Well hello there summer – you are finally here! Yes it is officially that time of year when we all start stripping back the layers and getting some much needed vitamin D on our summer holidays. If you’re anything like our family, holidays are something that we treasure and look forward to all year round. For this exact reason, we spend a lot of time planning and organising them, but this is no mean feat.
Family holidays require a combination of a great location, the right hotel (now a balance between child friendly and some luxury for us parents), and that ‘something’ that excites us and makes us want to go there. Our oldest daughter is a great traveller and loves to go on holiday. We have been taking her away since she was 6 weeks old which has definitely made it easier as she is used to it now. Once they, (and you) get the hang of it, travelling with children and babies isn’t as bad as you might think. Yes it might not be the romantic, relaxing holiday that we used to love having as a couple, but it’s a change of scenery for everyone, and the sunshine and excitement of a swimming pool and beaches never fails to disappoint.
So, how do you find the perfect place with the right balance of relaxation and adventure? I’m not sure I have the answer to that, but I do hope this blog post will help you with narrowing down your options. If you’ve followed me on Instagram for a while, you may remember that I put up some stories about kids clubs last November whilst we were in Mauritius. It was the first holiday that our daughter went into one, and was really only because she met a friend at the hotel who used it so she wanted to go with her for a couple of hours. I asked my ‘instagram audience’ at the time how they felt about kids clubs and who used them, and received an overwhelming response back (thank you!). I promised that I would share the responses – so here I am (better late than never – although I have had another baby in between!). So, the responses were a mix of opinions on kids clubs (who did/didn’t use them), and some great destinations and hotel recommendations for families.
The comments around kids clubs usage were really split between people who felt that their children were too young so had never needed or wanted to use a kids club before (similar to our situation to be honest). And those who said that kids clubs were amazing if you had an older, or only child as it was a great way for them to meet other children. So if you’re thinking about it, know that whatever you do will be right for you, as it really is down to the family and children.
In terms of the destination/hotel recommendations, I received so many – thank you! I’ve listed these below by location for ease. Remember that these are just suggestions. We have been to quite a few of these places anyway, but the rest are recommended by other mums I know, and the fab instagram mums that sent me over their suggestions. I have no affiliation with any of the places recommended, nor am I a travel writer. We just know what we love, and what works for us and our families and would go back to these places time and time again. I hope they give you some inspiration.
Happy holidays.
Lisa
xoxo
Europe
Jumeriah Port Soller – Majorca
Mauritius – We have been to a few hotels in Mauritius now but these are the only ones I would recommend based on our visits and family and friend recommendations.
The Four Seasons
Dubai
The Maldives
Antigua
UK
Bruern Cottages – The Cotwolds
Lucknam Park Hotel – Wiltshire
Here are also some great websites to use for family holiday inspiration:
