Costa Rica: A rainforest and wildlife family adventure

Costa Rica turned out to be the best destination for this stepping stone into long-haul adventures. To help ease any jetlag on the way out, we arrived at the f irst hotel a day early. Worth doing, as we met one of the families chilling by the pool, and another at dinner.

Electronic devices were invaluable on the long flight, but then instantly forgotten – all the kids preferring to jump straight into the hotel pool after a day out, where they stayed until dinner. I don’t know where they found the energy!

It turned out that 12 was the perfect age for a group trip too. By day two my twins were making new friends and the squabbling we get at home had stopped. My daughter was at an age where boys were to be avoided at all costs, but on this trip, the usual school angst was nowhere to be seen. As for me, I properly relaxed – the itinerary was brilliantly set out, with no pressure for me to organise anything, and therefore no arguments!

One of our highlights was the white-water rafting in Arenal. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would – it was 20 years since I’d last tried it. The rapids were grade 2 and 3 – not scary, but still with a good rush of adrenaline.

And we’ll never forget zip-wiring through the Monteverde Cloud Forest – my husband and I would never have done something like that if it wasn’t for the kids – and they loved us doing it with them.

My personal highlight was our final day trip to Corcovado National Park, by speed boat, where we saw dolphins and a rare sighting of a tapir. A stunning end to the holiday.

They may not be tricky toddlers anymore, but once your children hit the teenage years, travelling can feel as challenging to navigate. With a little expert planning, family adventures just got way more fun (for everyone)! 

1. Ask for help: Organising a family holiday is hard work, right? Using travel experts that plan holidays and logistics based on family needs will relieve the stress - it’s your holiday too! And it’s not just the pre-planning – Explore Tour Leaders will set the agenda daily while you are away, so you (and your teens) won’t have to think about a thing.

2. Be flexible: One great thing about an Explore family trip is that there’s always down-time built into the schedule, with options to skip activities to do your own thing. So, if one day your teen just isn’t in the zone, that’s OK. Do nothing. Do something else. Your Tour Leader will have ideas, from hiring bikes to family-friendly beaches. 

3. Involve them: Your teenagers are old enough to have an opinion, so why not get them involved in the planning too? If they’re helping choose the trip, they’re investing in it, and are less likely to be grumpy later. Researching a destination they’ve seen in a movie, finding an activity they’ve watched on YouTube – it’s all good learning. Watch the pre-holiday excitement levels rise!

4. Look through their eyes: Of course, they’ll want Wi-Fi. A teen-friendly place to stay, hopefully with a pool. Nothing overly fussy, no dress-code, that’s a given. But don’t under-estimate your teen when it comes to journey times. Rather than avoid time on the road, it can be a great way to reset. Quiet, cool, a break from the sun, time-out, and a chance to switch off. And watching a very different world go by is part of the experience.

5. Be in the magic: Family time gets more precious as they grow, and holidays are where the magic happens. So, why not try some unexpected, shared experiences and be in the moment with them. Thai boxing? White water rafting? More than anything, make those once-in-a-lifetime memories. Then watch them plan your next adventure together.