2 adults, 2 kids. Ouch. Ya I know, there's really nothing he can do about it, cos he needs to travel during the school holidays and that's the peak season.
Today's post is just very much... it's unfortunate that there's very little choices for parents during the school holidays. They're always at the mercy of all the travel merchants during the peak season. I think prices rise by around 70-100%?
I'm wondering if there's any alternatives to bring kids around at a cheap rate during such periods...
I was planning a trip with my sis and her kids and we were looking at Legoland in JB. That's pretty affordable. Already a bit more expensive but still acceptable.
But I think there's few alternatives.
I recognize that some parents will want to book via tour agencies. They are more expensive but they do provide a lot of convenience, cos they help with all the travel, transport, accommodation and such. I was talking to my friend and he mentioned that, with kids, he just wants the trip to be nice and peaceful. He doesn't mind paying more. And I can imagine it, having to navigate, getting lost, having whining kids, who might need to suddenly go to the washroom... it could easily make a trip a troublesome experience.
Now, mind you. I like kids. It's not that I don't like kids, but I also do understand it when parents want to relax a little when they bring their kids on a trip. So they pay more to have a bit more convenience and that's absolutely fine. That's what money is for.
Even when I look at budget flights...
I did a quick search on Scoot to Perth, it costs $456 per person for a return ticket in Nov 2017.
Just one month later, for December, the price is $796. Around a 75% increase.
I'll say straight out, I'm no pro at this. I haven't been tracking or looking at prices during peak season before. Cos I know it's more expensive so I just avoid even looking at those dates. So maybe there's some lobang which I don't know of...
You know... like the Miles Rewards thing (Part 1 and Part 2)... Where I started off thinking that it's not a good idea, but after some comments and people showing me the right direction, I've come to accept it as a good idea.
So if any parents know of a cheap way to bring their kids overseas during their break period... Please do enlighten me.
Cos when I think about it, if I have kids, I would want to bring them to Disney land or Tokyo or Great Wall of China when they are young, cos the experience would be different for them when they are younger.
A quick check at Royal Caribbean for Feb weekend 3N cruise to Klang is $1,137.
The Dec slots are not available anymore. I can't even check the prices.
And I was discussing with him why he liked to bring his kids on a cruise... cos everything is within a nice controlled environment. If the kid is tired, they can just go and sleep, if they are hungry, food is always available. Washrooms are everywhere. There's almost nothing that can go wrong. There's shows and other entertainment for the kids... So he really finds it a relaxing trip.
He told me, after having kids, trips aren't really for enjoyment anymore, it's more to let the kids have the experience, for them to have a holiday. For himself, it's still a break but he can't go to places that he would like to go, he needs to go to places where its convenient for him to go. And he's willing to pay for that. It's not about the money. If he wants to bring his kids out, then he wants it to be a trip that doesn't give him too much inconvenience.
So I do wonder a bit about this... What are the options for parents?
First, problem... it's during peak season.
Second, convenience costs money. It would be easier to manage the whole trip by booking via a tour agent but they are probably going to mark it up significantly.
Any parents care to share and provide some enlightenment?
Thanks!
<<PREVIOUS POST // NEXT POST>>
Did you like this post? If so, could you "blanjah" me 1/4 cup of my morning coffee pls.
Many thanks for continuing to come to this blog to read my posts.