Different type of active holidays require different skills and abilities and therefore there is no blanket rule on the minimum child age applicable for the trips. All of our family vacations have a clear note on the minimum child age and most can be taken by children over 5 to 7 years of age. On some vacations, the minimum age could be 12 years. We don’t recommend active holidays for children below 3 years of age.
A family is made up of people with different personalities and interests and we know that choosing a holiday that will satisfy all is not the easiest task. Start with choosing the activity that everyone will enjoy. Trekking may not be for everyone in your home while it’s possible that cycling is. Once you have chosen the travel style, consider the destination – including travel time to get there. Pay attention to the minimum child age and narrow down your selection. Remember that when we label our trip as a Family Holiday, it is already designed keeping doing things together and bonding in mind. If in doubt call us.
The probability of getting an injury on an active holiday is the same as getting injury playing cricket or basket-ball at school! We have taken pains to find reliable, experienced partners on ground and their safety standards as well as their ability to support our travellers in case of emergency is of paramount importance to us. Our trips, vacations and activities for children are based on strict safety guidelines, though parent supervision is a must at all times.
Since our vacations are aimed at introducing you to local cuisine, most included meals are freshly prepared at local restaurants. Choices can be limiting though you are more likely to find something the kids like, than not. Of course, at city hotels, if your itinerary includes them, you will have international choices. Pack some of their favourite (lightweight) snacks is not a bad idea at all. And yes, don’t forget to tell us about food allergies, if any, before you book as it may be difficult to find allergen-free food on certain trips.
With vegetarianism gaining popularity throughout the world, this is usually not so difficult for us to arrange. Having said that, some destinations and the holiday styles offer very limited vegetarian food options. Of course given the cultures, some are easier than the others – vegetarian food is easy to find in Asia.
Whether your children will be sharing the room with you or not, depends on their age as well as how many children are travelling with you. In many countries the law requires that children below the age of 16 (and this can vary) have at least one adult in their room. Accommodation on some trips may become a tight squeeze with 2 adults and 2 children and some hotels may not even allow it. We will do our best to offer interconnecting or larger family rooms but this cannot be guaranteed.
We can vouch for the accommodation being clean, safe and mostly comfortable, but we can’t guarantee anything like swimming pools, room service and at times even attached toilets - and that is part of the adventure. Our accommodation options range from guesthouses, small family run hotels, wild life lodges, home stays, tea-houses and an odd time here or there a ‘real’ hotel if you are in the city.
On some trips you will have the option to stay at the hotel and do your own thing (which can very well be nothing). Family cycling trips are easy to handle as the luggage van is almost always with you and children can jump in whenever they like. Hiking and trekking, on the other hand offer less freedom to make changes to the itinerary though even there, depending on situation, and on if you are on your own or taking a guided trip and if you are in a group, assistance will always be just a call away. Of course, children will always stay behind under at least one parent’s supervision. You are responsible for your children at all times.
Comfortable clothing and footwear (well broken into), standard medication (to handle headache, fever, cold, cough, vomiting, stomach bugs etc.) with band-aids. Foldable raincoats, a small back-pack that they can carry with their favourite things including their own (cheap) camera, a journal and a pen, snacks are some of the things you’d like to add. We recommend you travel right.