Ask any parent what their children really want on holiday and they’d probably feel fairly confident coming up with the right answers, ‘ice cream’ among them. But what if Original Travel’s boffins had surveyed the children of hundreds of our clients on this exact same subject, analysed the results and come up with the definitive list of what children really love when they go away? You’re welcome. Even better, those self-same travel boffins then went one stage further and created six suggested ultimate family holiday and half term itineraries to show all the amazing experiences your family could enjoy in any single year. Please, don’t write to thank us.
First, the science bit. We identified six key holiday types to correspond to the number of half terms and holidays throughout the annual school calendar, namely Beach, Snow, Watersports, Wildlife, Adventure and City Break. We then created a series of questions specific to those themes so, for instance: ‘Where would you like to stay on a Snow Holiday? Treehouse? Igloo?...’ and ‘What would you like to do on a Snow Holiday? Dog-sledding? See the Northern Lights?...’ and so on. And then we set about surveying that key constituency: the children. We hosted a huge event with our friends, the much-loved children’s party people Sharky & George, where the children moved between the different themes and played a series of games to give their answers to the questions, and then we sent out an online survey (a bit boring by comparison) to hundreds more families.
The results (once we’d wiped the jelly off the Sharky & George party answers) were fascinating, with several key themes emerging, so we set ourselves the fun challenge of seeing if we could weave these preferences into six Ultimate Family Holidays that would represent the ultimate year’s worth of family travel. We certainly don’t expect any one family to tick off the list in one year, but we do strongly recommend considering taking a tailor-made (crucial, of course) version of these suggested trips while the children are tweens and teens, because they work wonders. Just ask my four children, as we’ve now done two-thirds of them, and they’ve loved every second of each.
Enough of the context, what about the trips themselves? You can see the detailed suggested itineraries by following the links, but here’s an overview…
February Half Term: A Snowy Family Adventure in Swedish Lapland
We worked on the assumption that skiing families will most likely always enjoy a week in the Alps or elsewhere, but for a February half term trip to a different sort of winter wonderland, nothing beats Swedish Lapland. Mush your own teams of huskies on a dog-sledding adventure; meet Sami herders and their adorable reindeers; snowshoe, cross country ski and toboggan through snow-clad forests and – mittened fingers firmly crossed – see the magnificent Northern Lights in all their glory.
Check out the full itinerary here.
Easter Holidays: A Wildlife Family Adventure in South Africa
On this Easter holiday adventure to South Africa, families who love wildlife will be in their element, with the children likely to see literally hundreds of different species. Start the trip is captivating Cape Town to see seals, sea lions and dolphins, then head along the Garden Route to visit a series of sanctuaries for rescued animals and birds before a Big Five safari in the Eastern Cape with meerkats thrown in (not literally) for good measure. Finish in the Waterberg for riding safaris (no experience needed, brilliantly) and the chance to see an admirable rhino conservation project.
Check out the full itinerary here.
May Half Term: A Beach Adventure in Portugal
May half term is the perfect time for the family to visit the beautiful (and snappy-titled) Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park in Portugal, home to some of Europe’s most gorgeous beaches. The children (and you, go on, give it a go!) can learn to surf with private instructors, walk a short section of a lovely long-distance trail, go for a ride on the beach, paddleboard in a lovely river estuary and, of course, just muck around on the beach.
Check out the full itinerary here.
Summer Holidays: A Watersports Adventure in Indonesia
The long summer holidays are the perfect opportunity to set sail for somewhere farther flung, and for any families with water babies for children, Indonesia is the destination to dive into. On this island-hopping family watersports adventure, the family can learn to surf and dive (children as young as eight can try diving), snorkel over thriving reefs, enjoy boat trips and white water rafting, take part in marine conservation and meet the mysterious Komodo dragons.
Check out the full itinerary here.
October Half Term: An Adventure in Morocco
With many schools now switching to a two-week half term, it is fast becoming the go-to holiday for longer adventures. A case in point is an October half term adventure to Morocco, where the adventures in questions involve camel rides and canyoning, walks and watersports, and adventures of a cultural kind as well, as the children explore Marrakech and try their hands at making Moroccan food.
Check out the full itinerary here.
Image by Brigit Sfat
Christmas Holidays: A City Break in New York
European city breaks are brilliant for families, but for the ultimate urban escape, nothing beats the Big Apple. Take the family to New York after Christmas, and they can enjoy everything this brilliant city has to offer, from ice skating to foodie tours to shows on Broadway and even a helicopter ride around Manhattan. Then celebrate New Year in New York on a city break the children will never forget.
Check out the full itinerary here.
Of course, we are all about tailor-made travel, so we can tweak, adapt, amend and build from scratch any family holiday itinerary, but we hope these Ultimate Family Holidays provide some fun inspiration for you and the children. And worth noting, these will work best for children aged eight and over, when they are able to do most/all of the activities.
Written by Tom Barber, co-founder and Conde Nast Traveler Top Family Travel Specialist | Header image by Olivier Romano
