• I travelled recently to New Zealand and organised the trip through Bridge the World (0207 911 0900). All their consultants are well travelled and can give you expert advice. Round the world airfares are up to one-third cheaper for children under 12, and some tickets allow you to change dates as you travel around.

South East Asia is a great place to take children as the culture is very geared up to mothers and their kids. Thailand is also incredibly cheap at the moment and there is good quality basic accommodation, especially on the beaches and islands of the south. In Singapore, a day trip to Sentosa Island's theme park with its "underwater world" and "volcano land" is a must.

New Zealand is another cheap destination to travel around with children, and the people are so friendly that you will not feel isolated at all. Also, a trip there will give the kids a great lesson in the natural world as there are rainforests, glaciers, whales, dolphins and mountains.
SM

• Who is this trip supposed to benefit? As a primary teacher for over 35 years, I can't think the children will enjoy being shunted round the world for so long. In my experience children of eight and some of 10 are not really sure where they have been when they have gone on holiday. They will know which country they went to but rarely the name of the village or the town. They are just as happy at Butlin's if they have lots of chums to play with. Can Mum really want to be abroad on her own for all that time with only two fortnights of husbandly support?

My advice is to invest the money for them and let them have it when they can use it for a "gap" year in the future and then the parents can take a world cruise together without having to drag the kids along.
Gary Cornford