Tag: travel-tips

Why Thailand is the Perfect Next Step for Families After Europe

Published on by meghan haighLeave a comment

As a family travel advisor who thrives on off-the-beaten-path adventures, I believe there’s no destination quite like Thailand for families looking to continue their journey after exploring Europe. After extensive travels with my own kids and with the desire to continue with active and adventurous travel, our family landed on Thailand for our next big family trip. Through research and communicating with others, I have been thrilled to learn about Thailand’s stunning beaches, unique culture, and plentiful outdoor activities. I’ve learned Thailand offers an enriching travel experience that is both accessible and appealing to all ages and that’s what Mango Tree Travel is all about.

Here are the main reasons why Thailand is a perfect trip for travelers ready to take the next step (or longer flight!) with their families:

The Perfect Fusion of Adventure and Culture

Thailand is an outdoor enthusiast’s playground. And we are looking forward to some early morning hiking through jungles to temples, surf camp on world-famous waves, doing some tourist friendly rock climbing in Krabi, and experiencing unique cultural traditions like the night markets and temples. In addition to these activities, immersing family in the friendly Thai culture is a huge bonus of the country. Thailand has something for everyone. Thailand’s scenery is simply stunning and exploring Khao Sok National Park, where the scenery is breathtaking and the wildlife is abundant followed by being able to unwind on one of the many kid-friendly beaches, like Kamala Beach in Phuket are sure to be a crowd pleasers.

Beaches and Beyond: Something for Everyone

I’ve found the beaches in Thailand are not just picturesque; they are also versatile in offerings. Each beach has its own charm, and we hope to center our trip around the adventures each region offers. But by mixing in Thailand’s distinct culture, the long trip suddenly becomes worthwhile. As the sun sets, we look forward to exploring local night markets, and enjoying authentic Thai cuisine.

A Cultural Mosaic for the Whole Family

With Thailand’s rich history and culture providing an excellent backdrop for educational experiences, our family looks forward to visiting ancient temples and taking a cooking class to learn how to make delicious Thai dishes (especially since we are vegetarians!). Engaging with the friendly local communities will allow our children to learn about customs and traditions firsthand. Thailand is extremely family friendly and even has many children’s amusement parks to cater to the children who visit the country.

Exceptional Medical Care and Safety

Traveling with kids comes with its own set of worries, but Thailand’s medical care is on par with many Western countries, offering peace of mind for parents. This is one thing I always take into consideration when planning extended travel with my family. I was happy to learn that excellent healthcare services are readily available, and the country is known for its friendly demeanor and hospitality towards families. The welcoming locals add to the sense of security, making it easier for families to explore new environments.

Family-Friendly Infrastructure

One final reason why Thailand is such a great next step, is that it is very well-equipped for family travel, with a wide and beautiful range of resorts catering to families, offering amenities like children’s clubs, babysitting services, and family-oriented activities. Transportation options are also easy and plentiful, including reliable domestic flights and safe public transport options. The ease of getting around ensures that our family can enjoy the experience and avoid the stress of transportation issues abroad.

A Journey Worth Taking

While the 24-hour journey to Thailand may seem daunting, the reward is undeniably worthwhile. From stunning landscapes and rich culture to thrilling activities and welcoming communities, Thailand promises an adventure that exceeds expectations. As a travel advisor dedicated to curating unique family experiences, I’m here to help you navigate this incredible journey. If Thailand is on your next family’s destination list, I would love to chat about it.

Stay tuned for part two where I discuss the planning process of a month long trip to Thailand with kids.

Get in touch with me today to begin planning any of your families adventures! Let’s make your next trip an unforgettable exploration of both fun, learning, and learning for the whole family.

Meghan@mangotreetravel.com

Trip Planning Form

How to Make Long-Term Travel a Reality: Tips for Extended Vacations

Published on by meghan haighLeave a comment
Screenshot

Have you ever thought, “I’d love to take a long trip, but I could never be gone that long”? You’re not alone. Long-term travel, whether it’s two weeks, a month, or even longer, is more possible than most people realize. With thoughtful planning, flexibility, and a focus on slow travel, you can enjoy extended vacations that feel immersive, budget-friendly, and truly unforgettable.

Extended travel gives you the chance to slow down, connect with local culture, and create lasting memories — instead of just checking destinations off a list. Here’s how to make long-term travel work for you.

1. Start with Flights and Transportation

Booking flights first is one of the smartest steps for long-term travel planning. Once your airfare is secured, the rest of your trip begins to fall into place. The biggest tip I have for this is the knowledge of when you’re getting a great flight deal. Keeping running lists and checking airfare to multiple desired locations when it is first released can help make that decision for a longer trip easier. It is possible to save over 1,000 dollars a person by booking a deal to a destination allowing for 5,000 dollars or more to be added to your accommodation budget.

One last thing, a layover isn’t the end of the world when your trip is over two weeks long. Sometimes it can even be a meaningful break.

Why flights come first:

  • Set a realistic budget: Airfare is often the largest expense. Knowing the cost upfront allows you to plan accommodations, activities, and transportation without surprises.
  • Maximize travel value: The longer you stay in one destination, the more value you get from each flight mile.
  • Choose a convenient home base: Opt for a walkable town, train-accessible city, or a region where a rental car makes short trips easy.

2. Slow Down and Stretch Your Budget

Many people assume that extended vacations are expensive — but slow travel often saves money while offering richer experiences. By immersing yourself in the local culture, your daily expenses are dramatically cut. That walk to a bakery, hike, or beachfront run become part of your daily cultural experiences, and at times, they can be better than all the sightseeing that comes with travel! Often times, in hotels or rentals, the longer you stay, the deeper the discounts. A pro tip is that once you have secured your long term home base, it becomes easy to book weekends away to explore further from your home base.

Ways to travel longer without overspending:

  • Look for extended-stay discounts: Vacation rentals and boutique hotels often offer weekly or monthly rates.
  • Live like a local: Renting a home with a kitchen allows you to cook meals from local markets and enjoy a routine, making the trip feel like real life abroad.
  • Enjoy low-cost experiences: Picnics, local street food, and exploring off-the-beaten-path areas are memorable and budget-friendly.

3. Make Long-Term Travel Work for Families

Balancing work, school, and family commitments can make extended travel feel impossible — but there are solutions. If you are able to have the time off, finding local camps, activities, and experiences for the kids naturally fills the time. Working remote for a portion of the trip or taking turns working remotely can be a great way to manage extended travel. Finally, leaning into grandparents and taking turns can be a creative way to balance the work/family challenges in living abroad for over two weeks.

How to Long-term travel work for families:

  • Scheduling that goes outside of the box: If able, be creative with your vacation or remote work schedule by staggering your two weeks of leave.
  • Lean into other family members: Enlist grandparents or other family members to join and lend extra helping hands during the work day.
  • Find those awesome local camps: Enrolling the kids in local camps for a few hours adds the their culture experience and your ability to work while abroad.

4. Embrace Slow, Intentional Travel

Extended vacations aren’t just about more days — they’re about traveling differently. As stated above, prioritizing meaningful cultural experiences in the everyday while living abroad becomes the vacation itinerary. and by choosing a location that supports your desired experiences (think beaches, hiking, markers for foodie, etc, you have already filled your days with valuable experiences.

Ways to embrace slow intentional travel:

  • Prioritize quality over quantity: Spend more time exploring neighborhoods, attending local events, or observing daily life.
  • Seek meaningful experiences: Cooking classes, cultural workshops, and guided tours offer deeper connections than rushing from sight to sight.
  • Stay flexible: One of the joys of long-term travel is following unexpected opportunities and embracing spontaneity.
Screenshot

Start Planning Your Dream Extended Vacation

If you’ve been dreaming about a “someday” trip, there’s no better time to start planning. Even small steps — researching flights, choosing a home base, or exploring local programs for kids — bring your long-term travel closer to reality.

Reach out to get started:

Meghan@mangotreetravel.com

Trip Planning form

The Perks of Playing Flight Roulette

Published on by meghan haighLeave a comment
Mallorca for $600 round trip

At the end of every summer, we like to play a game I call Flight Roulette for the following summer. I begin the search for next year’s flights about 10 months before we plan to travel. By using multiple websites, Google Flights, Kayak, Going.com, and Hopper I search for every major city in any region of the world that we are interested in traveling to. This allows us to find some early and unreal flight deals. Flights can make up the bulk of your family travel budget, and by cutting down this cost, we’ve been able to enjoy longer stays, more luxurious accommodations, but most of all, it’s allowed us to discover areas that weren’t previously on our radar.

Annecy, France for $700 round trip

Here are some tips on how to plan family travel by using the Flight Roulette, Flight First method.

  1. Search for flights early. As I mentioned, I start planning our major family trips 10 months in advance. If you know you have the time off, the early you start searching, the better!
  2. Use multiple websites to search for flight deals. I have a lot of luck searching on Kayak, Google Flights, Going, and Hopper.
  3. We’ve flown internationally with kids ages 2-11 on many red eye flights and a lay over is not a deal breaker. The kids will sleep when they’re tired wand here they’re tired whether that’s on the plane, in the airport, or on the transfer to your accommodation.
  4. It helps to be creative in searching for flights. For example, if you want to fly to the Dolomites in Italy, you could fly into Milan or Venice and drive to your destination.
Nazare Portugal for $450 round trip

The best strategy for finding flight deals that I’ve used is Flight Roulette. I search for every airport in every region of the world that we are interested in going to. For example, if we want to visit the Alps, The American West, South America, The UK, Ireland, Beaches of Spain, or Portuguese Islands. Every year, I have found flights to at least one of these places for $400-$800 dollars per person round trip compared to $900-$1200 round trip per person.

Istria, Croatia for $800 round trip

The beauty of Flight First Planning and finding a deal rather than choosing a location before your flight is not only finding incredible deals but also finding incredible destinations you may have overlooked.

Valencia and southern Spain $550 round trip

Traveling Abroad to Lesser Known Destinations

Published on by meghan haighLeave a comment
Saalbach, Austria

For me, travel started out as checking sites and cities off my bucket list. After 15 years and the joy of bringing three kids along, travel has morphed into visiting small lesser known locations. This has allowed us to discover exciting things unknown to our family, be active together, and enjoy a new culture at a slower pace than in a city or large touristy town. It is also much easier on our travel budget because these towns and villages tend to be much cheaper to book accommodations in.

Continue reading “Traveling Abroad to Lesser Known Destinations” →