17 awesome destinations for kids to learn something new

Broaden your children’s horizons on your next adventure when you combine your love of travel with experiences beyond the classroom. The kids will learn valuable lifelong lessons about nature, food and the world around them. Writes Rafferty Laight and Natarsha Brown.

Trying something new often goes hand in hand with a holiday. This is especially the case for families who are curious about the world around them and forever asking questions. In recent years, there has been a significant boost in families booking ‘learning trips’. These vacations that have an educational element to them. Here are some of the best that manage to balance learning and fun.

Mungo, NSW

I love to travel the world as much as the next guy. Scratch that. I live for it! But considering we live in a country with the longest continuously sustained culture on the planet, there is incredible ancient history to explore right here in Australia.

Mungo has incredible historical significance. The national park is home to the 50,000-year-old remains of Mungo Man and Mungo Woman. Their discovery helped rewrite the history of Australia and its First Nations people.

Conservation in Borneo

Families who are keen to make a genuine contribution to wildlife conservation will love the Oyster Worldwide volunteer project in Malaysian Borneo.

Take part in one to four-week volunteer programs in three locations.

The projects immerse your family in the rainforest and wildlife sanctuaries. You’ll be living and working alongside local people, helping to protect the surrounding natural environment and the creatures within it. Help orangutans, pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys, macaques, gibbons and sun bears.

During one program, families can live among the Orang Sungai, ’the people of the river’. And enjoy delicious home-cooked meals each day. It’s not all about volunteering, either; responsible tourism is also included to round off your trip. With visits to Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre and the Rainforest Discovery Centre.

Temple time in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Siem Reap is home to famous temples. Angkor Wat, The Bayon, Banteay Srei, Preah Khan, Ta Prohm and Phnom Kulen are among the highlights.

The iconic Hindu temple of Angkor Wat, the largest single religious building in the world.

The temples are both crazily beautiful and packed with stories that bring history to life.

Kids will be spellbound by the endless jungle paths, narrow stairways and hidden rooms throughout the complex. If you have early risers, visit at sunrise to see the temples lit up.

Marine biology in the Whitsundays

The Living Reef at Daydream Island is home to 100 fish species, 80 types of coral and 30 species of invertebrates – and it holds an impressive 1.5 million litres of water. Kids can shake fins with a baby stingray, spot starfish and sea cucumbers, or befriend a crab.

There is an underwater observatory that is also the kids’ club theatre room. Picture watching Finding Nemo with real clownfish floating by. The resort offers a marine-focused kids’ club that promotes conservation as education. The daily-changing programs including activities such as fish feedings, coral collecting and rainforest walks.

Roman architecture in Italy

What self-respecting history nut would leave Rome off their list? The Roman Empire was one of the founding pillars of modern-day civilisation.

Stand in the footsteps of a fearless gladiator in the Colosseum. Honour the Roman gods at the Pantheon. Or relive the life of an elegant noble at the Roman Forum. All while surrounded by some of the world’s most epic ruins. Rome has a little historical something for everyone.

There are few places in the world where history comes alive like the Roman Colosseum. Constructed between 72 AD and 80 AD at the height of the Roman Empire, this giant amphitheatre was used for… umm … ‘entertainment’. If you’re picturing an outdoor cinema-type situation, think again. The Romans preferred epic gladiator battles, exotic animal hunts – occasionally even flooding the amphitheatre floor to stage mock sea battles. Around 50,000 people could squeeze into the tiered seating to witness these spectacles. Those visiting the Colosseum today won’t see any bloody battles, but the remarkably well-preserved building provides incredible insight into ancient Roman life.

Borobudur, Indonesia

Located in central Java, Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple in the world. When viewed from above the nine stacked platforms and large dome form a giant Buddhist mandala.

A veil of mystery enshrouds Borobudur: there’s no written record of who built it or of its intended purpose. The mystical temple is perched between two rivers and twin volcanos. While you are there, see how many Buddha statues your family can find. There are 504 in total, so this should keep them busy for a while.

Pyramids in Cairo, Egypt

It would be a bit remiss not to include another of the genius ancient civilisations. The imposing 1,146-year-old Mosque of Ahmad ibn Tūlūn and maze of minarets are begging to be explored. But it is nearby Giza, the site of the pyramids and Great Sphinx, that’s the main attraction for history hunters.

Cooking classes in Paris

All kids are a little bit crazy about the colourful, tasty puffs of air that are the macaron. What better way to enjoy this French sweet than learning how to whip them up in Paris?

The team at Cook’n with Class are all professional chefs and sommeliers. They offer a range of hands-on classes from wine pairings to baking croissants. Three kids’ classes are available for those aged six to 12. Parents are paired with their little one to create recipes together. Tucked in a small side street in the charming quartier of Montmartre, all lessons are taught in small groups and have English-speaking options.

WWII history in Berlin

Berlin has an enthralling history dating all the way back to 1244 AD, but its role in more recent history has put this German city on our list.

Must-visits include The Brandenburg Gate and the Schloss Charlottenburg palace, as well as the many important sites and memorials that remind us of the devastation of WWII. And while only remnants of the infamous wall that once divided Berlin remain, visitors can still see Checkpoint Charlie, the Berlin Wall Memorial and an open-air gallery that runs along some of its remains.

Ancient history in Athens, Greece

Greece as a whole is rich with history, but with more ancient ruins than you could poke a lightning bolt at.

Visiting the Acropolis of Athens, the Parthenon, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Ancient Agora of Athens and the Temple of Hephaestus will give you a first-hand history lesson.

The Acropolis is perched on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens with the remains of a number of ancient buildings. Work on the Acropolis began in 448 BC, during the “golden age” of Athens. Over the centuries it was attacked and conquered many times with different religions taking over the sacred buildings, while others were damaged or destroyed completely.

Great Wall of China

So, why did they build the Great Wall of China? Here’s a hint: it wasn’t to keep the rabbits out.

The epic 21,196-kilometre-long, seven-metre-high wall was built over 2,000 years ago to protect the northern Chinese Empire from invading enemies like the Mongols and the Huns. It certainly came at a heavy cost, however, as many as one million people estimated to have died during its construction. However gruesome its history, the Great Wall of China remains one of the greatest feats of human engineering, so vast it is visible from space.

It’s a must for any history-loving family’s bucket list. While you obviously won’t be able to tackle the whole thing, its worth a walk along a small section of it for your kids to have their own Mulan moment.

Truffle hunting in Tuscany

Tuscany is home to the rarest and finest truffles on Earth. In autumn, Belmond Castello di Casole guests can head out with their expert guide and experienced Lagotto Romagnolo dogs to uncover the elusive tubers around the estate. Afterwards, return to the hotel for a four-course celebratory meal at Bar Visconti, showcasing your delicious findings. A medieval castle surrounded by vineyards, woods and farmlands, a holiday at this hotel combines fun activities – from watercolour classes to first light walks – with a fairytale setting, making for a magical visit for all ages.

Chichén Itzá, Mexico

The most famous, spectacular and frequently visited of Mexico’s Mayan sites, the ancient metropolis of Chichén Itzá was once a powerful city marked by magnificent stone structures, huge stepped pyramids and columned arcades. The expansive 1,000-year-old site contains many hidden historical treasures for adventurous families to discover.

The four-sided pyramid known as El Castillo has 365 steps – one for each day of the year – and twice a year, sun rays create a shadow giving the appearance of a serpent slithering down the stairs. There’s also a ball court where ancient residents played tlachtli, a sort of Mayan basketball where the goal was to knock a rubber ball through stone rings using elbows, knees and hips.

Machu Picchu, Peru

In 1911, American explorer Hiram Bingham struck up a conversation with a local farmer near Cusco in Peru. The farmer told him of some ruins high on top of a nearby mountain that he called Machu Picchu, meaning ‘old mountain’ in native Quechua. Ascending through thick vegetation and shrouds of mist to the mountaintop, Bingham and his team stumbled upon the stone entrance to the fabled ‘Lost City of the Incas’.

Surrounded by epic views, just getting there is half the challenge. You can hike it; get to Agua Caliente, a town at the bottom of the valley next to Machu Picchu by road; or take a scenic 3.5-hour train trip along the Urubamba River through the Sacred Valley. But you’ll still need to allow a few days for your body to adjust to the high altitude and thinner air, so you don’t end up with altitude sickness.

Petra, Southern Jordan

An archaeological site in Jordan dating way back to around the fourth century BC, Petra was the capital of the Nabataean Kingdom.

Remember the huge pillared temple that housed the Holy Grail in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade? No, that wasn’t a painted set whipped up in some Hollywood studio – it was Al-Khazneh (or the Treasury) in the lost city of Petra.

The Nabateans were (evidently) very skilled at carving and stone masonry, and many of Petra’s beautiful stone facades are carved directly into the rose-red mountains. But despite the grandeur of the magnificent lost city, it’s estimated that only 15 per cent of it has been uncovered – leaving plenty for aspiring archaeologists to discover.

Meet Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon

Want to discover the people and places behind the greatest storyteller of all time? A visit to Stratford-upon-Avon is the dream holiday for little literature lovers. Walk the streets that inspired Shakespeare and talk with experts at his birthplace – discovering how his work continues to shape our world – before watching a performance in the evening at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Families can visit all five properties of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust – Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Mary Arden’s Farm, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Shakespeare’s New Place and Hall’s Croft – with a Full Story Ticket. Each offers trails and activities for kids, such as meeting costumed Tudor residents, watching falconry displays, exploring the countryside with the numerous nature walks, playing garden games and having some fun at the dress-up tables.

Mesa Verde National Park, USA

Home to some of the best-preserved archaeological sites in the United States, Mesa Verde allows visitors to follow in the footsteps of the ancient Puebloans who once called the national park home. Abandoned in the 13th century, the Colorado site boasts some 5,000 ancient dwellings within its boundaries, including 600 cliff dwellings and a huge Cliff Palace with 150 rooms and 23 kivas which are spaces used by Puebloans for sacred rites and meetings.

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