Getting the Entire Family Ready and Excited for A Cultural Vacation

A lot of family vacations are spent laying on the beach, around the pool, or attending tourist parks. For your next family vacation consider doing something a little out of the ordinary, and exploring the cultural side of somewhere new. Whether you decide to stay within the borders or travel to a foreign country, there is a lot more out there than just beachside resorts and pools.

Pick a Destination

This can be one of the most fun yet most difficult parts about doing a cultural vacation. First you’ll need to consider the time of year and what climate you’d ideally like to be in. Tropical climates start to warm up this time of year, so can be great to explore the mountainous regions of Central and the Mid-Americas. If you are more into dry climates, the central regions of Mexico are incredibly pleasant through the spring into summer months. Anywhere in the states, you will need to check recent weather patterns. If you are having a hard time limiting your choices, go to Office Depot and buy a regional map. Sometimes visualizing it can help you to see what you like to explore or avoid. Then take red and green permanent markers and make a list of potential places. Little by little you can narrow it down.

Choose Some Attractions

Once you’ve chosen a destination, you’ll need to decide what tours you’ll take and attractions to see. Just about anywhere you’ll go will have ancient ruins of civilizations that have long been gone. However, the ruins are preserved magnificently since they were so carefully crafted. If you find yourself in the deep jungle, you can do an animal and bird watching tour. Try to count how many different types of local wildlife you see; it will sure blow away the animals in your neighborhood!

 

Eat Like a Local

An enormous part of experiencing the local culture is through the food. Many of the dishes have been passed down from generation to generation, often from very poor families. In these types of cultures you can find some of the strangest sounding meals that turn out to be delicious. Whatever you do, don’t be scared and have an open mind; at the very least you can say “I tried it and I did not like it!”