Where Should We Go?>..

[megkris]

:dunno:

Hi Guys,

Need your advise again.....

-Am thinking of going for a tour with my 15mth twins + wife and mum-in-law next month. 5-6 days approx.

-Problem is that being first time parents going overseas with our toddlers, we are unsure and apprehensive about the places that are suitable.

-I want a free and easy/relaxing tour (hopefully)...and i've narrrowed down to Tokyo (cherry blossoms season) and New Zealand. (nice scenery).....

-I hope to take some good pics as well,

Where would u recommend?

I understand that 5 days for NZ is a bit too short, but can anybody suggest a itinery to see the best in 5days? Most prob self drive.

-Tokyo would be a lot easier but the crowds will prob be very uncomfortable.

-We dun mind spending more just to be comfortable..

tks again for those who share their experience..... :thumbsup:

 

[Yvisg]

Hi megkris,

Came back from NZ in Jan. Well, since u wil be going next mth which is April (weather now is autumn, next mth weather will be slowly changing as winter is approaching) thus the weather wil be very cold. I dont think your 2 twins + ur mum in law cant withstand?

In NZ, its best to self drive but must be careful when driving as there are lots of bends n windy road. Are u confident in driving mountainous roads?

Seriously, 5 days in NZ is way too short. does 5 days including on the plane cos flying there already takes 12hrs...

If u all are nature lovers, love quiet n peace, i suggest South island. But 5 days is not enough. Probably u can go to Christchurch and Queenstown.

As for Tokyo, i m not sure what is the weather like for next mth. cant help u much on this.

 

[jeff49er]

Ever thought of Perth?

Going for holidays with toddlers is not a joke. Have to bring lots of stuff and you cant bring much camera stuff. I brought one SLR and a 50mm prime - light and handy. My back pack was filled with pampers and extra clothings.

With a family it is good to stay in an apt. U can cook and wash. In Perth it was a free n easy trip but I signed up for some day tours.

If u go to NZ, u have to consider whether your girls can tolerate the 12 hour flight.

Cheers

 

[tOGGY]

Ever thought of Perth?

Going for holidays with toddlers is not a joke. Have to bring lots of stuff and you cant bring much camera stuff. I brought one SLR and a 50mm prime - light and handy. My back pack was filled with pampers and extra clothings.

With a family it is good to stay in an apt. U can cook and wash. In Perth it was a free n easy trip but I signed up for some day tours.

If u go to NZ, u have to consider whether your girls can tolerate the 12 hour flight.

Cheers

Very good advice Jeff. The long flight and cold NZ is not going to be pleasant for the kids.
Perth is good and manageable in your situation. Drive down to Albany using the small roads - visit Margaret River, caves, eg. The nice weather, caves & lazy pace made the kids very happy. From Albany, if you take the highway, it just takes 6 hours of slow drive back to Perth. Food is easy to find, wine is good, scenery is fresh (different) if it is your first trip. Accomodation is easy to find - many places have bbq facilities as well, just buy the marinated food off the supermarket.
If you are Chinese, be a bit wary of Bunburry (a small & pretty townlet south of Perth) Many locals there dislike the Vietnamese and may think you are one. They gave me some uncomfortable stare when I step into a restaurant once - till I spoke in English. Maybe this has changed now.

 

[megkris]

Tks all for your views and advise...

Will skip NZ, am thinking now of Melbourne , Aus instead. Been to perth and wife says its boring.....

Still think abt tokyo tho...

tks again..

 

[nemesis32]

Melbourne is alright.. 6hrs flight so manageable. However, to be honest, if the kids are only 15mths, they will not enjoy the trip (no matter where) as they won't remember.

If go to melbourne, the usual places to go is Philip Island (for penguin parade), great ocean road (dizzy ride but babies are ok as if you dun see the scenary, you won't get dizzy), Grampians (nice flowers now...) as well as in city like St Kilda, Crown Casino etc.

 

[Benign]

Phillip Island is situated east of Melbourne....Just driving along can easily take up 7 hours plus return.
Great Ocean Road is on the west of Melbourne .........

Both location is very nice and worth a visit.....but each destination already take up two days of your time......use a day between them as relaxing stroll in the City central.

Another Ideal destination is driving up north to Ballarat...A gold mining town with a history as old as Melbourne. The streetscape and building belong to another era....1800's.

River cruises beside the casino....then take a drive along eastern suburbs of Melbourne. Something which many tourists had missed while in Melbourne. This give you a feel of what is like living in Melbourne. Unique architectures, old and new....then you can reach the Mountain ranges of Dandenong which is about 45 mins along the eastern side of Melbourne...There you can enjoy one of the oldest steam engine along some pristine national parks... you can also hand feed parrots too.

Dun forget the food ......greek cuisine, vietnamese beef noodles, yumcha is authentic as dining in HK. Or buy your own oysters fresh from fish market...abt $8.50 a dozen

What is worth buying....? kangaroo leathers, fox tails, sheep skins, errr...u like abalone...much cheaper than Singapore that's for sure. Get the frozen one...black ones should be about $150 a kilo

Actually, the whole journey depend on your likes and dislikes.......the city was voted the most liveable city in the world 2003 I recalled.
Enjoy ur holiday...while driving...becareful not to drive too long....coz the road is straight and the weather proned to make you feel rather sleepy. make some rest stops every one to two hours is good.

Bon vovage :thumbsup:

 

[nemesis32]

Yup... for melbourne, food paradise, you can go to Shark Fin Inn at chinatown for yumcha, Greek cakes at st kilda, vietnamese beef noodle a swanston st, italian at lygon street.

Other places to go is Royal botanic gardens, king albert park etc...

 

[megkris]

Tks again.....

Actually the trip is more for me and my wife. Paiseh to just throw the 2 girls with the Muminlaw....(not easy to handle, imagine headache/backache X 2).

Thats why i figured just bring the whole gang along. Maybe my mum might follow...

appreciate again the advices........

p.s. hows the weather in the 1st to 2nd week of apr??

 

[afbug]

Driving in Tokyo is a nightmare. Even their local taxi drivers get lost in Tokyo. Tokyo is the place where the streets have no name. Like any major city, traffic jams are normal. Taxis fares are super ex. Subway is the best but very crowded.

If you can ignore all this problems about the city, Tokyo is a great place to visit. 1 of the largest city in the world, you will never get sick of Tokyo. Mount Fuji is nearby and there is the Tokyo Disney land and Sea which will be fun but 15mths old is too young to enjoy all the rides. Very crowded. Be prepare to will 1 hour or so for a ride during peak periods.

If you take Jap food, then there is not much of a prob. There are many types of Jap cusine you can sample in Tokyo. The problem is identifying the restaurant that serves what you want.

If it is your 1st time in Tokyo and have only 5 days to spare, then it is not advisable to go on free and easy. Unless you're very familar with the place and did your research.

If you like cameras, electronics and gadgets, it is paradise to you. :bsmilie: Tokyo is the place where they're using DVDs when the world was still struggling to programme their VCRs. It is also the home of vending machines and automatic toilet bowls. Anything that a machine could spit out, you will find in Tokyo. The auto toilet bowls are the real thing, fully automatic!

 

[ortega]

for your kids sake avoide very cold weather

 

[jeff49er]

Melbourne has 4 seasons in a day. Can be warm in the monring and chilly in the afternoon....etc U can expect this type of weather thru out the year.

Perhasp u can stay in an apt like I did along Flinders Lane. I stayed at Flinders Lane apt. Apart from the aircon breaking down on my first day, the location is ideal.

Apt is good if you have the whole family and kampong with you

I booked day tours so it was relaxing.

Lots to think of? U bet. Dont count on bringing your whole camera stuff. No chance esp when u are bringing 2 girls.

 

[tOGGY]

Forget Melbourne for such a short trip. Save it up when the kids are 5 - 8 years old. They will have great fun. The longer flight and longer drive between destinations will be stressful to you. I did Melbourne, Phllip Island, Wilson Promotory, Ballarat, Hepburn Spring, Grampians and Great Ocean in 16 days once. The car tachometer read well over 4000km. It does not look like it on the map!! It was Real fun for with the kids! Don't 'waste' it now - the memory will be real sweet when they are older. The roads are good, but I feel the 15 months babes may not take the long rides.

I will look for cool & low humidity location, fresh place, short flight, short car rides, fresh air, good food, great hotels and good exercise to make it easy for myself. Japan can be ideal in this time - chasing the cherry blossoms, but why Tokyo city?? - sorry if I cannot understand you here, I am not quite a super-city person.

 

[Sion]

Twins and mother-in-law not withholding, go where you heart leads you.

Travels tend to bring family closer together. And how often you hear the stories of couples fall pregnant while travelling overseas.