Families in the Field

How would you like to play a leading role in predicting the pattern of the wildebeests’ migratory cycle in Tanzania? Or trek deep into a remote cloud forest to help identify a new species? These are just a few examples of the thrilling, conservation-led experiences being snapped up by adventurous families who want to get their hands dirty on vacation.

In partnership with scientists from the University of Edinburgh, families staying at Alex Walker’s Serian Camps in Tanzania’s Serengeti can join expert-led teams by 4x4 and on foot to track GPS-collared wildebeest: monitoring their movement, gathering samples and examining the grasslands. This real-time data translates into vital conservation in action, pinpointing herds that stray beyond park boundaries or river crossings that have become vulnerable from human-wildlife conflict. As well as providing an immersive education in wildlife protection, you’ll get a front row view of the greatest wildlife show on earth – and thanks to your data-collection, you’ll be far from the tourist crowds.

Top: A whale fluke thrashes in the Pacific Ocean at Islas Secas in Panama; Above: Scuba divers measure seagrass in the Maldives

At The Datai in Langkawi, Malaysia, conservation is ingrained into the very fabric of the resort, surrounded by a shimmering, squawking 10-million-year-old forest that thrums with life. Families can head out with an expert naturalist to guide you through the sights, scents and stories of the ancient woodland, before you plant a symbolic sapling from the nursery into a new home in the rainforest. A behind-the-scenes tour of the resort’s sustainability operations showcases magical transformations, like solid waste into vapour and ash. Picking out “trash” from the upcycling center, families can then bond over crafting new items like candles and soap in a waste workshop at The Lab, a specially-designed laboratory that creates a fun and engaging environment for young minds.

Similarly, at mist-swirled Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador’s cloud forest, families can get stuck into science-driven projects rooted in their lush surroundings, logging their discoveries – especially electrifying at night time – when torches illuminate rare glass frogs and insects. Courageous kids can help retrieve memory cards from camera traps located deep in the jungle; back in the Science Lab, analysing data from the cameras may reveal a completely new species.

Teaching children the importance of protecting our oceans is much easier when surrounded by warm, crystal-clear waters revealing brightly-hued corals, flitting fish and curious sea creatures. At Bawah Reserve in Indonesia, eco-warrior families can take part in a three-day Marine Conservation Heroes Experience, suitable for confident scuba divers. Work with marine biologists to restore corals by creating an artificial reef, catalogue fish species on an exhilarating night dive or monitor and photograph turtles and their nests. At Six Senses Laamu in the Maldives, children from six to 16 can join the Junior Marine Biology Program with guided snorkeling over reefs and seagrass meadows, helping with turtle surveys. In the lab, don white coats and perform hands-on science experiments, including coral micro-fragmentation. The best part? Kids can make their own videos to take home, inspiring the next generation of David Attenboroughs.

Above: Sweeping views of The Datai in Malaysia

Finally, at Islas Secas in Panama, a private archipelago set within the Gulf of Chiriquí Marine Biological Corridor, sustainability and guest experiences go hand in hand. Created for the purpose of conservation, the resort doubles as a long-term monitoring station. Families participate in science in action on whale-watching excursions, photographing whale flukes which are uploaded to HappyWhale, a citizen science platform where each update helps monitor whales’ migratory movements. On guided bird-watching expeditions with the head of conservation, bird sightings even revealed new species spotted in Panama for the very first time.

When the world becomes a classroom, travel transforms into a super power, passing on vital information to the next generation – wrapped in the shared adventure of an exhilarating family experience.