Multi-gen' travel: with kids, parents AND grandparents

Multi-generational travel is a buzzword in travel right now, and can make for some of the most memorable journeys. Words by Susan Gough Henly.

You’ve probably been hearing about multi-generational travel lately if you’ve been sharing your holiday stories with friends. That’s right, going on a trip with mum, dad and the kids and the grandparents is one of the hottest new trends in travel.

The 2015 Virtuoso Luxe Report, a forecast of luxury travel trends based on current reservations at North American luxury travel agents, stated that almost half of all affluent clients book multi-generational trips with their families.

And it is not just happening among the wealthy in the US. Darren Lloyd, general manager of Escape Travel, says going away with the whole family has gone from being almost non-existent to a dominant sector of the Australian market in just a couple of years.

Escape Travel is currently developing a multi-generational package range that will be released in February.

Sure, Aussies have long been booking villas in Bali and interconnecting hotel rooms in Fiji so several generations can hang out together, but this new style of travel is much more ambitious.

Now we’re talking about three generations journeying together on cruises, wilderness and cultural escapes in South-east Asia, long-haul trips to North America and Europe, African safaris, and even on adventures doing different activities in places like Costa Rica or Italy.

“As families get busier, with working parents and even grandparents working longer, going away together becomes an important way to enjoy quality time," says Intrepid Travel’s deputy managing director Robyn Nixon, who has just returned from an Intrepid trip in China with her 12-year-old grandson. “Grandparents are fitter and more active and want to combine their own interest in
travel with contributing to a grandchild’s education by sharing a learning experience together."

There are so many benefits to taking the whole family with you on a trip. Families can mix it up helping with the kids, with grandparents babysitting to give the parents a night off, while single grandparents get to travel and enjoy the company of family. Anyone can opt in and out of an activity and bond over shared interests.

Generally, it is the grandparents who pay for the family holiday, which is often linked to a special occasion like a big birthday or anniversary. It enables grandparents to celebrate with their extended family that otherwise might not have the resources to make the trip.

And while it is still emerging, multi-generational travel is already morphing, with grandparents taking one or more grandchildren on trips without their parents, and groups of families travelling together with uncles and aunts and cousins.

How you should approach it

As the number of people in a group goes up and the age range varies across the generations, so too does the complexity of bookings.

While some people make their own arrangements, many like to work with travel agents to ensure all the fiddly details like transfers and synchronising flights from multiple locales are handled properly.

While a number of tour operators have incorporated multi-generational families into their existing small family group tours, you will also find that some offer private multi-generational set tours or they can design a custom trip for you.

If you are going to plan the trip yourself then the big trend for multi-generational travel, especially in cities like London, New York or Paris, is to rent centrally located apartments rather than hotels.

The best multi-generational holidays

Wildlife viewing

African safaris, from Tanzania to South Africa, Victoria Falls to the Okavango Delta, offer the opportunity to share a passion for wildlife viewing as well as walking safaris, canoe trips and cultural experiences with the Maasai and other tribes.
The Galápagos and Costa Rica are other popular destinations that offer remarkable wildlife encounters as well as plenty of adventure.
Closer to home (and cheaper), Malaysia and Indonesia have terrific wildlife experiences both in the jungle and under the sea at their many coral reefs.

Big cities, big vistas and cultural icons

North America is high on the list for many families.
Canada delivers the spectacular Rocky Mountains, and popular destinations Stateside include Anaheim, San Francisco and New York, its national parks and dude ranches of the American West.
London, Paris and Rome have plenty of iconic sights that appeal to every generation while winter visits to Finland’s Santa Claus village are also popular.

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Adventure destinations

Vietnam and Japan are top multi-generational destinations because of the sheer diversity of adventures, the great shopping and terrific food.
Multi-generational hiking and biking trips are popular throughout Europe and multi-sport adventures in Costa Rica are also gaining traction.

Cruising

Going on a cruise in the Southwest Pacific offers an affordable adventure with access to a diversity of cultures including Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.
Barging in France and England offers some fun hands-on adventures for all the family, while fully crewed Turkish gulet sailboat trips offer a relaxing way to explore this spectacular coastline.

The essential elements of a perfect multi-generational trip…

1. Have a team leader who takes charge of the trip for the whole family.

2. Schedule breaks from the group so everyone can recharge.

3. Pick activities that older and younger generations will enjoy doing together. Include options to allow some choice.

4. Everyone has different styles of travelling, so allow for various paces for getting ready, packing and walking.

5. Have one or two bases (or a boat) so you are not constantly repacking and there is a place for different family members to rest.

6. Encourage each generation to contribute to a treasured memory book of the holiday.

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.

Multi-gen’ travel: with kids, parents AND grandparents