Everyone has a bucket list - things they would like to do/achieve/see in their life. I have no statistics backing this up but I bet most people have some form of travel on their lifetime must-do list. Ive knocked a few off mine - Venice, Rome, a luxury all-inclusive . Sadly I have a longer list including seeing the northern lights (yes I missed them in the UK!), a luxury cruise, staying somewhere with white sandy beaches and palm trees and in one of those hotels which has cabins on stilts over water. I'd also like to tick off some more city breaks - Dubrovnik, Istanbul and Paris.
A friend of mine is currently in Iceland with her fiancé and children ticking a big bucket list destination off for the whole family. If you fancy making some dreams come true with (or without) your children, here's a few ideas to get you dreaming.
(Disclaimer: Info sent to me by a PR but I received no incentive to share - just thought it was interesting.)
Fodele Beach
Splash lovers and families who are always up for aquatic adventures need to know about
Fodele Beach, a versatile all-inclusive resort catering to families with school-aged children and active teens. Extensively renovated in recent years, with a new pool and terrace area, and excellent value Sea Front Rooms and Suites, the resort offers good-value stay packages to travellers seeking a cooling holiday with a dash of adrenaline.
Fodele’s Waterpark is world-renowned, housing including a number of thrilling body, rafting and freefalling slide, some of which parents can go on together with their children. At the beach, plenty of watersports from jet skis and water ski, to SUP and paddleboards, and canoes and banana rides are available for you to try, in addition to land sports, ball games and dancing classes in the resort.
Wake up to a delightful breakfast spread at Basilikos, and explore Fodele’s food scene throughout the day, ranging from finger foods at the beach club, delicious buffets (with kid’s area!) to fine dining by the beach.
Family rooms from £274/night on all inclusive, book at fodelebeach.gr.
Wyndham Grand Crete Mirabello
With impeccable service and excellent dining,
Wyndham Mirabello has everything you need to plan a trip that will please everyone in the family, including little ones! The resort’s newly-opened waterpark caters to children of all ages, with thoughtfully designed pool areas that are decorated with splashing structures, slides, and floaties, all being easily accessible from each other. There’s also designated shallower pools for toddlers to help them cool off.
Wyndham Grand Crete is also a full house of entertainment for parents and children alike, including fun cosmetics-making workshop at Bioaroma for special souvenirs to take back home alongside winetasting inside a natural cave (which serves equally fancy mocktails for children). Couples can sneak in a spontaneous date night in one of the resort’s thematic restaurants – sophisticated Italian dining with al fresco seating at Elia, or the warm and rustic tavern-feel Kafenion. Sit out at the chilled Shisha Patio after dinner to enjoy calming sea breeze before going for a late-night swim in your private pool.
Half board for rooms from £182/night, suites from £359/night and villas from £779/night, available at the best rates at the hotel’s website.
Kandima Maldives
While the Maldives might not be the first place that springs to mind when planning a family holiday,
Kandima is high up on our list for families seeking to plan a special trip with once-in-a-lifetime experiences that are bound to become childhood highlights for years to come. A perfect option to celebrate major milestones and graduations with your little one.
Set on a 3-km island, with 10+ dining outlets and bars, beach parties and DJ nights, and a smorgasboard of watersports, dolphin and turtle quest, sunset cruise and snorkelling spots for the whole family to explore, the resort is an adventure island in every sense that you can call home. The secret is that you can bag a weekly stay in the Indian Oceans at much more affordable prices in the summer, compared to other times of the year.
Multiple summer-exclusive booking deals are currently on offer at the hotel's website which offers dramatically reduced prices of up to 60% off, gifted experience and eat-and-stay free perks for kids. Snatch them while they last!