Where to go 6.5 weeks school holidays trip

[CATH007]

Where do we go? 2 adults and 2 teens(15 and 13). We have a rare chance for a 6.5 week trip. Wanting to make the very most of it. Do we explore Europe on a driving trip and buy a caravan or do we go long haul somewhere with a lower cost of living ideally south east Asia for a real adventure.
trying to look at options. Any suggestions? It’s been 19 years since my gap year so need to make the very most of this rare opportunity

I'd be a little wary of far flung travel just now. What about inter-railing?

South east Asia would be amazing for backpacking and much better value but you’d want to double check climate for the various options at that time of year.

I wouldn't do 6 weeks cooped up in a caravan with teenagers is too close for comfort. Most teenagers are looking for distance from their parents, not 6 weeks in a small hot box.

Long haul sounds much better. I would do Thailand and Malaysia with separate accomodation and a bit of luxury/chilling along the way.

Inter railing - everyone gets to choose a week somewhere, and then some joint choices (theme parks? Beach?) in between?

If that’s 6.5 weeks over the UK summer holidays I would first look at climate - there’s huge regions you can rule out due to monsoon or hurricane seasons.

Following with interest- this sounds like a fantastic opportunity! I once spent 4 weeks in Bangkok and Northern Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Very easy to get around and lots to see!

I totally agree about the cooped up in a caravan comment. Yes I cannot realistically see it as an option as it would be far too intense without any personal space with teens too.
I had considered south east Asia avoiding the rainy areas.
I’ve never been interrailing so hadn’t even considered that as an option.
some great suggestions, keep them coming! So useful already! Thank you.

Budget?

You could easily spend that length of time really getting to know a single country like India or China! 😍

Or if you want to tick off a number of countries then Central and South America or South East Asia. You'll need to check about visas, some places you can get on arrival but some you need to get in advance and can take aaaages.

SE Asia is a well-trodden route and very easy to navigate.

What language(s) do the kids learn at school? You could plan your trip to include places they could practise using it!

Where did & didn't you go on your gap year 19 years ago?

What's your budget?

Or what about 3 weeks in Europe and then 3.5 weeks in SE Asia?

You could do something like drive France, Northern Italy, Slovenia, Croatia and fly from there to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia....would be a whistle stop tour but lots of experiences!

😍

I love the idea of south east Asia.
We did this region for 3 months as part of our gap year so it would be a wonderful way to reminisce too. Never made it to Indonesia though. Would need to check which areas are rainy season to avoid them.

I’m also thinking we could make it longer if we took the teens out of school for end 2 or 3 weeks of term. GCSE courses only start in September. I’d need to see if that’s a feasible option though as wouldn’t want to disrupt their education but as a one-off it might add some time to make the most of this trip.
They both learn Spanish so yes that’s a good suggestion we had wanted to learn Spanish as adults and once did a one week at a 1 to 1 Spanish language course in guatamala and I’d always wanted to go back and do a 6 week Spanish course there so that’s a very good suggestion too.
Thank you for the inspiration!

I’d probably fly into one country and have a flight out of somewhere else and spend the time travelling between the two. E.g fly into Bangkok and out from Singapore. What kind of things do you all enjoy?

Alternatively you could have an amazing time travelling around Japan with short city breaks either side on the way there/back in Seoul/Hong Kong/Singapore!

Yes for South East Asia this sounds like a very good plan to fly into one country and out of another.
yes I have a South Korea mad teen and also one keen to visit Japan. Never been to either. So that would be good. I’m just concerned the costs could be a lot higher to these countries but would love to include them somehow.
Snorkelling, swimming,hiking, nature, countryside, seeing the culture and buildings. Avoiding large cities for more than a few nights.

Boring practical point - check your house insurance. Most policies have a clause where you can't leave the property unoccupied for more than 30 days and if something happens they will reject your claim. You may need to arrange for someone to spend the odd night in your home or seperate your 6 weeks into two 3 week blocks. Sorry to be a downer (I know people who did similar came home to a burst pipe and insurance said no).

Budget ideally up to £12500

For 6.5 weeks for 3 adults and one child…. Is that including spending money?

has your 15 year old not already started his GCSEs?

Would something like this be of interest?
https://www.goeco.org/area/volunteer-in-asia/japan/family-friendly-wildlife-cultural-immersion/

Based on what you've said, I'd do Japan, south korea and then SE Asia, whichever parts seem interesting to you. China is also visa free entry until end of Dec 26, you could go to Yunnan province from Laos, see Tiger Leaping Gorge etc which is relatively inexpensive.

Maybe a real cultural immersion like this? https://farmerleaf.com/pages/tea-tour

Teen turns 15 in September so not yet 15.
Yes I realise I might need to up the budget.
I love the Japan, South Korea and SE Asia suggestions. I will look up those links as this sounds like a really interesting trip and some great ideas. Thank you.

Ooo you sound like us in terms of what you like! I’m excited for you, what a fantastic opportunity and the ages of your children will be amazing!

I’d be inclined to spend the majority of the time in Japan, as there is so much to see, although it is meant to be more expensive than a lot of south east Asia. Seoul is high on our list, I’ve heard you don’t need too long there though.

We once combined Sri Lanka and the Maldives, with the Maldives we stayed on a local island instead of a resort though (no alcohol and be mindful of covering up outside of the tourist area but it is a FRACTION of the price!) it takes some planning but that could be another option for some amazing snorkelling trips.

Hope you have the most incredible trip whatever you choose!

You’ll need to add in the cost of fines if you take two or three weeks of school time.

Areas in Asia which are dry - Bali, Borneo, Java, central Vietnam
Have been to Japan and South Korea in July and the heat can be quite debilitating.
one year we did - Hoi An, Hue, Hanoi, Luang Prabang, Bangkok and then Hong Kong. Not everywhere was dry, but plenty to do during the odd downpour!

I think your budget is ambitious for Japan etc. does it include flights? You’d benefit from moving around less as each flight will add up quickly for 4 fares.

No experience myself but South America has lots of Spanish speaking options and is typically budget friendly. Japan is wonderful but neither Spanish nor budget friendly.

I think as it’s summertime you’ll want to consider what sort of weather you’re targeting. Personally that would rule out anywhere southern Europe and unfortunately much of Japan. My kids are miserable in the heat. So I’d be looking into Northern Europe or South America.

Interrailing around Europe where you each choose a destination for a week, then the other 2 weeks can be a joint decision between you

That budget would be a real stretch in Japan IMO. Does it include flights? It’s only £280 ish a day which even if it doesn’t include flights isn’t going to go far in Japan - you’re presumably talking about two hotel rooms, plus meals, plus trains (not cheap).

Japan is also very hot and humid in summer unless you go north.

The budget would be doable for China and much of SE Asia though. Or Central/S America. But if you need to cover flights in that budget you’re going to need to plan carefully. Long haul flights could be £2-4k of that budget easily.