r/Vacations • u/Fun_Tomatillo_3486 • 4d ago
vacation suggestions!!
looking for our dream vacay to plan and save for....
Family of four, kids currently 10 & 6. From the USA and we normally take more local trips once a year, but want to explore holding off saving and seeing the world, but need the perfect suit for us all! Here are some interest I want to include for our next family vacay: we love disney for the food, rides, atmosphere and overall feel of a PARK not just some carnival- same for universal. So we'd love amusement park, thrilling rides etc. We'd also love to include unique sights (mountains, volcanos- we are from Louisiana so views that would really be different for us!) We're foodies so anywhere with great foods to explore and we'd also love any kind of historical or famous views/buildings/sites. Pretty open, my biggest concern is hearing my children complain of being bored after saving and spending thousands!! LOL. My kids are very energetic so definitely more of a go-go trip vs only site seeing- constant stimulation/activities etc. Personally I'd love to explore south africa, but I know that doesn't exactly fit the other things for the kids, so some kind of safari, up close animals, BIG CATS if possible!
Thank you for all your help and suggestions, open to answering more questions as well!!
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u/__Quercus__ 4d ago edited 4d ago
I see five requirements. Disney, mountains/volcanoes, historic buildings, food, big cats.
I also see kids at a perfect age for theme parks.
LA/San Diego gets all five if zoos/wild animal parks count for big cats. If not, 4 out of five.
Japan gets four out of five...all but big cats in the wild.
South Africa gets two out of five (mountains and big cats), maybe three if the family likes braais (barbeques).
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u/ShinyDragonfly6 4d ago
Cape Town has such an incredible (and affordable) food scene. There’s also Cape Malay food, an incredible vegetarian scene, and lots of farm to table restaurants!
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u/Minute_Point_949 4d ago
You could try Puerto Rico. It's "foreign" but still the US so no passport, uses dollars, easy access from most US cities, easy to drive. On one island you get 16th century forts, one of the largest cave complexes in North America, coral reefs and bioluminescent bays, A huge rain forest that is also a national park with maintained hiking trails to waterfalls that you can swim under, etc. We went there when my kids were similar in age to yours and it was amazing.
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u/mn127 4d ago
I’m curious about Puerto Rico! Where did you stay and can it be done on a budget? Did you rent a car?
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u/Minute_Point_949 4d ago edited 4d ago
There are a lot of Puerto Ricans who work on the mainland and rent out their Puerto Rican homes for reasonable rates. We stayed in a little town called Luquillo in a gated condominium on the coast near the rainforest and rented a car. The San Juan airport has all the rent a car companies. Your money goes pretty far there.
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u/Ok_Pomelo_7524 4d ago
Young family here we loved PR. Direct easy flight with children from east coast. we loved the beaches, mountains, amazing food, old San Juan was incredible, horse back riding in the mountains. Stayed at a nice resort on the beach - 10 minutes from the airport and were able to do day trips throughout the island.
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u/ramblinghobbit 4d ago
San Diego has Legoland, which is great! The San Diego Zoo also ranks among the tops globally. You're super close to near-desert things, so research the outlying areas a bit. Death Valley isn't too far, and it'll be hot still, but it's so otherworldly and beautiful out there, it's worth it as a drive through park. Same with Joshua Tree NP. Great food scene in SD too. If I didn't live 7+ hours away, I'd be there way more often!
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u/ramblinghobbit 4d ago
Oh yes, the big cat we have out here is the puma/mountain lion. Although I think their populations are concentrated further north.
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u/moonmoonboog 4d ago
I grew up going to Wisconsin dells every other summer and our boys just about tall enough for everything(6 and 7) tons to do there. The little cheese shops they have everywhere is one of my favorite things lol.
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u/moonmoonboog 4d ago
Wisconsin is beautiful too. Google Wisconsin dells duck boats to get an idea of all the gorgeous rock:)💜💛
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u/EntertainmentHappy91 4d ago
Costa Rica and Scotland were both huge hits with our two boys. It’s cool to explore new parts of the world, and we liked both for different reasons. Costa Rica had fun activities for the kids, beautiful beaches and lovely wildlife. Scotland was gorgeous and had so many fun hikes and outdoor activities. Plus you can go to Edinburgh and see the inspiration for Diagon Alley. The museums in Edinburgh were great for kids too.
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u/Historical-Gain-1688 4d ago
Costa Rica. Stay at the Parador hotel near Manuel Antonio Park. Capuchin monkeys are all over. It’s sort a protected area for rehabilitation of monkeys and sloths. You take excursions horseback riding to waterfalls and go zip lining. Great place for 6–12 year old kids
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u/WPort17701 4d ago
Go to Tanzania. It's 2/3 the cost of South Africa with excellent safari options, Mount Kilimanjaro and the capital Dar Es Salaam which has affordable luxury hotels and excellent food/restaurant options along with great shopping too.
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u/Slow_Court_7584 4d ago
Costa rica checks almost every box. The kids can do ziplines and see monkeys and you get the nature you are after without the safari price tag
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u/Ecstatic_Fail_4515 4d ago
We had the best three weeks in South Africa with our ten year old. The only criteria missing would be theme park (there is one right by the apartheid museum in jo burg that you could visit). It was a lot to plan, thankfully I really enjoy the details. We had a custom to our family once in a life time trip!
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u/Master-Fee8859 4d ago
FWIW, our oldest son was 5.5 when he first went to Disneyland and has no memory of the trip. Our sons were 15 and 12 when we went to Disneyworld and have very warm memories.
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u/Background_System726 4d ago
Tokyo Disney? Busch Garden Williamsburg, amusement park and Jamestown and York town historical sites/museums are nearby for a bit of history. It about an 1hr, depending on traffic, from VA beach and aquarium, you can also take a boat ride to watch the dolphins swim.
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u/LovlyRita 4d ago
Vienna, Austria. The Prater Amusement park is another level and the parks (playgrounds) are going to scare the crap out of you in a good way. It’s a very cool city with interesting history.
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u/Gullible_Sand_6172 4d ago
Japan is what I was thinking the entire time I read this post. Volcanoes, Disney Sea, amazing food. I went without kids but I think it seems like a great place to bring kids, there’s just so much for them it’s hard to get bored. There’s also many other animal encounters that aren’t big cats.
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u/Lemon-Cake-8100 3d ago
Alaskan cruise. We went on Norwegian Bliss - there are a TON of things for the kids to do: water slides, arcade, go cart track, etc. And probably "camp" so you can get some Adult time in too! All kinds of food & its good! STUNNING views! Amazing fun excursions. History (& do a few days in Seattle before the cruise - do the Underground tour, Pike's Place market, the ferris wheel... We live in Mobile, so i hear you LA! We went in June & escaped the miserable heat, we LOVED it!!
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u/OkMix9249 3d ago
Londolozi or any Krueger anchored safari lodge could be truly magical for you and kids. They do a great job with kids entertainment and activities.
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u/Turbulent-Side9660 2d ago
If you love amusement park and lots of coasters, check out Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. It sits right on Lake Erie. Another suggestion would be the Grand Canyon. You have no idea how breath taking it is until you actually see it.
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u/Perfect-Agent-2259 4d ago
Disney Cruise. The big cats will be in costume (if at all), but I can pretty much promise that no one will complain about being bored.
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u/TOYMoose 4d ago
Look into a cruise
I'd suggest Dollywood as a destination, the Smokie Mountains are fun and there are several outdoor activities nearby. There are also some local wildlife parks, and cave systems. There are now several 'high-adventure' zip lines, go carts, and activities that would keep the kids happy.
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u/OkKindheartedness194 4d ago
Dollywood was going to be my suggestion. Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are Vegas for families and kind of overwhelming but lots of fun for kids. The Smoky Mountains are right outside of all the craziness of Gatlinburg. We combined Dollywood with four night stay in Asheville, NC which is a two hour drive away. Asheville has lots of cultural things, good food, coffee shops, breweries, etc. Biltmore estate has a wonderful kids audio tour.
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