If your child is always on the move and bounces off the walls at home, pick a destination packed with action…preferably of the outdoor variety! They’ll have a blast, and hopefully they’ll be exhausted from all the running around, so you can have some blissfully quiet times in the evening while they crash out in preparation for the next day’s activities.
Costa Rica is a dream for adventurous families. You can zipline through cloud forests in Monteverde, hike near Arenal volcano, and spot sloths in the jungle. In the Dominican Republic, Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda includes tightrope walking, archery, and aerial trapeze for kids.
One year-round destination that always delivers on action-packed family fun is the Swiss or French Alps, where you could take them skiing or snowboarding. This way, they spend the day learning a new skill and making memories. Pick a Club Med if you want them to have the added benefit of included ski lessons and extra activities with other kids, like theatre shows and dinners.
Heading to the Alps during summer? Not only is it gorgeous with rolling fields and giant peaks, but there’s loads of hiking to be found in the area too.
Dubai is another great pick for adventure lovers, especially if your kids are a little older. It’s a top-notch destination for theme parks, sandboarding, dune bashing, and desert exploration. You get a great sense of the wild and plenty of adrenaline rushes, without feeling like you’ve gone too far off the beaten path.
Back home, the Drakensberg’s adventure lodges like Dragon Peaks and Alpine Heath offer horse riding, canopy tours, and climbing walls in stunning mountain settings. If you want some coastal time, Tsitsikamma and the Stormsrivier area is a real winner. There are options galore for busy kids, including kayaking, swimming, walking, ziplining, and more. Plus, these local picks are great value and don’t require international flights.
