How To Plan An Adventurous (And Memorable) Family Vacation

Children often have a great love of adventure. They love to try new things, take risks and (sometimes literally) throw themselves in at the deep end. While as parents, it's important that we also teach them to be safe and responsible, we should also do everything within our power to keep that love of adventure and excitement for life alive. One way in which you can do that is by planning adventurous family vacations that are sure to bring a smile to their face.

There are many benefits of heading out on a family vacation. For example: 

• You get to spend more quality time together as a family, away from the stress of everyday life. 
• Teach your children more about the world around them by allowing them to experience new cultures firsthand.
• Try something new, stepping outside of your own comfort zone.
• Create lasting family memories that your children will carry with them for a lifetime. 
• The chance to tick exciting world destinations off your bucket list. 

With that in mind, here are some top tips that you can use to plan the perfect family vacation - full of adventure and excitement. 

Start by doing your research.

I know, the words ‘adventure’ and ‘research’ don’t seem to go that well together – as adventure is often spontaneous. However, it’s important that you do plenty of research when planning your holiday in order to make sure you are getting the most value for your money. For example, booking directly at a hotel through their website can sometimes be hundreds of dollars cheaper than booking through a third-party site. Additionally, you should also look up COVID-19 protocols in your chosen destination, as there may be certain regulations in place that you must abide by in order to enjoy your vacation. 

Finally, doing your research will help you to figure out if a destination is the right choice for yourself and your family, whether you’re looking to visit one of the best tropical vacation spots in the world, or a colder destination. 

While you’ll obviously need to research where you’re going, the accommodation you’ll use, and the right flights, you should also look into a few other things. You’ll need to consider what kinds of activities you can engage in while you’re there, and even whether you’ll need luggage storage Boston (or whichever city you’re going to).

The more you know and have planned out about your vacation, the better. It’ll avoid the last-minute hassle of trying to figure things out.

Put together a budget. 

Budgeting is another way in which you can make the most out of your holiday - as it means that you’ll be able to pay for anything and everything you want to do during your trip, whether you fancy dining out or want to go ziplining through a forest. The earlier you put together the budget, the earlier you can begin saving. Furthermore, it's important to remember that there are plenty of ways to save for a vacation. For example, you can set up a savings account ahead of time and make installments once a month. That way, when the time comes for you to jet off on your vacation, you’ve got a nice savings nest to take along with you. 

Find a way to make each day an adventure.

Whether you are traveling for a few days or several weeks, it's equally important that you are able to make the most of your time on your vacation. After all, it will be over much sooner than you think and you’ll all be heading back to the office (or to school). However, there are plenty of ways in which you can go about making every single day of your vacation an adventure. For example, you could aim to do one thing each day that you have never done before. Here are some great ideas to use for inspiration: 

• Take to open waters and make a splash at Sunshine Destin, by hiring out boats, jet skis and other watersports equipment. For example, if you’ve always wanted to go parasailing, now is your chance. Find out more at: https://www.sunshinedestin.com.

• When ordering food at a restaurant try to avoid the ‘obvious’ choice that you always go for. Instead, ask the wait staff for a recommendation from the menu, or opt for distinctive local dishes. If you fall in love with a meal, be sure to ask for the recipe so that you can recreate them when you get home. 

• Ask locals for recommendations on things to see or do in your chosen destination. This is a great way to experience something truly unique, as they are unlikely to recommend tourist hotspots. 

• Each day, put a different family member in charge of the itinerary. This way, everyone gets a chance to be in charge and plan a fun day out. Perhaps you could put together a prize for whoever’s day is most enjoyable. 

Stay away from your phones. 

While taking the odd photo is a great way to make a magical moment last forever, you won’t make memories from behind a phone screen. Therefore, you should try to give yourself (and your family) a digital detox during the trip. Log out of your social media, and check your phone as infrequently as possible. This will encourage each of you to truly live in the moment and may also make way for some interesting conversations. If you have a teenager who is unwilling to give up their phone, don’t take it off them entirely, but ask them to only use it for a certain number of hours each day. 

Vacations are all about having fun and relaxing - and you’d be surprised how much easier that goal is to achieve when you aren’t attached at the hip to your phone, or mindlessly scrolling through social media. 

In short, there are various steps you can take in order to help plan the perfect holiday for your kids. However, the most important thing to remember is that you have to have FUN. If you miss a restaurant reservation because you lost track of time on the beach, or because you wanted to spend a little longer soaking up the sun - don’t worry. Live in the moment and focus on spending as much quality time together as you possibly can. Doing so will help you create memories that last a lifetime and that you’ll be talking about for years to come. However, this does mean that it might be hard to top it when it comes to planning your next vacation.