OMG! We have just won a competition - a family holiday anywhere in the world. We choose. Where shall we go??

[areyoutheregoditsmemargaret]

Obviously I am rather excited

Two dcs - 7 and nearly 5.

Thinking of going for two weeks - either we'd drop everything and go at Easter or be naughty and add an extra week on to the summer half term or go in the summer holidays, though dh is keen on it being asap.

I'd obviously like us to do something we could never afford normally - so long haul. Maybe a safari? I know you'll all hate me for being so lucky but any suggestions gratefully received .

Not sure I'd recommend a safari with 2 young DCs - I've done it myself in Kenya & as much as I loved it & would gladly go back, there is just so much danger there for curious DCs, so I just wouldn't want to take mine until she is MUCH older.

I got ill from the dust on the safari & was bitten by a strange insect that gave me blood poisoning - took 6 weeks before it got right into my system & had my glands tennis ball sized, veins standing proud & rushed off to A&E - the malaria drugs are awful & can make you feel ill & I wouldn't fancy giving them to my DD - her School friend didn't take them on a trip there & she ended up in hospital for 3 weeks with Malaria -

I also came into scarily close contact with a green mamba, & some huge weird but very colourful flying insect that had the hotel staff in a complete flap - turned out is was a biter & toxic with it - insects & lizards everywhere & obviously so, some poisonous - it also turned out from speaking with the hotel gardener that the huge spiders hanging in almost every tree &

On the actual safari, we got charged by a very angry elephant, & had our jeep ambushed by baboons - they actually climbed in, ransacked bags for food, whilst hissing a huge wall of teeth at you - one man got bitten & had to have a HIV test

lots more I could write too

but basically, it IS a fantastic experience, but not one I would personally do with DCs until much older than yours

Disneyland in Florida perhaps???

Awesome! Maybe Sri Lanka? Australia? Thailand?

Florida Disney, without a doubt!!

lost text there - the huge spiders in all the hotel rafters etc & a lot of trees were extremely poisonous - apparently the locals love them in their huts as the eat mozzies, but if bitten by one you have to catch the spider that bit you & take it to hospital to make an anti venom, if you don't, you are dead

Really?
I mean really?

It doesn't have a ....

send you're bank account details to release this prize
A fun and informative lecture ( where they chain you to a radiator until you buy a timeshare)

did you actually enter this competition?

Do you have to book through anyone in particular?

If you fancy an adventure type think, maybe seeing animals, etc. then there are some great ones aimed at even very young children.

And if by a sliver of a chance have won this mythical odd competition, Irrc there used to be year long cruises ...I'll be betting the competion owners would be shitting themselves.

I would go to Corfu, lie on the beach a lot, walk a lot, eat a lot and drink a lot. A live in nanny for the fortnight would just about make it possible...!

Safari holiday I had was brilliant but they only took children over 13 years of age, although I am sure you could find a company who would do younger DC.

My initial thought was China followed by Australia/New Zeland/Pacific Islands.

Florida Disneyland would be bottom of my list!

How exciting!!

What sort of things do you like to do as a family? Swim, sun, snow, theme parks, walking, cycling, culture?

Depending on what you like to do you could visit the USA, Austria, Thailand, Italy, Mexico, the Caribbean...

I'd like to take mine to Malaysia and visit the orang-utan sanctuaries as well as relaxing on the beach!

There must be a limit of how much it costs ..surely

Or am i the only ole cynic

I could spend hundreds of thousands

..try Necker Island for a start ....

FLORIDA Dysney
do it
do it
do it

best holiday in the entire world, fanfuckingtastic. You and your kids will never ever forget it for the rest of your lives!

My mum and dad took us on safari when my sister and I were 7 and 5. It was awesome :o

I'd say california area - San Diego has a fabulous beach and seaworld, do LA Disneyland but San fransisco etc also great. Hire a car and drive through the state.

You very lucky people! I'm not jealous. Oh no, not me... :o

LOL at Necker Island. I am also cynical!

Labootin ... really, It is one of those pinch yourself things.It was competition where you had to do something clever to win and dh did (not allowed to go into too many details).

rockinhippy - you poor thing! I've been on safari a few times, and nothing bad has ever happened to me (well once I twisted my ankle but that was just because I wasn't looking where I was going and fell in a pothole). I adored it so much that I'm very keen to take dcs .. but after your story I will reconsider

We went to EuroDisney at Christmas, so don't really want to do Disney again so soon ...

I'm not wild on the thought of anywhere with big jet lag issues, so that puts places like Thailand, California and Oz out. Though having said that, New Zealnad has just occurred to me - have always wanted to go there and couldn't afford it with dcs

Or Sri Lanka could be awesome ...

op says ANYWHERE

Fuck the Disney shit.

What is the definition of a family holiday?

Bit of sand for the kids and a mahoosive cocktail

And sue them if they say no

Congratulations!!

If money is no object I'd go to Japan - really expensive to go otherwise but I'm certain it would be fab & a real experience.

Otherwise, South America (went to Argentina for my honeymoon & would love to go back, or to Chile)

I'm just back from the Maldives..twas fab

They can make sandcastles ...

If you're keen on safari - maybe look into South Africa, either going and staying in Kruger in some of the fancier camps, or a private game reserve in a non-malaria area. Added advantage of only a 2 hour time difference in winter, 1 hour in summer (so no jet lag). Or, you could do a safari in the cape, near Cape Town, then take in some beach, penguins at Boulders Beach in Simon's Town, Table Mountain, and some vineyards in Franschoek or Stellenbosch.

I agree, Florida, Disney 2 wks staying at a Disney hotel to get the real service. Think the top hotel is the Grand Floridian. Or can you be cheeky and do a cruise or fly drive and get to visit lots of different countries?

labootin you are even more cynical than me (I didn't believe dh when he told me) - they will say yes to pretty much anything (hiring Necker Island is probably out). Maldives does tempt me.

My absolute dream holiday would be seeing polar bears, but think dcs are too young for an Arctic trip, plus I think beaches might be a bit on the chilly side.

Japan (been once and adored it), New Zealand, Malaysia with orangutans all appeal a lot. Maybe Japan less with dcs. I still think some kind of safari (though not where rockinhippy went) could work as they'd love that (well, they enjoyed going to Longleat anyway )

PS, thanks for the congratulations etc [smile}

If you like polar bears, what about somewhere where you can see penguins? South Africa for example?