Happy New Year everyone! Now all the madness of the holiday season is over, January is the perfect time to start planning this year’s family trips. Or at least dream of summer when it’s cold outside.
I asked three top travel bloggers to share the family destinations they are most excited to visit in 2019 and received great inspiration for new adventures for a new year.
Celebrating Life in Mexico
Raphael and Aslan Sinclair, A Life We Chose
The Sinclairs, a young Canadian family with a 6-year-old-son and a puppy, had a dream to travel the world. So they quit their jobs, sold everything and bought one-way tickets to Mexico. Their travel blog, A Life We Chose, is their inspiring story showing everyone can live out their dreams, no matter what!
A Life We Chose“We’ve been in Mexico since September 11th, 2018. In every city or state we’ve visited there is one common theme: family comes first.
“The children here are very well looked after. Most families are very large and all the members pitch in to make sure a child’s birthday party is a blast. An average birthday party for a child will have a bouncy castle, food, games, clowns and of course, a piñata. The entire family attends in order to make sure the child feels special.
“On one occasion, our family was invited to a child’s birthday party by complete strangers. We attended, were welcomed with open arms, and treated like family.
“For our child, it’s a great lesson in gratitude and family values. Since many families here live below the poverty line, children are taught early to work and do their part for the family. In turn, elders are also looked after.
“Mexico is very safe for children. When we arrived in the small town of Santa Cruz de Miramar, we noticed groups of children playing without adult supervision in the streets.
“It was foreign for us because in Canada though people say it’s safe, no-one lets their little ones go play without supervision.
“We decided to give it a try and let our child play with the other kids without us hovering. The first day, he got hurt and a dozen kids came to our door to get us. Since then, Gryphin has gone out several times by himself and we’ve never had a problem though we’re still reluctant in bigger cities.
“According to friends I’ve talked to, crimes against children are nearly non-existant here. The reason being that people who commit crimes against children are not dealt with by police, they simply disappear. It might sound extreme but that’s the way it is.
“Here in Mexico, religious events like Christmas and Easter are very important since 80% of the population is Roman Catholic. They are celebrated much differently than in Canada. The celebrations usually go on for several days and are more family-focused than material-focused.
“There are several other religious holidays as well as national holidays like independence day.
“They don’t celebrate Halloween here! Instead, at the beginning of November, they celebrate Dia de Los Muertos (day of the dead). It is a time set aside to honor those who have passed on. Celebrations take place for a few days.
“No matter where we go, there are fun activities for kids. Whether it’s a circus, outdoor party, or something else, there’s always action! Some of the bigger cities like Guadalajara have things like arcades, trampoline parks and similar things.
“In the smaller villages, there’s usually outdoor places like rivers, beaches or trails to explore. It’s awesome because you can swim here year round. Is there really anything funner for kids than a family day at the beach?”
Off The Beaten Track In Altyn Arashan
Krasen Jelyazkov, Journey Beyond Horizon
Krasen, a travel blogger from Bulgaria, lives in China with his wife Ying-Ying and children. Krasen shares his adventures criss-crossing continents and favorite off-the-beaten-path destinations in his travel blog, Journey Beyond Horizon.
Krasen Jelyazkov, Journey Beyond Horizon“I have always looked to some off the beaten path places, knowing that many of these places are incredibly beautiful, not crowded by over tourism and very natural. One of these places is located in Kyrgyzstan, a little known country in Central Asia, offering some of the most breathtaking mountain landscapes in the world. This place is Altyn Arashan, a valley in Tianshan mountains, with splendid coniferous forests, grasslands, alpine peaks and stunning views.
“Altyn Arashan is located near Karakol city. It can be reached by a 15km dirt road from the nearby village Ak-Suu. Walking on this road is easy, safe and you can meet many hikers from various countries. There are also big truck-buses, arranged by the local travel agencies for tourists. Finally, it reaches Altyn Arashan – a mountain resort at 2,450m altitude.
“This mountain resort is significant for one more thing – hot springs. There are many huts with pools, where the natural hot water flows and you can enjoy 40-50 minutes relaxing inside. And when you are not in the pools, you have a lot of opportunities for hiking, horse riding or just walking and resting on the grasslands and in the forest.
“The best time to visit Altyn Arashan is in summer, when the grassland is green and full of flowers. Other seasons are beautiful too, but summer is also easier to access this place. All this makes it a perfect, non-standard destination for young families with children.”
Mountains And Lakes In Switzerland
Erika Van ‘t Veld, Erika’s Travelventures
Erika has been backpacking around the world since October, 2017 and started blogging about her adventures on Erika’s Travel Adventures in 2018. Her favorite experiences so far have been trekking in Nepal, Switzerland, and Georgia, and road tripping through the Balkan countries using public transportation.
Erika Van ‘t Veld, Erika’s Travelventures“Switzerland has been a family destination for Europeans for decades, both in the summer and winter. Its alluring mountains, lakes, little villages, and friendly locals have drawn tourists to Switzerland since Heidi was skipping through the Alps!
“There’s something to do there in every season, such as skiing in the winter, hiking in the spring and summer and exploring cozy towns in the fall. With kids, I recommend going in the summer to enjoy walking some of the trails around the Jungfrau region, swimming in the lakes around Interlaken, and taking the mountain trains up to the beautiful viewpoints of Schynige Platte and Kleine Scheidegg.
“Many families will rent out cabins or Airbnbs here, which gives a sense of being a real local in any number of small welcoming villages around the country. Restaurants are plentiful and varied, and even typical Swiss food could appease many picky eaters. Grab a pot of fondue to eat on the terrace (available year-round), some bread rolls and pastries for breakfast or a picnic by the lake, and cozy up in the evenings with dinner of potato mash and sausages.
“For families with children old enough to hike a couple of hours, there are amazing treks that go for many kilometers in the Interlaken area, such as from Schynige Platte to Faulhorn and Alpiglen, or the famous Eiger trail. For young kids, it’s a fun experience to ride the cable cars around the Alps, such as from Grindelwald to First!
“There are not many downsides to this beautiful country, EXCEPT the price tag. Being one of the wealthiest countries in Europe, accommodation, eating out, and especially transportation is expensive compared to American standards. If you’re cooking for yourself and limited long-distance train excursions however, it’s easy to visit Switzerland on any budget.”
So there you go! Check out their blogs and Instagram feeds for more posts and stunning photography from these exciting destinations and start planning your trips. If you’ve never been on a long-haul flight with young children, take a look at my posts Flying With A Baby and Flying With A Toddler for tip on how to get there without too much stress.
