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Family AdventureFamily Adventure info, ideas, and photos On Top of The World - Family and extended family at Machu Picchu For more and more families, simply traveling somewhere and seeing the sights is not enough. More and more families are venturing out into the wilderness. Traveling internationally as a family has become more common. Now, sharing in-depth cultural experiences and age-appropriate adventure activities is bonding more families closer together. While some may consider a trip to Chili's with children a "family adventure" for many families, a family adventure trek to Machu Picchu is replacing Disney World. Instead of simply peering over the edge of the Grand Canyon and continuing on to the next sightseeing destination on those classic family road trips we all cringed at as kids, other families are now river rafting through the Grand Canyon. Families have become by far the fastest-growing demographic segment in the adventure travel industry. Hiking and camping as a family is a great option for families new to adventure. There are literally thousands of hiking trails near every metro area in the world that would be appropriate for children. Let kids do the hiking themselves wherever possible, and don't push them too hard. When hiking with children for the first time, it's quality over quantity. Amazing first hikes for families with young children abound at National Parks like Yellowstone National Park. Down under at Tasmania's Freycinet National Park, families can hike to wilderness beaches on gentle trails and see exotic birds and fish.
Camping as a family can be a challenge, but the more interesting the camping spot, the better the experience you're going to have. Stay away from any sort of developed campground, especially a KOA, and give most National Park and National Forest Campgrounds the miss. Instead, camp for free on BLM land anywhere. Camping out at the Horseshoe Canyon trailhead on BLM land at the entrance to Canyonlands national park, you'll be on the canyon rim in a red rock wonderland, and the kids will have fun playing with lizards galore. Best of all, you can take a day hike the next morning down into the canyon to see the Horseshoe Canyon petroglyphs, one of the largest panels in the world.
Raft trips on gentle whitewater, a canoe trip on flatwater, adventure cruises, and safaris are all great options for young families looking for just a bit of adventure. A classic rafting family adventure is a 3-day raft trip on the Colorado River, down Ruby and Horsethief Canyons provides an amazing do it yourself family wilderness experience that's age-appropriate for water-safe children. Because the rapids are never more than class 2, it's not uncommon to see families with toddlers. Camping on sand bars ripe for sand castle building, and plenty or water fights, make this section of the Colorado River, America's best rafting family adventure. It's hard to backpack as a family, but with canoes families can carry all their gear. The best family canoe trip in America is an 8 day Green River canoe trip through Canyonlands National Park. Camping on pristine sand bars every night and canoeing though flatwater desert canyons by day, families have a true wilderness experience without having to carry anything. Side hikes to ruins more intact than any at Mesa Verde and lots of petroglyphs are icing on the cake.
A small boat family adventure cruise to Ecuador's Galapagos Islands affords families with children the opportunity to see an ecological wonder of biodiversity and the birthplace of Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection. Swimming with turtles, and seeing giant lizard and shore birds up close are just a few of the great things about the Galapagos for family adventures.
If your children love animals, why not take a family adventure safari to Africa to see the animal life in its natural habitat? Safari operators were some of the first in the adventure travel industry to really gear up to be family friendly and thousands of families go on safari together every year.
For more adventurous families, the sky is the limit, within reason. Kids are more resilient than you think. Consider a visit to the Jungles of Costa Rica or a trip to India or Thailand for an amazing family adventure.
Even a trek in Nepal is not out of the question for a family with some hiking experience - with sherpa porters you can pull off an amazing family adventure. Nepal is unique country with few roads, where adventurous families who like to hike will be right at home. You will trek from village to village with guides and friendly porters, in some cases women, who can expertly carry any child in the family under 40lbs on the narrow mountain trails. We've seen children as young as 12 at Everest Base Camp, and children as young as a year old routinely enjoy treks in Nepal at lower elevations.
If going with a family adventure tour company, don't get stuck in a group with a toddler and a some teenagers, when you've got a 7 year-old. Ask and make sure the ages of everyone in the group will mesh-- try to arrange a private family adventure trip otherwise. Family adventure is a new concept and many tour companies are still tweaking their itineraries. Make sure that the itinerary has plenty of time for just hanging out and is not jam packed with too much adventure. Additionally, a red flag would be more than 50% of days on the trip being travel days. Kids need time to chill.
If you're going on a family adventure internationally, make sure you start the process of inoculations and passports well in advance of the departure date.
Austin-Lehman Family Adventures Unique Family Adventures from Natural Habitat Adventures Wildland Adventures offers Family Adventure Travel safaris for families with Children
CMH Heli Hiking Family Adventures
Travel with Children (Lonely Planet) by Brigitte Barta Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv The Family Adventure Project Adventure Travel with Children Under Four: Proper Preparation and the Right Attitude Adventure Travel with Children Ages 4-6: Expanding Horizons Bareboat Cruising with Young Children: A Novice Sailor's Perspective
An Argument for Adventure Travel With Kids
Goodbye Mickey, Hello Machu Picchu: Family Adventure Travel is On The Rise - Smarter Travel Into the Wilderness, Kids in Tow - New York Times Trends in adventure travel - USA Today Adventure Travel for Families Snowballs - USA Today Are there Yet - Family Adventure Travel - The Guardian |
  
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