Seven tips for having more adventurous holidays with kids

I still remember my heart pounding as my now-husband and I faced a Maoist rebel pointing a gun at our heads in Nepal in 2005. We were trekking through the Annapurna region during a politically tense period, and had been warned that Maoists patrolled the hills, demanding a “tourist tax” from hikers (we paid and lived to tell the tale, obviously).

On the road again, with kids.Credit: Greg Straight

Then there was India, where we found ourselves stranded deep in the jungle near the Goan coast after our scooter broke down. The engine sputtered and died, leaving us in the middle of nowhere just as a herd of buffalo approached. The scooter only just jerked back to life as panic set in.

Now that we have kids, we don’t take the same sorts of risks, but we’ve learnt that excitement doesn’t always mean theme parks or resort stays.

Here’s how to plan a family holiday that’s full of fun and low on tears.

Embrace carriers while the kids are young

A carrier frees up your hands and gives your child a place to nap on the go. I’ve got photos of our second baby asleep in Iceland, while my husband and eldest foolishly walked behind a roaring waterfall. I also remember dancing in Buenos Aires at an impromptu post-dinner party with the eldest snoozing (and snoring) through the noise in a carrier, all bundled up while I swirled to the tango beats.

Pack smart

When travelling with kids, pack snacks and more snacks. They help keep bellies full and avert meltdowns (yours and theirs). We saved ourselves in snowy Finland when we got lost, relying on trail mix and crackers to keep our eldest going, while cut-up vegetable sticks go a long way when the kids need a boost without the sugar crash.

Plan shorter adventures

Be realistic about the length and difficulty of your trips. We now plan shorter hikes and easier paddles – having the finish line in sight calms everyone’s nerves. Recently, I convinced our eldest to join me on a night paddle in the Cook Islands, and she was fine with the partial darkness because she could see our destination: a sandbar glowing in the moonlit lagoon.

Understand the value of a local guide

When it was just the two of us, we thought we could tackle anything without a guide – like taking a motorbike off a local’s hands for $20 in Mongolia, setting off on an adventure without knowing how to navigate the unmarked dirt tracks. Since having kids, we’ve come to appreciate the value of a knowledgeable guide. Take our hike with llamas in Salta, Argentina: our guide, a local from the area, didn’t just lead the way, he brought the region to life, sharing stories about the landscape and the quirky things llamas do (like humming softly to communicate with each other).

Involve the kids in the planning

Let the kids have a say in the planning so they feel included. Whether it’s choosing a trail or the next activity, their input adds to the adventure. Our eldest loved chatting with other kids at The Quiet Site campsite in the UK’s Lake District, and her suggestion led us to a family-friendly trail we might have otherwise not considered.

Stay flexible and embrace the pace

Kids like to explore at their own rhythm, so we’ve learnt to slow down and enjoy the moment, however long that moment might be. One of my favourite memories is cycling through the tulip fields in the Netherlands, where we stopped to “smell the tulips” more often than we cycled (and have hundreds of photos to prove it).

Turn travel into play

Transforming parts of a trip into a game can keep kids engaged. In Mungo National Park in NSW’s Murray-Riverina region, I secretly scattered a few Lego figures (that we picked up later), which my daughter dubbed “Mungo Men and Women”. Each discovery – apart from thrilling her – became an opportunity for a mini history lesson about the area and its people.