Category: Adventure

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Adventure

Grand Canyon Rafting

Elisabeth Hyde never anticipated how much her teenage children would love a two-week rafting trip through the Grand Canyon.

Why go?

Welcome to the land of the giants. The Colorado River is 1,450 miles long. But the most spectacular section is the 225-mile stretch through the Grand Canyon, where the river has carved its way through more than 5,000 feet of layered rock, creating soaring walls and a labyrinth of side canyons.

The best way to experience the canyon is by boat. Here, time slows down. Children become adults and adults become children. 

Activities

We had five 18-foot inflatable rafts – four oar boats (rowed by guides) and the ever-popular paddleboat, which allowed six people to paddle as the guide steered from the rear. For the next two weeks these became our home. 

Our children revelled in this world of extremes. They loved the rapids. They loved sleeping on the sand with nothing but a sheet for cover.

Side canyons offered the unexpected, such as mysterious underwater caves and cliff jumping. 

With more than 160 rapids ranging from flashy ripples to 20-foot waves, a rafting trip can feel like Disneyland. You hear them roar.

The guide stands up to get a better view, then grabs the oars as the boat glides into the rapid’s sleek, dark tongue. Then giant waves loom up as the raft bucks this way and that until it finally shoots out into the calm waters below. Was I worried about the kids? I have to admit that before the trip, I was a bundle of nerves. But I stopped worrying on the first day. For starters, life jackets are mandatory. Also, the guides are serious about river safety and would much prefer to avoid a mishap than watch it happen. 

But there was something more nuanced at work here. I learned to give up control, because I wasn’t the expert on river safety – the guides were.

At one point Zoe asked if she could stand up during a rapid. ‘Sure,’ said the guide, knowing that particular rapid’s level of danger, and, the next thing, there she was, standing up on the bow, gripping the line and riding the waves like a cowboy. From then on I realised I was off the hook. 

After 13 days, we were all ready for a shower. But driving back home, we were all pretty quiet. ‘Would anyone want to do this again?’ I asked, to be greeted by a chorus of ‘Yes!’

If I do book another trip, the only change would be to book an all-paddleboat trip. That way everyone gets a chance to sit in the hot seats. 

The lowdown

Travel time: Flights from London to Phoenix take 10 hours and 30 minutes. It’s roughly 3 hours and 30 minutes from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon (depending on your starting point).

How to get there: British Airways flies from London Heathrow to Phoenix; from £825 return for adults and £715 for children. Virgin Atlantic flies from London Heathrow to Phoenix (via San Francisco or Los Angeles); from £778 return for adults and £680 for children.  

Best time to go: The weather in the Grand Canyon changes frequently, so it’s hard to say when the best time to visit is. In general, April, May and November are the driest months, while June to August is the warmest. 

More information: Arizona Rafting Company (+1 928 526 8200) offers rafting holidays of between 6 and 16 days on the Colorado River, from £1,310 per person. For more information on rafting through the Grand Canyon, visit grandcanyon.com. 

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Adventure

Ras Al Khaimah: Rak’s Middle Eastern Promise

Amanda Morison and her four sons enjoy a break in Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), the United Arab Emirates’ best kept secret.

Why go?

EXPLORE THE UNKNOWN

It’s quite fun, telling people you’re going on holiday to Ras Al Khaimah. With the exception of one Middle Eastern ex-pat, no one knew where I was talking about. Our adventurous reputation was consolidated when the children, four boys aged between three and eight, told everyone they were going to ‘RAK’. Such is the effect of Chinese whispers that this abbreviation meant that for a few hours most of the playground thought we were going to Iraq.

Ras Al Khaimah (top of the tent in Arabic), is the most northerly of the United Arab Emirates, and is a 45-minute drive from Dubai airport. At the moment, that is. Big things are happening in Ras Al Khaimah, and one part of a multi-million-pound government investment in tourism infrastructure is the development of Ras Al Khaimah’s international airport. Rumours abound of a direct route from the UK. With our brood of boys we loved flying with Emirates, not least because you can use the in-flight entertainment system before the plane even takes off.

THE QUIET EMIRATE 

Locals describe Ras Al Khaimah as the quiet emirate, or less kindly, the dustbowl. Which is a bit pot-and-kettle, but what they really mean is that the emirate has been relatively slow to take up the tourist game compared to glitzy Dubai and Formula 1-friendly Abu Dhabi.

Tourism makes up 5 per cent of Ras Al Khaimah’s revenue (up from 2 per cent in 2012), far less than is generated by its thriving ceramics, cement and pharmaceutical businesses. And it does have a lot of desert. On the drive from the airport you’ll soon run out of fingers and toes to play spot the camel, as my children discovered.

But its asset for holidaymakers is its geography. Shoehorned between the Arabian Gulf and Oman’s stunning, fjord-filled Musandam Peninsula, Ras Al Khaimah is the only emirate with sea, sand and mountain ranges.

So for all the blue-skies fun of Dubai, but with a lower price tag, go to Ras Al Khaimah. A mid-scale resort here can cost up to 40 per cent less than one in the better known emirate, though get in now because prices are rising along with Ras Al Khaimah’s visibility to holidaymakers. A further bonus, at least as far as we were concerned, is the smaller number of tourists, although Ras Al Khaimah offers charter flights from Moscow, and is popular with Russians as a result.

It’s a surreal place, the United Arab Emirates. Its detractors tend to hate it for the reasons that its fans adore it – a very artificial oasis in a vast desert. Ras Al Khaimah, as its slogan has it, is the ‘rising emirate’ – and it’s rising in style.

Activities

DAY TRIPPING

If you want a shopping fix, or to climb the Burj Khalifa, the world’s highest building, you’re close enough for a day trip. Most of the hotels organise shuttles for free. Or grab a taxi. Petrol works out at just over £1 a gallon, and this has a corresponding effect on taxi fares. But we’d come for a bucket-and-spade break, and happily that’s what RAK is very good at.

The various hotels’ all host kids clubs, where most visitors are Russian with Brits a close second. Our kids also hung out with Egyptians, Germans, Swiss and UAE nationals – the latter at the weekend when locals check into hotels to chill. Wherever we went, the atmosphere was positively laid-back compared with frenetic Dubai.

KEEP COOL

It sounds obvious, but it’s pretty hot here. Our visit was at the beginning of April, and it was regularly 38C. My fair-haired children visibly wilted in the heat, and after we managed to cook an egg on top of a metal bin on our room’s terrace I cancelled a visit to Dhayah Fort on Al Rams Road. The crenelated and dusty remains of a remarkable 5,000-year-old dune-top castle give outstanding views of rolling dunes and date farms, but a trek up in the heat with a three-year-old who still regularly falls asleep face first in his tea was too much.

Instead, we headed to the Ice Land Water Park – day tickets cost £24 for adults and£16 for children. What’s not to like about endless ways to splash and slide in the water alongside scores of realistic looking plastic penguins? There are shaded walkways, air-conditioned cabanas to rent, and a football pitch constantly spritzed with water. My eldest son described how he bounced like a ‘skimming stone, in a good way’ on the Aqua Shute slide. We avoided Friday, the park’s busiest day, and didn’t have to queue for a single ride. Definitely worth a visit, but don’t expect much from the food, which is as plastic as the penguins.

Where to stay

RELAX

We stayed at the newly opened Rixos Bab Al Bahr, a 655-room hotel on Al Marjan Island, one of a four-strong manmade archipelago. The Rixos hotel is made up of three futuristic-looking pyramids. ‘Ooh, Star Wars!’ as one son put it. Unusually, for this part of the world at least, the Rixos is all-inclusive. The buffet got a bit same-old, same-old (although, excitingly, on our first night we were treated to lobster). Competition is fierce for the sun loungers spread sardine-like alongside the three swimming pools. By 8am towels were spread out to claim space. If you get up late, chances are you’ll miss out. Poolside you’ll notice toned women in heels accompanied by bear-like men wearing swimming trunks far smaller than their glamorous companions’ bikinis (by the way, bikinis are banned on Ras Al Khaimah’s public beaches).

A few minutes’ walk from the Rixos, also on Marjan Island, is the Hilton DoubleTree, which looked good enough for a few days, but a bit limited for a week’s holiday. Across the bay, however, is one of those hotels where reality is firmly held at bay. If our experience was anything to go by, life is lived on a higher plane at the Waldorf Astoria. Ice lollies were delivered to sun loungers in the heat of the day. One of my children broke his swimming goggles, and staff found him another pair within minutes, free of charge. I counted 10 types of bread at the breakfast buffet, and ate mini quiche that melted in the mouth.

A LITTLE LUXURY 

The Waldorf Astoria is the shiniest, most expensive hotel in RAK. Built as a showpiece for an unsuccessful bid for the America’s Cup, this palace-like hotel shines with marble, antique furniture and contemporary art. Aged beef in the Lexington Grill hangs in the restaurant, enticing diners from around the UAE and beyond. The hotel has three helicopter pads, apparently regularly in use with Middle Eastern royal families. The centrepiece of the Peacock Alley lobby is a giant clock, engraved with the words from a Bedouin poem: ‘From your homeland travel abroad to find glory’.

My own travels nearly ended in disgrace when I caught my children trying to climb the clock – and my heart stopped for a few seconds when I discovered the clock was made with pure gold and cost £590,000. If you have beautifully behaved, non-climbing, probably older (and female?) children, you might enjoy Banyan Tree Ras Al Khaimah Beach or Banyan Tree Al Wadi. The former is on Marjan Island, offering tent-style villas with small private pools. Al Wadi provides similarly luxe accommodation, but in a desert setting. Both offer privacy, luxury and fine dining, but exclusive in this instance means small – the Banyan Trees are not for those looking for kids’ clubs, laid-on activities and playgrounds.

Where to eat

The Rixos Bab Al Bahr hotel offers several good dining options for families: 

Meat Point

We enjoyed Meat Point restaurant, a South American grill offering tapas and delicious meat dishes, as well as live entertainment. Exceptional quality, and although there was no kids’ menu, staff happily organised smaller portions of the main dishes.

Fish Bone

Another favourite was Fish Bone for the kind of exceptional seafood they take for granted in this part of the world.

Ottoman Turkish Lalezar

At the authentic Ottoman Turkish Lalezar, we dined on spiced kofta meatballs, smoky houmus and juicy kebabs. Be warned though, you have to book early for any restaurant other than the buffet, or you’ll either get no reservation, or a table at 10.30pm.

To book any of the hotel’s restaurants call +00971 7292 0000.

The lowdown

How to get there: Emirates flies to Dubai from £388 return. Rak Al Khaimah is a 45-minute drive from there.

Accommodation costs: Seven nights at the Waldorf Astoria cost from £4,599 for a family of four, including breakfast, flights and private transfers, with ITC Luxury Travel.

Five nights at the Banyan Tree Al Wadi or Banyan Tree Al Khaimah cost from £3,735 for a family of four, including breakfast, flights and transfers, with Carrier.

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Adventure

Your Spring Bucket List

Ready to kiss winter goodbye for good? We thought so! Get ready for your best spring ever with our checklist of unmissable things to do with your family this season.

GO CAMPING

These days, there’s more to camping than shivering under soggy canvas – and spring is the perfect time to get stuck in. Whether you’re a family of adventurers or beach-bums, the UK has some unmissable camping options.

START A GARDEN

Children are hardwired to love the outdoors and there’s no greater joy for a kid (or a parent) than nurtuting a plant from seed. Plus picky kids are much more likely to tuck into veggies they’ve grown themselves. Carrots, tomatoes and beans are easy to grow and pretty speedy, ideal for impatient toddler.

If a veggies aren’t an option, growing a sunflower is a delight too. Sow seeds directly iunto the ground, or into large pots from early spring, and your before long you’ll be greeted by tall, cheerful flowers.

TRY SOMETHING NEW

Spring is the season of new starts, and there’s no better time for kids to pick up a new talent to impress their pals.

Fire Tech Camps are exciting new camps and workshops across the UK that give kids and teens the chance to create their own technology. Students learn to code, create video games and robots, make animated films, compose music tracks and 3D-print their own designs. Pretty cool hey? Stay tuned for Family Traveller’s firsthand review, coming soon.

PLAN AN EASTER EGG HUNT

For kids, spring means one thing – Easter eggs, so an egg hunt is a must. Make this year’s more exciting by leaving rhyming clues, or wait for the sun to go down and hunt for eggs by torchlight. To avoid swabbling, try colour-coded eggs or a relay race.

MAKE A CHOCLATE NEST CAKE

As fun to make now as they were when you were a kid, these easy-peasy chocolate crispy cakes are a perennial favourite. All you need is chocolate, golden syrup, butter, Cornflakes and of course, mini chocolate eggs. Mix the melted chocolate, syrup and butter into the cereal, shape into nests and Bob’s your uncle!

HAVE FUN ON THE FARM

Petting pigs, feeding lambs – who doesn’t love a farm visit? One of the best places to celebrate the turning of the season is down on the farm. There a family farms dotted all over the UK. Many offer fresh-from-the-field food, lots let kids feed the animals, and all offer a great big dose of fresh air.

HOP ON YOUR BIKE

Whether in your own neighbourhood or somewhere more exotic, cycling as a family is a great way to explore at your own pace, and get some exercise while you’re at it. Let us inspire you with our favourite places to cycle in the UK and the best bike spots in Europe.

HAVE A SLEEPOVER WITH A DIFFERENCE

School holidays means sleepovers, so why not treat the kids to one they’ll never forget?

Young sleuths aged 7-11 and their faithful grown-ups are invited to stay the night in the Museum of London on Saturday 21 March for a special Holmes-themed sleepover. 

The restored clipper, Cutty Sark is hosting its first ever sleepover at Greenwich. Little sailors will learn how to hoist flags, tie knots and steer by the stars. 2-3 April, age 7-11. Bookings close 19 March.

PLAN A FESTIVAL 

We’re already counting down the days until festival season kicks off. Get organised this year and book your family tickets early – especially if you want the best glamping spots! We can’t wait forCamp Bestival, Elderflower Fields, the Just So Festival and all our other family favourites. We’ll bring you all the latest festie gossoip, so watch this space.

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Adventure

Sunshine Holidays in the Mountains: North America

See another side of North America by treating your family to a stay in the mountains.

Aspen, USA

ACTIVITIES

Summer is a great time to visit this chi chi, yet relaxed Colorado resort. Check out the restaurants, shops and galleries where you can pick up anything from works by emerging artists to original paintings by the likes of Dali (although prices can be gulp-inducing). 

Recover with a hike in the Rocky Mountains. If you prefer to stay level headed, there are guided nature trails around the lake at Maroon Bells. Pack the kids off to Camp Aspen/Snowmass between 3 June and 30 August where there’s childcare from one year up and adventures for teens including rafting, horseriding, skateboarding and overnight camps with cookouts.

WHERE TO STAY

Stay at the Hotel Jerome, newly refurbished and family-friendly with great food, staff, rooms and a serene outdoor pool.

THE LOWDOWN

Price: Seven nights in a junior suite start at £8,234 for a family of four, including breakfast, flights and transfers with Scott Dunn.

More information: scottdunn.com

Whistler, Canada

ACTIVITIES

It’s hard to get bored here, even the two-hour drive along the Sea-to-Sky Highway from Vancouver is beautiful. Whistler’s a buzzy kind of place, with more than 200 shops that sell outdoor sports clothing, fashion, jewellery, books and chocolate. 

The Peak 2 Peak gondola is good for adrenalin junkies, or go zipwiring over Fitzsimmons Creek or flying along mountain bike trails.

WHERE TO STAY

Nita Lake Lodge is in the Creekside area, away from the hustle and bustle of Whistler, and offers a swimming on the lake plus free use of kayaks and canoes, paddleboards and bikes. 

THE LOWDOWN

Price: A week in a two-bedroom lake-view cabin costs from £5,148 for a family of four, including flights and car hire with Bridge & Wickers.

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Adventure

Discover Great Value Scuba Diving Holidays

If you’ve got water-loving kids that want to learn to dive, or continue their love of underwater wildlife, then here’s a few ideas and locations to head to this summer.

Whether they’re beginners or on their way to fully-fledged diving experts, exploring the underwater wildlife and coral reefs off of various beaches around the world will certainly give the kids something to talk about when they get back to school!

If children are complete beginners, they can join the Bubblemaker lessons, where kids aged eight years and up can learn to dive in a pool with trained diving instructors. Parents can also join in if you’re also beginners. For more experienced divers, the resorts offer tons of programmes, too.

Here’s a few destinations recommended by Beaches Resorts to get the kids into diving, or complete their PADI diving course, including exploring coral reefs, going nighttime dives, and discover shipwrecks, where kids can explore sunken ships from years ago!

 

TURKS & CAICOS

There’s a number of dives in Turks & Caicos, including Northwest Point, a wall that descends down to around 180 ft. and is covered with corals and frequented by sharks, turtles and stingrays; Grace Bay, where you can see snappers, nurse sharks, friendly barracuda under the dive boat and regular visitor, JoJo the dolphin; Pine Cay, where you’ll see eagle rays; and West Caicos / French Cay, where divers can see black tip and Caribbean reef sharks.

More info: Visit beachesresorts.co.uk to book.

NEGRIL, JAMAICA

Located on Jamaica’s Negril coast with seven miles of white sandy beaches, this exotic summer location is the perfect to see some beautiful scenery and wildlife. Dives include The Arches, where you’ll see nurse sharks and large stingrays; the King Fish Point, a deep dive where turtles are seen quite often, as well as nurse sharks; Shallow Plane, on the edge of a reef; and Throne Room, where divers enter the dive through a chimney and lobsters are seen amongst the coral.

More info: Visit beachesresorts.co.uk to book.

OCHO RIOS, JAMAICA

Another beautiful resort on the coast of Jamaica, here you can see a fascinating shipwreck of 110 ft. boat that went down in 1991, as well as Snappers, butterfish, and an occasional seahorse, on the Ocho Rios Drop Off dive.

More info: Visit beachesresorts.co.uk to book

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Adventure

On Your Bike! Three of the Best Cycling Holidays

If cycling through nature on a bike is your favourite thing to do, we have found the 3 top destinations for family bike trips with a stunning view.

Scotland

Wilderness Scotland’s family cycling holidays from Fort William are suitable for kids aged 11 and up. You can mix up five days of cycling along tow paths and forestry roads with canoeing, horse-riding, castle visits and monster-spotting on Loch Ness.

Price: The Coast to Coast Family self-guided mountain biking break costs from £600 per adult and £575 per child, including five nights’ B&B accommodation, bike hire and baggage transfers.

More info: wildernessscotland.com

France

With the Tour de France coming to the UK this July, it’s time to get on your bike. The Camping and Caravanning Club has campsites along the route, including Cambridge and Yorkshire.

Price: Pitches cost from £22.50 per night for members. Membership for a family of four costs £41.

More info: campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk

Cuba

If you want guaranteed sunshine, Exodus has a family cycling tour of Cuba that takes in the capital Havana and the valley of Viñales. End your trip with a stop in Santa Clara to see where student icon Che Guevara is buried, with plenty of fun along the way from zip lining to river swims.

Price: Nine days cost from £1,549 per person (minimum age 11), including flights, accommodation, breakfast and some meals.

Mor info: exodus.co.uk

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Adventure Africa Beach Competitions

Win a £6,500 Holiday to Mauritius

FAMILY TRAVELLER HAS TEAMED UP WITH MAURITIUS TOURISM TO OFFER ONE LUCKY FAMILY THE CHANCE TO WIN A HOLIDAY TO MAURITIUS WITH VIRGIN HOLIDAYS, PLUS A FABULOUS MONSOON KIDS’ WARDROBE

Like a sparkling jewel in the Indian Ocean, Mauritius is a truly exotic destination for a family holiday. It offers year-round sunshine, minimal jetlag, incredible hotels with innovative kids’ clubs, and a vast range of family activities both in and out of the water. Nautical activities on the island, which is surrounded by stunning lagoons and reefs, include dolphin watching, Blue Safari Submarine excursions, an undersea walk, sea karting, waterskiing, glass-bottomed boats and catamaran cruises, scuba diving and snorkelling, big-game fishing, kitesurfing and windsurfing. And on land, it’s not all about the coast. Venture inland to the magical nature parks.

The Frédérica Nature Reserve, for example, offers breathtaking views, waterfalls and vast plains, where deer roam freely. Here, families can trek or opt for quad biking, a 4×4 discovery tour, a dedicated kids’ tour or even a jaunt on a Segway. Adventure parks feature everything from walking with lions to zip lining. A must is a visit to the spectacular Botanical Gardens. And there are plenty of museums and aquariums to keep little ones entertained. For a thrilling day out, take a helicopter trip for a bird’s eye view of the island’s turquoise lagoons and lush mountains. Above all, Mauritius is a friendly, multicultural island which welcomes kids with open arms. If you’ve never visited this Indian Ocean paradise before, its beauty will blow you away.

STYLISH KIDS ON HOLIDAY

Monsoon has launched a new tween sub-brand called Storm by Monsoon, perfect for eight- to 14-year-old girls. The range includes playsuits ideal for the beach and stylish prom dresses in scuba fabric or print, while the denim daywear features a much-coveted jumpsuit.

THE PRIZE

This is your chance to win a holiday to Mauritius with Virgin Holidays, staying seven nights at Maritim Crystals Beach Hotel in a family room on an all-inclusive basis for up to two adults and two children, including return flights with Air Mauritius and return private airport transfers, and £200 worth of Monsoon kids’ clothing vouchers.

 

COMPETITION CLOSES: 31 AUGUST 2015

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Adventure News Story UK

Up in the Air: Scotland’s National Airshow

Now in its 50th flying season, the Red Arrows will lead this summer’s National Airshow in Scotland with their flying formations, rolls and loop alongside the RAF’s supersonic Typhoon.

Other legendary aircrafts in the show will be the Lancaster, the Hawker Hurricane and the Spitfire, which is known as the most accomplished fighter plane that was ever made. There will also be refreshments and activities for the whole family, including your chance to climb into the cockpit of an RAF Red Arrows Hawk in the RAF Village.

There will also be kids quad bikes, a bouncy castle, fairground rides, a clibing wall and storytelling, as well as an historic museum.

When? Saturday 26 July, 10am-5pm

Where? National Museum of Flight, East Lothian

Price: Early bird tickets available until 11 July only. Adult £17, cocession £15.50, child £8.50 (under 5s free), family (two adults, two children) £42.50

More info: Buy tickets at nms.ac.uk/airshow or at the gate on the day. Discounts are available for advance booking.

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Adventure Europe News Story UK

UK toddlers are Taking Off Like Prince George

Prince George recently embarked on his first Royal Tour, escorted by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (known to George as Mum and Dad). With so much attention being paid on the royal baby’s travels, British flight comparison website compareandfly.com decided to research the travelling habits of Prince George’s infant peers in the UK.

Based on over 118,800 flight searches made on their website, compareandfly.com has uncovered a number of remarkable trends when it comes to the UK’s jet-setting under-twos. 

Cool kids leave on Saturday: In terms of flights involving an infant passenger (two years or younger) over 20% of searches saw parents wanting to jet off on a Saturday, while the least popular flight day for families with babies and toddlers was Tuesday.

Vienna, baby! Where are most UK toddlers soaring off to these days? As it turns out – Vienna! With over 5% of all international flight searches from the UK heading to this Austrian capital city, it appears that Vienna is the toddler’s trip of choice.

Southern babes have caught the travel bug: compareandfly.com found that over 60% of families looking to fly out of the UK with an infant depart from London. This comes as no surprise since London has more flight paths and terminals than any other UK city, and Heathrow claims 32.87% of the baby-laden flight searches. 

Spare pair of hands: Much like the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, not many UK parents are brave enough to embark upon a flight with just their baby as company. With pushchairs, carry cots, nappies and formula to carry on board, it’s unsurprising that 72.31% percent of travellers are looking to board with at least one other adult in tow. 

Two or more? Stay on the floor: When parents have one or more infants travelling with them, it appears that most admit defeat and opt for alternative modes of transport for holidays. A whopping 93.77% of flight searches that included infants only consisted of one child.

 

MORE INFORMATION

Visit compareandfly.com to book flights, accommodation and car hire in the UK and abroad. 

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Adventure Africa Europe News Story Rest of the World South America Uncategorized

Tourdust Launches Family Trips

What’s new? The brainchild of Anna and Ben Colclough, who have three children of their own, Tourdust has made a name for itself creating off-the-beaten-track adventures for couples and young groups. But now, we’re pleased to hear, it’s turning its attention to families.

 

Destinations: Intrepid travellers can choose from destinations such as Morocco, Turkey, Croatia, Peru, Kenya and Sweden, and rely on Tourdust to arrange flights, accommodation with character and thoughtfully designed interaries – best of all, prices start from £500 per person.

 

Family Sea Kayaking Holiday: An eight-day holiday in Dubrovnik will have the team exploring the Elaphite Islands by kayak with a mix of paddling, snorkelling and playing on the beach and a guide to show you what’s what. You’ll be based on the island of Lopud, surrounded by stunning coastline in charming apartments, owned by local families, all within walking distance of the sea.

Price: £642 per person (based on a family of four), which includes return flights from London, seven nights’ accommodation, seven breakfasts, three dinners in nearby tavernas, a guide, all of the activities on the tour, all transfers by local boat, return transfers to and from Dubrovnik airport and all applicable taxes.

 

Marrakech Trek and Surf Holiday: In just under four hours you can be trekking in the Atlas mountains (accompanied by mules for any tired legs). Recoup in a beautiful riad in Marrakech before heading to the Atlantic coast for a few days surfing.

Price: £654 per person (based on a family of four), including flights, transfers, seven nights’ accommodation, trekking guide, surfing lessons and a selection of meals. 

 

Safari and Maasai Family Adventure: If you’d prefer to go further a field, there’s an eight-day adventure to Kenya, combining safaris and game drives with camping in a Maasai village, – where children will learn to light a fire and shoot arrows– cycling in Hells Gate National Park and a boat trip on Lake Naivasha.

Price: £1,843 per person (based on a family of four) including international flights, all accommodation, meals and transfers, as well as an English-speaking guide, plus the park fees and all camping equipment.

 

More information: For bookings, contact Tourdust on 020 3291 2907.