Travel Inspiration

Multigenerational Custom Travel in the 21st Century

Witnessing a herd of wild elephants for the first time, experiencing rural life in a remote village, and watching a tribe welcome your family to theirs are inspiring encounters that all ages can appreciate. By introducing your family to the art of travel, you create the space and time for everyone to grow closer, learn from each other and see the world from different perspectives.

Below are five examples of the multigenerational family journeys that our Luxury Custom Travel department has produced for some of our guests.

Galápagos tortoise, Santa Cruz, the Galápagos

Nature’s Greatest Theme Park: Galápagos Islands

One of our consultants was asked to develop a private nine-day voyage through Ecuador’s famed Galápagos Islands for a large family of 27, ranging in age from five to 72. Traveling from island to island aboard a privately chartered yacht, their journey incorporated fun junior park ranger training for the kids, and wildlife-packed age-appropriate nature hikes, snorkeling and kayak expeditions for all led by a naturalist guide. With plenty of time to reflect on their shared experiences, the family ate all of their meals together—perhaps for the first time ever—and learned firsthand how Charles Darwin's Galápagos research gave birth to the theory of evolution.

Five Countries, Five Generations

A guest requested an intriguing family journey through Thailand, India, the Seychelles, South Africa and Dubai. The 18-member family, ranging in age from 12 to 70, flew from country to country via a privately chartered Embraer Lineage 100 jet. The kids learned how to command an elephant on a mahout training course in Thailand. visited a cheetah orphanage, went cage diving with great white sharks in South Africa, and off-roading in Dubai's sand dunes. The adults relaxed at the luxury resorts, practiced yogic meditation in India and tasted world-class wines with sommeliers. Together, the whole family took cooking classes, discovered Thailand's remote hill tribes, deep-sea fished in the Seychelles, and witnessed the Big Five on a private game reserve in South Africa.

Exploring Family Heritage in Ireland

Four related guests requested a 13-day journey for the family to explore their Irish heritage. With stops throughout Ireland, the journey we planned for the 27-member group aboard a privately chartered Boeing 757 was guided by our veteran expedition leader Richard Butler. Activities included castle tours, private whiskey tastings for the adults, gorgeous lodgings with private breakfast rooms, nature hikes fit for any age, scavenger hunts and a historical-themed costume dinner party. In between adventures among Ireland’s most engaging destinations, they participated in a fun and educational mini Saint Patrick’s Team Challenge and ate all their dinners together—including a spectacular farewell dinner, featuring Irish musicians and dancers and Irish games for all ages.

Victoria Falls to the Dead Sea by Private Jet

Custom itineraries for large families always benefit from the use of a privately chartered jet. For example, we developed a luxurious 19-day multi-country private jet journey for an extended family of 16. They took in the mighty Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and gathered for twice-daily safaris in Botswana. In the Maldives, kids took surfing lessons and snorkeled, while adults went deep-sea fishing and scuba diving on a chartered yacht. In northern Thailand, they had the run of an entire luxury camp to themselves, took a private Mekong River cruise and participated in a game of elephant polo in northern Thailand. The journey concluded in Jordan, where our family of guests snorkeled and dove in the Red Sea, explored the Lost City of Petra on foot and horseback and floated in the Dead Sea.

A Father-and-Son Alpine Adventure

A client requested a 14-day custom Alpine adventure he could share with his18-year-old son. With stops throughout Switzerland and Italy’s famed Alps, this father-son journey included a number of exciting outdoor activities, from skiing and hiking to 4,000-foot long toboggan runs, cliff walks and high-altitude ropes courses. In between adventures among numerous mountain ranges and glaciers, they explored a chocolate factory, Switzerland’s famed Swiss Army knife factory, and specialty shops and restaurants everywhere from Zurich to Zermatt.