Intrepid Travel: What Makes a Great Family Tour in 2026/2027

Choosing the right family holiday isn't just about the destination - it's about finding the right style of travel for your family.

In this episode of the Family Holiday Destinations podcast, Jessica chats with Erica Kritikides, General Manager of Experiences at Intrepid Travel, about what makes a truly memorable family tour and why guided holidays are evolving to meet the needs of modern families.

From balancing adventure with downtime to creating authentic cultural experiences that both parents and children enjoy, this episode explores how thoughtfully designed itineraries can take the stress out of travelling while helping families connect more deeply with the destinations they visit.

Jessica and Erica discuss:

• What families are looking for from guided holidays in 2026 and beyond
• Why Intrepid launched its new Premium Family range
• How to balance comfort with authentic travel experiences
• The role local tour leaders play in creating memorable holidays
• Why slower-paced itineraries often lead to better family experiences
• How guided tours help families experience destinations like India with confidence
• Why free time is just as important as organised activities
• How travelling with other families can enhance the experience for children
• What parents should look for when choosing a family tour

Plus:

• The latest family travel news, including Quest Apartment Hotels' success in Tripadvisor's Best of the Best awards.
• This month's travel tip on choosing a family tour that suits your family's travel style.

Links:

• Why More Families Are Choosing Quest Apartment Hotels for Their Australian Holidays
• Intrepid Launches New Premium Family Tours With Small-Group Adventures Across Asia, Africa and Beyond
• Why an Intrepid Bali Family Tour Changed The Way I Think About Family Travel

Transcript

Welcome and Introduction

Jessica 0:05

Welcome to the Family Holiday Destinations podcast, where we explore the destinations, trends, and ideas shaping modern family travel. I'm Jessica Palmer, mother of two and founder of Family Holiday Destinations.

Jessica 0:20

Today, we're exploring what makes a great family tour in 2026 and beyond. More families than ever are looking for experiences over sightseeing, meaningful connections over rushed itineraries, and holidays that are enjoyable for parents as well as kids.

Jessica 0:39

Later in this episode, I'll be joined by Erica, General Manager of Experiences at Intrepid Travel, who leads the team responsible for designing Intrepid's trips around the world. We'll chat about how family travel is evolving, why premium family tours are becoming increasingly popular, and what really goes into creating an unforgettable family holiday.

Travel News - Quest Apartment Hotels

Jessica 1:02 Jessica 1:02

 But first, here's a quick look at what's happening in family travel this month.

Jessica 1:02 Jessica 1:14

Quest Department Hotels has had an incredible year with six properties named among Australia's top 10 hotels in TripAdvisor's 2026 Traveller's Choice Awards. What's particularly impressive is that five out of those six hotels aren't located in Capital City CBDs, highlighting a growing trend towards regional travel.

Jessica 1:39

Family apartment accommodation continues to be incredibly popular because it gives parents more space, kitchen facilities, and separate bedrooms while travelling. If you'd like to read more about that story, you'll find it now on the Family Holiday Destinations website.

Travel News - Aurora Expeditions

Jessica 2:11

Aurora Expeditions has announced that children aged 6 and over are now welcome aboard its expedition cruies. Opening up destinations like Antarctica, the Arctic, and other remote regions to more adventurous families. The company says it's about giving children the opportunity to experience wildlife, culture, and conservation firsthand rather than simply learning about them in a classroom. I mean, if they've never experienced it, how will they ever feel the urge to protect it, right?

Jessica 2:37

It's another example of the growing trend we're seeing towards immersive family travel experiences, rather than traditional sightseeing holidays.

Interview Introduction - Erica Kritikides, Intrepid

Jessica 2:54

Speaking of immersive travel experiences, today's guest knows more about designing family adventures than just about anyone. Erica Kritikides is the general manager of experiences at Intrepid Travel and leads the team responsible for creating the company's tours around the world. Recently, Intrepid launched a new range of premium family adventures after extensive research into what modern families actually want from a holiday.

Jessica 3:24

You can read more about this on the Family Holiday Destinations website also. I sat down with Erica to find out what they've learned, why guided family tours are growing so quickly, and what really makes a great family holiday in 2026 and beyond.

Q1. Why a new dedicated premium family range?

Jessica 4:11

Intrepid already had more than 50 family tours. What made you decide there was a need for a dedicated premium family range?

Erica 4:11

Alright, thats a really great place to start. So, you're right to say that Intrepid had family small group tours for over a decade, and we have been growing that range pretty consistently over that time. Our core product or our core type of trip is a touring trip with accommodation around sort of that three-star mark, really strong emphasis on immersive experiences that speak to both what parents will be interested to in, but particularly also what kids of all ages might be inspired by as well.

Erica 4:38

Mix of private and public transport. And so a really good mix, but sort of sitting at that three-star level. Over time, we've created other types of family trips. So we have more active family trips, we have trips for teenagers, which I think you might be familiar with.

Jessica 4:57

Yes. Yes. Absolutely amazing.

Erica 4:59

We've been seeing this range grow for some time. And last year we had an incredible growth. The range grew within a single year around 20%. And so we thought we've really got to figure out what's going on with our family customers.

Erica 5:12

So we did some in-depth research to really understand what it was that was driving our family, small group tour customers. And it was so interesting what we found. Firstly, we understood the motivations for family travelers generally. They are looking for a frictionless travel experience.

Jessica 5:32

They want ease.

Erica 5:33

You and I are both parents, so we know why.

Jessica 5:35

I want ease.

Erica 5:39

They're looking for help in destinations that need more than a DIY holiday. Yes. So people are willing to go to places that might be a bit tricky, but um, they identify that certain places are harder than others, and this is where we come in very, very much so.

Erica 5:58

Social chemistry, super important. So families really interested in traveling with other families. Crucially, though, one size doesn't fit all. So we had these different styles of family trips, but we could see that there was a type of trip missing in this research.

Erica 6:16

It indicated that there was a group of families, a cohort of families that were looking for a slightly higher accommodation offering, um, level of comfort offering than what we currently had. And so it was just such a great opportunity, particularly because Intrepid already has a really strong range of premium tours in our regular portfolio, that we introduced that style of travel for our families as well.

Erica 6:42

This is all about creating diversity. We recognize that there's different types of families looking for different types of holidays, including families looking for a more premium type of experience. And I think you and I know, you know, family holiday time is so precious, but it also needs to feel like a holiday as well. And that's really focused on with these premium family tours, is that all of that fantastic immersive immersive travel that you get with any intrepid trip, but there's that additional layer of comfort, um, relaxation, particularly at the end of the day when you get to your accommodation.

Jessica 7:25

Yeah, because for a parent, traveling with kids can feel like a chore. You know, there's no two ways about it. They still fight, they still breathe the same air and look at each other the wrong way. And it's it's it's really nice.

Erica 7:40

They do that, but on holidays are not problems. They still do that on a family trip as well.

Jessica 7:46

But I think so it's really nice to have someone take care of the rest of it for you for it to feel like a holiday.

Erica 7:53

I I think that's I think that's right. With any family small group tour, you've got that advantage of being able to genuinely give yourself over to having that experience in a destination because you are not thinking about how am I going to get from A to B? Have we bought the train ticket. Where is this hotel I'm supposed to be staying at in this place I've never been to before?

Erica 8:21

You know, these family tours are led by um intrepid local leaders who know these places, like the back of their hand. They live and breathe these places. And so having someone on the ground able not only to take care of all of those travel arrangements, but also to make that trip special for our families is so important.

Erica 8:45

When we design a family trip, we think um really carefully about firstly what we include in it. So we're obviously thinking about what experiences can we include in these trips that will um appeal to both parents and children. But we're equally thinking very much about how we pace those itineraries, making sure that we're building in free time. And that free time's important for relaxation, for time out. Oh, absolutely. It is, isn't it? But it's equally important. So families can also, within a structured itinerary, can customize their own experience. And the local leader, the intrepid leader, comes in at that moment. Because if you're not quite sure what to do, you've never been to this place before, you've got someone there who can help with recommendations. You know, what do I need to say to the taxi driver to get from A to B and back again?

Jessica 9:40

Yes, hopefully. Absolutely.

Erica 9:43

Um, I've had many uh situations where my um intrepid leaders written me a nice little note to hand to my uh my taxi driver to help me get um to where I need to go. So very, very important for those suggestions and to help our families not only have a terrific trip as they've read in terms of their itinerary before they go, but to be also able to make that trip really special to them and meet some of the potential experience highlights that they've been thinking about that may or may not be in the itinerary already.

Q2. What are the differences between a regular and a premium family tour?

Erica 10:14 Jessica 10:14

Yeah. So on our intrepid trip to Bali, the level of it was just a regular trip, not the premium. And the level of accommodation was quite high, I thought. So, what what are the main differences between the regular family tours and the new premium range?

Erica 10:32

Absolutely. So, with our regular family tours, you're absolutely right. We pay very close attention to the quality of the accommodation we use on any trip. Um, for our family trips, um, our normal standard is around that three-star. We also really focus on where we need to. Um, amenities like pools can be particularly important for families in in hot destinations, particularly. Um, I've seen many a travel day where the kids have got back to the hotel and it's straight in the pool. Fantastic decompression device at the pool.

Erica 11:06

Um when it comes to our premium trips, the accommodations sit around that four to five star level. And every single trip includes what we call a feature stay. Now, these feature stays are in and of themselves an experience.

Jessica 11:24 Erica 11:25 Erica 11:25

Okay, they're like a special accommodation?  

Erica 11:28

A special accommodation, and we choose our feature stays on the basis that they're immersing you in the local environment. They might be in a property with a particular history to it, or they might reflect the local architecture. So they've been specially selected just to elevate that accommodation experience within our premium trips. And we then make sure that we've got enough time in the itinerary so that you're also going to enjoy staying at that accommodation as well.

Jessica 11:59

So I noticed in the Borneo one that you're actually staying in an overwater bungalow at some stage. I must tell you its a bucket list item for so many families.

Erica 12:13

You've just shared it. The Borneo trip is wonderful. As you say, um uh you stay in an overwater bungalow uh on uh Gaia Island, but in addition, as you're staying in this place, you take part in coral plantic workshops with a marine expert as well. So the accommodation and the experience sort of become part of the overall trip. And so yeah, the um so that's the key difference is really um for families having that choice about what matters to them on a trip.

Erica 12:48

For some families, you know, that level of accommodation, it's just not material to their decision making. And for others, it's really crucial and it's part of their holiday experience. And so we're just really excited now to be able to offer that broader range of choice, particularly because we know that this is a growing segment of travel.

Erica 13:10

And if I look back to the start and the research that we did last year that surfaced this opportunity for a higher, higher standard of accommodation for our family travelers, the other really interesting thing it surfaced was that there is very low awareness broadly about the existence of small group family travel.

Erica 13:32

So we interviewed a big subsection of customers. I can't remember the numbers, but it was in the thousands. And only 14% of the people that we interviewed were aware that small group adventure family trips existed at all.

Jessica 13:47

Yes.

Erica 13:51

When we explained the concept to them, over 70% of the people that we surveyed said, that sounds amazing. Where can I sign up for that?

Erica 13:59

So this is this is a style of travel that, yes, we can see it I ntrepid is growing, but there is so much more growth, I think, to come out of um small group venture trips for families, because they do offer that opportunity to pick up your travel where it might have stopped in your 20s and 30s because you thought you couldn't do that type of travel with kids. And all of a sudden, this makes that type of travel accessible again. And that to me is so exciting.

Erica 14:31

As a passionate traveler myself, and you're clearly the same. This this is such an unlock, I think, for so many people who hadn't realized that this type of travel is absolutely possible with your kids. And not only that, you get to see your children evolve as travelers. You get to see them become travelers themselves. You know, you see them express that curiosity, ask really unusual questions.

Erica 15:00

I love when my kids ask questions on trips. They're never questions I would have thought to ask. And it makes sense wherever I am or whatever I'm doing, often in a completely different way. Um, and I've I've been lucky to do a number of uh trips with my kids. Um I'm a mum of an eight-year-old and a 13-year-old now, and we've all been traveling together since they were about six. And my memories of their engagement with things, so not actually doing the thing, but actually watching them do something, whether that was make dumplings or seeing an elephant cross their path, you know, a hundred paces ahead, these are the memories I carry with me, probably more so than my own. Um, and it is incredibly special to be able to do that with your kids and see that fascination dawn and see them realize that it's a very big wide world out there and they're just starting their journey

Q3. Research shows families are prioritising experiences. How has that changed the way Intrepid designs family itineraries?

Erica 15:56

within it.  

Jessica 15:57

Yeah. The experiences are important. And your research has certainly found that families are increasingly prioritizing that connection and shared experiences over simply ticking off attractions, and certainly other research is showing that as well, that it's a big thing at the moment. How has that changed the way Intrepid designs family itineraries?

Erica 16:22

Um, I don't know if it's necessarily changed the way we design itineraries. But Intrepid has always been about the experiences, hasn't it? Our tagline for many years was real life experience. And I think in many ways that continues to live on live on in the way that we we approach the creation of our trips. We're very much about uh providing our travelers with the opportunity to connect meaningfully and deeply with local culture, with local people, not just see things passively, but to be involved in them, to feel like they belong.

Erica 17:00

And a big part of that is our local intrepid leaders who come from the destinations where we travel. And I think a real hallmark of what our leaders are able to provide on our family trip speaks to that element of experiential travel. Um, it's one thing to see a monument, but seeing it along someone who lives in the place and understands the significance of that place, not only for you, but for the destination where you are, is really special. And to hear, you know, their stories. They might have traveled there on a school trip when they were, you know, 12.

Erica 17:37

Um, that type of thing really, I think brings a destination and a culture alive in a completely different way. And so I think what what's special about our family trips and getting back to your initial question is that the local leader, the fact that trip logistics are all taken care of for you, allows both parents and kids to be in the moment. And I think that's what people are looking for. That's what's resonating with travel today is people are wanting to move away from list ticking and the stress that that entails to just wanting to be in the moment.

Erica 18:17

And the thing about family trips is that if you've got a local leader there that's looking after the details, you know that you've got a pace of travel that makes doing a trip and seeing these different things a bit more relaxed. You're able to sit back and just enjoy it.

Jessica 18:33

Yeah, I found that on our intrepid trip that it was really easy to be in the moment because everything else was taken care of. And so I wasn't stressed about how we were going to get to the next place or where we were staying, or even you know what we were gonna eat, if my kids were gonna eat it. You know, that was all gonna that was all taken care of. Yeah, it was very easy to then devote my attention to them and my husband rather than doing the mother thing all the time. And that was just really yeah, a huge win for me.

Erica 19:07 Jessica 19:07 Jessica 19:07

I think um when I reflect on your question as well and thinking about what makes family trips, small group trips special, I think the aspect that you are doing it with other families, you know, you're experiencing things with other families in some ways does deepen the experience. Um, what I've observed on family trips that I've done is that not only is doing the experience really special, but because you're traveling with other families, it might be after you've completed the experience, you know, you might be at dinner. There's that opportunity to debrief with other people. You know, what have we done? What made that special? Getting different perspectives on the experience.

Jessica 19:55

And also watching the kids have that experience, not only with us as their parents, as grown-ups, but see them have that experience with their peers. I also think helps really solidify what they're doing for them as well. Again, because it's not a passive experience, it's very much active and doing and talking about it, and particularly with their peers when the kids come together, they have a very different experience and very different discussions often than the parents do. And may that to me is a really distinct aspect of these trips.

Jessica 20:31

Traveling with other families, I suspect, for people who haven't done small group adventure travel and haven't done small group adventure travel with families before. I think traveling with other families can sometimes seem a bit daunting, you know. Oh my gosh, you know, A, am I going to like the other families? Am I gonna get on? Are my kids gonna get on? Are my kids gonna embarrass me? In the case of me, it's always yes, yeah, mind you. I'm gonna tell you, I and look, you've you've obviously experienced this.

Jessica 21:02

The first time I I went on a family trip, I thought, this can't be true. I hear that kids, you know, make friends and you know, all the parents become friends. And I was a little bit skeptical, and I work here, so there we are. And do you know what? I I was blown away. It happened, and it's happened consistently on every family trip I've done.

Jessica 21:22

The group really does bond together. You know, you do uh it's really pleasurable meeting other people, uh, other parents on trips. You know, you've got people to have a glass of wine with perhaps at the end of the day, or you know, you do become quite collegiate in the way that you you hang together as a group, but the kids do form bonds. And the fascinating thing to me was seeing kids form bonds across ages.

Jessica 21:47

So it really isn't about the eight year olds become friends and the 14 year olds become friends. You do see these bonds created across the age groups as they Journey through the trip together and they create their own little groups and come together as a big group. I mean, I'm I'm thinking of an experience we had. In fact, I've had a number of times where at times the kids have fully separated and they've gone in their own tuk-tuks without the parents. And the parents have just been left behind in their own group separately. Our kids definitely, yeah, our kids had their own mini-bus and they loved it. It was part of the fun for them to, I guess, to separate from us and you know be able to do those fun things and talk how they wanted on the bus. Yes, without without mum and dad listening. Yeah.

Erica 22:36

And look, the the beauty of it is, I guess, in an environment like a small group adventure, particularly where you've got a local leader with you, you feel like you're able to do that in a safe environment. Yes, absolutely. Um on my own. But when you've got people around you, um, the kids have got peers that they trust and you you know um you're within good local hands, it does make those types of experiences much more accessible.

Erica 23:02

And for kids, they're really formative because that's the first time they might have been away from you in another country. And and it's you know, it's just these subtle growth experiences that you're able to have on trips as well, which I think is really exciting.

Q4. What are the non-negotiables when designing a family trip?

Jessica 23:17

Yeah. So when the team sits down to design a family tour, what are the non-negotiables?

Erica 23:24

All right. Um, this is a really great question. So uh our family trips are designed by parents, unsurprisingly, which does definitely give them an advantage when they're they're thinking about the type of itinerary that will work for families. The first thing we're thinking about is the type of experiences and having a diversity of experiences within our family trips that we know will appeal to parents and kids. And we lean very much towards things that will immerse and allow kids and parents to be active, to have active involvement, things like cooking classes or workshops that help people get hands-on.

Erica 24:04

We know wildlife experiences frankly resonate strongly with travelers generally, but particularly with kids. There's just something that we've been all about. Being in nature and seeing wildlife in its natural state. And there's some really beautiful experiences in our new premium trips, thinking about places like Costa Rica, places like Borneo, you know, cruising along the Kinabatangan River, looking out for pygmy elephants, you know, wildlife experiences are often very, very prominent in our trips.

Erica 24:35

We want to always provide the ability to interact meaningfully with local people and local culture. So there's always opportunities where you're talking with people from that culture. It's not just moving through a place and watching, it's it's trying to get that direct experience and storytelling. And storytelling, that's so crucial. It's crucial to all our trips, but so much so for our family trips. That's ultimately what the kids and parents will take away. The kids, my kids still retell stories they heard their leaders um tell them on trips, which is really beautiful to see.

Erica 25:13

So the types of inclusions, the second thing we think about very much is pacing, making sure that we are maximizing the time of a family to see a place properly and not too rushed, and making sure I mentioned before, that there's enough space for downtime, for having your own family experiences. If you do want to peel off and there's been something in particular you want to do in a place, so pacing, absolutely crucial.

Jessica 25:42

We we really loved that about Intrepid because we had a few afternoons free where we could just like walk into town and check things out. And I have an 11-year-old daughter, and she's quite moody. She just came out like that. I don't know where it came from, but she does she does require downtime. So it was really good to have that.

Erica 26:05

Uh, absolutely. And look, speaking of downtime, you know, when we do look at things like accommodation, and I've mentioned this already, you are thinking about the types of accommodations that will work well for families.

Erica 26:17

Now at Intrepid, we focus strongly on locally owned accommodations, and we that does tend to mean that we're not looking at very large chain hotels, but we do look for properties where we can ideally get rooms next to each other. Can we get triple room configurations? We're also looking at things like, as I mentioned before, you know, pools, just so there is the ability in hot destinations for for kids in particular to cool off and to decompress, which is sounds like a small thing, but we actually do find can be quite impactful, particularly when it comes to that downtime.

Erica 26:52

Other crucial elements in these trips, our groups are small. So our maximum group size is around 16 to 18. So it's really probably a maximum of three to four families traveling together within a single group. Um, that's important for a couple of reasons. The first is it means you're able to get more time with your local leader, so it's a bit more of a tailored experience. The second thing is if you're in a smaller group, you are able to do things that are harder for bigger groups, whether that's access a particular local restaurant or go into a family's home for a lunch and just travel with a slightly lighter footprint as a group.

Erica 27:33

Um, so the small group aspect is crucial. It also means that it's a quite a nice intimate size for families and kids to get to know each other. So it's not a huge group. It's you know, you're not trying to sort of find your people, your people are right there with you. Yes, they are. Yes. And you know, after the first day or two, um, where people sort of, you know, easing in, getting to know each other. But day three, oh my gosh, it's like you've all grown up together.

Jessica 28:00

You've already bonded over a few experiences by then. Yeah.

Erica 28:07

And the final thing that we look at really closely after we've designed the itinerary is that leader, that intrepid leader that's just so crucial to the experience. Our family leaders are really special people. They've got empathy, they've got patience, they're fun, and they know how to mediate and modulate between speaking to a child on their level about stuff they're interested in as if you're grown-up and you know, potentially answering completely different sets of questions.

Erica 28:39

And having watched a number of our family trip leaders, I continually marvel at their ability to do just that and also show such care towards my kids, for instance, who aren't their own, um, and really how much they want the kids in particular to have a meaningful experience in their destination. So they're just, I can't overstate enough how much they bring bring to that experience. Absolutely.

Jessica 29:10

And that was certainly my experience of it too. Our trip leader Guna in Bali was just amazing. And he definitely had the experience to know when to push the kids a little bit out of their comfort zone. And I thought that was just amazing. Yeah. That's that's such an example, yeah.

Q5. How do you balance activities that will appeal to both parents and kids?

Jessica 29:30

So, how do you balance the experiences that appeal to kids while still making sure the parents are having a good time as well? I find when I'm talking to even like tourism boards, if they're organizing like a Famil or something, they tend to think that you want to stand around and watch your kid on a playground all day. And parents don't want to do that, it's boring. So, and I know Intrepid doesn't do that, but how do you balance that so that we're all having a good time and not just the kids?

Erica 29:59

100%. It's about being active, and I don't mean that necessarily in terms of getting on a bike, although you know there are quite fun um sites. Yeah, we certainly but it is really thinking about experiences that involve you. So you're doing something.

Erica 30:17

So whether that is a cycling tour around um, gosh, the beautiful, I'm thinking about so many different beautiful cycling tours I've done, I can't even pick one. But doing a cycling or a walking tour or doing a cooking class or doing a workshop, these are things where you're actually actively involved and participating, as opposed to things where you're passive and watching and sitting down watching.

Erica 30:40

Yeah. So I think there's probably less of a chasm between what grown-ups like and what kids like. When I think about practically some of the experiences that I've loved best as a family, I think I would equally love on my own, you know, whether that's a what a wildlife type experience where you're seeing something in nature and just marveling at it, eating something absolutely delicious. These are things that parents and kids can both enjoy.

Erica 31:10

And I think we all surprise ourselves when we go on these trips because you do realize that there's probably less of a difference between what parents and kids are into when you actually look at those experiences. But yeah, I would say if there's anything that binds them together, it's that you're doing something, whether that's eating or being in nature or being active or learning a craft or um learning to make something, they are the experiences I think that um unify parents and kids.

Q6. Why do guided experiences work so well for families?

Jessica 31:42

So I had a look at some of the trips online and they all look amazing. But with this new range, India really stood out to me because the travel times were quite minimal. And I've always been a bit nervous about tackling this particular destination independently. So for families who might be a little nervous about traveling to India or even another destination, why does it work so well as a guided family experience?

Erica 32:11

You've picked one of my favorite countries, and I shouldn't have favourite. India truly is amazing, and I do encourage you to go. We spoke earlier about the research that we did and the feedback from both our customers in this research being that people are really interested in group travel, particularly where they feel a destination might be logistically complex or where DIY travel might feel a bit risky or draining.

Erica 32:38

And India is a destination, which I think for many people does feel a bit that way. And it's been a top 10 destination for intrepid travel for many, many years because of it. Um we're perceived to really solve a lot of those problems for travelers wanting to visit India.

Erica 32:56

The India Golden Triangle Premium Trip is such a great one. It's eight days, so it's not particularly long. So if people ask for time to small group family travel and they wanted to give something a taste, you know, eight days is not a long time, and it's such a great entree, I think, in such an incredible destination.

Erica 33:17

Um, India's culture, food, wildlife monuments is it really does place it as one of the great destinations of the world. This particular trip covers that famous Golden Triangle. So you have uh the trip commencing in Delhi, uh the capital of Delhi. It's where the trip finishes, uh, starts and finishes. The trip goes to the Taj Mahal, which is as majestic as it appears in the images in Agra. You then go on to the royal pink city of Jaipur. Um, there's two safari experiences. And look, this is a trip where we've talked about pacing. You know, there's a couple of days in each city, so there's enough time to sort of get your bearings, do your sightseeing without feeling rushed. There's first class train rides where you can see the beauty of the rural countryside, but you're really comfortable as you're traveling from A to B.

Jessica 34:12

Yeah, that was one of the things I liked about it because um I live in rural Queensland, so train travel is not a thing. And so it's always very exciting for us to be able to go on a train.

Erica 34:24

Indian trains are very exciting by nature, but I must say the first the first class ones are um uh not a bad place to be. Um, when you talk when we're talking about experiences before, this is a great trip to talk about the types of experiences that unite parents and kids. Some of the highlights on this trip. Um, you do a Bollywood dance class in Jaipur. Um, you're doing wildlife safaris. There's a a cooking class in a local family's home on this trip. All the logistics, the planning, where to eat. Um, there's some VIP entry passes and on this trip, including on, I think, an e-rickshaw, we we have a transfer in this as well.

Erica 35:07

So you're um you're getting those local transport experiences as well. This trip really does represent the best of what our premium trips are about. The features stay on this trip. You're staying in a Rajasthani palace. I mean, it's the type of thing that you know sparks a child's imagination as much as it does a parent's, you know. So it's um I would say don't wait, jump on. Fantastic choice. You've fantastic.

Q7. How do you introduce responsible travel to kids without making it feel like a lesson?

Jessica 35:37

So Intrepid has built its reputation around responsible travel. How do you introduce these ideas to the kids without making it feel like a lesson?

Erica 35:47

Oh, this is such a good question. Um, Intrepid Travel is a business really founded on that concept of responsible travel, sustainable travel. We talk about it a lot within our business, and we pride ourselves very much on walking the walk in this space. When it comes to our family trips, I think they provide a really great platform for kids learning what it means to be a responsible traveler. But as you say, it's not about teaching them like in a classroom.

Erica 36:21

Kids learn how to be a good, responsible traveler on a trip like this by observing others, by observing how their leader instructs the group around how to be courteous in the local culture. That might be following the local dress code. Um, that might be how you greet other people. Equally, how to be sustainable. It might be that they're observing the use of reusable water bottles as opposed to buying disposable water bottles all the time, might be using a reusable tote bag instead of um using plastic bags.

Erica 36:57

These are conversations that we have on trips without it being preachy, I suppose, is a word. Um, and I think kids observe that. And if you're setting those habits at a really young age, they're habits that you take with you as a traveler through life. And I actually really love the fact that through intrepid family trips, we're probably incubating the next generation of sustainable, responsible travelers. Absolutely.

Jessica 37:24

Yes.

Q8. What qualities do you look for when recruiting family trip leaders?

Jessica 37:26

So tour leaders came through strongly in your research as a make or break factor. What makes a great family tour leader and what qualities do you look for when you're recruiting them?

Erica 37:39

I've already touched on this, they're so important. So I'm not surprised that I have. Our family trip leaders are special humans. They are ready for anything, they're adaptable. Um, and I mentioned it before. They're able to tailor a trip both to the interests of parents as well as to kids.

Erica 38:00

They're able to also move around the group really effectively. Um, we used an example earlier about how um I had a time when all the kids got on the the took, their own tuk-tooks, and the parents were in another one. Um, on that particular instance, the leader took the initiative to go with the kids. They were with that in that scenario. So they know how to manage the group dynamics and they are really different for family, for family groups.

Erica 38:29

And by the end of it, you actually find that the bond that's been forged between a family leader and their group is incredibly strong. It could be quite sad actually saying goodbye at the end of the trip, as much for the grown-ups as for the kids. Um, I must say, like I even thinking back now to some of those sort of goodbye experiences, they could be quite emotional, which is um yeah, they are testament to the special role that that the family leaders play in our world.

Erica 38:59

They're able to create an environment that's really inclusive. Part of the job of a family leader is making sure that everyone feels engaged and involved in the travel experience. They're your host, they're everyone's host. And the family leaders' job in particular, managing across such a broad age range is a really particular one. And I think they do it unbelievably well. And I say that recognizing that on our family trips, um, you might have, you know, a child of six or seven through to a grandparent that might be, you know, 76, 77 years old. So you generally do have a very broad um span of ages on these trips.

Erica 39:43

Families come in all um shapes and sizes. Um, we have solo parent travelers, we have grandparents traveling with grandkids, we have multi-generational families, as well as, you know, mom, dad, and two kids. So when you're thinking about what the leader is managing in terms of that social dynamic, um it's a really special skill to be able to um to make that happen and bring all those people together to ultimately have a journey across a destination that will stick with people for years and years and years.

Jessica 40:16

Absolutely. It's definitely a special kind of tour leader to handle a family.

Q9. If you could take your own family on one of these new premium trips tomorrow - which one would you choose?

Jessica 40:17

If you could take your own family on one of these new premium family trips tomorrow, which one would you choose and why?

Erica 40:30

Oh, this is um such a good question because I am actually genuinely thinking about this in real life, this question, and it has been very tricky. Um, for anyone who might be listening to this, please check out these trips. They are just amazing. And I say, I I know I say that working at Intrepid, but um, I think these are some of the best family trips I've ever seen.

Jessica 40:52

I had I had trouble choosing as well looking at I'll tell you,

Erica 40:55

I'm I'm currently tossing up between Borneo and Costa Rica. These are my two non Borneo classic wildlife destination, you know, I think. Yes. Your tangs, we mentioned the pygmy element um elephants, and it's the one obviously with that overwater villa on Gaia Island, which has certainly caught my eye as well. Yes. Um, I'm certainly very interested in um the premium family Borneo trip, but Costa Rica's um got me as well.

Erica 41:24

So there's another one that has some pretty amazing wildlife experiences on it as well. Um, these accommodations, there's one with a rainforest lodge where you can see a volcano through the window. Um wow. There's a catamaran cruise along the coastline. But the really cool thing about the Costa Rica trip is um an experience where you get to visit a community of the Moleku people, and probably most people have never heard of the Maleku people in Costa Rica, but they're one of the world's smallest existing indigenous communities.

Erica 42:02

Okay. Um, and so you share a meal um with this community, you learn about their traditions, and this is for me just a real hallmark of the types of experiences that we're able to create within these trips that really would be almost impossible to make happen yourself. These are the two I'm tossing up between Borneo, Costa Rica. It's a nice problem to have, isn't it?

Jessica 42:27

It is first world

Q10. What would you say to a family considering their first guided family holiday?

Jessica 42:29

problem.   I've just got one last question for you. If a family is considering their first guided family holiday, what would you say to them?

Erica 42:42

You're about to have one of the most memorable and inspiring holidays of your life. And so are your kids. I am genuinely excited for more people to discover small group adventure tours, whether that's with Intrepid or elsewhere. I think this is an unbelievable way to experience places around the world which might otherwise feel a bit difficult, to make them accessible, to get to see your children experience these places.

Erica 43:11

I think there's nothing like going on a trip in a place that can be challenging, that can be unpredictable, amazing, and watching your children have that experience alongside you and watching them evolve and grow in real time. I don't think you can do that in any other scenario. These trips really do provide such a unique experience in that way.

Erica 43:36

And I think the final thing I would say, we've talked a bit about leaders, but the relationships that you make on these trips as well. So much of travel is about the destination, but I think that additional layer is the friendships that you watch forged over the course of these trips that really does make them extra special.

Jessica 43:58

Absolutely. Thank you so much for your time today.

Erica 44:03

I'm really it's been such a pleasure. One of my favorite topics.

Jessica 44:08

Absolutely. I like talking about travel as well.

Erica 44:13

Um absolutely terrific topic, and um, it's been a real pleasure to excite you today.

Family Travel Tip - Choosing a family tour

Jessica 44:37

Before we wrap up, here's this month's family travel tip.

Jessica 44:37

If you're thinking about booking a guided tour, don't just compared destinations or prices. Take a close look at the itinerary. Ask yourself, is there enough downtime? Are there experiences the whole family will genuinely enjoy? How much free time is built in? What's the maximum group size? And perhaps most importantly, what do previous travellers say about the tour leader?

Jessica 44:59

As Erica explained today, a great itinerary is important, but an outstanding tour leader can completely transform your family holiday.

Outro

Jessica 45:13

So that wraps up our chat about what makes a great family tour in 2026 and beyond. A huge thank you to Erica from Intrepid Travel for joining me and sharing her insights into how family travel is evolving and what goes into creating unforgettable adventures for families.

Jessica 45:33

For more family travel inspiration, destination guides, and the latest travel industry news and trends, head on over to the Family Holiday Destinations website at FamilyHolidaydestinations.com.

Jessica 45:46

And until next time, happy travel and enjoy making those family memories.