Our Private Adventures team recently created a survival experience on a deserted island in the Caribbean, where children learned how to forage, fish, and make fire; all while weaving a pirate theme into the day to make it as enjoyable as possible. We are currently building a Blue Planet experience for a mother and son in the Galapagos Islands, which will allow them to take part in a marine conservation project under the guidance of a divemaster. We are confident it will be an experience the son will never forget and it’s a privilege to be part of that.
Many parts of Africa are also ideal for families as they offer such a range of different activities to keep all ages happy. Previously we have created treasure hunts across the deserts of Namibia, involving riding, quad bikes, a hot air balloon, and an element of safari.
Another popular request is planning a series of experiences to make the most of children’s school holidays, involving an element of education to ensure they are taking something valuable away from each experience. These can run over the course of a year or five years. The timing and duration of school holidays mean we can design very different experiences in very interesting parts of the world; places that offer plenty of variety to adults and children alike. Where applicable, we will draft in field experts to accompany the family to enhance the experience – it is one thing to snorkel incredible corals, but it is another altogether to experience it with a marine biologist, for example.
There are, of course, certain experiences and environments that aren’t suitable for young children. I would not recommend young children take part in some of our mountain experiences, however where possible we try and get them to meet the rest of their family at the top of a climb or bottom of a slope – if there is a way to ensure everyone can be involved in an experience, without compromising on safety, we will endeavour to make it happen. Our approach to experiential travel ensures that we are creating multiple itineraries every day to give each family member the opportunity to do something extraordinary.