It is not only the 11th month but also the 11th hour if you are thinking of a year-end holiday but have not decided where to go.
From child-friendly places to romantic getaways to rugged adventures, Life! asks travel experts to plan holidays for different groups of people with various needs.
(Note: All prices cited are estimates only and include airfare and accommodation on a per-head basis.)
Mr Alex Ng, 35, a businessman, with wife Loh Mei Peng, 32, a housewife, and their 11-month-old daughter, Nicole The brief
"We have been trying to plan something for the week of Dec 9 to 16, as my birthday is on Dec 9 and my little girl will turn one on Dec 27. So we would like to go somewhere and celebrate as a family.
But we have a big problem: Nicole's food. Now that she has started eating solid food, her favourite freshly cooked dish is fish porridge.
A place with good amenities for her would be good. Perth seems to be the obvious choice but I reckon many Singaporeans with children will go there.
If there was somewhere else other than Perth, we would like to know about it.
I'm a wine and food lover. I eat everything and anything. Mei Peng loves to shop but we would also love to relax and drive around, free and easy. A drive tour would be good but we haven't tried it with Nicole.
If we can solve the child amenities problem, we will pack and leave straight away."
What the experts suggest
Ms Jane Chang, marketing executive from Chan Brothers Travel (tel: 6212-9684): "Besides Perth, the rest of Australia also offers opportunities for free-and-easy self-drive holidays. There are Chinese supermarkets in every Chinatown that sell the ingredients for fish porridge.
Here is a tip: Let Nicole try risotto, a traditional Italian rice dish that is a bit like porridge. If she likes it, you have got an easy solution as risotto is found in almost every modern Australian restaurant's menu.
Head out to Sydney for a self-drive holiday that covers the northern coast of the city to the age-old wine region of Hunter Valley and the dolphin-feeding region of Port Stephens.
Sydney has many Chinese restaurants because of the burgeoning Chinese population, which means you can find dimsum restaurants easily for porridge-loving Nicole."
A child-friendly holiday for Mr Ng and his family
Approximate cost: $2,327 (eight days) Ms Denise Tan, marketing manager from the Tourism Office of Spain (www.spain.info): "Valencia in eastern Spain is an amazing place to discover with children. The country is very familyoriented, and in every Spanish city, children's needs are catered for.
The main highlight: L'Oceanografic (www.cac.es/oceanografic/), the largest marine park of its type in Europe, housing 45,000 animals. There is also a dolphinarium, an auditorium with a Red Sea aquarium and mangrove swamps and marshland exhibits.
Another highlight is the Bioparc Valencia, a uniquely designed zoo where guests can learn about various wildlife habitats. This Spanish city also offers a great climate and a stylish city life for a good shopping experience.
You must try the food and wine here. This is where one of Spain's most famous international dishes, paella, originated." Mid-range hotel accommodation is available throughout Valencia at prices ranging from $142 to $300.
Approximate cost: $5,000++ (four to five days)
Mr Wei Lim, a luxury travel specialist from Quotient TravelPlanner (tel: 6435-0922 or www.travelplanner. com.sg): "Go to California for its easy driving, relaxed open spaces, cool mild climate and a relatively large Asian American population offering the variety and quality of Asian cuisine that your daughter needs.
Airport travel shops sell immersion coil heaters with car adapters meant for heating coffee but they can be used to warm up baby food.
Spend three days in San Francisco, then visit the Tuscan-styled Napa Valley for the rest of the time. Fabulous wine restaurants pave the streets of Napa.
The chefs of restaurants such as Terra can whip up innovative dishes such as turbot mousseline congee. Your requirements sent ahead with your reservations will ensure a perfect meal every time.
Check into the Hotel Healdsburg or the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay (both from $550 per room next month), with their child-friendly programmes and baby-sitting services.
The Dry Creek Kitchen in the Healdsburg provides an European menu that changes with the season. It also serves meals on request.
Visit the estates of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars for their Cabernet Sauvignon, Chateau Montelena for their Chardonnay and Mayacamas and Heitz for their Cabernet Sauvignons, the finest in Napa."
Approximate cost: $6,500 (seven days)
This article was first published in The Straits Times on Nov 25, 2008.
