Post exam family adventure (meet the Gufsats!)

Specialist family and tailor-made operator Adventure Worldwide and sister company Families Worldwide has noticed a growing number of families who continue to travel together well past previous expectations, and is referring to them as the Gufsats (Grown Up Families Still All Travelling Together).

Comments Mark Wright, Managing Director of Adventure Worldwide: “We have noticed a growing number of families who continue to travel together well past previous expectations (ie where the teenage kids previously got bored of their parents and wanted to do their own thing); the Gufsats keep on going well beyond their teens, through their twenties and beyond.

“We think this pattern is emerging for a number of reasons; our itineraries are designed so that parents and their families can enjoy a wide variety of activities together – everything from white-water rafting and zip wire rides in the jungle of Costa Rica to playing football with the locals on the beach in Rio, or trekking in Nepal plus of course kids are far more moneywise these days and holidays are much more attractive when mum and dad are picking up the tab!”

Older teenagers taking their GCSEs and A level exams this summer finish school earlier than the majority of children, meaning they can get away in late June and early July when flight prices are cheaper and destinations less crowded.

Here are some post exam escapes that the Gufsats can enjoy together this summer:

Active Turkey Adventure – 8 days from £795 pp

Based on the ‘turquoise’ Lycian Coast, highlights of the eight day Active Turkey Adventure will include seeing the sunken city of Kekova by boat, kayaking and snorkelling off the coast, canyoning, white-water rafting, cooking marshmallows at the Flames of Chimera, visiting the 3,000 year old ruins of the city of Olympos, a visit to the 16,000 seat Hellenic theatre and Lycian Tombs at Myra, a Turkish BBQ and trying your hand at belly dancing! The holiday departs on 13 June and costs from £795 pp (two sharing) which includes all land transportation, seven nights’ half board (plus one lunch), activities as per itinerary and a tour leader.

Celestial Adventure in Kyrgyzstan – 10 days from £945 pp

For a holiday with a real difference why not try the 10 day Celestial Adventure to the former Soviet outpost of Kyrgyzstan? The adventure will take you through the country’s diverse landscapes, commencing with a tour of Bishkek, where Lenin’s statue still stands proudly in the main square. With other highlights including hiking in the forested valleys of the Ala Archa National Park (home to the snow leopard), a walk up the Ak Sai gorge and visiting Issyk Kul Lake, the second largest alpine lake in the world after Titicaca, for a refreshing swim. There will also be a chance to see the Cossack garrison town of Karako and exploring Djety Oguz (Seven Bulls Gorge) on foot and meeting the famous Golden Eagle Hunters. The holiday costs from £945 pp which includes all ground transportation, 9-nights’ accommodation and all meals.

Cycle Bangkok to Saigon – 14 days from £1245

The two week Cycle Bangkok to Saigon trip, departing 13 July, combines Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It commences in the Thai capital, Bangkok, and goes all the way to Saigon via Cambodia and the iconic Angkor Wat Temple. Daily distances are taken at a slow pace along mostly flat back-roads, byways and dirt trails, allowing time to soak up the culture and places of interest en route. One highlight is cycling around Angkor Wat and then riding along the banks of the Mekong River Delta into Vietnam, discovering villages along the way. The trip costs from £1245 pp which includes bike loan (with back up), all land transportation, luggage transfers, 14-nights’ accommodation, some meals and the services of a tour leader.

Flight-inclusive prices are available for all trips on request. For more information, visit adventureworldwide.co.uk.