as very popular with backpackers, loads of cheap street and restuarant food and $1 beers or $2 cocktails. Tuk Tuks can take you to the temples, there was a stream of them when we went to see sunrise at 4.30am...you can basically negotiate the fare, my guess would be around $10 return, they will take 4 people. We did a great cycle ride too around the temples, we had transport but I'm sure a guide would take you from Siem Reap centre to some of the closer ones to pedal around :smile:

Phnom Penh is very interesting (and depressing) with the Khmer Rouge history, and about an hour flight from Siem Reap

Get Trailfinders or similar to price up flights for you :smile: But as above, it will be stupid hot (100+) and humid and possibly wet in July, Christmas better

I have to say my trip to Vietnam and Cambodia was probably the best holiday I've ever had :smile: I've 'done' a lot of the US, the Canadian Rockies, I've been on a luxury safari in Tanzania (for a wedding), I've been to Thailand...the only downside for me with Asia is the very long flights (as a nervous flier :wacko:)
 
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outlash

also available in orange
I'd have loved Orlando as a kid, lots to see, do, eat and great shopping :smile: (and golf).
Been a few times, just us 2 big kids!
Mr M loves all the rides, I don't but there's still loads to do.

We did it a couple of years ago with our two boys who were then 9 & 11. We did make a large drop off with getting a all-parks pass for Disney which they didn't go for a lot of because we found out they're a pair of adrenaline junkies so Universal/Islands of Adventure were right up all of our streets, I had mixed feelings about Seaworld mainly due the killer whales, but my personal fave was Cape Canaveral/Kennedy. The whole day was wonderful.
 

vickster

Squire
image.jpeg
Here's a teaser ;)
 
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I've looked into the overnight sleeper train to Chiang Mai from Bangkok and it costs £9.40 each way- how cheap is that. I think first class only costs £25!

Make sure you take a couple of Singhas/Changs on board, it makes the trip bearable. You'll probably arrive a bit late into Chiang Mai in the morning and a bit tired, but its an adventure and saves an overnighter in a hotel.
 

Hill Wimp

Fair weathered,fair minded but easily persuaded.
Exodus is a company i would recommend. I have used them before for a cycling holiday which was brilliantly organised. They do family activity holidays too and may be worth a look. I have also used a company called Explore but not sure if they do the same of not. They are both excellent and i know there are several people on CC who have used them too.

http://www.exodus.co.uk/family-holidays/summer-family-holidays
 
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