BOSTON, MA--(Marketwired - May 15, 2013) - With next week's Memorial Day weekend marking the unofficial start of summer, many American families are starting to dream about their annual vacation. Summer travel is the time to get creative and try something new with the family. Big trips, however, don't always mean budget-busting plans. The family travel experts at Cheapflights.com, the online leader in finding and publishing travel deals, have pulled together their list of Top 10 Alternative Family Vacation Destinations, offering ideas for far-flung getaways that are within much closer reach than many of the big name resort areas around the world. So, if you're looking to plan a big family trip, and experience a whole new adventure, get a bit off the beaten path. You may be able to go farther this summer.

Does avoiding crowds, high prices and tons of tourists sound appealing? Then check out these five alternative family vacation destinations to make our list:

• Costa Rica's Pacific Coast, not the Mayan Peninsula, Mexico - The Mayan Peninsula guarantees sun and fun but Costa Rica -- "rich coast" in Spanish -- has plenty of treasures of its own. This diverse country -- in nature, culture and scenery -- is a peaceful slice of heaven and Costa Ricans are determined to keep it that way. Among the jewels of the Pacific Coast are surfing and diving spot Tamarindo, world-famous Witch's Rock and Ollie's Point within Parque Nacional Santa Rosa. Corcovado National Park, on the Osa Peninsula in the southwest, is the jewel in Costa Rica's crown. Considered "the most biologically intense place on Earth in terms of biodiversity" by "National Geographic," it's home to some of the rarest animals in the world.
  
  
• Bolivia not Brazil - Brazil is on everyone's radar these days. It will host the World Cup in 2014 and Rio de Janeiro will host the Olympics in 2016. It does have the Amazon Rainforest of course but so do nine other countries. Bolivia also boasts Potosí, the world's highest city at 13,420 feet and Lake Titicaca, the world's highest lake at 12,467 feet, Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve, the most visited protected area in the country and the stunning Salar de Uyuni (salt flats). And it's one of the cheapest destinations in South America so visiting the Amazon will not be as pricey as if you visited in Brazil.
  
  
• Korcula not Corfu - We've been going to Corfu for a long time; it's one of the original package-holiday destinations. This green little island has some very popular tourist resorts that are thronged between Easter and October. If you want the sun and sea and fewer people to share it with, go to Korcula. This Croatian island (legend has it that Marco Polo, the explorer, was born here) is a sleepy place of pine forests and secluded small beaches. Plus, there's a stunning walled town to explore, much less busy than cruise-ship favorite Dubrovnik. It's also cheaper than Eurozone countries right now (Croatia will join the European Union on July 1).
  
  
• Canyonlands not the Grand Canyon - It's a showstopper; there's no denying that. But, unbelievable as it sounds, the Grand Canyon gets busy! Canyonlands in Utah has been carved into a labyrinth of canyons, buttes and mesas by the architect of the Grand Canyon, the Colorado River, as well as the Green River and their tributaries. There are more trails and accessible places to explore here and the views are breathtaking.
  
  
• Budapest not Paris - Budapest is already nicknamed the Paris of the East and, if you're looking for the glamor and stateliness of Paris and Vienna without the hefty Euro price tag (Hungary uses the forint), this is the place. The Hungarian capital is divided into two by the River Danube. Most visitors go to Buda, the ancient, wooded and hilly district, and Pest is home to the Inner City, the Hungarian Parliament, Heroes' Square and Andrássy Avenue. One of the great pleasures of Budapest is relaxing in the thermal baths such as Szechenyi or Kiraly Bath, which dates from the 16th century.

Rounding out our list of alternative vacation destinations are: Oman not Dubai; The Baltic Coast not Bavaria, Germany; Gambia not the Canary Islands; and Orakei Korako not Rotorua, New Zealand. To read the complete details on Cheapflights.com's Top 10 Alternative Family Vacation Destinations, visit http://news.cheapflights.com/top-10-alternative-family-vacation-destinations/. 

About Momondo Group
Momondo Group is an online travel media and technology company that is driven by the belief that an open world is a better world. The group now serves travel search and inspiration to over 13 million visitors a month -- plus 6 million travel newsletter subscribers -- via its Cheapflights (www.cheapflights.com) and momondo (www.momondo.com) brands.

Skygate began the sourcing of complex air-travel data in 1992, while Cheapflights pioneered the online comparison of flight deals for users in 1996 and momondo launched meta-search in the Nordic countries in 2006. 

The Group has offices in London, Copenhagen, Boston and Toronto, with a consumer base across more than 20 core international markets but users all over the world.

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