You have been working so hard all year round, taken by the daily routine: work, home, kids, schools …. It is a never ending cycle that goes round and round until you feel you desperately need a break; a vacation away from all this hectic routine. Vacations mean kids at home which means no rest, no fun and no break at all. What to do? The best solution is to escape from all that frustration and go on a “family trip” that will pull you out of your daily routine. But you wonder where to go and what would be a suitable family destination?
In what follows we recommend 10 destinations suitable for different family styles or interests.
1- Hawaii “Family Dream Vacation”
Families dream about the perfect vacation in Hawaii. We will talk about one island of Hawaii called Maui. It is in the Pacific Ocean and the second largest island of Hawaii. It is famous for its crystal water, rich in aquatic life (fish, sea turtles, dolphins, whales …), and has around 80 beaches with different sand colors. Families can visit Maui Ocean Center, one of the top family attractions of Hawaii, which has a turtle lagoon, pools, excellent aquariums and shark dives. It also has Haleakala Volcano and National Park, the world’s largest dormant volcano (3,055 m high). Maui is also known for whale watching and offers a variety of boat trips.
2- Paris “Disneyland with an Artistic Touch”:
The major family attraction in Paris is a Disneyland theme park that offers more than 50 attractions, hotels, gardens, and many others entertainment options such as parades, meeting Disney characters and breathtaking magical shows. Paris by itself is a major piece of art: the Eiffel Tower, Notre dame Cathedral and the famous “Mona Lisa” are iconic symbols of the city. Many families care for building some kind of artistic awareness for their kid. So you can include cultural attractions that could interest kids in The Louvre museum such as “The Mona Lisa” or “the Egyptian mummies”, visit “Center Pompidou” which has a section named “Galerie des Enfants” (kids gallery) specifically designed for kids or simply enjoy pony rides or marionettes show in the Luxemburg area.
3- Orlando “Walt Disney World”:
Orlando’s top family attraction is The Walt Disney World Theme Parks which has four theme parks, two water parks and a wide variety of resorts to choose from. As parents, you have to admit that you would enjoy this magical world as much as your kids! Besides the Walt Disney World, Orlando is rich with attractions and parks such as the “Universal Orlando multi-park destination”, with its mostly visited being the Wizarding World of Harry Potter; “The Discovery Cove” where you can swim with dolphins, feed exotic birds or snorkel, the “Orlando Sea World” where kids experience aquatic wildlife, “The Wet’n Wild Orlando” where families will enjoy unique water rides and attractions, and “The Sea Screamer Speedboat” which is known as the world’s largest speedboat that starts with a relaxing cruise and ends in a thrilling high speed ride.
4- Thailand “Family Adventure in Nature”:
Thailand holds a variety of family oriented attractions that you can find in each major city. First of all, you will definitely have to pass via Bangkok, where you can take a boat tour on the Bangkok’s backwater canals, visit the Dusit Zoo, enjoy the Dream World or Siam Water Park, watch the Samphran Elephant Show and visit the Crocodile farm. Phuket is an island with superb beaches and lovely resorts where you will appreciate snorkeling with special kids programs, boat trips to nearby islands, Splash Jungle Water Park and many more. Another place is Chiang Mai, north of Thailand, where you have elephant rides, the Chiang Mai night safari, Mountain Biking, River Cruises, hot-air balloons, horse riding, or simply admiring the lovely waterfalls.
5- Dubai “Arabian Adventure”:
We move to the Middle East and present Dubai that has popular attractions and activities. Families would love a day trip to Atlantis resort on The Palm where you have the amazing Aquaventure (Number 1 waterpark in the Middle East & Europe) plus The Lost Chambers Aquarium (biggest in the Middle East and Africa) which holds more than 500 rare species. You shouldn’t miss the world’s largest indoor park and the world’s only Ferrari-branded theme park at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi (easy access by car). An exceptional attraction is the world’s largest indoor snow park at the Ski Dubai, the observation deck of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, and outdoor activities such as desert jeep safari, camel rides, dune dinners where you experience unique Arabian Adventure.
6- Turkey “Unique Flavor”:
Turkey extends over two continents (Europe & Asia) and has a coastline with wonderful beaches, a wealthy history, and dynamic bazaars with a rich culture. All this gives Turkey unique flavor that attracts visitors. We will start by Istanbul where families can enjoy ferry boats, lovely cruises such as the Bosphorus Cruise, castles, palaces, fortresses, towers, aerial tramways, and parks. In addition, we have the Istanbul Zoo, the Toy Museum, the Ice Skating rink and the famous Miniaturk Park that holds around 120 model buildings which are tiny copies of Istanbul’s landmarks. We recommend only two family resorts where families can enjoy the clear blue sandy beaches and luxurious resorts with all kind of fun water activities, boat trips and sailing yachts: Marmaris located on the Mediterranean coast and Bodrum, situated on the Aegean coast.
7- The Caribbean Islands “Best Beach Fun”
We recommend The Caribbean Islands as one of the top islands. They have great activities such as forest hiking, boat rides, volcano treks, whitewater rafting, sailing, kayaking, caving, rainforest walks, canopy rides, mountain biking and horseback riding. The most interesting part is that the Caribbean has one of the most diverse preserved ecosystems worldwide. Thus, you will love turtles, birds, whales and dolphin watching, wildlife spotting, deep sea fishing, swimming with turtles and snorkeling with stingrays. Some of the most famous islands are Jamaica, The Bahamas and Puerto Rico (wide choice of family-friendly resorts), the Turks & Caicos Islands (best place for diving with turtles), The British Virgin Islands (best island for sailing) and the Dominican Republic (adventure capital of the Caribbean).
8- Ski in Europe “Family Winter Fun”:
A unique idea for a family vacation is a ski trip. Europe has an endless choice of ski trips, whether in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy or France. Some of the best ski destinations are Zermatt, Swiss Alps famous for The Matterhon Mountain and Zermatt village. The largest ski resort in Switzerland is Davos, Swiss Alps, which is the highest city in Europe. In France we recommend Chamonix, Rhone-Alpes with Mont-Blanc as its main attraction (Western Europe’s tallest mountain). Finally, we recommend two places to ski in the Austrian Alps. The first is Zell Am See, known for its picturesque lakeside town of Zell AM See and Kitzbuhel, offering more than 60 lifts and slopes for all levels.
9- Queensland “Holiday State”
Queensland is the holiday state of Australia. Families can do things they won’t find elsewhere whether at Surfers Paradise, Brisbane, The Great Barrier Reef (2500 km of coral reefs and islands), Cairns being its access point, The Gold Coast with its lovely beaches and great entertainment at Australia Zoo, Dream World, Movie World, Sea World... etc. You can take a kayak tour on the Great Barrier Reef to enjoy watching birds and marine life, climb the Brisbane Story Bridge overlooking Brisbane River, slide on the most extreme waterslides ever made at the White Water World Gold Coast, dive or snorkel out of Cairns on a Magic Marine World Outer Reef Cruise at The Barrier Reef Platform, spot whales on the Gold Coast, and finally we save the best for last: a tour to the world’s largest sand island Fraser Island, a visit to Dreamworld’s Australian Wildlife; one of the largest wildlife parks in South East Queensland with the second largest koala population in the world, where kids would love cuddling a koala and feeding a kangaroo.
10- Family Cruise:
Family cruises have become very popular recently and cruise companies compete to offer the best kids programs and accommodations on board. Bigger ships have fantastic entertainment such as parks with slides, climbing rock walls, golf for kids, laser shooting, pool decks, bowling lanes, outdoor movies, theaters, crafts workshops, dance parties, science labs, play areas, kids clubs, nursery care, etc. Some cruise lines suitable for families are the Royal Caribbean Ships, the Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises and Disney Cruise Line. Disney cruises started Mediterranean Cruises out of Barcelona. The Disney Magic is a cruise that sails to ports in six different countries: Spain, Malta, Tunisia, Italy, Corsica and France. The Royal Caribbean Cruise has a cruise in Northern Europe. Star Virgo sails from Singapore to Phuket, Penang and Kuala Lumpur. So go ahead and check for recent offers to choose the best cruise for your family!
10 destinations for a great family vacation
10 destinations for a great family vacation
