Some people I know go on a family holiday annually. It's great to spend time with family and holidays are usually exciting as there are new places to see and things to do.

Part of the excitement comes from planning where the holiday destination shall be...though at times, it can be a headache as well considering the options available.

I am always impressed with some families or even individuals who are able to go on annual holidays, mostly overseas destination. It is by no means cheap to travel to overseas destination especially considering that the Malaysian currency is not as strong as it was. A trip to say, Korea will cost easily RM1,500.00 per person. Add a family and the sum goes up to a couple of thousand. Souveniers not included yet.

So, how do they really save for these annual holidays? Do they put aside a sum each month as their savings for the annual holiday? I've never really been able to manage these type of holidays, though I have attended church camps instead at local tourist destinations. But then again, it is a different kind of holiday - a holiday with God.

I've always wanted to visit some countries - New Zealand, Australia and the Scandinavian countries top the list. Next come some of the European countries. I am thankful and am indeed blessed to be able to study in England many years back and was able to travel around Scotland for 7 days on an International Student's Association tour package for 100 quids. And yes, I did visit Paris for 4 days as well just before my graduation. The last overseas trip must have been Singapore - and that was about 5 years ago because my international passport is about to expire.

My wife and I dream of revisiting Paris again, probably when our children have grown up. It would be nice to see if there are any changes. As far as the hotel that we previously stayed in Paris is concerned, it has been upgraded to a 4-star hotel and the rates are now rather steep to be considered. Ah...the thought of munching on a freshly baked baguette filled with juicy lettuce leaves and generous portions of ham and cheese at a lake near the Carousel still evokes beautiful memories from the Paris trip. Or the cruise on Bateaux Mouche on the River Seine...

For now, it remains as something for us to cherish and something for us to look forward again.


Technorati Tags : Holiday , Paris , New Zealand , Australia , Travel