What if, in addition to making happy memories, children came back from their holidays having learned something new? How to light a fire, create an authentic Neapolitan pizza, identify a paw print. Holidays are an amazing opportunity for children to interact with, and learn about, the world around them – often without even realising it. Welcome to ‘Stealth Learning’. Whether it’s studying constellations with an astronomer in Chile’s Atacama Desert,
26th February 2025 - Family Travel
In a longstanding family tradition, every year Original Travel Co-founder Tom Barber takes his children and parents on a bike ride around the medieval walls of the lovely Tuscan city of Lucca. It’s the perfect 3G (Three Generational) experience. Most of the time. It’s official: my children are spoilt rotten. Having a father who founded a travel company specialising in tailor-made family holidays means they’ve been lucky enough to visit some of the most magical destinations in the world.
30th December 2024 - Italy Family Travel
Ask any parent what their children really want on holiday and they’d probably feel fairly confident coming up with the right answers, ‘ice cream’ among them. But what if Original Travel’s boffins had surveyed the children of hundreds of our clients on this exact same subject, analysed the results and come up with the definitive list of what children really love when they go away? You’re welcome. Even better,
28th October 2024 - Family Travel
In our totally unbiased opinion, there’s no better way to get youngsters excited about the world than with a family holiday. Hear us out (we’ve done our research). Along with our friends at children’s party planners, Sharky & George, we set out to find out what most inspired family holidays. With 81% of parents taking a child’s interests and hobbies into consideration, it’s clear that trips are shaped by little ones’ desires.
18th September 2024 - Family Travel
Despite our little ones’ protests, education doesn’t have to be boring. Fill holidays with the right amount of hands-on activities, interactive tours and ancient wonders, and watch as learning is brought to life (without them even knowing it). With the help of children’s party people, Sharky & George, we discovered exactly what your youngsters want from a family holiday – and it came with a healthy dose of adventure and immersive fun.
10th September 2024 - Family Travel
It’s only fair that everyone gets a say when it comes to planning a family holiday. Bearing this in mind, we decided to investigate what children want from family holidays, and the factors that influence their choices. In partnership with our friends Sharky & George, the much-loved children’s party planners, we sent out a survey and held an event to ask youngsters the all-important question: what makes a great family holiday?
23rd August 2024 - Family Travel
Planning a family holiday involves an element of democracy, and increasingly, youngsters are having a say and getting their way when it comes to choosing destinations. With this in mind, we decided to investigate what children want from family holidays, and the external influences that might shape their choices. In partnership with our friends over at the well-loved children’s party planners, Sharky & George, we sent out a survey and held an event to help us figure out what makes a great family holiday.
16th August 2024 - Family Travel
Put one foot wrong during the planning stage, and holidays with under fives could quickly turn from utter bliss to utter chaos. Too hot, too cold, too tired, too bored... who’d have guessed a toddler knew so many adjectives? But with the help of children’s party planners Sharky & George, we can tailor-make the perfect stress-free escape, whether it’s a malaria-free safari in South Africa or a serene stay in a beach resort outside of peak season.
7th August 2024 - Family Travel
Children may be small, but their packing lists are mighty. To keep them entertained, comfortable and mess-free while on the go is no easy feat. Luckily, our partnership with children’s party people Sharky & George means we have the entertainment box ticked with our family fun packs. We’ve put our brains to work for the rest, so read on to discover the essential and easy-to-forget items to pack for your next family holiday.
29th July 2024 - Family Travel
Sometimes, even the most enticing experiences can’t compete with a parent’s worst enemy – screens. Despite the world being full of wonders, occasionally all youngsters want to do is look down... but we’re determined to change that. As part of our ongoing partnership with event planners Sharky & George, we are set on discovering exactly what your little ones want from a family holiday. We’ve gathered this critical data from a survey for parents and during a fun-filled family party run by Sharky & George.
23rd July 2024 - Family Travel
Whether parents like to admit it or not, children have more of a say than ever when it comes to family holidays. Intrigued by this phenomenon, we set out to explore what exactly children want. And who better to ask than the children themselves? In partnership with our friends over at the ever-popular children’s party planners, Sharky & George, we sent out a survey and then held an event to help us determine what makes a great family holiday.
17th July 2024 - Family Travel
Teenagers and holidays – a recipe for equal parts family feuds and family bonding. According to Tom Barber, co-founder of Original Travel and Conde Nast Traveler’s Top Family Specialist, ‘teenagers tend to be forgotten, even though there are just as many considerations to factor in for that age bracket’. Luckily, that’s where we come in. Teens are hard to please, but we love a challenge. And the good news is that if you nail the location, that’s half the work done.
1st July 2024 - Family Travel
When it comes to family holidays, one demographic stands as the most demanding – the truculent teen. Tom Barber, co-founder of Original Travel and Conde Nast Traveler’s Top Family Specialist, says that ‘teenagers tend to get forgotten – even though there are just as many considerations to factor in for that age bracket. Luckily, that’s where we come in. There are plenty of ways to craft a holiday you can all enjoy.
20th May 2024 - Family Travel
Family holidays can be tricky at the best of times. But throw in a tantrum here, a mid-flight meltdown there and a stroppy teenager or two, and it might be enough to put you off. Luckily, we're on hand with our top family holiday advice to help minimise mishaps while on your family getaway. Our consultants have years of experience planning family holidays, including our co-founder, Tom, father of four and a Condé Nast Top Travel Family Specialist.
15th April 2024 - Family Travel
American novelist Jack Kerouac once said all he needed was ‘a wheel in his hands and four on the road’. And while your initial idea of a family road trip may shatter Kerouac’s peaceful perception of cruising down America’s long highways, we’re here to prove you wrong. Swapping skies for seatbelts opens a whole new side to family holidays: road-side stops reveal secluded spots, hours spent in the car can bond the family (and increase little ones’ patience), and the stress of missing domestic flights is a thing of the past.
5th March 2024 - Family Travel
Why do grandparents and grandchildren get along so well? Because they're united by a common enemy. But take out the middle-mum and dad and you have the rare opportunity to spend quality time with your grandchildren without the distractions. Designed for the young and the young at heart, skip gen holidays are all about using the world to really get to know the young people in your life. From culture-packed Big Short Breaks in stylish Scandinavia to sun-soaked cruises along the Nile, they encourage seeing the world from multiple sets of eyes (with varying levels of sight).
3rd March 2023 - Family Travel
‘I’m bored’ are two words you won’t hear on family tours in India. Partly because there won’t be time in-between Kathakali dance workshops and Bollywood tours in Mumbai and partly because their mouths will be so full of homemade vada pavs that it will simply be impossible to. For budding sportsmen, a morning spent batting and fielding with local cricket legends in Jaipur will be sure to inspire. While in Ranthambore and Dera Amer young Attenborough enthusiasts can go wild – quite literally – on tiger safaris and elephant walks through the sweeping Saluwar Forest.
25th February 2023 - India Family Travel
Half terms were made for two – two weeks that is. And even schools are starting to agree. While some parents will see the news as an alert to stock up on arts, crafts and play dates, for us it’s just the excuse we needed to cast the net wide on October family holidays. Head to Morocco and Egypt for a slice of North African sun, Oman for endless dunes and desert delights and Sri Lanka for sweeping shores and sunny skies.
6th October 2022 - Family Travel
To all parents of teenagers, welcome to your essential survival guide to holidaying with your charming teens. Let us introduce you to Polly, mother to four teenage boys and winner of Original Travel's inaugural Parental Bravery Award. If there's something about holidaying with teenagers that Polly doesn't know, it ain't worth knowing... Adventure, Missions and Surprises These are always popular, even if the teens pretend otherwise!
28th June 2021 - Family Travel
Kids love different types of animals, here in the UK we have to go to the zoo to get up close to the weird and wonderful species around the world (don't get me wrong, a zoo always goes down very well) but what's better than choosing a destination for your family holiday where your kids can really experience these animals and take back great memories. Here at Original Travel our Asia team have put together what we believe to be the top six destinations to see the coolest and most awesome animals.
28th June 2021 - Family Travel
The perfect family holiday needs to get the balance just right; that precious time to spend together away from the demands of daily life and work, coupled with a little R&R for the parents, safe in the knowledge that their little ones are well cared for, and having buckets of fun. Thankfully, our Original Travel family have been scouring the globe for years to source a snapshot of our favourite family-friendly hotspots for this summer's travels.
28th June 2021 - Family Travel
Once your children have reached the slightly scary 'tweenage' years of 9-12 years old, you can start veering toward the ever more adventurous holidays, for instance, their first expedition. We think that Malaysian Borneo provides adventure-a-plenty for little explorers; this is the land of wild orangutans, pygmy elephants, butterflies the size of dinner plates and ancient rainforest that is even older than Dad (yes, THAT old).
28th June 2021 - Malaysia Family Travel
Choosing where to stay is almost as important as choosing where to go, if not more so. A good place to stay can be the difference between securing the holy grail of luxury family travel, and being in the dog house for booking a hotel which calls a square foot of grass a kid's club. Perhaps our mini portfolio of Best Family Hotels might keep the holiday planning stresses at bay. Carlisle Bay, Antigua Antigua's Carlisle Bay ticks all the boxes for a luxury Caribbean getaway with white sandy beaches,
28th June 2021 - Family Travel
Your essential survival guide to holidays with your parents (eurgh). Written by Kit, son of Polly and a teenager of excellent repute. Here's his guide on how to get the most out of family holidays... If you happen to be a parent reading this blog then we highly recommend you read Polly's blog (Kit's mum) dishing out her highly valuable and experienced parental advice on holidays with teens. Bring a Friend It can be great to have a friend along on holiday but choose them wisely.
28th June 2021 - Family Travel
Welcome to our dedicated Survival Manual for flying with your little ones. No one wants to be the parent of a screaming infant on a flight, so if you want to avoid looks that could kill, here are a few tips from all of us Original Travel parents to minimise the chances of an incident at 33,000ft. And if your older ones start chucking their toys? Sorry, you're on your own there... How To Avoid A Meltdown Babies find it tricky to pop their ears on take-off and landing,
28th June 2021 - Family Travel
Those infant bundles of joy; those reasonable and obedient toddlers; those calm and collected tweenagers; those charming and engaging teens. OK, maybe the first one rings true. When the baby doesn't have colic. Or wind. Or is teething. Quite frankly it's enough to make you want to go on holiday without them, but in the absence of this option there are - we promise - ways of minimising the pain of the family holiday.
28th June 2021 - Family Travel
Rome is a magical destination for families, but as with any successful holiday in Italy, the proof is in the planning, so here are my top tips (and those of my wife and four children, who are never short of feedback on one of our family trips) for the perfect family trip to Rome... Plan ahead Yes, it's terribly boring not being able to spontaneously wing it like you used to as a couple, but the fact is that family holidays take Hannibal-and-elephants-crossing-the-Alps levels of planning.
28th June 2021 - Italy Family Travel
Here are our top tips for surviving (and enjoying!) family holidays whilst travelling with tots. Are you sitting comfortably? Then we'll begin... Routine, Routine, Routine Your young one's routine is key to the holiday happiness of everyone concerned. We can recommend the hotels that really understand your needs, be that with restaurants serving meals at times when toddlers tend to eat, or with family-friendly pool opening hours.
28th June 2021 - Family Travel
I am sure there are people who have their own views (which is strange of them, as I am always right), but I think Nonsuch bay offers the best winter family sailing you can find (and it is pretty amazing and popular in summer too). That's why I took my immediate family (wife, two small girls: Amelie 3 and Eloise 1) and my in laws (husband and wife, young in spirit, young in body) for a multi generational ten days in a three bed roomed apartment overlooking the harbour - one of about 40 beach front villas and cottages there.
28th June 2021 - Antigua and Barbuda Family Travel
It might sound clichéd, but travel is one of life's greatest teachers. Whether you want to encourage your kiddos to learn by taking them to see the frescos in Florence, or by meeting the cast of The Lion King and understanding their habitat on a Big Five safari in South Africa, our travel experts have put together a list of experiences that will turn your next adventure with the gang into one big (but fun) classroom.
28th June 2021 - Family Travel
We’re big fans of family holidays and even bigger fans of alternative family holidays. From eco adventures in the wildlife-filled rainforests of Costa Rica to rugged road trips around Iceland and an Italian train tour, read on for our roundup of our favourite alternative getaways for families... Iceland Costa Rica Norway Italy Namibia Vietnam and Cambodia 1 Iceland Road Trip With dramatic fjords, towering mountains, and glittering glaciers, Iceland is one of our top picks for alternative family holidays.
28th June 2021 - Family Travel
Lydia Gard is a freelance writer specialising in luxury family travel, since having two boys she is determined to find truly luxurious places that celebrate rather than simply tolerate young families. In her first of 6 blogs Lydia talks us through the her top 5 toddler holidays... I have always been a keen traveler... I met my husband sailing off the coast of Zanzibar. We drove across the Sahara, partied in Marrakech, ski-toured British Columbia and sipped sundowners in Nicaragua - all the while swearing that having children wouldn't change a thing.
28th June 2021 - Family Travel
Elsewhere in our blog we've talked about Travelling with Teenagers, given Teen to Teen Advice as well as Parental Advice on family holidays all around the far flung corners of our glorious globe. Now that every hidden nook and secret cranny is now in play with teens in tow, let's not forget and neglect our own magnificent continent. Europe equals villa holidays, skiing, city breaks and more, all easily accessible and ready and waiting to fuel their passion for travel.
28th June 2021 - Family Travel
Time to take a deep breath, bite your tongue and get ready for battle. Or - just as likely- get ready to enjoy some really quality time with your pubescent progent and discuss things in a mature manner. Ha, who are we trying to kid? Joking aside, these years can deliver some genuinely fruitful, fulsome family travel. Your children are now of an age when they may start going on holiday with their friends' families, but while they're on your watch, here's a few ground rules so you don't have to ground them.
28th June 2021 - Family Travel
There are few foreign forays as fun as taking a beautiful private property or taking over a great boutique hotel and filling it with family of different generations, experiencing unforgettable activities together. Our friends across the pond may call it 'togethering' (each to their own), but we've christened this fast-growing trend '3G' (Three Generational) holidays. Original Travel offer luxury tailor-made 3G holidays to suit the whole family with a perfect combination of relaxation, adventure and culture designed to appeal to all members of the group.
28th June 2021 - Family Travel
The summer holidays may feel like a world away now but come June they'll be a veritable beacon of hope amidst the (organised) chaos of early morning wake-ups, school runs and vain attempts to prevent toothpaste from finding its way onto every single item of school uniform. Frankly, it's exhausting. Which is where we come in, because when it comes to organising your summer holiday getaway you can just sit back, relax and leave the hard work to us.
28th June 2021 - Family Travel
Welcome to the age of the 'tweenager' - the twilight zone between the innocence of early childhood and the dark ages of the teenage years. No need to panic though, because handled correctly these can be some of the most memorable (for all the right reasons) of all family travel times. For instance, you can start involving the children in the planning process (in moderation, mind, or you may find yourself going to California every single holiday) and,
28th June 2021 - Family Travel
If you haven't seen our latest Family Brochure yet, I'd like to think it's the best we've ever produced, and that's including two that won the illustrious Guardian/Observer Best Brochure of the Year award. The reason? We've meticulously laid out the best family travel destinations (some classics, some supercool original ones), as well as the reasons why to visit and - most crucially - what ages the children should be to get the most out of each place.
28th June 2021 - South Africa Family Travel
Our team of destination experts will get to know you and your unique requirements for your holiday
We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from fast-tracking you through airport check-in and security to our network of local Concierges
