Where to go with our teens this summer `10
 

Looking for a Family summer pre college travel idea, a two week vacation with our kids 15,18 and 20. Thinking of Asia (hot) - England and or Sweden. Want culture and interesting meals. Possibly a mix of city and an activity "easy bike ride, beach, boat ride?" Of course money is an issue.

Where are you from and where have you been already?

Thailand/ end of thread

You can get a pretty cheap round the world ticket right now. With two weeks you could do it twice.

China - nothing like it. End of annex.

firstly england will not offer you interesting food...its getting better but it has a long way to go...

sweeden is outrageously expensive as is the rest of that area...i was just in finland and two pizzas, two beers, one tiny caesar salad and one piece of chocolate cake were $86.
every thing else is similar...

asia generally is just the opposite....it is comparatively reasonable and some places are just plain cheap... often hotel cost 30-50% of what you would expect to pay for similar
accomodations at home and certainly in europe... a lux hotel in bangkok for instance might run $100-200 per nite for 2 but would be 3 times that in the states... very nice accomodations are available for under $100 in some places as well...

the earlier in the summer that you go, the better the weather, but generally may-the end of august is quite nice...

it is the high season in bali for instance and in thailand it is hot but decent with not that much rain...

i would suggest you look at a few places:

thailand would be #1
bali #2
singapore and bali as a combo
as add ons to thailand, you could consider angkor wat, luang prabang laos or burma..
there are fantastic beach resorts in thailand too which the kids would love...

take a look at a few places and come back here with questions, we love to help

Thank you, love this experienced direction!! As a family we have traveled to Israel, Italy, Mexico, Canada, some of the US. We live in Los Angeles. I think that this sounds great. I would appreciate itinerary suggestions. We are 5 people so traveling from place to place can add up very quickly. I really love this idea, we all love culture and Thai food and I love the beach (the Mom)

With two weeks it makes sense to spend all of it in Thailand. With 5 of you moving around, it makes a place like Angkor very expensive, as the air tickets are steep. But in two weeks, you could choose three locations: Bangkok, a location in the north and a beach location. Four nights in each location would give you a nice taste of Thailand.

In Bangkok, you are likely to find a serviced apartment your best bet - you can get a two bedroom apartment with a small kitchen and often, a washer and dryer for a very reasonable price.

For a splurge, you might consider the Anantara at the Golden Triangle, a beautiful resort that has a small branch of the Thai Elephant Conservation Camp on the grounds. Alternatively, you could opt for Chaing Mai and visit the elephant camp at Lampang. Flights from Bangkok to CM are reasonably priced.

For a beach, you could go to an island like Koh Samui (though the airfare is a bit pricey) or to Phuket, where the weather won't be as good, but teh prices will be low, or you could go to Hua Hin, which is a 2.5 hour drive from Bangkok. You can hire a driver and van to drive you there. In Hua Hin, the Hyatt is really lovely.

kathie has set out a fantastic plan for you....i second all of it, except i would want more time in bkk....i'm also not sure the kids would love the north so i think i might split my time like this: 4 days bkk at arrival to relax a bit and recharge after the horrible flight from LA.... 5 days at a beach location or maybe 6 and then a return to bkk for the rest of your time...
i think the kids will love the beach if you choose carefully, and bkk is wonderful....

a two bedroom or 3 bedroom apartment would work well for you in bangkok...look at centre point properties...many fodorites like the one at silom (next to the skytrain which is important) and also near to the river....they also have apartments at langsuan, wireless and other great locations...

i personally like the marriott mayfair and there is a new marriott on sathorn....

the conrad hotel also has apartments and this is well located and gets good reports...

food is outstanding in thailand....in cities any cuisine is available... i have a restaurant listing...if you want it ask at: [email protected]

you might want to engage one of our favorite guides for a couple of days in bangkok.... her name is tong....lots is written about her here....www.tourwithtong.com

i would plan to do my heavy touring at the end of my trip when you are fully adjusted....

shopping is fabulous and cheap in thailand....you all will love that...not much of the readimade clothing will fit americans, but some will...

a splurge hotel in bkk might be fun....i love the peninsula or the hilton or the conrad or the plaza anthenee or the sheraton grande to name a few of many.... many of us love the riverside hotels also....the air is fresher we think and the river provides a very interesting background...

my personal favorite overall hotel is the marriott resort and spa on the river.....it has the best pool in bkk and a pool is absolutely necessary....!!

here are some hotel sites to get some ideas:

www.huahin.20m.com
www.agoda.com
www.sawadee.com
www.asiarooms.com

most hotels do not have double doubles but a few do, so this would mean multiple rooms for you all....

i think you all would like hua hin for your ocean visit....i prefer the hyatt too as kathie has mentioned....the sofitel is also nice and so is the new sheraton, but it might require you to rent a car... i think there are a few new hotels opening soon as well....you generally want to be nearish to the town of HH....

koh samui island is also nice....but a bit expensive for the flight...

air asia has huge discounts on air fares within thailand...thai air is always reliable, as is bangkok air...

for your flight from LA, i would look first at thai air, then united, then ANA, then japan, EVA, malaysian, cathy pacific, singapore and korean....plus delta and maybe american.... i try to look for flights that arrive in bkk mid day and leave at a decent hour coming home....they are few and far between....many leave bkk at 6AM...ugh!!!

happy hunting

If you haven't been to Asia, you love Thai food and a beach -- then head East (or maybe West if you are flying from LA). Asia is an entirely different experience from other parts of the world and, people couldn't be friendlier and the sights are memorable. Regarding the advice above: you are receiving it from some very seasoned travelers. Have fun.

This sounds great. Thank you, just waiting to figure out or time table, Give the potential for lower prices I think I would like to stay in Hotels over apartments. Thoughts?

Apartments will be less expensive than hotels, as you can get a two bedroom apartment for less than, say, two hotel rooms. But do check on prices for the places that interest you.

Ok, just thinking about comfort, beds, AC, location. Are there Apts that have these qualities? We often rent apartments, (19 nights through Italy)

don't think of these serviced apartments as the usual boring bland apartment....they are expanded hotels...they usually have restaurants and pools, and some even have room service...they have a staff at the front desk...its really a glorified hotel with limited services... the furnishings are often nicer than many hotels....and you get tons of space...

the suggestion was only based on expense...

if expense is not the real issue then i would stay at either the marriott resort or the peninsula for sure

If you're still considering Bali . . .

You'd have a lot of choices in accommodations and renting a villa would be ideal. You can get several bedrooms, a big outside living area, private pool complete with staff -- cook, maid, driver. Depending on location and degree of luxe-ness villas are variously priced, but for June/early July you should be able to find one close enough to the beach for considerably less than a hotel/resort. ( In late July and all of August rates go up.)

Or you could spend a few days at a beach villa (I have to stress not on the beach, but near) and a few days inland in one of the lush and deeply spiritual river valleys.

There's a lot to do in Bali focused on both culture and nature with a high level of self pampering, shopping, eating, clubbing thrown in. It's great for families with older teens as there are a lot of options for the whole family and kids can also go off on their own.

The other good thing about Bali is that once you're there, you're there. It's a relatively small island and if you base yourself in a villa you can take day trips to do whatever it is that you like to do -- such as rafting, biking, mountain climing, birding, surfing, boating, snorkling,trekking -- or just staring out to sea. Bali has one of the planet's the most vibrant cultures -- perfoming arts like masked dance, music, handicrafts, frequent religious pagentry -- all readily accessible.

Are you aware that Shanghai is hosting the 2010 World's Fair (May to Oct). Would this be of interest to your family?

As mentioned above, if you want culture, food, and a bonding experience with your family, Asia is by far the most unique experience.

My suggestions are:
Thailand/Vietnam/Cambodia can be done in 2 weeks
2 week China with Hong Kong trip

Hi,

I'll also vote Bali over Thailand mainly because weatherwise, Bali should be exepriencing better conditions that Thailand. The only thing is that I would try to visit before peak August month.

And as Marmot mentioned there's a lot to see/do in Bali with the advantage of being much more compact than Thailand, meaning no flights which will help on the family budget. I would base out of Ubud but still allow for staying at other destinations around the island such as Tirtaganga for some tranquility, Ahmed for some beach time and Lovina in the north. Bali is so rich in culture and I think your older teens might enjoy it more.

Regardless where you decide, have a great family vacation.

Hi,

While Thailand is a great destination - my favourite - it will be raining a lot in the summer. Bali is better weatherwise but is not as interesting as Thailand. The beaches in Thailand are much nicer than those in Bali. China will be way too hot in the summer.

Actually Europe will be your best bet in terms of weather.

The idea that Thailand/VN and Cambodia can be "done" in 3 weeks strikes me as a "if this is Tuesday it must be Belgium" kind of trip. NOT a vacation!

Either Bali or Thailand would be great.

Kathie nails it again.

With that age of travelers, I would recommend a volunteering vacation in cambodia. Teaching English in a rural school=extremely rewarding and not too time consuming. Still lots of time to see the sites. Angkor Wat is spectacular. The chance to get that close to real life here is an enlightening experience and one that none of you will soon forget.

Treat yourself to a week at the beach in Thailand or Bali afterward. Both are easily accessible from Siem Reap.

Cheap. Fulfilling. Educational. Culturally interesting. Fun.

Yes! That would be a fabulous experience for your kids.

Just lost a long reply?
I keep going back and forth b/w Europe and Asia, now we are all back to Asia. Our needs are:
1. Keep costs down (we should not even be doing this trip, but we should have miles for 5) and I honestly can't see spending hard earned money in Europe with 3 teens who eat constantly.
2. Cultural mind opening educational experience 3. Bonding family experience with kids who are going off to College.. Thanks for comments. I think that we could take 2.5 weeks and we live in LA. If anyone has more ideas as far as actual cost please let me know.

If you want to keep costs down, you'll want to avoid Europe!

SE Asia is one of the few travel bargains left. Lodging and food are inexpensive. Many of the activities you and your kids will be interested in will be inexpensive. Lodging will be perhaps a fifth of the price it is in Europe for much nicer rooms/suites. I often tell people you can live in the lap of luxury in Thailand for the price of a Holiday Inn in the US.

You'll have to do the research on costs. If you are interested in Thailand, take a look at www.sawasdee.com for hotel prices. This is a Thai booking site that many of us use. The prices typically include tax and service (which total 17.7%) and often include breakfasts which otherwise would be $16-20 pp. Hotel breakfasts are notoriously expensive, but the spread is unbelievable. Great for feeding adolescents. If you are looking at other locations, agoda.com is another good booking site.

Take a look at some guidebooks and see what interests you.

We've managed to keep costs down on our summer trips with teens. The key is investigating air costs first...We loved our Thailand/Cambodia trip, but as others have said, those places are a much better idea in the winter because of weather. Some of our relatively inexpensive 2-week summer trips w/teens:

- Cook Islands - cheap, unspoiled, much closer than Bali, not as culturally significant, but a stand-out beach vacation
- Australia, with a stop in Fiji (great deals for multiple stops on Qantas - outback was awesome for teens)
- Galapagos - this was our pre-college trip last summer, waited until the last minute to book, got a good price because of the economy.
- Catalonia (north of Barcelona) - rented villa, excellent day trips in "Dali triangle", also Toulouse area in France. If you're looking for interesting meals, this fits the bill...the others on our list are not not in a culinary category w/ Thailand.

I have also been to Bali, but not with my kids...that would be wonderful as well.

Indonesia -- Bali and Java -- is a good value. You get culture, nature, fun and self indulgence all at very reasonable prices. You can find nice (meaning simple but clean, well run and well designed) accommodations for $80-100 double room, including breakfast. A villa in the range of $250-300 all in. Food is quite cheap. People are extraordinarily hospitable.

I know what you mean about teens eating several times a day. The first time my husband and I traveled after our son went off to college we felt oddly liberated from having to find a restaurant every 2-3 hours!

Hi, I know that I better get moving with this. I am most attracted to Thailand. If we go mid June will we be ok with the heat? We were all in Italy several years ago (late june / early July)
and I found that we did less because of the heat.

Last night our kids really jumped in and set me moving I need to see if we can plan a summer vacation with teens who are off to college. Still torn between wanting:
Educational / Adventure
Rest and time to be together
Not getting to tired with heat
Keeping our spending down.
Our budget is less than I thought. Is Thailand mid - late June so hot that we will be too tired to enjoy? I think that we would stay in two different places in Thailand, we usually rent a three bedroom Apartment. Any thoughts??

HI,
I am still trying to jump into this. It looks like we have to travek the first two weeks of August.
Cambodia and doing a work week with the kids sound amazing. Does anyone know first hand of places that offer this opportunity?

Hi Goodness - What did you end up deciding on?

Well, I have been going crazy! As I have spent too many ours reading I find that I have become more interested in Vietnam and less interested in Thailand My problem is that We have to travel late July early August. My husband feels that we would be nuts to drag three kids through Vietnam, he would be willing to go with just me this April. I think that I have been in this empty nest around the corner dilemma and feel that this could be "the trip of a life time." Everyday I change my mind, most often I feel that Vnm would be too hard and too hot for us Any thoughts??

My first choice would be Bali, perhaps with a side trip to Borobudur in Central Java. I love Angkor, everyone loves Thailand, Vietnam maybe less so, but Bali has the advantage of being a good value plus offering a wide range of experiences all in one place. If you add Java you will get the Islamic element which is important for college students to understand. Bali is fascinating, beautiful and a lot of fun, notably for teenagers.

The weather in Bali will be perfect the first two weeks of August. Getting around Bali is easy. All is drivable. It is cheap as well.

As far as going crazy is cncerned, just pick a place and focus in. All of the suggestions in this thread would be wonderful vacation spots. You can't do them all and seeking perfection will send you over the edge.

can someone tell me why no to Vietnam?

Vietnam would be my first choice as it offers a tremendous diversity of sights and activities couple with arguably even better food than Thailand. The tourist infrastucture, although improving all the time, is nowhere near as developed as Thailand's but this has the advantage that it s not as over-run with other tourists. There is more than enough to see in two weeks including lots of adventure based activities for the kids. For added interest you could make a side trip to Cambodia to see Angkor Wat (much quieter at that time of year. The downside of Vietnam is, as with most parts of SE Asia at that time of year, the weather but, being a long thin country means that you should get good weather for some of your trip. Plus, even in the rainy season it is unusual for it to rain all day every day and your should see some blue skies along the way.

For ideas on itineraries use the trip search facility on the following site as a starting point:

http://www.intrepidtravel.com/

Someone who I can only guess is a spammer brought up an old thread. I expect goodness has already decided where to go for summer 2010.

oops- let me clarify, I'm not calling crellston a spammer, but the poster before him.

We just returned from a trip with our teens (16 yo boy & 18 yo girl) visiting Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. It was nothing short of fantastic. In choosing a location we considered:

* Both kids would likely get bored on a paradise island after 3 days
* One would enjoy visiting museums, churches, etc.. The other definitely not.
* We wanted a trip that would cause them to think about our relationship (we're east coast Americans) to the world and just how diverse it is.

Expensive to get to Ho Chi Minh from NYC but once you're there it's very inexpensive.