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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Original poster

Just interested - where have you been longhaul with your kids?

52 replies

harrisey · 09/06/2006 15:09

We love travelling as a family, adn I wondered where people have taken their children on holiday long haul.

We've done Canada (West Coast and Vancouver Island), and backpacking in Guatemala and Honduras. Would love to take them to India (dh has been before), S America and SE Asia, though we will probably wait until they are older. We're going travelling round Morocco next Easter. At the moment they are 6.5, 4.5 and 2.5 .

Any recommendations?

OP posts:

harrogatemum · 09/06/2006 20:26

took DTs aged 5 months to Australia last year.

Just come back from a fortnight in Sabah, Borneo (part of Malaysia) with them, they are now 18 months. Had a fabulous time!

singersgirl · 09/06/2006 20:29

Lived in Singapore for a few years, so lots of SE Asia - Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia. Went back to Malaysia for February half-term - DH is in KL now and I am very jealous. Also Australia and USA. But nowhere more exotic.

EmmyLou · 09/06/2006 21:25

In March I took my 3 dds ages 2, 7 and 10 to Australia. DH was already there working and I dreaded the flight on my own with dd3 in particular. In the end, it was the older two arguing that really stunned me. I have NEVER been so mortified in all my life as I was when having to deal with screaming row between dd1 and dd2, whilst wearing a towel in the showers at Singapore airport, with a queue of ladies waiting to use the showers after us just staring.

Before that, we only ever holidayed in Wales and UK - did a bit of travelling when single and couldn't face all the extra baggage etc with kids. Got over that now and want to do more!

By the way Harrogatemum - there was a meet up in Harrogate today - would you be interested in the next one?

jenkel · 09/06/2006 21:52

Australia with a 2 1/2 year old and a 8 month old,

Florida when they were 3 and 18 months

Antigua when they were 3 1/2 and 2

Ok, the last two werent especially long haul

hulababy · 09/06/2006 21:56

Only lonng haul we have doen with DD is Florida. First time was when she was 2y3m, and due to go again on Tuesday when DD will be 4y2m.

Aero · 09/06/2006 22:00

Does driving to Scotland from Kent count - now that was a long haul.

harrogatemum · 10/06/2006 09:20

Emmylou - when was the HArrogate meet up organised!!?? Cant believe it I do nothing on a Friday, could have come - booooo. Was it fun?

suzywong · 10/06/2006 09:22

HM, please tell me more about your trip to Sabah

harrogatemum · 10/06/2006 09:30

ooooooh suzy it was fab. Didnt start brilliantly as our "private transfers" at the airport were actually NO transfers, bloody travel agents! And when we got to resort the people in our room (we had requested to be next to my SIL and family) had gone awol and not checked out so room wasnt ready until 6pm, we arrived at 11am! However DH being the man he is talked a deal with the manager and got a suite for a vastly reduced price so that was all ok!

The resort was lovely, we spent every day by the pool, the twins were scared to start with but by the end of it were jumping in with gay abandon (!). The Kids Club there is the best I have ever seen, if the kids are over 4 you can just leave them there with the staff (and its free) and open from 8am to 8pm, theres a huge playroom with a TV, computers, toys, big squashy things to lie on and chairs and tables for the mums and dads with magazines and newspapers. Also a baby room which is all padded which my boys loved, full of baby and soft toys.

The Kids Club does activities all day long so they are not limited to just playing in the play room - you know jewellry making etc etc. Also they can have their meals at Kids Club as well so you can even have a meal in peace! My SIL hardly saw her 4 year old at all.

We went on one day trip, a 5 island cruise which was really nice too to see some nice beaches as there is no beach to speak of at the resort and the sea is dirty. You can snorkel on these trips too but if you've been to the Great Barrier Reef its not as impressive as you can imagine!

Food was good but quite pricy and the staff were all lovely and helpful, had babysitters 4 nights which allowed us to go into Kota Kinabalu and eat outside of the hotel and see the night markets etc.

Phew - hope I havent bored you!

suzywong · 10/06/2006 09:35

No haven't bored me at all!
I was last there, oh god 14 years ago when it had just opened.
Agree about there being no beach, although I have a fabulous picture of dh when he was 2 - he was born in KK when it was Jessleton. I remember the sea being dirty too. However, it's all pretty good apart from that, glad you had some quality time with your dh too.

harrogatemum · 10/06/2006 09:44

born in KK? Wow - I assume he went to Aus at some stage?

suzywong · 10/06/2006 09:51

at 2 years old
he's part Kadazan indigineous too, (they used to be head hunters).

Did you get a look at Mt Kinabalu?

moondog · 10/06/2006 10:17

Thailand,Malaysia,Singapore,Sri Lanka,Russia,Turkey.
Martinique at Christmas.

harrogatemum · 10/06/2006 10:26

no didnt get to mount kinabalu or even to the orangutangs as kids have to be over 12!! But I dont mind, I wanted to relax and to see my SIl and family and thats what we did. DH now talking about trying to leave in MAy next year - yikes!

suzywong · 10/06/2006 10:27

oh well even better if you didn't have to schlep anywhere

So May next year, that's good then, it's Eastern States you're going to innit?

vitomum · 10/06/2006 10:29

oh harrisey i worked in guatemala several years ago when single and child free. would absolutely love to go back. how did you find it with kids?

harrogatemum · 10/06/2006 10:50

suzy - yes Brissie. Although I love the sound of Perth, it would be pointless as DH's family are all in the East and we would probably only see them as much as we do now living in the UK!

EmmyLou · 10/06/2006 15:07

Harrogate mum - meet up was organised a couple of weeks ago from Novacane's thread on getting 2 year old to bed. Nova didn't make it in the end, but there were 5 of us in the garden room at Milan's chatting over rather good coffee etc (I hadn't been to Milan's before). I could only stay an hour as had to leave 45mins to get home for school run. Sorry you missed it but think we will try and organise something more over the summer. Its all very secret agent/Dom Jolly meeting up for the first time

EmmyLou · 10/06/2006 15:12

Anyone been to India with kids? My dh travels a lot with work especially events like Olympics and Commonwealth Games - the next one is Delhi and would love to go. By then my girls will be 6.5, 11 and 14 which sound like good ages to me. He's working a lot in Doha at the moment but don't fancy that much (especially with 3 girls AND heat) unless anyone can tell me I'm being stupid???

EmmyLou · 10/06/2006 15:13

And has anyone been to Ningaloo with kids?

harrogatemum · 10/06/2006 20:12

Emmylou where on earth is Ningaloo???

PrincessPeaHead · 10/06/2006 20:29

I've taken dd to India! Have also taken under 5s to the States (twice), Caribbean (5/6 times), Dubai, Mauritius, all over Europe, can't remember where else.

Not exactly backpacking though

PrincessPeaHead · 10/06/2006 20:30

Emmylou, Doha is a dump (your dh can tell you that better than me!).

India would be great. Definitely take them, but prepare them a bit for what they are going to see first, the poverty in the midst of the city etc is a bit overwhelming for anyone, but especially children. I'd also advise going vegetarian when you are there, seriously cuts the chance of delhi belly.

EmmyLou · 10/06/2006 21:47

Harrogate mum - Ningaloo is in Western Australia and is the National Park (or whatever they call them there) where the fringe reef comes within 100m of the beach so you can wade out and snorkel without having to do boat trip type thing like in Cairns. Its meant to be a whole lot less developed than Queensland too - thought it looked good (in a blissful wade out through turquoise waters lapping over white sands to see myriad of rainbow coloured fish- kind of way) when saw website.

Princesspeahead - my dh says Doha is a 'toilet' (apologies to any Qatarians posting today) but his client was offering info on putting up families if they wished to visit - DH was most bewildered as to why anyone would want their family to go.

suzywong · 11/06/2006 00:15

Reserve

That's what they call them, Reserves

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