Winter holiday - Thailand, Cambodia, or Vietnam? Or Somewhere else?

[Luccalovespasta]

I’m looking for some advice/recommendations on a winter break.

It will be for me, my partner and our four year old daughter. We plan to fly out just after Christmas for a 2 to 3 week holiday.

We’ve been looking at either Thailand, Cambodia or Vietnam.

We’re looking for some winter sun and happy to travel within the country to visit different sites. We potentially thought of a dual destination break, so half of the holiday on the beach in a nice hotel, and the other half exploring/site seeing.

Whilst our daughter is well travelled, we would like to make sure where we go is suitable for a four year old. She loves wildlife, tuk tuk rides, exploring.

Does anyone have any thoughts on which would be better suited to us; Vietnam, Cambodia or Thailand? Also happy to hear other recommendations.

great winter breaks i've done are
Malaysia- Kuala Lumpa- penang- George town Langkawi and Singapore.Much preferred to Thailand.
Argentina was fantastic
Costa Rica lots of wildlife to see.
South Africa- safari

i have not been to vietnam so cannot comment but the above were all great destinations

I think South Africa is great. A huge bonus is little time difference. You are travelling in ultra high season though. The SA schools do not start back until mid Jan. You could look at Kenya. If you could delay by a few weeks, SA would be a bit cheaper.

Argentina is a long way, but I love it. You could also look at the southern states of the USA. Off limits in summer, but great in winter.

My partner is from South Africa and it’s definitely on my bucket list. The only thing that put me off was I read that four is too young for a safari. Otherwise I would absolutely love to go.

I hadn’t thought of Argentina or Costa Rica but they are great ideas! I will definitely check them out, especially as I love both of their cuisines.

Good to know about Malaysia etc too as Singapore has always been on my list.

@Luccalovespasta Too young for an organised safari but I think some South Africans drive themselves. You definitely can in Namibia for example. However 4 is a little young to get full enjoyment. SA has more to offer than a safari though!

Those are all fabulous destinations! I think Thailand is the most suitable for a family with a young child as the tourism industry is the biggest of the three and therefore easiest in terms of accommodation and transport. The one downside I found is that this also means it gets VERY busy on the beaches/restaurants etc which can detract from enjoyment. Probably also the most expensive of the three. That being said, it is beautiful, people are lovely and food is amazing. Vietnam is definitely worth a look (and less overcrowded); Hanoi has loads to do, and of course there's Ha Long Bay and surrounding islands if you want to escape the city. Also check out Da Nang, Hoi Anh and Hue. Cambodia is great to explore but perhaps a little trickier with a small child in terms of getting around.

As for Vietnam, the weather in South will be good at that time; HCMC/ Saigon is a good place for NYE.