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Family adventure vacation tips

We have some great family adventure vacation tips from the people who really know how to make these the best family vacations ever. The tour guides, the hosts, the adventure leaders, the people who have spent years crafting the itineraries. And of course the families who have been there, done that. And gone back for more, because they loved it so much. They are really good at those reassuring ‘just go for it’ tips. Because that’s sometimes all you need to take the plunge.

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Family adventure vacation tips

KEEPING EVERYONE HAPPY

Homestay tips

Tim Winkworth, from our supplier the Family Adventure Company: “Lone adults can sometimes find homestays slightly uncomfortable - you don't know how they should behave. But if you go with kids, they're an instant icebreaker. They see a football or a toy and they grab it. All of a sudden this potentially tricky situation turns to laughter. Then they'll all run off together with the local kids. For families, homestays are superb."

Peru tips

Elena Larkin is a Latin America Specialist for our supplier, Natural World Safaris. She is originally from Lima and has travelled in Peru with her young daughter. Here's her family adventure vacation tips:

"You have to be very flexible with the activities you choose. Different things will interest different kids. I took my nine-year-old daughter to Machu Picchu and she was bored! But in the Sacred Valley the local community showed her how they dyed their wool - and she was really excited about that. So you have to choose a combination of activities."

Cycling tips

Andrew Straw, founder of our supplier Saddle Skedaddle leads lots of family cycling vacations, and gives good family adventure vacation tips:

"Family cycling is a great way to get your kids away from sitting in front of the TV and if they have the manual dexterity with their fingers to play on an X-Box and eye to screen coordination then they will get a grip of the gears and be able to avoid the odd pothole in a jiffy. The trick is to slot in points of interest along the way as they’ll bore quickly, so if you’re doing something like the Hadrian’s Cycleway then a few visits to Roman sites won’t go amiss, but not too many! A few challenges help things along too and there’s nothing they like better than beating mum or dad up a hill especially if the reward is a sticky bun or a multi-coloured gelato from some Italian piazza."

Turkey tips

Julie Vural from our supplier Alternatif Outdoor explains how tailor made trips are great for enjoying Turkey with children:

“We arrange trips on demand for families of four or more - just provide dates, ages of children, plus preferred activities and style (hotel? camping? rest days?). We tailor activities to abilities, and customise the vacation to suit each family's preference, so everybody enjoys themselves. Multi-activity trips are ideal for children over 10, and there can be several families on a trip so children can make friends. But private trips are available for those who prefer not to be with other families! Our three-day sea kayaking/camping expeditions are ideal for those after more adventure - the paddling is not too strenuous, and we spend two nights camping 'wild' on beaches. On summer nights we encourage people to sleep in our 'one thousand star hotel' – i.e. the open air, without a tent!”

Family adventure advice

Recommendations from ADVENTUROUS FAMILIES

At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travelers are often... other travelers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do - and opinions about what not to.

We have selected some of the most useful tips our travelers have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your family adventure vacation.

Excellent for families who don't just want to sit on a beach but don't want a bootcamp or just one activity. You can kayak, mountain bike, snorkel, swim, jump off rocks into the sea, practise yoga and walk in the cool of the day. The house is in a great position near several coves. Very unspoilt area, not a single shop and cash only, no credit cards accepted in the 2 local restaurants. Good accommodation, Craig and Xania have a flair for design, very comfortable, easy living and very good (vegetarian) food – Fiona Harper on our Croatia family activity week

We were in a large group (16) and it went really well with that number of people. Everything was taken care of and prearranged by Tell Tale travel and there was so much going on that everyone was engaged and involved from 7 years old to 77! A really great trip for a family with mixed ages and stages. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this vacation – Caren Matthews-Lane on our Family Vacation in Thailand

It’s a camping trip so you need to pack carefully, laundry facilities are available at some campsites but the itinerary is so packed that often there is just not enough time. If you do this vacation during the summer it is REALLY hot. Make sure you have a water bottle to fill up and remember that kids will need to drink huge amounts, footwear is important for hiking you will need decent boots or summer trail walking shoes and also walking shoes/sandals that can go in water – Rebecca Hill on our Family vacation to National Parks in America

Just go for it. You don’t need to be a mega cyclist to enjoy the family vacation. Every day brought new experiences. The animals just kept coming out on cue!....Brilliant - I don’t know how we will top it - Monica Szolin-Jones on our Family cycling vacation in Kenya & Tanzania

Photo credits: [Tim Winkworth quote: Tim Williamson] [Review 1 - Iwona Warszawska: USFWS - Pacific Region] [Review 2 - Hinds Beatrice: Doc Searls]

Written by Catherine Mack

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