 Combining a holiday with an adventure is an excellent way to keep happy and healthy, and to break away from PlayStation2, Game Boy and computer games. There are so many options these days to travel the world and set your children's imaginations alight.
Families are doing more on holidays than ever before. My family used to go to Coffs Harbour every Christmas… without fail. Not that there’s anything wrong with Coffs Harbour! These days, families are seeking different experiences to challenge and fulfil them. Holidays to instill a sense of adventure and a willingness to explore. Not a bad thing in this age of more technology and less independence. Fortunately, there are many active holidays to choose from.
Peregrine has 11 itineraries on six continents to choose from – all designed for families and all scheduled in school holidays. Most trips are made up of three or four families – no more than 15 people – and are accompanied by a local guide.
These family itineraries are specially designed for kids, with no long travel days to tire and bore them.
If Africa takes your fancy try the 13–day Sand Dunes and Wild Things adventure in Namibia, which has enormous sand dunes and amazing wildlife. The kids will love quad biking and sand boarding on the dunes, then visiting the incredible Etosha National Park. Another sure winner is the Mummies and Pharaohs of Egypt tour – 12 days of history made fun as the kids marvel at the treasures of Tutankhamun and the sheer majesty of the Pyramids and the Sphinx. Just for good measure, this tour also includes a cruise down the Nile and snorkelling in the Red Sea.
Grab a copy of the Family Adventures brochure from Peregrine by calling 1300 854 444 or visit  www.peregrineadventures.com
Intrepid Travel have an excellent array of family adventures on offer, covering countries including Italy, Egypt, Thailand, India, Vietnam, Peru, Galapagos Islands and Costa Rica.
Imagine how your children would react to watching the first sneaky rays of morning light reaching out to touch the Lost City of the Incas – Machu Picchu in Peru. Or take in the breathtaking view of Lake Titicaca, the highest lake in the world which lies on the border between Peru and Bolivia. The locals refer to it as ‘The Sacred Lake’ - according to legend, the first Inca People rose from its depths. One fascinating feature about Lake Titicaca is its artificial islands made from floating reeds. Some of these islands are populated by the Uros people, who live a traditional life, continually maintaining and rebuilding their islands just like their ancestors did centuries before. Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca are just two of the treats your family can experience on a 15–day Peru Family Adventure. Visit Cuzco, Agua Calientes and explore the Amazon in a canoe.
Costa Rica is another country that will inspire you and your kids. The 12–day trip is ideal for an active family wanting more – much more – than a traditional family holiday offers. You can take your pick of white water rafting, cave tours, hiking to a volcano, turtle watching by night, visiting a crocodile zoo, exploring a lava field or being mesmerised by the Monteverde cloud forests.
If Europe is more your style the 15–day Italy tour will shower you with culture and beauty, with your children sure to love visiting Rome, Florence, Lucca, Pisa, the villages of the Cinque Terre and the sheer delights of Venice. What a great shot for the family album or movie everyone on board a gondola near the Bridge of Sighs!
Call Intrepid and treat your children to a trip they will never, ever, forget. Visit www.intrepidtravel.com
Travel Indochina has launched three journeys designed specially for families – Chinese Checkers, Vietnamese Hotpot and Tuk Tuk Thailand – brand new in 2005.
Asia is the ideal destination for family travel with a wealth of historical sites, a range of exciting and unique activities on offer, and amazing culture and food.
Each journey is 12 days in length and has been tailored and paced especially to suit the interests and special requirements of family travel, with itineraries that are educational as well as fun. Chinese Checkers combines  the highlights of the Middle Kingdom such as the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors, with fun activities like kite–flying in Tiananmen Square and a calligraphy lesson in Shanghai. Vietnamese Hotpot includes a memorable overnight stay with a local family in the Mekong Delta, and the opportunity to continue into Cambodia, while Tuk Tuk Thailand features an exploration of Thailand’s main sights, along with elephant rides, river–rafting and stays in some unique accommodation.
Find out more about these incredible family holidays by picking up a copy of Travel IndoChina’s 2005 Small Group Journeys brochure or visit www.travelindochina.com.au
You'll never hear the words “I’m bored” coming from your children’s mouths on a fully escorted family holiday in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Turkey, Nepal or Sri Lanka.
The Imaginative Traveller, through Think Adventure in Australia, believes that the best school in the world … is the world! Travel is the way to introduce your children to different cultures and languages with the added security of the Imaginative Traveller’s expertise and friendly guides. These trips feature shorter travelling times, more hotels with pools, more nights at the same place and more child–friendly tour leaders.
Just to give you a taste, the 14–day Vietnam trip will see your family exploring the magnificent Ha Long Bay in a traditional Chinese junk, sharing stories of family life with a Vietnamese family in the Mekong Delta, travelling on the Reunification Express train, exploring Saigon, Hue, Hanoi and snorkelling along a white, sandy beach in Nha Trang.
Explore the country of your dreams with your family on an Imaginative Traveller family adventure. Contact Think Adventure for more information and a brochure by calling 02 9326 6633, 1300 135 088 or visit www.thinkadventure.com.au and www.imaginative–family.com
Closer to home, take your kids on an Earthwatch Discovery Weekend, the perfect way for the whole family to make a difference in the world. It’s probably the only time where children are actually encouraged to trawl through streams, get dirty and catch frogs – all for the sake of the environment! Have a family holiday in the World Heritage Areas of NSW while you help conduct  research on Australia’s vanishing frogs. You’ll learn to catch, weigh, sex, measure and release frogs, and to observe their behaviour and record their calls. The project is a bush camping expedition, with toilets and hot showers. There’s also time to swim and search for possums and kangaroos.
Earthwatch’s Vanishing Frogs Discovery Weekend takes place 7th–9th October or 18th–20th November, 2005 and costs $275 for adults and $180 for children (6 –12 yrs). For further information, contact Earthwatch on 03 9682 6828, or www.earthwatch.org/australia
|
