Top Family Destinations for 2020
2020 is calling…will you answer the call to adventure?
In researching for our Travel With Kids television series and our group family adventure tour offerings, we play witness to trends in family travel. In recent years, educational, adventure travel is becoming more important. Parents want to immerse in culture with their kids and get off-the-beaten path for authentic experiences. So, where are families traveling to scratch their adventurous wandering itch?
#12 Ireland’s West Coast
With the popularity of family history programs like Ancestry.com, genealogy travel is hot this year, especially for destinations with lots of culturally loyal immigrants like Ireland, Germany, Italy, and more. The west coast of Ireland is making many 2020 hot destinations lists as well due to its rich culture of music and dancing and epic landscapes. Plus, you can stay in a castle and fly a hawk…what more could you ask?
#11 Brazil
Made famous by songs like “Girl from Impanema” and more recently by the Olypmics, Rio de Janeiro offers more than just beaches and partying…although they do a great job of that as well. There are iconic monuments like the giant Christ the Redeemer statue that tops one of the many hills that surround the bay. There’s the lookout accessed by gondola. There are many adventure activities…zip lining, bungee jumping, hang gliding, you name it…as well as fantastic food in everything from 5-star restaurants to small family-owned cafes where locals still dance in the aisles! Plus, the Amazon rainforest is just a short flight away!
#10 Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a great all season destination and if you hit it just right, in April or May, you could possibly take advantage of what both seasons have to offer. We took a trip there in April and skied one day, and hiked, biked, and rock climbed on other days! The North Shore of Lake Tahoe offers a quieter more laid back feel with a focus on outdoor family fun.
#9 Morocco
Morocco offers exotic travel in a cinematic landscape, but also offers all the amenities you want to relax on a family vacation. Marrakesh hosts an Indiana-Jones like market with locals hawking everything from lanterns and textiles to spices and housewares and the red clay buildings with salons with iron lanterns and woven cushions feels like a movie set. Be sure not to miss a camel trek past mud villages into the Sahara desert…you just keep waiting for the director to yell cut!
#8 Peru
From Machu Picchu to the Amazon Rainforest, Peru is filled with adventure and intrigue. Why go in 2020? A couple reasons…there is talk of closing the interior of Machu Picchu to exploration…and….the Amazon seems to shrink every year. Plus, the whole family will love meeting tribal locals in the Amazon, spotting monkeys and looking for river otters, perusing wild markets, hiking through ancient Incan ruins!
#7 Vietnam
With its soaring limestone formations and secret caves, UNESCO World Heritage site Ha Long Bay has long been a tourist draw. But, Vietnam is still a bit off-the-beaten-path as far as tourism goes. And there’s so much to see and do! Take-in French colonial influence in Hanoi, learn war history while crawling through tunnels outside Saigon, visit locals selling their wares in floating markets in Mekong, and relax on beaches in one of the old cultural capitals in Hoi An!
#6 Costa Rica
Pura Vida is their motto and its very apparent why…wildlife abounds in Costa Rica; as does adventure! From the rain forests around Arenal Volcano to the cloud forests of Monte Verde to the beaches of Manuel Antonio and the Pacific Coast, Costa Rica has much offer the nature enthusiast. Top that with white water rafting, abseiling, zip lining, stand up paddle boarding, kayaking, hiking, surfing, etc and you have a family vaction that will live long in the hearts of the whole family!
#5 Mesa, Arizona
With the Grand Canyon, Sedona, and Scottsdale, Arizona has long been at the top of many tourists’ wish list. But, it’s making our hottest family destinations for 2020 because of Mesa’s new offerings for families. Located in the sixth biggest metropolis nationwide, Mesa stands out for its family-friendly outdoor activities…horseback riding, hiking, kayaking, agri-tourism, and more. But, this year they took catering to families one step further by becoming the first ever autism-certified city. What does that mean? It means management and staff serving various industries, including tourism, are trained at how to better serve individuals with autism and other cognitive disorders…meaning families traveling to Mesa with children with autism will encounter hotel and restaurant staff who are trained and aware of autism, museums catering to needs of children with cognitive disorders, and more. More info here.
#4 New Zealand
New Zealand has been crowned adventure capital of the world and with its abundance of heart-pumping activities – zip lining, bungee jumping, speed boating, rolling down the hill in a giant plastic ball, hang gliding, etc – it’s easy to see why. But it also has much to offer in the way of nature…incredible beaches, Lord of the Rings vistas, glaciers and glow worm caves…and culture. So, it’s time to check it out!
Nathan and Seamus climbing coconut tree at Whispering Tide in Fiji
#3 Fiji
A small ship cruise through the Fijian islands brings you to many villages that rarely see tourists allowing for a truly authentic experience. Witness first hand the traditions of island life and the spirit of “Bula” as locals greet you with a big smile. Plus, snorkel pristine waters, explore deserted beaches, sample scrumptious Pacific fusion cuisine and much more! And, did we mention, most Fijians LOVE kids making Fiji an ideal family vacation destination!
#2 Galapagos (Ecuador)
Snuggled off the coast of Ecuador in South America, the Galapagos islands are a nature lover’s dream! Not only are many of the animals here endemic (meaning exclusive to the islands…thanks Charles Darwin for your work discovering these species!), but many are also endangered. And a trip to the Galapagos means getting up close and personal with these animals. A land-based trip allows you to experience the terrain of three islands where you can explore volcanic formations and discover land animals like giant tortoises and blue-footed boobies as well as discovering life below the waves while snorkeling and kayaking with animals like sea lions, manta rays, harmless Galapagos sharks, Galapagos penguins, sea turtles, and much more!
#1 South Africa
Many people ask us why we love South Africa so much and why it always ends up as one of our top destinations on lists. Well…the answer is four-fold: the history is so new (most people lived through and are open to sharing their experiences during apartheid, which just ended when Nelson Mandela was elected president in the 1990s), the culture is so varied (there are 11 official languages!) and rich with dancing and singing, the people are so friendly and welcoming, and, of course, the wildlife! Not only do you see animals within feet of your vehicle, you get to see them interact in their most dramatic and intimate moments. Last year alone, we saw rhinos fight, a mother elephant teaching her six-week old baby to use its trunk, a rhino face off two young elephants only to be chased away by a bull elephant, a leopard stalk a warthog, and much more! Here is our South Africa playlist on YouTube, which may help illustrate our love for this country and its people!
With all these places to go, there’s no other choice! Life with kids moves pretty fast…it’s time to get out there and explore the world with them! #TakeFamilyTime
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