Sunken cities, Tom Cruise and a new EU member
As the summer holidays approach, there’s the annual conundrum of how to keep the whole family happy on holiday. Family-activity holidays specialist, Activities Abroad, has this down to a T.
With destinations ranging from Borneo to Bulgaria, activity-packed itineraries and an age-matching service to guarantee your children will find like-minded companions, there’s no need for kids’ clubs, and boredom is bound to be banished.
Here are four action-packed family adventures – including a new destination for 2013 – which will keep all family members entertained:
New: Action-packed Adriatic tour as Croatia joins the EU
On 1 July, Croatia will become the 28th member of the EU and, with it, the country’s sales tax on tourist services is set to be cut by 15%. Get ahead of the game and visit Croatia on this new adventure holiday based in Novigrad – a small fishing village on the Adriatic Coast. Spend a week pedalling past the picture-perfect Visovac Lake, sea kayaking to some of the area’s best beaches, white-water rafting and hiking in the dramatic, rocky Paklenica National Park. There’s also time to explore the area and to try your hand at paddling on a river canoe safari: whizzing down gentle waterfalls and easy rapids, and discovering hidden swimming pools. Based in apartments at a beach-front hotel, families have the best of both worlds – all the flexibility of self-catering, plus the option of the hotel’s restaurant, too.
The Adriatic Family Adventure trip costs from £995 per adult and from £945 per child (8-14) – based on four people sharing a one-bedroom apartment – including flights (London), transfers, seven nights’ B&B, five other meals, all activities, equipment, instruction and guides. Departs May, July and August 2013.
Mud baths, mountain biking and sea kayaking over sunken cities
Maximising the delights of Turkey’s warm climate, Mediterranean coastline and mountains, this activity holiday provides families with the perfect balance of activities and relaxation. Based at a hotel in central Kas, the week also offers an insight into Turkish culture, with meals in traditional restaurants and informative local guides. Highlights of the week include clambering down the dramatic Saklikent Gorge, before tubing down the river and stopping for a therapeutic mud bath, plus exploring picture-perfect bays and inlets during an enticingly-named lazy boat day, and mountain biking through cool forests and sea kayaking over the sunken city of Kekova.
The Turkey – Active Adventure trip costs from £995 per adult and from £955 per child (8-11) – based on a child sharing with two adults – including flights (London), transfers, seven nights’ B&B, six other meals, all activities, equipment, instruction and guides. Departs May, July and August 2013.
In the wake of Tom Cruise
Inspired by Tom Cruise in the sci-fi thriller Oblivion (scheduled for UK release on 12 April)? While it was being shot in Iceland last summer, the actor – who plays Commander Jack Harper, one of the last remaining men on earth – took a break from filming and went rafting a couple of times with Activities Abroad guides. Travel there yourself on a week-long trip. The spectacular landscapes and dramatic scenery lend themselves to all sorts of activities (as well as film sets): head underground into lava caves, follow scenic trails on horseback, hike a glacier kitted out with crampons, look out for whales and dolphins on a boat trip, visit an active volcano on a superjeep safari, white-water raft down a glacial valley, admire multi-coloured rhyolite mountains and relax in the natural hot springs at the famous Blue Lagoon.
The Iceland Family adventure trip costs from £1,545 per adult and from £1,495 per child (10-15) – based on two sharing – including transfers, seven nights’ B&B, four other meals, all activities, equipment, instruction and guides. Departs July and August 2013.
Adventures for all ages in the Alentejo
Age doesn’t prevent adventures on this particular holiday which, designed for families with children aged five and up, explores Portugal’s Alentejo coast. Long stretches of sandy beach, a national park and the shelter of Pêgo das Pias lagoon make the area the perfect playground for activities such as orienteering, cycling, climbing and a treasure hunt by canoe. And, with your appetite whetted for adventure, the itinerary also includes zip-lining, raft-building and surfing, with younger children catching the waves on a Splizer Surf – a clever cross between an inflatable body board and a kite. Though guests stay in apartment-style rooms, there are all the hotel facilities to enjoy, including swimming pools, a playground, mini golf and tennis.
The Portugal – Active Adventure trip costs from £1,065 pp – based on a family of four sharing a one-bedroom apartment – including flights (London), transfers, seven nights’ B&B, six other meals, all activities, equipment, instruction and guides. Departs July and August 2013.
For more information, visit activitiesabroad.com.