The only answer for me at this age is Asia/South Pacific. You can splurge on small boat cruises in Polynesia or Oceania, amazing kids stuff in Australia including all the barrier reef exploring and the epic Indian Pacific train, and Japan is phenomenal for kids. I'd pick 2 our of 3. And you don't have to worry about vaccines and violence.

Too much pressure for a trip to be the trip of a lifetime, everyone is getting sick traveling these days, then what? You don’t need to take a 60k trip just because you can. You can take an awesome 15 or 20k trip and then take two more later.

I m from Thailand. I d vote for French Polynesian cruise and spend some time on OWB in a couple of island after that as well.

During American s schools summer break June/ July is the best time to go.

Thailand during this time is rainy very humid and monsoon season. So if you go to island hopping, you risk bad weather. But I mean since you r in Southeast Asia, you can do Bkk, Singapore , you can go to japan and Korea as well.

But at that time, and with that budgets I think FP with cruise fit the bill

Look in to Paul Gauguin cruise. They have family programs for kid six to 15 years old. You can do 7 night cruise in a family suits , post cruise OWB in bora bora and Morea

Couscous, not rice, typing too fast!

I’ll throw out another idea and a place we’ve enjoyed - Morocco. The winding medinas (like in Fez) can be a lot of fun to explore with kids this age. The music, architecture and snake charmers are really exotic yet the food is actually pretty kid friendly (rice, meatballs, chicken skewers). You could fly or do an overnight drive from Marrakesh to the desert to ride camels and stay overnight in a tent in the Sahara.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Omg - these trips all sound like nightmares for your kids. Can they stay home?

I agree. The trip of a lifetime with kids is going to be Disney, OP. That’s what they’d love, the trips you’ve suggested are adult trips.

Disagree. NZ/Australia would be amazing if they can have 3-4 weeks to do it and have it planned out really well

How can you say trip of a lifetime? The kids are young. They might marry an Australian or go there for work or like to vacation there regularly.

I'm from down under and my kids have been to NZ/Australia many many times because that's my home.

They've only been to South Dakota once though (so far).

And they could marry a penguin and go to Antarctica regularly. What’s your point?

You must be a lawyer, to make such an idiotic argument.

NP. Why must you be so crass and uncivilized in your response? I wish posters could be a bit more polite when they disagree.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Omg - these trips all sound like nightmares for your kids. Can they stay home?

I agree. The trip of a lifetime with kids is going to be Disney, OP. That’s what they’d love, the trips you’ve suggested are adult trips.

Disagree. NZ/Australia would be amazing if they can have 3-4 weeks to do it and have it planned out really well

How can you say trip of a lifetime? The kids are young. They might marry an Australian or go there for work or like to vacation there regularly.

I'm from down under and my kids have been to NZ/Australia many many times because that's my home.

They've only been to South Dakota once though (so far).

And they could marry a penguin and go to Antarctica regularly. What’s your point?

You must be a lawyer, to make such an idiotic argument.

My point is that it's silly to say something is once in a lifetime for 7 and 9 year old, and to tell them this will be their best trip ever. Why bother traveling ever again if Mom and Dad took you on the best trip ever when you were 7.

Who knows where life will take these kids. Some of the bucket list things people write here are routine travel for other people.

Maybe a trip of a lifetime for them will be a journey to the moon by 2065 or even a trip with their grandchildren to Kansas.

Anonymous wrote:I found a really nice itinerary for The Amazon Rainforest with kids on Travel Babbo. Has anyone done a similar trip before? I was absolutely intrigued by rainforests as a child so this would be a special trip for me too. It could potentially be combined with Galapagos. Is Galapagos interesting for children? I’ve always wanted to go but I wonder if it would keep my kids interested. I think they would enjoy the cruise portion because we have never been on one. I know they are nothing like the big cruise boats but I think they would find the experience exciting and fun.

Me! I just got back from the Amazon with my kids (6 and 9!). They really liked it, but we got lucky and saw a ton of animals and had good weather. Also it’s not a comfortable trip, it’s hot and humid, lots of mosquitos in the forests, long drive from Manaus to get there (although we could have taken a puddle jumper, it was just not within our budget). We stayed at ANAVILHANAS lodge which was very upscale and as comfortable as it gets I think. There were other kids there too and you could select English speaking guides.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Omg - these trips all sound like nightmares for your kids. Can they stay home?

I agree. The trip of a lifetime with kids is going to be Disney, OP. That’s what they’d love, the trips you’ve suggested are adult trips.

Disagree. NZ/Australia would be amazing if they can have 3-4 weeks to do it and have it planned out really well

How can you say trip of a lifetime? The kids are young. They might marry an Australian or go there for work or like to vacation there regularly.

I'm from down under and my kids have been to NZ/Australia many many times because that's my home.

They've only been to South Dakota once though (so far).

And they could marry a penguin and go to Antarctica regularly. What’s your point?

You must be a lawyer, to make such an idiotic argument.

The best trips I ever took were without my parents and were also relativity cheap ones where I stayed in hostels and met lots of people. My mother was overbearing wanting to make sure we saw everything there was to see - those trips were stressful.

Maybe invest the money for the kids' post college travel fund.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Omg - these trips all sound like nightmares for your kids. Can they stay home?

I agree. The trip of a lifetime with kids is going to be Disney, OP. That’s what they’d love, the trips you’ve suggested are adult trips.

Disagree. NZ/Australia would be amazing if they can have 3-4 weeks to do it and have it planned out really well

How can you say trip of a lifetime? The kids are young. They might marry an Australian or go there for work or like to vacation there regularly.

I'm from down under and my kids have been to NZ/Australia many many times because that's my home.

They've only been to South Dakota once though (so far).

Anonymous wrote:Please stop touring in Antarctica. Leave it be.

Agree.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m gonna rain on your parade.

I wouldn’t plan my trip of a lifetime for kids that young. I’d wait until they’re older. They’re not going to appreciate it and it won’t be worth the money.

We’ve gone on several “trips of a lifetime“, including our entire family on a luxurious safari, but we waited until everyone was older.

+1, they will not remember it in a few years and would probably like disney more.

I’m okay with them but remembering everything. Also open to domestic but we have visited a fair number of places in the US. As a family we have gone to Costa Rica, Hawaii, Southern California including San Diego and LA, Vail/Beaver Creek/Denver, Martha’s Vineyard/Nantucket, NYC, Boston, San Francisco/ Carmel/Monterey, Grand Canyon, Utah Arches, Taos NM, Disneyland, Disneyworld, Amelia Island and St Augustine, Charleston, New Orleans, Seattle + San Juan Island, Coeur d’Alene Idaho and Philadelphia. Stand out trips for the kids have been skiing, Southern Cal, Costa Rica and NYC. They liked Disney but didn’t love it and don’t ask to go back much.

You are clearly raising children of privilege. Nothing you do with them is going to be the “trip of a lifetime” because you’ve already bombarded them with experiences.

I agree with this. I think it’s nice to travel with kids but you are really ratcheting it up at a young age. They’re going to be bored and unimpressed teenagers who won’t be excited by anything and won’t appreciate anything. You’re gonna have to get them seats on a submarine to visit the Titanic just to up the ante.

You know that people, including a teen, died on that sub, right?

What an awful person you are.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m gonna rain on your parade.

I wouldn’t plan my trip of a lifetime for kids that young. I’d wait until they’re older. They’re not going to appreciate it and it won’t be worth the money.

We’ve gone on several “trips of a lifetime“, including our entire family on a luxurious safari, but we waited until everyone was older.

+1, they will not remember it in a few years and would probably like disney more.

I’m okay with them but remembering everything. Also open to domestic but we have visited a fair number of places in the US. As a family we have gone to Costa Rica, Hawaii, Southern California including San Diego and LA, Vail/Beaver Creek/Denver, Martha’s Vineyard/Nantucket, NYC, Boston, San Francisco/ Carmel/Monterey, Grand Canyon, Utah Arches, Taos NM, Disneyland, Disneyworld, Amelia Island and St Augustine, Charleston, New Orleans, Seattle + San Juan Island, Coeur d’Alene Idaho and Philadelphia. Stand out trips for the kids have been skiing, Southern Cal, Costa Rica and NYC. They liked Disney but didn’t love it and don’t ask to go back much.

You are clearly raising children of privilege. Nothing you do with them is going to be the “trip of a lifetime” because you’ve already bombarded them with experiences.

I agree with this. I think it’s nice to travel with kids but you are really ratcheting it up at a young age. They’re going to be bored and unimpressed teenagers who won’t be excited by anything and won’t appreciate anything. You’re gonna have to get them seats on a submarine to visit the Titanic just to up the ante.

This x1000. They will have nothing to look forward to. Nothing will seem special.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m gonna rain on your parade.

I wouldn’t plan my trip of a lifetime for kids that young. I’d wait until they’re older. They’re not going to appreciate it and it won’t be worth the money.

We’ve gone on several “trips of a lifetime“, including our entire family on a luxurious safari, but we waited until everyone was older.

+1, they will not remember it in a few years and would probably like disney more.

I’m okay with them but remembering everything. Also open to domestic but we have visited a fair number of places in the US. As a family we have gone to Costa Rica, Hawaii, Southern California including San Diego and LA, Vail/Beaver Creek/Denver, Martha’s Vineyard/Nantucket, NYC, Boston, San Francisco/ Carmel/Monterey, Grand Canyon, Utah Arches, Taos NM, Disneyland, Disneyworld, Amelia Island and St Augustine, Charleston, New Orleans, Seattle + San Juan Island, Coeur d’Alene Idaho and Philadelphia. Stand out trips for the kids have been skiing, Southern Cal, Costa Rica and NYC. They liked Disney but didn’t love it and don’t ask to go back much.

You are clearly raising children of privilege. Nothing you do with them is going to be the “trip of a lifetime” because you’ve already bombarded them with experiences.

I agree with this. I think it’s nice to travel with kids but you are really ratcheting it up at a young age. They’re going to be bored and unimpressed teenagers who won’t be excited by anything and won’t appreciate anything. You’re gonna have to get them seats on a submarine to visit the Titanic just to up the ante.