Where To Take Two Nine Year Old Girls For Holiday

[Strong Eagle]

Didn't get a response in Leisure section... so trying again here.

I am going to have my granddaughter and her friend over from the US at the beginning of August. Besides doing some of the Singapore stuff, I want them to experience something a bit "exotic"... like last year we went to a very remote elephant preserve in Thailand... lived very simply for a few days, eating Thai food in what essentially was wilderness.

Is there something in Malaysia that would be similar? For example, river tours through the jungle that would end up at simple quarters such as stilt houses?

They will also want to ride elephants. Any recommendation for this fun?

Finally, I may take them for a day or two to Bintan or Batam. Which resort would provide them fun at reasonable cost to me?

Many thanks.

[huggybear]

what's up?
i'm a general discussions junkie.

where's jpakotal with his auto post of wikitravel?

i'm still pretty new (4 months) so can offer more ideas ...

how about china beach in Danang? i think u can get flights to Vietnam on Air France pretty cheap.

Also there is an orguantan reserve in Borneo i think?

I don't know what's "reasonable" but the four seasons has this tented camp in Chiang Rai, the Golden Triangle. You spend your days trying to learn how to ride / tame elephants with the trainers and also taking day trips to visit the tribes. To get to the resort it's a 45 min river boat ride. It's mega expensive at $1,400 a night i think but i'm sure you could piece together your own type of experience like that using asiarooms.com and finding out the name of the elephant place etc.

For Batam / Bintan you should be able to use asiarooms.com to book lodging cheaper then the rack rate. I've used it more then a few times and it's always worked out well.

[earthfriendly]

Cameron Highland was recommended to us as we haad small kids. Under 3 yo back then. They have tea plantation and strawberry farm. I don't know if it is exotic or adventourous. Never been there myself.

http://www.malaysiasite.nl/cameron.htm

[Asian_Geekette]

For Batam and Bintan, you can go to Harbourfront Centre and there are lots of travel agencies there which offer weekend packages to these two islands. I've only been to Batam View Beach Resort and haven't been able to go around the island so I can't give a comment.

Before booking into a hotel, better check out the reviews in www.tripadvisor.com.

[jpatokal]

where's jpakotal with his auto post of wikitravel?

You called? Unfortunately 9-year-old girls aren't really my area of expertise...

But some ideas anyway: I love the Perhentian Islands in northeast Malaysia, which provide the perfect "total beach getaway" experience, but not much in the way of cultural attractions (or elephant rides). Borneo (Sarawak), eg. Mulu National Park, offers more jungly stuff (orangutans also got) but I haven't explored that neck of the woods as thoroughly as I'd like -- yet.

[Strong Eagle]

Great stuff so far... many good ideas... please keep 'em coming.

[Wind In My Hair]

Wow, lucky 9-year olds!

I stayed in an orphanage in Chiang Rai (northern Thailand) with some teenagers. It was quite an experience, eating what they ate (mainly clear soup and rice, though while we were there they had meat once a day, quite a treat), and helping to clear the forest for plantation. Those teenagers took a few swings with the changkol and spent the rest of the day sitting under the trees recovering. Wooses. We oldies ended up doing all the manual labour. But quite an eye-opener and they really appreciated what they had back home in Singapore. Plus they got to teach English to the Thai kids which made both sides happy.

The Cu Chi tunnels in Vietnam (about 3 hours outside Ho Chi Minh) was a bit sombre but amazing as both a history lesson and a tourist attraction. Crawling through the tunnels may be fun for the girls, while showing them how the Vietcong lived and fought. The booby traps were a bit gruesome so depends how queasy the girls are.

Some young people I know do a trek up some mountain in Malaysia while picking up all the rubbish that other tourists leave behind, so that's part adventure holiday, part environmental conservation.

Whatever it is, I'm sure you'll have fun!

[ksl]

There's many places up in Malaysia worth looking at, although be warned of the tides, if by the beach, which are lethal and can pull an adult over, when the water is only knee high. Local knowledge is always best in these areas, I never forget having to save two kids and their parents in the sea years ago up on the coast, which almost cost me my life, being pounded on the sea bed by waves and literally being dragged out to sea.

http://www.malaysiaupclose.com/

[Shankar]

Well they are just nine years old and have a long way to go in life and have lotsa time to see many things. Rather than just focussing on occupying their eyes and their time, you should probably find ways to keep their minds occupied as well..

Rather than just being a travel companion, probably you can aim to be their philosopher/ guide and leave them with some intellectual values that you have gained in life.

Since august is two months away, you can probably start documenting a book / compilation for them
- interesting anecdotes of your life and what you learnt from it.
- bitter experiences of life and how you dealt with calamities.
- Things you feel not right about the world, which they can correct as they live.
- list of friends , relatives and their addresses , who they can write to and make contact when in need or just to be in touch.
- how you raised your children and your observation of their characters.

and now imagine how it would be, when they read those during their holiday while you take them for long drives and you are near them to answer all their queries.

and that the book is specially written for them with your signature.

and that you are internet savvy, where you can keep replying their queries all life by email.

Cheers!!!

I am going to have my granddaughter and her friend over from the US at the beginning of August. Many thanks.

[Kats_]

Well they are just nine years old and have a long way to go in life and have lotsa time to see many things. Rather than just focussing on occupying their eyes and their time, you should probably find ways to keep their minds occupied as well..

Rather than just being a travel companion, probably you can aim to be their philosopher/ guide and leave them with some intellectual values that you have gained in life.

Since august is two months away, you can probably start documenting a book / compilation for them
- interesting anecdotes of your life and what you learnt from it.
- bitter experiences of life and how you dealt with calamities.
- Things you feel not right about the world, which they can correct as they live.
- list of friends , relatives and their addresses , who they can write to and make contact when in need or just to be in touch.
- how you raised your children and your observation of their characters.

and now imagine how it would be, when they read those during their holiday while you take them for long drives and you are near them to answer all their queries.

and that the book is specially written for them with your signature.

and that you are internet savvy, where you can keep replying their queries all life by email.

Cheers!!!

I am going to have my granddaughter and her friend over from the US at the beginning of August. Many thanks.

Shankar, that's a fantastic idea.....I dont know how much today's 9 year olds will appreciate it...but it is a cool idea.

I have a 8 year old niece and I wish I could be a role model for her and be a mentor and guide to her as she grows up.

[Asian_Geekette]

Shankar, that's a fantastic idea.....I dont know how much today's 9 year olds will appreciate it...but it is a cool idea.

I have a 8 year old niece and I wish I could be a role model for her and be a mentor and guide to her as she grows up.

Shankar,
That's a very good way of passing down wisdom from one generation to the other generation.

Kats,
You'd be surprised at the level of sophistication or maturity that most young girls possess at that age.

With your niece, you can start by sending her postcards of where you've been or sending her short letters telling her what you've done in this part of the world and what you've learned. It's about writing to her in a way that she can relate to. And not some boring "lecture" type of letter.

Strong Eagle,
WIMH's suggestion about the Cu Chi tunnels made me remember the time I was there. There were some kids in the tour group and they absolutely loved going through the tunnels. Some even begged their parents to get the chance to do practice target shooting in the range.

[Strong Eagle]

I agree with all that has been said about educating these girls about the world... that is my job as grand pappy! I hope to bring her out here for some International Schooling. I want to her think, to be an individual, to be a maverick, to care about the world and people around here. US schooling is so much about conformity these days.

I've been to Cu Chi... yes, they might like the tunnels... might be freaky to see a nine year old shooting an AK47 on full auto, though.

[Shankar]

I've been to Cu Chi... yes, they might like the tunnels... might be freaky to see a nine year old shooting an AK47 on full auto, though.

This trend really dreads me. Precise reason being that each generation unwillingly create a generation gap, by not stitching the next generation on time and just allow them to go astray in the name of education & money. A change can come in only if the hunger/quest for money recedes. Else we would only be narrowing the world for the next generation.

Shankar, that's a fantastic idea.....I dont know how much today's 9 year olds will appreciate it...but it is a cool idea. I have a 8 year old niece and I wish I could be a role model for her and be a mentor and guide to her as she grows up

Well.. It is not at what age they are in now, but on the whole the next generation. Imagine, a copy is available for all of them and not just one niece in particular.

But not to worry. The book that I am seriously engaged in authoring, is all poised to become a Manual for all Families. Expected to be published by the year end.
Cheers!!

[Kats_]

But not to worry. The book that I am seriously engaged in authoring, is all poised to become a Manual for all Families. Expected to be published by the year end.
Cheers!!

Will its glossary section include:
Annoying Aunt
Evil step mother
The dorky cousin twins
Fat uncle
Doting Gran
...

My dad created an extended family tree some time back. Thats about for a family manual in my family...

[Shankar]

[quote="Kats
Will its glossary section include:
Annoying Aunt
Evil step mother
The dorky cousin twins
Fat uncle
Doting Gran
...

My dad created an extended family tree some time back. Thats about for a family manual in my family...[/quote]

the book may possibly destroy all and enable one to define one's own family... tyrannt by choice..