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Family Travel for Curious Minds |
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Careful Planning Reduces Risk of Unpleasant Family Travel Experiences
What does this mean for families? Generations Touring Company® promotes intergenerational bonding through exciting small-group travel experiences designed to enrich and entertain. Co-founders Tom and Margaret Easthope have over 25 years combined experience in leisure travel, creating GTC out of a desire to help families connect with each other through the experience of travel. ### Costa Rica: Pura Vida Family Style
As we processed ourselves through customs I was reminded about how unstructured different countries are about traveling with minors. Generations Touring Company’s policy is to have parents not traveling with a minor child fill out a notarized letter giving the traveling adult specific permission to take their child out of the country. Exiting from the customs area in a foreign country can be an overwhelming experience. Typically, one is greeted by a crowd of taxi drivers, transfer companies and other would be entrepreneurs that all want to whisk you off. It was comforting to see our names and the Generations Touring Company logo held by a nice young man who impressed us with his warmth and willingness to help us with our bags. We checked into our hotel for the next couple days, the Bougainvillea. Located on the outskirts of San Jose, the Bougainvillea is close enough to downtown San Jose (a $7US taxi each way) but also it was situated on a larger piece of land with amazing gardens. It didn’t take long for the kids to find the pool and make all their age appropriate introductions. The GTC Sage, Ben, a Spanish teacher from Portland, OR was already busy getting to know each one the kids. At our welcome dinner, our country guide, Karla, introduced herself to the group and outlined some of the adventures planned for the next couple days. With great ease, she made her way around the table and spoke with each adult asking open ended questions and getting a feel for her group. The kids meanwhile had banded at the other end of the table with Ben. It wasn’t long before Karla and Ben were working together like they had been at it for years. Our group consisted of three grandmothers, a step grand-father, two parents, five kids and a travel writer from New York City. Some had traveled as a family before, others had not and this was the first international trip for several kids. Nevertheless I continue to be amazed at kids’ ability to make friends so quickly. Day Two Next we were off to learn about bio-diversity at IMBioparque. This non-profit organization has taken on the task of classifying and categorizing the different species of flora and fauna in Costa Rica. In the center we see a short video that succinctly explains why Costa Rica’s environment is so diverse. Afterward, we are toured around the grounds to see how the field scientists study the samples brought back to the center. We also see examples of plants and animals native to the region. Day Three Our hotel in Tortuguero, the Tortuga Lodge, is a classic property with large well ventilated, rooms, a main dining area with a large covered porch and the all important pool. The adults spread out, some choose to take a well deserved nap, others took a guide book and enjoyed an afternoon refreshment on the porch. We could tell from the “Marco Polo” calls at the pool that the kids had quickly made themselves at home. Dinner that night was served family style and everyone loved it. Karla explained to us that one of the highlights of a summer visit to Tortuguero was the chance to see the nesting activity of the Atlantic Sea Turtle. These great creatures out at sea for twenty years come back to make a nest within 15 feet of where they were hatched. Access to the nesting beach is controlled by park rangers. Visitors have to put their names in a lottery system in the hopes of being assigned one of two blocks to be on the beach. Our group was to go tonight at 8pm. Two grandmothers opted out due not sure of their ability to navigate the beach at night. Their grandchildren on the other hand, were eager to stay with the group. Karla instructed us wear dark clothes, not bring any jewelry, flashlights or cameras. At 8pm we met our “Turtle Guide” for the evening and headed out to the beach. Walking in single file our guide would identify pieces of driftwood or rocks with a small pen light. Suddenly the guide would stop and as we all looked up we saw an enormous turtle measuring 5 feet long and three feet high scurrying back to disappear in the surf of the ocean. Everyone stood in awe. This was not an animal in captivity or in a zoo, this was real and everyone seemed to understand how special it was. We were to see five or six more turtles this evening – each encounter as exciting as the first. Day Four Day Five After lunch we went on a leisurely walk through a park of hanging bridges. On the walk Karla talked about the tree canopy and we were treated to the sights and sounds of toucans, howler and spider monkeys among others. It had been a full day at that point and everyone was happy to get some rest at our hotel, the Montana de Fuego. The kids immediately found the pool and adults relaxed. Later that evening we went to a family operated hot springs, Ecotermales, for a nice soak by thermally heated water that flowed through a cascade of four pools. Everyone enjoyed the clean, warm water that flowed naturally from a spring located on the property. While we were soaking the Hidalgo Family was busy cooking and had a delicious buffet ready for us as we emerged from the pools. The ride home that night was magical as we watched red rocks break up and roll down the side of Arenal. Day Six On the other side of the lake, we stopped at a small store with some unique larger than life figurinesxsoon our caravan of Jeeps (otherwise known as SUV’s) arrived and we were off to Monteverde using the less traveled backroads. The ride was bumpy and we drove through a couple short showers, followed by sun filled skies – all set in some of the most beautiful vistas. Soon we entered the hill town of St. Elena. St. Elena is the primary commercial area of Monteverde which was settled by American Quakers in the 1950’s. The Quakers are opposed to violence and were drawn to Costa Rica when the country abolished its military. Although Monteverde has become a popular destination within Costa Rica, the community there has resisted the traditional pressures to develop the area into a commercial tourist destination. The result is a destination with integrity, purpose and natural wonders. We settled in at the Monteverde Lodge and enjoyed a great meal served family style. Joining us for dinner was a local biologist who shared some the findings of his research on the impact of global warming on various frog populations in the nearby cloud forests. The kids were interested for awhile and eventually went to hang out by the pool with Ben but the adults really enjoyed the intimacy of the visit and the opportunity to ask in depth questions. Soon it was later than we realized and everyone went to get some rest. Day Seven Next we went on a short hike through the Cloud Forest Park. We were told that this is a great area to see one of Costa Rica’s more famous birds, the Quetzal. However, their primary food source was out of season and we weren’t able to see any this afternoon. On the way back from the hike we stopped off at the Cheese Factory, still run by the Quaker community. Everyone took advantage of the opportunity to have a small ice-cream. My wife claims it was the best ice cream she has ever had. Day Eight Soon Ramon was ready for us to board our coach and head back to San Jose. On the way back we passed through several small villages as we descended from Monteverde. Karla explained to us that Costa Ricans considered an area a village if there was a church, bar, and a tienda (small store). Everyone paid closer attention as we wound our way back to San Jose – looking for the missing church or tienda as we drove through the different communities. At last we made it to the main highway to San Jose. Everyone was happy to see paved roads again but the traffic was awful. The main highway to San Jose was a two lane road that only moved as fast as the slowest truck. The group started show a little fatigue from the trip with people chatting quietly, taking naps or just looking inquisitively out the window. As we approached San Jose, Karla asked everyone if she could make a quick stop before we returned for our farewell dinner. The coach pulled into a small residential area – soon Karla had hopped out beckoning everyone to follow. Before you know we were being introduced to her husband and two girls. She toured our kids around and showed them how her home was setup. What a hospitable and friendly way to end our trip. That evening we enjoyed a festive meal and were entertained by a short awards program sponsored by Ben and the children. Everyone received awards for courage, athletic ability, insightful ideas or humor. The group also recognized Ben, Karla and Ramon for making it all happen. The was lots of happiness all around. Day Nine In the last several years travel industry survey firms have increasingly noted the growing popularity of families traveling together. The Travel Industry Association (TIA) reported family travel represents 74% of all travel in the United States. This phenomenon has been noted by one respected research firm as "Togethering" (YPB&R August poll) and supported by the fact that "80% of the active leisure travelers took at least one vacation in the last five years with extended families'." While there is much written about this trend there is little discussion about the underlying influences behind the family travel phenomena. Undoubtedly the tragic loss of life so close to home on 9/11 increased Americans sensitivity about our loved ones. While the "hug your child" response is a strong emotional motivation to travel together, there are other more permanent factors contributing to this larger trend. We see a combination of the following: 1. Families are Important - 9/11 certainly gave most families a reason to look inward and reassess these important relationships. What people see are families facing new challenges brought about by geographic separation, lifes increasing complexity, evolving social values, and the increasingly programmed life of their children. Families literally need to "get away in order to get together". Lost in the hustle and bustle of our modern life is the time for nurturing, simple discussions about family stories, and making connections between generations. Increasingly family elders live in a different city or state. While many children are growing up in a complex world that has always included computers, television and fast food, they are often are ignorant about the "lessons learned" or accumulated wisdom their family experience has to offer. 2. Increasing Global Interdependence Daily we are presented with multiple instances where world events and cultures around the world are now impacting our lives here in the US. Advances in technology and communication are making our world smaller and more complex by the day. The world is becoming a global marketplace where companies are trading and drawing from resources around the globe. Politically, the United States spends billions of dollars in foreign aid yet we as Americans are the object of much ire and ill will.It is important for our next generation to learn about other cultures and perspectives in the world. Our children must become more sophisticated to understand how cultural attitudes, opinions and biases will shape their future. Travel and cultural exchange are very obvious responses to the pressures brought about by the globalization in our lives. 3. Unspoken Needs of Family Elders A timeless influence is the need for family elders to be involved with and understood by their youngest generations. Family elders are entering that phase of their lives where they become more concerned with their childrens future. Lastly, they fear the possibility of losing the opportunity to share family traditions, legends and the chance to contribute to upbringing of their descendants. Visiting a child or grandchild is often less satisfying as finding quality time in a host familys schedule becomes a chore and not the relaxed, enjoyable interaction everyone desires. Sociologists claim that the availability of free or leisure time is only going to become more precious as our society continues to evolve. If true, the stresses on family institutions will continue to be a challenge. The best antidote is a well thought out family travel experience that adds value and gives families the precious time they need to reconnect. Consumer Tips in Choosing Intergenerational Travel Noting the resurgence of families wanting to find new ways to connect with each other, we created Generations Touring Company to deliver a special travel experience to that market niche. Every family has a "golden age" where the elders have the resources, time and need to connect. Children are old enough to appreciate the experience and able travel without excess support. Traveling together provides the unique opportunity to separate from the hectic daily routine and form a more meaningful bond. Sharing adventures together often result in "Remember when?" moments that last a lifetime.In choosing a family travel experience, people are increasingly looking for companies that add extra value to their experience. Extra value can be defined as providing insight, assistance, activities that are either difficult or too time consuming to organize. When evaluating different travel options, here are several factors to consider: 1. Choice Does the opportunity provide enough choice for you to find the experience that best matches your interests and abilities? You should be able to choose of level of activity, geographic destination and type of traveling companions. For family tours this could mean grouping opportunities by age ranges of children which allow kids to more easily form bonds with each other. 2. Fun Many kids work very hard during the school year. A successful family travel experience should some genuine fun activities. Have your child look at brochures and web sites to see if they are excited by the itinerary. Do they believe they are going on a trip for kids or an adult tour that has other kids on it? 3. Experiences That Teach Learning new things is important and a major value for adult travelers. Is there a program or plan integrated into the itinerary? How is it communicated? 4. Responsible Tourism Does the tour practice a responsible tourism philosophy? Are the natural and cultural environments you visit treated with respect? 5. Family Orientation Will your family travel experience allow you time to bond as family? Is there a plan to provide bonding opportunities for families or different generations or is it left up to you to squeeze them in? 6. Value What is included in the package or tour? Are there hidden costs such as escort and driver gratuities or "optional" admissions? Are discounts available? 7. Financial Security How is your money handled? Are your prepayments put in a trust or escrow account? Does the company belong to a tour protection insurance plan? If so, what percentage of your payments are covered? Today many companies are jumping on the family travel bandwagon. Unfortunately this creates additional confusion for those trying to determine the best match for their family. As the travel industry continues to evolve, niche companies like Generations Touring Company will emerge to address and specialize in family travel. You would be well served to investigate this new breed of specialists |
Careful Planning Reduces Risk of Unpleasant Family... |
