4 minute read
Family adventures at any age
Family adventures at any age.
Your kids probably like to play Marco Polo. Now they can become him.
A flawless family holiday.
1 | Flights. Ask us which airlines offer the best boredom-busting kids’ packs and how to request bassinet space.
2 | In-flight necessities. Take toys, crayons and rubbish bags. Lollies for take-off and landing will equalise ears.
3 | Kids’ clubs. Many resorts have complimentary kids’ clubs. Check what they offer and what activities cost extra.
4 | Avoid tiredness. Plan a morning of sightseeing and an afternoon of relaxing. Resorts with pools and child-friendly fun are ideal.
5 | Invite another family. Consider a villa with friends and kids a similar age to your own, but double check they all get along!
6 | Set holiday goals. Set each other’s for fun. Ideas include getting a PADI dive certificate, or starting a holiday blog.
7 | Ready-made friends. To appease teenagers, try going to destinations with other guests their own age.
8 | The ‘kids decide’ day. Younger members get to decide what the family does for one day of the holiday.
TRAVELLERS FIND ME AN EASY BEACH BREAK. WE’RE UP FOR AN ADVENTURE. SOMETHING EDUCATIONAL, PLEASE.
YOUNG family ages 0-5 years
EASY ISLANDS | Samoa
Unwind with the tots in tow. Samoa’s just a four-hour flight from Auckland and within five minutes of the airport, you can find yourself with toes in the sand at one of our favourite resorts.
DOORSTEP CRUISING New Zealand
Parents rejoice, choose an NZ coastal cruise and you eliminate international airports. Depart from Auckland, unpack once and enjoy ease, convenience, and best of all, dedicated kids’ clubs.
PHUKET WILDLIFE | Thailand
At Phuket Butterfly Garden and Insect World, an outdoor tropical garden allows the butterflies to fly freely, while children learn how caterpillars transform into butterflies.
BUDDING travellers ages 6-10 years
HAWAI‘I SNORKELLING | USA
Accessible from Waikiki via round-trip shuttles, O‘ahu’s Hanauma Bay is formed from an old volcanic crater. With calm, shallow water, it also boasts the highest fish population on the island.
GREAT BARRIER SLEEPING Australia
Sleep under the stars in the Great Barrier Reef. Spend two days and one night on a floating pontoon, enjoying all the fun of the reef, before sleeping in a swag (no-frills tents for one) under a night’s sky.
WELSH DESCENTS | Wales
Llechwedd Slate Caverns details the history of slate quarrying, with guests descending over 150m into the deep hollows of a disused grotto. Also home to mountain biking, zip lining and underground trampolines.
TRAVELS with tweens ages 11-13 years
GOLDEN SANDS | Vietnam
Hoi An’s riverside setting on lantern lit water is also beachy. Stay in a villa and divide your time between the sand, the pretty town centre and Central Market, which sells the best street food.
CROATIA SAILING Croatia
Croatia’s Dalmatian coastline is pure blue water and golden shoreline. Charter a skippered boat and spend your days anchoring in quiet bays and exploring secluded beaches.
SAVE THE ORANGUTANS
MalaysiaVisit the orangutans of Malaysia in their natural habitat. Some venues even offer feeding programmes, providing an additional opportunity to observe these amazing creatures.
YOUNG adults ages 14-17 years
TROPICAL WOWS | Vanuatu
Vanuatu’s largest island, Espiritu Santo, is full of wow-spots: impossibly blue water at Nanda Blue Hole - big kids love the swing! And Champagne Beach, so called because it fizzes like Veuve at low tide.
US ROADIES | USA
Show us your adventurous spirit and we’ll show you the US highway. The home of iconic road trips, such as Las Vegas desert drives and one of our favourites, which covers Seattle to Los Angeles on the Pacific Coast Highway.
ECO GLAMPING | Cambodia
Cambodia’s first floating eco-lodge flanks unspoilt forest. Luxurious water-sitting tents feature WiFi, but you won’t need it. Not with so much wildlife, trekking, kayaking and swimming on the doorstep.