Holiday Ideas
Adventure
Adventure holidays with kids
‘Flop and drop’ resort holidays are all well and good, but taking the kids on a trip that embraces the great outdoors is on the up!
The way families travel has transformed in the past few years, with a move towards nature and the great outdoors, sustainability, off-grid and remote travel, wellness and transformation.
Adventure holidays are booming as more and more families seek meaningful, immersive, off-the-beaten-track experiences. Fresh air and space to roam are high on the agenda, with increased demand for outdoor adventures.
All Adventure Stories
Why we love family adventure holidays
“We are now dreaming of places where we can physically distance on walks, hikes and adventures amid the fresh air in a natural landscape,” says Slow Travel author Penny Watson. “We’re researching ways to connect with local people and culture in place of now-taboo tick-box destinations with big crowds. Slow travel is the opportunity to scratch that itch.”
Top adventure holiday destinations in Australia and abroad
Travel companies are reporting a huge amount of in interest in family trips. Intrepid spokeswoman Sarah Anderson from Intrepid Travel—a company which offers family tours everywhere from Peru to Egypt—says Bali and Vietnam are the top destinations, while interest in Borneo and South Africa is growing.
World Expeditions saw a 67 per cent increase in search and visitation to the family adventure travel pages on its website in 2022. The greatest interest was in its Larapinta Trek Family Adventure in the Northern Territory. Its other family destinations include Vietnam, Laos and Nepal.
“Travellers are looking for uncrowded and remote experiences that give them the chance to reconnect with nature and the natural world,” World Expeditions CEO Sue Badyari says. World Expeditions also offers guided family walks in Aussie adventure hotspots such as Tasmania, including a three-day adventure at Cradle Mountain.
Companies are also responding to the demand with exciting new trips. G Adventures has partnered with National Geographic to offer new family journeys to destinations including Vietnam, Costa Rica, Alaska, Iceland and Italy. Activities are designed around four guiding Nat Geo themes: photography and storytelling, history and culture, wildlife and conservation, and exploration.
After launching family cycling adventures, Intrepid Travel also introduced new family trips to Morocco, Peru and Egypt destinations.
6 exciting kid-friendly adventure holiday trends to know about
Bucket list experiences
There’s been a boom in travellers wanting to tick off bucket list experiences—and bring their kids along for the ride. Trips like driving the Gibb River Rd in the Kimberley, Lapland and swimming with whales are high on the agenda. Majestic Whale Encounters managing director Carmen Ellis says bucket list travel can be a way for people to gain a sense of accomplishment. “The greater the challenge, the more sense of achievement we feel when we accomplish those goals. It is also a really great way to forge new friendships with like-minded adventure travellers.”
Ebike trips and rail trails
There’s never been a better time to jump on a bike, with new options popping all over Australia and the world – and the growth in eBikes making it easier than ever before to do it with kids! From the 10km round-trip Lake Wendouree Loop Ride in Ballarat to the first stage of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail – which opened in The Tweed in March 2023 – there’s plenty of places for families to bond on two wheels.
According to Rail Trails Australia, there’s nearly 150 shared paths on old train tracks across the country, with more than 50 more on the way. Many are also being extended, including the Great Southern Rail Trail in Victoria, which will become the second longest in Australia after the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail.
Bush survival experiences
Interest in survival TV shows like Man vs. Wild and Running Wild with Bear Grylls shows no sign of abating, and it’s leading to a desire for ordinary people to try similar experiences. The Bear Grylls Survival Academy – introduced at NRMA holiday parks in 2022 – has proven popular, with families rushing to learn how to light fires in the bush, hide to survive, and craft and throw spears to ‘capture’ food.
In 2024, the SHIPWRECKED experience is available at seven NRMA Holiday Parks and Resorts parks including Ocean Beach Holiday Resort on the NSW Central Coast, South West Rocks and Darlington Beach Holiday Resorts on the mid-north coast, Treasure Island Holiday Resort on the Gold Coast and Halls Gap Holiday Resort in Victoria.
Regenerative travel and voluntourism
This new buzz term is an extension of sustainable tourism, which aims to minimise the negative impacts of tourism such as damage to the environment and overcrowding and maximise the positive ones, such as job creation and the preservation of culture. It means not just leaving no footprints, but helping improve the places we visit, with experiences that go beyond a typical holiday. It may include taking part in voluntourism activities such as beach clean ups in Fiji, helping plant trees in the Hawaiian Islands, or becoming a marine biologist for the day on a Passions of Paradise cruise on the Great Barrier Reef.
Off-grid family adventures
Experiences like off-grid farm stays, such as the FORAGE Tours run by adventurer Jon Muir and his wife Suzy in Victoria, are popular in the new world. The experience provides the chance to learn about organic farming and sustainable living through hands-on workshops on recycling, aquaculture systems, organic food growing and energy harvesting techniques, as well as opportunities to hear some of Jon’s legendary stories about his adventures across the globe – from becoming the first man to walk unsupported across Australia, to his expeditions to Mt Everest and the North and South Poles.
Custom tour itineraries
More and more travellers are requesting custom trips, in which they can choose their own departure date and travel in a private group, World Expeditions CEO Sue Badyari says. “There has been a surge in bookings for custom itineraries, with families. Self-guided trips are ideal for the current times because they offer complete flexibility, allowing people to travel independently without a group and under their own steam, but with all our supports working in the background.”
Table of Contents
Opening image: A girl sandboarding at Little Sahara on Kangaroo Island. © Tash Mohring-South Australian Tourism Commission