Do you feel a Zoom call would help? We used to do that quite a lot for readers, we do charge of course. Otherwise, what jumps out at me is the month-long stays. You’re only going for 12 months. So you’re only going to see 12 places? Southeast Asia is big! I can give you 12 must-sees just in Thailand, I could give you 40! I think it’s best if you find our posts on the individual countries, cities and destinations, they’re all thousands of words long. But my personal must-sees of SouthEast Asia would be, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Sukhothai, Ayuthaya, Maeklong, Amphawa, Angkor Wat, Vang Vieng, Hoi An, Kuching, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore. Did you find our post on planning a family gap year too? You have older kids so you can be more active, that’s good. At 12 they should be able to do pretty much what an adult can do. Although there aren’t many mountains to climb in SE Asia. I’d try to get in some snorkelling, scuba diving, kayaking, cooking classes, plenty of fun activities. Best of luck!

Hi David. There’s no way you could use local schools and see much of the world. 2 months at a time gives you 6 destinations. Also, I just think it’s a bad idea. Every school, every country, more than every school, has a different curriculum. Things aren’t standard across the world. Based on my own experience you’d do much better to let your child have a year off and enjoy it alongside us. Being out of school to 14 and 16 certainly didn’t hold my kids back academically. Best of luck.

Hi Gianluca,

My perfect holiday revolves around beaches/nature/mountains with a little bit of culture thrown in, so I might be able to help you with your question. It’s true that Thailand is very touristy these days, but it’s still an incredible country and very well set up for families as it has good travel infrastructure/hospitals/great food etc. I agree with above about avoiding Phuket, Koh Samui, Krabi but there are definitely still pockets of Thailand which are quieter and less visited. Koh Pangyan is a bit of a party island (though there are quieter spots) so might not be ideal for your little one. For stunning beaches I’d recommend heading south. The Tarutao archipelago is a marine nature reserve so less developed and Koh Lipe is the most beautiful beach I’ve ever seen. Have a look at the Trang archipelago in southern Thailand too- stunning beaches off the main tourist track. We took our kids (6 and 8) to Koh Lanta recently, and it was a perfect mix of beach, monkeys, bananas rotis, and snorkelling- I’d recommend going down to the south of the island (ie Kantiang Bay), as it’s prettier and less hectic. If you want some jungle time, then Khao Sok is great- the sound of the frogs and insects are deafening! Vietnam is a wonderful country too though, and definitely more of an adventure- I just prefer the beaches in Thailand 🙂 Good luck with your research, and have a great trip!