Planning a family vacation with kids is always fun. And even if it’s just a dream at the moment nobody can stop us family travelers dreaming big and what’s bigger than bucket list adventures with wildlife in the mix? Have a look at our 13 wildest bucket list family vacation ideas to inspire your dreams until the world’s open for exploring again.
1/13 Breakfast with giraffes in Kenya
Giraffe Manor sits in 140 acres of forest on the outskirts of Nairobi. It looks every inch the grand stately home, until a giraffe pops its head through the window in search of snacks, or you step out on to the terrace and several stately creatures are gliding gracefully over the lawn. Young guests can invite giraffes for breakfast, guided tours of the reserve are great fun, and the manor’s successful breeding programme means babies to coo over, aren’t unusual.
The fact that Rothschild Giraffes are an endangered species makes this experience even more incredible, and a night or two at the Manor is a great start or finish to a family safari in Kenya.
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Image © The Safari Collection
2/13 Kayak with beluga whales in Canada
Hudson Bay in the far north of Manitoba is top territory for spotting Beluga Whales. They’re known locally as ‘white ghosts’, but don’t let the ethereal name fool you, an adult male can reach up to four metres in length and weigh over 500 kilos.
Head to Churchill Town from July to August and you can take a kayak tour in the company of hundreds of migrating Beluga. It’s an astonishing experience and, imposing as the whales look, they’re gentle giants, so kids can get up thrillingly close.
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Image © Getty Images
3/13 Take a sunset stroll with kangaroos in Australia
The Kangaroo Sanctuary in Alice Springs is home to baby and adult red kangaroos and its main goal is to rehabilitate and release orphaned baby kangaroos back into the wild. As well as educating visitors the sanctuary offers tours of the 188-acre wildlife reserve. Because kangaroos are nocturnal tours start in the late afternoon as the sun begins to sink, so you not only get to see the sanctuary’s cute residents waking up for the night there’s also the added thrill of an Outback sunset.
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Image © Centre Bush Bus and the Kangaroo Sanctuary
4/13 Snorkel with whale sharks in Mexico
Whale Sharks are the world’s largest fish and they frequent the warm waters north west of Cancun during the summer months. Despite their enormous size (they grow up to 40 feet long) these filter-feeders are very docile, so snorkelers and divers can get up amazingly close. Easy to recognise because of their size and distinctive white spots, one of the best places to swim with whale sharks is off Isla Holbox about two hours’ drive north of Cancun.
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Image © Getty Images
5/13 Help save iguanas in Belize
Located onsite at the San Ignacio Resort Hotel in Belize, the Green Iguana Conservation Project teaches kids about these endangered reptiles in a highly interactive environment. Founded to conserve and protect the fascinating species, kids can pick up and hold the friendly lizards while also learning about the project’s incubation, hatching, rearing and releasing process.
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Image © San Ignacio Resort Hotel
6/13 Add monkeys to the bucket list in Guatemala
Las Lagunas Boutique Hotel in Guatemala is just minutes away from the Mayan ruins at Tikal, Uaxactun and Yaxha. It’s also spread across over 300 acres in the Jungle of Petén; an ecological reserve focusing on the conservation of Guatemala’s native species. To really get families up close and personal with shy local wildlife, Las Lagunas offers private boat tours to Monkey Island, where spider monkeys are bred and taken care of. Here, kids have the opportunity to meet-and-greet friendly monkeys, and even feed them fruit and vegetables for breakfast.
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Image © Getty Images
7/13 Hang with Hammerheads in The Bahamas
The Bahamas has over 40 shark species swimming in its crystal clear waters, making it the undisputed shark capital of the world. Family shark fanatics should head for the Bahamian out island of North Bimini – only 50 nautical miles off the coast of Florida and a 20 minute seaplane flight from Miami. At the brand new Hilton at Resorts World Bimini, thrill-seekers can get their shark fix on a guided dive with hammerheads through on-site tour operator, Bimini Undersea. The island also offers an exhilarating cage dive with bull sharks — if you dare. Or to embrace your inner shark nerd, Resorts World Bimini has an island excursion to South Bimini which includes a visit to the famous Bimini Biological Field Station Foundation (Sharklab), where kids can hang with expert shark scientists, learn about their field work, and even interact with juvenile sharks.
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Image © Resorts World Bimini Bahamas
8/13 Ride ostriches in Curacao
The Ostrich Farm is in eastern Curacao, near Groot St. Joris. As one of the largest breeding farms outside of Africa, it’s home to ostriches of all shapes and sizes and offers fun for the whole family. A 45 minute tour walks you through the life of an ostrich with opportunities to interact, feed and even ride these amazing creatures. After the ostrich safari, families can grab a bite at Zambezi Restaurant which also has a children’s playground, and a souvenir shop where you can buy goodies to take home.
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Image © Curacao Ostrich Farm
9/13 Put a real life Dolphin Tale on your bucket list in Florida
Visit Clearwater on Florida’s Gulf Coast for creamy white sand beaches and the incredible experience of Clearwater Marine Aquarium. This is where injured marine creatures are rescued and nursed back to health by staff and volunteers, and it offers plenty of hands-on activities to enhance your visit. Work behind the scenes assisting with the poolside feeding of resident dolphins, turtles, and even sharks. Hop aboard the Dolphin Adventure catamaran to learn about the local dolphin population. And kids will love posing for a picture with Winter and Hope, the stars of both Warner Bros. Pictures’ Dolphin Tale movies.
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Images © Clearwater Marine Aquarium
10/13 Round up buffalo in South Dakota
At the end of September every year the cowboys and cowgirls of South Dakota round up 1,300 bison which roam across 71,000 Custer State Park. It’s an amazing spectacle and it’s free and open to the public; kids will be wowed as the huge herd thunders past them into the corrals where the animals are then vaccinated and given their annual health checks. During the rest of the year, Custer State Park’s jeep tours provide off-road family adventures with sightings of free roaming buffalo, burros, bighorn sheep and prairie dogs.
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Image © Getty Image
11/13 Witness the Great Migration on the Serengeti
Serengeti National Park is one of the original UNESCO World Heritage sites and its annual Great Migration is a Natural Wonder of the World. Every year between May and October, millions of zebra and wildebeest migrate across the Mara River between Tanzania’s Serengeti and the Masai Mara in Kenya. It’s an awe-inspiring spectacle and easily the most iconic of all African safari experiences, but possibly one to save for older kids and teens: the Serengeti alone has over 3000 lions, and Grumeti River crocodiles are monstrous, so savage drama comes with the territory.
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Image © Getty Images
12/13 Take care of Sloths in Costa Rica
Nayara Springs in Costa Rica is set in Arenal Volcano National Park and is the world’s only luxury resort with its own Sloth Sanctuary. Since 2017 the sanctuary’s population has grown from a single pair to more than 15 sloths and guests can spot the smiley faced cuties around the resort’s acres of carefully planted gardens and rainforest. For another unforgettable nature-filled Costa Rica family vacation, head to Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort. This tropical paradise has more than 500 plant and wildlife species spread across 900 acres of lush natural reserve in the country’s northern region – kids should look out for coatimundi, toucan and howler monkeys.
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Image © Getty Images
13/13 Spot humpback whales in Los Cabos
For the ultimate family bucket list experience, whale watching season in Los Cabos shouldn’t be missed. Every year immense humpback whales migrate to the warmer waters of the Sea of Cortes and seasoned tour operators such as Cabo Adventures get families daringly (and responsibly) close to the action. Try a Whale Watching Photo Safari which combines spotting the majestic creatures and learning all about them from the mammal behavior experts who lead the tours. Don’t forget to charge phones or have cameras ready to catch one of those iconic images of humpback’s breaching – if you’re lucky.
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Image © Los Cabos Tourism Board
Dreaming of your next family bucket list adventure? Take a look at the Family Traveller vacation guide for inspiration. And don’t forget to follow Family Traveller on Facebook and Instagram, tell us what’s on your mind or just say ‘hi’.