Help me choose a holiday, long haul if cheap once there???

[dancingholidays]

Trying to make a holiday decision for family of 4 (teens). We have more flexibility this year and can travel in July, last two weeks of October or December. and fancy going out of Europe

Any suggestions where? Wondering if we can find a long haul where the cheaper accommodation and expenses makes up for the more expensive flights. Don't want remote, Dubai doesn't appeal. Prefer warmer climates but open to locations. Any ideas? Basic accommodation as long as private bathroom and clean, we like doing things independently or the odd excursion/boat trip, nothing too fancy. Mix of beach and culture always good. Interested to know what kind of budget others have managed for this type of travel?

Bali and Lombok- fly to Kuala Lumpur and then catch a flight down to Bali with air Asia- have a week there and then either fly or get the boat across to Lombok. The flights will probably cost about £1k each but the accommodation and food etc is very cheap. A nice climate in our summer months.

we were in Vietnam just before Christmas (lots of tourists there).
Weather was hot and humid - 32ish and humidity around 85pct. We were in central Vietnam, HoiAn, but in Hanoi a cold front had hit and it was chilly.
Vietnam is great most of the year, food is delicious, there is heaps to do and accom in amazing for not huge amounts of money. And I travelled with my 2 teens. They were not bored. Also went to Saigon.

Thailand in December weather-wise is absolutely perfect. Accommodation however will be more expensive, but you can still get basic budget options. In July, accommodation is cheaper but the trade off is the weather - you will definitely see some rainy days, although it never ruined our trips. I'm biased because I live here now but Thailand is the best ♥️ And definitely offers that mix of culture and beach that you said you wanted.

Bali would be an obvious choice: I imagine flights cheaper in July/Oct than Dec. Accommodation to suit every price under the sun, and very cheap to eat out/buy souvenirs/hire a car with driver, etc.

Also a big +++ for Malaysia. Direct flights from London, and the country has something for everyone: pristine rain forest, tea plantations, wildlife, shopping, food.
Get a train up through the countryside to Penang, which has some of the most incredible food possible.
Also, Kuala Lumpur officially has the world's cheapest 5* hotels for your end of trip treat!!

Vietnam is good - but Cambodia is better, particularly if you go in December when the weather is at its best, very warm, sunny and dry. I’d recommend a three centre holiday. Siem Reap for the Angkor temples and also because it’s lovely there. Phnom Penh which is a great city, developing quickly and a lot more sophisticated than people might think, while still being incredibly laid back, friendly and full of character. Finally one of the islands - Koh Rong has idyllic beaches. Teenagers tend to find it a cool country to visit, it’s remarkably safe and, depending on their age, there’s a lot of nightlife to enjoy and there are some really nice, great value hotels in all locations.

Is October for one week if you have teens @dancingholidays ? If so, there are some very long flights with additional flights being suggested. Ok for 2 plus weeks otherwise not really. South Africa has a similar time zone so much easier to get acclimatized and the Garden route is easy to drive.

A lot of Malaysia info here:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/holidays/4944953-long-haul-long-shot