Five week child free holiday, would you do it? And where to go?

[SSinclair88]

To quickly summarise I have three delightful (and high energy) boys who are 8, 10 and 12 - every summer for the past four years (the ones over the age of 8) have gone on a two week holiday to Florida with my parents (who own a villa there) followed by 2 weeks at American summer camp - there cousins (my brothers kids) also attend. We then fly and collect them/have a holiday of our own.

This is the first year we have had all 3 boys go to the US, and house feels very sad and empty - although I'm assured they're having an amazing time.

Prior to children me and my husband went to 50 new countries together and did lots of travelling (this has continued since kids but not quite the same way).

We were thinking of next summer using 5 weeks to go on a big trip together - thinking China, Japan and South Korea or Argentina and the Antarctic.

Do you think this is a good/bad idea? Worried people will think we are bad parents.

Also just for fun/inspo where would you go?

Sounds like heaven! I’d do it, but then as a child, from the age of 4/5, I would spend 4/5 weeks of the 6 week summer staying with my grandparents/aunts homes, 200 miles away from our home.

It's a great idea, but you won't be going to Antarctica at this time of year 🙃

I’m jealous if you have enough annual leave to take 5 weeks off and still have enough left over to spend with your kids on their other school holidays!!

If you’ve got the time and money to do it and it wouldn’t impact on spending time/having holidays with your kids also, then go for it. If I was choosing, I’d campervan through Europe, taking in as many places as I could

@IndigoHexagon Sort of my logic - we are already miles away being in the UK think an opportunity to be miles away having fun shouldn't be missed?

Sounds great I’d do it but Antarctica is in the depths of winter and 24 hour darkness so maybe plan somewhere else!

Quick google and definitely no Antarctica for another 10 years (husbands dream location).

My husband is self employed and I'd be able to take a month of unpaid leave, so other holidays wouldn't be affected fortunately :)

In terms of where you should go, we had a great trip to Brazil, Bolivia and Peru in August. You might need to check the rainfall in Asia. Indonesia is good at this time of year.

Greenland or Svalbard would be an option. Canada, also.

Galapagos?

If they are going anyway and you can afford it then go (personally I know I couldn't get 5 weeks off in one go from work)

If you aren't in the same country as your kids anyway then what difference does it make what other country that is? (I probably would want to go to a country where I could be contactable in the same way they would contact me in the UK - so if you skype every other day/weekly I'd want to do that -

Japan is another place I wouldnt choose to go in August...

But then I escape heat for my "summer" holiday, so perhaps aren't the best to advise (ie I move away from somewhere the daily temperature is in the 40s, so cool, wet UK actually suits me!)

YANBU
And you are not bad parents.

However:
We were thinking of next summer using 5 weeks to go on a big trip together - thinking China, Japan and South Korea or Argentina and the Antarctic.

Your chosen locations need refining.
China, Japan and South K are all stinking hot in summer - avoid all of them. They are rotten at this time.

Not sure about Argentina, but it would be winter - but it could be nice.

Antarctic would be winter - so ferociously hellishly freezing with blizzards and pretty much inaccessible, you need to go there in the southern summer.

There are lots of websites that will tell you the best place to visit each month such as:
bestimetovisit

You just need to do your homework.

Yes - as mentioned above - the Antarctic will be very dark during the northern summer.

My memories of my childhood summers are nothing but happy, it certainly never did me any harm being away from my parents.

I don’t see what difference your location will be to them if they are well cared for and used to being apart from you.

Maybe more research to locations I'm a bit of a lover of somewhere new and having backpacked Africa, Interrailed Europe, caught buses around South East Asia and Central America - fancied a new country (maybe with a bigger budget - not sure I'm a bunk bed kinda gal anymore).

A couple of glasses of wine and my husband has suggested we get motorbikes and do the Pan-American highway.... Time will tell.

Sounds fab OP. We did China and Japan for 5 weeks for our blowout holiday before having kids. 3 weeks in China and 2 in Japan. Flew to each and got around internally on railway which was lots of fun
It was in March/April though so can't comment on summer heat.

I would go to bed for five blissful weeks (missing the point I know!)

Turns out one week of sleep is actually enough (I'm shocked too!) before the itch to do things comes about

Alaska in August is phenomenal. I'd easily spend 5 weeks just there

2020 Olympics and Paralympics are being held next July/August/September in Japan