Trips to keep enquiring minds entertained this summer
Distract your kids with activities, challenge them to take embarrassing photos or help them to make new friends – just a few tips from The Adventure Company on how to enjoy an affordable but fun summer holiday in 2011.
The UK’s leading family adventure specialist currently helps to make holidays run as smoothly as possible with its consultants placing like-minded families and similar age groups together to avoid any age-related awkwardness. Claire Wilson, Managing Director of The Adventure Company, hopes her tips will go even further to prevent any teenage angst whilst at the same time preventing parents worrying over the potential to go over-budget with hidden holiday extras.
“The untold story of the average family holiday is the parental guesswork that goes into working out how much everything is going to cost and how much they’ll need to spend entertaining the kids when they get there. Inevitably there are always day trips or theme parks that the children get wooed by and it’s all too easy to spend more than anticipated on hidden extras in the heat of the moment,” said Claire.
“It’s exactly for this reason that The Adventure Company details exactly what’s included in our holidays to try to ensure the best value for money and to help parents work out the actual cost of their family escape.”
With many family trips priced around £800pp for a week’s adventure - including flights, transport, accommodation, activities, entrance fees, most meals and an experienced tour leader – parents will know exactly what is and isn’t included from the outset and can create a realistic budget.
Below are Claire Wilson’s top tips on how families can save money and concentrate on being absorbed by new places, people and sights rather than the impact the holiday may have on the wallet:
- Get a group together – Families often link up to share a villa or chalet but adventure holidays need not be any different. Before booking have a think if you know any other families who might be keen to try something new. The Adventure Company offers savings of £50 per person when 6-9 people travel together. Alternatively, if you manage to get more than 10 together – so that’s just two families with three children - then one person will go free.
- Money – Plan ahead and set up a foreign exchange account with an online provider: they often reward your loyalty and offer better buy-back agreements.
- Distractions – Avoid unnecessary arguments by keeping your youngsters busy with action-packed days spent exploring and learning new skills. The Adventure Company’s family itineraries are carefully put together to ensure a good balance of family time and activities, including kayaking, zip-wiring, sailing and whitewater rafting.
- New friends – Choose trips aimed at children of similar ages as they will quickly make new friends ultimately keeping them entertained for longer. Knowing the importance of keeping teenagers suitably entertained and providing the flexibility to choose what activities they may or may not fancy, The Adventure Company also offers a range of teen-only trips.
- Set a budget – Set your kids a challenge to keep track of their remaining pocket money throughout the trip, helping to improve their memory, math’s skills and your budget.
- Mini-challenges – Tie in a mini-challenge with the other daytime activities such as ‘taking the most embarrassing picture’. This will keep youngsters suitably busy and provide everyone with a laugh over dinner. For those particularly keen on photography, The Adventure Company’s new tour, Safari & Spice - Young Photographer, combines an ideal setting in Tanzania with the guidance of professional photographer.
- Pack chilled out tunes – Whatever your choice of gadget, make sure the whole family packs their favourite music so, if all else fails, you can plug in your earphones, close your eyes and drown out the world.
For a great value family trip The Adventure Company’s 8-day Castles & Coast holiday in North Cyprus costs from just £729 per adult and £659 per child. With the town of Kyrenia as your base, children can explore the region’s abbeys, castles and monasteries, go fruit and vegetable-picking, see Turkish Delight being made, visit the towering castle of St Hilarion’s, or explore the old mosques and caravanserais in Nicosia. And, to ensure all members return relaxed from their time away, there’s ample opportunity to laze on beaches, take a boat trip (looking out for dolphins along the way) and swim in the Mediterranean.
Summer departures available on 24 / 31 July and 7 / 14 / 21 August (single parent departure). Price includes flights, 7 nights B&B accommodation, 1 lunch, transport (bus, bicycle and boat) and an experienced local group leader.
To find out more about The Adventure Company’s holidays visit: adventurecompany.co.uk/family
