This was published 8 years ago
Where to take the budget-conscious family? Club Med and other all-inclusive resorts
Take a break from saying 'no' all the time by knowing ahead of time exactly how much a holiday will cost, says Tracey Spicer.
There are no nasty checkout charges at Club Med Nusa Dua in Bali.
What type of travelling family is yours? Sporty? Adventurous? Perhaps bookish?
Well, we're another type of family altogether – scabby.
No, it doesn't mean we're covered in half-healed wounds: we're, well, tight. Don't like spending too much. Count our pennies.
This strategy rates highly with economists but not so highly with psychologists.
During the summer holidays you need to relax. Really relax. So you should not find yourself sitting by the pool worrying about whether you should have that second drink.
This is tough for those who steal fruit from breakfast buffets, count sheets of toilet paper and make their kids share soft drinks: "He had one more slurp than me. That's not fair!!!"
There's a simple solution to this problem: the all-inclusive holiday.
Whether it's a cruise, resort or package deal, the saving and budgeting is done before you go.
Nikki Hills, from the website Mouths of Mums, has just returned from a week at Club Med Nusa Dua in Bali with her husband and three kids, aged 14, 11 and nine.
"In any other resort summer holiday that's not all-inclusive I'm always worrying about how much we're spending and end up being the 'boring mum' who limits the number of poolside drinks and tries to get the family to eat breakfast in the room," she says.
"At Club Med Nusa Dua, I get to say 'yes' to the kids every time, we don't ever have to worry about finding the closest supermarket and we can genuinely relax. And there are no nasty room charges at checkout."
It also gives your brain a much-needed break.
We make so many decisions in our day-to-day lives.
At all-inclusive resorts, you don't have to worry about where or what to eat: it's all there.
This is priceless, if you have fussy children.
"Mum, you know I don't like ham any more. I only want salami, mild salami, not too spicy," our nine-year-old intones, as I pack her lunch.
"In the chaos of modern life it's easy to understand why Aussies are seeking sanctuary in holidays where they don't have to worry about a thing," Club Med Australia and New Zealand general manager Madeleine Clow says.
"This is the driving force behind the growth in popularity of our unique luxury all-inclusive holiday model, with 19 per cent uplift in Australian bookings over the past two years."
According to Club Med's #ThoseHolidayMoments study of more than 1000 Australians, resorts are the most popular type of holiday for families (70 per cent).
Parents say the key to keeping kids happy on a summer holiday is access to fun activities or sports (68 per cent), plenty of entertainment (61 per cent) and, not surprisingly, treats (53 per cent).
An all-inclusive holiday ticks these boxes, whether you're a sporty, adventurous, bookish or, like us, scabby family.
It's not too late. Check out my travel survival guide for the summer holidays in this issue.
And, yes, you CAN have that second drink by the pool. Perhaps a third…
tracey.spicer@fairfaxmedia.com.au
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