I wouldn’t take my kids there! Safe travels with the kids

For several years when our girls were young, it felt like the response to any planned holiday was ‘I wouldn’t take my kids there’. We heard it about Egypt, Türkiye, Mexico, Morocco and India. It almost felt that the only places that were ‘approved’ for safe travels with the kids were in Europe!

When we wanted to take the girls away, we both had to run it past their respective ‘other parent’ so we always had to justify the location in our minds long before booking. Everywhere we went was always thoroughly researched to make sure that it would be fine for both girls. With that being said, I don’t think there are many destinations in the world that wouldn’t have been safe for us to visit with them. As parents it is our job to make sure that they are safe and when holidaying with kids you’re aware (or at least should be) that you’ll be spending all of the time with them – that’s the point!

Having grown up mainly just outside Leicester city centre the girls always had plenty of awareness and common sense. Your surroundings play so much more of a part in this than anything you could ever be taught or told!

From an early age potential quirks of a destination became something that we’d talk about prior to even thinking about booking. The girls always gave feedback as to whether they’d be comfortable and were happy to explore the destination further. This, of course, continues while actually away – ‘do you want to do this trip because it means…?’ Keeping on top of any potential issues (which could even be as simple as a hot trip in a car with patchy air con) helps to ensure a fun and safe time all round.

There seems to be a growing move towards travel companies advising against travelling outside the resort unless on an official tour. This is, in my opinion and our experience, just a way of trying to sell trips that they make commission on. I feel this actively discourages investment in the local population in order to make money for a multinational company. I am tempted to exclude trip aggregating platforms like Viator from this statement. While they make a commission on bookings, these are typically carried out by locals, and having confirmations that are easily shared with loved ones at home can provide an extra safety net to make sure people know where you are supposed to be and who with while out and about.

We have never stayed on resort with the kids (aside from a lazy morning or afternoon chilling by the pool) – if a destination is only safe to be behind the gates of a resort then it’s not the sort of place I’d be interested in visiting! With that said – safety always should be considered, especially in a different country, with a different language and customs. We always considered country specific advice from the Foreign Office, destination specific advice from a variety of sources, as well as any learned experience from similar destinations that we, or our friends/family have visited. Tripadvisor reviews are usually a handy way of getting the feel of a place – although it’s often important to take the worst, and best, with a pinch of salt. I always feel like people are more likely to complain than go out of their way to praise and always try to remember this when researching on public forums (I do it myself – will always leave a review of a bad experience but will very rarely of a good experience…not for any reason, I just think it’s human nature).

We have always been fully covered by travel insurance for every trip we have taken, and most activities too. It is important to check what you are covered for before setting off on a trip - most policies don't cover you while quad biking for example. Travel insurance covers more than just accidents/injuries while abroad, the right policy will compensate you for cancelled flights or reimburse you for lost luggage too.

Egypt

The girls were eight when we visited Egypt. We stayed at an all-inclusive hotel with its own waterpark, but we spent much of our time exploring beyond the resort. The hotel was great but it’s always nice to get a change of scenery and see a bit of the real local area.

Everyone we met was lovely — people either wanted to chat, to sell us something, or often both! I don’t think I’ve ever heard “lovely jubbly” so many times in one week; it became the go-to phrase as soon as anyone found out we were English. The locals were also wonderful with the girls. They always asked permission before interacting with them, and the girls never felt uncomfortable or unsure at any point.

Türkiye

We’ve visited Türkiye a couple of times with the girls — once when they were nine, and again when they were ten — and we always felt completely safe. On our first trip we explored absolutely everywhere and packed in so much. The girls got involved in activities at the resort (always with one of us), and we enjoyed eating out in the town and down by the beach.

Our only real “worry” was the time Amy ended up with a black eye from the recoil of a airgun while we were doing shooting at the hotel, I had to go back and explain to Gill that her daughter had been slightly broken while I was looking after her! Aside from that, everything was brilliant. The girls were old enough to try their hand at bartering in the shops, and the locals absolutely loved them.

Mexico

The girls were 11 and 12 when we visited Mexico. Our resort was lively and mainly filled with American tourists, but it had a great atmosphere and we never had any issues. What really surprised us, though, was how lovely it was outside the resort — especially considering the scare stories you sometimes hear. We headed out whenever we fancied, explored nearby towns, and even booked our excursions locally rather than through the hotel.

We didn’t interact with huge numbers of locals beyond restaurants and shops, but whenever we did, everything was relaxed and friendly. It all felt much easier and more welcoming than we’d expected.

Morocco

The girls were both 12 when we visited Morocco, and Marrakech completely exceeded our expectations. Our resort was just outside the city and had its own aquapark, which the girls were finally old enough to explore on their own — although they still insisted on dragging us along most of the time (so many steps!).

Marrakech itself was incredible. We first visited on an organised night tour and loved it so much that we went back the very next day to explore on our own. We wandered through the souks, discovered little corners of the city, and never had a single issue. We even returned one evening independently and had another brilliant time.

During the days we explored more sights, walked around, and hopped in and out of taxis. At no point did we feel unsafe or unsure — just welcomed and completely absorbed in the atmosphere of the city.

India

We visited Goa with the girls in 2019, when they were 13 and 14. We spent time relaxing at our resort, went on locally organised boat trips, and enjoyed plenty of beach days. We also ventured out to explore shops and even a bar in the local town.

Further afield, we joined organised trips to places like Dudhsagar Falls, and even took a self-guided taxi trip to Old Goa — a bit brave, but well worth it — to see the temples, churches, and to eat at a restaurant popular with locals. Chanae, who had quite light-coloured hair at the time, was occasionally asked to appear in photos with people, which she found amusing rather than intimidating.

I'm really glad we had the chance to take the girls to, and fully immerse them in, so many different places while they were growing up. They definitely did well with holidays to less controversial destinations too over the years and I think seeing so many different sides of how life is lived has really helped them both develop into well rounded adults.

As Independent Travel Agents we are ideally positioned to book your next family adventure (or break without the kids...whatever floats your boat!) - please get in touch and we'll get the ball rolling.