The Vacation Day

The decision making process to choose a holiday destination can be really taxing. If you want one place it is almost sure you kids will want something exactly opposite. But fret not, there are quite a few places where your kids will have a good and so will you.

Recently released movies like “Madagascar” have kids longing for adventurous travel to exotic locales. While Madagascar itself may not be a family-friendly destination, other options, such as Costa Rica or Kenya, can be rather inexpensive and good cultural learning experiences. In Costa Rica, children can learn Spanish while tramping about lush rainforests or fuming volcanoes, and parents can enjoy calypso tunes while relaxing and sipping on some of the best coffee in the world. Or in Kenya, the whole family has a lot to learn. There’s Swahili while watching and listening to the mass migration of the wildebeests in Kenya. Listening to the sounds in the rainforest or sleeping under the stars on a safari is bound to be more interesting for both parents and children than an umpteenth trip to Disneyland.

Many families also find vacations in Eastern cities, such as Beijing, Seoul or Bangkok, very adventurous, and travelers young and old are seeking the East in growing numbers. Seeing the Great Wall for real or the Terracotta Warriors of Xian in person is way more memorable than a trip to Epcot, and children learn about different cultures in person—experiencing first-hand various new food habits, different currencies, and a different way of life. Trips to the East can be pleasantly inexpensive with the flight tickets usually being the most expensive part of the trip. Entry to the country, however, requires passports and a visa, so plan your trip well in advance.

European countries, such as Italy, are popular, though increasingly expensive, trips for children. Wealthy and industrialized Western European countries definitely offer more family friendly discounts and amenities than more exotic destinations, such as Kenya or China, but children enjoy the opportunity and experience a different culture. Families can explore Italy’s history in a visit to the ruins of Pompeii, Italy’s culture on a Gondola ride in Venice, or Italy’s mouthwatering cuisine with a sweet Gelato in a park in Florence. Some families with Western European ancestry enjoy trips to countries like these because of the opportunity to explore their ethnic roots.

Sunbathing, playing in the sand, and swimming in the deep blue waters, such activities hold immense appeal for entire families. Reachable either by plane or ship, the Caribbean has a number of island vacation options to offer that will have sun, sand and water in blessed abundance. Jamaica, for example, has a natural beauty that can be breathtaking in its grandeur and magnitude. From white sandy beaches to black volcanic mountains to deep red sunsets that fill the sky, the island’s immensely pleasing nature and laid-back attitude of the people appeal to a multitude of tourists, both young and old. Children can swim and hike to their hearts’ content, and parents can enjoy reggae music and sip rum. Jamaica’s national motto is “Out of Many, One People,” and visitors to the island revel in the unique personality of the Jamaicans and Jamaica’s environmental diversity.

American’s fiftieth state, Hawaii, is also famous for sun, sand and water in abundance, and tourists of all age groups flock to the islands each year to sample some of natures bounty. Hawaii offers every summer sport or water activity that you can think of from surfing and scuba diving to whale-watching and swimming with the dolphins. Hawaii’s unique volcanic geology offers both an educational experience for children as well as a breathtaking sight for the whole family; for example, families can go for a hike on Kilauea Volcano and watch molten lava pouring into the sea. Kids can even take home some volcanic rock for a souvenir.

Wherever you decide to take your family for their next vacation, don’t limit yourself to the tried and true. Think up a destination that will be stimulating and fulfilling for all of you. Finally, remember that even the most fascinating place can stress you out or bore you to death if you don’t plan things carefully, so do your research.