The art of a successful family holiday lies in keeping all ages happy, with entertainment for the kids, menus to suit all tastes and for the grown-ups, of course, copious opportunities for relaxation. Whether your idea of perfection is a tropical island escape with an epic kids’ club, something closer to home, a self-contained apartment with access to theme parks or an easy, all-inclusive beachfront getaway, here’s our pick of the best holidays for every type of family.
Top family friendly holidays under $999
Pamookkoo Resort, Phuket
Built around a four-storey waterslide and adventure pool five minutes from Kata Beach, with Kids’ World running supervised activities daily. Package inclusions cover two adults and one child — breakfast, daily lunch or dinner, nightly drinks and a 60-minute massage each. Kata Beach is walkable; Karon Viewpoint is five minutes by car; the Big Buddha 15 minutes inland. Straightforward, well-priced and designed specifically around keeping children occupied.
PARKROYAL COLLECTION Kuala Lumpur
One child under 11 stays free with breakfast, and the package includes a room upgrade, daily Club Lounge access and MYR200 dining credit – making this a sensible city base for families who want to tick off the Petronas Towers, Pavilion shopping and Jalan Alor food street. The hotel runs its sustainability credentials seriously, with an onsite urban farm and air-purifying plants throughout. Club Lounge is reserved for guests 12 and over; younger children access the lounge equivalents at Thyme and Skye Chill instead.
Meliá Danang Beach Resort, Vietnam
Da Nang is quietly becoming one of Southeast Asia’s most compelling family destinations, and the Meliá Danang Beach Resort makes a strong case for why. Fronting Non Nuoc Beach with direct sand access, the resort has the family infrastructure to keep every age occupied: the Kidsdom kids’ club runs a full program of activities, while seven outdoor pools include two just for kids. The Level Family Two Bedroom rooms feature two interconnected spaces with children’s amenities built in, and dining spans Southeast Asian at Sasa, seafood and cocktails at Cape Nao Beach Club, and pool bar and cafe fare. When you’re ready to explore, Hoi An’s Ancient Town is a 30-minute drive and the Marble Mountains are closer still.
Wildlife Retreat at Taronga, Sydney
Spectacular Sydney Harbour views, koalas and wildlife pottering right outside your bedroom window… this could be one of Australia’s bucket-list family experiences. Set in Taronga Zoo, this eco retreat blends into the bush landscape, offering native wildlife viewing opportunities after hours. Visitors can also enjoy seasonal dining at Me-Gal Restaurant; the culinary journey here might begin with East 33 Sydney rock oysters with preserved desert lime and mignonette, followed by Rangers Valley wagyu and cinnamon myrtle creme caramel.
Top family friendly holidays under $1,499
QT Gold Coast
A design-forward Surfers Paradise address better suited to families with older kids or teenagers than young children — there’s no kids’ club, but twin rooms are available for siblings and the location delivers: Cavill Avenue ten minutes on foot, theme parks within 30 minutes, and a guaranteed ocean-view room upgrade included. Daily breakfast, nightly drinks, $100 dining credit and $60 in spa credits round out the package. Five restaurants onsite including omakase at Yamagen and tacos and tequila at Stingray.
Sunway Resort Hotel, Kuala Lumpur
One child under 12 stays and eats free, and the resort sits inside Sunway City – a self-contained precinct with Sunway Lagoon Theme Park and Sunway Pyramid mall directly accessible. Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill and Gordon Ramsay Street Pizza are both onsite, alongside the Waterventure kids’ pool and Wonderland Explorers kids’ club. Daily Club Lounge access, nightly cocktails and RM100 dining credit are included. Note: the 20th Club lounge is adults-only; families with children under 12 access the Premier Leisure Lounge instead.
Wyndham Garden Phuket Kamala, Thailand
Perfectly perched above the pearl-white sands of Kamala Beach, Wyndham Garden Phuket Kamala sits just 20 minutes from Phuket’s buzz. Drop your bags and dream on the knowledge that every indulgence is covered for the next few days, with daily dining and free-flowing drinks included in your package, as well as one child (16 and under) staying and eating free. A main pool and kids’ pool offer something for everyone, a kids’ club is on hand to entertain little adventurers, and the pristine Kamala Beach is just a short walk away.
Sea World Resort, Gold Coast
The Gold Coast is a magnet for families, and Sea World Resort sits right at the centre of the action. Onsite, the New Atlantis precinct delivers some of the most thrilling theme park rides in the country – think a rollercoaster that hits 80km/h and a 42-metre-high Trident ride that the kids will be talking about for weeks. Back at the resort, a dedicated water play zone keeps the little ones entertained while parents decompress. There are four parks to discover – Sea World, Warner Bros. Movie World, Wet’n’Wild and Paradise Country – so there’s always something to fill a morning.
The ANVAYA Beach Resort Bali
This family-friendly Bali escape is a great value flop-and-drop. There’s something for everyone here; the kids’ club welcomes little ones with Indonesian crafting and music lessons, the Sakanti Spa embraces local Balinese tradition for its treatments, five pools promise endless fun in the sun and the restaurants and pool bar offer international dishes kissed by ocean breezes.
Palm Bungalows, Hamilton Island
Experience one of Australia’s most spectacular and sought-after destinations with a stay at the self-contained Palm Bungalows on Hamilton Island – your gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. These idyllic, freestanding bungalows are dotted throughout thriving landscaped gardens, perfect for couples or small families looking for a tropical home away from home.
Minutes from your doorstep, you can lounge on the pristine shores of Catseye Beach, laze the days away at one of four swimming pools or take a scenic hike to the highest point on the island, Passage Peak. In the evening, make use of the complimentary island shuttle and dine at one of the island’s impressive restaurants and bars. From fine dining at Bommie to relaxed, share-style plates at Catseye Pool Club, even fussy eaters will find something to love.
Top family friendly holidays under $2,000
The Naviti Resort, Fiji
Two children under 12 stay and eat free, and the package covers daily breakfast, nightly dinner, a sunset cruise, coral viewing cruise, guided snorkelling and unlimited non-motorised water sports. The kids’ club runs daily from 10am to 10pm for ages five to 12 — a longer run than most. Thirty-eight acres of palm-lined beachfront on the Coral Coast, two hours from Nadi, with a nine-hole golf course for parents who want a bunker rather than the beach.
Essence Peregian Beach, Sunshine Coast
For families who want the Noosa lifestyle without the Hastings Street price tag, the two-bedroom suite at Essence Peregian Beach puts you 250 metres from the sand and 15 minutes from Noosa’s main strip. Two heated pools, a pool bar with $15 happy-hour cocktails and $100 dining credit make it genuinely self-contained. Peregian Beach itself is uncrowded, surf-friendly and backed by Noosa’s UNESCO-listed Biosphere Reserve.
Peppers Seminyak, Bali
Expect 52 private pool villas behind Seminyak’s main strip, with Kids@Peppers running daily activities – Balinese dancing, face painting, archery – for children aged four to 14. One child under 12 stays free with breakfast, daily massages are included per villa, and nightly free-flow cocktails run 4–6pm at The Laneway Restaurant. Potato Head Beach Club is a short walk away for when the resort isn’t enough.
Hyatt Regency Koh Samui, Thailand
Hyatt Regency Koh Samui is one of Thailand’s leading family resorts for good reason. Camp Hyatt, the resort’s kids’ club open daily from 9am, offers activities such as arts and crafts, Thai boxing and treasure hunts. Family rooms feature bunk beds, and kids staying in suites or villas receive in-room amenities including a teepee stocked with toys and unlimited homemade sweets at Cobalt restaurant throughout their stay. The resort itself sits on a rocky headland above North Chaweng, with five pools terracing down toward the Gulf of Thailand and the Samui International Airport just eight minutes away, which, after a long-haul flight with children, matters more than it sounds.
Warwick Fiji
Located on the sun-drenched Coral Coast, this all-inclusive Fijian oasis is perfect for families of all ages. Little ones can spend their days at Warwick Kids’ Club engaging in activities like crab hunting, craft making and sandcastle building; older kids can explore the island via kayak, bicycle or stand-up paddleboard or divide their time between the tennis, squash and volleyball courts. Meet up for family meals at oceanfront Bula Brasserie, where you can enjoy fresh seafood and authentic Fijian dishes.
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Room rates and package options may vary based on number and age of guests.
