SPRING Camp out on a Thai lake, support pandas in China and trek Morocco
THAILAND
KAYAK THROUGH KHAO SOK’S JUNGLE Sideswipe Southern Thailand’s ubiquitous beaches and opt for a lakeside escape for your gang instead. Surrounded by an ancient rainforest that pre-dates even that of the Amazon, the emerald waters of Cheow Lan Lake in Khao Sok National Park offer truly unforgettable sights. The area brims with wildlife – from sun bears and clouded leopards to monkeys, tigers, tapirs, elephants and tropical birds. Kayaking is the best way to get up close to its iconic giant limestone karsts that jut up from below. As you paddle across the calm waters, kids will go nuts to see cheeky monkeys dangling from trees at the water’s edge and birds swooping in to feed on freshwater fish, or the buffalo and boar which arrive to drink or bathe come sunset. Stay overnight on a traditional rafthouse – a floating tented camp – for a unique experience in itself. Elephant Hills’ ones are particularly good. You can also interact with, feed and scrub down the continent’s largest mammal, the Asian elephant.
THE DETAIL Stay at Elephant Hills elephanthills.com from £958 per night for a family of four, including elephant experience and kayaking.
CHINA
MEET THE PANDAS OF CHENGDU
For animal-obsessed children, there’s little more thrilling than getting up close to those creatures typically reserved for the big screen via the likes of DreamWorks and Disney. A trip to China’s Sichuan Province, the so-called ‘Panda Capital of the World’, provides kids with all the face-time with Po and his cuddly pals they could ask for. The 1970s and 80s saw huge swathes of the panda’s habitat destroyed. In response, Chengdu Zoo launched a breeding programme to save it from extinction.
This became the Chengdu Research Base. Starting with six adults, within 20 years, 136 baby pandas had been born there. That number is now closer to 200. Rest assured, this is no zoo: 96 per cent of its 37ha is green vegetation, bamboo forest and lakes. Nearby hotel The Temple House is modern and luxurious, and offers fun glamping experiences and kids’ cooking classes.
THE DETAIL Stay at The Temple House thetemplehousehotel.com from £195 per night for a family of four. Entry to Chengdu Research Base from £6.30 for adults; £3.10 for children. panda.org.cn
MOROCCO
CHANNEL YOUR INNER BEDOUIN
Sleeping in the desert beneath the Moroccan night sky is one of those experiences that stays with kids for a lifetime. Many trips start in bustling Marrakech – an adventure in itself – but on its doorstep is the real reason for going: an authentic desert camp. Taking in the Atlas Mountains, it’s trips to the Agafay Desert (or further afield, the isolated Jebel Zireg reached via Ouarzazate) that truly inspire. These nomadic lands of low desert hills, dry river beds and small oases guarantee sweeping parnoramas and a feeling of truly getting away from it all. Travelling in spring ensures you swerve the epic desert heat (up to 45C) seen from June on, so make like the Bedouin have for centuries and trek across the red sand by camel, before settling for a night of storytelling and a traditional dinner cooked over a pit fire at a luxe camp. Sharing tales beneath a glistening sky is a great way to bring the family together. The next day, it’s adventure all the way, with enough to entertain both young kids and teens. Think sandboarding, whizzing across the dunes on Polaris buggies (a kid-friendly alternative to quad bikes) mountain biking and hiking. It’s going to get them off the iPad, that’s for sure.
THE DETAIL Epic Morocco offers bespoke adventures in the desert from £800pp for six nights. epic.travel