Best Tourist Places for Family

Best Tourist Places for Family

The Great Wall: Legacy of an Ancient Time

"The Great Wall impresses everyone who sees it for the first time, from children to adults, from the general tourists to scholars,” says Henry Ng, the manager of the World Monuments Fund’s China projects. “The vastness of the structure helps children grasp the great achievements in human history—from the Great Wall to the great pyramids—and can help inspire them to learn more about human achievements over the millennia.”

Constructed over a period of 2,000 years, the stone sentry actually consists of many great walls, some dating back to the fifth century B.C. The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, ordered these earlier long wall sections linked and extended with watchtowers to protect the new empire from marauding northern tribes. Succeeding emperors and dynasties continued the construction, spreading westward into the Gobi desert to guard the Silk Road. All together, the walls may have stretched more than 30,000 miles.

Iceland's Ring Road: Scandinavian Sagaland

Iceland is one of the warmest cold countries you’ll find—especially so toward children. It seems everywhere you look there are pram-pushing moms and blond-haired kids swarming the capital of Reykjavik. The big hit for children (and adults) will be the city’s 18 mostly open-air geothermal pools (82–109°F); most also have slides and fountains. Use a pool visit to introduce the concept of renewable resources. Iceland is on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a belt of mountains and rift valleys where periodic eruptions widen the ocean floor. One of the world’s most tectonically volatile places, it feeds more than 200 volcanoes and 600 hot springs and heats 85 percent of Iceland’s homes. Add to this energy produced by the nation’s rivers and streams, and the country essentially gets all its electricity from nature.

The other thermal experience kids will love is a visit to the Blue Lagoon—40 miles from the city. This geothermal spa is built over and around what could be described as the world’s biggest Jacuzzi—a large pool with white mud that kids can smear all over their bodies (for the health benefits and to make a joyous mess). Much of the lagoon is shallow enough for them to stand on the bottom, heads above water.

Hong Kong: Asia’s Melting Pot

Nowhere else can a child experience a city so exuberantly complex in such a geographically tiny package as Hong Kong, which packs seven million citizens into just 426 square miles, making it one of the most densely populated regions on the planet. Fiercely cosmopolitan, addicted to change, this hyperactive city encompasses villages and bustling urbanity, looming mountain ranges and ribbons of coastline. Its harbor contains 263 islands and, stunningly, parks and preserves comprise 40 percent of Hong Kong’s cityscape.

Bristling with skyscrapers and crowd-frenzied streets, Hong Kong has long been a place of diversity. “It is a place you feel,” author Jan Morris once wrote. “Founded by Europeans, developed by Asians, governed by Chinese, designed and run by entrepreneurs, architects, economists, and adventurers from the four corners of the world, in the streets and waterways you may sense the turning of the Earth itself.” Now a Special Administrative Region of China (since the so-called handoff from the British in 1997), Hong Kong is plenty congested, but it has the distinction of hosting a global citizenry from vastly different backgrounds who together make the place work.

Amalfi Coast: In Sight of the Sea

The Amalfi Coast is the playground of the social elite and well heeled, but don’t let that throw you. The Italians love kids and this area puts everyone at close quarters.

“My family has been here for generations,” says Antonio Sersale, owner of Le Sirenuse Hotel. “I played here as a child. My kids grew up in Positano. All you need to do is reach out to the locals and ask: ‘Show me what your kids do.’”

John Steinbeck called the Amalfi Coast a “dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and . . . beckoningly real after you have gone.”

Start your dream trip along the coast in Naples after spending an afternoon at nearby Pompeii—most kids will be captivated by this tableau of daily life frozen forever in the lava flow of Mount Vesuvius. Check out Naples’s aquarium (the oldest in Europe, with 200 different species of fish and marine plants) and the Museo Nazionale Ferroviario (National Railway Museum), which enthralls children with its old engines, cars, and railway equipment.

Machu Picchu: Lost City of Incas

Here’s a cool fact to share with children visiting Machu Picchu in Peru—the place probably would never have been discovered without the help of a kid just like them.

You see, after two years of research to pinpoint the location of the “Lost City of the Incas” and raise money for his expedition, intrepid American historian and explorer Hiram Bingham set off into the Peruvian jungle in 1911 with a fedora planted firmly on his head and nothing more than an educated guess as to where it might be. He eventually only found the spot with the aid of an 11-year-old Quechua Indian boy.

“It fairly took my breath away,” Bingham wrote of his first encounter with the ruins in 1911 high in the Andes. “What could this place be?”

A century later we’re still not exactly sure why this place was constructed on a spot that practically touches the sky—a mystery kids will surely find compelling. Nobody is quite sure when Machu Picchu was first built—educated guesses put it at around 1450—or why it was abandoned a century later. Researchers still aren’t sure what its original function might have been: a place of worship, a royal estate, an astronomical observatory? And nobody can say with any certainty what became of its original inhabitants.

Marrakech: Deep in the Suqs

Few kids can resist a scavenger hunt. So to explore the suq (the Arab word for a bazaar) in Marrakech, actor and writer Andrew McCarthy turned the experience into a game for his nine-year-old son, Sam. They made their suq tour a search for the best example of a chest Sam had coveted.

“It was the ultimate treasure hunt for him,” says McCarthy. In the marketplace, stall owners will bargain you to your knees and follow you for yards if they think they can close a deal. Much of what’s sold are cheap knockoffs and tourist trinkets. “But the suq is also filled with tons of old, legit artifacts that were of real interest to Sam. Camel bones with ‘contracts’ written on them. Long swords fascinated him. Children seem to have an innate understanding of the authentic in a way we adults underestimate. He was drawn to the culturally legit stuff.”

When you arrive in Marrakech, start your journey in the main square of Djemaa el‑Fna, center of the medieval medina (the old Arab or non-European quarter of a North African town). Here kids will see the monkey man, cobra charmers, acrobats, storytellers, henna vendors, and henna-haired artists. Beware: Attempt to take pictures, no matter how surreptitiously, and you will face a demand for money.

Manhattan: Outside Looking In

New York is one of those places, like Disney World, that is a child’s travel rite of passage.

For a first trip, stick with Manhattan, the classic microcosm of the world. There’s no major influence, theme, subject, attraction, or trend that in some way isn’t touched or reflected in the work, play, creativity, commerce, ingenuity, and world-class chutzpah that unfolds in the canyons of this great urbanity.

Kids, of course, will be dazzled by its sheer striding-of-the-globe personality (adults are too) and delight in what it offers visitors: all those A-list attractions like the Empire State Building; the emerging new World Trade Center at ground zero; France’s gift-to-America, the Statue of Liberty; the often overlooked Children’s Museum of Manhattan; and Central Park (don’t miss the Alice in Wonderland sculpture and Strawberry Fields, a tribute to John Lennon).

And then there’s the “real New York”—Katz’s Deli; Wall Street, where New York City began; Grand Central Terminal; the subway that is the city’s true artery; and neighborhoods of Little Italy and Chinatown.

Namib Desert: Ever Changing Dunes

"The Namib Desert is rugged, diverse, barren, beautiful, and a fascinating place to take your kids. In such a completely remote environment, it’s just you and the earth,” says Julian Harrison, African safari guidebook author and president of Premier Tours, who took his American kids to Namibia when they were 7, 9, and 11. “For my family, it was very much a bonding experience. Without other distractions you can spend time communicating and exploring the landscape together.”

And there’s lots to explore in these 1,200 miles of desert along the South Atlantic coast of Africa, not only because of the ecosystem’s sheer size, but also because the dunes rarely present the same face twice. Wind changes the dunes’ edges and erases tracks like waves on a beach—the shifting force is enough to cause entire dunes to migrate dozens of feet each year. A competition to see who can jump the farthest down a dune face can be an exhilarating family experience, the traces of which are wiped clean the next day.

The daytime heat draws moisture-laden air inland from chilly coastal waters. The effect produces a blanketing fog that is often the only source of water for this parched environment. Although the Namib Desert doesn’t have the abundance of plants and animals found on other parts of the continent, it does feature a collection of unusual ones—gnarled trees, lichens, fog-catching beetles, and fleet-footed sand lizards have had time to evolve to survive on the sand. Desert-adapted elephants, bat-eared foxes, hyenas, ostriches, oryx, and Africa’s largest population of black rhinos eke out an existence roaming the dunes and their periphery.

Paris: Medieval to Modern

"Paris may be one of the most richly vivid cities in the world,” says writer Jim Morgan, author of Chasing Matisse. “The place is like one great piece of art. Every quarter, every street, every character seems painterly.” Most older children are familiar with the iconic symbols of the city—the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, the “Mona Lisa.” But it’s the small scenes, the little moments that give this city its artistic moments. Help connect your children with its artistic luminosity before you go. Introduce them to some paintings of the greats who lived and worked here: Picasso, Cézanne, van Gogh, Monet, Chagall (some suggestions: Monet and the Impressionists for Kids or Usbourne’s Famous Paintings, 30 illustrated cards with explanatory text). Show them classic Paris scenes—Monet’s “The Boathouse on the Seine,” Marc Chagall’s “Paris Through the Window,” Van Gogh’s “Sidewalk Café at Night.” This gives the makings of an art scavenger hunt they can pursue when actually in Paris.

Rio de Janeiro: Culture on the Coast

Since the release of the animated movie Rio (2011), parents and kids might be forgiven for thinking the city on the coast of Brazil is populated by frolicking blue macaws, red-crested cardinals, and yellow canaries that spar with Britishaccented cockatoos—and yet, feathers do indeed dance both down on the streets and high above Rio.

During the fabled celebrations of Carnival, exotic costumes topped off by feathered headdresses and colorful boas flutter about every corner of the city as part of one of the world’s greatest parties—which has evolved into a combination of music, dance, and fantasy that can singlehandedly kick-start a universe of creativity for young minds.

The party is only likely to grow wilder as Brazil prepares to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup (which will see Rio hosting many matches), and in 2016, as Rio holds the first Summer Olympics in South America.

Havana: Afro-Cuban Culture

To get an inside glimpse of daily life for the average Cuban, you and your kids should skip the hotels and stay in one of the hundreds of casas particulares sprinkled throughout Havana, the Cuban equivalent of B&Bs and one of the few forms of private enterprise permitted by the country’s socialist government.

Besides costing a fraction of a hotel, staying inside the home of a Cuban family puts your family in the middle of a residential neighborhood, where you will awake to the sounds of daily life—street vendors calling out pregones to advertise their wares, children playing ball in the street, and salsa music blasting from open windows.

“Staying with a family was critical to get the cultural rhythms,” says Mark Goehring, father of two who visited Havana with his children. “The kids got to see the day-to-day life and practice some of their Spanish with people who really cared for them.”

Also, staying in a home gives parents and kids alike a chance to hear the Cuban perspective on living in a socialist society.

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World Best Surf Places

World Best Surf Places

Taghazout, Morocco

Taghazout, Morocco, is a surfing oasis in the middle of a long, rugged coastline that is inundated with waves. This ancient Berber encampment became an outpost for European adventurers trekking into southern Morocco in the 1960s. And throughout that same period, surfers “discovered” the region and set up shop in Taghazout. Today, there are a lot of French and Spanish surfers mingling with the native Moroccans and Berbers in what still feels like a frontier town on the edge of the desert. The waves are almost always long-period ground swells—which means great shape and plenty of power—and the winds consistently blow offshore.

Beginners should start at beaches like Panoramas or Crocodiles and work their way up to the point breaks, which are considered among the best in the world. To sample the crème de la crème, go for a surf at Anchor Point or Killer Point and learn why surfers often describe the waves there as “freight trains.

Bundoran, Ireland

Ireland, known among surfers as “Europe’s cold-water Indonesia” should be on the bucket list of every surfer. And Bundoran should be the start of any surfing adventure on the Emerald Isle. This centuries-old fishing village catches just about any swell that steamrolls through the North Atlantic and onto a smattering of beaches and reefs that suit different levels of surfers.

The water may be cold, but the pubs and locals are always warm, serving up national specialties such as Guinness and oysters to the tune of traditional Irish music. “Bundoran is a town with many sides and the real Bundoran can only be found with the help of the locals,” says Pete Craig, surfer and owner of the outfitter Bundoran Surf Co. The main surfing beach is Tullan Strand, but if you want to venture out, ask locals about the surrounding reefs and beaches, which work on a variety of swells.

Biarritz, France

Biarritz is the only surf town in the world with a royal history. In 1854, Empress Eugénie convinced her husband, Napoleon III, to visit the area. They then bought the land and built a palace on the beach, which made Biarritz one of the hottest resort towns in Europe. Screenwriter Peter Viertel brought France its first surfboard in 1956, when he came to shoot location shots for The Sun Also Rises.

Still considered the birthplace of European surfing, Biarritz is a nice combination of French high culture and SoCal surf culture, putting a decidedly surfy spin on the notion of joie de vivre. Start surfing on La Grande Plage (the Big Beach) in front of the town center. If it gets too crowded, local Cape Breton transplant David Hanguehard recommends checking out surrounding beaches such as La Côtes des Basques, Anglet, and Guethary.

Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii

Hanalei Town sits on the North Shore of Kauai, one of the least developed and most beautiful islands in the Hawaiian chain. The local Hawaiians, or “Ka poe Hawaii,” maintain a strong sense of identity and connection to their Polynesian ancestry, making this the perfect place to catch some waves while learning about the long, and sometimes fraught, history of the 50th state.

The town is surrounded by diverse wave-riding spots, from the beginner-friendly waves of the Hanalei Pier (watch out for local kids jumping off the end) to expert-only reef breaks where experience and a healthy respect for the local pecking order are prerequisites. “There are many waves on the island that are not suitable for visitors,” says Evan Valiere, one of the many world-class surfers from this island (a list that also includes Bruce and the late Andy Irons). “But come with a good vibe and respectful attitude, and it will be a place that you will never forget.”

Tofino, British Columbia, Canada

California may be one of the surfing world’s spiritual centers, but one of the surfiest towns on the West Coast of North America is far to the north. Tofino, British Columbia, is an old fur trading and logging town that just happens to sit in one of the prettiest spots on Vancouver Island. Clayoquot Sound, compromised of nearly 350,000 hectares of land and ocean, is cool, misty, full of wildlife, and utterly spectacular. Although winters can be harsh, the spring and summer bring warmer air temperatures and almost nonstop markets, festivals, and cultural events.

“All of our beaches are beginner friendly, especially in the summer,” says local professional Peter Devries, a man who currently surfs better in head-to-toe neoprene than perhaps anyone in the world. “The huge tides flatten out the beaches and create very mellow beginner waves. There is the odd exception where the banks can change and get powerful and hollow, but there is always somewhere that is good for beginners. South Chesterman Beach and Long Beach are great places to learn.”

Encinitas, California

No area of the United States says “surfing” quite like Southern California; and no SoCal town is quite as surfy as Encinitas. It’s an easygoing mix of West Coast counterculture—from skaters and snowboarders to surfers—and New Age spiritualists. Aside from having some of the oldest and most well-respected surf shops in the country, it is also the home of La Paloma Theatre, which in its 84-year history has premiered countless surf films.

For a few waves to yourself, cruise down to Moonlight Beach, which supports a wide range of surfers, from beginners on its central sandbars to more advanced surfers at its north and south ends. “I love the energy of Encinitas,” says local surfer and body surfing guru Ed Lewis, who has opened the world of body surfing to a much larger audience through the shaping of handplanes. “As you drive up the freeway, you can feel the energy of it,” he says. “It has everything you could ask for: culture, great food, spirituality, great surf spots, a long history of surfing, surfers and shapers—and the people are friendly and happy.”

Byron Bay, Australia

In an entire continent of surf towns, Byron Bay stands out as one of the spiritual and historical homes of surfing in what is, pound for pound, perhaps the greatest surfing nation in the world. Despite a tendency toward the upscale, Byron is at heart a hippie town that favors live bands, relaxed cafes that source local ingredients, and plenty of “all natural” everything. Combine that with the naturally cheerful disposition of many Aussies and you won’t find better waves in a more pleasant setting anywhere in the world.

The town’s main wave, the Pass, is a classic right-hand point break that accommodates all levels of surfers, though it can get crowded on good swells. Beginners should stay on the beach and more advanced surfers can head south to Broken Head, which has great beach breaks and other classic points.

Shonan, Japan

When you think of wave-rich Pacific islands, Japan doesn’t immediately jump to mind. It doesn’t have the consistency of Hawaii or the death-defying reef breaks of Tahiti. But its west coast is home to hundreds of miles of dark-sand beaches, and its craggy coastline hides reefs, points, and river mouths for all level of surfers.

“My hometown, Shonan, is the birthplace of Japanese surfing,” says professional big-wave surfer Takayuki Wakita. “Like many Japanese seaside towns, it started out as a fishing town. But now it’s one of the capitals of surfing for the entire country because the waves are good and it’s only an hour away from Tokyo.” The change started in 1955, when the Japanese author Shintaro Ishihara published Season of the Sun, about a group of Japanese teenagers living in rich hedonism on the sands of Shonan. While it didn’t describe any surfers, Wakita’s forefathers started riding waves soon after. Don’t expect fish tacos and English surf slang in Shonan. Do expect hundred-year-old temples, local festivals, and scenery right out of a Hokusai wood-block print.

Muizenberg, South Africa

Located in a country known for cold water, heavy waves, and sharks, Muizenberg, South Africa, is an oasis of gentle rollers, friendly locals, and beachside cafes. And don’t forget about the local wine. “Muizenberg is the best ‘learn to surf’ beach in the world,” says Tim Conibear, founder of Isiqalo, a Cape Town organization that teaches kids from low-income neighborhoods to surf. “The attitude in the water is also super-mellow, with a general acceptance of all watercrafts and abilities. Shark spotters keep you safe, so you don't need to worry. For heavier waves, take a walk toward Kalk Bay, where there's a serious reef. Danger Reef is also a little left-breaking wave that's worth a stop.”

La Paloma, Uruguay

Uruguayos prefer to fly below the radar, which is why you probably didn’t know that their Atlantic coastline is one of the most pristine and beautiful in the Americas. Although famous resort towns such as Punta del Este have long been a haven for Argentine and European travelers, the rest of the coastline is reserved for locals. La Paloma is a dusty little beach town where Uruguayans go to surf, drink maté tea, and grill large hunks of grass-fed beef over open flames. “It’s an enchanting little town where everyone is friendly,” says Uruguay’s best professional surfer Marco Giorgi. “One of the best parts is that it has surf spots for all levels of rider. And regardless of which way the wind is blowing, it’s almost always surfable somewhere.”

San Sebastián, Spain

San Sebastián, or Donostia in the local language, is the cultural capital of Spain’s vibrant Basque country. Though not as renowned for waves as its northeastern neighbors in France, it more than makes up for it by being a center for music, cinema, and molecular gastronomy for all of Europe.

“Donostia is a marvelous place with a lot to offer both in and out of the water,” says local surfer and city tourism official Jokin Arroyo Uriarte. “It’s a small city where you can surf at Zurriola Beach then walk over to the old part of the city for a few pintxos (Basque referring to small portions like tapas), a couple glasses of beer, and an incredibly authentic ambiance. Apart from having one of the most beautiful bays in the world, Bahía de la Concha, the city has a love affair with surfing and tons of infrastructure for the visiting surfer.”

Nosara, Costa Rica

In a wave-rich country, Nosara stands out as the surf town par excellence. Warm water, friendly locals, endless beaches, powerful river mouths, long point breaks, and virtually year-round high swells make it a veritable surfing Disneyland—without all the lines and overzealous parents. Located on the coast of a Blue Zone (a place where a large percentage of local people live to a hundred years old or more), Nosara offers the kind of lifestyle that most surfers only dream about. It is a perennial favorite among traveling surfers of all levels for both its waves and relaxed pace of life.

Paia, Maui, Hawaii

Most Hawaiian towns are surf towns, but none have the artsy, eccentric vibe of Paia on Maui’s North Shore. What started as a sugarcane boomtown is now a hangout for artists, surfers, and wind sport enthusiasts from around the world. Although not known as a surfing mecca like Oahu’s North Shore, partially due to the daily side-shore winds that shred the lineups most afternoons, this actually works in favor of visiting surfers, according to local pro surfer Zack Howard: “There are a lot of great surfers here, but in general, the level is lower than in places like Oahu, and that means there are a lot of waves for everyone.”

Novices should check out Paia Bay. If you want to rub shoulders with Maui’s elite, paddle out at Hookipa—just make sure your shoulders can handle a workout, as it doesn’t break close to shore. If you happen to be in town during a big winter swell, drive west down the Hana Highway and pull off between mile markers 13 and 14. From the bluff you can watch an international crew of big-wave hellmen tow into waves breaking over the outer reef known as Jaws.

Raglan, New Zealand

The surfing world first learned about Raglan, or Whaingaroa as it’s known in the local Maori language, when its empty, seemingly endless left-hand point breaks were featured in Bruce Brown’s seminal surfing film, The Endless Summer. Although you can expect more of a crowd in the lineup today than the Endless Summer boys encountered in 1966, the town itself is a throwback to the golden days of surfing, according to Charlie Young, the director of the Raglan Surfing School. “The old vibe still exists here,” he says. “People still look out for each other.”

Lower pressure systems generated in the Roaring Forties (an area between 40° and 49° south latitude that produces some of the strongest and most consistent swells in the world) sends waves to setups that include the beginner- to intermediate-friendly Ngarunui Beach and the more advanced but absolutely classic Manu Bay. When you aren’t in the water, Young recommends checking the avant-garde music and art scene, Maori crafts stores, and locally sourced restaurants and markets.

Bukit Peninsula, Bali

If you want to rub shoulders with the best surfers in the world while surfing some of the best waves in the world, head to Bali. Unlike its more touristy cousin, Kuta Beach, the Bukit Peninsula is a rural outpost of limestone cliffs, pristine beaches, fearsome reef breaks, and hilltop temples where Indonesian culture still dominates. Beginner and intermediate surfers should stick to beach breaks such as Dreamland. More experienced surfers need to take a crack at two of the most famous waves in the world—Uluwatu and Padang Padang. For Padang Padang, be sure to bring plenty of antiseptic for the occasional run-in with the reef.

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