80yr DM living in Oz - where to meet in Dec?

[Straggler]

Help! DM is pushing 80 and lives Down Under. We need to see her this December but airfares there are extortionate right now. School hols start in early December for us so we are tied to that. DC are 9 and 12.

Holiday destination needs to suit them, DH and I but most of all DM as this could be last chance to see her and want kids to have decent memories of her.

She is not that mobile or fit so somewhere super adventurous like India is out. No skiing or safaris.

She suggested Hawaii but it’s too expensive and December is meant to be crazy busy there. (Unless someone enterprising can find us a bargain?!)

I guess budget for everything would be 6-10k (I wince at that but trying to be realistic).

Bali might appeal but I have heard bad things on here about it.

If Thailand, where is not too party-ish or polluted and in the right bit to avoid rainy season?

Philippines? Vietnam? Anywhere in South America?

Anyone have bright ideas of where we could park up for a couple of weeks with great scenery, warm weather, good food, comfortable accommodation with pool for DC BUT something cultural for the adults that’s not going to bankrupt us at that time of year?

My ideal holidays are just European jaunts gallery or island hopping but wrong time of year for it in northern hemisphere.

Thanks @maranella . We’ll have another explore. Didn’t get to Langkawi so maybe I will have a look there.

Langkawi is where they went - they came back raving about it.

Have you considered French Polynesia?

If you stay on an island called Mo'orea, you can get nice villas for under £200 a night with 2-3 bedrooms. It's one flight swap in Auckland but it's with air NZ so pretty good. From the UK you can get air fares for around £1200 each.

We did this trip to meet my sister who lives in Sydney.

I think I’d pick Cambodia as my first choice - 4 days in Siem Reap, 4 in Phnom Penh and the rest on the beach - either Ko Rong or Kep probably. If you don’t fancy the hustle and bustle of Phnom Penh then perhaps skip is and go Chiang Mai, Siem Reap then Ko Rong/Kep.

Perhaps Sri Lanka? Not sure what the political situation is there at the moment so you’d need to check it out but we did Colombo (you need no time here, it’s not great but as you’ll have to go through it you may as well hit the sites in a day, stay at the wallawwa), Kandy then Trincomalee (we stayed at our jungle house, the kids would love it). Can’t remember which season is rainy North and which is rainy South - the above itinerary heads North but I’ve heard good things about the South too.

We did Nepal a couple of years ago and loved it. Did a few days in Khathmandu, then a safari (I’d go to Tharu Lodge or Tiger Tops - the expensive but so worth it and you can customise your activities so MiL could do the more relaxed things like tea by the river with the elephants, river cruises and keep safaris and you and the kids can do the more adventurous/on foot activities) and then Pokhara to see the mountains. I would be wary of healthcare in Nepal though, most others on this list have better international hospitals so make sure you get excellent insurance that will cover evacuation if you do go for Nepal.

If you do Vietnam I’d go North - do the Ha Long Bay cruise, you can do it on a comfortable boat for MiL but still have swimming/kayaking etc. for the kids. I much preferred Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh which felt comparatively sanitised (though with an 80 year old that may be a good thing). I haven’t done the Northern mountains but they are supposed to be beautiful.

If you go for Thailand - Chiang Mai is lovely and not too partyish, fantastic night markets, cooking schools, accessible temples and great countryside nearby with comparatively ethical elephant sanctuaries. There’s not enough for two weeks though so you’d have to go somewhere else as well. Perhaps one of the islands? I love Bangkok but if MiL is not up for lots of walking I’d skip it - you can get cabs but traffic is so bad she’d spend the whole time in them.

Oh, and if you’re thinking Middle East I’d go for Egypt rather than Oman or Dubai - more to do and much cheaper, I’d skip the Sinai peninsula though.

EK LHR TO Sydney is 1250 gbp dec 22 for two weeks. I imagine Singapore airlines or BA would be cheaper.

Consisting I've never flown Dubai to Sydney for less than 1000 gbp this seems like good value to me.

Assuming you've checked all airlines...maybe splitting between some would make it even cheaper.

Yes we do have relatives abroad and we travel long haul regularly to visit our parents. Personally, we don’t set a price on love. Skyscanner is a wonderful tool and has flights much cheaper for your dates than you’re assuming.

price on love @OrangeSatsumas ? What do people who are not rich do to see their relatives if they want it to be annually or every two years or so? A holiday to Australia over December would cost above 10k for flights, accommodation and food. We will do it when she is immobile and can’t travel or has lost her wanderlust. Luckily it’s still there.

What about somewhere like Argentina? Buenos Aires has the Euro city break vibe and there is some lovely countryside.

@Wbeezer I absolutely loved the idea of Buenos Aires as did she. Alas flights are super expensive due to them having the highest airport tax in the world apparently! Also, I looked it up and it would be a 21 hour flight for her…

South Africa? The Cape? We have similar and catch up in Cape Town every few years. Lovely weather at that time of year and relatively cheap to visit and fantastic areas to visit.

@snubina thanks for the tip. I always assumed French Polynesian was one of the most expensive places in the world! I hear it’s pretty pricey for food etc. It is on a bucket list though!

I have messaged her about South Africa @Boopear ! Great minds. I also hear December is a good time…

That’s a good fare for the Xmas period @soberfabulous , good find!

That is a really comprehensive and inspiring list @Anonymouslyposting . Thank you so much! Friends did Cambodia last year as an add on to Thailand and wished they’d spent more time there…

Costa Rica and Argentina are ridiculously far away for an 80 year old from Australia. These are holiday suggestions for you all to do as a family, not to meet up with your mum.

Cape Town is also a trek but maybe easier if she can get a flight via Perth. It is a lovely time of the year to visit and a great location for two weeks.

Given that your mum is prepared to spend $$ on fares herself, I wonder if she would consider subsidising your fares instead so that you can go to Australia. Then all debunk to a part of the country she or you haven't been to, such as Gold Coast or WA.
Or even pop over to NZ.

Decamp, not debunk.

Singapore. Or just generally somewhere in South East Asia as it's easy to get to from UK and Australia. Bali has great beaches, Thailand too. We spent a week in Cambodia last year and it was lovely.

Travel to her home for goodness sake. I can’t believe people on here are so selfish to expect a nearly 80 year old to travel to see them to give their children ‘decent memories’. Unbelievable!

Depends on the 80 year old though. Admittedly my mother is only 79 but she still goes on lots of holidays and plays croquet three times a week. She's got a boyfriend who she goes out for meals with twice a week. She drives, she cooks, she has friends.

My mum is 79, has just come back from a month in Oz with family and is currently contemplating Cape Town for Xmas. Her adventurous spirit is wonderful and she is a great inspiration. Sounds like Op's mum v similar... 🙂