A non-Europe 2-3 weeks once-in-a-lifetime-ish trip with teens1

[PosiePerkinPootleFlump]

Looking for some recommendations....

We went to Namibia and Cape Town last October for 16 days, when the kids (teens) all had a 2-week October half-term. Hired a 4x4 with 2 roof tents in Namibia for a mix of wildlife and remote campsites. Then Cape Town for a few days at the end. It was awesome. No phones (no reception!), lots of time outdoors, animals, scenery and environment totally different to what the kids are used to etc.

It worked brilliantly - yes it was expensive but not nearly the prices some people talk about for non-Europe on here (flights London-Windhoek-Cape Town-London for the 5 of us were £3500, whole trip less around £7000 all included). I arranged it all myself but have been to both Namibia and CT before so had an idea where to go and how to organise - I can see organised self-drive tours come in at way more than this.

This was a long-planned special trip. We normally house swap or Airbnb or camp in Europe or the UK. If you were contemplating one-more-big-trip before the kids want to do their own thing, but hadn't got 10k+++ to spend, had 2-3 weeks and were probably constrained to school summer holidays.....what would you do and where would you go? I'd love to go to Costa Rica but don't think it is doable in budget. Youngest teen would love to go to Japan but same worry on £££. Would love to do India too but don't really know where to start for a relatively short time.

Definitely not India in our summer.

Indonesia could be amazing. Borneo, Java, Lombok, or Java, Lombok, Bali. Look for cheap flights to Singapore and budget airlines go to Borneo from there. Or Malaysia and Borneo.

Peru, Bolivia, northern Chile all good weather then I think, and a proper adventure.

Guatemala and Honduras? Include the Bay Islands to get their PADI ? Wet season though I think, can’t remember.

Costa Rica is amazing but activities are pricey and really add up. We went last year and are planning Sri Lanka next which seems a lot cheaper in comparison!

same applies for USA and Canada unfortunately, if you want to spend 2-3 weeks then you’d easily spend $3-4k on accommodation alone.

Peru would be spectacular but internal flights add up
so not sure you could go it for £10k

Our cheapest holiday was Vietnam as accommodation was cheaper.

No need for internal flights in Peru if you’re happy to go on the local “chicken buses”. Depends how much you mind roughing it really! (Think a flight needed for Amazon area though).

Yes we flew up to the Amazon and then down to sacred valley. The Amazon was amazing and we stayed at a research centre which was interesting too. We caught the train to Lake T, but flew back up to fly home.

Japan - yen is very weak at no, country is just amazing mad and beautiful, and frankly it’s not as expensive as everyone makes out

Malaysia. Flights may be expensive but the country is generally very cheap. Amazing food, nature, scenery, beaches, wildlife.

Then island hop to Thailand and Singapore

This! Flight then book to travel around, lots to do. Hoping to do this. Xx

Also America, flights and stays in different cities. X

South Korea

We are at the tail end of a fortnight in Colombia.

Bogotá for 2 days
Letitia for 3 days in a remote camp on the Amazon, with our own guide and boat
Medellín for 3 days
Caribbean coast (Palomino, near Santa Marta to finish).

Internal flights are very cheap indeed. Climate is lovely and the place is all cheap once you get here. Speaking Spanish really helps and if you take sensible precautions it is extremely safe.

Totally recommend it in every way.

Did you organise it yourself, or use a company to help?

Recently went to Costa Rica with teens - absolutely incredible but very expensive (we stayed in some nice lodges and did an add-on). If you love wildlife and think it's possibly manageable in budget, I'd go like a shot.

We're planning perhaps two more big trips before the kids leave home. Possible options are western Canada (we've been before but kids haven't), Japan, and Africa safari (v interested in your Namibia trip). Also thinking about Sri Lanka. Actually looks cheaper than quite a lot of European holidays, even with the flights.

If Canada, could you look at doing a winnebago style road trip to save on accommodation? A friend did that all the way through the NW US and Canada with her luds, for about six weeks, and had an amazing time.

@EffinMagicFairy your Mexico trip sounds wonderful. Where did you go / who with?

I looked at Nambia for this summer but felt the night time temperatures n July were too low to camp and distances too great. Currently in Thailand with older teens. Weather not too hot and not too cold. Food is great!

Costa Rica and Japan are both eye-wateringly expensive, so won't fit your budget. I'd also cross the US off your list as even if you get cheap flights, the CoL there atm is very high. I'd look at SE Asia, because you can still do that pretty cheaply once you're there.

We stayed at fixed camps when we went. There are government camps in Etosha too, that were great value. I appreciate the temperature changes every year, but cold was never an issue. It was an amazing holiday.

Vietnam was the destination of choice for families with teens a few years ago (we are in Aus). Now it is Japan. For me the Vietnam itineraries looked more interesting and I would definitely prefer the food but it’s a matter of choice.

@PosiePerkinPootleFlump @LesFlamandes would you mind sharing more on your Namibia trips please. We’d have to go in English summer due to exams, is that an issue in seeing wildlife?

Also who did you fly with and rough budget would be awesome. Thanks

Also considering Japan but may wait until we can go another time of year as apparently it’s very humid in our summer months (though I could be wrong on that)

Brazil is a great country - good beaches & Rio is an exciting city with iconic landmarks and Iguacu falls nearby.

Definitely don't rule out India, but the weather will impact your chosen activities. It's super cheap to get around and to buy food etc. We were in Delhi in April and got the train to Agra for the Taj Mahal- breathtaking! Wish we'd had more time there, instead of going to a resort in the Maldives which was beautiful but eye-wateringly expensive.

If you do decide on Japan, consider whether the vast network of ferries would enable you to cover the journeys between islands while getting some overnight accommodation as well. The cabins run from luxury suites to a bunk with a curtain...maybe not unlike that roof tent. Look at Solo Travel Japan on YouTube for to check the options. I'd totally recommend island exploration. Hokkaido was spectacularly beautiful.

I love India but wouldn't do it in the summer. We went years ago in April and even then it was 44 degrees for our last couple of days. In the summer it will either be insanely hot or monsoon.

Other than flights, we found Japan relatively cheap - it’s so different that we enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere, views, temples, a few relatively cheap museums. For accommodation, food and activities we spent less per day than we usually would on a holiday in Europe and the UK. It’s supposed to be very hot in the summer though which may not be ideal for lots of sightseeing.

@EffinMagicFairy where did you stay in Mexico? It’s on my list but I am not sure whether to book an AI package and just do lots of day trips or to DIY the whole thing…

Sri Lanka is a good option because it's not too big but has lots of variety. Can come in way under budget too as prices are reasonable. Suggest capital for a night or two, train to kandy for a night or two, up to the cultural triangle for 3 nights, back down to the plantations, climb Adam's peak at night (it's a thing) then out to the coast for surfing and relaxation plus a boat safari