Where will you go in 2015 with your family, heres what we recommend for great family adventures.
Get into the Wild on Safari
Abercrombie & Kent has been creating incredible travel experiences for over 53 years – its fabulous safaris suit families with children of all ages, with family-friendly lodges and tours.
Experience the Masai Mara and spot the “Big Five” in Kenya, watch the great wildebeest migration in the Serengeti on a trip to Tanzania, embark on a canoe trip on the Zambezi, take a walking safari in Zambia, or put your bush skills to the test in Botswana. The Eastern Cape, South Africa, offers an alternative (and malaria free) game viewing trip.
The Family Kenya tour starts with a stay at Giraffe Manor on the outskirts of Nairobi where guests get to breakfast (quite literally!) with giraffes, before visiting the rescued elephants at the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage. Spend a couple of days in the wilderness at Ol Pejeta Conservancy before heading to the Masai Mara. A stay at Sanctuary Olonana lets guests spot the Big Five as well as gaining a glimpse of the day-to-day lives of the Massai people. The dedicated family programme includes identifying animal tracks and bush skills.
A nine day Family Kenya Tour costs from £4,440 per adult and £2,549 per child based on a family of four, including all flights. Visit abercrombiekent.co.uk
The Magic of Egypt
Wherever you choose to travel with Cox & Kings, you can travel with confidence. The clarity of our brochures and website; the expertise and experience of our Tour Consultants and the knowledge and enthusiasm of our guides and local representatives on the ground, all enable you to be fully informed before you book and carefree when you travel. Here are just some of the benefits of choosing Cox & Kings.
Anyone with a keen interest in archaeology and ancient history will want to visit Egypt, but beyond the famed sights, it is a fantastic holiday destination. It offers excellent value, there are a large number of luxury hotels and superb cruises and the destination offers all-year-round sunshine.
Visit www.coxandkings.co.uk/aboutus
Magical Morocco
The Mosaic Palais Aziza & Spa, Marrakech, offers the best of both worlds. Just 10 minutes from fun in the souks and is the height of luxury for adult pampering. Set in the exclusive Palmerie area – known as the Mayfair of Marrakech – this private boutique hotel has five acres of gardens for children to roam in and a large outdoor pool for a splash around in the sun.
You can combine a family camel adventure through the lush Palmerie with a guided tour of the labyrinth of souks – where teens can spot monkeys, snakes and chameleons – and learn the art of haggling for trinkets.
As the kids play safely in the grounds, you can steal a few moments and get a traditional hammam with a treatment for two in the spa. And there’s even a complimentary babysitter if you’d rather the children were supervised.
Enjoy the Maroliano restaurant with its fusion of Italian and Moroccan flavours, after which you can relax in one of the hotel’s six large private Pavilions, reached along pathways winding deep through the garden.
“The Best of Both Worlds” at Mosaic Palais Aziza & Spa costs from €2,085 (about £1,700) based on a three-night stay for a family of four, including a three-course lunch at La Pergola or dinner at Maroliano each day (excluding drinks), a one hour camel ride and spa treatment for two. Call +212 (0) 524 329 988 or visit mosaicpalaisaziza.com.
Disney World Orlando
Just minutes from the Magic Kingdom and Disney’s World Resort is the Four Seasons Resort Orlando, opening its doors in August. Set amid lush Florida woodlands and pools, it balances a lakeside idyll with kids’ paradise.
The Four Seasons has a family pool, lazy river, splash pool including a waterfall and spray cannon and the infamous “drop” – a 242ft fiberglass water slide which loops round the area. Plus, there’s A Kid’s for All Seasons Programme on the Explorer Island in The Mansion – also home to pool tables and an observation deck – for children aged five to 12. Families can play volleyball and basketball, or have a round of golf with professionals and there are three tennis har-tru courts. Trips to the magical Cirque Du Soleil can be organised by the on-site concierge, held at downtown Disney, while the pièce de résistance is the queue jump tickets to Disney World!
A mid-week stay in a standard King guestroom for four costs from £324 per night. Visit fourseasons.com/orlando.
Save Turtles in Mexico
Try something different – Barceló Maya Beach Resort is inviting families to become tiny turtle lifesavers this summer, allowing you to play an integral part in local conservation efforts to protect the endangered sea turtles of the Riviera Maya region, in Mexico.
Take part in the hatchlings’ first journey to the sea between June and September. These baby turtles will return to the same patch of beach to, in turn, lay their own eggs.
Barceló Maya Beach Resort is located in tropical gardens overlooking the white sands of the Riviera Maya. Unwind in the U-Spa with Mayan steam bath or try sports at the Barcy Club and family excursions, to discover the sights and culture of the surrounding region.
Seven nights all-inclusive (for two adults and two children) in a superior room at the Barceló Maya Tropical hotel costs from £1,315 per person, including return flights from London Gatwick and airport transfer with Virgin Holidays. Visit virginholidays.co.uk or call 0844 557 3859.
By Saafi Khan
The adventurous spirit behind the pages of British Muslim magazine. As the Editor-in-Chief, Natasha leads with a passion for exploration and a pen dipped in wanderlust. With a keen eye for halal travel experiences and an insatiable curiosity for new experiences, she brings readers along on captivating journeys to far-flung destinations. Through her vibrant storytelling, Natasha invites readers on enriching adventures, where every experience is a window into the muslim world.
