Virtuoso Life - March/April 2009 - (Page 57) you that the younger the traveler, the slower the pace. I’ve learned, through trial and error, that my child can’t keep up with my travel MO, which is to pack in activities from dawn till dusk. He needs a significant amount of downtime. Regardless of the travel tempo, the wonder of seeing new sights, eating unusual food, and attempting a foreign language expands a child’s understanding of the world. For the youngest, travel is a stimulating way to sate short attention spans; for older children, it is a direct route to engaging and expanding their interests. These trips and tips span the ages and stages of childhood, offering enriching experiences while strengthening family bonds. An all-inclusive, luxurious respite from our mad mad mad world. TODDLERS Fascinated by things that go, such as planes and trains, a new walker can be the family rebel, toddling off in unexpected directions. C Tips: Take night flights. Small children are better airplane sleepers than adults and more apt to sleep during regular bedtimes. Export the familiar. The place might be foreign, but a set of favorite blocks or books provides reassuring comfort. Stay put once you’ve arrived. The hassles of packing and unpacking exhaust everyone. Trip: A European villa holiday from Abercrombie & Kent offers room to spread out, ensuring privacy and rest for parents while offering kids places to play. A concierge will stock your fridge with starter necessities, arrange maid service, and coordinate local activities – everything from Italian lessons for the crowd to winery visits for the parents. Villas range from a sixteenth-century Catalan manor house on Spain’s Costa Dorada with a pool, home cinema, and playroom to a Tuscan estate with an outdoor wood-burning pizza oven, pool, and tennis court. Abercrombie & Kent will point you to the most child friendly of its 70-plus villas, including those with gated pools and no sharp terrain drops; the owners of these properties are often themselves parents with young children. You can even request high chairs and cribs. Weekly rentals from $11,200. M Y CM MY CY CMY K A peaceable kingdom awaits on safari Ask your Virtuoso Travel Advisor Voted World’s Best Tour Operator & Safari Outfitter 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 & 2008 MARCH | APRIL 2009 57
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