Family Holiday Destinations Podcast
Welcome to Family Holiday Destinations, the podcast that inspires families to explore the world together! From top destinations and interviews with experts to practical tips and the latest family travel news, we’re here to inspire and help you plan unforgettable adventures.
Family Holiday Destinations Podcast
Finding the Right Family Holiday Destinations for Your Crew - Expert Advice
Planning a family holiday can feel overwhelming - so how do you know which destination is the right fit for your crew?
In this episode of the Family Holiday Destinations Podcast, I chat with Melissa Delaware, a travel agent at Mind Body and Travel, and founder of Thrifty Family Travels and Queensland Travel Guides. Melissa shares her expert insights on:
- The destination that completely surprised her with how family-friendly it was
- Where families are booking right now (and why)
- What to consider when choosing the perfect spot for your family
Plus, I share some quick travel news updates, including record family travel trends to Fiji and Japan, and the unusual rise of selfie-related accidents in Australia.
Whether you’re dreaming of your next big adventure or just looking for inspiration, this episode is packed with tips to make choosing your family holiday destination a little easier.
Links from this episode:
Mind & Body Travel - Melissa Delaware
Why Aussies are Splurging on Fiji and Japan Holidays
Australia Ranks in World's Top 5 for Selfie Accidents - Here's Why
Best Farm Stays Near Brisbane for Your Next Family Haycation
Thanks for tuning in to the Family Holiday Destinations podcast! For more travel tips, destination guides, and family-friendly inspiration, visit our website at familyholidaydestinations.com. Until next time, happy travels and safe adventures!
Welcome to the Family Holiday Destinations podcast, where we inspire your next family adventure. I'm Jessica Palmer, mother of two and founder of Family Holiday Destinations. And today we're diving into a topic every parent ponders when thinking about the school holidays. It's how to actually choose the right family holiday destination that will keep everyone happy.
Jessica Palmer:It's easy to get overwhelmed with with options - beach or city, budget or splurge, something adventurous, something super relaxing. To help us sort through it all, I sat down with Melissa Delaware, a travel agent at Mind & Body Travel, and the founder of the Thrifty Family Travels and Queensland Travel Guides website. She's helped countless families plan trips, so she knows the trends, the pitfalls, and the insider tips. We'll get into that chat shortly, but first, let's take a look at what's making headlines in family travel this month.
Jessica Palmer:This month, two stories caught my eye that I wanted to share with you. First, travel bookings to Fiji and Japan are hitting record highs, and it's fascinating to see why these two particular destinations are topping family wish lists right now. I mean, they're not exactly what anyone would consider budget destinations. So are families choosing experiences that feel worthwhile over budget options that leave them short on memories? It seems so.
Jessica Palmer:Second, a quirky but important one. Did you know Australia has been ranked in the top five places for selfie-related accidents? Yep, that's a thing. It's a reminder that while we all love capturing those family holiday snaps, safety needs to come first. You can find both of these stories in more detail over on the Family Holiday Destinations website. I'll pop the links in the show notes.
Jessica Palmer:Now, on to today's interview. I had the pleasure of chatting with Melissa Delaware, a travel agent at Mind, Body and Travel, and also the powerhouse behind two hugely successful family travel websites, Thrifty Family Travels and Queensland Travel Guides. Melissa has traveled far and wide with her daughter and also solo, so she brings both a parent's perspective and a professional expertise.
Jessica Palmer:In our chat, I asked her about the destinations that surprised her most, the trends she's seeing in family bookings, underrated spots she wishes families would consider, and the common mistakes parents make when picking where to go. She also shared some fantastic advice for parents who feel totally overwhelmed when trying to choose that next family trip, whether it's your first overseas holiday or just your next getaway. Let's dive into our conversation. So you've travelled a lot both with your daughter and on your own. What's one destination that completely surprised you in how family-friendly it was?
Melissa Delaware:Well, I'm always a big believer that you can find family-friendly sort of activities no matter where you go. An example I often give people is I took my daughter when she was about seven to the Barossa Valley and, you know, known for its winery and everything. And she just loved it. She loved it so much.
Melissa Delaware:But I guess to answer this question, like one of the places that I thought was great when I traveled with my daughter was around Europe. I know a lot of people see it as a bit of a grown up destination, you know, to have nice wines out in squares and stuff. But my daughter and I traveled around Europe when she was probably around eight or nine and like the trains are really easy. It's really easy to get around Europe. You know, every city has a couple of museums and no matter what the topic they've got a way of making it child friendly.
Melissa Delaware:I remember taking her to places about the Berlin Wall and you know and she just loved it, like it was very interactive and interesting, done in a really good way that kids enjoy learning. So yeah, I think Europe is one of those places that you don't necessarily go 'oh it's a family friendly destination like Bali or Japan' or something, but yeah I think it's a great place - easy to get around and lots to do for families.
Jessica Palmer:That's so good to know like on a personal level because we've spent a lot of time in Asia and the South Pacific and I've never taken the kids to Europe. Mostly just because budget wise with four of us.
Melissa Delaware:Yeah yeah it is expensive and um the one thing I thought was always interesting is uh my daughter's uh you know soft drink was always um more expensive than my wine in Europe.
Jessica Palmer:So as a travel agent, you see where families are booking every day. What destinations are popular right now?
Melissa Delaware:Look, I don't know if it's changed that much, but the biggest one that's right now, which is probably no surprise to you, is Japan.
Jessica Palmer:Yeah, that's booming.
Melissa Delaware:It is.
Jessica Palmer:I went myself in January, I was part of it.
Melissa Delaware:And look, I went with my daughter, I think it was 2019. It was just before COVID and even then it was like popular. So that's like six years ago and it's still really popular. So lots of families are wanting to go to Japan. But I'm also just seeing it's also just the typical ones, Fiji, Vanuatu, Bali, Thailand and the US for Disneyland. Yeah, they're all still up there. But I'd have to say Japan is really hot. Everyone wants to go to Japan at the moment, like families, yeah. And I know why.
Jessica Palmer:I know. The thing with Japan is, because Asia can be a culture shock, but I find that the culture shocks in Japan, they're not unpleasant. Yeah, yeah. Toilets are more fascinating and fun than, oh, I can't use that kind of feeling.
Melissa Delaware:That's very, very true because it's more westernised, right? So it's cleaner, easier to get around. People are super friendly. The one thing, though, in Japan, I did find the languages can be a bit of a barrier But it's not as easy as, you know, some of those other Southeast Asia places where most people can speak English and stuff. It can be tricky, but it's fine.
Jessica Palmer:We went in January and we found by then everybody was using Google Translate.
Melissa Delaware:Oh, yeah, yeah. Google Translate, you get it everywhere now, hey?
Jessica Palmer:That kind of fixed that problem for us.
Jessica Palmer:So how would you usually help parents choose the right destination? So is it about budget or kids? Ages or travel style? Or something else?
Melissa Delaware:All of those things. Budget is obviously the most important one i think to start with because, well if someone has a budget that that um obviously, but also family's um interest like the kids interest and I say family's interest. I think a lot of people when they're traveling with their kids they're like what their kids are into but i'm a big believer that mom and dad should still have a really good time as well.
Jessica Palmer:So absolutely yeah yeah. Like nobody wants to spend their time watching their kid on a playground, right? That's boring.
Melissa Delaware:Absolutely. And it's one of those things, like, just because you're a family now doesn't mean every trip needs to be Disneyland. And, in fact, going back to, like, what I said about Europe, like, I often would go to the places I wanted to go to and my daughter would come along and, sure enough, there was always, like, something. And I talked about the Barossa, you know. I think businesses know that if they keep the kids happy, then they can keep the parents happy and they'll stay longer and spend more money or whatever.
Melissa Delaware:So it might sound a bit selfish, but I often tend to put my own interests first and then check whether or not it's family friendly, to be honest.
Jessica Palmer:Yeah, yeah, so do I.
Melissa Delaware:I mean, don't get me wrong. My daughter has been to plenty of Disneylands around the world, so we do still do stuff for her as well. But yeah, so I suppose definitely family's interest, budget, travel style - you know some people like to sort of be out everyday sightseeing where other families are more like let's just hang by the beach or the pool. Yeah so it's super important.
Melissa Delaware:I think too, one thing I hear a lot that I think people need to stop doing is you know - oh my friend told me to go here or everyone well everyone's going to Japan so I'm going to go to Japan too. Whereas maybe you know your idea of a holiday is just hanging by the pool, so you're not going to enjoy going to Japan where there's not really, they're not resort style accommodation to start with and there's no nice beach. So not just going with the flow but thinking about what works for you. So really trying to get an understanding of what the particular family, yeah, enjoys, what their budget is, time of year. Yeah, I suppose not applying that cookie cutter approach but thinking about what that individual family really wants.
Jessica Palmer:Yeah, absolutely. So are there any underrated destinations you wish more families would consider?
Melissa Delaware:I don't know if I think there's so much underrated destinations. Maybe just thinking outside the square a little bit. Like, you know, as we know, lots of families from Australia go to Bali, which is fine. Maybe go to Bali and then maybe, you know, go to, you know, one or two islands that are between, you know, Bali or Lombok or go to Lombok as well. But, you know, like you can still go to those places that you you know, that you want to go to, but maybe throw in something a little bit different as well.
Melissa Delaware:Or, you know, if you're going to go to Phuket, why not spend a couple of days in the jungle a couple of hours away, you know, just thinking about something a little bit different. And that goes for Australians or Queenslanders as well. I think we tend to overlook what we have in our own backyard sometimes. And I'm guilty of it as well. And it's one thing COVID did for me, which I think was so great. It really taught me to love my own country and to love Queensland. And so one of my, if you're a Queensland family listening to this, one of my biggest tip for you is do a road trip through Outback Queensland with your kids before they get too old.
Jessica Palmer:That's amazing, isn't it?
Melissa Delaware:Oh, so good.
Jessica Palmer:One of the best road trips we ever did was out to Winton for that Outback Festival. It was so fun.
Melissa Delaware:Isn't it just?
Jessica Palmer:The town was beautiful and the people were beautiful and they were all friendly and it was just so fun.
Melissa Delaware:Just casual, laid back and, yeah, it's one of my fun trips as well. Another trip that we did, not in Outback Queensland but driving through from Darwin down to Uluru, stopping at the national parks and swimming in the waterfalls and just it's a real, having an adventure with your kids like that is just amazing memories and do those trips while the kids are smaller before they become teenagers and don't want to go anywhere.
Jessica Palmer:Absolutely . So how much do you think the type of holiday for example like beach versus city versus adventure matters when choosing where to go with kids?
Melissa Delaware:It matters a lot in that it matters like what your family's interests are getting back to sort of what I said before. If you just apply the cookie cutter approach and you go where all your friends are going or where you know other Australian families are going you know and it might not be right for you. Or it might not be right for you at that time in your family's life. Maybe you know your kids are tired you're tired and so maybe a casual beach holiday is more you know appropriate, or maybe your kids are some other sorts of that are the types that will get bored on the beach and you know you need to keep them entertained. Or like we were sort of saying about teens like I find for my daughter to be interested in a trip now it has to be really focused on you know maybe a theme park or, you know, like what do you call it, like those wax museums where you can take Instagram photos or something. I think that's why Japan is so popular too.
Jessica Palmer:Yeah, yeah. It's so much easier to engage a teenager in Japan.
Melissa Delaware:Exactly. Yeah. So you really have to think about where you are as a family, yeah, right now. Likewise, like I said again earlier, it's not just about pleasing the kids. Like if you just went out on a trip around the world going to, you know, Disneyland parks. Like I would be so over that and I'd be a cranky mum. So it is, it's just balancing everyone's interests. So it matters to answer your question. It matters a lot. Yeah. So do definitely consider that when planning your family's trip.
Jessica Palmer:Yeah, I agree with you there. So what's a common mistake families make when picking a destination?
Melissa Delaware:I think there's a few mistakes. My number one thing that I see is people just trying to fit way too much in. Particularly I see people like coming to Australia or Queensland and they're like, I'm here for a week and I want to see this, this and this.
Jessica Palmer:Yeah, yeah.
Melissa Delaware:Or I'm going to Europe for eight days and I'm going to see every country in Europe. Like, so just putting too much in. I think particularly when you've got smaller kids as well, yeah, you can't probably fit as much in every day. You know, smaller kids need more of a break or maybe the mums need more of a break looking after the small kids.
Jessica Palmer:Yeah, they do. I know. Because, you know, when a younger kid is tired, that's it. Yeah. Your family's done for the day.
Melissa Delaware:Yeah, done for the day. So, you know, like when you might have been able to cram a lot in as a young backpacker or something, when you're taking little kids around, you just really have to factor that in. And then I'm finding it back at the other end. Teenagers can only go so long as well because they need their Wi-Fi time. So, yeah, it's like come a full circle for me now.
Melissa Delaware:But, yeah, so it's fitting too much in and similar to fitting too much in is moving around or travelling too much I think is another big problem. Like a lot of families I see, they're like, oh, well, I'll do one night here and one night there and one night there and you don't realise how much time goes into like moving hotels, like packing up and particularly if you've got more than one child, like packing their things up and moving. To me, moving hotels is almost like a day in itself. I mean, even if you were... moving hotels within a one destination, it's a lot. But if you have to add in like four or five hours on the road or you've got to catch a flight that day as well.
Jessica Palmer:That's a whole day wasted, yeah.
Melissa Delaware:Absolutely. So I really encourage people to do less on their holidays, like, you know, focus on a couple of key destinations and stay longer than moving around too much.
Melissa Delaware:Not budgeting properly is another one I notice. Um, coming back to Japan, I think a lot of people, they think Japan's a cheap destination and it kind of, it kind of can be like food's cheap. You might get cheap flights, but accommodation is really expensive.
Jessica Palmer:It's brutal, isn't it? It's like going to Fiji. It's just brutal.
Melissa Delaware:Especially like for families, right? Um, you know, they pretty much expect that a family of five will fit in a shoe box. Like, so, um, Yeah, so not budgeting probably. The amount of times like when I'm doing itineraries for families for Japan and they're like going, you know, is that luxury? No, that's low level. That's entry prices. So, yeah, just being aware that when you see and like Fiji or Vanuatu, you might see a deal and you think, oh, gosh, that sounds cheap. And so you buy those flights and you buy your accommodation and you go there and you realise like meals are like, you know, $50 for a meal. Yes. So not budgeting and not being caught in by just one price, realising there's, you know, many levels to budgeting out a holiday.
Jessica Palmer:People often make the assumption that Asia as a whole is cheap. It's just not true.
Melissa Delaware:Yeah, exactly. So, yeah, just looking into all components of your trip before making or booking any component. Like don't just book those flights because they were cheap and then go, oh, that's really expensive.
Jessica Palmer:So are there destinations that look great online, but then they end up being tricky for families in real life?
Melissa Delaware:One of the things that I sort of said about being tricky is, again, I mentioned Japan about being expensive and Fiji and Vanuatu.
Jessica Palmer:I find Fiji very much like that. And I wanted to like Fiji more than I did because everybody loves it. Like you said, everyone I know loves it, but I just didn't, I did not feel like it was good value for money compared to other island destinations.
Melissa Delaware:I'm the same. A lot of people, I've only been to Fiji once and, you know, it was a long time ago, but I'm a bit the same that everyone seems to be in love with it.
Jessica Palmer:And don't get me wrong, like it's nice. It's beautiful. It really is. I just think there's other beautiful places where the food isn't $70 for an adult meal.
Melissa Delaware:Exactly. Like it's just paying a lot of money. So I don't know about things being tricky for families in real life. You know what's tricky? Going to Southeast Asia and pushing a pram down the street. That's tricky.
Melissa Delaware:Yeah. I think if you're a family that needs a pram, you need to wait. Yeah. That's tricky. Like footpaths. And, I mean, maybe they get a little bit better now. But, you know, I'm going back, you know, 14 years ago. Yeah. Yeah, or I remember the first trip we took my daughter to, she was about 18 months and going to Thailand and she wasn't walking just before we left and I thought, oh, is she going to be crawling around, you know, dirt and streets and stuff? But she started walking just as we left and I was like, oh, thank gosh. So I think that kind of stuff could be tricky, like that logistics.
Jessica Palmer:Yeah, I forgot about that because my daughter turned one in Vietnam and I just was being paranoid. Like I've got this photo of her licking the hotel mirror. You know what they're like when they're that age.
Melissa Delaware:Everything in the mouth. Yeah.
Jessica Palmer:And I'm like, oh, no, she's going to be sick for sure. But she wasn't.
Melissa Delaware:Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I guess that kind of stuff can be tricky because, you know, it's a long time ago for me dealing with that kind of stuff. But, yeah, prams, I was so excited when I didn't have to take a pram anymore travelling, hey. But having said that, I think Southeast Asia is a great place for young families. But yeah, just keep those little things in mind that they're tricky.
Jessica Palmer:For parents listening who feel overwhelmed with the options, what's your number one tip for narrowing down the choices?
Melissa Delaware:I think it's really important just to be clear the sort of holiday that you're looking for and really take some time to think about it. So think about that budget. And like we said, don't get caught out with not budgeting for everything. You know, think about, you know, is your family the sort of people that want to do a lot of sightseeing or would your family more benefit from just lying around a pool or the beach? So not just going with what everyone else is doing, but what would your family benefit from? And then sort of... So setting those boundaries and then only looking at things that, you know, that fit within that rather than just going, oh, that looks nice, that looks nice. You know, look, the kids will grow up and the interests will change and maybe you might put something off now but you can revisit that later. So, yeah, just really thinking about your family's needs.
Jessica Palmer:So if a family listening right now wanted to start planning their first big trip, what's the first step you'd recommend? Like what do they need to think about first?
Melissa Delaware:We've covered a lot but if we're talking about a big trip - not just going to bali and back or something you know - i think taking a really good amount of time just to kind of gather ideas. So not just oh we're going to do this like gather some ideas, think about things, talk to your friends, read lots of. You know if you're into pinterest start a board.
Melissa Delaware:From a very young age you know at the dinner table my family and i would always talk about different destinations. W e have a big map and we'd look at different destinations and get a vibe for where everyone's interested. And then from there, you know, just sort of work out, going back to those things we talked about before, what are your family's interests, budget, and looking at the few destinations that fit in with that.
Melissa Delaware:I guess at this point I would say either if you're not the sort of person that wants to spend a lot of time planning a trip, then go and speak to a professional. But if you're someone like me and Jess, who just loves putting all that little itinerary together, then I would say, you know, pull out those Google spreadsheets, start mapping things out, but do be prepared to spend a few hours, you know, each night to get it right.
Melissa Delaware:And then going back to some of the other advice that I said earlier is really pinpointing those destinations that you're going to spend time and don't, you know, be ruthless and drop a few destinations off if you think, you know what, I don't have the time for this itinerary. And the way i tend to drop destinations off is i look at what destinations are easy to get to it get to um and sort of clustered together because in that way you can focus on a cluster of destinations for this trip, and then maybe next trip you focus on that other cluster. I do see a lot of people like going to go, well i want to take the kids to Disneyland and then we're going to go over to see the Eiffel Tower and then we're going to stop in Japan. Like just focus on one area - and that's very extreme - but just focusing on it it'll be cheaper you'll actually have more time if you go to less places. But yeah, just put the effort in, it's not easy planning a big trip but I think it's a lot of fun and in the end it's well worth it
Jessica Palmer:Well thank you so much for that Mel, I really appreciate your time.
Melissa Delaware:No worries, I love talking about travel.
Jessica Palmer:Before we wrap up, let's talk about a different kind of holiday you might not have considered before. It's called a haycation. If you haven't already guessed, basically it's a farmstay where families can enjoy a slower pace, spend time outdoors and let the kids experience things like feeding animals, collecting eggs or even just running free in wide open paddocks.
Jessica Palmer:This doesn't mean you have to rough it though. Many farmstays offer a range of accommodation from somewhere to park your caravan or camp, through to boutique accommodation like an old church that's had a beautiful uplift. If that sounds like something your family would love, we've rounded up the best farm stays near Brisbane, perfect for a weekend getaway or a short break.
Jessica Palmer:You can find that article on the Family Holiday Destinations website and I'll also link this in the show notes for you.
Jessica Palmer:So that wraps up this month's episode. A huge thank you to Melissa Delaware for joining us and sharing her insights into choosing the right destination for family travel. I'd love to hear what you thought of this episode. And if you've got your own tips or favorite destinations, come and share them with us on socials.
Jessica Palmer:Thanks for joining me on this journey through family holiday planning. I hope this chat has inspired you to think differently about your next adventure. For more tips and detailed guides, head on over to the Family Holiday And until next time, happy travels and enjoy making those family memories.