Plan Travel Based On What Your Kids Love

Travelling with kids poses unique challenges, from keeping them quiet on planes to packing while maintaining your sanity. One thing that can help is choosing a destination your kids are truly excited about! Here are our recommendations for travel spots based on their interests to keep the peace…

You may want to zip off to Rome to see the Colosseum or the Vatican, but let’s be honest, how many 8-year-olds will want to do that? More importantly, how difficult will your life be should you attempt to drag them along? Visiting a place that your kids are pumped for could satiate them for the whole trip (especially if you tactfully plan the activity near the end of the holiday to ensure they have something to look forward to). Whether your kids are into animals, amusement parks, sports or films, there’s somewhere in the world you can jet off to that’ll scratch that itch and have something for the Mamas and Papas!

Read More: Is Stress-Free Travel With Kids Even Possible?

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Where To Go If Your Kids Are Into…

Animals

While there are several places in Hong Kong where you can visit and pet animals (and of course we have Ocean Park for when the panda cravings hit), our little city doesn’t have the widest variety when it comes to wildlife, so if you’re looking for a great kid-friendly zoo where you can interact with the animals, check these out!

San Diego Zoo

A highly rated zoo committed to conservation and wildlife sustainability, the San Diego Zoo and its sister Safari Park are great ones to visit if you happen to be around California anyway. It’s one of the largest zoos in the US and features several special programmes for kids, as well as a 4D interactive theatre and a Skyfari Aerial Tram. Plan your trip here.

Read More: Where To See Wildlife In And Around Hong Kong

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Singapore Zoo

Mandai Wildlife Reserve, an integrated nature and wildlife destination comprises the wildlife parks – Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Wonders, Bird Paradise, and Rainforest Wild. Singapore Zoo not only has over 20,000 animals, Asia’s only river-themed wildlife park and a Night Safari, but it also up close and personal wildlife experiences, including opportunities to feed the animals! For some of the animals (like rhinoceroses and giraffes), kids have to be over 1.2 metres to participate in the feedings, but even the little ones can get involved with the elephants and cassowaries. Find out more here.

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Hidden Forest Elephant Reserve

Perhaps one for the older kids who appreciate (or want to learn about) the importance of ethical sanctuaries, the Hidden Forest Elephant Reserve in the south of Phuket has made it their mission to rescue elephants from logging and riding industries. Here you don’t bathe with the elephants, but you can feed them and observe them in nature – perfect for photo ops! Plan your visit here.

Read More: Sassy Mama’s Family-Friendly Guide To Phuket

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Sports

We all know you can hop over to a beach for water sports or sign your kids up for an active camp, but where do you go for truly unique sporting experiences that’ll both educate and enchant your children?

Football Stadium Tours In The UK

From Old Trafford to Wembley, Emirates to Etihad, England is home to some of the most iconic football stadiums in the world. If your kids are big footie fans, take them on a tour of their team’s stadium! They’ll have a chance to meet club legends, walk in the footsteps of players as well as learn the history of the team and visit iconic areas like the dugout and pitch. Check out Stadium Tour or Get Your Guide for pricing info.

Read More: Best Hong Kong Football Classes For Kids And Teens

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Macau Grand Prix

I mean it’s right there. If your children are just too fast and too furious, there’s no better outlet than hopping on a ferry to Macau to watch some of the most exciting F1 races of the year. Granted, November is an odd time for school children as they usually don’t have holidays then, but it might be worth it to skive for a day or two to see the fastest drivers in the world face off for first place. Keep track of 2025’s dates here.

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Experience All Blacks

Kid’s got a ruck-us heart? Pop down to New Zealand to try the All Blacks Experience. Go through a guided tour with five zones and a dedicated haka special, there are even interactive areas where fans of all ages can test out their rugby talents from passing and line-outs to kicking and agility. Plus, kids under 5 go free! Check it out here.

Read More: Kids’ Sports Classes In Hong Kong – Badminton, Rugby, Tennis & More

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Films & TV

It’s becoming a universal truth that Gen Z and Alpha kids are growing up in front of screens as much as out in the “real world”. Luckily, there is supply for the demand – there are parks and museums all over the world that cater to children who love the silver screen and all it has to offer!

Read More: What You Can Do To Safeguard Your Child’s Social Media Influences

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Universal Beijing Resort

Despicable Me, Harry Potter, Kung Fu Panda, Transformers and How To Train Your Dragon – are these big hits in your house? If so, pop over to Beijing to the biggest Universal Studios park in Asia! We recommend giving yourselves two full days there – for all the movie magic! Of course, if you want an even more extravagant experience, you can check out Universal Orlando that boasts 50 attractions across its three parks and will open Universal Epic Universe in May 2025.

Read More: Visiting Zhuhai With Kids — Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, Sumlodol Camping Park & Other Attractions

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Ghibli Museum, Mitaka

If your kids love all things anime, check out the Studio Ghibli Museum in Tokyo. There they can marvel at incredible art and sculptures inspired by Ghibli characters, watch an original short animated film in the Saturn Theater and participate in other immersive experiences. It’s a place where imagination truly takes flight, just like a Totoro on a breeze! Find out more here.

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The Children’s Museum Of Indianapolis

Most kids hear “museum” and think “ugh, boring”, but the world’s largest children’s museum is sure to shatter that stereotype forever! If your little ones have a creative streak in them, they’ll love the creative workshops focused on filmmaking, scriptwriting and animation techniques. There are also puppet shows, behind-the-scenes insights to cinema magic, interactive exhibits and outdoor adventures. Not to mention, fans of Jurassic World are bound to love the dinosaur exhibit! Check out everything on offer here.

Read More: The Best Museums In Hong Kong To Visit With Kids

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Amusement Parks

Did you know families are travelling from all over Asia – and beyond – to come to our Disneyland as we have the world’s first Frozen-themed land? If that isn’t enough to satiate the kids, or if they’ve simply already been too many times (some of our Sassy Mama team can empathise!) and you need to change it up, check these out…

Siam Park, Tenerife

Now you could go to one of the many water parks in Thailand such as Splash Jungle in Phuket or Vana Nava in Hua Hin, or you could splash out and go to Siam Park, a Thai-inspired water park in Costa Adeje that’s been ranked the No. 1 Water Park in the world for 10 consecutive years. The Water Kingdom has everything from heart-pounding slides for the older thrill-seekers to aquatic races for the family, a Wave Palace and a Lost City zone for all ages. Find out more here.

Read More: Your Guide To Visiting Water World Ocean Park With The Family

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Lotte World Adventure, Seoul

Iffy weather? No problem! Lotte World has both a huge indoor theme park (we hear it’s the largest in the world) as well as an outdoor amusement park that connects to malls, a hotel, an observation tower and Korean folk museum. You can glide to your heart’s content any day of the year in the huge indoor ice-skating rink, and of course there are several rides too, ranging from mild to terrifying. You might even be there during the Pokemon World Adventure! Plan your visit here.

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Walt Disney World Resort, Florida

We had to include this one, if for no other reason than its individual theme parks, Magic Kingdom in particular, rank incredibly high on most lists of the world’s best amusement parks – they can’t all be wrong, right? Split into EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park, there truly is something for everyone here, which is why we recommend giving yourselves more than a day to take in all the magic! See all you can get up to here.

Read More: Disneyland Hong Kong – Tickets, Opening Hours, Fireworks & More

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