If your children, like ours, are already budding eco-warriors, look no further than Ibiza for a holiday with an eco-conscience. We’ve teamed up with a brilliant local foundation to offer our clients the opportunity to clean up the ocean themselves whilst discovering local coves, the neighbouring islands of Tagomago and Formentera, dolphin-spotting and all on an emission-free, solar-powered catamaran! The villas we represent in Ibiza are superb, as are the hosts that look after them; and can be fully hosted for the week with chef & housekeeper or you can choose to have a guest chef in on a few nights. On other days, take a guided walk along Ibiza’s beautiful coastline and we’ll provide a locally-sourced, fresh picnic to keep those energy levels where they need to be! We love Ibiza during the May & October half-terms, but the summer months are also sublime.
For footie-mad girls & boys, a week at Rocco Forte’s Verdura resort in Sicily will see them training every morning with Juventus players. Having tried & tested this resort in May half-term a few years ago, we know that it works; the interconnecting rooms provide enough space & privacy for all, complimentary bikes of all sizes make for fun journeys to breakfast each morning, there are golf clinics for the little ones & tennis lessons for those who want to hit some balls, and enough variety of restaurants to keep you brilliantly fed. For Chelsea fans, Forte Village in Sardinia runs training academies for 4-14 year olds through May half-term and the summer months. Ask us which hotel in this resort would suit you best as there are seven to choose from. We love the private villas as you have the benefits of the resort and the privacy of your own pool, garden & home-from-home.
There can’t be many better places in the world to learn to ride than Montana; nor are there more authentic places to stay than on a working cattle ranch. After a few private lessons in the riding arena, venture out on a guided horseback ride through Yellowstone National Park seeking out their big five - elk, grizzlies, black bears, bison, and wolves. When you fancy a day off the saddle, try your hand at fly-fishing for trout in some of Montana’s Blue Ribbon rivers - the Gallatin, Yellowstone & Madison. The quiet stretches of these rivers are also ideal for family canoe trips, or rafting further downstream on the white waters. Sundowners, toasted marshmallows, and a roaring campfire will bring your evenings to a close.
To experience one of the world’s finest outdoor playgrounds, consider a week on Hawaii’s second-largest island, Maui. Learn to surf, paddle an outrigger, swim in the island’s seven sacred pools (& waterfalls), snorkel, dive, join the ‘Morning Ocean swim clinic’ if you’re an early-riser! We’re excited about the brand-spanking new Auberge Maui Lani; their 2 bedroom beachfront bungalows with private pools are hard to beat for families. The keiki-only explorers club is an outdoor base camp designed like a rustic tropical hideaway with tree swings, hammocks and a big sandbox for shell hunting. Young kids will spend their days involved in sandcastle-building contests, beach bonfire storytelling and s’mores. For older children, there are fabulous mountain bike tracks, hikes, kayaking, and beach yoga & cross-training for the fitness fanatics. We’d recommend spending a few nights in Vancouver on the way out (a direct, 9-hour flight from London) and San Francisco on your way home.
And a final, festive point…if you missed this week's top pick of Christmas presents for wanderlusters, consider these new travel cosmetic cases from NotAnotherBill; a stylish way to glide through airport security and a brilliant alternative to plastic. With leather edging and matching personalisation patch accompanied by a contrasting coloured zip tape, the black & navy is My Native's favourite. For a 10% discount, use NATIVE10 at checkout.