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We have secured flights for our trip of a lifetime to Asia next summer (into KUL and back from HND) and have 32 days to plan out, will be travelling with my wife & 2 kids (7&9). Currently, my idea is to do something like:
2 days in KL to help acclimatise to time difference, then fly on to Lombok
4 days in Lombok (Gilis), then boat to Bali
6 days in Bali (Ubud and somewhere else?), then fly to Manilla
8 days in the Philippines, then fly to Osaka
12 days in JapanWould very much welcome thoughts on a) that as an itinerary in itself and b) routes within the countries, or key things to do. Want to factor in a decent amount of beach/relaxation time, but would also like to see wildlife, experience the local culture etc, though kids more into adventures and less likely to be interested in visiting temples etc
Which month in summer?
July and August are very good for Indonesia, especially Bali. But terrible for Philippines and Japan.
https://www.selectiveasia.com/weather/augustBali – you can do 3 days in Ubud and 3 days in one of the beaches at sanur/ nusa dua/ seminyak. Though Lombok is a beach destination as well.
Ubud – you can mix temples and some adventures like quad riding, rafting etc. Some hotels offer kids activities like trekking, crafts etc.
There’s a longer thread on Bali with plenty of tips and comments.@BBbetter Mid-July – Mid August
Know Japan will be hot but will have limited opportunities to get there other times of the year with school holiday restrictions etc. Happy to forego Philippines and spend longer in the other two though if that is a better option
We travelled to Malaysia and Singapore this year, and have booked Japan, Thailand and Indonesia for next year. Like you, we’re restricted to summer holidays so just have to accept the weather and pace ourselves with a mix of indoor and outdoor activities.
We loved Malaysia (so a little biased), would recommend you consider spending a few more days in Malaysia if you’re able to? We spent 3 nights in KL and 4 nights in Langkawi. The weather was perfect and the kids really enjoyed Langkawi. We wanted to visit Penang too, but Langkawi trumped it for us.
If you don’t have a particular reason to go to the Philippines, I would consider Borneo instead, which will have better weather. Have a look at Kota Kinabalu for starters, given you have kids and a desire to see wildlife.
@BBbetter Mid-July – Mid August
Know Japan will be hot but will have limited opportunities to get there other times of the year with school holiday restrictions etc. Happy to forego Philippines and spend longer in the other two though if that is a better option
I have the same restrictions and decided not to do it. It might be ok for a couple to pace it, but with kids, its just very difficult. Its humid and crowded due to local holidays. There have been reports that some tourists collapsed at Disney world standing in queues. If its also the last leg of the trip, it’ll make for a miserable ending to the whole trip.
I feel Japan can be enjoyed by kids once they are a bit grown up, given so many cultural nuances, that can be better appreciated in a leisurely visit, not checkbox tourism on a humid day. At the age you have mentioned, places with physical activities like Borneo might be more suitable.One option would be to limit the number of days in Japan and focus on just the city, staying indoors during peak sunshine. Nature and countryside can be left for years when you can take more days off in March / April, coinciding with Easter leave.
Mid-July and August even worse is terrible for Phillippines, it’s not just humidity or being caught, but you may be stuck indoors for days due to floodings and monsoon rains. End of of June/first half of July is okay-ish, but you may get ocassional showers.
In terms of Japan, everyone thinks they can survive, but once there it’s different story. It’s not your level of humidity that you might be used to in Asia. It’s getting worse and worse every year. Imagine 40+ degrees and humidity at 100%. Even Japanese hide inside all day or move to mountains or go to Hokkaido.
If you must move from Tokyo and the usual spots and go to Gunma prefecture, Nikko or Hokkaido.
@BBbetter the humidity and heat do not ease much at night. This year my colleagues told me it was 35 degrees at night and humidity at 100%. So it’s living indoors non-stop during August and first half of September.
@BBbetter the humidity and heat do not ease much at night. This year my colleagues told me it was 35 degrees at night and humidity at 100%. So it’s living indoors non-stop during August and first half of September.Wow, that’s worse than I expected. Going to just Hokkaido won’t be an option for us as partner will want to post pics of Tokyo & Kyoto on insta! 🙈
It’s a shame that UK families with school going children are forced to visit that part of the world in unfavourable weather. Really hope our govt reduces summer hols and increase them in spring / autumn. Would be a huge boost to families if the travel rush during mid term can be spread out.
Ok seems conclusive to skip the Philippines and check out Borneo instead – I’m sure the kids will be very happy to see some Orangutans in the wild.
@meta can you tell me a bit more about Gunma and Nikko – How long would you spend in each, what is there to see/visit?
@hma11 – I’m being a bit selfish as I’ve been to Malaysia before so keen to explore some of the other countries nearby but will hopefully get back there with the kids at another timeSecond Borneo as a suggestion, and would suggest giving yourselves plenty of time if that fits with your other plans. Didn’t find Kota Kinabalu a great city to spend time in but is a base for lots of wildlife opportunities – try and get out to Sandakan if you can for orangutans. I’d also suggest Kuching as a second base, we much preferred the city itself to KK and had a great time in Bako National Park
Seems like most people head for Sarawak and Sabah but reading up a bit more it seems like there are so
also some good sanctuaries in the south of Borneo – has anyone visited this part?Seems like most people head for Sarawak and Sabah but reading up a bit more it seems like there are so
also some good sanctuaries in the south of Borneo – has anyone visited this part?Do you mean in Kalimantan?
The furthest South I’ve been is the Kinabatangan river – I would HIGHLY recommend a few nights at a lodge there, the wildlife you see on the river safaris is spectacular. Everyone I know who’s been (in my case to Uncle Tan’s, back in 2007) raves about it. I’ve done A LOT of wildlife / NP centred travel, and the Kinabatangan river is just wonderful.
I agree with the other comments about skipping Japan and the Philippines in the summer months. Also, you’d be mad to see the Philippines for such a short time. Go back over the Ester holidays, and devote the whole 2 weeks to just the Philippines.
I loved Gili Air, BTW. If you like snorkelling, I recommend bringing your own gear, as the snorkelling gear for hire wasn’t great. I saw loads of turtles – it was magical!
@BBBetter I would suggest visiting during winter holidays. It’s just as nice and will be great for kids as illuminations are out of this world. Weather has been really great this year almost without any rain and plenty of sunshine. It was in low 20s till 10 Dec and high 10s almost till Christmas. Now it’s low 10s during the day, though quite chilly at night.
@Olly Nikko is a world heritage site and Japan’s most famous national park known for waterfalls, cascades shrines and temples. It’s also famous for the three monkeys carvings. There is also a big lake with many hotels and beaches. Further northeast there is also an onsen town.Gunma is great for hiking, a lot of onsen towns, a few lakes, etc. Since it’s surrounded by mountains, it’s also cooler in summer.
@cat yes Kalimantan, Tanjung Puting and Sebangau national parks
Good tip about the snorkeling gear, thanks. We’ll be sure to bring some
@BBBetter I would suggest visiting during winter holidays. It’s just as nice and will be great for kids as illuminations are out of this world. Weather has been really great this year almost without any rain and plenty of sunshine. It was in low 20s till 10 Dec and high 10s almost till Christmas. Now it’s low 10s during the day, though quite chilly at night.
Interesting. Didnt have Japan on the list for winter. Thanks!
@Olly, in Borneo, check out Mulu Marriott resort. It’s a bit secluded at the edge of a forest, but they have plenty of activities that can be a nice contrast with the beach destinations.
Oh, and something else @Olly – I *highly* recommend bringing a rash vest and water shoes for the Gilis – walking across the coral sand can get painful near the tideline, and snorkelling with the turtles often involves snorkelling with lots of tiny, and very annoying, jellyfish.
I did a trip report sometime in September that’s probably worth a read – some of it might be useful for you.
@BBbetter – Many Chinese cities are great in the winter as well. Harbin obviously for the totally extraordinary ice festival and all the activities around that, but also Beijing, Nanjing and Shanghai. Harbin has reasonable summer temperatures and while it might be -20-30 degrees in winter, it’s very dry so it doesn’t seem so cold, aircraft don’t need to be de-iced and it doesn’t snow. Those eastern cities are unbearable in the summer but Beijing in the winter will have low temperatures day/night but very likely clear, sunny days and with snow on the ground and the frozen moat around the Forbidden City looks amazing. Warmer in Shanghai. While they may not officially celebrate Christmas, I can’t think of many places that are more Christmassy – they go totally over the top.
@BBBetter I would suggest visiting during winter holidays. It’s just as nice and will be great for kids as illuminations are out of this world. Weather has been really great this year almost without any rain and plenty of sunshine. It was in low 20s till 10 Dec and high 10s almost till Christmas. Now it’s low 10s during the day, though quite chilly at night.
Interesting. Didnt have Japan on the list for winter. Thanks!
Many Chinese cities are great in the winter as well. Harbin obviously for the totally extraordinary ice festival and all the activities around that, but also Beijing, Nanjing and Shanghai. Harbin has reasonable summer temperatures and while it might be -20-30 degrees it’s very dry so it doesn’t seem so cold, aircraft don’t need to be de-iced and it doesn’t snow. Those eastern cities are unbearable in the summer but Beijing in the winter will have low temperatures day/night but very likely clear, sunny days and with snow on the ground and the moat around the Forbidden City looks amazing. Warmer in Shanghai. While they may not official celebrate Christmas, I can’t think of many places that are more Christmassy – they go totally over the top.
will be travelling with my wife & 2 kids (7&9).
If you fancied a couple of days of out-and-out entertainment for the kids, the
Bali Hard Rock Hotel is pretty unbeatable. Nearby, the Chef Bagus Cooking Class
is very family-oriented.
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