Help please! Your hot new family-travel recommendation?

[HelenMumsnet]

Hello.

The Observer has asked us to come up with a "hot new family travel tip".

They want to know if we can recommend a new destination (resort, hotel or city, in the UK or abroad) that "is increasingly child-friendly".

Or if we can think of "a destination from a holiday company that is offering
excellent child-friendly packages to an unlikely destination".

Since we don't get out of Mumsnet Towers much, we're hoping you well-travelled lot can help us out.

All suggestions v gratefully received...

this year we're going to one of the nicest mounting areas in the Czech Republic have no idea what it will be like...but looks lovely.

Cappadocia in central Turkey: underground cities to explore, cave houses to sleep in, amazing lunar landscapes to explore. Stunning, exciting, different and not too touristy. Almost didn't post this as want to keep it for me and my kids.

I second hatwomans Egypt! lovely people very welcoming. loads to do and the kids will learn something too. although dont go in July, its far too hot especially the Valley of the Kings!

Hatwoman - We flew from Luxor to Cairo with Egypt Air....lets just say it was interesting!

Also Namibia. It has it all: desert with huge red sand dunes, amazing safari and skeleton coast with whale watching, seals, flamingoes etc. Also not malarial fir much of the year. Long distances to travel between areas of interest so best with slightly older kids I expect.

glittery the pilot changed his mind about landing right at the last minute. pretty terrifying tbh...

'one of the nicest mounting areas of the Czech Republic'? I thought that was around the back of the main service station at Brno.

did someone say Serbia? Belgrade recently voted best night life in Europe but not sure if it is great for families. No coastline or anything. Belgrade fab city though.

Anyone else not feel like sharing their holiday secrets with the rest of the world?

Slovenia wonderful though.

madamecastiofore - that place you linked to looks great. Is it best to hire a car?

allnew i can asnwer for madamec as been there myself - yes you will need a car - it is pretty easy to fly to most of the neaby cities and drive yoursefl there (we flew to pisa, but you can do bologne and a few otehrs as well) ... you need a car for the day to day activities as very few taxis around and hardly any buses ... its easy to get the train to florence, sienna etc as well if you dont feel like driving around those cities, but its fun to explore the surrounding areas, pick up local food etc

Thanks kruger!

@whomovedmychocolate. My sentiments exactly!

Naturally I am going to say East Africa. This is perfect for all the family. You can go diving, see the amazing Stone Town, spice tours, then go onto mainland Tanzania to one of many fantastic game parks.

Alternatively rent a Swahili house on Lamu island, then fly straight to the Maasai Mara for some game viewing.

I very much like a trip to Sainsbo's. The toy aisle is very family friendly, as is the book aisle.

Wander past the deli, pretend you're in Italy. Accept any samples they waft under your nose, it's like being waited on. Pretend the freezer aisle is Greenland, your trolley a sleigh. The precariously stacked oranges in the produce aisle are a grove in Spain, the delicious bakery smells are from a stone oven in Turkey, the music the exact tempo and volume to numb you into the holiday mood. All you need is an imagination.

That's a tip for people who can't afford holidays and/or need to reduce the banality of the weekly shop.

Themasterandmargaritas - love the look of the Bluebay resorts. Do you know the best flights to get to Tanzania/Zanzibar from the UK?

You can fly to Dar es Salaam, with BA or Virgin I think?. Then hop over to Zanzibar on a local flight or go by ferry. Alternatively you can fly Lon to Nairobi and then direct flight from Nairobi to Zzbar all with Kenya Airways or Virgin/BA then Kenya Airways. Possibly nowadays you can even fly direct Lon to Zzbar???

The best place ive been to is Almond Bay in St lucia, it was all inclusive. It had 4 restaurants 3 swimming pools and a separate part for the kids with a play area, pool and eating place within the grounds so they were perfectly safe. a private beach which had all watersports and instruction included as well. A childrens club for all ages. We didnt see the boys (8 & 9) all day. They were fed watered and entertained the whole time, although we didnt push it, they actually chose to spend their time like that because they made loads of friends. We couldnt complain about anything, The menus were frequently changed so you didnt get the same repetative food as most all inclusives do and it worked out a much cheaper holiday than the half board one we went on the following year.

We loved Stockholm for little ones. Great kids museums, fab food, buggy access everywhere (tube, bus), lovely warm summer weather, ferries, swimming in lakes...

Plus... they don't make a fuss of the children which with a fuss-phobic (with beautiful hair) 2.5 year old DD was the best of all!

I have heard sailing of the Somalian coast is great with kids. Stunning coastline and oppurtnities to meet people that the kids would never otherwise come across. Often the kids get to travel in the local's boats and are taken back to their villages to see a whole other side of life. Once in the villages they learn negotiation and survival skills and often get to see international diplomacy in action.

hatwoman think we had the same pilot!
he too changed his mind at the last minute, then when he did land he drove (thats not the right word is it??) past the guy with the paddles who was trying to direct him into his slot!
all the egyptian men on the plane started shouting and gesticulating out the windows and the air hostess had to knock on the flightdeck door to tell the pilot he'd need to go back a bit, thankfully the flight back to Luxor was a wee bit more sedate, the inflight caterings a bit pooh tho isnt it!