7 countries you wouldn’t expect to offer amazing family entertainment
7 countries you wouldn’t expect to offer amazing family entertainment
*Disclosure: This is a guest post to help encourage your family to do some traveling! After living overseas with my family for 4 months now, I can definitely attest to the benefit!*
Family holidays are great fun, but notoriously tricky to plan. You’ve got to keep loved ones of all ages happy and entertained. It’s no easy task. Fortunately, around the world, there are some great hubs for family entertainment. We’ve picked seven of our favourite countries to consider for your next family holiday:
Rome, Italy
Make history come to life for your children with a visit to Rome. Visit places like the Colosseum’s maze of tunnels, passages, and chambers underneath the main arena floor. You can tell them it’s where gladiators and wild animals waited before the confrontations above. Stories like this will bring the trip to life, but it does require a bit of effort from you – or a tour guide.
If you need a break after the city, you could always extend your holiday with a few days in Sicily to relax.
Canada
For any family keen on adventures, Canada is a dream location. From kid-centric attractions in Vancouver’s Granville Island and Stanley Park – including Vancouver Aquarium, four playgrounds, an outdoor water park and a miniature train – to the beautiful Jasper National Park, you’ll find something to keep everyone happy.
Dubai
When you think of Dubai, you’re probably more likely to think of business opportunity than family holidays. But it’s got a lot to offer families. As just one example of what you can get up to, the Secret Traveller says, strap yourself in and hold on tight for a bumpy but beautiful adventure across the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve.
Here, you can “crisscross the dunes and take in the stark, stunning Arabian scenery from the air-conditioned comfort of a 4WD, before climbing atop a ship of the desert for a guided camel trek.”
Lapland
You might dismiss Lapland as somewhere that just offers Christmas appeal – but throughout the year, it’s a great destination for families. In fact, it makes The Telegraph’s list of bucket list holidays to take your family on. You can see one of nature’s greatest displays, the Northern Lights, before heading off on a snow safari. What’s not to love?
Northern Colorado, US
Did you ever dream of being a cowboy or girl when you were younger? In Northern Colorado, the whole family can have a go in the saddle and embrace ranch life. If they’re not tired after a day’s activities, an evening square dancing and singing around the campfire is sure to send your kids to sleep for a peaceful night’s rest.
Montenegro
If you’re looking for all the elements of a good summer holiday – namely excellent weather and sandy beaches – but without the crowds, Montenegro is your answer. In addition to crystal-clear 300km-long coastlines, it’s full of medieval towns to explore. If you want to get your whole family excited, check out these amazing photos and reasons.
Cornwall
Last but not least, we’ve got a family-favourite UK destination. Rather than giving in to the temptation of London, head to this part of the UK and enjoy picturesque fishing villages and harbour towns. There’s even a unique amphitheatre set into the cliffs which puts on plays and hosts music concerts. And, of course, no visit to Cornwall is complete without trying a Cornish pasty and some fish and chips.
Where have you visited as a family? Share your recommendations with us.
Bara Brith – A traditional Welsh Bread
Bara Brith – Traditional Welsh Bread
Since I have been living in Wales for a few months, I have attempted to do some baking. However, it hasn’t been easy for me!
I love to bake and back home, have an array of ingredients and tools at my fingertips. Her in Wales, I have to relearn everything.
Recipes are doing in grams or ounces where you have to get out a scale to measure your ingredients! No cups or teaspoons to be found!
Then, there is the flour! There are so many different types of flour here in the UK, (and they come in tiny packages) that I struggle to know what to use!
Needless to say, my baking experiences have been a bit of a disaster. I finally realized that I needed to find some UK recipes to bake, rather than trying to recreate what I make at home.
That’s when we discovered Bara Brith!
Bara Brith means speckled bread. It is a very traditional tea bread served here in Wales. In England, if you go for an afternoon tea, it will usually come with a scone, cream and jam. But in Wales, you can have your afternoon tea with bara brith!
We got a book form the library (that had measurements in cups!!) and decided to make it, and it was a huge success!
The bread is best served warm from the oven with butter.
1 1/3 Cups of mixed fruit
1 Cup hot strong tea
2 Cups self-raising flour *Just add 2 teaspoons of baking powder for each 1 cup all-purpose flour.
1 tsp all spice
2 Tbsp butter
8 Tbsp brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
Soak the mixed fruit in the hot tea for a few hours or over night (until most of the liquid is absorbed)
Mix the dry ingredients together.
Add the mixed fruit.
Put into a loaf pan.
Bake 350 for about 45 minutes.
Enjoy served warm with butter! Or, cold, too!
Best Tips for Visiting Disneyland Paris
Best Tips for Visiting Disneyland Paris
Disclaimer: Our family received two adult tickets to the park in exchange for this blog post. We decided to “take one for the team” to test it out and find our best tips for visiting Disneyland Paris. You can thank us below. All opinions are our own.
Bonjour Mickey Mouse!
When we found out we were going to France for a week, we decided to build in a trip to Disneyland Paris at the same time.
To be completely honest, Disney was never on our radar. My husband wasn’t keen on going, and we would prefer not to travel to the United States for at least a few more years, by which point, the boys would probably be too old to enjoy the magic of Disney, anyway!
This was my third trip to Disney. I went to Disneyland Florida as a teenager with my parents, and then to Tokyo Disney when I lived in Japan. I loved going both times, and knew it would be a fun day out, so we decided to make it happen.
Besides, after having been on a tour of the Disney Cruise ship in the Halifax Harbour, I knew what kind of top-notch service we would receive!
Before we went, I did a lot of research. I read a lot of blogs, talked to people who had been before and studied the Disneyland Paris website. Based on all this, we put together a list of tips to help you plan your trip to Disneyland Paris! Many of these tips will translate to the other Disney parks, too, but always do your research first!
Daniel (10) put together a video about our trip to Disneyland Paris. You can’t help but feel the enthusiasm radiating from him!
Best Tips for visiting Disneyland Paris
Do your research
At Disneyland Paris there are actually 2 parks: Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios. Disneyland Park is your traditional Disney park, while Walt Disney Studios Park is more the movie side of things and has a lot of theatres for great shows, along with some great rides. These 2 parks are side by side and less than a 5 minute walk from each other.
It is vital to have a plan ready for when you arrive at the park. Know where you want to go, and what you want to see. What are your top MUST SEES?
To do this, I had the boys (9, 10) study the Disneyland Paris website list of attractions.
They went through every ride, giving it a score of how much they wanted to see it. They also watched YouTube videos showing the rides. They studied the park maps to find out where their favourites were located, and from here, they made a list of their top choices.
If you wander into the park without a plan, you will waste too much time wondering where to go, or drifting between the sections without knowing where to go next.
We plotted out our attractions by park so we didn’t have to go back and forth between the two.
Be efficient. Make a list. Prioritize.
You are going to have to make choices of what to see and do, especially if you get the 1 day/2 park tickets like we did.
Tickets
There are so many different types of tickets you can get that include packages with accommodation, flex passes, annual passes, you name it. Check it out here.
Because we just had one day in the area, we got the basic 2 parks/1 day pass. This meant for a big day, but we were up for the challenge.
You can buy your tickets directly from the Disney website here.
Or, as friends suggested to me hunt around for vouchers online, or ask a travel agent for discount tickets. When you do a search for tickets, I found a lot of websites that offered cheaper tickets and some that came with free meal coupons.
However, not all of these discount sites would take my Canadian credit card.
I am not listing the discount sites here because they constantly change and have new offers, and it depends on what you are looking for. Trust me. Just do a search and you’ll find lots.
Be wary of the meal vouchers though that come with the discount tickets… more later under FOOD.
2 Parks/1 Day
Because we were only in Paris for a short period of time, and the nature of the blogging contract, we just had one day to spend at Disneyland Paris. Our tickets were for the 2 parks (Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studio Park) in one day.
For our family, this was completely doable.
The boys (9,10) are older and can handle more walking, they are good at making decisions at what they do and don’t want to do (thanks for our previous research) and they are self-sufficient.
Because we had limited time, we had to make some decisions on what we would see and do. So, we didn’t see any of the shows on site during the day and we didn’t wait in line to meet any characters (the boys were too old for this, anyway). With more time to explore, you should take in some of the shows.
You should definitely try to spend a day at least in both parks if you can, and especially if you have small children. However, if you are pressed for time, or if it’s not your first time to Disney, this is the way to go!
Fast Passes
The world of Fast Passes was new to me. I had heard people talk about fast passes, but always thought it was something you had to pay extra for.
Fast passes are Free for EVERYONE!
This means you take your entry ticket up to an attraction, scan your ticket, and it will tell you during which 30 minute period you can return to go in the “fast pass” lineup.
Fast passes do run out, so make sure you plan accordingly to get your tickets! Fast Passes are not available for all rides, so check your park map. There will be a symbol next to those rides that have fast passes.
We actually didn’t end up using any fast passes. Because we were there in off-season, the line ups were never longer than 45-50 minutes, we just decided to wait. You still have to wait some in a fast-pass lineup, but not as much.
Besides, we discovered the joy of Single Rider line ups!
Single Riders
When you go up to a ride, there is a sign telling you how long you will need to wait in line. It’s an incredible efficient and accurate system. Trust us. We timed it to make sure.
Many of the rides have a lineup called “single riders”. If a ride has 4 seats, for example, and a family of 3 is next in line, instead of sending the ride off with an empty seat, they will pull people from the “single riders line” to fill that seat!
The single rider lineup is way shorter. Sometimes we only had to way 5-10 minutes!
The single rider option was perfect for our family.
Our boys are older (9,10) and are self-sufficient and brave. They didn’t mind not being with us on the ride, but, we could still wait together in the line.
If you are a family of 4 in the single rider lineup, we suggest sending an adult first, then the kids, followed by the remaining parent. Make a kid sandwich essentially. That way, the first adult through can be there to meet the kids at the other end.
This worked perfectly for us, and we were never more than 5 minutes apart from each other.
We highly recommend the single rider lineups if you think your kids can handle it!
Because waiting in lines can be tough!
Waiting in lines
Waiting in line sucks, and kids hate to do it. However, if you are going to go to Disney, and especially if you don’t go during off-season, you’re going to have to wait.
Disney does a great job of telling you how long you will have to wait. And, you can always take advantage of the fast passes and single rider lineups when available.
Disney also does a great job of having a lot of things in the line up area to read, links to wi-fi to play games and things to take your picture with.
Lineups at Disney are efficient and fast moving, so it doesn’t feel like you are spending a long time waiting.
The parks are great, too, at creating hidden lineups. Just when you think you come to the end, you turn the corner and there is another lineup to go through! This became a joke for our family that we have used ever since. Just like in a novel that has a secret bonus story at the end, we call these the “Secret Bonus Lineups!” It became fun to spot these bonus lineups at the rides!
There are a few ways to make the time pass in lineups at Disney.
1. Pick a person quite a bit ahead of you in the crowd. Make sure they look distinct. Follow their progress. Time how long it takes you to get to their spot. Cheer them on (internally) when they reach the front of the line up. It’s funny how often in the park we would run into our “targets” the rest of the day!
2. Take selfies. We took lots of selfies. Tried different poses and emotions.
3. Brush up on word games. Relive your childhood alphabet and I-Spy games. Ask questions “would you rather…”. Anything to keep the conversation going and to keep the kids’ minds off waiting.
4. Bring a card game. In England we got hooked on a game called Top Trumps. I carry them in my purse as they are great for killing time. Even a deck of cards would work.
Don’t miss the parade and fireworks
I’ll say it again: don’t miss the parade and fireworks.
When you go to the park, you’ll get a copy of the daily schedule of what events are happening at what times and where you can meet the characters.
For us in April, the parade was at 5:30 and the fireworks were at closing at 10pm.
When we were there, it was the 25th anniversary of the park so they had just created an incredible show combining elements of Disney movies from over the years. In fact, where we stayed at our Air B&B (more later), the landlord was a project manager for entertainment and costumes and helped develop this show.
No matter how tired you are, or tempted to leave early to beat the crowds, the show is a must see!
We watched the parade from the drawbridge of Sleeping Beauty’s castle and the fireworks from the parade square in front of the castle. We had a fairly good view from here.
Pick a spot at least 20 minutes before the show.
People lined up for a spot for up to an hour beforehand. We didn’t want to waste any time in the park on our one day, so we risked getting any spot, and it was fine.
Some of the projections for the illumination/firework show at the end of the night are near the ground, so it is difficult for smaller children to see. You may need to lift them, or stake out a closer spot earlier on. Much of it is in the air, so you’ll be fine, too.
This final illumination show was what did it for my husband – it turned him into a true Disney park fan… although he will never admit it!
Don’t Forget Fantasyland
If you are traveling with older kids, don’t forget Fantasyland. The tendency is to think it is for younger kids only, and to skip these rides. But, if you do, you are missing out on some classic fun!
Our favourite is the “Small World” ride, which is a classic and shouldn’t be missed.
Our theory was to do Fantasyland after the parade, when hopefully the smaller children were gone to supper or to bed! This worked well, as we could just walk on many of the rides. However, be aware that the rides in Fantasyland close earlier than the rest of the park. When we were there, it closed at 8pm. So, don’t leave Fantasyland too late in the evening!
Check the closing times before you plan your day!
Water Bottles and Backpacks
Bring a water bottle to Disney. Instead of paying a lot of money to buy drinks, fill your water bottle up at one of the numerous water fountains in the park!
Another question we had was about backpacks and what to do with them.
On most of the rides, you could take your backpack on with you.
Someone suggested for the roller coasters, putting your feet through the straps to secure them. Only on one ride did I have to take my camera bag off and leave it on a secure shelf.
Food
Like any major attraction, food on site can be rather pricey. Besides, do you want to spend your time in another lineup?
Instead, we brought a picnic lunch. When in France, we simply did what the French do… we got a baguette and cheese and fruit and enjoyed our picnic on a bench.
For supper, we headed to Disneyland Village outside the gates of the parks, within a 5 minute walk. There were several choices. We chose the Earl of Sandwich because we had a voucher that came with the online tickets I purchased.
However, when we got to the checkout to pay, my voucher was not valid because we ordered menu deals. So, make sure you read ALL the fine print before ordering or using coupons!
Parlez-Vous Francais?
Many people asked me if you have to be able to speak French to visit Disneyland Paris.
You do NOT have to speak French to visit Disneyland Paris.
However, it does make life easier if you do, or if you at least try. My husband’s and my French worked just fine, and even if we didn’t, everything is in both English and French.
Top Picks
Everyone is different, but there were some definite not-to-be-missed rides! Our favourites included:
Crush’s Coaster (Walt Disney Studios). This does NOT have a fast pass, and all the advice said to head here first, so we did. It was our longest wait, but well worth it.
Big Thunder Mountain was a must, too!
The boys adored Ratatouille, which is a 4D experience like none other!
Parking
We had a rental car, so upon the advice of our Air B&B landlord (who also works at Disney), we parked at the TGV stations Marne La Vallee Parking Garage for about 20Euros for the day. This is also where the TGV (fast train), buses and Metro come in, making it extremely close and convenient.
Accommodations
Because we were only there for the day we decided to stay off-site. But, you should really investigate staying onsite. There are so many hotels right at Disney.
Check out the Disney Hotels here.
Besides, if you stay right at Disney, there are lots of perks including extra hours in the park before it officially opens.
These hotel packages all come with tickets. Because I already had our tickets, I could not book a room at a Disney hotel unless I personally called them.
Instead, we stayed nearby at at Air B&B. This was a fabulous place, great for up to 4 people. Besides, the landlord works at Disney, too, so was so helpful with advice! It was about a 10 minute car ride or bus ride to the Park.
Check out Francoise’s Air B&B here.
Don’t Worry and Have Fun
To be honest, I wasn’t sure I wanted to take the kids to Disney, and my husband certainly didn’t want to go. Whenever I heard my friends talk about their trips, it sounded like so much work, and I’d have to do so much research and know everything.
Don’t worry! Disney makes everything easy!
When we got to Disney, I realized that I had made such a bigger deal about going and worried more than I needed to. It was so easy.
With our map in hand, and our preconceived plan, the day was one of the best days we had together as a family!
Disney is so well organized. Everything is clean. It’s well laid out. It’s fun. Disney is not about the rides themselves, it is the experience you have at the park, and all the small details that up to be a great day.
Mom, if I could thank you a billion times for taking us to Disney, there still wouldn’t be enough time to thank you enough!
Even my husband became a Disney convert. Since then, when we see an “inefficient lining up system” he will remark that Disney needs to come in and organize it!
Disney is a magical family fun-filled day, and I hope more families get to experience it, too!
Explore Canada’s Hidden Gems with IHG
Explore Canada’s Hidden Gems with IHG
In celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is launching a fun contest to find the top 150 hidden travel gems in our country. IHG sponsored this hotel stay and my participation in this campaign, but all opinions are my own.
Happy 150th birthday Canada!
A great way to celebrate Canada’s birthday is to get out and discover just how much this country has to offer! There are hidden gems to be found around every corner. Schedule some family fun this year, and see how many hidden gems you can discover!
Our family loves to discover places off the beaten path, and then write about them so you, too can explore them!
One of our favourite hidden gems in the HRM can be found in Bedford in a place we call the Heart Shaped Pond.
In this park, also known as the Hemlock Ravine, dating back to 1780, there are 200 hectares to explore. Trails weave and wend through the park, and all are great for strollers and small children. You can choose the length of your walk by combining the various trails.
Make sure you bring a copy of the map with you!
MAP FOUND HERE
Approximately 15 minutes from Halifax, this is the perfect hidden gem to explore while staying in Halifax!
Our family loves to stay at the Holiday Inn Express Halifax – Bedford, so we can have more time to explore the area.
The kids love the water slide, and we love the free breakfast, and always the great service!
The pillows are the best, allowing you to choose one that suits your comfort.
This time, we got two adjoining rooms as the kids have been obsessed with trying them out. This time, my parents came with us, so the kids could wander back and forth between the rooms, and we had a place to sit and visit after the kids went to bed!
Every time you stay with an IHG property, you also get to rack up points to use towards a future stay. It’s free to join, too.
IHG Rewards Club offers flexible features like No Blackout Dates for Reward Nights, Points & Cash and Free Internet, IHG® Rewards Club members also have hundreds of options for redeeming points including: Reward Nights, Flights AnywhereTM, Cars Anywhere, digital downloads, brand name items and retail gift cards!
Now, there is a way you can win even more points!
IHG® Rewards Club 150th Hidden Gems Contest
Visit ihgrewardsclub.com/150Canada and enter your favourite Hidden Gem in Canada from March 1st to May 31st for a chance to win one million IHG® Rewards Club Points. There will also be monthly draws to win 50,000 IHG® Rewards Club Points which can be redeemed for hotel stays or merchandise. #IHG150
What’s your favourite hidden gem?
Get out and get exploring our amazing country!
Top 10 Highlights in Month 1 of our Family Time in Britain
Top 10 Highlights in Month 1 of our Family Time in Britain
Today marks the day that we officially left one month ago to embark on our family’s 5 month adventure in Great Britain.
We are living in North Wales but traveling all over the UK, making the most of our time here, and when we sit back to look, we cannot believe how much we have already done in one month!
We are also homeschooling the boys, so it makes for 24-7 family time, which isn’t always easy, but we are making the best of it!
Here are our top 10 highlights, in no particular order
Prehistoric Stone Circles
No trip to England is complete without a trip to Stonehenge!
It was a misty morning, but the stones rose out of the fog. You can actually get quite close to the stones, too. Imagine standing with something that has stood for over 5000 years!
We also went to nearby Avebury stone circle. These stones had been buried over time, but in the 1930s, they were dug up and reassembled. You can go up and touch these ones, and the town is built around them!
2. Bath
An ancient Roman city, the town on Bath is the location of a hot spring where the Romans built… a public bath! There was a fascinating audio tour to go along with our visit.
3. Castles
You can’t come to the United Kingdom without seeing and appreciating castles. Where we are in North Wales, castles are everywhere! Some were originally built by the Welsh princes in the early 1200s whereas many more were built by Edward I in the late 1200s to establish his rule over the Welsh.
Because we are homeschooling the boys and are residents of Wales, we get into all the Welsh castles for free!
Harlech Castle was the boys’ first castle to explore.
This castle was originally built on the edge of the sea which overtime silted in.
On the north coast of Wales, we visited Conwy castle. It was built in 1283 and took 4 years to construct.
The construction of the castle also included walls to enclose the city.
4. Sheep!
Did you know that in Wales there are 3 times the number of sheep as there are people? Sheep are everywhere! And now, the lambs are being born. We are lucky to have a field of them behind our house.
And we can’t forget our new friend who lives up the road. He’s a horse with a mustache!
He makes us giggle every time we visit him!
5. New Food
The boys are having a great time trying all the new flavours of chips (crisps) from Boozy Duck to Prawn Cocktail, we’ve had them all!
A staple in the UK is fish and chips! And you can buy beer in the chippy, too!
The boys have fallen in love with tea.
AND the best is scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam. We could eat this every day!
6. The Scenery
Everywhere you look in North Wales, your breath is taken away by the sights. No wonder Lonely Planet judged North Wales to be THE pace to visit in 2017!
I wish I had a camera on the dashboard to record what we see when we pull out of the driveway.
We are living in Snowdonia National Park. Here are some of the views from some of the places we have been.
7. Community
We have joined in a few activities in the community. First, we participated in a pub quiz at the local hall… and won!
We have volunteered a few times with the local nature reserve to help rake, cut down trees and help with general maintenance.
The boys have joined karate. It is similar to the style they are learning at home, but they get a chance to be with other kids and we get a break!
And, we joined in a nature hunt to learn about rock pools and to count shark eggs on the beach.
8. Cathedrals
I may love cathedrals more than castles! I love the stained glass windows, the tall arches, the history and the serenity in them.
First, we went to Salisbury Cathedral. It is also home to the Magna Carta, written in 1215.
We had a fantastic tour of the Chester Cathedral.
9. Museums
Museums are everywhere and on every topic imaginable. Many of them are free, too!
We had a tour of a Llechwedd Victorian slate mine in Wales.The boys got to try their hands at some of the job done by children. I don’t think they were convinced it was the life for them.
We headed inside an old slate mine that was converted into a power station. It uses hydraulics to have power running in 90seconds from when they turn it on!
Liverpool is full of museums, and the boys particularly loved the World Museum! Daniel takes you on a tour of it here.
10. History is Everywhere
Although we may live in one of the oldest settled parts in Canada from 1604, we really know nothing about history! That is a mere drop in the bucket compared to the history that surrounds us in Britain. History is everywhere.
There are Roman Forts and gardens from 2000 years ago.
Tombstones in churches from the 5th and 6th centuries!
And of course, the prehistoric stones of Stonehenge and Avebury that are 5000 years old.
What will the next month bring? Stay tuned to find out!
