This is the year to plan the once-in-a-lifetime holiday that your kids will be talking about for years and years to come. There are so many exciting adventures to be had in the world and while some of them aren’t appropriate for the younger kids, these top five family holiday destinations will guarantee the most magical experience for you and your family.
Disney World and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Did your children read every Harry Potter book cover to cover? Maybe you enjoy watching the movies on rainy Sundays? Perhaps you own every single Disney Movie ever made. Head to Orlando, Florida in the United States to experience two of the most exciting and enchanting theme parks in the world. Disney World is the most visited resort in the world with four theme parks, 27 themed hotels, two water parks, and a camping resort.
The Magic Kingdom houses Cinderella’s Castle and Main Street USA, while the Animal Kingdom lets your family learn about all of the world’s most exciting animals and jump on rides themed towards the parts of the world they come from. This is an absolute must for all ages. After all, everyone should experience Disney World once in their life.
Just next door to Disney World is the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a part of Universal Orlando Resort. This theme park lets your family jump right into the Wizard World as you shop for supplies in Diagon Alley and take a ride on the Hogwarts Express. All ages will enjoy this theme park and leave with memories for a lifetime.
These two theme parks will take their toll on your feet—walking is a big part of the experience as you’ll be ambling around in between rides and activities. Keeping that in mind, try to plan a minimum of one week for these two parks, so you can space out the amount of walking you’ll have to do per day. For the optimal experience you’ll want to plan for a week and a half or two weeks.
Alternatively, book a Disney Cruise—this great cruise option for winter(or, really, all year 'round) encompasses all the fun of the theme parks with added travel to various destinations.
Safari
Going to the zoo is an amazingly enriching way to educate your children on the animals of the world and who doesn’t love to see them? However, if you want a truly unforgettable experience, opt to go on a Safari in South West Africa. Etosha National Park in Namibia is one of the many Namibian locations that features spine-thingling wildlife. Etosha offers a self-drive option so you can go at your own pace and let your children experience the magic and mystery of animals they’ve probably only seen from a distance. The park offers luxury accommodations down to park camping to fit any family’s budget.
Travel Tip: The best time to visit the park is between May and October when you will find much of the wildlife congregated around waterholes under the summer sun.
Elephant sanctuary
Thailand is an especially memorable place to visit with incredible food and culture, making it an exciting holiday alone, but if you want to amp up the holiday and make it truly unforgettable, head to the Elephant Sanctuary in Sukhothai Hills. The Boon Lott Elephant Sanctuary lets you have unlimited interaction with the elephants and your price includes overnight accommodation with pickup/drop-off, meals, internet, and laundry. Your family will love spending the day with these beautiful creatures. Volunteer to wash elephants and make a difference for animals abroad.
Snorkeling in the Cayman Islands
Your family will never forget swimming amongst neon fish and rainbow coral gardens, as well as, the huge, fearless stingrays right off the Grand Cayman. The island also hosts beautiful, luxurious malls and gorgeous botanic parks. Take your family to relax on the gorgeous, sparkling white beaches and the beautiful turquoise seas surrounding the Cayman Islands for an unforgettable family holiday.
Volunteer trips
Family trips are typically based around exciting places where your family can relax on a sandy, white beach or swing from museum to museum learning about different cultures. However, most forget about the unforgettable, hands-on experience of helping those in need. Planning a volunteer trip for your family will not only be an empowering way to teach your children to help others and give their time to those less fortunate, but it will also be a way to experience another culture up-close and personal, without the tourist traps and crowded attractions. Most of these trips give you free days to explore the town and working directly with locals, you’ll learn about the hot spots that tourists wouldn’t typically know to go.
Check out Projects Abroad or Australia Discount Travel and Tours to book a trip for your family. Then, check out Cover-More for travel insurance for your entire family once you know which magical adventure you will be going on together.
Image courtesy of Flickr user Chris Harrison