Three Epic Adventures for Kids

Parents want to give their kids the world, and, with increasing globalization, many are now taking that literally. “More and more families are traveling with children at ever-younger ages,” says Memphis-based Virtuoso travel advisor Samantha Ripper, “in order to immerse them in new cultures.” Here are three tours that will beguile – and broaden – young minds.

Buddying Up in Zimbabwe

Wilderness Safaris recently expanded its popular Bush Buddies program, which pairs children with a dedicated mentor, for safaris in Africa’s Zambezi region, including Zimbabwe’s newly remodeled Chikwenya Camp. Set within a private concession bordering Mana Pools National Park and overlooking a floodplain favored by mega mammals, the camp now features two family units among its seven luxury tents.

Kids Will Love: The array of exciting activities, tailor-made to their interests – learning animal calls, frogging on nighttime safaris, and painting with natural dyes, to name a few.

You’ll Love: Adult time for a mindful walk in the woods or a soak in the spa bath, and knowing your stay sup- ports education for local children.

Kidding around on an African safari. [Photo: Mickey Hoyle] / Featured image: Exploring at Yellowstone National Park. [Photo: Cavan Images/Getty Images]

Cubs in Cowboy Country

Tauck teamed up with filmmaker Ken Burns for an eight-day Wild West adventure that has families blazing trails to Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, and touring South Dakota’s Black Hills and a working ranch in Wyoming.

Kids Will Love: Riding horses at the ranch, roasting s’mores around campfires, and spotting wildlife on a float down the Snake River.

You’ll Love: Snapping photos of weathered 1890s homesteads in Grand Teton’s Mormon Row Historic District and spying Yellowstone’s most famous geyser while staying at the iconic Old Faithful Inn.

Junior-Designed India

Seeing the world through children’s eyes is easier when they’re the ones planning the trip. Enter the Kids Kouncil, Big Five Tours & Expeditions’ new junior think tank, which helps design the company’s family-focused tours. Big Five president Ashish Sanghrajka calls the new Kouncil-approved 12-day India trip “one of the coolest programs we’ve ever created.”

Kids Will Love: Learning about tiger conservation in Panna National Park, making puppets in a Jaipur workshop, and interacting with rescued elephants near Agra.

You’ll Love: Touring New Delhi on Segways, seeing the sun set behind the Taj Mahal, and watching your kids interact with local villagers in Panna.