Parents of only children - suggestions?

[Needlenardlenoo]

DH and I are finding it ever more challenging booking holidays with our just turned 13 year old.

She likes hotel/pool/activity/sporty type holidays - but we both burn easily so wouldn't book e.g. a Tui trip somewhere that hovers around 30 degrees in the main school holiday, so that rules out a lot of places.

We've holidayed in e.g. the Canaries and France, but what we'd really like is somewhere with a teens' club or e g. watersports we could book, so she could meet other kids her age without us having to do all the activities too.

When she was younger she was great at making friends in the playground or by the pool, but it just seems to have all dropped off at 12 or 13 and she ends up getting very lonely.

We can't easily take one of her friends with us, for various reasons.

Any suggestions? We did do a small group tour with a fantastically nice family a couple of years back, but if they hadn't been so nice it could have been a nightmare!

Can you take a friend? That’s what people we know with only one do. Does she want to mix with other teenagers on holiday? My teenagers never did.

@Needlenardlenoo Families Worldwide or a cruise. Small group in the former and plenty of activities on the latter. I would strongly suggest you move away from beach holidays. Our teens were happy to. We took them to Peru and South Africa. Both great in the summer. You also are not with other families for too long and on a ship you don’t need to meet anyone at all. My dc enjoyed cruising but dh and me less so.

Have you looked at the alps? Try alpine elements. Most ski resorts (morzine is particularly good in the summer) have a wide range of activities in the summer. Lots of cycling, road and mountain, walking, there’s a lake so paddle boarding etc. public swimming pool in town.

Definitely second the alps. I think crystal have a lakes and mountains brochure. Or Eurocamp northern France Belgium or Netherlands centre parcs. I’m surprised you haven’t already explored these areas if you prefer less hot climates.

Sorry it’s now branded Tui not Crystal but same idea https://www.tui.co.uk/holidays/lakes-and-mountains

I've thought about it several times but DD is intense and falls out with friends unpredictably.

We all like beaches!

I'll look at Families Worldwide.

Thanks - I'm not sure what we'd do there due to our lack of common interests, but we have been to Switzerland numerous times to visit friends.

@Needlenardlenoo Well if you like beaches there are limited options! What is there available? Try a sailing holiday or learning to sail? Mark Warner?

We have (pre DD) but are just spreading our wings. She was quite distressed by aspects of holidays until she hit about 10 - she didn't sleep much and struggled to eat (she's autistic). Therefore we went to the same holiday park in North Norfolk about 15 times! We did all love it mostly and it was so good for stuff like "going to the shop by myself".

If anyone with autistic or disabled kids or disabled older relatives is reading this thread - shout out to Searles' in Hunstanton. A lovely place, run by a kind competent family (they even went to look for DD when she stormed off in the dark once).

In which case Mauritius would be great, look at Shandrani or Paradis as the beaches are stunning.