Top tips for a family safari

LOOKING for something completely different to do with the kids for your next holiday? Well, for families seeking extraordinary adventures off the beaten track, or for those who enjoy the great outdoors and connecting with nature, international luxury travel specialist, Sanctuary Retreats has just the answer. When it comes to keeping inquiring young minds stimulated, an African safari through unspoiled landscapes teeming with extraordinary wildlife is guaranteed to broaden your family’s horizons, and ensure that everyone shares a truly memorable experience. Here are top tips for parents planning the ultimate African ‘school excursion’ with the family. 

Choosing the Right Camp - Will the kids enjoy a tented camp or find it a little too rustic? And if your kids are younger, it might also be worth considering whether the camp is fenced – although older children may enjoy hearing larger animals close by during the night, chances are smaller kids might find it a little scary. 

How long? - We generally recommend that families take in 2 – 3 camps and lodges, with a stay of 3 days or longer per camp. That gives everyone plenty of time to get acclimatized and experience the full program of activities on offer at each property, plus a little rest and relaxation in between.

Meeting the locals - Squeezing in some culture or a philanthropic component is also good idea so that your kids have a chance to immerse themselves in local traditions and experiences. 

Preparing for Game Drives - With no standard minimum age for children to go on safari, and camps can differ significantly on how they accommodate younger guests. Some have a strict minimum age for safari, while others leave it up to parental discretion. 

What to Bring? - Regardless of your children’s ages, going on safari is guaranteed to create memories that will last a lifetime. So to keep kids engaged, definitely binoculars and a digital camera to capture every moment.

The Sanctuary portfolio includes safari camps and lodges in Botswana, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, as well as river cruise ships on the Nile, the Yangtze and in Myanmar.   

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Up in the air . . .

BRITISH Airways is celebrating being named Best Family Friendly Airline out of 20 international airlines, looking at how easy they make the travel experience for families. 

As well as sitting families together for free, British Airways was praised for offering families pre-boarding, giving children their own free checked luggage allowance, plus a free allowance for a pushchair and car seat, complimentary special kids meals on longer flights, special children’s in-flight entertainment and free carrycots and baby seats on board flights. 

To help further ease the stress of family travel, this summer British Airways introduced a permanent family check-in zone and security lane at the its hub at Heathrow Terminal 5, which has so far been enjoyed by 150,000 customers.

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Explore like never before

EXPLORE the Disney theme parks like never before with the Play Disney Parks mobile app, a transformative new digital entertainment offering that will make its official debut on June 30 at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California.

The Play Disney Parks app will bring to life unique interactive experiences that enable guests of all ages to access a wide range of activities including themed games, Disney trivia, digital achievements, music and so much more – whether they are playing on Main Street, U.S.A. or waiting in line at beloved attractions.

Play Disney Parks was designed for families and guests to enjoy together, with group play options that enable everyone to join in on the fun while staying fully engaged in the immersive environments of Disney parks. The app will be available for iOS and Android platforms and will be free to download.


The new Play Disney Parks app is the latest addition to the Disney Parks digital app portfolio. Play Disney Parks complements the popular My Disney Experience app at Walt Disney World Resort and the Disneyland App at Disneyland Resort, the convenient places for guests to plan their visit, access important information such as attraction wait times and park hours and utilize services like mobile food ordering.

And this is just the beginning. Play Disney Parks is planned to grow and evolve over time with new experiences and offerings at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort, including at the eagerly anticipated Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, coming to Disneyland Resort in summer 2019 and Walt Disney World Resort in late fall 2019.

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When in Hungary . . . visit the zoo

THE Budapest Zoo, built in 1866, is the oldest and largest zoo park in Hungary. Until the 1950s, it was the sole zoo park of the country. Its 11-hectare territory has been declared a natural preserve area in 1986. The park features 3,500 species of plants and 750 animal species.

A major renovation began in 1990, resulting in nearly all species getting their modern, spacious habitats. There are quite a few works of art on the territory of the Zoo; the two most significant of these are the Elephant House and the main entrance to the Zoo, built in Art Nouveau style. 

For children the Zoo has a special section where the cubs of some species may be fondled and fed with special food. There are also signs in Braille along with statuettes to touch for the blind. The roads and the animal houses can be accessed by wheelchair.

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Sheep & Wool Day in the Cotswolds

A FAMILY fun day on May 1 to celebrate the Cotswolds Lion Sheep; the ancient breed that brought wealth to the #Cotswolds.  Come along to meet the sheep and try your hand at spinning wool. We will have music, BBQ and plenty of activities for children. 

The event will be held at The Cotswolds Discovery Centre which is housed in the grade II* listed Old Prison, a fascinating 18th century building and now a unique historic visitor attraction in the Cotswold market town of Northleach.

The event is free and no booking is required just turn up and have fun.

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Caribbean Journey to open in May at the Texas State Aquarium

THE Texas State Aquarium has set Saturday, May 13 as the official Grand Opening date for Caribbean Journey. The Grand Opening of the $58 million building marks the realization of 30 months of construction and three years of planning, rewarding guests with a several new engaging and interactive experiences and catapulting the Aquarium into one of the nation’s premier aquariums.

Caribbean Journey contains 71,000 square feet of exhibit space, more than doubling the total size of the Aquarium. The new exhibits will depict the jungles, seas, coral reefs, coastal lagoons, and other geographic features of the Sian Ka’an biosphere reserve in Mexico. Flamingos, crocodiles, birds, bats, a sloth, and other species can be seen in Caribbean Journey’s jungle level, while several overlooks allow guests to see sharks and fish swimming in the exhibits below.

Caribbean Journey’s bottom floor provides an immersive view into the Coral and Blue Hole exhibits, which will house sharks, stingrays, and hundreds of colorful coral reef fish. A highlight attraction will be the 400,000-gallon H-E-B Caribbean Sea Shark exhibit, where reef sharks swim among a replica life-size shipwreck. This underwater landscape can be admired from a 68-foot long display window – the longest in North America – and by traveling into an acrylic tunnel that crosses through the exhibit.

The Whataburger 100-seat 4D theater will premiere the BBC Earth’s Shark film, utilizing effects to make guests feel as if they’re swimming right alongside these ocean predators.

The top floor contains the scenic dining room, which can be reserved for private functions such as weddings or corporate gatherings.




texasstateaquarium.org/caribbean

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Picture Credit: WIlly Volk 94802649@N00/1379996042 Tiger shark via photopin

Kids go free is the battle cry . . .

TO celebrate the arrival of the Wars of the Roses Live, taking place over 50 selected dates from the 27th May, Warwick Castle is offering ‘Kids Go Free’ places on all medieval sleepovers this Spring and Summer, including school holiday dates, within The Knight’s Village.

In front of a 2,000 strong first thumping audience in the new mediaeval-style arena, brave Knight’s will cross lances in this epic conflict, depicting the extraordinary events that divided England six hundred years ago.

The battle will continue on into the evening within The Knight’s Village, where accommodation will be themed in House colours, red and white. An all-you can eat feast, with Wars of the Rose LIVE battle entertainment, will also be available to residents in the Mediaeval Banquet Hall.

www.warwickcastlebreaks.com

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Travelling Solo with Kids?

EDINBURGH Airport has today confirmed that a service offering assistance for parents ‘Travelling Solo with Kids’ is to be continued at peak points throughout the year including the Easter and summer holidays.

Adults travelling alone through any airport with children can be a challenging experience, whether it’s checking-in or collecting bags, going through security or just getting around the airport.

This service builds on Edinburgh Airport’s efforts to be the most accommodating and user friendly airport for families with a dedicated Family Lane in the Security Hall, soft play areas, children’s entertainment during the school holidays and at Christmas as well as children eat free in one of the catering outlets.

The service will resume over the school summer holidays. Details to be announced on social media and on the website (http://www.edinburghairport.com/prepare/travelling-solo-with-kids)

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A wild night out

ANNUAL Starry Safari Overnight Adventures, an unforgettable after-hours experience that includes spending the night at the zoo.

This ultimate outdoor camping adventure, in The Living Desert’s Tent Village, features a unique, upclose and personal animal encounter, as well as a memorable nighttime guided walk through the park. The activities take place from 6:30 to 9 p.m., with the night ending with the time-honored camping tradition of roasting s’mores over an open fire. 

Campers are provided a roomy four-person tent, equipped with a sleeping pad for a comfortable night’s sleep. Guests are required to bring their own sleeping bag and blankets along with personal toiletries and additional clothes for the next day. In the morning, campers will enjoy a continental breakfast.

Starry Safari concludes at 8:30 a.m. and guests are encouraged to stay and explore The Living Desert for the day (park admission is included).  Available Starry Safari dates include Friday, April 21, Saturday, April 29,

Saturday, May 20, and Friday, May 26.

Private Starry Safari Adventures are available to groups over 20 with special group-rate pricing.

www.livingdesert.org

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Easter kite festival

GIGANTIC kites will be in action this coming Easter weekend at Birdoswald Roman Fort on Hadrian’s Wall with breathtaking displays including synchronised demonstrations to music. You can also have a go at making your very own kite and try it out in the family flying area!

Run by English Heritage the festival will run from Sat 15 – Mon 17 April and is open from 11am - 5pm.

Tickets from £4.90 for children and £7.50 for adults, family tickets are also available.

www.english-heritage.org.uk

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Quirks and Curiosities on the Railway

FOLLOWING its success in 2010 even more weird and wonderful railway oddities will be on display this year, ranging from vertical-boilered steam locomotives, through bizarre internal combustion powered locos, to the unique wind-powered Spooner's Boat.

According to FR General Manager Paul Lewin, "The first Quirks was one of the most popular events we've ever put on and this promises to be the fun event of 2017. We are lining up a large number of special trains in the way that only the Ffestiniog can and having more unusual stock on site will really add to the fun. This Bank Holiday promises to have something for everyone as we showcase all the little things that make the railway special.

The event runs from April 28 to May 1 over the Bank Holiday weekend and tickets are available from www.festrail.co.uk

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Picture Credit: By Peter Trimming from Croydon, England - Steam 150: '1863 and All That', CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32059811