Do you dream of escaping the daily grind? Have you always wanted to travel the world but didn't think it was possible with kids? If you’re contemplating a family sabbatical or gap year with your family, I'm hoping that this post inspires you to take the leap and make it happen!
We recently made the life-changing decision to take a family sabbatical for 100 days to travel the world. It wasn’t an easy choice, nor was it one that we took lightly. We had the same concerns that most families have that are considering long term travel:
What will the kids do for school?
What about our careers?
What will we do with our house and car?
What about our pet?
All valid concerns. But there will always be plenty of reasons not to do something, and there is seldom a perfect time. LIFE IS SHORT!
We are at a point in our lives where we can actually do this; and if we don't seize the moment now, we might never get the chance again and would end up regretting it.
So, in October 2025, we’ll be setting off on an incredible 100 day adventure travelling through Asia, Australia and New Zealand!
In this post, we’ll talk about why we made this decision, outline which countries we are planning on visiting, and details on our proposed itinerary.
We hope that by blogging about our journey, it inspires others to plans their own adventures, and embrace travelling as a family!
WHY WE ARE TAKING A FAMILY SABBATICAL
The idea of taking a family sabbatical or a round-the-world trip has been bubbling away inside me for a long time. After university, we spent five months traveling through Africa, Asia, Australasia, and the USA. It was a life changing experience. We left the UK in 2010 to live and work in Kuwait, and got to visit some incredible places like Iran, Oman, and Lebanon. By the time we relocated to Calgary in 2012, I think it’s safe to say we had caught the travel bug.
But like many families, life happens! Our two amazing girls were born who are now in school, we both advanced in our careers, bought a house, and even added a beautiful golden retriever puppy, Ellie, to the mix - so our wanderlust had to take a backseat for a while.
But now the girls are growing up, and it's both amazing and terrifying at the same time.
We feel that the kids are now at the perfect age for some extended travel (7 and 9). They still want to be with us - and dare I say it, think we're "cool"! Plus, they’re in a sweet spot with no major exams coming up next year, which means we can explore without the stress of them falling behind in school. They are both doing great so we don't have any concerns about them catching up on their return.
They’re also old enough now to remember this trip, and we hope that they will learn skills that go beyond the regular school curriculum, helping them excel when they’re back in the classroom. We want our girls to grow up knowing they can pursue their dreams, no matter how big.
It’s also an ideal time for us as parents. We’re both just into our 40s, feeling fit and healthy enough to tackle some of the more challenging travel experiences (the thought of an overnight bus through Cambodia at 65 isn’t exactly appealing!). After working hard in careers we enjoy, this is a great chance for us to take an extended break, recharge, and gain fresh perspectives.
HOW WE DECIDED WHERE TO GO
Since we started sharing our plans to travel as a family, the first question we often get is, "Which countries are you going to?" Choosing your destinations is one of the most important decisions in the planning process, and it’s definitely the most enjoyable part before things get too serious!
We Created a Family Bucket List
We all started listing places we wanted to visit and activities we’d love to try, creating a family bucket list. Involving the kids in this process is key, but since they don’t yet know what’s out there, we found they needed a bit of inspiration - so we turned to travel blogs and books to get them thinking.
We Turned the Bucket List into an Itinerary
After we had our list, we started to plot out all the places on a world map, and start to visualize how an itinerary could work. As we had decided that 3-4 months of travel was about right for us, we had to limit where we travelled to one, or maybe two continents. The weather and cost of travel in each continent also played a big part, as we were not planning to work during this trip.
In short, there’s no 'best way' to create an itinerary, and we found that ours has evolved lots over time (and we haven't even set off). It's probably fair to say that it will continue to change once we start booking flights, as despite any amount of planning - that's just travelling.
We Came to the Realization That we Couldn't See Everything (but some things we simply HAD to see)
I definitely fall into the category of I want to see and do everything, where Susie prefers to spend longer in each place to prevent burn out from moving around too much.
It's a hard balance to strike between trying to see somewhere you might never go back to, but not exhausting yourself from constantly being on the move.
This meant that we had to make some tough decisions on where we were and weren't going.
I had really wanted to visit mainland China, but ultimately we thought that we would need at least 3 weeks to explore it properly, and we just didn't have enough time to do that. We did want to show the girls where Susie was born so we did include Hong Kong.
Another place that was on our list was Burma, and a bucket list item of mine was to fly in a hot air balloon over the temples in Bagan. Unfortunately, we weren't able to travel there due to safety concerns. Hopefully we can go back some day.
We didn't necessarily want to visit Australia, and would have preferred to spend more time in New Zealand and travelling through Asia, but Evelyn's no.1 item on her bucket list was to see a koala. There was no way we couldn't stop off in Australia so it made the list.
But we got there in the end, and I think that we have got a pretty good plan, with a good balance of staying in one place and moving around.
OVERVIEW OF OUR FAMILY SABBATICAL TO TRAVEL THE WORLD
As you can see from the map below, our itinerary is a bit of a loop around Asia and NZ, rather than a true RTW trip. We toyed with the idea of doing the trip in reverse, but ultimately we wanted to be in New Zealand for Christmas so that we could spend it with Susie's brother.
WHICH COUNTRIES ARE WE VISITING?
Here is a summary of the countries we are visiting:
JAPAN
The first stop on our itinerary is Japan, and it also happens to be the country that I am most excited to visit! It's a country that has always fascinated me; with its blend of ancient culture and modern life, it really is a one of a kind country to visit. Eating sushi in Tokyo with my girls is near the top of my bucket list, as we all love it.
Tokyo - 5 nights - we plan to stay in the city for this whole time, exploring the city at a leisurely pace as we get used to life on the road. I'd love to maybe do a sushi making class here if we can find one.
Hakone - 1 night - we are not 100% sure if this night will be in Hakone or somewhere else, but wherever it ends up being, we plan to spend one night in a Ryoken. A Ryoken is a Japanese-style inn, and it should be a fun experience to sleep on futon beds in traditional tatami rooms.
Kyoto - 5 nights - we intend to stay in either Kyoto or Osaka for the full 5 nights, and do some day trips between the two. Ideally we will stay in Kyoto, but there may be some hotel redemption options in Osaka that mean we can stay for free there, that might change our plans. We are planning on doing a day trip to Nara and Himeji castle as well.
HONG KONG
Most of you might not know, but Susie was actually born in Hong Kong while her parents were working there as expats. She only lived there as a baby, but it's still been fun to go back and explore; and we want to take the kids to show them how the city has changed from the photos they have seen from the early 80's!
Hong Kong - 5 nights - We plan to spend most of the time exploring the city, including climbing up Victoria Peak and crossing Victoria harbour on the Star Ferry. We plan on taking a day trip to visit the 'Big Buddha" on Lantau Island and do the hike down back to the beach through the forest past the monasteries, which was one of our favourite things we did last time we were in Hong Kong.
PHILIPPINES
This is the part of the itinerary that might end up changing, as it really depends on how expensive the flights end up being from Tokyo and / or Hong Kong to Manilla. We might end up stopping in Seoul, South Korea instead, or spend a few extra days in Vietnam. That said, it's always a country that has intrigued me. The people are so friendly and it looks to be a country that has a great mix of big city v laid back beach time options.
Manilla - 2 nights - We wouldn't spend long here, just enough time to see the main highlights of the city, before heading onwards to one of the islands.
Palawan - 5 nights - Palawan isn't exactly the easiest place to get to (unless you fly), but looks wonderful. The plan would be to spend some time relaxing on the beach after a few weeks of 'city travel' and maybe go on a few tours to some of the small islands. It looks to be just as beautiful as Thailand but a lot less developed which suits us just fine.
VIETNAM
Another country that is right at the top of mine and Susie's bucket list. We were actually meant to visit Vietnam back in 2006 when we went travelling, but Susie got sick and we ended up having to skip it all together. Hopefully that won't happen this time!
Hanoi - 2 nights - we plan to spend a few days seeing the old parts of town. We’re particularly looking forward to seeing the famous train street and some of the traditional markets.
Ha Long Bay - 1 night - Ha Long Bay is one of Vietnam's most famous places to visit, but we are still undecided whether we are actually going to go. Susie isn't great on boats (she gets seasick even when calm) so if we do decide to do a tour, it would likely only be for one night.
Sleeper Train - 1 night - We are planning to take the sleeper train down from Hanoi to the Hue / Da Nang / Hoi An area. Asian trains are always an experience!
Ninh Binh - 2 nights - we are still working through this part of the itinerary and are undecided as to whether we will actually have time to stay here or not. It will likely depend on whether we decide to visit Philippines, or perhaps it could be instead of Ha Long Bay.
Hue - 2 nights - we are mainly stopping at Hue due to it's amazing history, and to break up the journey down to Hoi An a bit. We're interested to learn all about the Nguyen Dynasty and see some of the wonderful old temples, tombs, and there is apparently even an abandoned old theme park which is supposed to be fun to visit!
Hoi An - 5 nights - Hoi An seems to be the place that most travelers through Vietnam speak most fondly of. It looks to be an incredibly pretty town, but like all things these days does seem to be getting busier. I guess that happens when the word gets out about places. It looks to be a perfect mix of beaches, and that beautiful old town feel.
Hi Chi Minh City - 2 nights - we’ll be taking this opportunity to visit the Chi Chi tunnels as part of our worldschooling curriculum for the girls. We are also hoping to visit one of the floating markets here, so it's likely to be a bit of a whirlwind. In the city I’ll be mostly drinking coffee!
CAMBODIA
Visiting Angkor Wat is the obvious draw, but the country as a whole looks like a really interesting country to travel through. We are spending a few days in Phnom Penh, but wanted to spend the majority of our time in Siem Reap to ensure that we give ourselves plenty of time to see the temples.
Phnom Penh - 2 nights - This is one of the parts of the journey that will be 'an experience', but probably the most stressful! We'll be taking a long bus ride from Vietnam to get to Phnom Penh, so once we arrive we'll make sure to book a hotel with a pool, so that the kids get a bit of downtime. The big question for us is whether we visit the killing fields, or whether it will be too upsetting for the kids. We might see how the girls have dealt with the subject of war through Japan and Vietnam before making that decision. It's a tough balance.
Angkor Wat - 5 nights - We chose to spend 5 nights here to make sure we really had time to experience the amazing temples. Everything I've read is that it's best not to overload on the temples by trying to see everything in a day or two, as they are quite spread out. I think the kids will appreciate the slower pace and mixing in some other activities too.
LAOS
Laos is a country that when we first started researching this trip, I’ll be honest, I didn’t know much about. But the more I research the more it sounds amazing! It's supposed to be a lot less hectic than many of the other Asian cities we are going to be travelling through, which I'm sure we'll appreciate!
Vientiane - 2 nights - we plan to spend our time fairly central in the city, checking out the local temples and shrines. Most of the best things to see all seem to be fairly close to each other, so we don't plan on straying too far from the city centre.
Luang Prabang - 5 nights - Luang Prabang already sounds like this could be the city that ends up being our favourite at the end of our trip. The much slower pace, paired with temples, shrines, great food, and plenty of outdoor activities to see close by. Kuang Si Waterfall in particular looks spectacular.
We are hoping to spend a few nights at a home stay in a nearby town which is actually a working rice plantation. The plantation is next door to a school which allows tourists to stop by and help the local children with learning English. I hope this is possible as the girls are so excited about this part!
THAILAND
Thailand has a special place in our hearts, as is one of our top 3 countries we have visited. We honeymooned there and been been back twice since then. We also plan to meet up with my parents here and have them spend some of the time with us exploring Bangkok and on a Thai island.
Chiang Mai - 5 nights - it’s a part of Thailand we have never visited and we are looking forward to a different vibe to what we’ve seen before. The girls really want to see some elephants, but we need to make sure we find an ethical place to visit. We’ll also do a day trip to Chiang Rai to see the white palace.
Sukhothai / Ayutthaya- 2 nights - We haven't decided exactly which (or both) of these cities we are going to visit, but the plan is to break up the travel from Chiang Mai down to Bangkok by visiting some of the more historical sites. Sukhothai in particular interests me as it was capital of the first Kingdom of Siam in the 13th and 14th centuries and there are lots of monuments to visit.
Bangkok - 2 nights - I find that Bangkok gets a bit of a tough rap with many visitors, but we've been there 4 times now and absolutely love it; the food, the temples, and the craziness of it all.
We are planning on meeting up with my parents in Asia and they will be flying into Bangkok, so after a few months on the road we'll be super excited to see family I'm sure! My parents have never been to Asia before, so we plan on showing them all the main attractions, and of course sample the amazing food. Maybe I'll even be able to convince them to try a fried bug from one of the night markets!
Krabi - 7 nights - we haven't decided exactly which island or beach resort we will be going to yet, although we are considering visiting Krabi, Koh Lanta, Khao Lak and Koh Samui. Either way, there will be a lot of lazing around and relaxing on the beach!
INDONESIA
Bali has always been on our travel wish list, and we’re thrilled to finally make it happen. We're looking forward to exploring Bali's beautiful beaches, lush greenery, and its unique culture.
Bali - 5 nights - we are currently researching exactly where we will be staying, but we plan on using our Marriott hotel points to stay for free - there seems to be quite a lot of options. Ideally I'd like a hotel that is in close proximity to the town so we can easily go for dinner, but also located in a bit more of a rural area, as the lush greenery in Bali looks out of this world!
We'll unfortunately have to say good bye to Asia (and my parents) at this point, but we'll be heading to Australia and New Zealand for another month of travel, so all is definately not lost!
AUSTRALIA
Evelyn is absolutely obsessed with koalas, and there is no chance that we could go so close to Australia and not actually see them in the wild. We've researched the best place to see koala's and it looks like Brisbane has a great place called Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. Rather than holding a koala, you can have a 15 minute experience in a small group, which sounds much better.
Brisbane - 5 nights - Koala's. That is all.
NEW ZEALAND
Lastly, we’ll be heading to New Zealand for around 3 weeks and visiting Susie’s brother. It will be great to have a base to explore from that will feel like home, plus we'll get a local's input as to all the best things to see and do. Plus, we'll spend Christmas on the beach which is a little different to what we are used to here in Canada. We'll be fleshing this part of the itinerary out a little closer to the time.
OUR ASIA ITINERARY SUMMARY
We hope that you have enjoyed reading about our plans for our family sabbatical! We'll be updating the blog as our itinerary and plans firm up a bit. We'll also be writing a future post to see how our actual travels compare to the plan!
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