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Best Holidays with Kids Off the Beaten Track

Having a family doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice where you can go on holiday – even the most remote, far flung destinations on our trips are fantastic for kids and allow you to completely relax on a fun family adventure holiday. From camping in the wild to trekking through local villages away from all the tourist trails, we’ve got some fantastic options to get you off the beaten track with your kids.

Below are some suggestions to get off the beaten track with your family, or contact us to plan your tailor made family wilderness adventure!

For a safari experience like no other, head to Botswana on a camping adventure. The best way to travel across the African plains is to camp along the way – you’ll camp out in the wild in Chobe National Park, famed for its huge elephant population, stay in a tented lodge built around a waterhole and learn bush trekking and survival skills. During the day explore the untouched wilderness on game drives with fantastic wildlife viewing opportunities: see elephants, lions, hippos and more.

For a fantastic variety of wildlife in a small area, check out our Tailor Made Ecuador & Galapagos trip. The human footprint is kept to a minimum on the beautiful Galapagos Islands, and you can get up close to many of the amazing species that live here because they have no predators so aren’t afraid of people. Meet giant tortoises, Galapagos penguins and blue-footed boobies as you explore the islands. Stay in family run lodges and have fun kayaking around the islands and exploring the Amazon Basin by boat.

Asia always offers great value-for-money family holidays but why not opt for something a little bit removed from the usual destinations? Our Chocolate Hills and Tarsiers itinerary in the Philippines will certainly satisfy wildlife lovers as you scan forests for adorable little tarsiers and look out for sea turtles on snorkelling adventures. Activities come thick and fast in the form of climbing a volcano, exploring city sights by bicycle and stand-up paddle boarding and canyoning along a river. You can also be sure of plenty of beach time – perfect for just soaking up your magnificent surroundings.

Enjoy a trip deep in the winter wilderness on a Northern Lights Adventure. Go snowshoeing to see the Northern Lights in Finland and learn winter survival skills like digging snow holes, snow fishing and building fires. Kids will love husky sledding through tranquil snowy landscapes and meeting reindeer on a day with the local Sami people. Inari is the most significant Sami centre in Finland and you’ll be able to learn more about their culture on village visits and in the Siida Sami Museum. You can also extend your stay and sleep in a unique snow hotel!

Getting away from the tourist routes is often even trickier with small children because it can involve a lot of walking. Our Atlas Mule Train trip in Morocco is perfect for little legs because they’ll get to ride mules through the Atlas Mountains whilst you enjoy easy walks in the clear mountain air and amazing views – this holiday is suitable for kids as young as two. For a unique and authentic experience you’ll stay in Berber villages and see how the locals live. As well as journeying through the Atlas this trip also includes time in the attractive fishing port of Essaouira, a former pirates’ lair, and vibrant Marrakech.

Sri Lanka is great for families because it packs diverse scenery and varied activities into a small space (smaller than Ireland!), meaning that time spent travelling between places is minimal. Our Active Sri Lanka trip offers time interacting with the locals as well as a variety of fun activities. Visit villages in Minneriya National Park by bicycle and on foot, making stops to meet the local people and watch them prepare a delicious Sri Lankan meal for you. Visit a children’s nursery and play a game of cricket with the locals. Active families will enjoy white-water rafting on the Kelani River, exploring the Dambulla caves and a safari adventure to watch elephant herds.

Machu Picchu in Peru is on travellers’ bucket lists the world over, and we’ve created a trip perfect for families who want to visit this New Wonder of the World but also escape the crowds and enjoy Peru’s other highlights. On Adventure in the Andes as well exploring the famous Inca Kingdom after hiking a one day trail, you can ride the rapids of Urubamba River by inflatable canoe and cycle alongside it, walk in the spectacular salt pans of Maras and have a go at paddle boarding. Kids will love being creative as they learn how to make a chocolate bar and craft their own pottery souvenir.

Our Cycle Vietnam trip is a great way to experience authentic Vietnam, as you’ll be able to explore traditional areas not easily reached by car. Stay in a longhouse in a hill-tribe village and cycle in the surrounding countryside with stunning caves, take a raft-style boat trip in Hoa Lu, cruise on Halong Bay and look out for Asian Black Bear and Clouded Leopard in Cuc Phuong National Park. In Hoi An you can explore the beautiful Old Town and the surrounding countryside, visiting local schools, paddy fields and a cookery school.

Kerala is perfect for families who want to experience India at a more manageable pace, and is a paradise of stunning landscapes. Get off the beaten track on our Backwaters of Kerala trip and experience an authentic homestay in Periyar, where you’ll learn how to cook some of the local delicacies and look for herds of wild elephants on a cruise on Lake Periyar. Stay on a traditional houseboat and cruise along the backwaters looking out for birdlife including parrots and kingfishers. Savour Keralan culture on temple visits, watch processions and Kathkali dance performances.

Namibia is a fantastic option for combining safari with a variety of activities. Our Namibia Wildlife Adventure trip covers varied landscapes with superb game viewing opportunities – from the wild Skeleton Coast where you can watch dolphins and seals from your cruise boat (optional), to driving past the lush green Waterberg Plateau, home to over 200 bird species and unlike anywhere else in Namibia. As well as watching wildlife including elephants, lions and rhinos in Etosha National Park, get up close to cheetahs – a once in a lifetime experience and watch feeding time at the Cheetah Conservation Fund.

On our Planet of the Apes trip to Borneo you’ll go deep into the mysterious jungle, walk through treetops and enjoy amazing views of the rainforest below. See beautiful orang-utans in their natural habitat, cruise along the river looking for monkeys, macaques and more, and watch feeding sessions of orang-utans and proboscis monkeys. Avoid the tourist trails and visit houses of native tribes to watch local skills and cultural performances. After your jungle adventure, relax on sandy beaches and look out for Nemo on a snorkelling trip.

Costa Rica is perfect for an active family adventure holiday. On all our Costa Rica holidays you can take in the main sights of the country, as well as some of the lesser-visited but equally special ones. Visit the mighty Poas and Arenal Volcanoes and the unique Manuel Antonio National Park, where you’ll discover its rainforests and stunning beaches. Hike to waterfalls, explore the treetops by canopy walks and zipwire, go rafting along the Tenorio River – a bird watcher’s paradise, and spend time in Ballena Marine National Park. This park is named after the humpback whales that migrate here each year and you’ll be able to watch these, dolphins and marine iguanas.

China offers an amazing selection of out-of-the-way places to explore, and we’ve hand-picked the best ones and created a unique itinerary – The Panda Express – combining these with the classic highlights of this vast and contrasting country. See the sights of exciting Shanghai and Beijing, including the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall which is less crowded than other sections, and visit a panda breeding centre in Chengdu to watch and learn about these adorable giants. Stay in the peaceful green region of Yangshuo, one of China’s more family-friendly destinations, where you’ll cruise down the Li River on a bamboo raft, take part in a cookery class including a market visit and go on a cycle trip along the river.

Venture into rural Tanzania and see the best of the southern circuit on our Swahili Coast & Safari trip. Tanzania is the land of safaris and also boasts a magical coastline with beautiful beaches and coastal villages immersed in years of Swahili culture. Visit a Children’s Home and a local Masai village to experience rural Tanzanian life and learn bush skills like how to track wildlife and make a fire with a park ranger. Experience amazing wildlife viewing on walking safaris, game drives and boat trips. See elephants, hippos, lions, crocodiles and more.

The beautiful island of Zanzibar is steeped in Swahili history and surrounded by some of Africa’s best coral beaches, making it a perfect end to a holiday. The Stone Town is the soul of the archipelago and a magical tangle of cobbled alleyways, bazaars and its almost medieval medina.

For families seeking wildlife, mountain trekking and activity off the beaten track our Himalayan Adventure trip to Nepal provides this and more. This is the perfect way to introduce children to the magical Himalayas without lots of intense trekking and tiring travel – an excellent balance of adventure and relaxation. Go on a one day ‘mini-trek’ expedition into the foothills of the Himalayas and enjoy spectacular mountain views at sunrise and sunset. Active families will love rafting and canoeing down the Trisuli River and looking out for rhino, crocodile and monkeys in Chitwan National Park, one of the best wildlife viewing national parks in Asia. Experience traditional life in authentic villages and learn how to cook Nepalese food.

Albania provides a rare glimpse into the ‘Europe that was’, with an abundance of natural beauty and fascinating history. Explore villages where time seems to have stood still, walk through pine forests surrounded by stunning mountain scenery and swim through rivers and waterfalls on a canyoning adventure. Albania offers beaches to rival anywhere else in the Mediterranean and fascinating World Heritage towns including Gjirokaster, the ‘city of 1,000 steps’ and charming Berat, the ‘town of a thousand windows’. Discover this wonderful country on our Adventure Albania trip before everyone else does!

Corsica is an island paradise and perfect for outdoor lovers, with its incredibly varied landscape that changes from glittering bays and stunning beaches to breath-taking valleys, forests and hilltop villages. Thrill-seeking families can get their adrenaline rush ziplining through the forest and canyoning in the Bavella Mountains. Be as active or relaxed as you want with free time to spend enjoying unspoilt beaches or participating in activities such as rock climbing and water sports. Locals love talking about their Corsican identity and there are many interesting stories to learn about this unique island that feels completely different from mainland France.

For families who want to experience true wilderness and native culture in South America, Panama is the ultimate destination because it is one of the few countries whose essence remains intact. A trip to Panama combines rainforest, beaches, indigenous communities and scenic river journeys. You’ll visit an Embera community and watch traditional singing and dancing, learn about their customs and relationship with nature and have the chance to be painted with jagua, a natural dye that they use on their bodies. Zipline through the cloud-forest, look out for sloths and monkeys, watch turtles hatch or lay their eggs and snorkel over colourful coral in Bocas del Toro.

Inspired? Let us take you there

Please phone us on 01962 302 062 for more information, or contact one of our team to help plan your perfect family holiday.