$10k Family Holiday over Xmas Break - Need Some Ideas

Stalker on 08/08/2016 - 08:51

Hi all,

Trying to plan a holiday over the upcoming Xmas break (probably Dec 27 - Jan 6) with the family, being me, wifey and 2 kids (6 and 8). Budget of around $10k all up incl airfares, accommodation, food, activities etc. Will be travelling from Perth. We all have passports.

So far we were thinking Gold Coast, but the kids may be a tad too young to get the most out of the theme parks?

We are also considering Singapore, but went there July last year for about the same all up cost and while we loved it, we are thinking of trying somewhere different.

Ultimately, we are seeking a nice relaxing, but memorable holiday with access plenty of activities to keep the kids interested / away from their ipads. ;)

Keen for any and all ideas, even Bali - although I've never been and it isn't really a preferred option of ours.

Cheers!

Travel

Comments

imbatman on 09/08/2016 - 20:05

+1

GOTHAM…. I mean Hawaii. Hawaii is great. Even staying at Waikiki for a few days would be memorable and generally a safe and family friendly place.

Relatively cheap for some activities - Hanauma Bay is a fantastic nature preserve for snorkelling and cheap to enter - I think it was about $10 for entrance (plus transport). Or you could rent a car spend the day driving around the island or just at Waikiki beach and do water activities. Luaus are also great for the family. Hawaii can be expensive, I guess it really depends on cost of flights (if you can get cheap Jetstar ones) + accommodation at that time. Good luck!
strawberrybug on 09/08/2016 - 21:01

+1

Fiji, Malaysia or Bali. All reasonably short flights which is great and whilst I don't have kids I've seen child-friendly activities in all these countries.
KupoHo on 09/08/2016 - 22:56

The good thing is that you're in Perth so flights to SE Asia is relatively cheap but unfortunately you are going during peak season do you will probably need to allocate 3-4k to flights. U can usually get cheap flights with budget airlines but I think they release those quite far in advance.

I was going to say Singapore but you've been there n accom can get quite exxie

What is it that you and your family want to do? Shop? Eat? Touristy stuff? Theme parks? Adventure?

We recently went to Japan n it was amazing but itll be super cold in Dec and accom gets pretty exxie. But if you want to see snow I would totally consider it!! Such a great place with so much for kids and adults to do!

Bali would be an ideal location in your budget. Am currently looking at going there in next few months and make the most of those Scoopon vouchers for pool villas (but I think your dates are excluded for the vouchers doh). If you book direct with hotels this far in advance you'll still get a good price! If you haven't been there before a week is the perfect amount of time to spend there

HK, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam are all comfortably doable with your budget. So it really just comes down to what you want to do on your holidays!! I've been to all these locations with my now 3.5yo so please just PM if you Want to find out more info abt anything!

We've also taken him to Queensland for all the theme parks n I think children your age would love all the theme parks if you decide to travel domestically instead!

Whatever u decide I would try n lock in flights n accom asap as peak periods sell out so quickly!!! Good luck :)
- Stalker on 10/08/2016 - 09:41
  
  Thanks - all very good comments. Yes, know this is the expensive time to travel, but only real option around work commitments.
  
  Hawaii, Fiji, Phuket, Malaysia, Thailand and even Bali are great contenders. A memorable family holiday with a relaxed beachy atmosphere is what we are after I think. Theme parks would just be a bonus.
  
  And yes, wary we need to lock something in soon!
compacc on 10/08/2016 - 00:34

I'm about to go back to the GC a second time - we went last year when my son was 2. He's now 3 and has a baby sister. He had a blast last year, there's something for all ages there. It made our holiday really kid-centric, lots of time at ABC Kids World etc but that's par for the course when you have little ones. We still had a great time seeing stuff and it will be great when they are older and can do water parks too. We stayed at Turtle Beach resort and we're going back there again, it's an amazing place and the staff were super friendly. It's about 20-30 minutes away from the theme parks but we found it worth it. On our days off there was still plenty to do at the resort.

I'd avoid Bali. First and only time I went there I got Bali belly on the 2nd day and took me 3 days to recover. It was hell, I had to have a doctor visit me to give me lots of needles to stop the vomiting. It was relentless and hell. I'd never take my kids there in case it happened to them. My new rule is, if I can't brush my teeth in their water, I don't go there.
nikey2k27 on 10/08/2016 - 02:53

Ski Japan we did christmas in japan few year back snow the whole works for 7hours much cheap then family Eup Christmas and much the same. GC is good lots to do. We spent many family Vacation there family own timeshare. place back in the day.
[Deactivated] on 10/08/2016 - 07:23

Mauritius?
Stalker on 10/08/2016 - 09:43

Thanks again everyone - genuinely appreciate all the feedback. Some great options to consider. Hmmm… :)
jee on 10/08/2016 - 10:46

check out the southern indian state.
https://www.keralatourism.org/

Christmas tickets will be very costly.. good backwater locations for relaxing..
but for kids, there won't be lot of activities apart from the stunning visual treats
CryssieJade on 10/08/2016 - 11:30

Japan.
[Deactivated] on 10/08/2016 - 14:56

-1

Someone to look after your kids away from home for entire Xmas period, $10,000
You stay at home, nice relaxing peace and quiet, Priceless
tipidmode on 10/08/2016 - 18:30

Philippines! You can go to Cebu, Bohol or Palawan. These are island paradise.

Check out Hennan Resort Aloha Beach in Bohol. Very nice resort to stay in. Rates are good. These resorts have great activities for kids.

You can visit the tarsier sanctuary. Tarsier is considered as one of the tiniest mammal on earth.

Do snorkeling, diving, swim with whale sharks, island hopping. Lots of water activities.

Since Philippines is an archipelago surrounded by water, you will enjoy fresh and cheap seafood.

December is also a good month to visit as weather is nice and there is a festive mood as it is Christmas.
FittyFitty on 10/08/2016 - 18:47

May I just say that there is this great place in Victoria called Bonnie Doon that definitely won't break your budget nor leave you disenchanted with the legal system…
juventino on 10/08/2016 - 18:56
Instead of Bali, I would suggest the capital city Jakarta. In December, traffic wouldn't be so bad. Qantas has Perth to Jakarta for $800 return. 5 stars hotels are generally cheaper here than in Singapore.

What can you do there?
* Jakarta is 1/10th the size of Perth yet it has more than 150 malls. So if you are keen shopper, you'll be in heaven. These aren't your boring Australian shopping centers either. Some of them are themed differently. Some are right next to the sea. Lots of playing space for kids too inside.

Few theme parks and museums around the city.

You can catch a ferry to the northern side of the city (2 hours ) and stay in one of the hundred tiny islands for snorkeling if you fancy that kind of thing.

Binge eating. Tons of cuisines from different country and continent. From cheap 2 dollar meals right up to few hundred $$$. Again, there are hundreds of themed restaurant, from the old school rustic type to the cute Hello Kitty cafe type of establishment.

Visit old Dutch Colonial square in the city center. Great spot for taking pics.

you can also travel from jakarta to bandung in 3 hours. Bandung has colder climate. Lots of natural attraction. Waterfalls, Hot Spring. Tea Plantation, Colonial Western Dairy Farm.

Or go to Bogor, 2 hours drive. It's known as 'the rain city'. Lots of waterparks and national parks.

Hell if you are bored in Jakarta, catch a 2-hour flight to Singapore in the morning and come back at night haha it's that cheap
njm on 10/08/2016 - 19:31

We have done Thailand (Karon Beach) with a stopover in KL flying Malaysia Airlines about 4 years ago and did Bali (Legian) Last year.

Kids loved both, particularly Thailand and Malaysia. KL was only 2 nights, we crammed in a few activities including a tour to see fire flies at night. The Thailand resort had a water slide. My kids were slightly younger than yours and loved it. They still talk about the water slide.

We found it a good balance of a few tours and then a lot of relaxing by the pool or in the pool while the kids were on the slide.
Cybella on 10/08/2016 - 20:25

+2

Take a cruise, everything is taken care of. Stuff for you, heaps of stuff to do for the kids. The food is included. The entertainment is included, You get to see new places….seriously its great fun.
WT on 11/08/2016 - 12:02

now that all the sensible suggestions have been made, I say screw it, xmas at home with family, buy motorbike with 10K, have a holiday everytime you saddle up and put a helmet on.
DCx3 on 11/08/2016 - 12:26

My suggestion would also be Japan. The food is awesome, the people are friendly and the culture is just different from Australia, so good experience for the kids.

Go to the snow cause you can't use an ipad and snowboard or ski at the same time. It will make the kids pass out at night time too because snow sports is very tiring for kids.

Spend a few days in Tokyo for disney land and disney sea. You get value for money cause the parks arent as busy cause its cold
- Ridge_didge on 11/08/2016 - 22:50
  
  I love Japan and if I was thinking of an ideal holiday for a family with a six and eight year old I would also say skiing/boarding. Only problem I see is Christmas and 10k.
KaTst3R on 11/08/2016 - 18:49

Solely because of the young kids.

Japan (Toyko) - Shopping, food, Disneyland, it is a really different sort of place compared to Australia. It is unbelievably clean and culture is so unique.
LA/San Fran - direct flight, Disneyland, universal studios, Hollywood, DFO shopping (really cheap Coach/MK/Kate Spade/etc), drive to San Fran

For tropical regions,

If you go to Singapore again, just stay on Sentosa island. There is so much to do there for 1 week (universal/adventure cove/aquarium/beach/etc).
Or do a combination of Singapore/Malaysia or Malaysia/Thailand.
- Ridge_didge on 11/08/2016 - 22:26
  
  Who flys direct to LA? Just tried a few travel websites and can't find it, my family would love that but I thought it would take forever to get there from Perth.
  - KaTst3R on 12/08/2016 - 01:31
    
    My bad, it looks like there is'nt any from Perth. Im from Melb and there are a couple of direct flights to LAX. I assumed it would be the same for other major cities from Australia but looks like it is not the case.
gimme on 11/08/2016 - 21:54

Rotto mate! It's an island paradise. Your 10k might even buy you a couple of drinks with your red rooster.
inacoma on 11/08/2016 - 22:11

$10k is a sizeable budget for anywhere in Asia. For kids at that age, I would definitely recommend somewhere with a theme park, depending if you and your wife will enjoy it too:

Japan - Fuji Q Highland, Disney Sea, Sega World
Hong Kong - Ocean Park, Disney Land, The Peak

Otherwise there are other options for fun and relaxation that cater to adults and kids:

ClubMed/All-inclusive Hotels - Hawaii, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Japan

I've travelled a lot myself and am quite a kid at heart but my fondest memories when I was around 10 was being on a cruise and also hitting all the theme parks in Florida. If your budget allows, then I would highly recommend that.
- Ridge_didge on 11/08/2016 - 22:45
  
  I dont think you will get a Japan club med holiday over Christmas for 10k. (Club med Japan is $7628 per person over Christ add on a flight so perhaps it works if op leaves the rest of the family at home). I would love to take my family to Japan skiing over Christmas but no way would I pay that. Unfortunately I doubt you could fly plus pay for club med anywhere over Christmas for a family for under 10k.
  - inacoma on 12/08/2016 - 01:07
    
    +2
    
    Hi Ridge,
    
    Just looked up Club Med's website and they're doing a special at Kabira Ishigaki (summer all year round) for $1,045 per person based on a 7 night stay. I did a dummy booking with Stalker's dates over 7 days (28/12/2016 - 04/01/2017) and the total came to about $4,976 for a quadruple room (I doubt you would want your kids sleeping separately to you). But for the same price you can get a separate room as well.
    
    http://www.ishigaki-japan.com/weather/climate
    
    But if you're looking for a ski trip, it is pretty late to start booking winter holidays now so one can only expect to pay exorbitant prices at this time of the year for December travel. While you may not necessarily enjoy Club Med's hospitality I would say you'd still be spoilt for choice with these other options by booking hotel separately, and you're not going to be restricted with what you do and where you go. And this way you can budget on how much you prefer to spend from food to activities. Based on feedback, I've been told that the less popular ski town Hakuba in Sapporo have the best snow in all of Japan:
    
    http://www.booking.com/searchresults.en-gb.html?src=searchre…
    
    Other alternatives:
    
    Rusutsu, Hokkaido
    
    http://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/daini-meisui-tei.en-gb.html?…
    
    Furano, Hokkaido
    http://www.booking.com/searchresults.en-gb.html?src=searchre…
    
    There are usually good flight deals around this time of the year if you do your research. IWTF is a good source otherwise, Jetstar and Air Asia are always good year-round budget savers.
    
    Here are other information you might like to look at:
    
    https://beyondbanality.wordpress.com/2016/01/08/rusutsu-vs-c…
    
    http://www.hakubatourism.jp/
    
    http://www.japanpackage.com.au/snowpackage.htm
    
    http://www.holidayswithkids.com.au/ski/skisushi
    - Stalker on 12/08/2016 - 08:42
      
      Thanks mate - appreciate your efforts!
    - Ridge_didge on 12/08/2016 - 09:36
      
      nice call, never thought of going to club med japan for any other reason than to get English speaking ski lessons for the kids, I also have never though of Japan for a beach holiday!
      
      I have been to hukuba, niseko, furano and some smaller resort aimed at the local market. Personally I didn't think much of hukuba but I met people that went there every year. If you can read Japanese there are some great deals in Japanese travel agents windows with train, accom lift and lessons but not great if the kids need English lessons and I doubt there will be availability over the Christmas week.
      
      Japan is amazing, if you don't love what you see in Tokyo go another train stop and see something completely different, Osaka is a great spot to stay with easy day trips to most things you want to see. You can get cheap food and many hostels have family rooms which works well as the kids can hang out in the common rooms rather than a tiny hotel room.
      
      The only problem I see is the Christmas new year part and finding these flight deals with reasonable connections over that week and cheap accom options will be limited. One thing to consider is there is often cheap flights on Christmas Day as everyone wants to fly before to be at there destination for Christmas, not sure if you can convince the kids this is a good idea.
    - inacoma on 12/08/2016 - 12:45
      
      @Ridge_didge:
      
      I agree. I love Japan. It's like a different world and there's usually always something to do. Most shops never close.
      
      They have a Universal Studios in Osaka (was there 2 years ago), which I believe they just completed the Harry Potter ride. Good crowd but lines can be long. And if you don't mind journeying with 2 young kids in tow, I recommend using Osaka as your base and taking the bullet train down to Kyoto (20 mins, or about an hour by normal train) and spend a couple days there and head down to Gion for some Geisha spotting and get lost in the famous bamboo forest Arashiyama (you can rent bikes for the day). Then take a train trip to Kobe for some good ole Kobe beef and steamed black Pork buns in Chinatown. These are all in the Kansai region so very close to each other. Tokyo is about a 3 hour bullet train ride to/from Osaka so that's an added option for you.

$10k Family Holiday over Xmas Break - Need Some Ideas

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