Location Advice for Relaxing Family Holiday with Small Kids (4 and 2)

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  Jimothy Wongingtons on 13/04/2024 - 15:46

  +1

  destress

  unwind

  kids between 2 and 4

  anything more than a 30 min drive

  Me: stress through the roof

• 

  Gdsamp on 13/04/2024 - 15:53

  -3

  New Delhi, Manila, Mumbai all come to mind….
  go somewhere really stressful then appreciate the peace one can have here….

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  organisedchaos on 13/04/2024 - 15:57

  Phuket was really nice for us, very nice resorts, lovely people and affordable. If you want to keep it relaxing find a resort where they have multiple restaurants, kids entertainment etc. so you don't have to leave the resort too often. We stayed for 5 nights and left the resort once.

  Can't wait to go back.

• 

  AustriaBargain on 13/04/2024 - 16:20

  That Mario theme park in Japan. Gotta imprint those lifelong Mario memories early if you want them to be wholesome Nintendo kids.

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  MS Paint on 13/04/2024 - 16:23

  Bora Bora

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  barge-in hunter on 13/04/2024 - 16:55

  +3

  We went to a beachside resort in Fiji - it was as good as a family resort can be with a toddler and a young child. We did enjoy ourselves, but you do have to have realistic expectations…

  Think:
  * there’s a beach and/or a pool 10m from your front door! But… toddlers can be surprisingly quick so you have to watch them like a hawk
  * there are gravel tracks to take you anywhere in the huge resort! But… small travel prams/strollers don’t fair well on gravel or mud and potholes
  * there’s a kids club! But… the kids won’t know anyone there, so it’ll be like their first day of childcare all over again; along with lots less supervision/structure/attention from the staff

  We still enjoyed it and did get a little downtime, but a family holiday at that age is partly just parenting in another country

  • 

    organisedchaos on 13/04/2024 - 17:10

    +1

    managing expectations at its best!!! :

• 

  Benoffie on 13/04/2024 - 17:12

  I always recommend Vanuatu. Taken young children before, easy to rent a house and costs are generally less than Fiji (especially if you stick with local non imported goods)

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  sumyungguy on 13/04/2024 - 17:15

  +1

  Suggest you check age limits at your prospective kids club. Otherwise consider Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawai'i.

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  kiwijunglist on 13/04/2024 - 17:22

  +1

  Given you are traveling with young children for only 1 week or less then choose the option with the shortest direct flight / no transfers / easy to get to airport from resort / best time of day flights.

  We liked Fiji.
  Direct 3.5hr flight from wellington
  About 1.5hr taxi to intercontinental resort

  Fiji is not cheap, but the flights were very cheap so that balanced out the higher accommodation costs.

  Bali is going to be cheaper, but not sure about the flights, which might be longer or more expensive.

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  Ocker on 13/04/2024 - 18:13

  Lash out and hire a nanny to take with you

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  BewareOfThe Dog on 14/04/2024 - 00:31

  +1

  Bonnie Doon.

  Ahhhh the Serenity.

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  cheekymonkey on 15/04/2024 - 12:07

  Kids may be too young to make use of kid's clubs in resorts, hence we had great holidays within Australia.
  For us Cairns/Pt Douglas or even Noosa were great locations, but depends were you are. We chose a kid's suitable air bnb with a pool and were able to make day trips as it suited the young ones (e.g. nap schedules etc). in Noosa we stayed in RACV Noosa Resort. Still plenty to do around there with a car hire and you can always relax by the pool if need be. The short flight times and not being stuck in hotel rooms were big advantages for us.
  it's not an overseas holiday and I understand places like Bali and Fiji provide more value, but it was a more relaxing holiday for us, especially if it's only few days.