You think traveling alone is fun? Wait until you have a family to accompany you. I’m not saying that the freedom of being able to do whatever you want with no obligations isn’t awesome; it is just that when you have your little ones with you, seeing them having fun on your account is just heart melting. And the grin it puts on their mother’s face just tells you that you are the luckiest man in the world. When you have your entire family with you and everyone is having fun, despite the fact that someone almost broke a priceless museum piece earlier, the joy you get from this is just, ineffable.
Nevertheless, there are places you want to go and create precious memories with your family, and there are places you should avoid like a plague if you intend to bring your family along. The idea is to create precious memories, not painful ones. Here are a couple of tips to ensure your next family vacation is a fun and memorable one.
Countries to Be Careful With
Depending on where you get the information, there are countries some people will tell you never to take your family on vacation. There definitely are countries you should never step into even if you are traveling alone. Such countries involve those with political unrest or those under a dictatorship. I did not want to write that you should avoid some countries completely but I realized that some countries are just no-go zones – family vacation or not. If a country appears on my list below, you should be careful with it before deciding to tour it either by yourself or especially with your family. In fact, just avoid the country if you intend to bring your family along. If it’s just you doing your own thing (minus your family), feel free to do as you please. The following places may not be safe for you to bring your family along on vacation due to political unrest (civil war, war, high crime rates) or unhealthy environments (diseases, pollution).
- Yemen
- Russia
- Guatemala
- Philippines
- Egypt
- Madagascar
- Brazil
- Middle East
- Israel
- Acapulco
- Hawaii
- India
Please note that I am not saying that you should never visit these places for family vacations. This is just a warning because these places are known to be a threat and the last thing you want is worrying about the safety of your family more than usual. Just do some background check and research about the country before embarking on a journey there. In fact, do the same for any country you have never been to; I may have missed something.
Accommodation
Avoid getting accommodation with only one or two beds in the same room when you have your children with you on vacation. Unless you have just a kid or two, who are disciplined, you may want to get a hotel with separate sleeping areas. You must have realized by now that your kids are their own persons and just because you want to go to bed at eight does not mean that they also will go to bed at that time. If you know your children’s patterns, include that in your accommodation selection.
Furthermore, select accommodation at a central location in a city. This will guarantee the highest security for your family and will make it easier for you to move around with them. Consider looking for the bestfamily hotel dealsto find accommodation somewhere that is easily accessible and ideal for your family.
On Your Way and Explorations
Just as there are countries you should avoid, there are places you should avoid while on vacation with your family.
If you have infants, some of the places you should avoid are those that are not age appropriate for them. Children between the ages of 5 and 10 are not good company for museums or places with either fragile objects or that need discipline. Children around that age are restless, curious, and want to discover and explore stuff. Taking such kids to a place like a museum will be torture for the parent and the child. The child wants to touch stuff, run about, and shout his or her lungs out. And the parent is forced to try to contain these loose cannons. It’s just stressful for everyone.
You can’t take your kids to a wine tasting event, I mean, seriously? What do you expect them to do as you indulge yourself? A wine tasting event is ideal for you and your spouse. You also can’t take your kids to a summer break destination where young adults go to unleash the monsters they had locked for the most part of the year. Two words, “age appropriate”.
Avoid restaurants that are not kids friendly or any places that need quiet. Any place that is not kids friendly is a place you should avoid while you have your kids with you. And if you find yourself forced to bring your kids along to a place that is not kids friendly, please have the decency to monitor them an ensure they don’t bother anyone.
I hope these three main guidelines will help you to make the right decision when it comes to choosing a holiday destination for your family. Feel free to let me know how it goes. Have Fun!
