Where I’m going next:

Planning where to go is as enjoyable - and as agonising - as actually going. It's also the time when we have the most arguments. My twelve year old simply wants other kids. I don't want beaches, but do want street life and good bars. The boyfriend wants history and culture. The toddler twins want to play. In the past, we have enjoyed Jamaica and Brazil the very best, because there was something in both places for all of us. And because they were so vibrant that just being there was like being permanently slightly intoxicated.

This year, we're planning big trips to North and South Carolina, and a cabin on and island in West Sweden. But in the meantime, we're going to Belfast for a long weekend, to coincide with the Belfast Children's Festival. I'm particularly looking forward to seeing the Little Mermaid performed in a swimming pool. The play is being put on as part of the worldwide celebrations for the bi-centenary of Hans Christian Andersen's birth. As my four-year-old daughter insists on being read The Princess and the Pea almost every night, I took her to Copenhagen to check out what was happening there this year, and to try and find a bed so comfortable that she couldn't feel the imaginary pea. For our verdict, see my article in the Guardian. We've also recently been to Goa, India, which was a fascinating place, where everything seemed to be in constant motion - whether cars,  motorcycles, peoples or cows. It was a challenge for small children, as pavements are unknown, so walking along any street was rather like a fairground ride, wondering when we'd next bump into something or come face to face with an extraordinary image, such as a huge elephant with painted trunk. The beaches were beautiful, but the bathing treacherous, so it was more sandcastles than swimming. Still, I'd go back next week - we all would - just for the huge energy and human warmth of the place. For some of my first thoughts, click  on Goa and getting about Goa. If you'd like to share your own experiences, go to the Travelling with Kids Forum on this site. You can also email me at travelwithkids@deabirkett.com