Multigenerational Family Travel

Family

Multigenerational travel is certainly something to be considered – kids, parents and grandparents all travel together or meet up in a mutually agreed upon location. In large families the group can include aunts and uncles and other family members that are looking for a way to reconnect. This kind of trip is really ideal because parents can take a night off for a romantic dinner while Grandma and Grandpa take the kids out for pizza. Auntie Sue and Uncle Joe are live wires, and they can take the kids ziplining while others relax by the pool, and the older folks can pick and choose which activities they want to share with the family and which they’d rather skip. Obviously this kind of trip requires a lot of pre-planning and organization, but it’s a perfect way to celebrate major family events like significant birthdays, anniversaries, and weddings.

The planning part is where your Travel Leaders expert will become your best friend – coordinating flights, answering accommodation requests, and making sure any special needs the group may have are met.

So what type of vacation will be enjoyable for people of all ages? There are several great options.

All-inclusive Resorts in Mexico and the Eastern Caribbean are perfect for this kind of gathering.

Beaches Resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica has been voted one of the Top Ten Best Beach Resorts by Parents Magazine. The all-inclusive feature means all meals, entertainment, and drinks are included in the price. The kids can hang out at the snack bar while adults have cocktails at the swim-up bar, and nobody has to dive for their wallet! Watersports like kayaking, paddle boarding, snorkeling and windsurfing and land sports like tennis, croquet and shuffleboard are all complimentary. Pirate Island Water Park offers giant water slides for the kids and a lazy river for….. well, the ones who want to be lazy!
The Melia Puerto Vallarta resort is another family friendly destination that has activities, accommodations, dining options and nearby attractions that will appeal to every age group. Services include a Kids Club, nightly entertainment, spa treatments, fine dining, a lagoon-style pool as well as a variety of water sports. The weekly evening craft market on the terrace features locally made arts and crafts that make perfect souvenirs and gifts for those not fortunate enough to make the trip. You won’t want to miss spending some time in the city itself to experience the famous Malecon boardwalk along the ocean with its fabulous sand sculptures, quirky boutiques and art galleries, and amazingly inexpensive street food stalls. Take a guided tour to visit the fabulous Vallarta Botanical Gardens, or a boat tour to Isla Marietas. The zipline experience here over the Sierra Madre Mountains is unforgettable.

Adventure Travel offering unique, exclusive experiences to relatively small family groups is an attractive option for multi-generational gatherings where several different families can share in the expenses, making the ‘trip of a lifetime’ a bit more affordable.

An African safari is one such trip that may have been on the bucket list for a number of family members for years……(the rest of the family can go along for the ride!) Imagine a twelve day escorted Kenya and Tanzania tour where you’ll travel to three different game reserves, tracking East Africa’s incredible wildlife in custom made vehicles accompanied by experienced, knowledgeable guides. In Nairobi you’ll visit the Giraffe Center and meet an orphaned baby elephant being trained for life in the wild. In the Amboseli National Park the kids can learn the art of spear-throwing, while the adults take in the majestic view of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Your luxury lodging on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater gives you early access to the crater floor, home to a wide variety of African animals and birds. Your visit to the Serengeti National Park includes morning and evening game drives in search of Africa’s “Big Five” – leopards, water buffalo, rhinos, lions, and elephants. Other activities include a bush treasure hunt for the kids, visits with members of the Maasai tribe (including a cooking lesson), and a trip to the savannah country on the Masai Mara Game Reserve. The beauty of a small group family tour like this one by Abercrombie and Kent is that it can be personalized to accommodate the wishes and needs of the group, so you can make it your own.

A cruise to Antarctica will take your family into remote regions of the world that few will ever see. Viewing penguins, seals and whales in their natural Antarctic habitat is only part of the allure of this amazing 18 day cruise by Hurtigruten, a leader in the adventure travel field. Because of unpredictable weather and ice conditions in the region, Hurtigruten’s cruises don’t necessarily follow a set itinerary – which makes this cruise uniquely memorable. Captains of these magnificently designed ships monitor the weather constantly, making it possible to access some of the infrequently traveled areas south of the Antarctic Circle when weather conditions permit.

The 18 day cruise begins in Buenos Aires, home of the National Museum of Arts showcasing works by Monet, Picasso, and Van Gogh. Enjoy a visit to the street museum in La Boca for local art and music and a taste of some classic Argentinian beef. From Buenos Aires, you’ll fly to Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city. Here you’ll board your home for the duration of the trip – one of Hurtigruten’s hybrid powered cruise ships, designed especially for environmentally friendly cruising in these frigid waters.

You’ll cruise through the Drake Passage on your way to Antarctica and use the time to immerse yourself in Antarctic studies at the onboard Science Center. You’ll have the option to become a Citizen Scientist under the leadership of the ship’s professional Expedition Team, learning about this fragile environment and efforts to protect it. The following days will be spent cruising among spectacular glaciers and icebergs with Antarctic wildlife creating the soundtrack for the cruise. The calls of the skuas, petrels and terns, the roar of leopard seals, and squawks of the penguins interrupt the otherwise absolute quiet of this frozen landscape, occasionally accompanied by the roar of a majestic waterfall thundering into the sea. You’ll have options for kayaking and hiking (even camping) on the numerous islands the ship will visit. Sturdy rubber boats transport passengers from the ship to the islands for these excursions. Some island highlights include:

Deception Island with its volcanic caldera
Half Moon island where a large colony of chinstrap penguins congregate, also a photographer’s paradise
Cuverville Island, accessible by a narrow channel between icebergs which host nesting penguins
Neko Island – one of the few places visitors can actually land on the mainland of Antarctica
Petermann Island – a perfect location for spotting whales
Port Lockroy, a former British base abandoned in 1962, now a museum maintained by the Antarctic Heritage Trust
Wilhelmina Bay – the favorite feeding ground of whales and seals as well as a spot favored by photographers due to the magnificent glaciers and mountains that surround it

Imagine yourself as part of Roald Amundsen’s expedition team. You’ll have the same thrill of exploring this remote region without the hardships and hazards – your safety and comfort is assured! When you’re not exploring the Antarctic wilderness you will find plenty to do aboard your well-appointed ship, dining in a choice of several restaurants, relaxing in the ship’s hot tubs, keeping fit in the gym and being pampered in the luxurious spa facilities. AND you can enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience knowing that the Hurtigruten ships and staff are truly dedicated to the environments that they explore. No plastic is allowed anywhere on the ships which are designed using self-sustaining technology, leaving fewer emissions and drastically reducing fuel consumption. There is no doubt that everyone in your group, no matter what their age, would put this trip at the top of their “mission accomplished” list.