If it’s your first time taking your family to India, consider a 10-day tour of the Golden Triangle of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur with a few nights on the beaches of Goa. For budding wildlife enthusiasts, and to break up the intense days of sightseeing, two nights in Ranthambore National Park makes a lot of sense, particularly since the tiger population in the park has risen over recent years. For many years, Goa has almost exclusively been a package-holiday destination. More recently, a number of unique boutique properties offering a more authentic experience, sublime service levels and wonderful cuisine have put the destination back on the map; ask us about the newly-opened, heritage Postcard Hotels…we simply love the local experiences they are offering.
For families preferring a shorter flight, Amman in Jordan is a 5-hour flight from London with average October temperatures of 27 degrees. Float on the Dead Sea, walk along the streets of the Roman Decapolis in Jerash, star-gaze from a Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum, even learn how to make baba ghanoush in Amman's finest cookery school. All this before you've even arrived in Petra! As this is the third most water-scarce country in the world, our superb guides will be sure to drop the topic of sustainability into the conversation. We’d recommend a minimum age of 7 years old for this trip as the drives are long, and the walk to the Treasury in Petra will be challenging for very young children.
You’ll need to be smart about venturing to South-East Asia in October as many places will require an umbrella & mac. This said, it is one of the best months to visit Borneo, for an exciting fortnight of beaches, pristine rainforests & wildlife. Equally, October is one of the finest months to visit northern & southern Vietnam; providing you avoid central Vietnam. Start in the northern mountainous region of Sapa & the French-colonial city of Hanoi, and finish-up in Saigon, which in late October should be dry & warm, with relatively low humidity levels. For beach-time, stick to Mui Ne or the unspoilt islands of Phu Quoc.
If two weeks on the beach is too much for your family, consider flying with Oman Air to the Maldives stopping off for a few nights in Muscat & a desert camp enroute. After a 4-hour flight to Malé, Como Maalifushi is then a spectacular 60-minute seaplane flight away. For a truly remote setting with a wondrous house reef and uninterrupted horizons, you couldn’t ask for better. The activities on offer are equally as impressive; daily yoga, kayaking, paddle-boarding, night-snorkelling, and splash-net dolphin-spotting cruises (where you sit in the net of a dhoni and get dragged through the ocean). Their ‘Family Getaway’ offer for October half-term includes complimentary half board upgrade for adults, and complimentary full board upgrade and return seaplane transfers for two children under 12.
And finally, to ensure Dad looks stylish on his family holidays next year, consider Mangata London - a brilliant, British company offering sustainable men's swimwear made with the environment in mind. The brand uses a super soft, super quick dry fabric made from recycled plastic bottles, sourced from all places where plastic shouldn't be, the ocean, beaches and landfill. Stylish and sustainable - be part of the solution not the pollution. To receive 10% off your purchases, use discount code MYNATIVE10 when checking-out. Your hardest decision will be which stylish design to choose...
