With kids, especially young kids, you just HAVE to go. That’s my biggest piece of advice to my clients that are parents. Go.
Your kids are never going to know how to travel unless you take them traveling…
Is it daunting? Yes. Is it worth it? Ten fold.
In addition to scheduling ADULT TIME on these priceless family vacations, here are five more ideas for a successful and treasured experience you and your newly grateful children won’t soon forget.
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Take a Cooking Class
Food and Local Cuisine play a big role in understanding a destination and sampling new flavors as a family may be one of the things you’ll remember most!! Not only that, it may help your most picky of eaters develop a finer palate. For an active, hands-on approach, I can can coordinate with local chefs for cooking classes: Learn to make custard in Provence, prepare jerk chicken in Jamaica, or get a lesson in authentic Mayan ingredients in Mexico. Nothing brings a family together like foraging for ingredients or visiting a local market and making it in the open air. Even if you never end up attempting to re-create a recipe back home, it’s a fun and delicious way to spend an afternoon.
Witness Wildlife
Spending time in the great outdoors especially among the fauna can take many forms, but the result is often the same: An absolute feeling of pure awe of your surroundings (not to mention your place within them). Many beach resorts provide ample animal-spotting opportunities beyond the requisite snorkeling and scuba diving, such as taking a boat to glimpse migrating humpback whales in the warm waters off Hawaii or watching sea turtles from the shore in Los Cabos. Some hotel properties have on-site preservation programs or in-house marine biologists that lead tours or educational seminars. And until you go on a safari – the ultimate wildlife adventure – it’s hard to imagine what it’s like to gaze up at a towering giraffe, watch elephants bathe in the mud, or see lions nap in the shade.
Seek Out Volunteer Opportunities
Spending a day or a few hours giving back is a great way to bond as a family and leave your vacation feeling more fulfilled and meaningful. It changes the way you look at your life and status quo. Most safari outfitters have philanthropic arms that can arrange visits to small villages to plant trees, serve meals, or socialize with children. If you’re visiting poor or remote regions in less-developed countries, you travel advisor ( me) can always lead you to opportunities to serve. It could be as simple as packing supplies to donate to local schools or deliver yourself!
Be Active
Every modern parent laments that their kids spend more time in front of a screen than outside especially now more than ever. A family vacation is a perfect way to remedy that. ( Much more on that later) A little physical activity can also make a big impact on a vacation, especially since you’ll probably be spending some time by the pool, catching up on reading, or taking mid day siestas. Many getaways have expending energy built right into the itinerary, such as a bike trip through France or a week on a Montana ranch, where activities include everything from horseback riding to fly-fishing. Several hotels and resorts also offer family activities such as yoga, or naturalist-led hikes. Private Tours with Adventures by Disney itineraries top the list of timeless Family Vacations I would love to help you plan.
Learn a Local Craft
I am not a souvenir person although I have a soft spot for local wine and Disney mugs. My advice. Skip shopping for tchotchkes at a gift shop – bring home a souvenir that you created with your own two hands is much more rewarding. In Mexico, some hotels offer lessons in painting and piñata making, while in Hawaii, you can make leis out of beautiful, fragrant flowers (ask about how best to dry them so they last). Seeing these items in your home for years to come will be a constant reminder of what an amazing vacation you took as a family.
How Far Adventures is an affiliate of Gifted Travel Network, a Virtuoso Member. If you are interested in travel opportunities with family or have questions about the current travel climate, I would love to hear from you.
