More Disney News
Adventures by Disney will be going to the Amazon for the first time in 2015 — or more exactly, to the
Napo River, a major tributary in Ecuador. The river cruise will be aboard a new 20-cabin vessel, the Anakonda. In addition to looking for wildlife, your tour will stop in villages where you will create your own souvenirs. In the next phase of the 12-day/11-night Ecuador trip, your family will fly to Quito and learn to make ceviche in an upscale restaurant, then continue to the Galapagos for a land-based tour based out of the Finch Bay Eco Hotel on Santa Cruz Island. You will also take a private yacht to Santa Fe Island to view wildlife.
Tauck Groups
Tauck Bridges creates wonderful memories for families especially for multiple generations traveling together. If you and 7 family members (or friends) book the same Tauck Bridges tour, the 8th person travels free! Tauck’s tours include just about every vacation expense – over 100 different cost components on every tour and cruise along with value-added enrichment featuring cultural and educational experiences. Tauck Bridges offers tours in Africa, Canada, Europe, Latin America and the US along with river boat cruises in Europe.
Patagonian Adventure
The Singular Patagonia, a family owned-and-operated property, has created a special family experience 
in Southern Chile with generous savings. Your second room for children will be discounted by 40 percent. In addition, the hotel has crafted a variety of family-oriented activities and tours to immerse you in the wonder of Patagonia. Excursions include hiking to the Mylodon Cave to learn about the prehistoric creatures that once lived there, horseback riding to Lake Sofia, a boat tour on the Fjord of Last Hope to see the Serrano Glacier and a nature walk through Torres del Paine. Children can also participate in a child-friendly cooking class. Located just outside Puerto Natales in the Chilean town of Puerto Bories, The Singular is a five-star luxury hotel located a former cold storage plant!
Thomson Family Adventures
Thomson Family Adventures let us know that your family can save from $200-600/person if you book a 2015 trip before June 30th. They also let us know that their new destinations for 2015 will include Croatia, Brazil and they are working on a Cuba trip! Active families will love a small group Thomson trip where a mentor comes along to keep children and teens engaged and your children receive a penpal before travel. Thomson’s other destinations include Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Tanzania, Belize, Panama, China, Morocco, Guatemala, Mexico, Thailand and Turkey. Trips vary in length and activity level to suit all ages of children through young adults as well as multi-generational group and are available during most school breaks.
Irish Ease
Did you know that two of Ireland’s airports allow U.S. citizens to clear customs before they depart;
so that the plane can land at a domestic terminal in the US? Such flights are available from Dublin Airport’s Terminal 2 or Shannon Airport. When the plane lands simply walk out of the airport rather than waiting in another line! Just 10 minutes from the Shannon Airport is the family-friendly Inn at Dromoland that sits on the renowned Dromoland Estate where the famed castle is located. Enjoy 450 acres of wooded countryside along with a gym, indoor pool, kids club on selected week-ends, playground, outdoor games, indoor play center and several dining options. On the estate your family can also enjoy a spa, golf, fishing, falconry, archery, clay shooting, horseback riding, hiking trails and more. This past winter the inn built new superior family rooms (with one large and two single beds or one large and three single beds), and opened a new gastro pub. Nearby your family can enjoy Bunratty Castle & Folk Park, Craggaunowen and Ennis town.
Tauck Bridges on the Rhine
Tauck Bridges is adding a new river cruise for families for 2015. Cruise along the Rhine River between Basel and Amsterdam aboard the new ms Inspire, visiting Switzerland, France, Germany and The Netherlands. Family travel experiences include a bicycle ride through forests and vineyards along the Rhine riverside; a taste of fondue, Swiss folklore and more in lakeside Lucerne; a ride aboard the world’s steepest cogwheel train to the top of Mt. Pilatus in the Swiss Alps; exploring the fascinating ruins of hilltop Heidelberg Castle in the medieval university town of Heidelberg; learning about the Lorelei and other Rhine River legends while keeping an eye out for fairy-tale castles; discovering the art treasures and historic canals of Amsterdam; an exclusive gala dinner for Tauck guests only at thousand-year-old Reichenstein Castle, high above the Rhine; becoming “French for a Day” aboard the riverboat with French language lessons, songs, a cooking demonstration and a chocolate tasting; a close-up look at the importance of the Carnival season to Köln (Cologne), Germany, and much more!
GAdventures Adds Family Destinations
G Adventures released its new lineup of family trips with seven new and amazing trips, and a selection of 24 in total. 
The new trips include the Burma Family Adventure, which visits Yangon, the Shwedagon Pagoda, the limestone caves of Pindaya and includes biking around Bagan, chilling at Inle Lake and hiking in the hills around Thandwe. Another new family trip is the Namibia Family Adventure which gives parents a chance to play in the sand with their kids, the tallest sand dunes in the world at Sossusvlei. The trip also includes time for flamingo watching at Walvis Bay and cheetah watching at Etosha National Park. The Western USA Family Experience takes families hiking in Zion and Bryce national parks. It also includes a chance for horseback riding at a cowboy ranch, a visit to Canyonlands National Park and a visit to the Grand Canyon. The Amalfi Family Adventure takes families to Italy’s exquisite west coast where they’ll experience the local cuisine through a cooking class; see the ruins of the city of Pompei, which was buried under the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in that wonderful year of 79 A.D.; take a boat ride to the Isle of Capri and hike in the hills of Tre Calli.
Summer Family Adventures
Journeys International has launched two new summer trips this year to two destinations that are very popular 
with our families. On the 7-day Belize Jungle Discovery Week for Families, your family can explore the rainforest at Lamanai; visit the Temple of the Jaguar Masks and the High Temple; spend a day at the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center; go cave tubing and bird walking in the forest; explore the ruins of Xunantunich and Cahel Pech; and pick their adventure in the Cayo District, with options from spelunking to canoeing through Barton Creek cave. The Czech Republic Adventure is a 10-day trip that starts and ends in Prague and is geared toward active families with older teens and young adults. Families will have the chance to hike through the Bohemian countryside, raft down the Vltava River, explore the historic town of Jindrichuv Hradec, and spend a day biking on trails in the Trebon Lake District. Journey’s has a variety of family-friendly trips around the globe.
Spring Break in Portugal
The Penha Longa Resort, a Ritz Carlton property located 30 minutes from Lisbon in Sintra, Portugal, is offering a two-night Easter Family package from April 14-22. 
Rates start at $618 total and includes a Deluxe Forest View room, breakfast buffet, Easter dinner buffet, special welcome amenity, special check-in for children and a late check out until 2:00 p.m. Set along the gorgeous Estoril coastal region of Portugal on a national nature reserve, the resort traces its origins back to the 14th century and includes an exquisite landmark monastery. The hotel is located on a palazzo-style estate nestled among the spectacular rolling hills, lush gardens, and clear lakes of the southern Sintra mountains and has provided a quiet retreat for Portuguese royalty and foreign dignitaries. It showcases 194 rooms, five dining options, two golf courses, newly remodeled spa, children’s programming and pool. You can explore the region with area hikes, bike riding, jeep tours and more.
Explore Ottawa
Learn more about the history of Canada with the Family Discovery Package at the Minto Suite Hotel in the capital of Ottawa. 
The package includes a suite, breakfast at Prime 360, complimentary parking, children’s welcome amenity upon arrival, admission to Ottawa’s top 10 museums for two adults and up to three children, plus a discount savings booklet for local shops. Rates start from $229 CAD per night and the package is valid through December 2014. The hotel is walking distance to Ottawa’s main attractions like Parliament Hill and offers free bikes to get around the city. There is also an indoor pool, gym and restaurant.
