What happens when you ask two well-travelled kids to choose their favourite destinations? From 25 countries and countless adventures, our boys narrow it down to their personal top ten family travel experiences, revealing some surprises along the way.
Travel has always been a huge part of our lives. It shapes our conversations, guides our choices, and creates memories that stay with us long after the journey ends.
One day, we were chatting as a family about all the places we’ve been, and I decided to set the boys a challenge…
From the 25 countries they’ve travelled to, I asked them to choose their top ten.
Their selections were fascinating—and not necessarily what I would have picked! (Click here to see my personal top family travel destinations.) Memory clearly plays a big role in how they made their choices, and it’s always interesting to see what stands out most to them.
This has since become a yearly tradition for us—an opportunity to reflect on the places that have left the biggest impressions and how their perspectives shift as we continue to travel. Whether it’s slow journeys through places like Morocco and Southeast Asia, new discoveries in Malaysia and Vietnam, or quick city breaks across Europe, each experience adds a new layer to their evolving sense of adventure.
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10. Tanzania
I’ll be honest, Tanzania wouldn’t be in my top ten. This is the hardest country we’ve travelled with the boys. We were self driving from South Africa in a Land Rover Defender and on a budget – Tanzania is more geared towards high end tourism and organised tours. Safaris are extortionately expensive compared to Southern African countries, the police road checks were the most aggressive we have experienced, and we had to deal with unexpected monsoonal rains and washed out roads.
But the boys remember:
- The epic wildlife encounters at the quieter (and cheaper) parks we visited – mating lions close to our Land Rover, and being the only witnesses to hundreds of elephants at a watering hole
- A snow capped Mt Kilimanjaro
- The awesome hospitality at Utengele Coffee Lodge where we camped on a helipad with incredible sunset views for a week.
Tanzania was the most challenging country for independent travel, but totally worth it.
READ: Is Tanzania with kids worthwhile? and our Tanzania overland itinerary
9. India
Seeing that we lived in Bangalore for a year, I would have been rather peeved if India hadn’t made their list. The boys were 1 and 3 when we first moved out there.
I miss this place sooooooo much! Yes the bureaucracy drove me nuts, but anyone who’s been to India knows this is a county that gets under your skin and awakens the senses. Every day was an adventure and I would kill for a decent kadai paneer right now!
For the boys they remember:
- riding tuk-tuks every day
- overnight sleeper trains
- afternoon play dates at Funky Monkeys
- Sunday lunches at the Sheraton in Bangalore
- receiving a bindi and monkeys at the temples
- strangers pinching their cheeks and taking selfies
It may not be the most obvious place to travel with kids, but the tourist dollar goes far in India (which means decent accommodation away from the chaos) and there’s always someone around willing to help you out.
READ: Top things to do in India with kids and Is travelling India with kids worthwhile?
8. Thailand
There are so many reasons to love Thailand for independent family travel, and I would give anything to be perched on a plastic stool along Th Khao San in Bangkok right now, slurping noodles and watching all the travellers come and go, wondering where they’re off to next.
The boys first visited when Ez was 6 months old and Arthur 2, and it’s been a place we return to time and time again. So why did Thailand to make their top 10? Was it the incredible beaches? Cheap snacks available on every corner? Playing around the temples? Riding tuk-tuks?
Nope, none of that.
The reason the boys give is that Thailand is where they met their Australian buddies (my best mate’s kids) – who they still keep in contact with through little video messages. Thailand is also where they had their first holiday with their grandparents.
It just goes to show, it’s not always the destination that makes the place, but the company.
But since that trip, they have recently returned to Thailand for two weeks island hopping where they got to experience diving for the first time. They’re now hooked and this is another reason they want to return.
READ: Visiting Thailand with kids and Why we love travelling Thailand with kids
7. Namibia
To think that we only decided to go to Namibia at the very last minute (as in the night before), seems crazy now. We were on our big overlanding trip through Southern Africa and camping for the night in Zambia, close to the Botswana and Namibia border, getting ready to cross the border into Botswana. But news of washed out roads in Botswana made us change our plans. We had been on the road for over 2 months, and had had enough of bad roads.
So to Namibia we went, and I swear our tyres were singing when they sailed along the fresh tarmac!
For anyone who asks me where to take kids on their first African adventure, Namibia is always my answer.
But for the boys, Namibia was more than the incredible and easy wildlife spotting on safari. There are hundreds of stinky seals to see, shipwrecks and abandoned mines to explore, huge crimson sand dunes to run down. Plus a German bakery in every town! And the roads are much easier for self driving – though be warned, the distances are huge!
READ: Why Namibia is great for kids and Our overland Namibia itinerary
6. Iceland
Thanks to Hey Iceland hosting us for two separate press trips, we have all fallen in love with Iceland. Yes it’s an expensive destination, but there are ways to keep costs down – such as bringing food with you on the plane from home, visiting off season (such as the October half term), visiting the free activities (there are lots of them), and self-driving! And pre-pandemic you could always find a good deal on flights. Click here for more money saving tips.
As the boys have visited here fairly recently they have lots of amazing memories from Iceland:
- Swimming in geothermal pools
- Riding icelandic horses
- Whale watching
- Walking inside a glacier
- Mum giving lots of Geography lessons
READ: 5 day Iceland with kids itinerary and our 7 day North Iceland itinerary.
5. Nepal
The full days sat on a bus, navigating winding, pot-holed roads means that Nepal can be challenging 🤢. Or maybe just fly between destinations?
But when you’re carried around the Himalayas in a doko (basket used by porters) it makes hiking at altitude so much easier . This photo is one of my favourite family travel memories, so I absolutely love that the boys put Nepal in their top 10.
Read: Nepal with kids itinerary or Hiking Poon Hill with kids⠀
4. Vietnam
Vietnam was an easy pick for the boys’ top ten, and after 45 days travelling the country from south to north, it’s not hard to see why. Every few days brought a new adventure, and the diversity of experiences kept things fresh, exciting, and thoroughly memorable.
The overnight sleeper train was a particular highlight; sharing snacks, playing games, and falling asleep to the rhythm of the rails. Then came the motorbike trips where we rode pillion along quiet roads in Dalat and then again from Hoi An to Hue; a huge thrill and a completely different way to see the country. Cruising through the towering limestone peaks of Halong Bay was another standout, and the mud cave in Phong Nha was incredibly fun, and even more so the inflatable waterpark fun afterwards!
Vietnam gave the boys freedom, challenge, and fun in equal measure, and they embraced every bit of it. It’s a country that constantly surprised them, and one they still talk about often. For them, it wasn’t just travel, it was proper adventure.
Vietnam with kids travel guide
Your comprehensive guide to travelling Vietnam with kids, including accommodation suggestions and an itinerary, from a family that spent 45 day overlanding from HCMC to Hanoi.
3. France
Well France couldn’t NOT be in their top 10. WE LOVE FRANCE! From the UK it’s so easy and cheap to pop over on the ferry (well it used to be!), and we always return with our car stocked up on wine.
In our humble opinion, France has the best campsites for families in the world – they’re well maintained, and often with a fab swimming pool, bakery, and restaurant(s) on site. Plus there is always a good cycle track from the campsite to lead you to a chateau, beach or quaint little village. And then there’s the food.
The boys have totalled up many weeks travelling in France, and many a trip in our beloved Mazda Bongo, so it’s understandable why it’s made their top three.
2. Morocco
I often refer to Morocco as ‘the accessible Africa’ as it’s only a 3.5 hour flight from the UK and the low cost airlines (used to) fly here regularly. There are no visa or vaccination requirements and no jet lag. So it’s no wonder we’ve visited here many times with the boys. We even deregistered them from school to spend 4 months slow travelling with the boys, where we based ourselves in beautiful Essaouira. And now as we run the Explore Essaouira website, it’s a place we return to time and time again.
Morocco offers so much diversity for kids and the boys remember:
- Sand boarding and fossil hunting in the Sahara Desert
- Trekking the High Atlas Mountains on a mule
- Shopping for a Morocco football kit in the medinas
Morocco with kids travel guide
Your comprehensive guide to travelling Morocco with kids, including accommodation suggestions and itineraries, from a family that visit Morocco every year.
1. Malaysia
Penang has become home, so it’s no surprise that Malaysia made the boys’ top ten. Living here has allowed them to experience the country far beyond the typical tourist trail.
As a family, we’ve explored the jungle trails of Penang National Park, spotted wild orangutans in Borneo, swum in Kuala Lumpur’s epic rooftop pools, hopped around the islands of Langkawi on a speedboat, and been white water rafting near Ipoh. Malaysia makes travel easy with kids: the buses are comfortable, Grab is reliable, and there’s always a hawker stall nearby ready with something everyone will eat.
It’s also been a great place for the boys to grow their independence; navigating new surroundings, picking up bits of Bahasa, and engaging with a mix of cultures that make everyday life feel like a lesson in geography and global citizenship. For our boys, Malaysia isn’t just another country on the list, it’s a place they’re growing up in, and one that continues to shape how they see the world.
What counties didn’t make the list
There are a fair few countries that didn’t make the list; either because it was only short stopover and didn’t make a big enough impact, or they were just too young to remember. Plus, they decided that they couldn’t put every African country from our overlanding trip, so just selected their favourites.
A few of you over on Instagram thought that Sri Lanka would have made it to the boys top 10 countries. I did too! And I was a bit gutted that it didn’t, as it’s one of my top destinations we’ve travelled with the boys.
But in all honesty, the boys said that they just don’t remember this trip. I suppose they were 2 and 3 at the time, and this was one of the first of many epic trips. Plus they have done so well to remember all that they have. Just means we have to return one day soon.
It’s interesting seeing what the boys remember from their travels. But even if they don’t remember all the places, I do! And I cherish the precious bonding time that every one of our family adventures has provided.
It’s not all about the kids, right?
You may also want to read:
All about our Mazda Bongo
Useful travel gifts for kids
The best ALTERNATIVE European city breaks with kids
