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International
Why premium small-group holidays are winning over families
This content is produced as part of a paid partnership with Intrepid.
For families wanting meaningful travel without the hard work, premium small-group tours offer comfort, connection and expertly planned adventures.
For many families, the appeal of a holiday is not just the destination, but the chance to spend time together away from everyday routines, share new experiences and make travel feel manageable for different ages and interests.
Small-group tours are one option families may consider when they want the reassurance of an organised itinerary without losing the sense of discovery that makes travel memorable.
Intrepid has recently launched eight new Premium Family trips that offer families an opportunity to deepen their experience in more comfort. Each of the Premium Family adventures in Costa Rica, Borneo, Sri Lanka, India, Morocco, Vietnam, Egypt and Thailand includes accommodation and experiences designed around the needs of both adults and children.
RACV Members save on family holidays when they book through RACV Travel and Experiences
A father and daughter plant elephant grass near the Kinabatangan River in Borneo, supporting local conservation efforts as part of an Intrepid Premium Family adventure.
Why families are choosing small-group travel
Family holidays often work best when there is enough structure to reduce decision-making, but enough flexibility for children and adults to rest, explore and enjoy the destination at their own pace.
Parents are often balancing work, finances, school routines and the everyday logistics of family life, so a successful holiday usually needs to feel enjoyable without becoming another source of planning pressure. Practical considerations such as food, room configurations, transport, activity levels and downtime can make a significant difference.
That is one reason families may be drawn to small-group travel. Having accommodation, transport and key activities organised in advance can reduce the mental load, while travelling with other families can also give children opportunities to make friends along the way.
Why premium family travel is on the rise
Many parents and grandparents are placing more emphasis on shared experiences when planning family holidays. A holiday can offer extended families a chance to spend uninterrupted time together, particularly when the itinerary has been designed to suit different generations.
Erica Kritikides, General Manager of Experiences at Intrepid, says the Premium Family trips are designed to balance comfort with the immersive style of travel families may be seeking.
“Holidays are important,” she says. “Parents need a bit of rest and to feel pampered. These Premium Family trips balance that well. You get that brilliant immersive travel experience that Intrepid is really good at providing, and you get that additional layer of ‘I’m on holidays’.
“It’s just as much fun to experience these places with your kids as it is to share that social element with other families.”
Families can unwind in premium accommodation on Gaya Island as part of Intrepid’s Premium Family trip in Malaysian Borneo.
What makes Intrepid’s Premium Family trips different?
Every aspect of the Premium Family trips has been curated with families of all ages in mind. Each property has been specially selected, too. Intrepid looks carefully at features like whether the property has a pool, particularly in hot locations. A real hallmark of experiences within the Premium Family trips is that they are interactive. Children can learn to cook, kayak or create art in different environments.
Because these are small group adventures, the tour leader can regularly check in with everyone. If someone needs a rest, or has special requirements, the group is small enough to manage those differing needs across the journey.
The small group size also means that families can do activities that can be harder with bigger groups. For example, on the Costa Rica trip families visit the Maleku people. This is one of the world's smallest indigenous groups with only about 600 people left in the community. Travellers share a meal with Maleku families and learn about their local traditions. On this same trip, families also stay in a rainforest lodge overlooking volcanoes and take a sunset snorkelling cruise along the Papagayo coastline.
On the Premium Family adventure in India, families can take part in a Bollywood dancing session on a rooftop overlooking Jaipur’s Pink City, before staying in a royal Rajasthani palace. In Vietnam, the itinerary includes a jungle trek, time to swim in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and an overnight stay on a vessel in Halong Bay.
How do these trips make travel easier for families?
Family groupings vary, and Intrepid recognises that it is not just catering to nuclear families. Single parents embrace these trips, as do ‘skip-gen’ families, where grandparents travel with grandchildren while the children’s parents stay at home.
One of the common challenges of family travel is not just planning and organising the trip, but keeping children engaged each day.
“On tours, the kids make friends with the other kids in the group,” says Erica. Within the first day and a half of her last family trip, the children had formed genuine connections.
“It was interesting to see that the different ages of the kids didn’t have a huge impact. The group dynamic comes together, almost irrespective of age.”
She says when children learn and discover the world with friends, they’re often more open to the tour’s planned activities. “They’re excited to go kayaking because they want to see their new friends and be in a boat with them, which takes the focus off you as a parent as well,” says Erica.
The importance of the relationships children build with local tour leaders shouldn’t be underestimated. When children respond well to guides and other trusted adults, it can help make the holiday feel easier for parents, too.
“Intrepid leaders are all incredible people who love these trips, and they want to lead family trips. They’re great with kids, so parents are not the only voices of authority, and it certainly is incredibly helpful,” Erica says.
Families share tea during a local lunch in Morocco, one of the cultural experiences included on Intrepid’s Premium Family trips.
What do parents and kids get out of the experience?
Erica has been on family adventures with her own children and on multi-generational trips with her mother and mother-in-law. She says each tour gives her family an opportunity to bond and create memories, while helping her children become thoughtful travellers who travel with intention and a light footprint.
“There are cooking classes, workshops, and encounters at wildlife sanctuaries. These trips really just have so many different types of experiences," she says. "So, no matter what your interests are as a traveller, these trips can cater to them. Intrepid tries to ensure you'll interact with food, you'll have some form of an active adventure, whether that's snorkelling or cycling or trekking, and you'll get involved in a making workshop of some form, so you have a really good raft of different experiences along the way.”
“We're tailoring these trips to the needs that we know families have, what we know will inspire them, what we know that will engage the kids, and we've designed the pace of them in a way that means there is enough free time and downtime, whilst also making sure that we're helping you to make the most of your time when you're in this destination and on the road.”
Why does booking through RACV Travel & Experiences add value?
Planning a family holiday can involve many moving parts, from flights and accommodation to transfers, travel insurance and pre- or post-trip arrangements.
Speaking with a travel agent at RACV Travel & Experiences can help families think through the practical details, choose an option that suits their budget, travel style and the ages of the people travelling, and get guidance if they need more information or their plans need to change.
RACV Members can save on Premium Family tours when they book through RACV Travel & Experiences
A father and son spot wildlife along Borneo’s Kinabatangan River on an Intrepid Premium Family trip.
How to start planning your Intrepid family holiday
A good starting point is to agree on the kind of holiday the family wants: relaxed or active, nature-based or culture-focused, close to home or further afield. It can also help to consider the youngest traveller’s stamina, whether grandparents or extended family members are joining, and how much free time the itinerary allows.
The Premium Family itineraries are set in advance, with core inclusions designed to appeal to different ages and interests. Schedules also allow regular opportunities for downtime, while optional activities may be available in some destinations for families who want to do more.
