ideas for an exciting family holiday

[rainbowmagic1974]

We went to Sri Lanka a few years ago and are looking for ideas for next year. Our kids will be between 7 and 13.
It needs to have a balance between activity / adventure, culture, beautiful scenery and down time.
Any ideas please ?
Thank you!

South Africa? Brilliant, beautiful country and LOADS to do!

Canada - we did a fabulous trip to Vancouver Island, Whistler and the Rockies last summer.

South Africa would be my first choice. DS is only 3 but we'll take him in a few years when he'll appreciate it. It ticks all the boxes for us as a family holiday - amazing nature - table mountain, Safari, boulders beach, drakensberg escarpment, waterfalls, whale watching. Culture - great city markets, shopping and restaurants. History - Robben Island, District 6 museum, parliament buildings. Activity - hiking, cycling around cape point, surfing. Plenty of fun tourist stuff too and cheap as chips when you're there. By far our best holiday.

I'd also look at Costa Rica, maybe twin centre a cloud forest tour with a beach week?

X post lizard 😊

SE Asia
Mexico/Guatemala/Belize
Peru
Ecuador Galapagos (remortgage the house!)
SA

West coast America road trip? San Francisco best bet for anything cultural, Vegas, Grand Canyon, San Diego. I did this with my parents aged 14 and was easily most memorable family holiday ever.

Canada - 3 weeks 4 different bases on the west coast
BELIZE!! I know I go on about it but honestly just fab adventure. they speak English, you don't need that many jabs and you have the mayan ruins, river trips following howler monkeys through the rainforest, crocodile night trips, snorkelling with sharks and rays - pm for details of either trip.

Canada, as others have said

Nepal - great place to take kids. WW rafting, looking for tigers, culture +++, plus they need their tourism right now

Cambodia - loads of culture, great food but beach resorts not that great
Borneo - has the advantage of not being wet in July/August unlike a lot of places in SE Asia
Vietnam - trekking in Sapa or kayaking in Halong Bay, shopping in Hanoi, museums and fab food
Laos - cycling, trip on the Mekong, cookery course, temples - just amazing.
Burma - easy to get to now with visa on arrival, superb temples, but a lot of areas have been neglected from when the country was under military rule
Have done all of the above with my children from when they were 3/4 to now when the older one is nearly 16.

Icelandair do stopover flights so you can fly cheaply to the USA eg New York and stopover in Iceland on the way back for up to 7 nights. Complete contrast in destinations and something for everyone.

Agree Canada and/or West Coast USA - the National Parks are fantastic - especially Yosemite.

We are doing a self drive round Cuba, DD5 & 8, lots of beaches, culture, zip wires in rain forest, caving, cycling, waterfalls and an insight into other lives. We are staying in 4 different family homes in different locations for 9 nights and then a resort for 5.

Our next trip is Sri Lanka, which again we hope will be a combo of adventure, culture, action and RnR, any tips would be most welcome!

... all that said the cycle route down the Loire staying in chateaux is pretty good if you like active.

South Africa
Australia

Malaysia
Japan (some lovely walking in the mountains)

Brazil! Huge parrots, giant guinea pigs, river otters and piranha fishing!

We’re going back to Thailand next year, on a reefs and lagoons trip with the same company. Tell Tale Travel. They pace the trips really well and understand our family, adding extras on the trip. They even arranged for my kids to play cricket with local kids in Sri Lanka as a random surprise. Very reasonable too.

Japan
Chile
Argentina
Brazil
Mexico
South Africa
Australia