Luxury Family Safari

The Farmstead at Royal Malewane in Kruger National Park in South Africa recently opened with several family sized accommodations. The hotel comprises a main lodge, three freestanding Luxury Farm Suites, and The Farmhouse, a three-and-a-half-bedroom villa with its own private pool!  Services include a chef, housekeeper and butler.  Your family will also have their own private safari vehicle with a dedicated Ranger and Tracker! Children of all ages are welcome at The Farmhouse, while the Luxury Farm Suites are suitable for children over the age of 10.  To celebrate, the property is offering a second free night in Cape Town at their sister hotel, The Silo with three nights at The Farmstead.  This package is available through December 15.

Family Time at Rosewood

This summer, Rosewood Hotels and Resorts is debuting their new Family Time program; a mix of activities designed to help your family get an insider’s perspective on each of its 27 hotels’ unique destinations while enjoying quality family time.  Experiences range from visiting an elephant sanctuary at a Laotian World Heritage Site to truffle-hunting with trained canines in Tuscany, “adopting” a coral garden in Bermuda’s ocean waters, horseback riding through a California redwood forest and walking through the doors of a chef’s own home for an authentic Middle Eastern feast.  Each hotel’s program of experiences has been inspired by the brand’s “A Sense of Place” philosophy and showcases each destination’s unique culture, traditions and attractions. The activities follow three themes: cultural exploration, culinary bonding and wellness and sports.  Recognizing, however, that too much family time might not always be a good thing, each of the properties also continues to offer the brand’s signature Rosewood Explorers and Rosebuds programs to keep younger children and toddlers entertained while you enjoy some downtime.

Perillo’s Family Tours

Immersive family tours are now being offered by Perillo’s Learning Journeys, a division of Perillo Tours. Three new family vacations provide opportunities to explore destinations, spark imaginations and often give back to local communities.  A nine-day private tour through Italy includes Rome, Florence and Venice with plenty of hands-on activities such as gladiator training, food tasting and pizza and mask making.  A 10-day river cruise through Southern Africa travels along Lake Kariba, Gache-Gache and the Sanyati Rivers on the luxury MS African Dream, which has just eight cabins.  This itinerary includes Victoria Falls and a visit to local villages in Namibia to learn about the traditions, culture and customs of the country.   Other stops include Chobe National Park in Botswana and Matusadona National Park in Zimbabwe for amazing animal viewing.  Finally, a seven-day Peru Family Adventure showcases nature, archaeology and handicrafts. The trip begins in Cusco with a visit to an alpaca farm and a textile showroom to learn about traditional weaving. The itinerary also includes Machu Picchu, Coricancha and a visit to the home of Sabino, a talented musician raised in Cusco who makes traditional instruments, where your children can learn to play Andean drums and the traditional charango from Spain.  Other tour destinations available include Greece, Ireland, Spain/Portugal and the Baltic Sea region.

Disney Goes to Egypt

Bookings are now open for 2020 Adventures by Disney trips.  New for 2020 is a family tour of Egypt featuring adventures by land, river and sea. Highlights from the 10-day, nine-night trip include visits to ancient monuments with the guidance of a world-class Egyptologist and an immersive experience at the new Grand Egyptian Museum, which opens to the public in 2020. Your family can embark on an interactive King Tut-themed treasure hunt or peruse the museum’s state-of-the-art exhibits at your leisure. Also get access to the inner wonders of the Great Pyramid of Giza during a tour of the burial chamber of Pharaoh Cheops. Other interactive cultural activities include a chef-led cooking class on Egyptian specialties, a Nubian folkloric show and henna tattoo experience, and a hieroglyphic writing lesson. Then take a voyage on a traditional Egyptian felucca sailboat and visit lively local markets and have a private beachside Bedouin-themed dinner.  A three-night cruise along the Nile River includes premium accommodations and themed entertainment, followed by a two-night stay at a luxurious beachside resort in Sharm El Sheikh, including a full day snorkeling excursion on a private boat to visit the famous coral reefs of the Red Sea.

Rocco Forte Family Suite Package

The luxury Rocco Forte chain of hotels located mostly throughout Europe is one of the most family friendly as well.  Their Family Suite package is now available and includes a free second room for children (either connecting or adjacent), in-suite check-in, breakfast daily, free meals for children 5 and under and half off for ages 7-11, free internet and movies, valet service and more.  Their newest hotel, the Masseria Torre Maizza, is located in the Puglia region of Italy that is fast becoming popular for American tourists.  The renovated 16th-century property, surrounded by ancient olive groves, will open this month along the Adriatic Sea and feature 40 rooms and suites, a rooftop bar, swimming pool, 9-hole executive golf course, spa, and private beach club.

Protect the Forests in Ecuador

Mashpi Lodge, a 3,200 acre cloudforest retreat in Ecuador, is offering a new Forest Steward Program for guests ages six years and older.  Mashpi’s team of native rangers, who are from local communities in the area and make an enormous contribution to the preservation of the reserve, lead the program.  The hands-on program and activities are experienced through day hikes to waterfalls and swimming holes, night walks, visits to the butterfly farm and Sky Bike rides through the lush forest canopy.  At the lodge, the Kids’ Corner in the Lab is a space for your young naturalists to make their own personal discoveries. Mashpi Lodge is located about 3 ½ hours drive from Quito, although just under 40 miles from the city! Opened in 2012, the lodge hosts up to 47 guests.  Rates include shared transfer from many hotels in Quito, all meals, all guided activities and excursions within the reserve (walks, bird watching and nature encounters, Sky Bike, Life Center, waterfalls and Hummingbird Garden), internet, soft drinks and the use of rubber boots and rain ponchos.

Costa Rica Luxury Tented Camps

We are so excited that this fall, the Nayara Resort is opening their luxury tented camp in the Arenal Volcano National Park in Costa Rica.  There will be 18 tents in total with the ability to connect to create a two-bedroom unit that can accommodate up to a family of six!  The private tents, set high on the hill, offer spectacular views of the volcano with plunge pools fed with natural hot springs.  Other highlights of the Nayara Tented Camp include a welcoming tent, swim-up bar, large family-friendly pool, and a new gourmet restaurant with an expansive terrace to enjoy the rainforest. You can also enjoy the facilities at Naraya’s two other nearby resorts.

Bike Holland

DuVine has designed a new, 5-night Holland Family Bike Tour that is ideal for a first-time family bike tour in Europe.  It offers a variety of Dutch cultural experiences along with easy, flat biking routes. Your family will learn to make cheese in Gouda, bake bread, and play classic Dutch lawn games. Gentle cycling follows car-free bike paths, country lanes, and classic polders (low lying tracks of land enclosed by dikes).  Also paddle a kayak down the canals of Utrecht and visit a working windmill to learn how these iconic structures keep Dutch cities dry. This unique trip includes dinner with a local chef in her home and is available as a guided, private trip only. Children 7 and older can ride their own bikes while trailers and tag-along bikes are available for younger children.

GAdventures Expands Nat Geo Tours

G Adventures and National Geographic Expeditions are expanding their partnership for trips designed for families with children ages 7 to 17.  National Geographic Family Journeys with G Adventures will go on sale globally May 17 with the first departures beginning in early 2020.  These small group adventures will be led by two specially trained G Adventure guides and will feature National Geographic experiences specifically designed for families.  The itineraries have been developed from scratch to inspire travelers of all ages to experience each destination’s unique advantages, from wildlife and conservation, to history and culture, plus exploration, photography and storytelling.  A total of 12 destinations will be served.  Peru was just announced with the rest revealed each week through May 2.

Family Fun in The Algarve

Portugal is one of our most popular destinations at the moment as its a great value and has nice variety of regions to explore.  The Algarve region in the south is a great way to end a trip with some fun and sun.  The upscale Vila Vita Parc Resort offers a Family Fun package that includes:

• • A bottle of wine, fresh seasonal fruit and a bottle of mineral water in the room on arrival.
• • A one-day pass to Zoomarine or to Slide & Splash Water Park for a maximum of 2 adults and 2 children (up to age 12).
• • Free use of the Annabella’s Kids Parc facilities during the stay including weekly activities for children ages 4-12.
• • Half-board (breakfast and lunch or dinner) for the entire family for 4 nights based on a maximum of 2 adults + 2 children (up until age12).
• • Make your own pizza: cooking lesson for the children ages 4-12, once during your stay.
• • Special VIP amenity for the children in the room on arrival.
• • Free use of the VILA VITA Parc facilities: indoor/outdoor heated pools, Jacuzzi, steam bath, sauna, tepidarium, ice-grotto, gym, volleyball, boules, garage, 9-hole pitch and putt and more.