How to Choose a Destination for Your Family Trip to Asia

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.

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.

19-Day Japan, China, Singapore and Bali Tokyo - Kyoto - Beijing -Xi'an - Chengdu - Singapore - Bali

Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.

Bangkok and Chiang Mai In Bangkok, our guide Ann and driver "Mr. Ot" (I don't know how to spell his name) were very friendly and professional. You simply can't underestimate the value of having an English speaking guide to show you around, and a driver with a comfortable, sizeable, air-conditioned van take you from place to place. Ann taught us so much about Thailand's history, food, and religion. Mr. Ot always opened our door with a smile, and had cool towels and ice-cold bottled water for us. More , Apr 2024

Very great experience our driver D was… Very great experience our driver D was never late and always had waters and a cold towel for us and our tour guide Som was very informative and had amazing English I recommend them both highly for anyone else traveling More Rylan Coache, Feb 2024

Excellent guide in Siem Reap Our recent time spent in Siem Reap was made even more memorable by our expert guide, Som Piseth. Som was knowledgeable, attentive, flexible and super helpful - we learnt so much about Siem Reap and Cambodia in our 3 days with him. His English was excellent and his knowledge of, and pride in, his country was outstanding. We would highly recommend Som for anyone wanting an excellent guide in Siem Reap! More Sharon Townshend, Feb 2024

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)

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

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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

Asia Highlights welcomes the chance to help you achieve your travel plans. See our itinerary below and let us do the work for you.

15-Day Family Trip to Mongolia, China and Thailand

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