When you’re planning a vacation with your kids, it can be easy to default to more common destinations like London or Paris. We love sending families there, but we also encourage our clients to think beyond “the continent” if they’re open to it. We’ve handpicked five destinations outside of Europe that tick all the boxes for our families and offer amazing opportunities to create lasting memories.
AUSTRALIA
Great for families who:
Love nature, don’t want to be in a crowded summer destination, have a “vacation bucket list”
Kids ages:
7 and up
What you’ll love about it
Want to escape summer vacation crowds—and the heat? Australia’s your place. Because our summer is their winter, you’ll get mild temps and easier access to all of the unbelievable landscapes and landmarks: the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru Rock, the Sydney Opera House, and more. Outdoor adventures like snorkeling and exploring the outback abound, and for kids who really love animals and wildlife, Australia is just heaven. (See our full article on Australia here.)
Keep in mind:
Jet lag and time zone shifts can be especially hard on kids, so make sure you build plenty of transition time into your itinerary on both ends of the trip.
INDONESIA
Great for families who:
Want a combination of exploring and relaxing, love a good beach, and appreciate a good value
Kids ages:
12 and up
What you’ll love about it
Indonesia is a fantastic trip when you want immersion into a fascinating culture as well as gorgeous beaches perfect for relaxing. Indonesia’s best weather months coincide with our summers, and the food is amazing. Outdoor adventures like hiking, biking, and fishing are plentiful and the guided cultural activities like cooking classes and coffee tours are super accessible. Best of all, Indonesia is a really good value; you can book incredible five-star hotels for a fraction of what they would cost in the United States. Definitely one of our favorites.
Keep in mind:
Indonesia is another trip with a long flight, so consider adding a couple of nights in Singapore to help kids (and grownups) acclimate.
COSTA RICA
Great for families who:
Want outdoor adventure and relaxation all in one trip, don’t want to spend all day on a plane
Kids ages:
6 and up
What you’ll love about it:
If you’re looking for an alternative to Hawaii or Mexico, Costa Rica is perfect: almost no time zone change from anywhere in the US, lots of direct flights, and a very developed infrastructure for tourists. And all of this is on top of the absolutely incredible location. The beaches are fantastic for lounging and surfing. And you’ll just fall in love with the monkeys, sloths and turtles. One of our favorite hotels there is Pacuare, which the kids will love because you arrive via whitewater raft!
Keep in mind:
This trip’s a no brainer. Just brush up on your Spanish, pack your bag, and go.
PERU
Good for families who:
Crave a foodie paradise, want a “bucket list” travel experience, and love hiking
Kids ages:
13 and up
What you’ll love about it:
Peru is on our list for a lot of reasons, but most particularly for the unbelievable food and stunning landscapes. The city of Lima is packed with phenomenal restaurants, including the number one rated restaurant in the world, Central. Many families go to Peru for the hike to Machu Picchu and for good reason—it is an indescribable experience. If you’re family is eager to hit the trail, you can hike the whole way. If you’ve got kids who are younger or just a bit reluctant, you can take the train up and do a shorter hike. And because there are many direct flights to Lima, it’s an easy trip to a magical destination.
Keep in mind:
Because there isn’t a huge time zone difference, you’ll have more energy to hit the ground running when you get there.
AFRICA (RWANDA & TANZANIA)
Good for families who:
Want a once-in-a-lifetime trip with your teens, have a passion for wildlife, love an adventure
Kids ages:
12 and up
What you’ll love about it:
If you’re feeling the sands slipping through the hourglass with your teen, a trip to Africa for safari and other adventures can be just the memory-making vacation you’ve been dreaming of. You may have watched all of the nature documentaries together, but there’s nothing that can compare to seeing the majestic animals in the wild. We love sending clients to Rwanda to see gorillas and to learn about the difficult history of the country. Tanzania is amazing because that’s where you can see the Great Migration, the largest herd migration in the world. You’ll see wildebeests and zebras migrate in such density that they can be seen from space. And we love Kenya as a destination for when you want your family to have a rich and real immersion into the culture of this fascinating country. If you want to end your trip on a relaxing note, we recommend a couple of days in Zanzibar, a beautiful island right off the coast of Tanzania.
Keep in mind:
Because of the distance and the amount of things you’ll want to do, we recommend going to Africa for a minimum of two weeks.