Ultimate Family Expeditions: Luxury Destinations Perfect for Multi-Generational Trips
January 31, 2024 by Hidden Doorways
Solo road trips or retreating as a couple are, of course, two stellar ways to travel, but what about making it a real trip to remember by going along with the whole family? Multi-generational travel is something to which many of our luxury destinations cater, providing accommodations and experiences that appeal to all ages and stages in life. So, why not suggest to your clients that they make their next adventure an all-family affair to India, to Africa and beyond…
THE LEELA PALACE UDAIPUR
An Indian Odyssey at The Leela Palace Udaipur
The Leela Palace Udaipur offers an enchanting array of cultural experiences that promise a multi-generational family retreat to remember.
Tap into the locality by taking the whole family on historic day trips to the region’s iconic landmarks such as Sajjangarh Fort and Jagdish Temple, and if smaller children begin to grow tired of the educational side of things, engage in creative, cultural activities on your return like tie-dye and bangle-making. A Tuk-Tuk ride is always time well spent followed by a family picnic in the Palace’s lush green grounds and guava garden.
Come evening, the Palace hosts enchanting puppet shows and mesmerizing ceremonial rituals with Rajasthani music and dance for the whole family to enjoy. And it goes without saying that India’s food scene is something each and every family member will be able to relish in together. Embark on The Leela Palace’s Ingredient Trail to taste forgotten local ingredients, to forage in the landscape and to create a bespoke family menu featuring the riches of the region.
BRUSH CREEK RANCH
(B)ranch Out at Brush Creek Ranch
Not only does Wyoming’s Brush Creek Ranch suggest it’s a place to pause from the chaos of everyday life with the whole family, but it also plants the seed about family reunions, giving guests a place to come together in a nourishing environment where campfire conversations and a Western family adventure are for the taking.
For a through-and-through multigenerational family experience, guests can book its Magee Homestead – a five-star properly nestled between the ancient Sierra Madre mountain range and stunning Medicine Bow National Forest. An adults-only resort typically, but if booked out for the whole family, your clients can bring everyone from family newborns to cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents with room for up to 29 guests. There’s a pool, a spa, endless outdoor pursuits and gourmet cuisine on tap to make sure guests want for nothing.
And for that inevitable moment when the taller ones want to kick back without worrying about the small ones, your clients can make the most of its children’s program where they’ll be whisked off for the day to explore the Rocky Mountains and be introduced to horsemanship as you practice yoga, take a hike or melt into its spa.
TURTLE BAY RESORT
Curated Family Itineraries at Turtle Bay Resort
Multi-generational escapes almost always include children and teenagers, so resorts that ensure there’s plenty to keep younger minds stimulated are a godsend. Turtle Bay Resort in Hawaii is one such with everything your clients could wish for all on site. There’s no better places to start than a ukulele or hula lesson followed by a family bike ride along the resort’s breathtaking beachside trail. But, to make a family stay all the easier still, Turtle Bay offers a tailor-made family itinerary with six days mapped out with exciting excursions peppered with plenty of much-needed down-time.
Private picnics, pony treks and mermaid shows, lawn games, handmade ice cream sandwiches, sunset family shoots with the resort’s photographer, turtle kayaking across Kawela Bay, and a highlight for all the family — its 468-acre farm where children can follow a scavenger hunt to seek out native Hawaiian plants as adults sit back with an ice-cold coconut water, freshly carved open, watching the world go by.
PIKAIA LODGE
A Family Adventure of a Lifetime on the Galapagos
Pikaia Lodge on the mystical Galapagos Islands, where giant tortoises, dramatic volcanoes and some of the world’s most pristine beaches welcome family trips from far and wide.
Taking guests to the highlands of Santa Cruz, your clients will be planted into an environmentally conscious resort on the archipelago that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution — it’s both a site and a sight to remember. Land-based adventure tours take place daily here or do as the island’s sea lions do and bask in the afternoon sun when a little R+R is required.
Note though that Pikaia Lodge advises babies and toddlers might miss out on the true experience of the Galapagos and that children over eight years old are more likely to get the most out of the island’s opportunity for hiking and swimming. But, if clients are happy to hike a little less and instead explore via the likes of Pikaia’s 145 ft private luxury yacht, taking in two islands per day of hire, then let the adventure begin.
VILLA AVELLANA
In Active Pursuit of Costa Rica
A sanctuary yes, but Costa Rica’s Villa Avellana is equally a getaway filled with fascinating experiences for the whole family should your clients be voyaging with the whole family tree. Promising outings that ‘the kids will rave about for years to come,’ the riches of Central America bring all ages together at a resort that leaves you feeling connected, rejuvenated and itching to return.
As part of your client’s stay at Villa Avellana, families get to cruise Costa Rica’s coastline on its 42’ yacht or Apex Dinghy, anchoring to spear-fish, scuba dive and surf world-class waves at Witch’s Rock. Let the team curate day trips specifically for your client’s requirements whether that’s water biking, outrigger canoeing or venturing deep into the peninsula with Papagayo Explorers by zip-line — adventures such as these will all be at their fingertips.
And if some of the family want to remain at the Villa while the others roam free, consider the private Arnold Palmer Signature Golf Course and newly resurfaced Har-Tru clay courts for pickle ball and tennis or something as simple as sunset happy hour followed by a beach bonfire when the rest of the family return from the day’s intrepid expedition.
MUSHA CAY
Musha Cay – Made for Family Milestone Moments
Vacationing doesn’t come more special than a private island getaway like Musha Cay at Copperfield Bay in The Bahamas. 700 acres belong to your clients and your clients alone for the duration of their trip with accommodation spread out across five out-of-this-world guest houses, each with their own pools so they can share with fellow family members or float freely — the choice is theirs entirely.
12 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms means no squabbles over who’s taking too long in the shower, and while every guest house shares a sense of utter luxury, they’re all personalized too so each fragment of family on the trip can choose which suits their needs best. For example, if there’s a newlywed couple in the family joining on this multi-generational adventure, maybe they’d shotgun Beach House – the most romantic of the villas set on its own secluded crescent-shaped beach. Or if there’s a larger familial group coming along, Highview might suit them most being the largest of the bunch with over 10,000 square feet, 360-degree panoramic views, two grand master suites, a hidden loft, an outdoor fireplace for cosy family evenings together and its very own private beach.
A private island, with private houses, private pools, private beaches, a tailor-made menu, 38 staff on hand to serve, watersports on tap and big screen movie nights for all the family — your clients may find they want the whole family to relocate to Musha Cay, permanently.
WALDORF ASTORIA LOS CABOS PEDREGAL
Los Cabos is Calling
A resort that doesn’t just cater to multi-generational but believes in it is Mexico’s Waldorf Astoria Pedregal where they offer an experience geared around reinforcing family bonds in a place that feels like paradise.
From its wide range of accommodation styles to suit every family’s preference be that a spacious casita or private home to their exceptional service levels designed to tend to guests of every age (think butler service for grandparents and sipping on tailor-made cocktails for off-duty parents while the youngest family members build sandcastles and make beach s’mores at the hotel’s kid’s club), rest assured your clients will have every whim attended to at the Waldorf Astoria Pedregal.
Keeping everyone completely content during their stay is its program of family traditions with six in particular it highlights for multi-generational trips. Private dining for family dinners that you’ll treasure forever, professional photoshoot sessions to capture memories on film, overnight excursions of its luxury Don Mares Yacht and its very own trail for all the family to show you the unique side of Cabo San Lucas will keep everybody smiling from touchdown to take off.
MICATO SAFARIS
Take the Whole Family on Safari across Africa’s Plains
A family holiday with Micato Safaris encourages a different kind of connection — a familial one — no matter which voyage you pick across Africa’s legendary savannahs.
Time spent on safari paves the way for real conversations as voyagers leave behind the real world and lose themselves in nature and with one another. Watch elephants with their young, witness wildlife at its most vulnerable and then retreat to the sanctuary of Micato’s perfectly appointed canvas tents, four-poster beds and all. Ask your clients to picture their whole family troop, journeying by jeep across Africa’s richest animal kingdoms and then returning to camp for a banquet fit for king and queen — their imaginations will begin traveling before you know it.
Family life is the bedrock of African culture, so where better to visit on a full family adventure and to reinforce the values of tender loving care? As the centuries-old Kenyan adage states, ‘Jamii ndiyo msingi wa kila kitu’ — family is the foundation of everything.
MADRID & BEYOND
Multi-Generational Madeira with Madrid & Beyond
Journey to Madeira with Madrid & Beyond and your client’s trip is guaranteed to be as curated as they come with a day-by-day itinerary designed for their family, their wishes and their wants. The main town, located in a bay hugged by the Atlantic Ocean, is the quaint Funchal which is 100% worth a visit with something for all the family. Being the archipelago’s cultural center, shops, bars and restaurants line its cobbled streets, but when the call of calm and quiet kicks in, Madeira’s mountainous landscape provides ample opportunity for downtime. The founder of Madrid & Beyond, Nigel Hack himself cites the island bike tour he did with his very own family as one of the best he’s known in his life.
Hire a vintage motorbike with grand in the sidecar and traverse the island; go whale-watching with the whole clan; bash pans to get everyone up at sunrise for a 4×4 adventure; and then unwind with Madeira’s esteemed wines, remembering that Shakespeare himself praises them in Henry IV. High praise indeed.
LESANTE CAPE
A Greek Getaway Fit for the Whole Family
Greece and its many beautiful islands are a favored family destination for good reason as our luxurious partner, Lesante Cape on Zakynthos goes to show. A truly family-oriented resort, amidst its meticulously appointed suites and villas has a number specifically designed with multi-generational getaways in mind.
Book into one of its sea view villas that boast over 4000 sq ft of space at their largest and sleep up to six, acting as a family home from home with room for all of you to roam from indoor sitting area to various outdoor terraces. Ask the team to host a private dinner and they’ll happily oblige, making it feel even more like your clients can settle in and call this place home for a week or so. Or, try one of its smaller family suites that have two spacious adjoining bedrooms and bathrooms to bring you together but with a sense of privacy too.
Accommodation aside, Lesante Cape has more than enough activities to keep everyone entertained. From its kid’s club and teenager’s room that mean the adults get to indulge in a spa treatment without a care in the world to private yacht tours to the island’s most secluded beaches for their family alone, Zante is calling.