January’s here, and it’s the perfect time to start planning your Holy Week holiday on March 25 to 31, especially if you want to get the best travel deals and accommodations.
For those who don’t have the dough to spare for a family trip to New York, London, or Amsterdam during the break, here are a few family-friendly, bucket list-worthy activities to try right here in Asia!
*Prices as of January 3, 2018
Go on a 2-day cruise in Halong Bay, Vietnam
USD 506 for a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children)
Photo courtesy of World Nomads
Inclusions: Pick up and drop-off from Hanoi hotel, Deluxe Twin Cabin, Surprise Cave visit, kayaking, Fishing Village visit, morning Tai Chi session, Vietnamese cooking class, bay swimming, and full meals
Halong Bay is a 580 square mile cove found in Quang Ninh province in Northern Vietnam, just a bus ride away from Hanoi City. The Bay is dotted with over 1,600 exquisitely formed limestone islands and islets that host a wide range of marine and land-based flora and fauna.
Some of them have smaller caves and grottos, such as the popular Sung Sot (translated as “Surprise”) cave on Bo Hon island, which serve as additional attractions for tourists.
Going on a bay cruise is the best way to try kayaking, cave visits, deep water swims, and more of Halong Bay’s most popular activities. Allot at least two days to do this to avoid that bitin feeling at the end of the trip.
Many of the overnight or multi-day cruises include these activities and more, so try to search for the package that appeals most to your group’s preferences.
Explore Jeju-do, South Korea for a day
USD 550 for a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children)
Photo courtesy of Rob Whyte via Lonely Planet
Inclusions: Pick up and drop-off from hotel anywhere in Jeju City, professional tour guide, entrance fees for all locations, lunch, and transportation
Jeju-do, or Jeju Island, is a large tropical island found in the waters around the Southern Korean peninsula and one of the Seven New Wonders of Nature.
Apart from the museums, parks, and restaurants of Jeju City proper, its countryside attractions make it a popular tourist destination for both locals and foreign guests. Check out the 182-meter dormant volcano Seongsan Ilchul-bong, the Manjanggul lava tunnel, and the historic Seongup Folk Village.
There are one-day driving tours that cover the major tourist destinations, but truly experiencing all that Jeju has to offer could take three or more days.
Go on a Bullet Train Tour to Hakone, Japan
USD 477.42 for a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children)
Photo courtesy of Boutique Japan
Inclusions: Pick up and drop-off from any of the specified hotels, lunch, one-way bus fare, one-way bullet train fare, Wi-Fi access (bus), entrance fees to all attractions, professional tour guide, cruise on Lake Ashi
With the speed and comfort of travel via the bullet train Shinkansen, destinations within the popular Hakone National Park area like Mt. Fuji, the Mt. Komagatake Ropeway to the Hakone Shrine, and the crater lake Ashinoko are viable day trip destinations to visitors lodging in the Tokyo area.
There are the various day trips and multi-day trips to Hakone available online. Given the range of activities and lodgings, how long you spend there can be customized based on your available time, interests, and budget. For instance, it’s possible to take a Shinkansen day trip to the area and find lodging within the town proper for a more extended stay.
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