TRAVEL + LEISURE / MARCH 2016
Alaska
Cruises offer a relatively inviting way
to travel with the whole family. Parents
can let their kids roam free on ships,
and there’s usually a broad range
of entertainment choices aimed at
each age group. Alaska's breathtaking
scenery, its glaciers, whales and
brown bears, and excursions including
salmon fishing and dog-sledding, offer
enough to engage different tastes. Many
cruises include viewings of Glacier Bay
National Park, known for its striking
glacier-carved terrain, roughly 70
species of mammals including grizzlies
and lynx, and more than 250 species
of birds; and visits to coastal cities like
Juneau and Ketchikan. Passengers who
are up for a longer excursion away from
the ship can visit Denali National Park,
home to Mount McKinley, the tallest
mountain in North America.
Whentogo/whatyou’llpay:The
mostpopulartimetogoisinthe
summer, but if you can stand a little nip
in the air, you can find better deals and
fewercrowdsinMayandSeptember.
Seven-day cruises in September
onboard Holland America and Royal
Caribbean typically start at about
US$600 or US$700 per person.
FROM TOP: JOHN DELAPP/DESIGN PICS/GETTYIMAGES; BETTY WILEY/GETTYIMAGES; DAVID MADISON/GETTYIMAGES; PAWEL LIBERA/GETTYIMAGES;Big and Hearty Family Holidays
With families flung in different cities across the world, sometimes a big holiday with grandparents, siblings, and kids is
the only way to enjoy ‘together-time’. These destinations and journeys are just perfect landscapes for such occasions.PARIS
Sixtypercentofpeoplewhowereconsideringmulti-generational travel reported
an interest in visiting Europe in the next two years (the highest percentage for an
international destination), according to the Preferred Hotel Group survey. One of
the most popular is Paris for its shopping, museums, and culinary delights. There
are many Parisian hotels catering to the entire family, with on-site baby-sitting
and kid-friendly activities. Companies like Road Scholar offer great programmes
which are geared for three generations, and includes tailored guided tours to big
sites like the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower (where there’s a behind-the-scenes
tour), French language lessons, and dinner with a Parisian host family.When to go/what you’ll pay: The best months to visit Paris are April
and May or September and October, when the weather is relatively mild, and
there are fewer tourists in the streets. Most of the new multigenerational
travel off erings are clustered in the more crowded summer months.FAMILY TRAVEL
To u r i s t s v i e w i n g t h e
Margerie Glacier from a
tour boat off Glacier Bay.A breaching humpback whale
spotted in Glacier Bay.Visitors at the Forecourt
of the Louvre Museum.Sleddog ride against
the Brooks Range.