Monday 30 March 2009

The Adventure Company: Top Ten Family Adventure Travel Tips!

If like most Britons you’re taking just one family holiday this year, the pressure’s on to make it a good one.

It’s hardly surprising in these cash-strapped times that growing numbers of families are opting for an adventure-based holiday to get the most thrills out of their single trip away. Whilst the benefits of an adventure tour are endless, the amount of planning and organising can be daunting for first-timers.


Follow our Top Ten Tips for Family Adventure Travel to make your time away sail smoothly.

1.Book Online
When you have limited time to research your dream trip, surfing the net will save you money as well as the drag of going to travel agents with the kids in tow on a busy Saturday.

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Travel companies are targeting busy mums and dads and posting their latest and best deals online first. Since brochures have been printed, pricing may have changed and this could benefit you. An example of this is our Tiger Trails and Taj Mahal trip. Since the brochure was printed, it’s dropped by up to £300 per person. For a family of four to go, the customer would save up to £1,060 at the moment, so get online!

2.Book flights separately
Yes, this can be a hassle but it’s well worth it as you’ll usually get a far better deal and keep the overall cost of the holiday down.

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The Adventure Company’s trips are available on a flight inclusive or land-only basis. If you are flying as a family, its normally cheaper to book land-only and fly with budget airlines, which is why we’ve introduced the “Find and Book” system to help you. Our reservations team will advise you of the cheapest flights on offer to get you to your chosen tour destination and make the booking for you. This is particularly useful if you’re flying out of regional airports.

3.Involve the kids in planning
Get the kids excited about the destination before they go! On average, people like to buy three guidebooks if visiting a new destination.

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If you have young children, pick one with plenty of pictures, and encourage older children to hit the net and read up on the country by visiting Wikitravel.org. Set a challenge amongst older kids and teens as to who can find the best facts about where you are heading to.

4.Packing wise
Every parent will fret about packing days in advance, and we’re sure you won’t forget the vital items your brood will need. However, our top three, pop-in-your-rucksack-just-in-case items are:

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Baby Wipes: No matter how old your kids are, you will need these, especially on an adventure holiday where you are likely to be hot, sticky and sometimes in the middle of nowhere with no amenities.
Small Bottle of Detergent: If a whole family are going away together, you’ve probably insisted everyone packs lightly. They may well have, but it doesn’t stop them or you getting dirty. Small packets of detergent, which can be used in hotel or bathroom sinks, will mean you can keep clothes fresh.
First Aid Kit: Obviously, your guide will be trained and adequately equipped, but making sure you have your own supplies as back up is vital. Alongside this, it’s worth packing any medicines the kids may occasionally have back home such as Piritin and Bendryl.

5.Make the most of the flight
Time spent on the plane can be the most challenging part of your adventure trip! Again, planning in advance is vital. Some airlines have seat plans available on site, as do sites like seatguru.com.

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Find out meals in advance too, and if you think the in-flight entertainment won’t be good enough, bring your own.

6.Toys
Choose the toys you plan to bring carefully. Teenagers will probably insist on their ipod, PS3, and mobiles- but only let them bring one gadget – you don’t want them to miss out on key experiences whilst away. For younger kids, forget toys with small parts, as these will get lost. Never forget the favourite teddy.

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Also bring a small selection of art supplies – they are going to be seeing some amazing sights and drawings or diaries are a really creative way of documenting their experience. For very young children, buy one or two new toys and give it to them as a treat on the flight – maybe then you’ll get to enjoy some of the on-flight film!

7.Culture Shock
Prepare yourself and the kids for a shock if you are travelling to an unfamiliar place. In poorer destinations, or those which are really “off the beaten track”, the locals may find the kids in your group of amusing interest. Their friendliness, if you’re used to the civil politeness of villages, or downright rudeness of London, could be unsettling.

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Find out about the local customs before you go, and explain these to the kids so they understand how to behave.

8. Make yourself at home!
If you’ve decided on an adventure holiday, you probably shouldn’t expect five-star accommodation. But you can expect rooms or tents to be clean, spacious and most importantly, safe. To make putting the kids down at night go a little smoother, make sure you pack favourite blankets or pyjamas.

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Turn a foreign room into a fun den, by bringing a favourite book, a wind-up torch, and pack a cheap battery operated nightlight.

9. Stamina
Whilst you shouldn’t expect to be tested to your limit on your trip, families should be healthy enough to complete their holiday without much struggle. If you are concerned about the kids’ level of fitness, we’d recommend taking them on a morning’s walk once every weekend before you go. Buy their backpacks early so they get used to wearing them when completing activities. Then, gradually fill it with things they may need: a change of clothes, a bottle of water, snacks, sunglasses, hat etc so they can get used to the weight.

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Alongside this, if you are planning on doing any watersports or rowing whilst away, take a family trip to the nearest lake and rent a boat so smaller kids can get used to being on the water. Another bonus of these tasks is that the family will establish ways of working together and being in the same situations for long periods of time.

10. Set your mind at ease
Most importantly, you want to enjoy this trip too. Take some time out to relax and run through your to-do list before you leave. Make a visit to the doctor and check there are no jabs required and all the kids’ vaccinations are up to date – you don’t want any niggling worries to ruin your trip!

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If you are looking for a family adventure holiday, The Adventure Company has plenty of suitable trips available – plus some bargain deals! Choose from fun-packed itineraries in destinations including Thailand, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and India. You can find the full list here

Thanks for reading,
The Adventure Company

The Adventure Company: Wondrous Wildlife in Ecuador and Galapagos!

This week, our blog comes from Kerry Ovenden who recently went on our Ecuador and Galapagos trip with her brother:

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"I had never thought about travelling to the Galapagos before, I didn’t even know that much about it, however last year when my sister dropped out of a trip booked for her and my brother to go to the Galapagos; I just couldn’t turn down the chance to travel.

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We started our journey in august 2008. We had a long flight (13hours) but it all ran ok. When we arrived in Ecuador it was a real culture shock; as we stopped at traffic lights there were women and children leaning in the car windows trying to sell us sweets and food. We were staying in Quito which was a bustling city, but very poor with quite high crime rates however, our guides made sure we knew how to keep safe in the city and we were well looked after.

The town of Quito is squashed in between volcanoes and a valley, which made for an impressive view from our hotel room window; it is also situated at 2500 metres above sea level.

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The next day we headed to the Galapagos, everyone was stretching on the plane to see out the windows we were all desperate to get our first view of the islands. As we landed on Baltra we realised that the runway was the length of the island and the airport was a small hut with only two walls and when we had gone through arrivals we had to go around the side of the building to collect our luggage off the floor!

From the airport we travelled by bus across the island and then onto the next island: Santa Cruz by boat with our luggage just lying on the roof of the boat! We took this time to take in the scenery; the islands appeared very barren with cacti everywhere, the air was humid with a sea breeze and the only populated place on the islands is Santa Cruz which is like a small village.

We found our boat at Tortuga bay; as we waited for our water taxi we got our first glimpse of wildlife: Frigate birds, pelicans, sally light foot crabs and marine iguanas. On board we explored our ship, before our first outing back onto Santa Cruz to the highlands to see the giant tortoises and the lava tunnels. That evening we returned to the boat for dinner.

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Our cruise of the islands had begun, we visited: Rabida, Barthlome, North Seymour, south plaza, Santa fe, Espanola and Florena. Every island varied in scenery but every single one was amazing.

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We saw a lot of animals: each island had sea lions, crabs, land and marine iguanas and lava lizards, however as we visited each island the lizards and iguanas varied in size and colour. The animals aren’t frightened of humans so you can get very close to them.

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There is a rule on the islands, that you mustn’t touch any of the animals or take anything off of the islands and each time we returned from an island to the boat our feet were hosed off by the crew.

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The group we were travelling with on the boat were all from different countries but due to the size of the boat the group gelled and we all became great friends. The crew on the boat were very friendly, only the guides spoke English but we all tried to communicate.

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Every morning we woke and went up on deck to watch the sunrise before breakfast, we knew when our meals were ready because a bell was rung and everyone rushed to our dining area! The food was amazing considering the size of the kitchen.


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Each day we would travel to an island, and explore and then snorkel. Under the water you could swim with beautiful fish and sea lions but the highlight for me was seeing my first giant sea turtle.

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Sea turtles are huge and so graceful. Snorkelling was such an amazing experience; our group would be swimming in the clear waters and suddenly someone would shout “look” we would all race to them and share the experience of swimming with the sea turtles or a small shark or just a big school of fish.

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I think I saw four or five sea turtles throughout the trip. Other highlights were seeing rays, sharks and sea lions swimming alongside our boat and a visit to North Seymour islands allowed us to watch the amazing mating dance of the blue footed boobies.

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As we travelled frigate birds followed our boat and rested on the rigging as we lay below sunbathing and hoping that nothing dropped on our heads! At night we enjoyed lying on the sun beds up on deck under the stars and listening to the waves.

After eight days at sea we returned to Santa Cruz to visit the Charles Darwin centre where we met the famous lonesome George.

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Flying back to Ecuador, as we sat on the plane we reflected upon the last eight days and a feeling of sadness came over us when we realised that very few people will get the opportunity to visit these amazing islands.

I recommend this amazing adventure to everyone!"

Kerry went on our Ecuador and Galapagos trip. If you are looking for a holiday in Ecuador, or are looking to travel the Galapagos Islands, visit our website for more information.

Thursday 26 March 2009

The Adventure Company: The Real Swiss Family Robinson

Ever wished you could wake up on a beautiful desert island, and not have to worry about work and doing the school run? Yep, us too!

We all know of one fictional family who actually did it: The Swiss Family Robinson.

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So, when we heard about the new series on BBC featuring English families who are actually living on an island paradise to escape the pressures of the Noughties, we were intrigued.

The classic adventure story
To refresh your memory, The Swiss Family Robinson was a novel written in 1812 by a pastor named Johann David Wyss. His intention was to teach his sons the values of family, hard-work and self-reliance.

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To do this, he created the story of a family who become shipwrecked in the East Indies as they make their way to Australia.

This enduringly popular children’s book classic has been adapted for the small and silver screen many times.

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In 1960, Disney brought the adventure to screen, and followed the family as pirates force their boat into the path of a storm, find their island and begin to build their home. The family consist of Father, Mother, Fritz, Ernst and Francis.

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Throughout the film, the elder boys help to construct the home, and the younger becoming the island’s David Attenborough as he tries to identify as many animals as possible. After helping to rescue a damsel in distress, fighting pirates with coconuts, and having races on animals, at the end of the film most of the family choose to stay on the island and live their lives in paradise.

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Fast forward to 2009, where the words “recession” and “credit crunch” are constantly muttered, it is no surprise four families have turned to the famous tale and used it as a guide to swapping their humdrum lives in Blighty for an island adventure.

Watch the show

The new BBC series, The Real Swiss Family Robinson, which starts this Friday 26th March, follows four families who, after a tough year during which they have lost their businesses and struggled on tight budgets, have finally decided to jack it all in and to break away in order to rediscover what’s important in life.

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Sounds ideal? Well, it’s not easy. The four families are transported for three weeks to far-flung destinations and instructed to fend for themselves. Destinations include Kirbati, Panama, Tanzania and The Cook Islands.

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This week’s family, The Dyes are an Essex clan who have recently lost a business which put an end to their luxurious lifestyles. Dad Andy wants to get his family out of the smoke, and into more simple surroundings so they can re-evaluate what’s important in life. His daughters who are used to the best of creature comforts, don’t always agree with his decision...

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Each week, the series follows a different family as they arrive in deserted paradise and try to make homes, find food and mingle with locals. Watch the families as they struggle to adapt to simple life in gorgeous surroundings.

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Each family also gets their own “Man Friday” in their first week who dishes out a few essential tips and tricks. The second week leaves them totally isolated as they attempt to survive in the wild, and by the third week they have to touch base with locals and cook a big thank-you feast in their newly constructed homes. The programme also follows up with the families back home, to see how they’ve readjusted within society.

Book your own Swiss Family Robinson adventure!

If you and your family are feeling the pinch but need an adventurous break, or a gorgeous castaway destination to explore together, look no further!

Following the series, The Adventure Company’s Turtles, Islands & Mountains Family Holiday visits both Panama and Costa Rica where the kids can snorkel, save turtles, explore National Parks and walk amongst the leafy hills of the Highlands of Boquete.

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Combine the Swiss Family adventures with The Jungle Book and visit Tanzania on the Safari & Spice family holiday. On this fabulous 10-day trip, you can scramble over the Uluguru Mountains, set up camp on a beach in a game reserve, and truly experience happy solitude.

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Take part in a walking safari from here to see zebras, giraffes and elephants, and the kids also have the chance to visit a local school to meet other kids their own age. Your little adventurers will also get their own Man Friday who will take them on a “Safari Guide Course” and teach them some amazing skills.

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If the kids (and you!) are fans of the book, then the best place for your brood is Trinidad, where the story was filmed in the 60’s. The Viva Cuba Family Holiday visits Colonial Trinidad where you can snorkel and explore unspoiled Caribbean beaches, and hike in the mountains where you spend a few days exploring the lush forests.

Find more family adventure holidays on the website.

Thanks for reading,
The Adventure Company

Wednesday 25 March 2009

The Adventure Company: Exploring The Morrocan Desert!

This week, our entry comes from Adell Ward, who fancied a holiday in Morocco and plumped for our Desert Adventure tour. She kindly shares excerpts from her travel diary, and let us know how she and the camels got on:

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Adell Ward

Day 1:
Flew from heathrow to casablanca and then another short flight to ouarzazate. Early in the morning so straight to bed!

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Day 2:
Up early for breakfast then we set off to a local bank to change money and to a shop to buy a picnic lunch. We then set off by minibus through the Draa Valley. Stopped for lunch at a place with a lovely courtyard and lots of moroccan carpets.

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We all got our first taste of traditional mint tea. After another drive with a photo stop (Japanese stop as our guide liked to call them) we arrived at our camels. After loading them up with our food and equipment we set off into the desert. The camels took a little adjusting to especially the one that had a large load on and became known as "Wide Boy!"

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After a couple of hours we came to our first camp. We camped in a traditional Bedouin tent on mats and in a sleeping bag. After some mint tea we had supper of Moroccan soup, beef tagine and dessert. Our cook was amazing and we always had pleanty of good food to eat!

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Day 3:
Woke early to the sound of camels milling around which was strange. After breakfast in the kitchen tent, we watched the camels being loaded and then set off ourselves further into the desert. Some walked and some rode. That was one of the good things about our trip the fact that you could choose how much you walked or rode.

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Mid mornings we stopped to rest and let the camels have a bite to eat while our guide "Lahcen" brought around a big bag of mixed nuts, dates and figs for us to eat.

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That morning, we travelled through a really big oasis which was really lush with lots of little fields of crops and the sound of donkeys braying in the distance. Lunch once again was fantastic: salad, fruit and bread the presentation of which, was brilliant.

After another afternoon travelling through the desert we arrived at our camp which was set against beautiful sand dunes. Our guide brought the tea to the top of the dune for us and here we stayed to watch the sunset.

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Before supper, the camel drivers invited us for traditional song and dance which was amazing. They cooked flatbread to go with supper over the fire. Great food again thanks "Ad"!

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It got a bit windy during the night and we woke to the tent sides bellowing out and sand on and in everything and i mean everything! We worked together to get it sorted the best we could before going back to sleep. This actually became one of the groups trip highlights. Well, we wanted a dersert adventure!!

Day 4:
Today we traveled over a dry stoney landscape and stopped in a small village which had a tiny shop where we could by water, oranges etc... and the camels had a rest.

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Today we had a siesta after lunch under the palm trees which was lovely. Everyone was getting on so well in the group and we laughed our way through most of the trip.

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At camp in the evening we joined the camel drivers again for song and dance. They wanted us to teach them somthing so we decided on the "hokey cokey" it was one of the funniest and bizzare things: doing the hokey cokey in the middle of the Sahara desert!.

Day5:
Our last day with the camels. We trekked as usual and after break I decided to walk the last stretch which turned out to be a lot of sand dunes. They are not the easiest thing to walk on so, I ended up with quite a bit of sand in my boots, but at least I managed to walk off some of the good food.

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We arrived at our last campsite which was a fixed campsite, in a Mud hut style. We had showers and toilets, which we were incredibly happy about. A village tour and a museum trip that afternoon before group photos of our camel drivers and guide.

Day 6:
Very early start and a long minibus journey to Marrakesh over the Atlas mountains. Said a final farewell to the camel drivers and set off. Stopped to visit the village of Ait Benhaddou where they made Gladiator. After an amusing river crossing we climbed to the top of the village and got an amazing view! Visited a carpet shop and learned about why and how they are made, then contiued over the Tizi-n-Tichka pass, which is the highest point in North Africa.

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We got caught in big thunderstorm on the way to Marrakesh and the roads flooded a bit but it all added to our adventure. In the evening we walked to the medina in Marrakesh for some food and then some went for drinks and others went to the hotel.

Day 7:
Today we had a tour of the souks and the palace in Marrakesh which was fascinating. Later we were free to explore and shop.

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Brought some pointy yellow slippers, after a lot of haggling! We all had a meal together for the last time. Our guide was fantastic and made the trip exceptional. Nothing was to much trouble and you could ask him anything.

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The people were fantastic and I truly had the best time ever, which means I will defiantly be travelling with The Adventure Company again!"

If you are looking for an adventure holiday in Morocco, why not take a look at the Desert Adventure tour that Adell completed. The Adventure Company have 16 different holidays in Morocco for you to choose from, whether you are travelling in a group, solo or as a family.

Thanks for reading,
The Adventure Company