10 Best Summer Family Friendly Adventures

Family-friendly adventure holidays that involve fun for everyone do not have to be limited to camping trips near home nor do they have to be premium European holidays that break the bank. For the next summer holidays plan an exotic international adventure at one of these spectacular destinations.

1. South Africa Camping Safari

Of the many safari tours in South Africa, a visit to the Kruger National Park is a must. This park is home to the Big Five: rhino, elephant, lion, leopard and the Cape buffalo. There are many camping safari parks where families looking for self-catering accommodation can stay and enjoy early morning or night safaris. As long as you explore the park within park rules and follow the advice of your guide, you should be safe.

2. France Biking Holiday

Older kids who enjoy biking, or younger ones that don't mind hitching along for the ride on their parents' carriers, will find France's green ways wonderfully smooth and scenic cycle tracks. They used to be railway tracks that went out of use and the government has turned them into flat and smooth trails especially around the town of La Flèche in the Pays de la Loire region. Many of the routes are wheelchair friendly and your kids can even bring their roller skates along for this holiday. The region is accessible from Nantes and Brittany.

3. Hiking or Cycling At the Grand Canyon

For adventures in the United States, try activity holidays for the family at the Grand Canyon National Park. Taking a hike is one of the best ways to enjoy the natural beauty of the canyon and get a sense of its immense size. It can seem challenging at first glance for the family, but there are plenty of six year olds who enjoy the guided South Rim hike. You can take a private guided tour for some history and geology lessons along the way. The rock paintings that you will notice along many of the trails are fascinating relics of the canyon's ancient inhabitants and well worth a visit to see. Older kids can enjoy hiking on the park's many roads, including the scenic and historic Hermit Road. Biking is suitable for kids 8 and above and rentals are available for as little as an hour at the South Rim's Mather Point.

4. Follow the Kiwis in Stewart Island, New Zealand

New Zealand offers stunning landscapes and plenty of adventure sports as well as wildlife adventures for the whole family to enjoy. The country is very tourist-friendly, with excellent transportation and road infrastructure. One of the best holidays you can enjoy there with your kids is a visit to the natural habitat of the national flightless birds of the country. Stewart Island, New Zealand's third largest island is largely a national park where brown kiwis outnumber people and can be seen both day and night. If you are lucky, you can also spot yellow-eyed penguins and blue penguins are common. The island offers plenty of scenic trails for short walks or multi-day hikes. The only accommodation available is at Halfmoon Bay (also called Oban). Stewart Island is accessible by ferry from the town of Bluff or if you want a shorter journey, you can take a light aircraft from New Zealand's southernmost city of Invercargill.

5. Teen Holiday in Peru

Peru offers epic adventures for families with teens, with the historic Macchu Pichu ruins to explore, the challenging Inca trail to walk and South American village home stays to enjoy. Holidays in Peru are meant for older kids, since the four-day Inca Trail in particular can be quite challenging for young ones. Your Peruvian holiday will usually begin at Lima, the bustling capital and should include Cuzco, where you should take time to acclimatise before beginning the Inca trail which will take you to higher altitudes. Along the way, the lush, warm Sacred Valley is where you will find farming hamlets and scope for bicycling. Lima has many international flights heading in and out. Package tours with transfers and meals along with a guide are available.

6. Summer Holiday in Finnish Lapland

Just as you can have a truly exotic winter holiday in Lapland, the land of the North Pole, reindeer and Santa Claus's quaint village in a Rovaniemi amusement park, summers are lovely there too with lots of family activities for all ages. Older kids will enjoy their stay in a cozy Lappish log cabin, go canoeing or hiking on a bright midsummer night, enjoy walks through ancient forests, quad biking, cycling, horse-riding and even swimming in warm lakes and basking on beaches. The activities in Lapland are generally moderate to leisurely, so kids of any age can enjoy this kind of holiday. There are several package tours that offer all-expense-paid, affordable 7-day or longer holidays for groups and families to Lapland in the summer.

7. Johannesburg with Kids

Johannesburg offers culture, food and outdoor adventures for the whole family. If you're wondering what to see in Johannesburg with the kids, start with the Red Bus City Tour, swing from tree tops at the Acrobranch park in Melrose, head to the Maropeng Cradle of Humanity museum and take an underwater boat ride or visit the Sterkfontein caves. Johannesburg is very well connected with other international destinations, with plenty of family-friendly accommodation and activities to enjoy.

8. Los Angeles Sightseeing

An adventure holiday does not have to be limited to the wilderness and outdoors, when you can enjoy another kind of wilderness in Los Angeles. Contrary to what many people think, Los Angeles sightseeing can be quite family-friendly, with many museums such as the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles with its Dinosaur Hall or the Space Shuttle Endeavor at the California Science Center. Younger kids in particular will enjoy the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium and older ones, a horseback ride at Sunset Ranch Hollywood.

9. Sri Lanka on a Budget

If you want a truly exotic holiday on a budget, head to Sri Lanka. This island south of India in the Indian Ocean still has pristine beaches, elephants to visit in their natural habitat, the Lions Rock Fortress to climb in Sigiriya, the famous Yala National Park in which to search for leopards and lots more. Sri Lanka makes for a very affordable holiday, the people are friendly and if you go with a guided tour, you should have a safe and wonderful trip with your kids no matter their ages. Regular international flights fly to and from Colombo, the capital. 

10. Farm Holiday in the Tirol in Austria

Take your kids to a traditional farmhouse in the Austrian Tirol Mountains. The Kinderbauernhof Albeineler is a highly recommended farmhouse with accommodation for tourists in the alpine valley of Pitztal. Your kids can meet animals like ponies, dwarf goats, guinea pigs, cats and rabbits, take tractor rides, collect eggs, enjoy the sun and hike and bike around the mountains. The Pitzi Kids Club can also keep the kids busy while the adults are enjoying more strenuous hikes or relaxing in the saunas.