Where would you go if you had 6/7 weeks?

[whompingwillo]

My husband is taking a 6/7 week sabbatical over summer. We have 2 girls who will at the time be aged 6.5 and 2.5

Where would you go?!

I’d wait until the kids were older and then do Japan or possibly Borneo and Indonesia/Malaysia

@SapporoBaby Her DH is having the sabbatical this summer! How can she wait? Surely find something manageable that dc like right now? She must know if they like travelling a lot or just travel to arrive like most dc.

So judgey. The OP’s eldest is 6.5 so why wouldn’t her kids appreciate any of those places you took yours after they were 6? My kids at 2 were so placid and enjoyed various forms of travelling, including trains. Guess what? Kids are all different. No need to “feel sorry for them”.

Don’t get me started on “we like to savour places”. Cool, but some like to keep on the move and that’s ok too.

You’ve clearly got a much much bigger budget and income than the OP and always have had so probably a good idea to keep that in mind when you’re telling her you feel sorry for her children.

You can easily do a version of Cape to Cairo in 7 weeks without doing the full tour of the route. Divide it into 3 weeks, 3 weeks, 1 week.

Norway. You could work your way up the coast. Go to the Lofoten islands and possibly even Svalbard. It has good healthcare too and you could drive there via NL and DK.

@pinapinacolada With young dc? Just not much of a holiday for them. Travel but seeing next to nothing. Lots of war torn countries to be avoided too. Fun?

It is great fun! I grew up in East Africa though so perhaps I am biased, of course I think it is a wonderful part of the world for children to see and lots can be done in 7 weeks.

Canada

I agree East Africa is a very good destination. All the way from Cape to Cairo in 6 weeks with young dc? Just no.

New Zealand and while there go to Tahiti etc 😄 such a great opportunity OP

US west coast and over to Hawaii

Not sure why you are getting chippy replies op!

Aus/NZ would be my suggestion but time of year wrong.

South East Asia?

I’ve also always q fancied doing a big US road trip - which could be good over 6/7 weeks?

I'd love to do Canada or island hopping in Hawaii. Break up the flight to Hawaii somewhere in the US. Most the west coast offer flights to Hawaii. I also know people that have flown to JFK and then onwards from there.

That would be impossible. It's 5000 miles from Cape Town to Cairo, for a start and Sudan is embroiled in civil war.

I'd stay in Europe too with such small children. Personally, I'd drive through Italy as far as Puglia staying in Airbnbs, moving every 5-7 days. Then ferry to Croatia from Bari and back up through Slovenia, Austria and Germany. All those countries are safe and have good health care in an emergency. And in Italy, they love children.

We did a four week trip when my two were 7 and 4 and stayed in the Jura, Switzerland, the Dolomites, Tuscany, Lake Garda and the Alsace: a mixture of camping and hotels. It was amazing.

I hope you have a wonderful time wherever you decide to go.

I think camping in Europe would be amazing. The west coast down France into Spain and Portugal is much more temperate than the Mediterranean. Really lovely beaches, culture and scenery. With small children I'd plan on staying up to a week in each place and getting out to explore rather than spend a lot of time driving.

We are planning Australia, sticking mostly with northern areas like cairns for better weather. For 3 weeks.

Then stopping at Singapore and maybe Thailand the way there, and San Francisco/Yosemite the way back (totalling 3 weeks).

Our children are a little older. But previously have done a California road trip with our 3 year old which went really well.

Going against the grain here - but I'd rent a cottage in the west of Ireland, very close to the ocean and a town/village. OK, so the weather may not be the best (though it's glorious at the moment!), but you'd have long enough to integrate with the local population and get to know people. The scenery is outstanding, the beaches are huge and never crowded, children are welcome nearly everywhere, and there is so much to see and do.

I used to rent a house here every summer for 6-8 weeks, until we eventually moved permanently in 1999. It is a fantastic place.

You can, in seven weeks, fly from South Africa, to East Africa, to Cairo avoiding Sudan and see many highlights along the way. Hope that helps!

That's very patronising. I'm aware that aeroplanes exist, but saying Cape Town to Cairo implies an overland trip. You should have said, 'Spend a few weeks travelling around South Africa, then fly to Tanzania/Kenya for a while and finish up with ten days in Egypt.' Or whatever you actually meant.

But…I originally wrote “from South Africa, East Africa to Northern Africa (ending in Egypt).”
That’s obviously, without saying, entirely up to interpretation for someone to decide how they’d want to do that — with 7 weeks you could do many versions of such a route. You provided one example just there — hence, it’s not “impossible.”

Fair enough!

At those ages id be tempted to drive to France and stay in a gite close to the sea or a lake - perhaps end up at Disney for 3 nights

I'd look at Costa Rica, which is amazing even with young children. That would give you plenty of time to visit both coasts, and the cloud forest. Chilled time on the beaches and adventures in the jungle.

I'm taking 6 weeks in the summer and am going to Vienna, Mongolia, Japan and Canada - a round the world trip. I'm not doing it with children, but it would be feasible if they are a bit older and excited by stunning scenery and new cultures