Travel + Leisure, Asia, May 2015

5 Family-Travel Trends for 2015 T+L FAMILY SPECIAL

PLUS: ! BABY WRAPS 71 ! KIDS’ CLUBS 72 ! BABYMOONS 73

T O P I C P H O T O A G E N C Y/ C O R B I S

! COOKING FOR A CAUSE 74

From laid-back retreats to adventures of a lifetime, there are more options than ever for intrepid families. AIMEE CHAN, the founder of Suitcases & Strollers, an online family travel magazine that provides tips and inspirations to wanderlust-struck parents in Asia, shares the latest and greatest ways to embark on a journey for the ages—for all ages.

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Family Special

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Lending a Hand Traveling with kids is about introducing them to the world outside their little bubble.

Rather than checking the obligatory tourist traps off your list, use your next trip as an opportunity to teach compassion, empathy and true global citizenship.

MOTHER MARSUPIALS IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA. It’s not all about the ’roos, mate. Quolls, quendas and quokkas—also known as the Walpole Wilderness Area’s most adorable inhabitants—need your help.

You and your teammates will be responsible for radio tagging the trio of curiously alliterative marsupials. Accommodations are cushy and these furry-faced critters are sure-fire kid-pleasers. biosphereexpeditions.org; nine-day trips A$2,850; next available trip January 23-31, 2016.

From above: Getting your quokka quota in the Western Australia; reef-building in Koh Tao.

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HELP MAINTAIN AND PRESERVE THE KOH TAO REEF IN THAILAND. Kids 14 and up can don scuba gear for a good cause. By building artificial reefs with Kaya, you and your family will bolster damaged dive sites by encouraging coral growth.

You’ll also receive ISS dive certification while tending to giant clams and monitoring seahorses. kayavolunteer.com; two-week Koh Tao Island Marine Conservation project US$4,130 per adult with a child aged 15 and under; available January 2-October 14.

F R O M F A R L E F T: C O U R T E S Y O F B I O S P H E R E E X P E D I T I O N S ; C O U R T E S Y O F K AYA . O P P O S I T E : C O U R T E S Y O F J U M P S T R E E T

BUILD A HOUSE IN CAMBODIA. Gather a few families together to construct a home for those who don’t have one. Tabitha, which has been organizing aid for the Khmer people for two decades, keeps its overhead costs low and makes sure most of the funds get to the folks who need them the most. It’s hard work, but you and your children will know that you’ve made a real difference. tabitha.org.au; groups pay their own travel costs and must contribute a combined A$1,700 for building materials.