How do you organise a long-distance tour with children?

Adventurous families sometimes want to travel further than France, Spain or Italy with their children. What would you say, for instance, to a tour of Vietnam lasting about two weeks? For this family of five, we made their first long-distance trip a reality!

The challenges

If you are planning a tour with children, it is best to carefully choose the regions you want to see. Limited travel time is important to avoid tired and whining children, so smooth transport is essential. It is also important to find a good balance during your tour between sightseeing, child-friendly activities and plenty of rest.

The parents thought it was important for their children to come into contact with the local people so that they could experience the cultural differences. Add to that a fun mix of authentic hotels, with a swimming pool here and there for the kids and a few boutique hotels and you have the outline for an adventurous, varied family trip to Vietnam!

A list of the challenges:

• Smooth transport
• Balance between sightseeing, child-friendly activities and rest
• Meetings with locals
• Mix of authentic hotels, with a swimming pool here and there, and boutique hotels

To work!

It is not easy to organise a smooth transport schedule. Fortunately, we were able to lend a hand here, too. This family left by train from Belgium to Paris, so that they could take a direct flight from there to Hanoi in Vietnam. The flights that they took in Vietnam never lasted longer than an hour and 20 minutes. Various chauffeurs were arranged per region to provide smooth transport over land.

✔ Smooth transport

The trip could not be too exhausting for the children. We had to look for the right balance between sightseeing, child-friendly activities and rest. That is why we opted for the family to mainly travel around and explore the sights in the first week. Among other things, we organised a street food tour with local dishes, a cycle ride through the Old Quarter of Hanoi, a visit to the Temple of Literature and a walk through the bamboo forest.

The family stayed in a boutique hotel on the beach in the second week, when the focus was on rest.

✔ Balance between sightseeing, child-friendly activities and rest

As we work with local organisations, it was easy for us to arrange meetings with local people. The family got to know the Hmong, a local Vietnamese ethnic group. There were also a few lunches at local homes, so that they could try the local specialities in a traditional setting.

✔ Meetings with locals

In terms of hotels, this was a very varied trip. They spent a night on the Fanxipan train, in an ecolodge, on a boat and in various boutique hotels: a superb trip with unique variety.

✔ Mix of authentic hotels, with a swimming pool here and there, and boutique hotels

And what did the client think?

“We have been a client with De Buck for 15 years now, and this trip was once again organised down to the last detail. They found the perfect balance between fun activities, cultural visits and plenty of rest. The entire tour was simply amazing, a trip to remember.”