Hot and chaotic, yet offering plenty of fun activities, great landscapes and food, Asia is an awesome choice for your family trip. Before you start planning, get an idea of where you want to go, considering time available, cost and whether the place is appropriate for your kids’ ages (given you are bringing kids).
“Hey where are we going this summer?” The fun of family trips starts the very second this question pops. Choosing a destination that is just right for your family, gives you a solid goal to aim for. Oftentimes, it is your budget that decides your destination and how you will be traveling (nothing but luxury or mid-range). Don’t get trapped here! Think out of the box and you will find more possibilities than you can imagine.
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Brainstorming Your Interests as a Family
Get everybody around the dinner table and start brainstorming for your next family trip. Take turns to call on a desirable destination or an experience that you would enjoy or want to try for the first time. Involve your children in decision making. No matter how old your kids, their understanding or expectations of destinations might have your considerations flipped or impelled.
After some time of brainstorming, a list of country names (possibly with specific activities) may emerge. It might be a long one, especially if you are taking a big family. Now it is time to narrow down the list. Before you do, make sure your kids understand that their suggestions might be replaced or crossed off to suit the good of the entire family.
Understand the Time Frame and Weather
When talking about time frame, you need to decide when to travel, how long your trip should be and consider the international flight duration. Once settled on these three factors, you need to think about the weather of the listed destinations. This helps you screen out those countries or regions that seem less enjoyable during your time of travel; it also helps you adjust expectations.
Generally speaking, older kids adapt to longer journeys better than younger ones. Traveling with school kids means you would probably leave home in summertime or winter vacation for a couple of weeks. For these fully-charged little tigers, a week is too short a holiday. But smaller kids, aged below 12 years, might not be ready for too long a vacation away from home. Long-haul flights for toddlers require more pre-vacation preparation.
Define Your Budget
Your list is now shorter after the above two steps. Checking out how much you have budgeted for this trip depicts a clearer outline for your holiday. Legitimately, a nearer destination might look better on the bill than a destination on another continent. However, turn your mind around – a family trip to Asia doesn’t really cost that much, provided you plan it well.
International flights are one of the main expenses. The optimal plan would be to fly directly. If impossible, you should count an extra overnight stay for transit flights, so you and your kids don’t get worn out. When purchasing air tickets, you need to budget for 1) children’s prices; 2) baggage prices; 3) additional services such as special in-flight meals, advance boarding, seats together and VIP lounges.
Peak tourism season in Asia is October to March, costing USD150 to 250 per person per day, based on 4-star accommodation, USD250 and up for 5-star, excluding international airfares. During off-peak season, April to late September, it will be half the price. For children, you need to consider the cost for extra beds and internal flights, normally 70% of the adult cost.
Based on our years of tour operation, we have a chart of costs in each Asian destination at the bottom of this article (data for 2017, only for reference)
| Country/Region | Peak Tourism Seasons | Hotel Ranking | Cost per day/person (see Note 1) | Cost in Off-Peak Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | January to May, September to early December | 4-star 5-star |
USD320 to USD400 USD400 and up |
USD280 to USD350 USD350 and up |
| Mainland China | February to April, September to November | 4-star 5-star |
USD200 to USD280 USD280 and up |
USD200 to USD280 USD280 and up |
| Mongolia | May to early August | 4-star 5-star |
USD220 to USD280 -- (5-star accommodation is limited, not enough data for a conclusion) |
USD180 to USD220 -- (5-star accommodation is limited, not enough data for a conclusion) |
| Vietnam | October to May | 4-star 5-star |
USD150 to USD250 USD250 and up |
USD120 to USD220 USD220 and up |
| Cambodia | Late September to early April | 4-star 5-star |
USD180 to USD260 USD260 and up |
USD150 to USD230 USD230 and up |
| Laos | October to May | 4-star 5-star |
USD180 to USD260 USD260 and up |
USD150 to USD230 USD230 and up |
| Myanmar | Late September to April | 4-star 5-star |
USD200 to USD270 USD270 and up |
USD160 to USD220 USD220 and up |
| Thailand | Late September to May | 4-star 5-star |
USD160 to USD240 USD240 and up |
USD120 to USD200 USD200 and up |
| India | October to March | 4-star 5-star |
USD180 to USD260 USD260 and up |
USD140 to USD200 USD200 and up |
| Singapore | All year | 4-star 5-star |
USD200 to USD300 USD300 and up |
USD200 and up (no distinguishing line between |
| Malaysia | November to March | 4-star 5-star |
USD180 to USD250 USD250 and up |
USD150 to USD220 USD220 and up |
| Indonesia | May to December | 4-star 5-star |
USD180 to USD240 USD240 and up |
USD130 to USD220 USD220 and up |
| The Philippines | January to May | 4-star 5-star |
USD140 to USD220 USD220 and up |
USD80 to USD160 USD160 and up |
| Sri Lanka | November to April | 4-star 5-star |
USD170 to USD250 USD250 and up |
USD110 to USD200 USD200 and up |
| Nepal (see Note 2) | October to November, June to September | 4-star 5-star |
USD150 to USD200 USD200 | USD110 to USD160 USD160 and up |
| Bhutan (see Note 3) | December to Februaryt | 4-star 5-star |
USD250 to USD350 -- not enough data for a conclusion |
USD200 to USD280 -- not enough data for a conclusion |
| Brunei | January to May | 4-star 5-star |
USD220 to USD350 USD350 and up |
USD200 to USD280 USD280 and up |
Notes:
- 1. Cost is per day per person, excluding international flights, with English-speaking stationary(?) tour guides
- 2. Cost for Nepal excludes Chitwan
- 3. Cost for Bhutan excludes a mandatory daily fee, ranging from USD200 to USD300
Talk to an Expert
Use online tools smartly for research and go through reviews written by family travelers like you. Share the resources with your family and see how they react. Besides the domestic democracy, it is also vital to understand the suitability of different destinations for different age ranges and experiences. If you find yourself vacillating between options, find some trustworthy experts to talk to. They could be somebody who has been to these destinations or actually living there, and they should be honest enough to tell you what to expect.
You might want to skip travel agents as they always mean ‘more expensive’. That is not always true. Considering the time and effort that you can save, talking to an on-site expert actually is in line with your goals for a family trip: enjoyable, cost-efficient and meaningful.
A good agent, however, doesn’t really decide your destination per se. They act more like a sidekick who studies your interests and evaluates the possibilities. You always have the say in everything.
Look no further, Asia Highlights is right here, ready to create your trip. For more ideas, read our Top Destinations for Family Trips in Asia. Or get a quick start with us (Tailor-made button)
Plan your Family Trip to Asia with Asia Highlights
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15-Day Family Trip to Mongolia, China and Thailand
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