There’s no need to pack up your spirit of adventure in your old rucksack when children come along. Travel companies now provide family holidays for a new backpacking generation. The journeys are usually a bit more leisurely, the hotels are more likely to have pools and the trips often wind up with a couple of days at the beach, so everyone has a chance to relax and absorb the experience.
One such, for parents with children aged six and over, is The Imaginative Traveller’s Fabulous Thailand tour. Starting with a longtail boat ride through the klongs, or canals, of Bangkok, and continuing to Kanchanburi with more boat rides and a visit to the historic bridge on the River Kwai, it also features two nights in a floating bungalow in the middle of the jungle, plus elephant rides and a trek to stay in a tribal mountain village near Chiang Mai. Departure dates for the 14-night holiday include April 12, July 27 and August 10. The price of pound;520 per person (adult and child) includes arrival transfer, all internal transport and accommodation, all breakfasts, selected other meals and the services of a tour leader. Flights are not included but can be arranged on request. Details: 01473 667337; www.imaginative-traveller.comfamily.
