When children come along a lot of people think that they are resigned to only doing beach holidays, camping or Disney to be able to keep the little ones happy. This is just not the case. Exploring the World with children opens up new perspectives and let’s you experience things in a different way. We’ve put together our Family Bucket List.

We’ve got 10-12 years left before M is going to start saying that he’d rather go on holiday with his friends so we’ve put together our family bucket list that we want to visit (or revisit) before that happens.

Disney – a visit to Mickey Land is top of M’s list. I want to give this one another couple of years and then we’ll have to do it. Easter or October Half Term are the best times to head over to the Sunshine State. The weather is great and there is less chance of rain than in the Summer. Remember there are non-Disney activities too in Florida such as visiting the amazing beaches of Gulf Coast, the fascinating Everglades and the Keys.

Thailand – This is this years trip. We’ll be heading to Kanchanaburi to visit the Bridge over the River Kwai, hike up to waterfalls and stay in a floating bamboo hotel. Then it’s off via overnight train to the South west where we’ll chill out on the beach, get our diving and snorkeling fix and eat copious amounts of Thai street food. Thailand is one of my favourite places in the World and I can’t wait to explore it again with M and I think it’s the ideal place to start travelling in Asia for a child.

Borneo – Getting to experience jungle camps, orangutans and fantastic ocean National Parks makes the draw of Borneo so strong. We’ll be doing this trip as part of an organised tour with Intrepid to make the most of our time and have the knowledge of someone that is hugely experienced in the area. Organised Family Adventure tours are a fantastic way of going somewhere a little bit different with like minded families and having everything taken care of for you. They’ll even run some tours with a minimum age of 5!

Lapland – It’ll be a trip of lifetime and it’s not cheap but one that I’m determined to do before the magic and belief disappears. There are so many activities to take part in and enjoy. It won’t just be about meeting the big man himself, though of course it is the main attraction. The husky rides, sledging, reindeer’s and snowball fights all add to the magic of the day or two or three that you chose to spend there.

US Road Trip – What road trip we’ll be doing hasn’t been decided yet and whether it will be done by car or by motorhome. It will either be around the canyonlands and National Parks in the West or a trip around the Deep South. Whichever one, it will involve big open roads, camping and lots of countryside and scenery and quality family time.

Paris – So close to home, we should be able to fit this one in! M just wants to go up the Eiffel Tower, but obviously he’ll be seeing a lot more! The TV show Go Jetters has a lot to answer for! 

An African Safari – this one’s for us. But I know that M will enjoy it just as much. Going on a safari and see lions, zebra, rhinos, and hopefully cheetahs will be my dream. Whether we do this in the Okavango Delta or explore Uganda and their wild gorillas, or stick to the more travelled South Africa, we’re not sure yet as he needs to be older to be able to truly appreciate it, but there certainly isn’t a shortage of choice in the wonderful continent of Africa.

Indonesia – Diving, diving and more diving. Indonesia is not just about Bali, it’s such a rich and diverse country and spread over hundreds of islands. We’ll be heading over to the more remote islands of Lombok, Suluwesi and Komodo to experience some great diving but also to get the chance to see Komodo Dragons.

Honduras – Yes we used to live there. M does keep asking to go back but I think this a trip for 5 years time when he is old enough to learn how to dive. We’ll of course spend time in the Bay Islands and get to share the magic of the underwater World with him from underneath rather than the surface with snorkelling. Then it’ll be over to mainland Honduras to visit Pico Bonito National Park where we can hike, white water raft and zipline, then up to Copan to visit the ruins and visit some of our favourite restaurants (if they are still around).

Iceland – This is another of M’s top picks. He’s fascinated by being able to see Geysers, volcanoes and glaciers. There’s also fantastic whale watching and also the Blue Lagoon to experience. Just make sure your children are aware that if they are under 8 they’ll have to wear armbands even if they can swim, these are provided by the Blue Lagoon. Day trips make getting around so easy but if you’d like to get a little more remote then hire a car for a couple of days and really get out into the wilderness.

Of course they’ll also be the beach holidays thrown in the mix. These are just our family top ten – there are so many more wonderful places I encourage you to put together your own list and start to plan it out.

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Sarah Laverty, owner of Compass Connections has travelled the world all the name of passion and being able to pass on her knowledge to others. If you have a trip or any holiday plans in mind please do get in touch. www.compass-connections.co.uk   01603 343555

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