8 Top Tips on Adventure Travelling with Children
Don’t let having kids ruin the adventures of your dreams. Traveling with children may require extra planning but they certainly add to the adventure!
To help your dream trip run as smoothly as possible, we asked adventure experts Rickshaw Travel to share their top tips on adventure travelling with children.
Trial the local food– It’s worth getting a flavour of the local food before you go, as a way of introducing your kids to the dishes and ingredients they’ll be eating on holiday. After all, getting a taste of the cuisine is all part of the adventure. If you’re worried about the upset tummies (because it does happen), you can buy child-friendly rehydration sachets and pack them in your first-aid pack.
Bring little surprises – If you’ve got a lot of travelling ahead of you, pack 10 really small things all wrapped up (sometimes from charity shops or even re-wrapped favourite toys from home) and then whenever they get fractious/bored they can unwrap one and that’ll keep them busy… until the next one anyway!
Pack a basic first aid kit – You don’t want to be caught short in the event of a scraped knee or poorly tummy, so it pays to pack the basics. Make sure you stock up on antiseptic cream or wipes, Calpol sachets, plasters, a thermometer, a water bottle (many places do re-fill stations), re-usable straws and baby cutlery for younger kids.
Carry a sick bag – If you’re going to be travelling on long or windy transfers or boat rides, it’s always good to be prepared for travel sickness.
Request child meals on your flight – We’d recommend this for younger kids (our travel specialists can do this for you), as the kids get given their meals first so there is less moaning and the adults meals won’t go cold while they’re sorting them out. The food tends to be more western style so better for fussy eaters, too.
Get them excited about your holiday - Speak to our travel specialists about the most kid friendly parts of your trip so you can start getting them excited about all the things to look forward to. Let them know what’s happening where and when, so they know what to expect and what to look forward to.
Give them a role – This is ideal for older children. Ask them to help you spot signposts, translate menus, work out where you’re going next, even let them choose leaflets at the tourist information when you arrive – maybe they can pick out somewhere they’d like to go.
Take a kid-friendly camera – Our Travel Specialists swear by this. Taking a child-friendly camera will bring hours of fun and entertainment as they get totally immersed in their new destination. Plus, it keeps their mitts away from your pricey SLR. Opt for a disposable, Instax or V- tech camera, which does a great job for a reasonable price (the latter is perfect for younger kids)
And in case these tips have given you the extra incentive you need, here are our some of our top Rickshaw Travel picks for the ultimate family adventure!
Natural Wonders & Wildlife
Costa Rica
Suitable for: Families looking for a relaxed and gentle itinerary, and for children aged 6 and above.
Take your family into nature, and explore some of the highlights of Costa Rica in just 11 days – perfect for a shorter getaway over Easter or Christmas holidays. You’ll soak in hot springs at the Arenal Volcano, walk through the cloud forests of Monteverde and see wildlife beside the Pacific Ocean in Manual Antonio.
*Rickshaw Travel Families offers an 11day/10 night ready-made family itinerary in Costa Rica from £1,065 per person and £785 per child. Price includes accommodation, breakfast, transport including transfers, shuttle buses or car hire with full insurance and GPS, excursions as described)
Explore the Rainforests of Sumatra
Indonesia
Suitable for: This itinerary is perfect for adventurous families with children over the age of 8.
Take your family on an adventure through the jungles of Indonesia. Immerse yourselves in the wild greenery as you venture through the tropical forest eco-system and spot the ginger-haired orangutans before heading further into the Sumatran wilderness. Stay in jungle lodges, tube down rivers and take dips in the fresh waterfalls whilst keeping your eyes peeled for the wildlife around you. Finish your family trip in Berastagi, visit local markets and head to Lake Toba, you’ll meet locals, stroll around the beautiful village and witness the magical atmosphere of the lake that’s surrounded by densely wooded mountains and traditional Batak houses.
*Rickshaw Travel Families offers an 11 day/ 10 night ready-made family itinerary in Indonesia from £928 per adult and £685 per child (under 12.) Price includes accommodation, transport as described, excursions as described and breakfast.
Journey from Cities to Coast
Vietnam
Suitable for: Families with children aged 6 and above.
If you want something a bit more active for your family trip to Vietnam then this itinerary packs in lots of excursions and new experiences to keep the whole family entertained. Tickle your taste buds in Hanoi with local cuisine, try out squid fishing and kayaking amongst the limestone cliffs, stay in a local homestay up in the hills, cycle through lush landscapes and lend a hand on a farm in Hue. Phew! Finish it all off with a few days relaxing on a palm-fringed beach near Hoi An. This holiday is perfect for adventurous families travelling in the summer school holidays and has a mix of accommodation styles and levels.
*Rickshaw Travel Families offers a 13 day/12 night ready-made family itinerary in Vietnam from £1,398 per adult and £1,155 per child (under 12.) Price includes accommodation, breakfast, transport, excursions as described, entrance fee for Bai Tu Long Bay. To book, please visit www.rickshawtravel.co.uk/family-holidays
Two Wonders in Two Week
Vietnam and Cambodia
Suitable for: Families with children aged 8 plus.
If you are travelling in the summer school holidays and would like to pack lots in during your family holiday then this itinerary combines the variety and adventure of vibrant Vietnam with the mystical temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Cruise past limestone cliffs in a traditional junk boat, cycle past rice paddies and grazing water buffalo, chill on soft sandy beaches and watch the sun rise over ancient temples. We’ve picked the places most suitable in the summer school holidays and a variety of accommodation and experiences suitable for most ages.
*Rickshaw Travel Families offers a 14 day/13 night ready-made family itinerary in Vietnam and Cambodia from £1,918 per adult and £1,568 per child. Price includes accommodation, breakfast, transport, excursions as described, 1 flight between Vietnam and Cambodia.
Frogs, Fireflies + Flowing Waterways
Borneo
Suitable for: Families with children aged 6 plus.
Take the family on a fun-packed wildlife adventure around Sarawak. Cycling through the streets of Kuching, you’ll then go searching for frogs in the Kubah National Park. Then you’ll hop on a jungle boat on the mighty Santubong, a haven for wildlife! No trip to Borneo would be complete without seeing the orangutans, so next up is Semenggoh. Finally, it’s time to take it easy on Damai Beach before heading home.
*Rickshaw Travel Families offers an 8 day/7 night ready-made family itinerary in Borneo from £995 per adult and £815 per child. Price includes accommodation, breakfast, other meals as described, transport as described, excursions as described, permits.
To book your next adventure with Rickshaw Travel, please visit rickshawtravel.co.uk
Sniffle season is here, but your best defense isn’t in the medicine cabinet—it’s in your gut. Feed your microbes right, and they’ll keep your immune system in fighting form.