With my budget, tell me where you would go this summer!

[trickynicky]

Hi
Budget is £12k. Family of 4 (3 adults as dd is 20 and younger dd is 14). 3 weeks max, last week in July and first week in August. Completely open on location. Happy to book our own flights/accommodation separately. Last year did 3 weeks driving around California which we all loved. I'm keen to do it again but dh wants to try somewhere different.
We are definitely luxury seekers - 4 star minimum!

Any ideas? Have ruled out Far East (although keen) due to wet season. Don't particularly like high humidity.

Where would you go??

I think I would go to South Africa. So much to do and you could easily fill 3 weeks

Not everywhere is wet in far east then:
Java, Bali, other parts of Indonesia
Hoi An in Vietnam
Malaysian Borneo
Parts of Thailand

I would do South Africa too

Another vote for South Africa we went in July last year and had an amazing time.

South Africa would be fab. I'd be tempted to make sure you go a bit further afield than Cape Town/peninsula/winelands as it could be a little chilly in July/August.

You could do another US or Canada trip. We flew in and out of Seattle last year and did two and a half weeks around Washington State and Oregon. Or if you did Vancouver you could also do a Pacific Northwest loop or opt to go on to the Rockies. Or Boston and then on to New England. Maybe see where you can get affordable to and make a plan from there?

Kruger in SA would be great in July/August.

You could also try Peru and Ecuador and The Galápagos Islands. Brazil would be good and Maine and Vermont in the USA.

Borneo - fantastic but high humidity.

Rockies - accommodation gets booked up months in advance - you will have limited choice and luxury comes at a high price. Another option might be Vancouver and Vancouver Island combination but Canada is not cheap.

Forget Kruger - you won't get luxury accommodation within your budget at that time of year - I know as I was looking months ago and gave up.

Mexico/Caribbean are low season that time of year as is the Maldives, so if you are happy to risk the weather, you will get a bargain.

Go to the Makanyane in Madikwe, it's malaria free and has the big five. We had some breathtaking moments there loved every second of every day.

We are doing Australia with a similar budget £11k including all trips, food, travel, accommodation, flights, seat reservations etc for 2.5 weeks. Around Cairns weather is about 27C, good time for Great Barrier Reef, also staying at a treehouse in the rainforest where possums come to feed on your balcony, a place where lady looks after tree kangaroos, you can hold koalas in Queensland wildlife parks which DS is desperate to do then week around Sydney / Blue Mountains / Port Stephens including whale watching, koalas in wild. Magnetic Island is also worth a look with rock wallabies.

Also been to South Africa, lovely, but think water shortage at the moment and South America, Costa Rica and Brazil all of which would recommend.

Is this a hidden braggy post. 12k budget some of us can barely dream of having 12k to spend on a holiday ffs

@dwangela, I will also never have £12k for a holiday but others do and should be allowed to discuss it. I don’t find it braggy.

I know that Deangel, but some people do have that kind of money. Are they not allowed to ask? Just don’t come on the thread

*dwangela

Canada - we did Vancouver, Vancouver Island (fabulous!) and whistler in the summer. Not too much driving, whale watching, great museums and gardens and not hot and humid. In fact it was 14 degrees in Vancouver when we flew home and that was July!
Lots of fabulous restaurants in whistler.

Why is it there is always someone who likes to
Have a go when someone mentions spending money on Mumsnet?

OP Ponta Dos Ganchos in Brazil is incredible, although it is humid. The resort is beautiful and so luxurious. I wasn't a massive fan of South Africa. I went twice in 2016. Despite the nice hotels etc it just seemed like an unpleasant place. Lots of people loved it though so I'm aware it could just be a personal thing.

A week in Cape Town and then fly up to Namibia for a week of safari. It's wonderful, I think it's better than SA. You could do it for that budget, but would need to organise yourself or ask the lovely folk at Cardboard Box travel in Windhoek, who know the country inside out.

Laos and Cambodia (we did Vietnam aswell but think it needs a trip on its own) or Italy. Rome and the amalfi coast.

I would skip South Africa right now for tourism, seeing as they have that whole water crisis thing going on.

Sri Lanka?