Keeping active as a family on holiday can be tricky: often the sheer effort involved in mobilising a group, whether it’s two adults and two children or a multi-generational affair involving nannies and your children’s friends, can seem like a challenge in itself. Once at your destination, there’s a temptation to pamper yourself by relying on the crutches of the pool, buffet and hotel staff. That’s what you pay them for, right? Not exactly. Especially when we have all these things readily available in the UAE, there’s a need to do something different on holiday. And what better way of making the most of the escape from the heat and the office than to get active?
The good news is that being active as a family is fun and it need not be difficult or expensive. In fact, it’s the best way to keep everyone entertained at once, and by doing some outdoor physical exercise every day, often in a very beautiful environment, tension and stress are reduced, the effects of overeating are combated and sleep and genuine relaxation are enhanced. Familial bonds are strengthened through shared experiences and lifetime memories are shaped through action and engagement with the world. You’ll come back with a different perspective rather than simply living your home lifestyle in another country. For those who are usually active at home, it’s an added reason not to slip into old habits or let your health suffer while on a break.
Another benefit is that because active holidays are often a means to an end – experiencing other cultures and environments – they are often educational for children and for adults. While it’s easy to fashion your own active holiday by planning a walking, cycling or sailing trip, there are now a huge number of tour operators offering specialised, active itineraries for families. Just be sure to examine them carefully, as some travel companies have a tendency to sell you myriad “activities”, which may not involve being active at all. The best ones recognise that adults don’t lose their sense of adventure just because they have kids. These companies are very transparent about what they offer and take care of all the logistics, meaning you won’t waste time flapping around on the ground and will be able to maximise both your family’s time in a place and your precious time together. Some packages allow you to travel individually as one family unit with a guide, on others you’ll be in groups with other people with children of similar ages – meaning you won’t feel that your kids are intruding on the peace of those who travel without them. Your children will make new friends and gain physical confidence and the whole family can benefit from contact with new people. Here are a few choices from tried-and-tested companies offering great value for active family travel. All offer land-only deals, so you can book your own flights from the UAE.
Offering a total of 521 different family holidays all over the world under headings such as "family adventure holidays", "families with toddlers" and "families with teenagers" there isn't much that Explore Worldwide (www.exploreworldwide.com) hasn't thought of. Choose from dozens of trips such as the "Atlas Adventure" in Morocco, "Egyptian Adventure", "Legends of Lycia" in Turkey or "The Lost City of Petra" in Jordan. Although getting from place to place on the Petra trip involves transport by 4x4 or bus, there is also camping, walking, camel trekking and snorkelling. The group version of the tour typically involves 12-18 people, and children must be 5 years or older. Prices from US$1,269 (Dh4,660) per adult and $1,050 (Dh3,855) for children for seven nights, including all internal transport, guides, accommodation and most meals.
Exodus (www.exodus.co.uk) also has a wide range of active family holidays, including dedicated selections such as "family walking", "family cycling", "family wildlife and safaris" and "cultural family holidays". Each trip comes with an "activity" level rating: "moderate", for example, means "you are moderately fit and possess a spirit of adventure. Some previous experience is required." The company is also very specific about which ages are suited to which trips, and has a panel of advisers on its website. There's a nine-day "Cuban Adventure by Bike", a 14-day "Sri Lanka Biking Adventure", or a "Turquoise Coast Adventure" in Turkey, where you will explore Saklikent Gorge, navigate a rope park and try sea kayaking. In China, why not walk along the Great Wall and cycle in rural Yangshuo on the 16-day "Pandas & Warriors" trip? Most active, however, are probably the 11 "mixed-activity family holidays", each of which offer a mix of up to 10 different activities, including kayaking, rock climbing, skidooing, rafting, hydrospeed, scuba diving, surfing, canyoning, dog-sledding, paragliding and igloo building. All training and equipment is provided, but a "can-do attitude and plenty of stamina are needed". A "moderate" eight-day trip to the Dordogne in France, with canoeing on the river and some cycling, costs £579 (Dh3,275) per person excluding flights; minimum age is 5.
If you want to search the active family holidays of many different reputable companies to compare them, the website of Responsible Travel (www.responsibletravel.com) throws up 189 different family adventure travel options in all corners of the world.
For something a bit more sporty, companies such as Abercrombie & Kent (www.abercrombiekent.ae), Mark Warner (www.markwarner.co.uk), Club Med (www.clubmed.co.uk), Health and Fitness Travel (www.healthandfitnesstravel.com) and Kuoni (www.kuoni.co.uk) offer structured, active family holidays at a single base. Abercrombie & Kent's "Fun & Scrum in Sardinia" takes place at the Forte Village. Children are grouped according to age and ability and receive two hours of rugby coaching each morning. While they are being active, parents can be put through their paces by a personal trainer. There's a fabulous beach and multisport facilities, so you can do as little or as much as you want. Seven nights at Forte Village for a family of four, half board and two academy sports costs from Dh18,750, excluding flights.
If you don't want to take a flight for an active family holiday, the Dubai-based Absolute Adventure (www.adventure.ae) is an excellent local company offering trekking, mountain biking, diving, kayaking, camping, off-roading and sea adventures. It has an office and Adventure Centre in Dibba, Oman – the centre itself can be rented by groups and families. Most of its trips are day trips, available from October to April, and are in Musandam, in and around Dibba, Kalba and Masafi.
