Going on a vacation with your family can be a tricky affair for there are a lot of things that could go wrong. But if you’re a smart traveler and are genuinely willing to put a little thought on these family travel tips, you can not only have the most amazing vacation with your loved ones but can also ensure their safety and happiness in the most hassle free manner.

So whether you’re going on a holiday or just thinking about some family vacation ideas, we suggest you read these 10 fabulous family travel tips before you make that big move and book your tickets.

10 Essential Family Travel Tips For Everyone To Follow

1. Choose your destination wisely

This is the tip on which all of your other family travel tips are based on. Consider every family members’ preference before you make your mind but most importantly make sure its practical for every family member (kids, parents, spouse etc.).

Example: You might find going on a vacation to Europe in the middle of winters a fascinating thing but for your parents or kids, it might really not be the best idea.

2. Reserve everything in advance

One can genuinely feel the true importance and convenience of reserving hotels, flights, tickets for sightseeing and other attractions when one is traveling with their family. The fact is that it is not about the convenience but more about having not to worry things that can be easily taken care of by just a click of a button. When on a family vacation, it is all about that bond and living in the moment – and reservation allows you that.

Tip: Booking your hotels, flights, tickets to sightseeing and attractions well in advance can not only result in a worry free vacation but also huge discounts.

3. Keep your travel documents safe and handy

This goes without saying but you don’t want to lose your travel documents in a foreign country while traveling and yet at the same time, wanna keep them handy. So what is the solution? Keep a passport holder or a small bag preferably with a sling so that it is handy and safe at the same time. Adults can take care of their own bags, but if you’re traveling with kids, it is better to keep theirs with you and be a just a tiny bit extra careful.

PS – Always keep a xerox of your originals and never keep all the original documents in the same place or same bag.

4. Get to know the do’s and don’ts of the destination before you travel

This is as essential as your travel docs for your safety and trip experience depends on it. If you’re traveling to a new destination especially international, it is very important for you to be in sync with the culture, do’s and don’t and special rules of the place for if you don’t, it could lead to unnecessary fines, embarrassment, or heck, even jail time. Know about the basic mannerisms / etiquettes of each country before or destination that you visit.

Example: Wearing short clothes in the middle east or in religious places would certainly mean jail time and fine for both the genders.

5. Travel light but don’t forget the essentials, especially a first aid kit!

While it is often considered a practical thing to travel light and only keep the essentials – one must never forget to keep medical contingencies in mind, especially, if any member of your family has a history with it.

Tip: While a basic first aid kit is considered as a traveling essential, it is also important to keep your family members with special medical needs in mind (example – an inhaler for an asthma patient or medication for a diabetic patient).

6. Carry things that would help you pass time

Be it a Gameboy, a tablet or even a game on your phone, have at least something that would help you pass your time. One of the best things to carry here would be a book though but if you’re also want to pass some meaningful and fun time with your family, you can always go in for a few rounds of Mafia.

7. Use card more than cash

We all know it is always risky to carry cash, especially in a foreign destination so until and unless, the destination you’re traveling is filled with local shops that only cater to local currency, it is always better to use international debit or credit cards for transactions.

8. Put an ID in each of your family member’s pocket

Write down a contact number (buy a local sim if you’re traveling international), contact details, and anything else one might need if one of your members is lost or meets with an accident. This is not only great for senior citizens and kids but also for first time travelers.

9. Buy a local sim

To save cost on your calls and messages, it is always better to get a local sim with an internet connection than continuing with your native operator. This would not only save you a lot of money but would also ensure better connectivity due to the local network access.

10. Take care of the food

Carry light snacks because with family and kids, you never know. If any of your member is sensitive to a certain kind of food, it is always better to look for an alternative or trust international food chains like Mcdonalds and Seven Eleven.

Say you’re on vacation at Niagara Falls. You want to take an amazing photo that captures the thundering beauty of the waterfalls – but you don’t want to take the same photo that everyone else is taking. The thing is … you’re not a professional photographer. So, what do you do?

As a photographer and visuals editor at NPR, I know that with practice and a few pointers, it’s possible for anyone to take vacation photos that are distinctive and tell a great story. And with just a few more weeks left of summer (and likely a few last trips for some of you) there’s still time to give these tips a whirl.

I asked documentary photographer Daniella Zalcman, whose work has appeared in The New York Times and Smithsonian Magazine, and Jeanne Modderman, an experiential designer at Instagram and a former photo producer at National Geographic, to share their best photo advice.

They say that with intention, a keen eye for detail and a basic knowledge of your camera features, you too can step up your photography game.

1. Think before you snap

Before you take a photo, ask yourself: What are you trying to document?

“Understanding the intention behind a photo is absolutely critical to creating an image that will last forever and have significance to you,” says Zalcman.

That may be as simple as saying to yourself: “OK, I’m going to take a photo of my niece acting like the general contractor of this sandcastle, because it makes me laugh,” or “I’m going to take a picture of this painting at the museum because I like the colors.”

Having a “why” can help you focus on what you want to remember. And it may even help you take fewer photos, giving you more time to – heck – live in the moment.

In fact, taking photos without having a “why” may actually make you forget what you saw.

A study published in the journal Psychological Science found that people on a museum tour actually remembered fewer details if they took photos of an object as a whole. However, when people zoomed in on a specific part of the object, taking photos did not impair their memory. The study’s author, Linda Henkel, says the additional attention and cognition required to focus on those details may have eliminated loss in memory recall.

So rather than taking photos willy-nilly, zero in on what matters to you.

2. Make a shot list

Professional photographers often create “shot lists” – a checklist of every photo they hope to capture, along with notes on style and composition – to ensure they get the coverage they need at say, a wedding or a sports game.

You can try this same approach on your vacation. For example, if you’re going on a beach trip with your girlfriends, you might jot down some of the shots you hope to capture in advance: A great selfie during a night out on the town, the sunrise you know you’ll catch with your early-bird BFF, a photo of your crab boil. That way, you won’t leave the trip wishing there were more photos you could have taken – or get too caught up in wasting your precious vacay time on photos you didn’t need to take.

You can even make a game out of it. “I adore the idea of giving yourself an assignment or a scavenger hunt while you’re traveling,” says Zalcman. For example, if you’re in Paris, you could tell yourself to take photos of inspiring street fashion, or if you’re camping, all the insects you find in your tent.

And mix it up. Make sure to add variety both in subject matter (people, objects, nature and architecture) and in style (details and wide shots, posed photos and candid shots).

A shot list can help clarify your photo goals — and pinpoint what you’re most excited about.

3. Capture the specific and the ordinary

Now that you know your purpose and have your shot list, Modderman says you might ask yourself, “How do I put my signature on this?” In other words, what specific details can you add to the image to make it yours?

Think about capturing moments or objects that may seem “inane or ordinary,” says Zalcman. These scenes may not feel epic enough to photograph in the moment, but they’re ones you’re likely to want to remember after your trip is over. The images may be as simple as taking a photo of your dad napping on the plane or your beloved, threadbare backpack — the one you travel with everywhere you go — in the foreground of a vista.

Tapping into your senses is another way to add dimension to your pictures. “Before you snap away, take a beat to experience the scene with all of your senses,” Modderman says. What’s grabbing your attention? “Is it the wind whipping that one strand of hair against your cheek, or the taste of the freshly picked blackberry that makes your mouth pucker?”‘

Then try to capture those sensory cues through your image. For example, if you’re in a boreal forest and you love the way it smells, instead of a wide shot of the trees, take a close-up of a balsam fir branch. Long after your trip is over, the image may evoke a memory of you rubbing the needles in your hand and sniffing its pine-y goodness.

4. Know your camera settings

So, how do you make your photos look good on a technical level? Learn how to control your camera settings so that your photos live up to your vision for them, says Zalcman.

Light: Pay attention to where the natural light is coming from. For example, if the sun is behind your subject, they’re going to be backlit, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing — it could create a cool silhouette. But if you want to see their face, ask your subject to turn themselves toward the light.

Taking photos during golden hour, the time right after sunrise or before sunset, sets a beautiful stage for images and creates what Zalcman calls “some of the most beautiful, soft incandescent light that gives everything this nice sort of orange, yellow glow.” Sounds great, right? You can use a golden hour calculator to determine when it happens in your location.

Distance: “A very common beginner mistake is not getting close enough,” says Zalcman. She says that beginners often feel timid or worried about invading someone’s personal space. But if you’re taking a photo of say, a person or a dog, you want the main subject to be obvious in the image — not just a tiny speck.

Photographers call this technique “filling the frame.” Basically, it means to fill your image with more of the subject. Remember, that whole rectangle (or square) is at your disposal, so use it up!

To take a good close-up, don’t just zoom in or crop the image with your camera. The photo could become pixelated. Move your body closer to your subject. If you’re worried about getting too close to the subject and making them feel uncomfortable, Zalcman suggests asking an icebreaker question to put people at ease. Her go-to? “Tell me about your dog.”

Exposure: Controlling the exposure — how bright or dark your images are — can give you a lot of influence over the mood of a photo. Smartphone cameras are really good at automatically picking a decent exposure, says Zalcman. But that doesn’t mean you have to let your device override your vision.

It’s easy to adjust exposure on most devices by tapping the screen and dragging the exposure up or down. Use that feature to ensure your sunsets aren’t overexposed — have too much light — or the details of a person’s face aren’t lost in shadow with too little light.

Perspective or angle: “We sort of just constantly photograph from our own eye level,” says Zalcman. It’s an easy angle for most of us because all you need to do is raise your camera to your face without moving the rest of your body. But experimenting with different angles can alter a viewer’s perception of the image – with powerful results.

For example, squatting down and then photographing up at your subject can make them look monumental. Or getting high up (even just standing on a park bench) and pointing your camera down at your picnic blanket can isolate the subject, remove the horizon from the frame and give the viewer the feeling that they’re peeking in on a private moment. Have fun experimenting with how different perspectives impact the feel of a photo.

5. Study your photos

It can be hard to appreciate your photos in the whirlwind of a trip, so wait until you’re back home to study your images more carefully.

“You’ll most likely find some surprises,” says Modderman. “A knowing glance of a friend in the background or a dangling flower from a tree branch that may have been cropped when hurriedly posting [on social media].” Keep an eye out for anything that delights you or makes you take a second look.

Above all, know that it doesn’t really matter if anyone else thinks a photo is “good” if it’s meaningful to you — that’s what matters.

Summer is singing with joy and the beaches are inviting you with the dancing waves. Get set go with handcrafted floral detailed maxis and slip in floaty halter dresses which make summer dressing a breeze.

Vacation is the perfect time to experiment with trends, silhouettes, and colors that you might normally shy away from. Since summer is in full swing, we already have sights set on a number of stylish warm-weather pieces and we are daydreaming of all the cool ways to wear them. In fact, if you need some inspiration on what exactly to wear right now, without spending a fortune, below we’ve put together some chic summer vacation ideas and essentials that you can always reach for when the weather heats up.

VACATION MODE ON

Summer is singing with joy and the beaches are inviting you with the dancing waves. Get set go with handcrafted floral detailed maxis and slip in floaty halter dresses which make summer dressing a breeze. These flouncy lightweight styles float beautifully upon every step thanks to their bouncy tiered silhouettes, ideal for those too hot for clothes kind of days. Pair them with your stappy sandals and opt for a bucket hat if you’d like to shade your visage in style.

WHITE HAS IT ALL

Its beauty is absolute and it’s a perfect harmony says COCO CHANEL. No Summer wardrobe is complete without a breezy and effortless white outfit. The current favourite for this scorching heat is a white bralette paired with flared pants and a cuff-detailed cape. Ethereal and dreamy white dresses which everyone fantasizes about wearing are also a perfect fit. Not only are they appropriate for just about every summer occasion, these romantic, ruched, tiered, and ruffled sleeve versions have our hearts.

Don’t leave it to SALMON else

Stay cool this summer with our colour of the season Salmon. your closet is incomplete without a salmon maxi dress with puffed sleeves, tiers and beautiful cuff details. Whether for work, sophisticated occasions, or relaxed moments, dresses with sleeves are among the choicest. Versatile, comfortable and chic, the possibilities are endless with this summer essential.

MINT IS IN THE AIR

An ideal 2022 summer wardrobe should include a hint of MINT. When its just too hot to wear your little black dresses for a date night opt for bestseller mint ruffled shirts paired with beautiful skirts, some elegant maxi dresses with detailed necklines or cuffs and some really dazzling co ord sets.

Things to consider before hitting the road with older kids

Traveling with teenagers can be challenging. Not because hormones and moods fluctuate by the minute (though, admittedly, chances are high) but because, at this point in life, their interests and maturity levels are changing rapidly. That’s why, as a parent to a curious 15-year-old, I took a lot into consideration when planning a recent trip to VOMO Island Resort in Fiji.

If you have a potentially surly, eye-rolling teenager, here are 10 tips and trip recommendations you may want to keep in mind when planning your next family getaway.

No. 1: Know your child and his or her interests

The first consideration – or tip, if you will – is: Plan for your child’s interests, not just your own.

“Fifteen- to 18-year-olds can be tricky,” said Justin King, general manager of VOMO, soon after we’d arrived at the island paradise. “We want to get them out and about, so we tailor activities to their preferences,” he said, noting that the resort’s manager of kid’s activities will take a deep dive with each family, either in advance or upon arrival. “It takes work,” King adds, “because it’s about really getting to know the teen. But it definitely pays off.”

There’s an impressive variety of activities for teens at VOMO, including a cool “Survivor Challenge” that develops participants’ survival skills (mimicking some of those on “Survivor,” now filmed exclusively in Fiji). The resort also organizes creative experiences such as traditional dance lessons and cooking classes.

Although my daughter’s usual vacation routine involves a lot of reading and chilling out, VOMO managed to get her out snorkeling and enthusiastically participating in tours, demonstrations and native Fijian ceremonies and traditions. I knew VOMO’s approach was paying off when she randomly blurted out “I feel like this is one of those trips that changes the course of your life.”

VOMO is just one of many resorts and destinations that will tailor activities for older kids. There are also a number of tour operators that organize trips for families with teens.

No. 2: Don’t stay too long

If your teen gets antsy or bored easily, consider booking a few short stays rather than one long trip, as an adult might prefer. For example, the four-day “WILDchild Eco-guide Challenge” with &Beyond private game reserve in South Africa is a four-day, action-packed adventure designed to challenge and educate nature-loving teens (14-18) and their parents.

Held at the &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, the challenge invites teens to join the conservation team for activities such as a rhino conservation experience and tracking the elusive pangolin. They can also enjoy bush walks, Zulu drummers, basic astronomy lessons and big five game drives. Sign us up.

No. 3: Give them some freedom

There aren’t a lot of destinations where teenagers can learn to swing on a trapeze, learn to DJ or explore film design, but Club Med offers all of these activities and much more in select locations around the world. Since the all-inclusive Club Med villages are self-contained, teens can enjoy more unstructured freedom and pick and choose what they want to do when and with whom. They’re away, but not too far away – and that’s nice for parents too.

No. 4: Variety, variety, variety

Choosing a tour or destination that provides variety can be beneficial if you have a teen who doesn’t need a lot of downtime. Adventures by Disney, a subsidiary of Disney, offers river cruises with multiple excursion options in every port. However, unlike a Disney cruise, their European river cruises, along the Rhine and Danube, go light on “Disney-fying” the experience and deep into local culture and traditions. Consider it “Disney Light” with a lot of choices at each stop.

No. 5: Curate a trip tailored to your family

If your teen is hard to please or you’re having trouble finding just the right destination for your family, consider partnering with a travel company that can curate a trip suited to your interests, if you have the means. Abercrombie & Kent, for example, will find out what you – and your teens – are most interested in and do all the planning for you. That includes choosing a destination, finding accommodations and booking memorable authentic encounters that align with their educational- and immersive-focused ethos.

No. 6: Find something that’s “food-flexible”

If you have a teen who gets “hangry” but is super picky, or one that is hungry all the time, consider a large cruise ship vacation. These ships provide an unbelievable selection of restaurants and menu options that will appeal to both finicky family members and fancy foodies alike. And, be it a blessing or a curse, there’s food available 24/7.

Given the number of ship and destination options and the breadth of activities offered, cruises are also a great option when you want to be together, but not all the time. If you’re not interested in hitting the high seas, look for other all-inclusive properties that have culinary options that will appeal to the whole family.

No. 7: Let them sleep

This seems like a no-brainer, but it’s easy to over-plan when trying to cram in as much as possible. Instead of planning early morning activities, block out time to let the teens sleep and consider booking accommodations that give them some personal space. My daughter’s favorite hotel on our recent trip to Fiji’s Vanua Levu was Savasi Island Resort where she had a separate bedroom and bathroom with its own entrance just across the porch of our villa. Knowing our villa was secure, that personal space was a gift to both of us.

No. 8: Keep them active

For active teens who need a break from sitting in class day after day, seek out a destination that offers activities that are a little different. The Resort at Paws Up is a luxury ranch in Montana with ATV tours, fly fishing, electric bike tours, sporting clays, go-karts and more. They also have wilderness programs, such as “Gettin’ Primitive,” which teaches primitive outdoor skills.

Teens who want to push themselves out of their comfort zone can navigate a ropes course that is tucked away in the forest and challenges participants to maneuver across 10 elevated platforms, complete with rickety bridges. As their website says, “You only have 18 summers with your kids, so make them count.”

No. 9: Stimulate their brains

As the parent of an intellectually active teen, it’s essential that I plan trips that involve culture and learning instead of a relaxing beach or pool vacation. A number of companies offer tours for cerebral teens, including Smithsonian Journeys. Partnering with Putney Student Travel, this tour operator arranges summer travel programs for students grades eight through twelve as part of their Student Travel division.

These immersive programs provide teens with an opportunity to explore and be inspired through unique experiences developed around a specific theme. In the past, themes have included a journey to Iceland to learn about climate change and a visit to Washington, D.C. to explore America’s history of race and social justice.

No. 10: Expose them to something they can’t find at home

Ideally, traveling with teens will expand their view of the world by exposing them to experiences they won’t find close to home. International trips are great for this, but for those without the means (or interest) to travel overseas, there are plenty of options in the U.S. too.

A visit to a dude ranch might not sound appealing to every teenager, but getting them away from their devices for some outdoor living can transform their outlook. Blackwater Creek in Wyoming not only offers horseback riding, rafting and fly fishing, but also provides a step back in time with visits to the Old Trail Town in Cody. They’ll have plenty of stories to share with friends back home after a trip to the River Saloon where Butch Cassidy and his gang planned more than one bank robbery.