Healthy Family Getaway Ideas!

This week we are very excited to share a guest post by travel guru, Paul Joseph, co-founder of Health and Fitness Travel.  If your family is looking for an exotic getaway that combines wellness, activity, and relaxation, you need look no further than the amazing suggestions below!  Safe, happy, and healthy travels!

-Destination Mom

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10 of the Best Activity and Sporting Holidays for all the Family

Keep up with the kids and return a youthful lease of life to your body on an action-packed family holiday with Health and Fitness Travel that guarantees fun for the whole family. From surfing in Morocco, to tennis in the Caribbean and skiing in Switzerland, get ready to be inspired with 10 of the best activity and sporting holidays for all the family.

Make the most of family time with activities from horse riding to mountain biking, or take five and indulge in therapeutic treatments at the luxury spa, whilst the little ones are entertained at the kids club. So, why not take a break from your usual routine and jet off on a family holiday which promises fun-filled memories and a healthy active break.

Best for Sport with Swimming: Thailand Thanyapura

image courtesy of Health and Fitness Travel

Escape to tropical Thailand for a luxury activity holiday where there’s guaranteed fun for all the family. Keep the kids active in the children’s Tree Club, and watch them excel in the sport they love with a variety of training camps and activities. After a tough day of running, swimming, tennis, rugby and circuit training, scoop up the kids and hear all about their wonderful day with new friends. Great for an all-round family fitness holiday, improve your swimming technique with lessons from the qualified instructors in the 50m Olympic swimming pool, before heading to the beach for a family game of volleyball.

Best for Horse Riding: Portugal The Oitavos Horse Riding

image courtesy of Health and Fitness Travel

Learn to ride on a healthy family activity holiday in Portugal, boasting an Equestrian Centre with 230 stables, complete with an outdoor and indoor riding school. With professional instructors, all levels can enjoy lessons on this healthy break, so while the kids are learning the basics you can ride off with the experts. There are also large areas for hacking, enabling beginners to get more used to their surroundings while those more advanced can enjoy a leisurely ride around. After a morning ride, sample some of the other activities on offer, from tennis to biking and golf to surfing, on your healthy family holiday.

Best for Tennis: Antigua Carlisle Bay  

image courtesy of Health and Fitness Travel

Escape to the Caribbean for a fun-filled family sports holiday where everyone can improve their tennis technique on one of nine available courts. Whether you’re a budding beginner or an expert on the court, enjoy six private tennis lessons with a professional instructor on this healthy break and while the children are busy at the kids club, unleash your competitive side in the hotel’s round robins competition. After a morning playing tennis, add a splash of variety to your tennis holiday and head to the water to enjoy complimentary water sports, ranging from windsurfing to snorkeling and water skiing to paddle boarding.

Best for Surfing: Morocco Paradis Plage

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Ride the waves in Morocco on a family water sports holiday where everyone can hit the water and learn to surf. Whether your family have never surfed before or are experienced water babies, there are lessons available for all ages and abilities so that everyone can get the most out of this active break. While the kids try their hand at sports and arts activities with the kids club, mix up your healthy holiday with a beachside yoga class or beach circuit training. Make time for family holiday fun with mountain biking, paddle boarding and kayaking before unwinding at the luxury spa.

Best for Multi-Activity: St Lucia The BodyHoliday WellFit Families

image courtesy of Health and Fitness Travel

Enjoy action-packed days in the Caribbean on a five star all-inclusive luxury family holiday where all the family can enjoy a host of activities. Raise the stakes and compete against each other in the parent vs children competitions, including volleyball and beach-a-thons, or cook up a storm together in the healthy family cooking classes. With activities ranging from snorkeling to scuba diving, windsurfing to water skiing and cycling to sailing; everyone will be able to try something new and find an activity they enjoy on this family active holiday.

Best for Golf: Cyprus Aphrodite Hills

image courtesy of Health and Fitness Travel

Discover this award-winning holiday in Portugal, where there’s loads to do for all the family, including learning to play golf. Experienced players can head straight for the 18 hole championship golf course, while those less experienced can learn everything about golf from the three PGA instructors at the academy. With lessons available for all ages and abilities, you can enjoy group sessions with the whole family on this activity holiday, or one-to-one lessons for something more private. After a day on the course and the little ones at the kids club, make the most of this luxury spa retreat and unwind with a choice of holistic treatments.

Best for Skiing: Switzerland The Alpina Gstaad

image courtesy of Health and Fitness Travel

Hit the slopes in Switzerland on a luxury skiing holiday and enjoy new ways to keep the family fit and healthy. Whether the kids are beginners or experienced slope sliders, there are on-site instructors available to help them improve, and while they’re learning a new skill mum and dad can have fun flying down the mountains. For alternative ways to enjoy the scenery on this wellness holiday, get the family together and go rock climbing or hiking. Once the children are at the kids club, head to one of the group classes with activities ranging from Tai Chi to Pilates.

Best for Football: St Vincent Buccament Bay  

image courtesy of Health and Fitness Travel

Pack your boots and jet off to the Caribbean for an active family holiday that includes a Liverpool Football Club soccer school, available all year round. Featuring master classes from professionals (with John Barnes and Ronnie Whelan having previously visited) the whole family can enjoy personalized training sessions and group matches to keep active on this healthy sports holiday.

If you’re looking for a change of scenery, let the kids enjoy a kick about while you indulge in the holistic spa therapies, including bath rituals and ESPA body massages to help aid relaxation.

Best for Land & Water Sports: Bali: Grand Mirage

image courtesy of Health and Fitness Travel

The perfect spot for a fun-filled activity holiday, it doesn't get much better than Bali for a family friendly healthy escape. With an idyllic beach front setting and wide array of water sports available, hit the beach and try out your water skills with paddle boating, boogie boarding, kayaking and windsurfing. Keep active on dry land with activities from tennis to basketball and billiards to archery for a fitness holiday everyone can participate in. While your mini-me hunts for treasure and plays mini soccer at the Bamboo kids club, enhance your well-being with daily group yoga classes and lifestyle classes from cooking to painting.

Best for Mountain Biking & Windsurfing: Portugal:  Martinhal Luxury Beach Resort

image courtesy of Health and Fitness Travel

Discover the best of Portugal with mountain biking and windsurfing on an active family adventure holiday, suitable for all ages. Make the most of this healthy retreat’s award-winning and highly popular windsurfing academy, with lessons available for all ages and abilities. Meanwhile, with a varied selection of TREK bikes, keen mountain bikers of all sizes can kick up the dust, allowing you to reach new heights as a family and explore your beautiful surroundings in style. After an active day, indulge in the luxury spa treatments while the children have fun at one of the seven kids clubs and five sports academies.

For advice, guidance and booking visit www.healthandfitnesstravel.com/family-holidays or call 0203 397 8891

About Paul Joseph:

Paul Joseph is co-founder of Health and Fitness Travel, the leading experts in tailor-made healthy holidays worldwide. He searches for the rare and hidden gems around the world and puts together exclusive and trend-setting holidays for those who would like to improve or maintain their health and fitness whilst on holiday. As well as a love of all things travel, Paul’s other love is exercise, cycling and yoga. Paul also contributes to the travel pages of various high-profile newspapers and magazines where he offers his expert advice on wellness holidays.

About Health and Fitness Travel

Health and Fitness Travel is a global luxury wellness travel company that originated in the UK in 2010 and is committed to providing healthy holidays that enhance and change lives. Created by Paul Joseph and Adam Heathcote as a result of their passion for health and fitness travel and offering bespoke holidays to improve people’s well-being to lead happier and healthier lives.

Health and Fitness Travel offers clients a tailor-made seamless service with the very best health and fitness holidays, handpicked by its expert team, together with exclusive and added value packages with the best deals. As leading specialists, Health and Fitness Travel has also created their own collection of trademark healthy holidays in various destinations which include Fusion Fitness™ BodyBreaks™ and Discover Recover™, offering clients the best value and holiday experience. For more information visit: www.healthandfitnesstravel.com

 http://www.healthandfitnesstravel.com/about-us/

Let Us Be Truly Thankful!

With Thanksgiving mere days away, and the onslaught of holiday scrambling lurking just around the corner, what better time to take a deep breath and reflect on the blessings in your life?  Sure, there are things that make holidays stressful, but grab a quiet moment before all the craziness starts to truly consider what makes the holidays special.  Because despite what we are fed by media and merchandising, the most important gifts we can give our family and friends are our time and love; those magical, intangible, immeasurably important elements that bind our hearts and lives together in strange and beautiful ways.  So give your blessings a quick count before you down that turkey and skip out  to the mall... or maybe skip the mall and spend a little more time with those you love, because memories are gifts that last a lifetime!  

Wishing you all a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!

image courtesy of debspoons/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Products We Love: Technological Treats for Traveling Families!

The holidays are just about to swing into full-gear, and gift-giving season is fast approaching! If your gift list includes any traveling families, or family members who love to travel, you'll want to check out these two awesome products:

Kinivo's Mini Portable Speaker: Take your music with you, wherever you go! 

Perfect for everyone from teens to families with young kids! The ideal product for picnics, hotel stays, camping, etc. This speaker has some seriously full-bodied sound, is rechargeable, fits in the palm of your hand, comes in s myriad of colors, and is compatible with just about anything that plays music and has an earphone port. Best of all, it's under $20 and ships for free with amazon prime. Makes the perfect stocking stuffer!  

iStabilizer Flex: Don't just capture the moment - be a part of it!

A brilliant little device that combines the iStabilizer Mount, a universal clamp that holds a wide variety of smartphones (up to 2.75 inches wide; and an XL version is available for larger devices) and a lightweight tripod with foam-covered bendable legs. We love that the mount has standard 1/4-inch tripod threads, so if you have a bigger tripod or monopod, you can use it with that, too!  Another score at just under $20 on Amazon!

Travel-Tot's Top 10 Road Safety Tips!

As a parent, safety is always a top priority, whether at home or on the road!  Experiencing a breakdown with children in tow can be frightening and stressful. So before you head out on your next family road trip, check out these ten road safety tips to help give you some peace of mind and pave the road ahead for fun!

image courtesy of stockimage/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Road Trip Safety Tips: Travel-Tot's Top 10!

1. Before you leave, give your car a quick once-over: check tires to ensure tread and pressure are optimal, check windshield wiper blades and change if necessary, check and top off water level, engine coolant, and washer fluid, check oil level and change if necessary, and check brake lights, headlights, flashers, and blinkers.

2. Discuss road safety with your children and impress upon them how important it is not to distract the driver.

3. Inspect the back seat and ensure that it is clear of hazardous materials or anything your child can choke on. Remove all possible projectiles and store heavy, sharp, or poisonous items in the trunk or in sealed containers out of the reach of children.

4. Acquire some sort of roadside assistance or auto club plan.

5. Always bring along identification and medical information for all passengers in case there is an emergency; the time saved by having this information handy could be the difference between life and death. Ensure that license, insurance, and registration are up to date as well.
6. Ensure your car has an emergency kit, including;

• a spare tire, jack, and tire iron 
• jumper cables
• a flashlight 
• warm blankets
• water and snacks
• a fully charged cell phone (and a car charger)
• flares 
• a first aid kit

7. If possible, share the driving with someone to prevent exhaustion behind the wheel.  Pull over if you feel yourself becoming tired.

8. Take frequent breaks. Get out and let everyone stretch their legs, grab a bite to eat, and have a quick pick-me-up (i.e. coffee, tea, other caffeinated beverage) every two to three hours.

9. Familiarize yourself with your vehicle and always obey all traffic regulations.  Help prevent accidents by letting the navigator handle the GPS, cell phone, and music or other entertainment.

10. Keep an eye on your fuel situation; refuel as often as necessary.

Safe and happy travels!

-Destination Mom

Safe and Happy Travels This Thanksgiving!

The holidays are upon us, and for many families that means traveling to share in joyous celebrations with far-flung friends and family members! As a parent of a toddler or young child, visiting grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends, etc. can often pose a bit of a challenge; childless homes frequently contain hazards that keep you hopping up during visits to prevent your little love from breaking low lying treasures or from injuring him- or herself (i.e. candles, decorative breakables, hot serving dishes, and beautiful table linens just begging to be yanked by little hands!).

While vigilant supervision during any visit is irreplaceable as an injury deterrent, there are a few things you can do to make life a bit easier on yourself (and your child!) during holiday visits.  Investing just 15 minutes to create a "safe zone" for your child to play in could facilitate a more relaxed and enjoyable visit.

Start by visually inspecting each room thoroughly from the vantage point of your child.  Get down low: look beneath and behind furniture, drapes, sinks, toilets, and heaters for loose pills, pins, or other overlooked items that could pose a choking or poisoning hazard - you may be surprised what you find. Also, remove tiny, fragile, top-heavy, burning, hot, or sharp objects from reach (table tops, shelves, hearths, etc.). Finally, be sure cords (electrical, blinds, decorative, etc.) are coiled up out of reach and keep doors to laundry rooms, stairways, kitchens, supply closets, and bathrooms closed or gated-off from access during the visit.

To help create an additional layer of protection, invest in a Travel-Tot Childproofing Kit; the kit components (foam corner guards, outlet covers, pinch guards, etc.) can help prevent injury from some of the most common hazards present in living spaces!  Best of all, the Kit's components go on with a strong, temporary, non-damaging adhesive that will not damage furniture or finishes; and Kit components can be reused!  It is a quick, easy solution you can store in your car for wherever you go; or consider picking one up as a gift for your parents, in-laws, or other friends or family you visit during the holidays! 

Creating a safe play zone in a childless home may take a few minutes, but it will result in greater peace of mind for you and a more enjoyable visit for everyone! Safe and happy travels and best wishes from all of us at Travel-Tot for a joyous and blessed Thanksgiving!

-Destination Mom 

Prevent Slips, Trips and Falls

Did you know that falls are the second-leading cause of unintentional death? Not many people do. Since Family Safety is a major focus in November, the amazing team at American Recall Center has made it their mission to educate and encourage safe behavior in order to help prevent slips, trips, and falls. To that end, they’ve created the helpful graphic below that outlines how to prevent falls that may cause traumatic injuries. For even more information, visit American Recall Center's webpage at http://www.recallcenter.com/prevent-slips-trips-falls/.

image courtesy of American Recall Center

Destination: Riviera Maya!

This week we are thrilled to present a guest post by Amber Kingsley on beautiful Riviera Maya, Mexico! Amber is a writer who lives in Southern California when she's not exploring the world. After traveling extensively throughout North America, she hopes to see more of Europe and Asia in the near future. Happy reading!

Beyond Cancun

While a trip to a Cancun resort is a great relaxation option for parents, it might not be the exact type of getaway you want when the entire family is along. When it comes to traveling with your family, you may want a location that has a little more activity and a little less relaxation … but only a little less. After all, you still need some relaxation time.

You can maintain the feel of your favorite Cancun resort while adding to the activity level with a visit to the Riviera Maya. As shown by the attached infographic, this Mexican resort provides many of the same relaxing benefits of Cancun, while adding the option of exploring nearby historical ruins and enjoying water sports. (You don’t have to tell the kids that the historical ruins of this vacation spot might provide some educational benefits too.)

First, the Relaxing

The Riviera Maya has much of what you’d expect to find at a resort in the Cancun area, offering swimming, sailing, golf, and other resort amenities. The weather in this Mexican region is great as well.

The evenings provide a mixture of relaxation and shopping options in this area. Many areas offer live music, for example, including a local jazz festival called Playa Del Carmen. The most popular shops and restaurants are found in this area along Fifth Avenue.

Then the Exploring

Archaeological sites are found in the area of Riviera Maya, giving you a chance to explore. The entire family will get a good workout while visiting the sites, while still having the ability to return to relaxation mode at any time! Two sites you’ll be sure to want to visit when at the Riviera Maya include:

• Tulum. This archaeological site was created in the 13th century, and it is likely the largest draw of any of the ruins in the area of Riviera Maya. Guided tours are available at this attraction, which may provide even more educational benefits. 
• Xcaret. This site opened to the public in 1990, and it provides a combination of ruins to explore as well as natural attractions. The cave system found at Xcaret is 51 miles long with 28 different entrances, and a Guinness World Record was set in 2010 when a swimmer traveled 490 feet with one breath of air.

Finally, the Water Sports

If an archeological site doesn’t interest your family, Riviera Maya has additional activities beyond exploration. Many of the activities in this area are centered on water sports, such as:

• Sea life. The area has the world’s largest population of manatees, numbering about 1,500. You’ll also have the option of seeing dolphins, turtles, and a large variety of tropical fish.
• Snorkeling. The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System is available for snorkelers and scuba divers to find some amazing natural formations. This reef is 600 miles long. 
• Fishing. Numerous types of fishing are available in the area, including deep-sea fishing with a charter boat. You even can find tour guides who can help you learn how to perform another type of fishing, such as sport fishing. Visit the area during May and June for the best fishing.

Even if you’re traveling without the entire family, Riviera Maya can provide a nice change-up to Cancun. No matter what type of activity you want to enjoy – even if it’s an educational type of activity – this area has it!

Get Out The Vote!

image courtesy of taoty/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Today is Election Day, so remember to get out and vote!  

Need to find your polling location?  Check out Vote411!

Your vote counts, so get informed and make your voice heard!