Family fun in new places

If you vacation with the children in the same few places, here are six unlikely destinations that are fun for the family.

Ski in Harbin

Hokkaido is an expensive ski destination, so why not try Harbin in northernmost China instead?

A Harbin holiday may be less than half the cost of a Hokkaido trip, according to Dynasty Travel.

See some of the best ice and snow art at the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival from Jan 5 to Feb 25, with intricate sculptures towering more than 40m.

Walk along Central Street, or Zhongyang Street, to experience the city's European flair.

The street is lined with Baroque and Byzantine architecture, mostly built by Russian businessmen in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when Harbin was a hub for the TransSiberian Railway.

Just outside the city, on the bank of Ashi River, visitors can soak in the Russian flavour at Volga Manor, a 60ha park with 30 Russian-style buildings, including the beautiful St Nicholas Cathedral.

About 280km outside Harbin, travellers will find Snow Town, a winter wonderland of 20 log cabins set among 500ha of mountains and forests. Besides skiing, visitors can hike through surrounding villages and forest, ride on a snowmobile or horse- or dog-pulled sleds, and have lunches with local families.

Ski-focused families can head to Club Med Beidahu (www.clubmed.com.sg/r/Beidahu/y), which will be the French hotel group's second ski resort in China. The ski-in, ski-out resort in Beidahu, a five-hour drive from Harbin, is set to open in early December, with 19 ski runs ranging from 526m to 1,404m.

The resort will offer ski lessons and indoor activities for all ages, including a kids' club with babysitting services, arts and crafts and an interactive game lounge.

Thrilling Rides and Shows in Las Vegas

Photo: Excalibur Hotel and Casino 

It may be known as Sin City, but its infamous Las Vegas Strip is rich in child-friendly activities.

Children can cruise in a gondola along the grand canal and watch street performers at The Venetian (www.venetian.com), or play carnival games in the Coney Island-themed hall in the New York-New York hotel and casino (www.newyorknewyork.com).

Next door at the mediaevalthemed Excalibur (www.excalibur.com/en.html), dig into a three-course dinner while gallant knights joust at a dinner theatre.

For dazzle, The Bellagio has the famous fountain and light show, while Fall Of Atlantis at Caesar's Palace is a free 11-minute show with special effects and animatronic statues.

Thrill-seeking older children can ride the Big Apple roller coaster at New York-New York and the Big Shot at Stratosphere hotel (www.stratospherehotel.com), which propels riders 49m into the air in 2.5 seconds.

Indulge your child's sweet tooth at M&M's World (www.mmsworld.com), four floors of fun where visitors can personalise candy-covered chocolates, or tour the Ethel M Chocolate Factory (www.ethelm.com).

Las Vegas also has a Natural History Museum (www.lvnhm.org) as well as the Nevada State Railroad Museum (museums.nevadaculture.org), where visitors can ride in a 1930s-era train.

Stay with nomads in Mongolia

Photo: Kim Lau

In Mongolia, once outside the capital Ulaanbaatar, there will be few cars and few people, so you can let your children run wild across grassy plains.

Step into the simple life by booking a homestay. Families can stay with Mongolian nomads in a ger and ride horses or camels and explore the magnificent landscape.

Highlights include Karakorum, the capital of the Mongol Empire between 1235 and 1260.

Here, 13th-century conqueror Genghis Khan rallied troops for war.

The ancient city in the Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape, a steppe covered in bright green and yellow grass, was named a World Heritage Site for its representation of nomadic life and culture over two millennia.

In the Gobi Desert, watch wild animals such as black-tailed gazelles, Bactrian camels, sand plovers, brown bears and, perhaps, even rare snow leopards.

The desert is a place of dinosaur bones and eggs too.

Back in the city, check out the National Museum of Mongolia, which focuses on the archaeology and cultural history of Mongolia.

The Mongolian Natural History Museum (dinosaurmuseum.mn) has a collection of the country's flora, fauna and geology. Also known as the Dinosaur Museum, it boasts a permanent exhibition of dinosaur fossils and eggs.

Explore Underwater World in Dubai

Photo: Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo

Dubai is sometimes called the Singapore of the Middle East. Like Singaporeans, Emiratis escape the heat by retreating into air-conditioned malls that offer more than shopping.

At The Dubai Mall, tour the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo (www.thedubaiaquarium.com). Its 10 million-litre tank contains more than 33,000 aquatic animals and the largest collection of sand tiger sharks anywhere. Visitors can snorkel and dive with more than 100 species of fish.

In the Mall of the Emirates is Ski Dubai (www.theplaymania.com/skidubai), an indoor ski resort. Visitors of all ages can ski, snowboard and toboggan, as well as enjoy a 40-minute encounter with penguins.

By the end of this year, Dubai will also be home to new theme parks.

When it opens at the end of the month, IMG Worlds of Adventure (www.imgworlds.com/en/#) will be the largest temperature-controlled indoor theme park in the world at 143,000 sq m. Families can enjoy rides, movies, live shows and restaurants in four main zones: Marvel, Lost Valley, Cartoon Network and IMG Boulevard.

Dubai Parks and Resorts (www.dubaiparksandresorts.com/en), opening in October, will have three theme parks, including Hollywood- and Bollywood-inspired ones.

In the desert, families can go for camel rides, dune buggy racing and sand-boarding with Arabian Adventures (www.arabian-adventures.com).

Go sailing, snorkeling and fishing in Fiji

Photo: Laucala Island and Lightfoot Travel

The South Pacific conjures up images of relaxed romance for honeymooners, but Fiji has plenty of room for families too.

It has been a top destination for families from Australia and New Zealand for more than a decade, so there are many established options for family activities and lodgings.

Fiji is home to some of the best soft coral reefs, where children can enjoy world-class snorkelling and diving. Kayaking, sailing, stand-up paddleboarding and fishing are other aquatic highlights, while horseback rides along Fiji's beaches are favourites too.

Had enough sun already? Head inland for cultural dance performances, Fijian cooking classes and nature walks to discover the unique flora and fauna.

Speed along the Sigatoka River on a jet boat to visit Fijian villages, where many still live in Bures, single-room thatched roof homes, with adventure tour operator Sigatoka River Safari (sigatokariver.com).

Many hotels and resorts offer family packages, kids' clubs and nanny services, from Club Fiji Resort (clubfiji-resort.com) and Koro Sun Resort (korosunresort.com) on Fiji's main islands, to private island resorts such as Outrigger Beach Resort (www.outrigger.com/hotels-resorts/fiji) and Castaway Island (castawayfiji.com).

Best of all, Fiji Airways (www.fijiairways.com) offers child fares. Children aged two to 11 get 20 to 40 per cent off adult fares.

Check out wildlife in Canberra

Photo: Jamala Wildlife Lodge

Canberra, the Australian capital, inspires little more than scepticism as a holiday spot when compared with its star siblings Sydney and Melbourne.

That may change when Singapore Airlines launches non-stop flights between Singapore and Canberra on Sept 20, and it should.

The city is a surprising treasure trove for active and inquisitive children, with museums, parks and activities that cater to them. Most of these attractions are an easy 10- to 20-minute walk or drive from one another.

Start with a bird's-eye view of the city aboard a hot-air balloon with Balloon Aloft (balloonaloftcanberra.com.au). Then head to Yarralumla Play Station (www.yarraps.com.au) for a 36-hole mini golf course, a small petting zoo and a ride on a miniature Thomas The Tank Engine-like train (keep an eye out for kangaroos).

For sporty fun, children canrace go-karts around an F1-style circuit at Power Kart Raceway (www.powerkarts.com.au). They can also go rock-climbing or try wheelchair basketball at the Australian Institute of Sport, the nation's premier sports precinct.

Family members of all ages will find fun at Questacon, The National Science and Technology Centre (www.questacon.edu.au). It boasts more than 200 interactive exhibits, including an earthquake simulation, the chance to challenge a robot to a game of air hockey and workshops such as "How to build a battlebot".

Most of the museums have interactive exhibits. The Play Up exhibition at The Museum of Australian Democracy (moadoph.gov.au) allows children to dress up in costumes. Also, while playing with planes, trains and giant building blocks, they can think about important topics such as a child's right to shelter and warmth.

Nature lovers will enjoy the National Arboretum Canberra (www.nationalarboretum.act.gov.au), one of the largest living collections of rare, endangered and significant trees. Its 250ha holds 94 forests of trees from Australia and more than 100 countries.

It also houses the Pod Playground, which has rope tunnels, slides, climbing nets, musicmaking equipment and sandpits.

Finally, take a walk on the wild side at National Zoo & Aquarium (www.nationalzoo.com.au) and experience an overnight safari at Jamala Wildlife Lodge (www.jamalawildlifelodge.com.au).

Located in the middle of the animal enclosures, the African safari-inspired luxury lodge features 18 rooms with floor-toceiling windows or balconies that allow guests to sleep, eat and bathe next to the zoo's main attractions, including lions, bears, cheetahs, tigers and giraffes.

The creatures can come within metres of your bed, so you can wake to the sounds of the wild outside your window.

vlydia@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on August 22, 2016.
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