International family vacation that isn't to Europe
June 12, 2023 8:35 AM Subscribe
I'm already thinking about our 2024 vacation. Our kids will be 8 and 10. Looking for recommendations outside of Europe, Canada, and the US.
We took our big vacation over spring break this year, so I'm already looking ahead to 2024. We'll likely travel in the summer, although open to spring break time (usually late April / early May) if there's a really compelling reason to go then.
About us: We've done Belgium and Italy with our kids, and my husband and I have been to a handful of other European countries. We'd like to try something different. Our kids will be 8 and 10 next year. They're generally good travelers, but, of course, they're kids.
Travel "level": I'd say we're advanced beginner / intermediate level travelers, but we only speak English. (And, OK, I took 5 yrs of HS Spanish, but I'd need a lot of refresh with Duolingo.)
Timing: 8 - 14 days (will have to be 8-9 days if we go over spring break, can be longer if we do the summer)
Travel style: If possible, we like a mix of time in the city and time in the country. We strongly dislike moving from hotel to hotel, so we typically pick 2-3 hubs and stay at each for a few nights.
Interests: Walking around cities, hikes (kids can manage moderately hard hikes, but nothing too strenuous), museums, architecture, history, something that feels different than Europe. Some of our favorite family memories are spending the afternoon in a city park while kids run around and we sit and read or people watch.
Dislikes: Driving unless absolutely necessary, being too hot, big chaotic cities (Rome and Paris level are totally fine. My husband and I did Istanbul 10 years ago and that's probably a level or two more than we're up for with kids)
I'm sure there are a million places that meet our criteria. Curious to hear what others would recommend.
We took our big vacation over spring break this year, so I'm already looking ahead to 2024. We'll likely travel in the summer, although open to spring break time (usually late April / early May) if there's a really compelling reason to go then.
About us: We've done Belgium and Italy with our kids, and my husband and I have been to a handful of other European countries. We'd like to try something different. Our kids will be 8 and 10 next year. They're generally good travelers, but, of course, they're kids.
Travel "level": I'd say we're advanced beginner / intermediate level travelers, but we only speak English. (And, OK, I took 5 yrs of HS Spanish, but I'd need a lot of refresh with Duolingo.)
Timing: 8 - 14 days (will have to be 8-9 days if we go over spring break, can be longer if we do the summer)
Travel style: If possible, we like a mix of time in the city and time in the country. We strongly dislike moving from hotel to hotel, so we typically pick 2-3 hubs and stay at each for a few nights.
Interests: Walking around cities, hikes (kids can manage moderately hard hikes, but nothing too strenuous), museums, architecture, history, something that feels different than Europe. Some of our favorite family memories are spending the afternoon in a city park while kids run around and we sit and read or people watch.
Dislikes: Driving unless absolutely necessary, being too hot, big chaotic cities (Rome and Paris level are totally fine. My husband and I did Istanbul 10 years ago and that's probably a level or two more than we're up for with kids)
I'm sure there are a million places that meet our criteria. Curious to hear what others would recommend.
Kyoto? Not sure about the weather.
posted by fingersandtoes at 8:50 AM on June 12, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by fingersandtoes at 8:50 AM on June 12, 2023 [4 favorites]
Best answer: I went to Japan this year with my 11 & 13 year olds and it was great. We did it during spring break time and caught the tail end of the cherry blossom season. This was ideal because we still got to see some cherry blossoms but didn't have the crazy crowds.
Tokyo is the definition of a big chaotic city, but there are many other places to go in Japan - I think our family as a whole enjoyed kyoto more than tokyo anyway.
No driving needed - they have trains everywhere. We did take the taxi to/from the train station for convenience if we had already done a lot of walking that day.
posted by escher at 8:51 AM on June 12, 2023 [6 favorites]
Tokyo is the definition of a big chaotic city, but there are many other places to go in Japan - I think our family as a whole enjoyed kyoto more than tokyo anyway.
No driving needed - they have trains everywhere. We did take the taxi to/from the train station for convenience if we had already done a lot of walking that day.
posted by escher at 8:51 AM on June 12, 2023 [6 favorites]
Maybe somewhere like Penang.
Advanced infrastructure so child friendly; interesting architecture, history, and mixture of British, Chinese, Indian and Malay styles; nice beaches; jungle hikes as well I believe. 'Foreign' enough to be interesting but without many of the challenges that often come with that. The mixture of cultures and relatively advanced economy makes it a good introduction to Asia. Anglophone.
Can also be combined with a stopover somewhere like Singapore (big city, not chaotic) if you like.
Worth bearing in mind it's 30 C all year round.
posted by plep at 8:54 AM on June 12, 2023
Advanced infrastructure so child friendly; interesting architecture, history, and mixture of British, Chinese, Indian and Malay styles; nice beaches; jungle hikes as well I believe. 'Foreign' enough to be interesting but without many of the challenges that often come with that. The mixture of cultures and relatively advanced economy makes it a good introduction to Asia. Anglophone.
Can also be combined with a stopover somewhere like Singapore (big city, not chaotic) if you like.
Worth bearing in mind it's 30 C all year round.
posted by plep at 8:54 AM on June 12, 2023
Buenos Aires sounds like the easiest place. Belize might be interesting - on the one hand, it's Central American, but on the other, they speak English and the tourism industry is well-developed so it won't be too difficult for the kids. Costa Rica is another fairly easy Central American destinations. I know a lot of people who have gone to Morocco recently, and that could be an option. Are you set on going international? What about Hawaii? You get exposure to a non-Western culture but it's easy enough that you don't even need a passport. Honolulu is a big city but not so big that you couldn't explore with kids, and between Pearl Harbor and the royal stuff, you'd get plenty of history.
posted by kevinbelt at 8:54 AM on June 12, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by kevinbelt at 8:54 AM on June 12, 2023 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Maybe Mexico City? It’s one of my favorite places I’ve ever been! The museums, parks, architecture, and history are all great, and you could take easy day trips to the ruins at Teotihuacan and other interesting places. There’s a definite European influence, but it’s layered on top of decidedly non-European things. The food is amazing, and I think kids would find a lot to like. Your hesitancy about “big chaotic cities” gives me some pause, since Mexico City is truly ginormous. But it didn’t feel too hectic to me; I don’t remember feeling more stressed or overwhelmed than I have felt in Rome or Paris!
posted by bijoubijou at 9:00 AM on June 12, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by bijoubijou at 9:00 AM on June 12, 2023 [7 favorites]
Best answer: if you're interested in nature rather than cities, Costa Rica is magical with kids.
posted by fingersandtoes at 9:02 AM on June 12, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by fingersandtoes at 9:02 AM on June 12, 2023 [5 favorites]
With kids I think you have to factor in jet lag although it's less critical if you have more than one week. Also, flights to Asia if you are starting from the east coast US are 15-18 hours in an airplane. I'd head south, Cuba? Cartagena?
posted by TWinbrook8 at 9:04 AM on June 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by TWinbrook8 at 9:04 AM on June 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
Puerto Rico is US but a lot of people don't seem to know that. It has the outdoor adventures and the old city is magical.
posted by BibiRose at 9:21 AM on June 12, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by BibiRose at 9:21 AM on June 12, 2023 [4 favorites]
Or maybe Japan if that's not too far. Tokyo and then a sojourn in a more rural area for calm.
Japanese summers are notoriously warm and humid, which is a bummer as otherwise it seems like a good location for OP.
posted by praemunire at 9:42 AM on June 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
Japanese summers are notoriously warm and humid, which is a bummer as otherwise it seems like a good location for OP.
posted by praemunire at 9:42 AM on June 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
Yes but Japan for Spring Break is perfect. I think Japan is the perfect suggestion here. Both my kids were there with their dad as young teens, and they will never forget. It is such a child friendly nation. Safe, fun, interesting and with great food. There are beautiful cities and nature, too. You don't have to go to Tokyo just because it is the capital, Kyoto + something more rural is perfect.
Argentina might be great for summer (winter in Argentina), but I haven't been there personally so can't say with confidence. It's one of my dream destinations, and as far as I can see, fits your list.
posted by mumimor at 9:55 AM on June 12, 2023
Argentina might be great for summer (winter in Argentina), but I haven't been there personally so can't say with confidence. It's one of my dream destinations, and as far as I can see, fits your list.
posted by mumimor at 9:55 AM on June 12, 2023
Best answer: Taipei over spring break unless you want to deal with hot & muggy summers.
It has some excellent cultural destinations (National Palace Museum which has a nice park around it, Qinsheng Temple, various historical monuments, Puppet Museum), some cool architectural things (Tapei 101, wander around and look at neighborhood temples), lots of daytrippable hiking including to some definitely kid-pleasing geologically active stuff and hot springs (Yangmingshan National Park, other hikes), and a bunch of other cool daytrips to get you out of the city that could be turned into overnights if you wanted to add another destination (Jiufen aka "the Spirited Away bathhouse place", Yeliao Geopark/Keelung Night Market). With kids, you'd also probably have a great time in some of the underground malls that are full of arcade games. If you want to do a "major" second stop, you can take the fast train (2ish hrs) to the southern tip of the island or stop halfway there for mountains of Alishan and see how tea is made.
Everyone always tells Americans to go to Tokyo/Kyoto as a first East Asia trip, but I found Taiwan an easier destination. More English is spoken, folks went out of their way to help me a number of times, and it's less chaotic and busy than Tokyo or the touristy areas of Kyoto. Transit - including subways in cities, local trains for daytrips, and longer distance trains - is just as easy to use as in Japan. The government also prints a lot of pamphlets (including in English) with maps for things like "10 day trips to take from Taipei" and "the 15 foods of Kaosiung you have to try" that is a nice starting point for planning trips or walks around cities.
posted by A Blue Moon at 10:07 AM on June 12, 2023 [8 favorites]
It has some excellent cultural destinations (National Palace Museum which has a nice park around it, Qinsheng Temple, various historical monuments, Puppet Museum), some cool architectural things (Tapei 101, wander around and look at neighborhood temples), lots of daytrippable hiking including to some definitely kid-pleasing geologically active stuff and hot springs (Yangmingshan National Park, other hikes), and a bunch of other cool daytrips to get you out of the city that could be turned into overnights if you wanted to add another destination (Jiufen aka "the Spirited Away bathhouse place", Yeliao Geopark/Keelung Night Market). With kids, you'd also probably have a great time in some of the underground malls that are full of arcade games. If you want to do a "major" second stop, you can take the fast train (2ish hrs) to the southern tip of the island or stop halfway there for mountains of Alishan and see how tea is made.
Everyone always tells Americans to go to Tokyo/Kyoto as a first East Asia trip, but I found Taiwan an easier destination. More English is spoken, folks went out of their way to help me a number of times, and it's less chaotic and busy than Tokyo or the touristy areas of Kyoto. Transit - including subways in cities, local trains for daytrips, and longer distance trains - is just as easy to use as in Japan. The government also prints a lot of pamphlets (including in English) with maps for things like "10 day trips to take from Taipei" and "the 15 foods of Kaosiung you have to try" that is a nice starting point for planning trips or walks around cities.
posted by A Blue Moon at 10:07 AM on June 12, 2023 [8 favorites]
Santiago in Chile is an exciting metropolitan city. Awesome public transport, good museums, lots of great things for families. Plus the geography means you are in day-trip distance from the mountains, the beach, and the desert. You will easily get by with English and a smattering of Spanish phrases.
Plus for the adults: Chile has great wine AND beer, thanks to all centuries of German immigration!
posted by EllaEm at 10:19 AM on June 12, 2023 [2 favorites]
Plus for the adults: Chile has great wine AND beer, thanks to all centuries of German immigration!
posted by EllaEm at 10:19 AM on June 12, 2023 [2 favorites]
Ecuador! An incredible diversity of things to do--jungle, cloud forest, Andes, indigenous culture, Spanish colonial history, beaches, adventure sports, the frigging equator--all basically within a day of Quito, which itself is a great place to visit. Plus the Galapagos, an absolute lifetime must-see if your kids are into nature. (I wrote a guidebook to the country in a previous life, so I'm a bit biased, but it's true.) Solid tourism infrastructure; they even use the US dollar. Just stay away from Guayaquil, that's not a happy place at the moment.
posted by gottabefunky at 10:28 AM on June 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by gottabefunky at 10:28 AM on June 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Singapore is great! Lots of public transport, lots of kid friendly places to visit, AMAZING FOOD, incredible walkability and breathtaking city views everywhere, plus all the museums and theme parks and water parks your heart could desire.
Do not miss the one-of-a-kind sculpture garden/ "museum" of Chinese mythology known as Haw Par Villa. Where else would you find enormous plaster sculptures lovingly depicting sinners getting boiled in hot oil in one of the circles of hell, or a life size sculpture of a virtuous daughter-in-law breastfeeding the father-in-law during a famine... etc? Your kids are JUST the right age to fully appreciate the mind-bending weirdness of it all, and you are the right age to soak in the living culture this park is dedicated to.
posted by MiraK at 10:36 AM on June 12, 2023 [5 favorites]
Do not miss the one-of-a-kind sculpture garden/ "museum" of Chinese mythology known as Haw Par Villa. Where else would you find enormous plaster sculptures lovingly depicting sinners getting boiled in hot oil in one of the circles of hell, or a life size sculpture of a virtuous daughter-in-law breastfeeding the father-in-law during a famine... etc? Your kids are JUST the right age to fully appreciate the mind-bending weirdness of it all, and you are the right age to soak in the living culture this park is dedicated to.
posted by MiraK at 10:36 AM on June 12, 2023 [5 favorites]
I like the idea of Ecuador - you could go to Quito and experience the cool architecture, plus visit Mitad del Mundo so you can get photos of yourselves at the Equator.
Then do a Galapagos cruise. They vary a lot in intensity. The one I did was a small boat and lots of strenuous hiking, but there should be more kid-friendly options.
Colombia is another option. Visit Cartagena, followed by Bogota, then maybe Leticia to see the Amazon.
posted by champers at 11:11 AM on June 12, 2023
Then do a Galapagos cruise. They vary a lot in intensity. The one I did was a small boat and lots of strenuous hiking, but there should be more kid-friendly options.
Colombia is another option. Visit Cartagena, followed by Bogota, then maybe Leticia to see the Amazon.
posted by champers at 11:11 AM on June 12, 2023
Another option for Spring Break is Jordan. Amman for a couple days, then highly recommend Feynan Eco-lodge, then Petra. You could try to loop in Jerusalem as well and fly out of Israel. I went in winter and the weather was perfect, have to imagine summer is too hot, not sure about spring break.
posted by slide at 12:08 PM on June 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by slide at 12:08 PM on June 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
I would recommend Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu (with or without Lake Titicaca) in Peru, a jungle lodge in Brazilian Amazon bookended with Manaus at both ends for easier logistics, or Galapagos Islands (cruise + island stay) + few days in mainland Ecuador. Cartagena is also a good option in the Western Hemisphere.
We've done these with 3 boys at various ages [youngest was 4 during Peru trip, and was 12 by last summer's Galapagos trip] , all were great fun. The easiest, yet maybe most adventurous was Amazon as we stayed at a great lodge with guides, etc. few hours upriver from Manaus.
It's easy to blow lot of money at any of these if you don't want to do your own research, but it is possible to do any of these cheaper than typical American Disney family trip if you do your own leg work. [Also, I recommend looking at multiple options with flexible timelines rather than deciding on the destination/ dates first, as lack of choice often runs-up the costs].
posted by zeikka at 1:52 PM on June 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
We've done these with 3 boys at various ages [youngest was 4 during Peru trip, and was 12 by last summer's Galapagos trip] , all were great fun. The easiest, yet maybe most adventurous was Amazon as we stayed at a great lodge with guides, etc. few hours upriver from Manaus.
It's easy to blow lot of money at any of these if you don't want to do your own research, but it is possible to do any of these cheaper than typical American Disney family trip if you do your own leg work. [Also, I recommend looking at multiple options with flexible timelines rather than deciding on the destination/ dates first, as lack of choice often runs-up the costs].
posted by zeikka at 1:52 PM on June 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
I'm going to argue that Tokyo isn't a chaotic city. It's big but it's really easy to get around in, even not speaking any Japanese. I went with my family last year and we had an amazing time. (We weren't there in the summer, though.)
posted by The corpse in the library at 3:28 PM on June 12, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by The corpse in the library at 3:28 PM on June 12, 2023 [3 favorites]
Seconding Mexico City. My parents took me and my brother when I was 10 and he was 8. It remains one of the most memorable trips of my life.
There are lots of great walkable areas, amazing museums, a pretty good subway system, and some astonishing sights a short trip outside the city, like the pyramids of Teotihuacan.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 3:46 PM on June 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
There are lots of great walkable areas, amazing museums, a pretty good subway system, and some astonishing sights a short trip outside the city, like the pyramids of Teotihuacan.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 3:46 PM on June 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
What about Bermuda?
It’s a lovely island with friendly inhabitants, beautiful beaches, tons of history, tons of nature, and tons of charm. It can be expensive but it’s a lovely place.
It’s also easy to get around without driving, via buses and ferries.
posted by vitout at 5:33 PM on June 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
It’s a lovely island with friendly inhabitants, beautiful beaches, tons of history, tons of nature, and tons of charm. It can be expensive but it’s a lovely place.
It’s also easy to get around without driving, via buses and ferries.
posted by vitout at 5:33 PM on June 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
Come to Singapore! It is so so kid-friendly and you can leisurely do a week here in the city with lots of kid activities, and then take a quick trip to really nice beach and jungle areas in Malaysia for a few days. Great food, great transport and designed to be easy and tourist-friendly.
I second Haw Par Villa. The zoo here is like at least 2 or 3 trips because they have the night zoo, and then different ecosystems, a dozen excellent museums including several with hands-on kids' areas, and a surprising number of good nature hikes that are kid-friendly through mangroves, jungles, beaches etc.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 6:02 PM on June 12, 2023 [3 favorites]
I second Haw Par Villa. The zoo here is like at least 2 or 3 trips because they have the night zoo, and then different ecosystems, a dozen excellent museums including several with hands-on kids' areas, and a surprising number of good nature hikes that are kid-friendly through mangroves, jungles, beaches etc.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 6:02 PM on June 12, 2023 [3 favorites]
It so happens I saw this vlog of this American couple's first impression of Kuala Lumpur as I was browsing AskMe. It's not rambly and is well-structured, and the format I think conveys better than what any number of words I'd spend, if Southeast Asia is an option for you.
posted by cendawanita at 5:06 AM on June 13, 2023
posted by cendawanita at 5:06 AM on June 13, 2023
Response by poster: Thanks, all! I marked the recommendations we're going to seriously consider for 2024, but every single answer was so helpful. I'll be returning to this page again and again.
posted by pear at 7:42 PM on June 13, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by pear at 7:42 PM on June 13, 2023 [4 favorites]
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posted by dis_integration at 8:43 AM on June 12, 2023