Have Kids, Will Travel

Kumuka knows that those with children don’t necessarily want to stop travelling. They also realise that parents want more than package holidays, where their children are holed up in kiddie clubs and isolated from local cultures and people. To help parents and children explore the world, enjoy some adventures together and broaden their minds while exposed to new and fascinating cultures is why we’ve created our Family Adventure Tours.

Genuine experiences are guaranteed, as is the absence of the day-to-day hassle of holiday planning. We do this by taking into account the different needs and views of each family member, as well as providing a clean, easy, safe and fun environment for everyone involved. Below are just some of our great adventures waiting for you and your family.

1. COSTA RICA: TURTLES, CLOUDFOREST & ADVENTURE 12 DAYS
   Not only endowed with flora and fauna, Costa Rica is also home to active volcanoes and white sandy beaches. After scratching beneath the surface of the capital, San Jose, travel to Tortuguero National Park, the home of nesting turtles. When the enthralling biology lesson is finished it’s back to geology class near Arenal Volcano – you’ll actually have the chance to watch flowing molten lava. In nearby Fortuna, optional activities like inflatable kayaking, white-water rafting, biking and safari floats are all on order. Before wrapping up your 12-day trip by kayaking, snorkelling, surfing and lounging on the Pacific’s Playa Samara, horseback ride past Lake Arenal and stop at Monteverde, where you can swing through the cloudforest’s treetops on a canopy zipline.
2. ECUADOR: VOLCANOES & the AMAZONIAN INDIANS 13 DAYS
   Immerse yourselves in the colonial splendour of Quito’s old town before switching gear and joining hummingbirds and vivid wild orchids in the Andean cloud forest. If any of you feel like cooling off, there’s even a chance for river tubing. Colours of a different variety will undoubtedly capture everyone’s attention in Otavalo’s indigenous handicraft market. After Papallacta’s soothing hot springs, you’ll explore the Amazon rainforest on foot in search of wildlife and visit an aboriginal community. Before finishing the 13-day trip at a folklore show in Quito, you’ll trek in Cotopaxi National Park to view one of the world’s highest active volcanoes. Geology lesson anyone?
3. EGYPT: PYRAMIDS, CAMELS & THE RED SEA 12 DAYS
   What child isn’t captivated by pyramids, mummies and camels? Sink into the essence of Cairo, before heading to the outskirts and sitting in the wondrous shadows of the Sphinx and Giza’s Great Pyramids – these are moments that will stick with you forever, no matter what your age. Next, it’s the Temple of Philae and a sunset felucca cruise that await you in the southern city of Aswan. From here, you’ll glide along the Nile’s waters north to Luxor, where donkeys will carry you to the tombs beneath the soils of the famous Valley of the Kings. After a transfixing sound and light show at the Karnak Temple, you’ll spend the last few days of your 12-day trip relaxing and snorkelling on the shores of the Red Sea at Hurghada.
4. PERU: INCAS, ALPACAS & LAKE TITICACA 10 DAYS
   Before riding the panoramic rails up into the Andes to discover the Lost City of the Incas, you’ll explore the historic Inca capital of Cusco on horseback, venture into the Sacred Valley and mingle with vibrant local cultures at the Pisac market. The latter is a good place for a lesson on supply, demand and the powers of bargaining! If your kids aren’t having fun just saying Lake Titicaca, then the sight of it will definitely capture their imagination. From the village of Puno, you’ll board a boat and visit the fascinating and floating Ruos reed islands. Perhaps the most rewarding experience of the 10-day trip is last: overnighting with local families on Amantani Island. You’ll all leave with a broader understanding of how they live and what it means to be Peruvian.
5. TANZANIA: LIONS, LEOPARDS & RHINO 10 days
   If the sound of a safari sings in your family’s ears, Tanzania, with its abundant wildlife, may just be the perfect destination. Despite your 4WD bouncing across Tarangire National Park, all your eyes will be steadily focused on the elephants, baboons and odd leopard dotting the rocky terrain – it’s one of Africa’s most underrated parks. Continue west to the legendary Serengeti National Park, home to the likes of lion, zebra, elephant, gazelle, impala and buffalo. Nearby is Ngorongoro Crater, which would still be spellbinding even if it wasn’t laden with over 30,000 animals, including black rhino. Wrap up your 10-day safari in Manyara National Park, famous for its tree-climbing lions. If you want some culture and beaches, add on a trip to Zanzibar.
6. NAMIBIA: CHEETAHS, TRIBES & SAND DUNES 13 days
   Namibia is the world’s most glorious and exciting sand box. Your children and the child in you will laugh out loud while rolling down the world’s largest dunes at Sesriem National Park – you’ll have the vividly coloured sand on your mind (and in your shorts) long after you leave. While heading north to the elephant, hyena, rhino and lion haven of Etosha National Park, you can view (and unfortunately smell) the massive Cape Cross seal colony. End your 13-day trip with a visit to the Himbas, one of Namibia’s most resilient tribes.
7. ZAMBIA AND BOTSWANA: WILDLIFE, WATERFALLS & ADVENTURE 12 days
   Besides having the chance to experience the majesty of the Victoria Falls, one of the world’s natural wonders, up close and personal, this 12-day journey takes your family on a series of remarkable little adventures. Float in a boat on the Chobe River and watch elephants snorkelling through the water’s depths, skim the surface of the Okavango Delta in a dug-out canoe in search of amazing game and birdlife, and camp on the breathtakingly barren Makgadikgadi salt pans. Finish the wildlife experiences in old-school fashion with a traditional game drive through Moremi Game Reserve.
8. CHINA: KITES, WARRIORS & PANDAS 9-days
   China is a treasure trove. Not only will you and your family clamber over the Great Wall of China and visit Beijing’s Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and Summer Palace, but you’ll also take part in a Chinese noodle making lesson, fly kites with local children, visit pandas at the zoo and marvel at the 2000-year-old Terracotta Army. Visit other intriguing historical sights in Xi’an and Shanghai. These may be the most amazing nine days you’ll ever spend.
9. INDIA: TIGERS, TEMPLES & THE TAJ MAHAL 12 days
   Whether you’re a child or an adult, the rich culture of this fascinating country is impossible to miss. History is everywhere, from the streets of Delhi to the sublime Taj Mahal. Travel by camel, bicycle, rickshaw, jeep and boat during your journey, which will see you tracking tigers and sloth bears in Ranthambore National Park, wandering through the forts of Junagarh and Mehrangah and tiptoeing inside the ruined ghost city and ancient capital of the Mughal Dynasty, Fatehpur Sikri. The pink city of Jaipur, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Keoladeo National Park, and Pushkar (home of the famous camel fair) all round out this unforgettable 12-day experience.
10. THAILAND: RAFTS, JUNGLES & BEACHES 14 days
    The gleam of gold on Bangkok’s Grand Palace and the 46m-long 15m-high reclining Buddha are enough to capture anyone’s attention. Less showy, but just as interesting, are the capital’s floating markets. Venture into the jungle by boat and glide through gargantuan gorges to Kumuka’s floating jungle raft hotel. While there, you can swim in the river, explore on bamboo rafts, ride elephants and wander in the depths of mystical caves. Next is the ancient capital of Ayutthaya, which you’ll take in by bicycle, before boarding a rice barge heading north to Chang Mai. Trekking to visit hill tribes, visiting an elephant conservation centre and learning to cook Thai food are musts before finishing your 14-day journey on the southern beaches of Koh Samet.