Am going back to work full time sooner than expected, so want to take a 'holiday of a lifetime' with the family... where to go??? Help!

[HelloMama]

I'm going back to work after mat leave sooner than expected as DH just got made redundant. He's goign to be at home with the children while I go to work. Before I go back I want us to take a 'holiday of a life time' style break.

We considered Australia as we have family and friends there but have decided it is just too far and worried that kids would be jet lagged and therefore we wouldn't enjoy it.

We considered Disney in Florida but everyone has told us to wait until children are older.

Any other ideas? We would like to go somewhere warm where DS can swim in a warm sea. DS is 3.5 years and DD is 4 months.

bump!

To be honest, if I were in that situation, I would plan a series of short trips - weekends away etc rather than one big blow out. That would make me feel better about the return to wok. If I did go on a big holiday I think I'd stick to the Med. They're young for long haul and it won't make much difference to them.

Well, it isn't goign to be the holiday of a lifetime given the age of your children - they are simply not going to remember it!

I guess the good news is that you can avoid school holidays. Do you want kids clubs/creche or not?

Go to Mauritius! Absolutely beautiful and only 5 hour time difference although quite a long flight, about 11 hours I think - can't remember it was ages ago that I went but I know that since having DD I've been dreaming about taking her there! We stayed in a holiday villa (known as campements) and could just run out from the terrace across the grass to the beach....mmmm, wish I was there now!

Don't want kids club as want them to be with us. A friend said she would plan it as a holiday for us rather than the children as, just like you said LadyMuck, they won't remember / appreciate it. And although I know that a holiday isn't a holiday like it used to be (!) I would really like to do something a little out of the ordinary!

HelloMama, of course it will be a holiday of a lifetime - you'll have a fab time with your DC !

Go to Florida - of course you'll need to go when DD is older as well

OR

Go to Mauritius & have a fab time on the beach,

Just take stacks of photos & enjoy every moment : - )

(PS we have DD1 = 4, DD2 = 18mths, we are off to Florida in April & possibly Mauritius in August :0

Mojo - vvv !!

Look at kinderhotel.co.uk website and email them: the fancier ones have great spa facilities, good food, childcare, skiing etc. Highly recommend them and found them helpful in meeting specific requirements. Don't even contemplate Disney Florida: we went with DDs aged 9,7 & 6 2 years ago and it was ghastly: very busy (in Feb but not half term), hideous over priced, over processed food and outrageously overweight children being pushed in buggies. I've lived in USA and visited many times and like Americans but this was every stereotyped outsized. The scariest six words in the English language overheard when been jostled into queues by Disney emplyees... "when we were here last year". Even the kids wee underwhelmed!

I took my youngest on holiday to Florida at 18 weeks old.It was so easy.

You should go somewhere you really want to visit. I have done South Africa, Australia, Malaysia and the US with young children, you don't have to do Disney. I think just beach holidays can be harder as it is often too hot for them to be out all day. Doing a bit of sightseeing and beach is a great combination if you hire a car its just as convenient.

Yes the travel will have a few hours of why they hell did I do this but the fun of the holiday will far out way a few hours of hassle.

Don't put it off the memories are pricelss.

I vote for South Africa. A baby at that age is easy to cart around and it is great out there. Fantastic food, sites and weather.

You could do a safari or a multi trip holiday.

we spent 7 days in Cape Town/Wine region adn then drove to Victoria stopping on the way for cango caves, cango wildlife park, ostridge farm, cape anniston, cape agula, whale watching and various other bits staying in lodges and hotels.

It was fab and we would love to do it again with the children

How about Canada or Yosemite? Your 3 year old will love the outdoors and wildlife. You could also have a few days in LA at the beach.

botswana

very safe apparently ,haven't been sadly ,but suposed to be top family holiday

Another vote for South Africa. We went to Cape Town when ds's were 3 and 11 mnths, best family holiday we have ever had.

Splash out on some childcare for some of the time too -- you can get a nanny who has worked in the UK for a fraction of what you would expect to pay here.

We used these people:

www.holidaynannies.co.za/

Hi Sophy,
I am going to SA at end of this month with my baby boy who will be 14 months old. I am very excited about going and would really appreciate any info you could give me.
We haven't booked our accomodation yet so any advice would be fab - particularly the nanny info!!
Thanks

Reedy, we went 5 years ago so I hope my recommendations are still valid.

In Cape Town we stayed at the Vineyard Hotel www.vineyard.co.za/. We had a garden cottage which in reality was a huge apartment separate from the main hotel, so we had a sitting room and kitchen for preparing food for the dc when we needed to, but full access to all the hotel facilities including room service. Lovely gardens and a small pool. Was ideal. Not in the centre of town but in a really nice neighborhood. You need to drive to most sights in the Cape Town area anyway.

We then went to Knysna on the Garden Route and stayed here: www.milkwood.co.za/umw_index.htm a little log cabin next to the lagoon. A bit cramped for space but a perfect location and ideal beach for small kids -- very shallow calm water and very quiet. I would recommend both places highly.

We did the nanny thing (link in previous post)for babysitting and hired one to come to the beach with us one day when we were really hungover -- it worked really well.

My top tip would be to take your own portable clip on high chair -- all the restaurants were very welcoming but they never had high chairs.

And if you have time go and stay at one of the wine places like Franchhoek. We didn't have time to do that and I really wish we had.

Hope you have a great time!