wildway

We have lots of miles, and two months off in March-April of 2011. We can go anywhere. I'm calling on the wisdom of fellow flyertalkers... where should we go? Any suggestions on awesome places to rent a house and live easy for a month or so?

I realize this is a fairly vague and open question, but I'd just like to hear people's recommendations and experiences. Thanks in advance for sharing!

oldpenny16

Where ever you decide to go, plan on taking along help. In-laws, an auntie, a nanny. Life with 3 young children, even in a vacation paradise isn't easy.

I understand why you would want to depart Kodiak after a long winter.

How about a nice, mellow place like New Mexico?

Eclipsepearl

I agree that it's a great idea to bring along a baby sitter. That can really cost on vacation and even if you stay somewhere with a kid's club, your youngest is too small and you have to stick to their schedule. Ask around for a good candidate, if there isn't someone in the family who wants to and can leave for that long.

My vote is for Hawaii, unless you really want to go further. It should be pretty calm during school time. Kauai is beautiful. Some visitors skip it because it's doesn't have much of a night life but with three small kids in tow, that's a no-brainer for you lol!

Michael

You don't say whether you're looking for someplace in the US or elsewhere. If the latter, how about Bali? Lots to do, inexpensive, very kid-friendly...

dchristiva

Without some help, you're basically just taking your home life on the road and I think you'll find that it isn't a "vacation" for you and your spouse. I'm not saying that you shouldn't travel, but you need to go with the right expectations.

wildway

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm most interested in going abroad - but I'm curious about what has and hasn't worked for people, whether US or abroad. We are giving Molokai a shot next month for a week.

For obvious reasons, we are quite used to no nightlife and avoiding restaurants. We mostly enjoy playing outside, getting sunshine, and interacting with happy people.

We went to Australia and brought our sister in law. That was fun, but tiring because we were on the move daily, having rented a camper.

We went to Turkey/Cypress and had a blast, in part because everybody was so kid friendly. I'm curious about places where people are pumped about kids. I mean, Turkey was truly amazing. Very family friendly. Especially on the JFK-IST flight. None of those dour looks we've grown accustomed to receiving while flying domestically. By noting that I don't mean to reignite the "kids should/shouldn't fly" debate. I just mean, there was a palpable difference. Of course, it could've been purely circumstantial.

We've always been curious about Bali, but we've never made it to that part of the world. I may have to check into that further. New Mexico doesn't sound that exotic, but on the other hand, the climate sounds nice.

Thanks for all the suggestions! Keep them coming!

sucheng

We enjoyed a week in Maui in April with our 2 boys: ages 3 and 1 at the time. Just rented a condo across the street from the beach (no fancy resort needed at that age), hung out at the beach and pool, strolled around town and occasionally did a little sightseeing.

Next time, though, I'm renting a house on Anini Beach, on Kauai. Other dream locations: a villa in Tuscany or the South of France. Not quite as warm as Hawaii, but lots more interesting cultural diversions, which could be handy if you're staying for a month. Plus food and wine for the parents.

I also know of families who've rented cute villas in charming towns in Mexico, but I would do my research very, very carefully in that case.

I agree with PP about getting help and build date nights/days into your budget upfront. Having a babysitter for even just a day and an evening made our week in Maui that much more relaxing.

Michael

From what you've said, I would head to Southeast Asia -- in April, to the southern hemisphere parts and in November/December (maybe even October) to the northern hemisphere parts.

SE Asia is simply a great place for kids, as the local cultures there are fantastic with small kids. This has been my experience in Thailand, Cambodia, and Bali, and I believe it to be the case elsewhere also (Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia...) People there honestly and sincerely love small children (and even more so, infants), to an extent that I haven't yet seen anywhere else. This comes through on the flight when traveling on airlines like THAI (which treats kids even better than Turkish, in my experience), but also once you're on the ground.

In addition, the countries are fascinating, have good tourist infrastructure, are incredibly good value for money (i.e. cheap) at all price points (well, maybe not Singapore), and have a good mix of beaches, culture, and cities. Great food, too.

The only drawback is that April is one of the hottest months of the year in Thailand, Cambodia and southern Vietnam -- which is why I mentioned Bali (it's cooler there at that time of year).

In short: Peninsular SE Asia is wonderful for traveling with kids, but I would try to go in November or early December. For April, I'd head to Bali, possibly combining it with a stop in Singapore or Kuala Lumpur.

MKEbound

I took my kids when they were 2 & 4 to Costa Rica for a week, and then to Belize a few months later for 2 weeks. Each of those locations would be a good choice.

Michael

CR and Belize are great, but have similar climate issues - if the rains don't start in April (often it stays dry till May) then it's really, really hot (and also humid on the coast/lowlands) as the dry seaon is winding up.

Ancien Maestro

Got a 5 year old and 10 month old..

We've done Big Island and Maui 5 times, and Disney World twice.

Why Hawaii? Developed and civilized.. access to immediate medical attention if needed. Lots of family stuff to do with beach at the resort, children's programs, restaurants, Volcano National Park, luaus and dinner shows are family friendly, perfect weatheretc.

Disney World always entertains my now 5 year old

We considered Mexico.. but quite a bit of crime, and I'm not as confident to proper medical access.

You may want to try a couple of different places if you're gone for two months.

MIAFlyer

When we had children that age we lived in Geneva, Switzerland. We loved coming back to the US and staying on the Gulf Coast of Florida in or near Fort Myers beach. If you are able to avoid school holidays in Florida (meaning Spring Break weeks) you can easily find a house with a pool directly on Ft. Myers beach. Many reasonably priced restaurants a short drive (two miles) away, boat rentals, etc. Cook at 'home' if you want, go out if you want. Many of the houses have toys for little ones and of course beach toys about. Feel free to send me a PM and I will share the house we have used a couple of times (easily found on vrbo dot com, assuming it is OK to post a website here).

Fort Myers beach is often called the "Safest Beach in the World" and I won't debate that here, but the water always seems calm, and we have often seen dolphins, rays and sand dollars in the water there. The Gulf is usually MUCH calmer than the Atlantic side of Florida, and the drop off is very gradual, which is why I imagine it has the "safest" tag with it.

Even though we live (near) Miami, we often take a week or weekend vacation there. With the houses right on the beach, one can get a soda/drink/lunch without having to go up/down an elevator and when one little one needs a nap, the "inside" adult can watch the outside ones play.

Hope this helps, and have fun!

Echarais

We swear by Charleston SC for kids. There are a million restaurant choices, shopping, multiple beaches close by, parks, fountains, quiet...I could go on and on. We go back every year, stay in the same carriage house off of a mansion (with our own private pool, garden, and patio). You can get around town easily with no car, but it is nice in case you want to travel to one of the beaches (our favorite is Folly Beach, 15 minutes away). Even the historical stuff was interesting enough for our 4 year old, and again when she was 5.

DrDot

My vote would be Hawaii or Fidji. In Fidji you could hire local help. Our nanny was from Fiji and we learned that Fijians are great with children.

amtbooks

I agree that you need some help to enjoy your vacation.