Where would you go for a trip of a lifetime?

[Japril]

We have a maximum budget of £16,000 to blow on a holiday that the kids (they will be 14 and 11 next summer) will love and gives them some kudos - they have only been abroad once before!
Any suggestions of where to go? I wondered about the Caribbean or the Seychelles. Or should we do something more active? I would love to go to Japan but they are fussy eaters!
My husband is quite a nervous traveller so anywhere that might be considered potentially dangerous is out!
We are not having a holiday this year so daydreaming about something awesome for next summer is keeping me going!!

Wow what a problem to have!
Think about what you want to do just as much as where you want to go.
(but I love outdoor sports so I'm a bit biased..)
West America tour sounds amazing.
You could do a multiday horse ride trek, surfing, rafting, yosemite, hike some of the john muir trail, and hit up Canada and sea kayaking and maybe some mountaineering.
Whilst also getting lots of change of culture and natural scenery.

I'd also think new Zealand south and north island. Plus some of the smaller islands like figi. And then a trip to indonesia/bali, and up into Thailand.

Depends how long you're going for!
Some of my friends recently went to Mexico and said it was amazing. The beaches were like Caribbean but they also got to do some trekking and desert things and sounded really good.

I'm personally love Norway and would love to spend summer there.

If it was my kids, 16 and 13, I'd do Florida. Maybe link it to a beach holiday aswell so you get the best of both worlds

I’d do the Maldives luxury

But maybe because I’ve done a fair few already and some are too familiar

It's wet season in the Maldives in August. We went last summer - ok for 1st week but we had rain from 1-6pm every afternoon for the second week. This obscures diving / snorkelling visibility and there's not much else to do. Just be aware.
Iceland is great though, and for that budget you could pack in the activities. Lots to do for adventurous teens, riding Icelandic ponies, volcanos, snorkelling btw tectonic plates, hot springs and spas, whale watching, caving, ice tubing - food is good too but pricey.

My choice would be Maldives for scuba diving maybe a twin centre with somewhere else like Muscat but tbh for £4000 per person you might be a bit squeezed.

Sorry I just saw it's during summer, don't go to the Maldives or Muscat then. Crap weather in one and ridiculously hot in the other.

I lived in Japan for 2 years, although it was about 20 years ago. I think it would be an amazing experience. You can get all sorts of food there, it's not just sushi.

I'd do a £4-5K trip in Europe for the next 3 years and go heavy on the culture, museums, architecture, and food. But as others say it depends what you like.

£4-5k for a family of 4 doesn't give you a lot in the school holidays.

That would definitely not be my idea of a fantastic and special holiday. While my teen enjoys culture and museums, 3 years in a row is a lot.

Ooh that's a good shout!

But the breadth of experience achieves what the OP has said she wants for her children - kudos (social capital). They can bond with other teenagers they meet later in life, perhaps at university, over their similar experiences in France, Spain and Italy.

Most teenagers haven’t been to Seychelles or Maldives, so can’t relate. Everyone has been to France.

Reading with interest; we have traveled many places with the kids mainly in Europe but not sure they have been the trip of a lifetime.

My 16 year old favourite holiday is Greece, beach, relaxation, good food and a bit of sightseeing, not too much sightseeing. 12 year old loved Australia due to the wildlife, open spaces and natural scenery; also
like Greece.

DH liked Peru and Machupichu. I am still deciding but Greece and Machupichu are top of the list; also Vancouver & Rocky mountains but did that when single. City breaks loved Lisbon and Rome.

This thread inspired me to look for a trip of a lifetime: Maybe Japan, Costa Rica, USA, Canada.

What makes a trip of a lifetime? Good food, entertainment, expensive hotels, great scenery, adventure? It is so personal.

We did Costa Rica a few years ago - mix of internal flights and driving across the country which was amazing and the kids (8/14) loved it. We are now planning a similar trip across Japan!
perosnally I would not do Dubai or the Middle East as we have done that and it was the least enjoyed of all our trips.
depends on what you and your family enjoy and want to get from the trip as locations vary in what they offer

I concur! Same for us 😎

I've just booked Costa Rica for next year for us. We used llama travel, in the holiday 9 days £9400. They come highly recommended.

Our bucket list at the moment is

Borneo/Bali
Interrailing around Europe
Route 66
Antarctica/Patagonia
Japan

I know plenty of people who never went to France as a child apart from Disney or maybe a city break to Paris. I only went to France the first time I was 25 or 26.

While I may talk about past holidays with people I meet, I don't think spending time at the same city for a week is a bonding experience. People go at different times in their lives. DD went to Paris when she was 8. But we never went to the Louvre or Centre Pompiedou. We went to St. Denis to look at the tombs of the French Kings/Queens for example, not a lot of people actually know where that is.

Social capital can be gained everywhere, I would actually think that a trip further than Europe broadens the horizon a lot more. I don't think a snorkling trip to the Maldieves or a Disney trip to Florida is what I would count but a total different culture like Asia or a the geography of South America is more for me. There is lots to do, see and experience in Europe, no doubt but I think there is also the nearness which makes it "too normal" for me.

Obviously the issue is the timing. Summer holidays in the UK are not good for Asia or New Zealand for example.

It’s more subtle than talking about having done the exact same things as someone when visiting a country. That’s not what I meant by bonding over similar experiences.

I agree that Asia or South America would be a great experience for teenagers. My comment was challenging the more “luxury in the Maldives” suggestions.

I also think OP has an opportunity to make travel something which is not a once in a blue moon occasion for her children by spreading the budget over 3 trips, say.

Based on your limitations, the personalities of those involved and your budget, I'd split into two trips:

1. Iceland: boat trips for puffin watching and whale watching, the golden circle (geysers, tectonic plates etc), the glaciers. 4/5 nights with coach trips will cover those. Pick your agent wisely: all use the same tour agent but the travel agent may take a cut.
2. Morocco: city time plus walking tour into the Atlas Mountains, followed by a beach all inclusive week.

Both are extraordinary for different reasons, but both worth a chunk of your budget.

I need to stop reading these threads and find a different hobby, There are so many places I want to go now with the family now: Japan, Florida, Iceland, Canada, Costa Rica. I think Japan is top of the list.

South East Asia. Amazing food, people, country, beach. We did Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia. Returning soon to visit Vietnam. My son is in Thailand at the moment - couldn't be happier.

Buy a decent backpack and have adventures!

For a big one off I'd be thinking Japan, Costa Rica, SE Asia tour, California road trip or African Safari.

I'd go for active rather than beach.

If they've not seen much of Europe though and like culture what about interrailing the European cities?