Fire and Ice – Family Holidays From Alaska to the Sahara
My mom always told me I should pay attention. She always complained about my lack of focus and my abundance of energy. I’ve recently come to the conclusion that she may have been right. Feeling in need of a vacation recently, I looked at a few adventure trips for the family.
Alaska seemed a great place to start. Wilderness, scenic views, polar bears, hours of daylight, if you book it at the right time of course. Unfortunately an error occurred in the reservation process and I booked a trip to Barrow. Not that there’s anything wrong with Barrow. If you love desolation then it’s definitely for you. Arctic conditions, a polar climate and the lowest average temperatures in the whole of Alaska. It even freezes permanently from October to the end of May. What’s worse, don’t even think about drowning your sorrows. The sale of alcohol is illegal in Barrow so it is a completely bar free zone. Apparently, the movie 30 Days of Night was filmed on location there but even the allure of tracing the frozen footsteps of Josh Hartnett wasn’t enough. I realized my mistake and quietly called it off.
Staying on the freezing theme, not so long ago I found myself stranded in Chicago for a whole weekend. The ‘plane screeched to a halt in the midst of freak blizzard conditions. Seven – yes, seven – hours later, I emerged from the airport. Three hours later after tramping snowbound streets in freezing despair, a kindly hotel concierge found something resembling a broom cupboard for me to sleep in. Three days later the world defrosted and I made a hasty exit, never to return!
So next summer it has to be somewhere warm and preferably exotic for the whole family.
Taking it from the sublime to the ridiculous here, let’s look at the Sahara desert. It sounds extreme but this adventure is right out of the Tales of Arabian Nights. The kids will love you for it. Take a camel trek and camp out in the Sahara desert with the Bedouins. Dress the part and wear a shesh. It’s the bit of cloth that you wrap around your head to protect yourself from the sun in case you were wondering. It might also be useful to wrap it around your mouth to prevent you from eating sand which is never a good look.
If you prefer something a bit closer to civilization enjoy the shopping and bustle of the markets of Marrakech with its endless alleyways and markets. Feeling grimy after all that sand? Find a hamman and experience a proper Moroccan bath, you’ll never feel as clean again. Great for those of you with teenagers who find the whole concept of ‘bath’ quite alien.
If the desert’s slightly staid for your kids I do understand. Too hot, too boring, too much sand (and too many baths!) Try China, the Land of the Dragon. Visit Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City and wear them out walking along the Great Wall of China. Do they fancy themselves as kung-fu experts after hours of Jackie Chan movies? Take them to the Shaolin Temple to watch a mind boggling demonstration of kung-fu how it should be. To really keep them quiet, don’t miss the Terracotta Army. These famous warriors have been guarding the tomb of Emperor Quin Shi Huang for 22 centuries although it was only discovered in 1974. And of course, no trip to China would be complete without seeing the famous Pandas.
Family vacations are a great way of sharing experiences and exhausting the children. And you know what to do if they complain – remind them that you can always rebook that Barrow trip for next year.
Jessie is an avid traveller with a passion for sharing her experiences and views online
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