Singapore & Malaysia

Singapore and Malaysia together make the most popular first international family holiday from Hyderabad: two countries, short flights, English widely spoken and Indian food never far away. The trip begins in Singapore, a city that feels engineered for visitors. A city tour covers the Merlion at Marina Bay, Chinatown and Little India, and in the evening the Supertrees of Gardens by the Bay light up for the Garden Rhapsody show. The Cloud Forest and Flower Dome conservatories show you plants from mountains and deserts under glass.

Sentosa island is reached by cable car, with time for the Wings of Time show, Madame Tussauds or the beaches, and another full day is set aside for Universal Studios Singapore, with its Transformers, Jurassic Park and Minion rides. The Night Safari at Mandai is an optional evening add-on. A short flight then takes you to Kuala Lumpur and on towards Genting Highlands, stopping at Batu Caves, where a giant golden statue of Lord Murugan stands at the foot of 272 rainbow-painted steps leading up to a limestone cave temple.

At Genting, the Awana SkyWay cable car rises above the rainforest to a cool hilltop resort of theme parks, malls and casinos at around 1,800 metres. The trip ends in Kuala Lumpur with the Petronas Twin Towers and their skybridge, Merdeka Square, the National Mosque and a day trip to Putrajaya, Malaysia's planned administrative capital of lakes and domes. Both countries are year-round destinations with warm, humid weather and short tropical showers. Seven days is enough to enjoy both without rushing the children.