June with a 18 and a 20 year old? Where to go?

[Starlight2004]

I fancy a long haul holiday for a change, we mostly do typical European beach destinations but have a special birthday coming up and want a change. I have been to Thailand and loved it but they don't seem to especially want to go there and I know it's off season. We have been to the Dominican Republic many years ago so would like to try somewhere different.

I would like a very nice hotel, I'm quite into nature and wildlife but don't want anyone to be bored! Can't anyone suggest somewhere?

Costa Rica?

Do they have any ideas themselves about where they really want to go? At 18 and 20 I assume they won’t be with you all the time and may want to go off in the evening or day by themselves? What kinds of things do they like doing?

Costa Rica as the PP has suggested is lovely and is a good choice for anyone with sporty /active teens. It will be rainy season (I think, double check that!) but having been in rainy season it’s no biggie- we had typically one thunderstorm a day in the afternoon or evening for about an hour. There is a lot to see on the wildlife front (sloths, monkeys, parrots etc), numerous national parks and a lot of sporty activities on offer - zip lining, hiking, canoeing, horse riding etc. The beaches are also beautiful. It’s easy to get around (most people either hire a driver or car) and it felt safe. If your DC are looking for somewhere with good shopping and nightlife , it’s probably not for them though!

The most obvious place to take them if you like beaches and wildlife I would have thought is California if you haven’t been? It would be expensive though! Norwegian do some cheaper flights to California and you could cut costs with staying at Air BnBs - it would still not be cheap though and you’d need to add car hire in.

Off the top of my head, in terms of what would interest that age group (and you!) perhaps a week in Singapore and then flying on somewhere else (Langkawi has always appealed) for the beach and nature but. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in Singapore but it’s a busy active city with a lot of street life, shopping etc and feels safe to wander around. My eldest DD (25) absolutely loved a trip to Japan she did at 19 with her Dad as it hit all her buttons on the Fashion, outside the box style, shopping, Graphic Art & new Tech front - appreciate this might not be up your DC’s alley though.

Not sure I’ve been hugely helpful and hope you get some other ideas!

Driving around west coast canada. oregon is lovely too. we also really enjoyed florida keys with ours and they are older teens

Cuba?

Some good ideas there thanks. Costa Rica I had been looking at but was worried about it raining lots. It does look amazing though. California was suggested by ds but it's not somewhere I have really wanted to go although I'm open minded so will look into it now. Singapore and Cuba I had not looked at so will look at both

I’ve been to Cuba but as you said “nice hotel” I didn’t suggest this country.

Though there were pleasant hotels they weren’t luxury, if your looking for luxury or and not bog standard then Cuba isn’t what you e asked for in my opinion

I lived Cuba but went and cycled there through Havana to Santiago de Cuba and wasn’t looking for nice

Re CR & rainy season, we were there 2 weeks in August 4 years ago and yes we had rain everyday but by and large it was one big thunderstorm later on in the day. It wasn’t like the miserable grey days of constant drizzle & rain we get here! Most trips start early in the day to compensate for this. Sitting on a hammock on a balcony with a big glass of wine & a good book watching a thumping thunderstorm for an hour isn’t the worse either!

Re Cuba -there are numerous big AI resorts in Varadero if you wanted that kind of experience (we went for a day & I found it really blah but then I don’t like AI so apologies!). Havana is great - lots of music, interesting museums and crumbling colonial architecture. I went many years ago with a friend who knew a lot of local musicians & there is a really lively music scene which was welcoming to interested tourists which your DC might enjoy. We stayed at the Hotel Nacional - past it’s heyday from when the likes of Al Capone and Frank Sinatra stayed but Johnny Depp was there at the same time as us (and if it was good enough for him..).

Maybe just start by pinning the DC down and asking ‘ok kids, what would you like in a holiday? Beach? Cities? Somewhere you’d feel safe going off on your own? etc’ and then use that to narrow things down. I do remember it being a bit like trying to herd cats though getting eldest DD and my DSD to make any decision at this age!

How about Iceland?....friend went with her older teens and said it was best holiday ever!....they hired a 4wd and went touring all over ...loads of wildlife and fabulous scenery

In terms of wildlife in Iceland, quite a bit of that involves going on a boat, particularly whale watching is popular. I went with eldest DD 12 years ago and on the island we only saw wildlife you’d find here - horses, sheep , massive sheepdogs and goats. I think there are reindeer on part of the island though. The scenery is v interesting though - pretty alien planet in places!