Travelling with a family to one of the world’s most popular honeymoon destinations is not for the faint of heart; it’s a long way, for a start…and can come with eye-watering costs.
Jenna Carr, a family holiday expert also known as ‘@thetravelmum’, says it is possible though for parents to enjoy a portion of paradise with their offspring in tow.
The 37-year-old from Nottinghamshire, who regularly jets off with husband João and their two children, one-year-old Luca and six-year-old Leo, says she’s keen to dispel the idea that it’s difficult to travel to dreamy destinations with your kids in tow.
She’s on a mission too to counter those ‘perfect’ social media images of families looking harmonious while away, saying that, in reality, family trips are rarely as they appear on Instagram.
Jenna, who shares the best affordable holiday deals each week with her followers online, has written a new book called Yes, You Can Travel With Kids – and she says it’s entirely possible to have a luxurious break even with young children and on a budget.
One of her best bougie family travel adventures? Three weeks in the Maldives last year for £4,500.
Jenna tells the Daily Mail: ‘We’d always wanted to go but it was coming out at between £8,000 to £10,000 for a week for our family.’
Family fun: Jenna, 37, with her husband João and their children, Luca, one, and Leo, six
Jenna adds: ‘There are lots of local islands in the Maldives that have the exact same gorgeous beaches, amazing food, beautiful sunshine.
‘It was paradise, but it was 10 per cent of the cost of staying at a resort. The fancy resorts were £300 a night, but these lovely hotels on local islands were £30 a night.
‘So by doing that trip DIY we spent three weeks there in the end, and we spent £4,500. For four of those nights, we went to a water villa, so we did that luxury resort experience too.
‘You could fly and do a local island for five nights, and then pay for two nights in the water bungalow, and then you’ve got your pictures, you’ve had the experience and you’ve done a bit of both.’
She even admits: ‘Actually, we enjoyed the local islands more, there was just more culture there.’
Popular local island Maafushi is great, and Jenna’s family stayed here for four nights for £151.50 – which worked out at just £37.90 per night.
Jenna described her stay in a blog: ‘We stayed at Triton Hotel and Spa and paid £37 a night with breakfast included. An absolute bargain as the hotel is brilliant and a very short walk to the beach. The service couldn’t have been better.’
Currently, rooms at the hotel start from £70 per night, but it’s worth keeping an eye out for great deals.
Alternatively, if you’re visiting the region, Jenna says Dhiffushi is quiet and less commercialised than Maafushi, with stunning beaches and warm hospitality, while Guraidhoo provides an authentic Maldivian village experience.
Postcard perfect: Jenna and her family stayed on popular island Maafushi, great for budget-friendly prices
Dreamland: The family also stayed on Gulhi island, an uncrowded spot known for its soft sand and turquoise water
Have baby, will travel: Jenna enjoying the tranquil beaches on Gulhi island with few tourists in sight
Other great options include Gulhi, Thoddoo, Fulidhoo (ideal for those seeking tranquility), Ukulhas for a vibrant marine life and Feridhoo, which is serene and off-the-beaten-path.
And it’s a similar story across the globe, with bargains to be had if you employ a little lateral thinking.
Jenna cut costs on a big Abu Dhabi trip, too, saving £2,600 with one tactic.
‘We’ve just booked a trip to Abu Dhabi. It looks beautiful, a five-star hotel, you’d probably see it as a luxury holiday, but just by implementing a few things, we managed to get the cost down massively.
EIGHT OF THE BEST ‘LOCAL’ ISLANDS IN THE MALDIVES
Maafushi Dhiffushi Guraidhoo Gulhi Thoddoo FulidhooUkulhas Feridhoo
‘To leave on the Saturday of February half-term, it was £2,600 more than leaving on the Tuesday. So, we leave on the Tuesday, which means we’ll miss two days of school at the other side, but we’ve saved £2,600.
‘And I know there’s a lot of contention with the fines at the moment, but you can’t be fined for missing two days of school. It has to be five consecutive days. For £2,600, you have to make the decision as a parent, but it was worth it for us.’
Abu Dhabi was £3,000 half board to leave on the Tuesday, and then it was £5,600 to leave on the Saturday, Jenna explains.
There are other ways to save cash, Jenna says.
‘In the book, we talk about destination dupes, where you might have this kind of bucket list place that you want to visit, but actually there’ll be somewhere in the world very, very similar that has all those little things that you’re looking for but for half the price. Abu Dhabi instead of Dubai is a great example,’ she says.
Full house: While many consider the Maldives to be an adult, luxury break, it’s absolutely doable as a family
Disney delights: The family have enjoyed many overseas breaks together around the world
You can, too! Jenna’s book is now out, for parents seeking advice on travelling with children
The travel fan is keen to share her hints and tips with other parents.
She says: ‘A lot of travel books and social media accounts will say, “look at these amazing places” – it’s very aspirational. It tells you where to go, but not how to get there, or how to do it as a family with all the chaos of family life.
‘I think for a lot of families you read travel books, and you see social media accounts posting wonderful things, but you just think it’s not really attainable with kids.
‘We had a lot of people saying you won’t be able to do this once your baby arrives, or you won’t be able to do this with two kids, or you won’t be able to do this when they’re toddlers.
‘But we’ve gone ahead and done these things, and worked out how to do it, so it was about writing something that gave people the how.’
Jenna says it was also important to share the reality in the book – ‘it isn’t going to look like a Jet2 Holidays advert where your kids are running off into the sea giggling with ice creams’, she adds.
She goes on: ‘That’s not the reality of it, and I think a lot of people would see social media posts of these perfect trips, and then they’d go and experience chaos, which is completely normal for family travel, and they’d think they were doing it wrong, or that they just aren’t made for it.
‘I just wanted to make travel doable, and write something that was practical.’
Team: Travelling with kids in tow often seems daunting – but Jenna wants to combat this idea
Other tactics to save money include looking at food-inclusive packages, which could save cash in the long run. Plus, Jenna advises considering where you depart from as well.
She says: ‘We live near Manchester airport, so we naturally want to fly from Manchester if possible.
‘But we saved lots of money going to London instead. We went to Sardinia last year. I think it worked out about £1,000 cheaper to fly from Gatwick compared to Manchester.
‘Sometimes the saving might not be worth the faff. You might think, I’m not going to drive all the way to London to save £200 – but for £1,000, it’s probably worth the extra drive.’
Overall, Jenna says, travelling with kids is about accepting ‘it’s never going to be easy’ – but there are ways to ensure you have a magical experience nonetheless.
Jen’s new book ‘Yes, You Can Travel With Kids’ is available from February 12 and is available for preorder on Amazon.
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