Portugal’s Azores offer good food, adventure and plenty of family fun/Photo: Exodus Travels
“Travelling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller”.
That quote is from the 13th century traveller and geographer, Ibn Battuta – who at the age of 22 embarked on a pilgrimage to Mecca that turned into a lifelong journey around North Africa. On Battuta’s eventual return home, the Sultan of the land requested that he dictate his travels to create an official record. This is how Battuta would become one of the world’s first travel writers.
8 centuries later, what adventure stories will your family tell at the end of 2017?
Komodo Dragons
According to the travel experts at Exodus Travels, your family adventures in 2017 can include better opportunities to see wildlife up close. Destinations such as Indonesia offer unusual wildlife encounters, such as a visit to Komodo National Park, the home of the endangered komodo dragons. The park has top rankings on Trip Advisor, and is described by one family as a “once in a lifetime experience”.
Socially Conscious Travel
The United Nations declared 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, recognizing that well-designed and well-managed tourism can act as “a positive instrument towards the eradication of poverty, the protection of the environment, and the improvement of quality of life for women and youth”. Are you a socially conscious traveller? Why not ask yourself some questions before you book your next family trip. How can you help others, as you travel around the world?
Eating, Guilt Free
Food tours have gained popularity over the last decade, but the new foodie experience will combine calorie-consuming with calorie burning activities such as cycling. For example, carb-loading with fresh pasta is highly encouraged on Exodus’ new cycling trip in Italy’s Puglia region, one of a collection of guilt-free food tours offered by Exodus, which also offers exciting adventure tours for families.
The Danube Cycle Path
Trends in transportation? European river-cruising was the hot ticket in 2016, but has taken a backseat to the bicycle in 2017. The best way to get down the Danube is now on Danube Cycle Path, which runs 1,800 miles through course through Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. But no, you don’t have to do the whole 1,800 miles. Take it easy and enjoy the ride!
The Azores
A top new family destination for 2017? The Azores – a group of nine volcanic Islands off the coast of Portugal. The Azores have always been popular with the Brits, but their rugged hills and delicious cuisine are now attracting families from around the world. Exodus Travels offers a premium walking trip to these volcanic islands, but it’s also worth checking UK based travel adventure company, Responsible Travel. This article from the Guardian is a great place to start planning your trip.
Whether you’re a trend-setter or a tribe-follower, why not make it your family new year’s resolution to visit somewhere completely different in 2017? In the words of the American author, Mark Twain:
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.”
Happy Travels, and Happy New Year from Family Fun Canada!
