Sometimes, even the most enticing experiences can’t compete with a parent’s worst enemy – screens. Despite the world being full of wonders, occasionally all youngsters want to do is look down... but we’re determined to change that. As part of our ongoing partnership with event planners Sharky & George, we are set on discovering exactly what your little ones want from a family holiday. We’ve gathered this critical data from a survey for parents and during a fun-filled family party run by Sharky & George. The results are in (and are simpler than you think), so read on to discover our selection of holidays to keep your youngsters entertained by the real world.
Vikings in Norway
Gory history is the best kind of history (according to youngsters), so pull their attention away from screens and back in time with a vicious Viking adventure to Norway. Trondheim, a former Viking capital, is packed with museums (the fun kind) and colourful houses on stilts to ogle over. With city life completed, next head to Hosnasand, one of the country’s most beautiful beaches. Over a third of the children interviewed at our recent family party are eager to stay somewhere fun, like a beach cabin. So, relax in style in your very own waterside retreat. There’ll be plenty of time to play in the sand, go fishing and enjoy dinghy rides, bringing screen time closer and closer to zero.
Cowboys in the USA
The vast expanses of the American West are the perfect place to leave the modern world behind and embrace the great outdoors. Explore the national parks of Grand Teton and Yellowstone by mountain bike or foot, and phone use will be reduced to simply snapping up the vistas. Head to Montana and swap national parks for ranches, embracing cowboy life as you saddle up and try your hand at horse riding. End each night together around the campfire, singing (optional), making s’mores (compulsory) and stargazing (irresistible).
Image by Ami Vitale/PANOS-REA.
Wildlife in Namibia
During our family event with Sharky & George, when asked what they wanted to see on holiday, 45% of the little ones said wildlife (the bigger, the better). And where better to find oversized wildlife than in savannahs plucked straight from The Lion King? Over in Namibia, car rides will take on a new lease of life when you’re playing spot the zebra, lion or giraffe across the tangerine-coloured Kalahari Desert. Once you reach the Skeleton Coast, land animals turn into sea creatures, with seals, sunfish, dolphins and whales galore.
Image by Un cercle.
Culture in Cambodia
Satisfy your children’s cultural curiosity with a Cambodian getaway. Hop on a tuk-tuk and explore the ancient Angkor Temples of Siem Reap (don’t forget to mention that they’re 900 years old) before leaving the leafy city for the jungle in the Cardamom Mountains. Here, settle into a floating tent in the Tatai River, where you can kayak straight from your terrace and spot fireflies at night. In Kep, a laidback town, spend the day wandering markets and trying some of Cambodia’s best shellfish. Screens will be a distant memory by the end of this trip...
Written by Evie Buller | Header Image by The Jennings Hotel.
