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Holidays

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

Original poster

Far flung, exciting for kids

80 replies

Disabrie22 · 04/02/2022 20:41

I have a 9 year old and a 12 year old, we are looking for a far flung holiday that would entertain two extroverts who love adventure style activities - but would provide the feel of the tropics that we love. Where would you go?

OP posts:
babbi · 05/02/2022 14:47

@Pinotwoman82

Yes what is this about being triple jabbed for America? We are meant to be going in July, one teen is double jabbed but the other 2 are too young
@Pinotwoman82 you may wish to check out what rules are in the state you intend to go to .. some have vaccinated rules for entrance to attractions etc … your kids will not get in to places in New York for example …

Rules vary but some need over 5 s vaccinated…

hivemindneeded · 05/02/2022 16:57

Thank you @RishiRich

Sortingfinances2 · 05/02/2022 18:58

@hivemindneeded
Sri Lanka - went indepdently. Very easy to organise.
We backpacked and travelled around by train and bus. People hire car+driver as an alternative.
Accomodation pre-booked through www.bookings.com. We stayed low budget, but some amazing looking places available if funds allow - having said that, 2 of ours I wouldn't have changed even with more money.
Went in school summer hols when west coast is best, so airport to habarana (sigerya, elephants, ruins) to nilaveli (pigeon island snorkelling) to arugum bay (surfing, safari possible here to) to Ella (hill station, tea plantation, mountain trains) to Candy to airport.
We'll definitely go back, maybe in the winter to see the south.

MerryMarigold · 05/02/2022 19:04

@Sortingfinances2, the south is my favourite area. Dh is from SL and we always go to the south and stay in cheap, small places (been all over as well on different trips). Mirissa is our family fav. It's changed a lot over the years but we just love it so much.

Sortingfinances2 · 05/02/2022 21:16

@MerryMarigold how do you find the south in July/August? We absolutely loved SR. The homestay/guesthouses we stayed in made the trip. Oh the food!

User48751490 · 05/02/2022 21:17

South Korea or Japan.

Stokey · 05/02/2022 22:26

@MerryMarigold @Sortingfinances2 I've been looking at Sri Lanka, also have family ties and have been a few times but not since children. Flights seem really expensive at the moment though. Is Air Lanka no more? Am wondering if airlines are still operating a reduced schedule.

Stokey · 05/02/2022 22:27

Also interested in weather in the summer. I seem to remember August is OK.

bestbefore · 05/02/2022 22:30

Def Costa Rica. This sort of trip www.explore.co.uk/holidays/rainforest-adventure-a-family-holiday-in-costa-rica

gogohm · 05/02/2022 22:32

Sw USA road trip. Include trek to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and sleep in the ranch at the bottom, go to Death Valley, stay the night at furnace creek, go to the original Disneyland, go surfing in the pacific, rock climbing at Yosemite.... lots of options. We flew to Vegas as it was the cheapest flights and car rental, added advantage is very cheap hotel options for first and last nights if needed (do see vegas, kids will love circus circus kids zone!

gogohm · 05/02/2022 22:34

Alternatively if exotic is more your thing try Sri Lanka - snorkelling with turtles, elephant sanctuary, head island and climb Adam's peak (you climb at night making it all the more exciting)

anonsattic · 05/02/2022 23:03

Thanks so much - I have some inside information that children will need to be triple jabbed to enter America

The current guidelines are that children under 17 need a negative PCR to enter the country. They are exempt from vaccines.
Two things may happen as the year progresses... firstly the UK may proceed with vaccinating younger age groups, and secondly most countries will stop or reduce their Covid restrictions.

It's been two years now, this pandemic. The tourism industry needs to get back on it's feet. I think it's extremely like that further restrictions will be imposed.

But I agree with pp who suggested to look at each individual State requirements

Cherryblossoms85 · 05/02/2022 23:04

Climbing in Thailand.

Sortingfinances2 · 05/02/2022 23:29

@Stokey
Emirates at nearly £900 seems best option for school hols right now which is rather a lot.
Ours were roughly £750 each with Etihad.
A stop in the middle East kept costs down.
School hols put them up!

Weather was hot and humid for us. Rarely rain (south/west coast monsoon then so we went East).

cjpark · 06/02/2022 07:55

Sri Lanka is great in August. We went with the DC at that age. Flew into Colombo and paid a lovely guy, Asanka, to drive us around in his minivan for 2 weeks. Fab!
The DC got to go to school one morning with his kids and play cricket then we headed North to pick and dry tea, visit a spice plantation and rolled cinnamon, temples, sigyuru rock, elephant rescue centres. We had 4 days at Wilupta Nature reserve where we saw leopard, bear, crocs, monkeys and more elephant. The kids learnt to track animals and made plaster copies of their prints. We then flopped on a beach on the east coast for 5 nights and snorkelled and swum. The food is fantastic and so cheap.

CovidCorvid · 06/02/2022 07:58

Mexico. Near playa del Carmen. We stayed in the Xcaret Occidental resort which was amazing, loads of wildlife in the grounds. Right next door to Xcaret park which the kids will love. We hired a car and drove to ruins like Tulum and Coba, went swimming in various cenotes. Loads of stuff to do like cave trips, quad biking in the jungle.

hivemindneeded · 06/02/2022 08:28

@cjpark

Sri Lanka is great in August. We went with the DC at that age. Flew into Colombo and paid a lovely guy, Asanka, to drive us around in his minivan for 2 weeks. Fab! The DC got to go to school one morning with his kids and play cricket then we headed North to pick and dry tea, visit a spice plantation and rolled cinnamon, temples, sigyuru rock, elephant rescue centres. We had 4 days at Wilupta Nature reserve where we saw leopard, bear, crocs, monkeys and more elephant. The kids learnt to track animals and made plaster copies of their prints. We then flopped on a beach on the east coast for 5 nights and snorkelled and swum. The food is fantastic and so cheap.
You've just described my perfect holiday.
cjpark · 06/02/2022 14:15

If you want details PM me. It was great. Ashanka and his minibus were a highlight! the kids still talk of going shopping for cinnamon rolls with him every morning to stock up for the road trip that day. He woke us up early one morning to take us to the see the fishermen on their stilts bring in their catch. The DC chose a fish, took it to a filleting hut and we had it for breakfast. You just dont get that local knowledge and inside knowledge with a large tour and it feels good to be giving money directly to a local family. We emailed him dates that we would be in Sri Lanka and told him the ages of the DC. We told him things we'd like to see and places we'd like to go and he came back with a route.
I then booked accommodation through booking.com at each stop off. The nature reserve was pricey - Noel Rodrigo Willapta camp, but so worth it. Luxury tents, national geo photographers, gin and tonic and cold flannels - was the business!
We stayed at uga bay in pasikuda for the last few days.

MerryMarigold · 06/02/2022 14:28

[quote Sortingfinances2]@MerryMarigold how do you find the south in July/August? We absolutely loved SR. The homestay/guesthouses we stayed in made the trip. Oh the food![/quote]
Only been once in summer and it was a bit stormy) rainy down south. We just went briefly, stayed longer in Trinco area (which was very very hot but beautiful). Christmas, Feb (before kids in school age) and Easter were great in the South.

MerryMarigold · 06/02/2022 14:33

[quote Stokey]**@MerryMarigold* @Sortingfinances2* I've been looking at Sri Lanka, also have family ties and have been a few times but not since children. Flights seem really expensive at the moment though. Is Air Lanka no more? Am wondering if airlines are still operating a reduced schedule.[/quote]
I've only been direct with Sri Lankan Airlines once, which was lovely. We usually do stopovers even with young kids as it's just so much cheaper with 5 of us. Usually go with one of the middle eastern airlines and much cheaper if you take last couple of days off school. Stopover in middle east for a few hours or last time we stopped in Mumbai (wouldn't recommend, they separated me from DH so I had all kids and then they wanted to search me and take the kids elsewhere even though we were only in transit)!

MerryMarigold · 06/02/2022 14:36

.... But last time we went was in 2018 😥

Enzbear · 06/02/2022 14:38

Beaches Turks and Caicos
Alaskan cruise
Toronto and Niagara
Sri Lanka and the Maldives

soundingklaxon · 06/02/2022 14:52

This all sounds amazing. We have been looking at going out to Australia in June, but I'd prefer to have a stopover somewhere on the way out or back. Not sure what to do at the moment as places that we'd be keen on going to don't seem to have reopened? (Hong Kong/ Singapore) Has Sri Lanka reopened? Or we've briefly discussed going to Oz the other way round- via California/ Hawaii... can you even get round the world tickets anymore? I miss Trailfinders !

Stokey · 06/02/2022 16:18

A lot of Asia is still closed but would hope it will be more open by June. Sri Lanka is open. I think you need at least 2 weeks in Oz. I did a great holiday when Dd1 was Australia seeing family and then a week in Malaysia on the way back where we met DH. Is term time not an issue though? Also watch for Asian monsoons in June.

bestbefore · 10/02/2022 08:45

@soundingklaxon trailfinders are still operating!