Need some opinions on options

[MozzchopsThirty]

Here goes:

My original plan was to take the dcs to Hong Kong via Dubai in august, so fly to Dubai and stop for 2 nights to make it easier for ds2 (8) then fly on, do 7 nights and then stop again coming home.

However my issues with this are:
Typhoon season in HK could ruin an august trip
And the weather may be too hot in Dubai to do anything

My other option is to fly direct may half term which is currently cheaper than stopping anywhere, do 7 nights then try and get a cheap august 7 night break so we still have a 'summer' holiday.

Problems here would be whether ds2 could cope with 12.5 hour flight and whether we'd still afford something in august

Any ideas? wwyd?

TIA

Bump for the day folk

I absolutely hate a stopover and I'd much rather fly right through. My two have flown back and forwards to Australia loads of times starting at ages 2 and 5. They just watch TV and eat and sleep. It's not fun for them but it's not that bad either. They can't nag and moan you into letting them do anything else because there isn't anything else so they just get on with it.

yep, don't do a stop over.
We're in japan and have flown over the years with 2 DCs.
Just go straight through to HK (if you can afford it)(Cathay Pacific often have some good deals)

But as you say, August is typhoon season - friends of mine got stuck in HK last week on the way back from UK to Tokyo, and we just missed one last year, flying from Manchester to Tokyo, via HK.

My kids could cope with 12.5 hours. But they flying long haul every year to visit family. Usually around 11 hours.

Tbh i agree with pp above. Kids usually just get on with it. Lots of stuff to keep them distracted.

If they havent done long haul before, maybe you need to just speak to them and make sure they know what to expect.

Why can't your child fly straight through? Honestly it's better than waiting 3 hours in check in x 2 and all that palaver and spending another day travelling when you're only going for a week!

They've flown 9 hours before which was beatable, I'd prefer to do it in one go, I've done it a few times but never in economy and never with the dcs

So would you go for may over august?

I live in HK and used to live in Dubai - the problem with HK is that the weather is somewhat unpredictable. Last year May was wet, this year it was dry. Last year August was ok, this year it was very wet.

If I had to choose I would probably choose May because in August it will either be raining or bastard hot- I can literally walk for about 10 mins without sweating through my shirt. May could be pretty pleasant and on average, May is drier than August.

Re the stopover, my preference with DC current 6&4 is to do it direct as otherwise you end up with 16 hrs of flyng time vs 12, plus double airport faffage. Dubai in August is extremely hot but there is enough stuff to do indoors to occupy a few days and the waterparks are good.

Is there a particular reason you're visiting HK (family etc) or just want to visit?

www.hkfastfacts.com/weather/hong-kong-typhoon-season.html#.Wa4-RrJJbIU

I took dd to Oz when she was 5 and that was fine.

Out and return are overnight flights so I'm hopeful they'll sleep

Ds1 will be fine, ds2 I'm not so sure, 12 hours is a long time but maybe if we sleep for 7 it wouldn't be too bad

Why do you want to take kids to Hong Kong? Just out of interest....

Sleep for 7 hours! Wow, that's optimistic! Unless you're posh and have first or business class seats!?

Brutus You'd be surprised. Dsis sleeps 10 hrs each way regularly in economy. She says we expats have just been softened up too much whereas she's done sleep ninja training on Indian overnight buses

Kids sleep easier because they dont get as stiff necks

So jealous!

yep - my DD (19) just visited NYC and slept 10 hours of the 12 hour flight from Tokyo, same on the way back!
She commutes to uni on Tokyo trains and can fall asleep at the drop of a hat sitting up

I would also go direct! Might take a day or 2 to adjust to any jet lag wherever you stop
And then again once you get there so twice the jet lag pain! Have flown twice with dc to oz (economy via Dubai)its long but as long as they have learnt how to work an iPad and the tv they are very happy!!

I've been to HK 3 times in 2 years as I have friends there.
I adore it and it's somewhere I want to share with the dcs
Flights are just under £400 atm which is amazing

We alternate years so every other year we do an AI in Italy that we love and then do something a bit more exciting in between. So a doing holiday followed by a relaxing holiday etc

Took dd this year (21) and she fell in love with it too

Cool. The only reason I asked is I know a fair few people who found it disappointing from a tourist perspective - I think they expected more culture/ better galleries and museums/ heritage buildings etc but you're already a fan and have friends here so all good.

We're not really a galleries & museum type of family

We plan to do:
Disney
Ocean park
Big Buddha
Shopping
Ladies market

Oh and a couple of pool days

Sounds like a plan. I hear HK Disney is a lot quieter now Shanghai has opened which is a bonus. We do have a few public holidays in May so just check your dates against those. In a way it'll be good as your friends will be off work but if it's also a mainland holiday places like OP and Disney will be busy those days. The museum that can be worth going to is HK maritime museum on pier 8. They have some good temp exhibitions ( sharks at the moment). The science museum also sometimes has good temp stuff but tbh if you're anywhere near London you'll find our attempts at culture a bit shit . The other place your dc might enjoy is the new inflatable water park out at Tai Po

Ooh the dcs would love that!!!!
Can you get the MTR there? (Tai po)

Sort of- you'd have to get a taxi/ bus from the MTR but you can get to Tai Po/ Science on the MTR (East Line)