Asia Travel Ideas with 7-Yr Old?
Feb 14th, 2006, 07:44 PM
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Asia Travel Ideas with 7-Yr Old?
My daughter was born in Ekaterinburg, Russia, which is just inside the Asia border. I was planning this wonderful trip for the 2 of us this summer to the south of France and she has now decided she wants instead to visit "her continent." As we will also be relocating from Atlanta to Boston this summer, emotions are running high so I'd like to grant her wish. We will be visiting her orphanage in the summer of 2007 so I don't want to go to that part of Russia / Asia this summer. Help! This has caught me off guard and I need some ideas for a 2-week trip somewhere in Asia that would be memorable for a 7-year old. We love the sea, horseback riding, walking, exploring and villages as opposed to big cities. Any suggestions? Thanks, Gin
Feb 14th, 2006, 07:52 PM
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wow, what a big ask.
My two young kids loved xi'an, great wall (almost all of beijing), hong kong, and shenzhen which were the places we saw whilst we were living in guangzhou.
Shenzhen will be good as one of the locations for a few reasons.
a) its by the sea with at least one real nice beach and you can catch a ferry to HK
b) it has 3 main themeparks plus close to disneyland (if you've been before then this is not a must see). Anwyay one of these three parks has miniature villages from all over china. If she wants to see "her continent" then this themepark might very well be ideal for her to appreciate so much without having the luxury of travelling all over the vast continent itself. My kids loved it for a half day activity.
oh and don't worry about big city issues when thinking about where to go (IMO)
My two young kids loved xi'an, great wall (almost all of beijing), hong kong, and shenzhen which were the places we saw whilst we were living in guangzhou.
Shenzhen will be good as one of the locations for a few reasons.
a) its by the sea with at least one real nice beach and you can catch a ferry to HK
b) it has 3 main themeparks plus close to disneyland (if you've been before then this is not a must see). Anwyay one of these three parks has miniature villages from all over china. If she wants to see "her continent" then this themepark might very well be ideal for her to appreciate so much without having the luxury of travelling all over the vast continent itself. My kids loved it for a half day activity.
oh and don't worry about big city issues when thinking about where to go (IMO)
Feb 14th, 2006, 08:00 PM
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Our 8 year old thinks Bali is the best place she's ever been. It's rich in cultural experiences should you want them and the people are warm as can be. If you search on my name and Bali you can find lots about what we did there last year that made it so special.
Feb 14th, 2006, 08:23 PM
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OK some thoughts on bringing a 7 year old to Asia which you might want to discuss with your daughter. I live in Hong Kong and have some experience with children coming to visit from the US.
Depending on where you are going to visit and where you are coming from in the US, you are talking about a minimum flight time of about 15 hours if you can get a non-stop flight, and of course 18 or more if you have to connect. Can she sit in a seat for that long? Can she entertain herself and not be a nuisance to herself, you and other passengers? It's pretty hard for an adult, let alone a child. I see from your other posts that you have been to Australia so perhaps you have had good experiences with this and are not concerned.
Jet lag affects children much more. She will be up all night for the first few days and will want to sleep all day. She will be cranky. Again, as you have taken her to Australia perhaps you have had good experiences with this.
In general most parts of Asia will be very hot and very humid in the summer months. You can of course go to some highland areas, but as a general rule, it is hard to escape the heat and humidity. This can be tiring for touring, and you also have to watch for dehydration.
Other than Singapore and Hong Kong, you cannot drink tap water and need to be quite careful with food, esp for children. Is your daughter mature enough to supervise her own eating and drinking so that you can be sure so won't eat unpeeled fruit, etc when you may not be looking, etc? There are also concerns with malaria, etc, you would need to look into meds. I would not be crazy about putting a 7 year old on anti-malarial (I never take anything myself) but then again you probably don't want to risk malaria or dengue.
I love Asia for many reasons, but it does NOT have many "villages" at least not in the sense that they are charming and scenic with great little restaurants and colorful village markets. It ain't Europe by any stretch of the imagination, nor is it Australia. I lived in Switzerland and a greater contrast between a village there and a village in say Thailand you could never imagine. You will find interesting villages in Bali and other parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand in the midst of rice paddies and palm or rubber plantations; but once you really get out of cities and towns you must be prepared for live chickens running around, no sidewalks, kind of dilapidated housing next door to concrete bungalows surrounded by fences, a good bit of noise, rubbish tips on the edge of town and just plain dirt. A dearth of hotels and services of course goes along with this. I am not sure a 7 year old will actually like this. Rural China is even more so, and not very much English would be spoken there.
If I had to recco any place where you would be likely to find a village sort of life it would be Bali, which I would not hesitate to travel to, but you may not be so crazy about going to at this time. Areas around Ubud would have several nearby villages which you could explore by bicycle. Rural Java esp around Yogajarkata would also offer this, again you may have some security concerns and there is no beach there. Parts of east coast Malaysia would offer some of this, but IMO Bali would offer the best, more artists villages, and no industry, which does occur on the east coast of Malaysia. I don't really know enough about the rural parts of the Golden Triangle area of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand to provide advice on village life there, perhaps others can comment. I find that area so touristy that I don't enjoy going there so much.
Of course Bali is not Russia, and unless your daughter was born in Russia of Chinese or other truly Asian origin, most of "Asia" of course bears no relation to the Russian ethnic group and does not represent her origins. This may only confuse her more to see Chinese, Malays, Indonesians, Thais, etc and not ethnic Russians. Have you discussed this with her?
Although you are trying to avoid cities, a place like Singapore which has a great zoo, is clean, you can drink the tap water, has a very good level of English, easy public transport, some beaches, etc would be a good place to take a 7 year old. You could get up to the east coast of Malaysia from there for beaches, and also get to Bali if you wanted, all doable in 2 weeks. Same with a place like Hong Kong which has excellent walking trails in many unspoiled areas (kind of hot in the summer months though, and air pollution is an issue, as it is in many Asian cities).
Finally one unsolicited comment is that you are her parent not her friend and you don't have to make vacation decisions based on what a 7 year old wants to do. I see this as the big mistake that peoople of my generation are making in raising their kids versus people of my parents generation: if you do it right, there are times when your kids just will NOT like you. I don't recall my parents asking me whether or not I wanted to go to the Grand Canyon, but I sure loved it when we got there. . . .
Depending on where you are going to visit and where you are coming from in the US, you are talking about a minimum flight time of about 15 hours if you can get a non-stop flight, and of course 18 or more if you have to connect. Can she sit in a seat for that long? Can she entertain herself and not be a nuisance to herself, you and other passengers? It's pretty hard for an adult, let alone a child. I see from your other posts that you have been to Australia so perhaps you have had good experiences with this and are not concerned.
Jet lag affects children much more. She will be up all night for the first few days and will want to sleep all day. She will be cranky. Again, as you have taken her to Australia perhaps you have had good experiences with this.
In general most parts of Asia will be very hot and very humid in the summer months. You can of course go to some highland areas, but as a general rule, it is hard to escape the heat and humidity. This can be tiring for touring, and you also have to watch for dehydration.
Other than Singapore and Hong Kong, you cannot drink tap water and need to be quite careful with food, esp for children. Is your daughter mature enough to supervise her own eating and drinking so that you can be sure so won't eat unpeeled fruit, etc when you may not be looking, etc? There are also concerns with malaria, etc, you would need to look into meds. I would not be crazy about putting a 7 year old on anti-malarial (I never take anything myself) but then again you probably don't want to risk malaria or dengue.
I love Asia for many reasons, but it does NOT have many "villages" at least not in the sense that they are charming and scenic with great little restaurants and colorful village markets. It ain't Europe by any stretch of the imagination, nor is it Australia. I lived in Switzerland and a greater contrast between a village there and a village in say Thailand you could never imagine. You will find interesting villages in Bali and other parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand in the midst of rice paddies and palm or rubber plantations; but once you really get out of cities and towns you must be prepared for live chickens running around, no sidewalks, kind of dilapidated housing next door to concrete bungalows surrounded by fences, a good bit of noise, rubbish tips on the edge of town and just plain dirt. A dearth of hotels and services of course goes along with this. I am not sure a 7 year old will actually like this. Rural China is even more so, and not very much English would be spoken there.
If I had to recco any place where you would be likely to find a village sort of life it would be Bali, which I would not hesitate to travel to, but you may not be so crazy about going to at this time. Areas around Ubud would have several nearby villages which you could explore by bicycle. Rural Java esp around Yogajarkata would also offer this, again you may have some security concerns and there is no beach there. Parts of east coast Malaysia would offer some of this, but IMO Bali would offer the best, more artists villages, and no industry, which does occur on the east coast of Malaysia. I don't really know enough about the rural parts of the Golden Triangle area of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand to provide advice on village life there, perhaps others can comment. I find that area so touristy that I don't enjoy going there so much.
Of course Bali is not Russia, and unless your daughter was born in Russia of Chinese or other truly Asian origin, most of "Asia" of course bears no relation to the Russian ethnic group and does not represent her origins. This may only confuse her more to see Chinese, Malays, Indonesians, Thais, etc and not ethnic Russians. Have you discussed this with her?
Although you are trying to avoid cities, a place like Singapore which has a great zoo, is clean, you can drink the tap water, has a very good level of English, easy public transport, some beaches, etc would be a good place to take a 7 year old. You could get up to the east coast of Malaysia from there for beaches, and also get to Bali if you wanted, all doable in 2 weeks. Same with a place like Hong Kong which has excellent walking trails in many unspoiled areas (kind of hot in the summer months though, and air pollution is an issue, as it is in many Asian cities).
Finally one unsolicited comment is that you are her parent not her friend and you don't have to make vacation decisions based on what a 7 year old wants to do. I see this as the big mistake that peoople of my generation are making in raising their kids versus people of my parents generation: if you do it right, there are times when your kids just will NOT like you. I don't recall my parents asking me whether or not I wanted to go to the Grand Canyon, but I sure loved it when we got there. . . .
Feb 14th, 2006, 08:38 PM
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To add to Cicerone's thorough post, another point of view about long distance travel with kids and planning.
We live in Japan, and have since our now 8 year old was born. We've been making the trip to the states at least once a year, sometimes as many a 4 times a year, since she was 2 months old. We all have lots of experience with long plane rides, missed connections, weather delays, emergency travel on no sleep at all, and of course, jet lag.
It has been our experience that our daughter adjusts much better the time change between Japan and the US east coast and vice versa better than I do. I have a really hard time with it, and she just keeps on bouncing back. She goes right back to school the day after we get back home to Japan without missing a beat. Last year, our first day in Florida we went to Bush Gardens, then shopping for Easter goods, then colored the Easter eggs until midnight...all without a nap even. She was up at 7 am after sleeping 7 hours, and ready to go. I was in terrible shape.
On the airplane, she tends to sleep more than either myself or my husband does. When she's not sleeping, she's happy to watch the movie or read a book or draw. She hasn't ever been a troublesome travelller...lucky for me, because I am a pretty terrible traveller and tend to be exhausted and grumpy.
As far as choosing where to go, we have developed a way of planning vacations that we are all involved with. I find that it's good preparation for her to do a little research with me about where we might be going. Generally we narrow it down to 2 places and then choose together as a family. We each choose some things we'd like to have included on the vacation. This year, we went to Thailand, and I chose elephant camp and a bicycle trip, my husband chose cooking class, and our daughter requested at least one hotel have an amazing pool. We were all happy, we all got what we wanted, and we all enjoyed things we wouldn't have done had it been left only to ourselves to choose. As a team, we put together a really nice trip I think. I don't see any reason not to involve children in the decision making process. I do see great benefits in involving them...they have part of themselves invested in the trip, they can look forward to seeing how what they chose pans out, they learn about the places they are visiting beforehand and can therefore get a bit more out if the trip than if they knew nothing.
In the end, though, it is really much less about where you go and more about the time you spend together sharing completely new experiences.
We live in Japan, and have since our now 8 year old was born. We've been making the trip to the states at least once a year, sometimes as many a 4 times a year, since she was 2 months old. We all have lots of experience with long plane rides, missed connections, weather delays, emergency travel on no sleep at all, and of course, jet lag.
It has been our experience that our daughter adjusts much better the time change between Japan and the US east coast and vice versa better than I do. I have a really hard time with it, and she just keeps on bouncing back. She goes right back to school the day after we get back home to Japan without missing a beat. Last year, our first day in Florida we went to Bush Gardens, then shopping for Easter goods, then colored the Easter eggs until midnight...all without a nap even. She was up at 7 am after sleeping 7 hours, and ready to go. I was in terrible shape.
On the airplane, she tends to sleep more than either myself or my husband does. When she's not sleeping, she's happy to watch the movie or read a book or draw. She hasn't ever been a troublesome travelller...lucky for me, because I am a pretty terrible traveller and tend to be exhausted and grumpy.
As far as choosing where to go, we have developed a way of planning vacations that we are all involved with. I find that it's good preparation for her to do a little research with me about where we might be going. Generally we narrow it down to 2 places and then choose together as a family. We each choose some things we'd like to have included on the vacation. This year, we went to Thailand, and I chose elephant camp and a bicycle trip, my husband chose cooking class, and our daughter requested at least one hotel have an amazing pool. We were all happy, we all got what we wanted, and we all enjoyed things we wouldn't have done had it been left only to ourselves to choose. As a team, we put together a really nice trip I think. I don't see any reason not to involve children in the decision making process. I do see great benefits in involving them...they have part of themselves invested in the trip, they can look forward to seeing how what they chose pans out, they learn about the places they are visiting beforehand and can therefore get a bit more out if the trip than if they knew nothing.
In the end, though, it is really much less about where you go and more about the time you spend together sharing completely new experiences.
Feb 14th, 2006, 09:02 PM
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I think when kids are returning home, the jet lag issue is not a big deal, as they are returning to a place and schedule that they know. Same with expatriate children when they are going on "home leave" (as with KimJapan), where they will see grandparents, and are again going to a place they know. I have found this to be the case with my sisters' children who lived in Singapore and Sicily, respectively, for several years and would come home at Christmas and for summer vacations.
What I have found with children coming to visit me in Singapore, Hong Kong and Zurich is that the reaction to jet lag seems to be exacerbated by a strange place, bed, food, language, etc. The same kid who would come to the US from Sicily with no problem would zonk out for the first few days in Hong Kong (greater time difference to be sure, but I also think other factors were involved). As beachbaby has brought her daughter to Australia, she may not have had this experience, but I did want to mention it.
What I have found with children coming to visit me in Singapore, Hong Kong and Zurich is that the reaction to jet lag seems to be exacerbated by a strange place, bed, food, language, etc. The same kid who would come to the US from Sicily with no problem would zonk out for the first few days in Hong Kong (greater time difference to be sure, but I also think other factors were involved). As beachbaby has brought her daughter to Australia, she may not have had this experience, but I did want to mention it.
Feb 14th, 2006, 09:16 PM
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I'll place another vote for Bali. It's a very special and magical place that appeals to the child in all of us.You can get both beach and culture and it's extremely kid-friendly. You will find accommodations in a wide range of prices.
My son traveled with us from the East Coast to Asia from the time that he was 18 months. We never had any problems with him on the flight. Yes, it takes a few days for everyone to get over jetlag, but I've never noticed it being any more difficult for a child than an adult.
If Bali appeals to you I'd suggest you take the Singapore Airlines non-stop from Newark to Singapore and spend a few days in Singapore on either end of the trip.
My son traveled with us from the East Coast to Asia from the time that he was 18 months. We never had any problems with him on the flight. Yes, it takes a few days for everyone to get over jetlag, but I've never noticed it being any more difficult for a child than an adult.
If Bali appeals to you I'd suggest you take the Singapore Airlines non-stop from Newark to Singapore and spend a few days in Singapore on either end of the trip.
Feb 14th, 2006, 09:33 PM
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You know, one place I am leaving out which probably WOULD have charmng villages is Japan. I really have not traveled there in any extensive manner other than a few business trips to Japan, so hopefully JapanKim can lend some expertise. I think a place like Kyoto might work out and then there are wildlife areas in the north in Hokaiddo and of course beaches in places like Okinawa. Very clean, orgnaized, can drink the water, etc. You might really consder that. Again, it is not ethnically close to Russian, but physically close to Russia.
Feb 14th, 2006, 10:33 PM
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I don't know...though I do think Japan is nice (we have chosen to live here after all) I don't think it can come close to being as welcoming as Bali. Bali is also a more attractive place in general in my opinion. Pricewise, Bali is far below the cost of Japan.
There are some World Heritage villages like Gokayama and Shirakawa-go that are lovely to look at, but do not offer any easily accessible "cultural window," so to speak. While using English is perfectly fine for the usual tourist type of exchanges, going beyond ordering food and finding hotels is difficult without speaking Japanese fairly well. There are many small villages surrounding the big cities, even within the big cities, but these places are not particularly open in the sense that tourists would be able to experience village life. They in fact see few tourists, as few tourists ever venture off of the tourist track in Japan.
While is true is that you can pretty much eat and drink anything anywhere in Japan... then again, keep in mind that in my life, the two times I have been hospitalized for food poisoning have been in Japan. 2 trips to Bali, 2 to Hong Kong, 4 to Thailand, and I've never been as sick as the two times at home in Japan. We don't have any trouble travelling in places where the water is a problem...just use bottled for everything, including tooth brushing.
Kyoto has a lot to offer tourists, and for a big city is has done pretty well at retaining at least some of the old and traditional. It is quite interesting to view the cityscape from high ground and see temple complexes beside modern buildings. Kyoto is also very easy for tourists...there is a lot of English at sightseeing spots and stations and hotels and restaurants. However, it is a huge city, and you won't forget you are in a city when you are in Kyoto.
I still vote Bali. As much as I want to encourage people to visit Japan, for a child I think (actually I know firsthand) Bali is magical. You have to plan well and know what you are looking for or you could easily end up in a tourist trap with little opportunity to experience much of anything. But do your homework, and you'll have the chance to pick, roast and grind your own coffee beans, try your hand at batik, practice gamelon with the local group, wander through the rice paddies, learn about traditional village life, cook in a traditional kitchen...the list goes on and on. There is just so much you can experience, try your hand at...it's not a place only for observation but it's a place where the people really want you to see their lifestyle and want to teach you their crafts and dance and music and want you to taste their home cooked food. Our daughter still talks about what she learned and who she met in Bali. She enjoys travelling, but Bali is special. We all think so.
There are some World Heritage villages like Gokayama and Shirakawa-go that are lovely to look at, but do not offer any easily accessible "cultural window," so to speak. While using English is perfectly fine for the usual tourist type of exchanges, going beyond ordering food and finding hotels is difficult without speaking Japanese fairly well. There are many small villages surrounding the big cities, even within the big cities, but these places are not particularly open in the sense that tourists would be able to experience village life. They in fact see few tourists, as few tourists ever venture off of the tourist track in Japan.
While is true is that you can pretty much eat and drink anything anywhere in Japan... then again, keep in mind that in my life, the two times I have been hospitalized for food poisoning have been in Japan. 2 trips to Bali, 2 to Hong Kong, 4 to Thailand, and I've never been as sick as the two times at home in Japan. We don't have any trouble travelling in places where the water is a problem...just use bottled for everything, including tooth brushing.
Kyoto has a lot to offer tourists, and for a big city is has done pretty well at retaining at least some of the old and traditional. It is quite interesting to view the cityscape from high ground and see temple complexes beside modern buildings. Kyoto is also very easy for tourists...there is a lot of English at sightseeing spots and stations and hotels and restaurants. However, it is a huge city, and you won't forget you are in a city when you are in Kyoto.
I still vote Bali. As much as I want to encourage people to visit Japan, for a child I think (actually I know firsthand) Bali is magical. You have to plan well and know what you are looking for or you could easily end up in a tourist trap with little opportunity to experience much of anything. But do your homework, and you'll have the chance to pick, roast and grind your own coffee beans, try your hand at batik, practice gamelon with the local group, wander through the rice paddies, learn about traditional village life, cook in a traditional kitchen...the list goes on and on. There is just so much you can experience, try your hand at...it's not a place only for observation but it's a place where the people really want you to see their lifestyle and want to teach you their crafts and dance and music and want you to taste their home cooked food. Our daughter still talks about what she learned and who she met in Bali. She enjoys travelling, but Bali is special. We all think so.
Feb 15th, 2006, 12:25 PM
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THANK YOU, THANK YOU! These are wonderful ideas and great advice. Now I feel like I can sit with Sophie and start planning - I love the idea of involving her as I usually make all the decisions - and she certainly told me what she thinks about my plans this time! In her defense, she is pushing for Asia because we had been planning the orphanage trip for this summer but our agency has delayed it a year and she was very disappointed; she's needing some kind of link to her birthplace and I'm not comfortable going to Russia alone with her. Great advice to make sure she understands that the Asia we'll see this summer is very different from Ekaterinburg. I'll probably be back with all kinds of questions and will appreciate any continued help you can give me. Best, Gin
Feb 15th, 2006, 05:10 PM
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What are your concerns about going to Russia? If they are safety or ease of travel, I would not have any concerns on those points. I have traveled to Russia on business and pleasure several times, by myself and in groups and have never had any problems. If you would prefer to do a trip sponsored by the agency for the convenience of having a rep that could take you to the orphanage, then that I can understand, although I would think they could arrange this for you separately. They must have prospective adoptive parents going there at all times.
Otherwise, Russia is very easy to travel to and in; and facilities and services are becoming better every day (quite literally). Ekaterinburg is a bit more undeveloped than Moscow or St Petersburg, obviously, but I don't think you would find it any problem to get around on your own. There are several very good hotels. You can fly non-stop from Frankfurt (on Lufthansa) or London (on BA) or with connections from Paris (mostly on Aeroflot), so you could even fit this in as part of your previously planned trip to Provence next summer. If you still don't want to travel on your own, there are of course, sponsored tours to Russia that would include Ekaterinburg on an itinerary and you could join one of those, or do a semi-independent tour where guides, hotels, flights would be arranged for you based on an itinerary you would pick. I know Abercrombie & Kent does very good personal type tours and are well regarded, they might even be able to help with the orphanage part. Take a look at
http://www.abercrombiekent.com/index.cfm?navid=4.1
Otherwise, Russia is very easy to travel to and in; and facilities and services are becoming better every day (quite literally). Ekaterinburg is a bit more undeveloped than Moscow or St Petersburg, obviously, but I don't think you would find it any problem to get around on your own. There are several very good hotels. You can fly non-stop from Frankfurt (on Lufthansa) or London (on BA) or with connections from Paris (mostly on Aeroflot), so you could even fit this in as part of your previously planned trip to Provence next summer. If you still don't want to travel on your own, there are of course, sponsored tours to Russia that would include Ekaterinburg on an itinerary and you could join one of those, or do a semi-independent tour where guides, hotels, flights would be arranged for you based on an itinerary you would pick. I know Abercrombie & Kent does very good personal type tours and are well regarded, they might even be able to help with the orphanage part. Take a look at
http://www.abercrombiekent.com/index.cfm?navid=4.1
Feb 15th, 2006, 06:31 PM
#14
We took our kids to Asia many times; the first when our oldest was 4 months old! Never had any major problem with jetlag, and both our kids knew they'd "get it" if they acted up on the planes. ;-)
The beauty of Asia is that you don't have to do much to be "wow"-ed. The cultures have a lot of bright temples, different architecture, and lots of kid oriented shops and activities. Flea markets, train rides, playing in the park can all be a lot more exciting there. You don't need to know the history or understand much of the language; you'll know you aren't in Kansas anymore!
I find Japan the easiest to travel with kids. The water and food is clean, it is very safe, the people are extraordinarily friendly and helpful (especially if you have a child in tow), and mass transport is excellent. It is also quite simple to travel "on the fly" as many of the small villages have lots of little inns. Many of our first trips involved purchasing a train pass and just stopping where ever we felt each day. Often there was a desk at the train stations that could call ahead for a room in town. Try getting the book "Japan Solo" for ideas.
Although I haven't been to Bali yet, my brother lived there for several years and still returns quite often. He says it is another place where a child (his is 8 now)opens all sort of doors for you.
Korea was okay with 6 and 8 yr olds, but not nearly as easy as Japan. Thailand is another great place, but the weather and getting around outside of Bangkok can be a bit of a challenge, especially your first time.
Good luck! There's so much world to choose from, isn't there??
The beauty of Asia is that you don't have to do much to be "wow"-ed. The cultures have a lot of bright temples, different architecture, and lots of kid oriented shops and activities. Flea markets, train rides, playing in the park can all be a lot more exciting there. You don't need to know the history or understand much of the language; you'll know you aren't in Kansas anymore!
I find Japan the easiest to travel with kids. The water and food is clean, it is very safe, the people are extraordinarily friendly and helpful (especially if you have a child in tow), and mass transport is excellent. It is also quite simple to travel "on the fly" as many of the small villages have lots of little inns. Many of our first trips involved purchasing a train pass and just stopping where ever we felt each day. Often there was a desk at the train stations that could call ahead for a room in town. Try getting the book "Japan Solo" for ideas.
Although I haven't been to Bali yet, my brother lived there for several years and still returns quite often. He says it is another place where a child (his is 8 now)opens all sort of doors for you.
Korea was okay with 6 and 8 yr olds, but not nearly as easy as Japan. Thailand is another great place, but the weather and getting around outside of Bangkok can be a bit of a challenge, especially your first time.
Good luck! There's so much world to choose from, isn't there??
