Get the Adrenaline Flowing!
Adventure holidays are ideal for high-energy kids of all ages
To many, a vacation is all about rest and relaxation, kicking back in the sun with the most physical exertion being a cooling dip in the pool. Others crave action, adventure, experience and excitement.
Make sure all family members can handle the physical challenges of adventurous holiday experiences.
If your kids are more on the high-energy, active side of the scale, consider an adventure-based travel experience. Try a new sport, explore the far reaches of the earth, test limits, discover hidden passions, challenge the senses, indulge in exotic cultural experiences, get the adrenaline flowing. When parent and child share an exhilarating, novel, boundary-busting experience together, the memories are magical.
Make sure you plan a trip that is appropriate for the age and ability of your child (and you!). Small children aren’t always adept at roughing it to the extremes. Some kids may be up for moderate physical challenges as long as frequent rests and breaks are worked into the itinerary. Ensure food and drink is plentiful to fuel young bodies, minds and souls.
Organized family adventure trips handle all the pesky logistics for you. Good tour companies know how to balance activity with downtime, leaving ample room for discovery and serendipity to play its part. If you’re more into independent travel, simply inject a few active pursuits on your own trips to spice things up.
You’ll open your child’s eyes to a world of excitement, inspiring them to take on fresh challenges and accomplish set goals. They’ll develop an appreciation of the earth’s playground and their body’s capabilities – and most likely an appreciation of the comforts of home, too.
CONS
You never know if your kid is going to take to your planned adventure or not. Keep a flexible, open mind and don’t show disappointment if your child doesn’t fully embrace the challenges at hand. Multi-sport active adventures aren’t for everybody.
BEST AGE
It depends where you’re going, what you’re doing and what your child’s ability and enthusiasm are like. Generally speaking, active and adventurous vacations are best appreciated by those 5 and up, even older for the more physical pursuits.
There’s a world of opportunity awaiting the adventure seekers. Try white water rafting, spelunking (caving), rock climbing, bicycling, mountain biking, sea kayaking, canoeing, mountain climbing, sailing, snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing, tubing, horseback riding, hiking, skiing, snowboarding, snow shoeing, dog sledding, camping, zip lining, going on safari and elephant trekking for starters.
MUST BRING
A sense of wonder and a willingness to try new things. Each trip will have a unique packing list depending on the location and activities involved.
SUGGESTED DESTINATIONS
New Zealand, Belize, Nepal, Tanzania, the Amazon, the Galapagos Islands, or any National Park
ADVENTURE TOUR OPERATORS
GAP organizes worldwide adventurous trips for families that go off the beaten path but have occasional comforts thrown in too. Sail around the Galapagos, explore caves in Vietnam, ride elephants in India, take a camel safari in Egypt...
Journeys International organizes kid-compatible adventurous trips to worldwide destinations, with dates that coincide with school holidays. Flexible age-appropriate activities take physical abilities and attention spans into consideration.
Intrepid Family Adventures are designed for family travelers age 6 and up. Their active, environmentally responsible, relatively affordable small group tours include destinations like Borneo, Nepal, Vietnam, India and Morocco.
Austin-Lehman specialize in organized adventure tours in North, South and Central America plus Africa, taking care of all the pesky details so you and your family can focus on fun. Recommended age is 7 and up.
Backroads have put together biking and multi-sport family adventures around Europe, Canada, the US, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and beyond.
Adventures by Disney – yes, even the loveable rodent has gotten into the adventure travel game with special trips to Asia/Pacific, Latin America, Europe and North America.
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