Need ideas - 4 week family trip in August 2013

[jaspercat2002]

Could really do with some advice from more well travelled mners. We are the fantastic situation that DH has a 4 week sabbatical due next year and want to do something memorable that really takes advantage of having more time than usual. We have 2 ds's who will be 7 & 9 and a budget of prob about £8-£10k ( if we really really save)

August is really the only time we can all have 4 weeks away as I work term time and kids at school. We have never taken the kids abroad before and this is really our once in a lifetime trip. But we are so clueless - we are going round and round in circles trying to decide where to go. We have loads of ideas for what we would do as a couple (road trips ect) but two very active boys wouldn't enjoy them much!

What would you do? Where would you go?

New Zealand or Australia.

We travelled in New Zealand in July/August which is their winter. The north island is relatively mild and it was short sleeves wear however it did rain a bit. It was full on winter in the South Island and we did skiing, glacier walks and whale watching.

Australia would be a fantastic destination for a family holiday. Camping on Fraser Island, sailing around the Whitsundays and of course Sydney. You can fit quite a bit into 4 weeks if you don't mind a bit of travelling.

What kind of places do you enjoy visiting as a family?

I'd quite fancy an activity holiday in Costa Rica or somewhere similiar. There is a Spanish/yoga holiday and for my boys they could do Spanish/surfing/drumming. I think it would be nice to be in one place and just chill.

On the other hand maybe doing a motorhome holiday down the west coast of the USA would be great. Dh and his db did this with their parents and said it was fantastic.

A month in Australia would be good but flights alone may take half of your budget and its fairly expensive once you are there.

Thank you both - more ideas for me to research :-)

No doubt in my mind where I`d go...............back to USA! In 2007 we took our tio who were 9 then to the West Coast and toured for 4 weeks. I researched everything myself and it was just out o this world. They loved every minute and experienced wonderful things. We began in San Francisco, their faces riding on the cable cars, Pier 39 etc. Then on to Yosemite, stayed in a log cabin with coyotes at our back door. Crossed over the top, passed the Hoover Dam, through Death Valley (in Aug!) into Vegas. A mesmerising two nights at The Ventian Hotel, saw Phantom of the Opera there, kids loved it. Then to Williams on route 66, stayed in a former brothel, the Red Garter saloon, mock shoot outs in the streets at nights, your boys would love it. Opp the brothel was the Grand Canyon Railway, 2 hours on a steam train into the Canyon, entertainment on board, train gets held up etc! A day at the Grand Canyon, the most moving amazing site in the world. Then we rented a house for 5 nights in Sedona in Arizona...................hot and fab, big red rock canyons. From there we went to Palm Springs to chill out at the most amazing resort. Left there and headed to Los Angeles for flighthome, but big surprise for kids was I had booked a cottage in Anaheim, 2 blocks from Disneyland............what a way to end the holiday of a life time. Would do it all again like a shot, so would the kids............sadly my dh was diagnosed with cancer in 2008, we live in hope though of going back! What ever you do, have fun!

tio? trio!

Wow triplets. That sounds amazing!
I would love to do that type of trip.
Did you go during the school hols?
Can I be cheeky and ask how much it costs without spending money?

I have done a similar trip as triplets but before kids. I think if you have 4 weeks then a road trip with some down time would be fantastic.

I took my 2 DS's to Rio for 6 nights and then onto stay in a rainforest in Argentina for 4 nights at Easter . I would definitely recommend these places for active children. You could add on a trip to the Amazon and then finish with a beach resort. That would be an amazing trip.

Hi...............sorry just back from holiday..............not an exciting one this time! Yes we went for 4 weeks in August, places like Arizona/Nevada are sooooooo hot only the mad go so room rates are low! The whole trip in 2007 I did for just over £5000! The accomodation was so cheap compared to here or Europe and we stayed in real style!! Oh £5000 included spending money, and fuel was so cheap we only spent just over £200! I would love to do it all over again, just need some money and more all clear scans for my dh!!

Out of interest I have just looked at the room rates at The Red Garter Saloon in Williams, they are quoting $160 dollars inc b/fast for Big Berthas room one of the rooms we had. I know we only paid $85 at that time, lots of discounts in Aug because of the heat!