Overseas holidays with the kids

I love travelling and have been fortunate to travel widely with and without kids. Several years back, my dad took us all as a family on holiday to Mauritius - we were a group ranging in age from 1-70 years old and the resort we stayed at was wonderful. The island climate, friendly people, and scheduled resort activities made sure that we were all entertained. I think that most island nations offer similar resort experiences and I would highly recommend a holiday like this for a family.

If you love natural beauty and the idea of a safari, any of the Southern African countries can offer you wonderful family friendly holidays. Many game lodges have activities that keep curious kids busy, allowing the adults to also experience game drives and enjoy quiet dinners. Countries like South Africa also have a magnificent coastline, with some of the world's best beaches. For foreign visitors, the currency also makes this region budget friendly.

I have many friends who have travelled through Europe with young kids, but as a personal preference, I think I would rather enjoy the historic architecture, galleries, and museums without having to worry about keeping younger kids entertained. We did enjoy our visit to the UK with my daughter when she was only 18 months old, but it was a trip to see friends as well as sightsee, so we could make sure my daughter had quiet time and opportunities for free play.

Oh my gosh I love this question. We live in Australia and have been on lots of holidays around our country but never overseas. This is definitely something we are interested in so keen to hear the responses from others. We have talked about going to Bali or Thailand because it is relatively inexpensive but we would also love to go to Disneyland in Japan and take the kids to the USA. So many great places to visit....if only it wasn't so expensive for a large family of 9 :(