Not Only For Grandchildren

 By Miranda

The trend to take grandchildren on vacation doesn’t have to mean an all-inclusive resort with waterslides. It can be an interesting vacation for the grown ups too.

Firstly, it’s important to get the destination right for the ages involved, especially if you are shelling out big bucks. For a safari, it is better to wait until the children are at least ten to fully appreciate the experience. An excellent resource is Alex Edwards of Natural High Safaris who specializes in mixed generation trips. A father of three boys who has lived in Africa, he certainly knows as much as any tour operator about what works and what doesn’t for children and adults.

For teenage girls, Marrakech is an exotic and sophisticated location. A shopping guide for the medina, Saint Laurent’s gardens and museum, a Berber lunch in the mountains, a food demonstration and an endless list of cafés and restaurants can easily fill a week and provide a good mix of culture and fun for everyone. Riad Farnatchi is the perfect hotel to retreat to and has the added bonus of the owner’s wife being English and able to organize all your activities.

For a design hotel/adventure combo Explora and Tierra lodges in the Atacama desert. Chile will not disappoint. An overnight direct flight to Santiago followed by a short domestic transfer to Calama in the north will have you there in time for a late lunch. The location provides a veritable feast of activities which are carried out by a team of highly trained guides. They can adapt the focus to the ages and interests of their group and cover areas such as wildlife, history, photography, geology, and astronomy. The lodges are minimalist and elegant with friendly but sophisticated dining--pizza can be found in town if required. This vacation is perfect for spring break and may be self-booked. 

Miranda runs a high-end travel consultancy business, mlpdestinations.com, and advises clients on all areas of travel from whom to travel with to preparing outline itineraries.