Five family adventure holidays

Jeanette Coughlan 21 July 2014
Family adventure holidays come in all shapes and sizes. Whether you want to search for orangutans in the rainforests of Borneo or get off the beaten track in Morocco, there are trips to suit every family.

Parents with younger children generally prefer destinations with the shortest flight times, hence the popularity of the likes of Morocco, Turkey and Africa, but once the children are older, say from 8 years, parents are more likely to consider long haul trips such as Cuba or Borneo.

Whatever the destination chosen, you will find that family adventure holidays are designed to balance exciting activities with the right mix of free time and usually offer up-close and personal encounters with the people and places in each destination - such as stays in a jungle camp to sleeping under the stars in the Sahara in traditional Bedouin tents. Here is a taste of where your adventure can bring you…..

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS Encounter the island chain that has enchanted explorers since Darwin first weighed anchor off its shores. Take a cruise exploring Ecuador’s extraordinarily preserved Galapagos Islands, spend time in the National Park snorkelling with sea lions and sea turtles and get up close to iguanas, giant tortoises and exotic birdlife. The Galapagos is a wildlife wonderland for children!

MOROCCO Morocco, with its stunning backdrop of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains, has so much to offer. Explore the twisting alleyways of the ancient medina, browse the souks selling colourful pottery and carpets, while beyond hear the sound of a muezzin calling to prayer drifting across the orange plantations. Visit the old walled city of Marrakech and the remote villages of the Berbers, hidden away in the folds of the Atlas Mountains. Move on to the Atlantic coast to ride camels along the beach and explore the old pirate hideout of Essaouira.

JORDAN Journey to the Lost City - explore the towering sandstone landscapes of Wadi Rum and camp Bedouin-style, under vast star-filled skies. Enjoy a gorge walk in Wadi Ibn Hammad and a visit to the crusader castle of Karak. Arrive at the awe-inspiring Petra, the superb 'pink city' of the Nabateans which was carved by hand from solid rock, it is sure to be a highlight of the trip. Descend to the lowest point on Earth, the incredible Dead Sea, where you can swim and snorkel in the salty and amazingly buoyant waters.

CHINA China is that rare place that looks to the future while embracing its past, an incredible place for an adventure covering times both ancient and modern. Start in Beijing, visit the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall. Move on to Xi’an for a summit with the Terracotta Warriors. Spend time in the rugged beauty of rural Yangshuo before ending your adventure in bustling Hong Kong.

VIETNAM Gifted with a staggering abundance of delicious food, fascinating culture, untouched nature and friendly people, Vietnam has more than earned its reputation as one of the world’s most popular travel destinations. Explore Hanoi by cyclo, cruise the peaks in Halong Bay, visit the Imperial Citadel and take a boat trip to a floating market. Visit Hoi An and take a boat trip along the Mekong Delta, ending your trip in the bustling Ho Chi Minh City.

So start planning your family adventure today, you'll create memories that will forge bonds for a lifetime! “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain