School Holidays Special: Our Top 5 Family Friendly Holiday Destinations

Wanderlust hits me ever so often. In fact, I only really understood the meaning of wanderlust recently. All along, I thought that wanderlust is this desire to go travelling and see the world. But a friend pointed out to me that wanderlust is far greater than that – It is a desire to change one’s lifestyle and way of living by moving permanently to another place deemed to be better than the current country of residence. It is a state of mind and an inner desire that cries out strongly. In fact, research has shown that women experience wanderlust more than men do. Gasps, I really do experience wanderlust once in a while! And I realize that the feelings usually come when I feel overwhelmed by life’s big and small things, and all I want to do is to run away to a place far, far away and start my life all over again. Any of you experienced that before?

But reality tells me that wanderlust is still just a feeling and emotion. There are many reasons why I will and I have to stay put in Singapore, at least for the near future. The best way to scratch that itch would probably be to plan family holidays and have a good time of rejuvenation before working hard again. As a family, we’ve travelled to several places together and had much fun. If you are planning a trip with your family this school holidays, I hope that my list will inspire you. :)

1. Gold Coast, Australia

Australia is on the top of my list of countries that’s family friendly and among all the Australian destinations, I think Gold Coast is the best. It might also be the only place in Australia where you can opt not to self-drive. The public bus system in Gold Coast is reliable and convenient, and that was how we travelled from place to place there. Yes, kids in tow and we enjoyed it. There are 3 wonderful things in Gold Coast that makes it such a great family holiday destination:

a) Theme Parks
Gold Coast is the heaven for theme parks. There are so many theme parks to choose from – Dream World, Sea World, Movie World – or you can visit all of them! Make sure you catch the shows when you visit – they are usually very entertaining and enjoyable.

b) Wild Life
Paradise Country is a must-visit in Gold Coast. You can touch the animals (mainly sheeps, horses, camels, koala bears etc), watch animal shows (entertaining and very funny!) and try milking cows. Lots of fun for the family.

c) Beaches & Cafes

The beaches at Gold Coast are gorgeous. If you are staying at a hotel overlooking a beach, as for high floors and wake up bright & early to catch the sunrise. It’s such an amazing experience. The cafes at Gold Coast serves great coffee and good selection of breads and pastries. Relax in a cafe located within a park, and you will most likely be able to find a playground somewhere near too.

You can read all the blog posts on my Gold Coast family trip here.

2. Perth, Australia

Perth is yet another country that promises lot of fun for the family. When we travelled there, we rented a car and went on a road trip to Margaret River region, passing by many beautiful places that cannot be missed. Perth City itself was not fantastic – In fact, I found it to be a very boring place. But there is a certain tranquility in that place because everyone’s laid back and relaxed.

Some of our favorite places on the road trip include the Busselton Jetty, Margaret River’s Chocolate Factory and Eagle’s Bay. What great memories we had – Everywhere was a scene out of a postcard! The weather was perfect at about 15 degrees celsius everyday, and it got colder as we got closer to the coast.

Perth is a wonderful place for the kids to get close to Nature and immerse themselves in all that Mother Nature can offer. In my opinion, it’s a wonderful holiday destination for families.

You can read all the blog posts on my Perth family trip here.

3. Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Now, if Australia is a tad too far for your family and you are looking for a short trip during the school holidays, consider a trip over the Causeway to JB where there are several options for the kids as well. It’s kinder on the wallet as well. :)

a) Legoland & Water Park

A typical itinerary for Lego lovers would be to spend a day at Legoland, stay the night at Legoland Hotel then spend the next day at the Legoland Water Park.

The newly opened Legoland Hotel offers themed rooms to thrill the kids to no end. Plus, it completes the whole Legoland experience for your family!

You can read my full posts on Legoland & Legoland Waterpark here and here.

b) Hello Kitty Town

This might only thrill the little girls, but I know of adults who go crazy inside too. As long as you are a fan of Hello Kitty, you would fall in love instantly with the Hello Kitty Town located at Puteri Harbour. The kids would have fun at this indoor amusement park, visit Hello Kitty house and enjoy their spectacular performances. At the performance, the famous Sanrio characters such as My Melody, Hello Kitty and Daniel will also meet the audience and shake their hands.

You can read my full post on Hello Kitty Town here.

c) Little Big Club

Located in the same building as Hello Kitty Town is the Little Big Club which is built around familiar characters such as Barney, Bob the Builder, Pingu Penguin, Thomas & Friends and Angelina Ballerina. The Little Big Club occupies three levels and every level has lots of fun playgrounds, activities and shows for the kids.

You can read my full post on Little Big Club here.

4. Bali, Indonesia

If you are planning for a beach vacation with your family, Bali might be one of the best choices. The beaches are beautiful, people very friendly and nice and the weather’s generally good. Plus, you can take a day trip to attractions such as Coffee Plantation, Batik Factory, Monkey Forest, etc.

Massages and hair braiding services are aplenty everywhere at really cheap prices. It is also the main livelihood for many of the Balinese.

You can read all my posts on Bali here.

5. Taiwan

Comparing Taiwan and Hong Kong, I feel that the former is more friendly for kids. The main things to do in Taiwan are eating and shopping, and that’s really what holidays are about. Kids would have no problem with meals in Taiwan because there’s food everywhere with too many choices available. Kids’ clothes are found everywhere too at really attractive prices. The street performances are bound to capture the kids’ attention too – There are interesting and loud performances every night at Ximending.

If you want to entertain your kids for one full day, you can visit Baby Boss Taipei – which is an amusement centre that allows kids to play roles of different occupations, earn money and then pay for their own meals. Role-playing in its highest form!

And you will not want to miss the hot springs in Taipei – Book a room with an ensuite hot spring tub, and enjoy an afternoon of relaxation and bliss with your family. Kids who are too young may not be suitable to soak in the hot spring tub, but they can have as much fun splashing water.

Read all my blog posts on Taiwan here.

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