I have had the fortune of traveling with seniors- my parents, on many trips. They are borderline seniors edging past 60, my mom past 55 years. Due to various reasons, youngsters usually prefer traveling on their own separately and sending their parents on group tours with others in similar age groups
While some trips can be done that way, I want to inspire more folks to take their parents and in-laws with them. You can still find common things to do, and separate things to do on the same trip!
While we have taken group tours to places where we can’t drive and couldn’t navigate with public transport like New Zealand, customized trips can help you go to places never covered by group tours. Some of the offbeat places we have covered that are not possible by standard multi-day group tours include:
- Peru: Tambopata in Amazon
- Bolivia: Altiplano region, Laguna Colorada, Salar de Uyuni
- Tanzania- Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti
- Laos- Luang Prabang, Vientiane
- Indonesia: Yogyakarta and Komodo islands
- Vietnam: Ban Gioc falls, Cuc Phuong National Park, Trang An and Bai Dinh in Ninh Binh
- Sri Lanka: Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa
- Japan: Shibasakura in Kawaguchiko, Hitachi sea side park and Ashikaga park in Ibaraki, Snow-monkey park in Nagano, Alpine route
- Uzbekistan: Jade Lake, Khiva walled city
- Kazakhstan: Altyn-Emel deserts, dunes and rock formations
- Egypt: White and black deserts at Bahariya Oasis; Temples at Abydos, Dendera, Madinet Habu;
Many more places in our wish list can be done only on our own, specially when traveling with seniors, like interior China, Madagascar, US National Parks, Patagonia in Argentina
Planning tips to consider when traveling with seniors
- Carry hiking poles everywhere, along with knee/ankle caps, pain relief spray
- Buy some nice, functional shoes for them (need not be expensive or foreign brands). It makes walking much easier
- If there is an easier option available, take that: It could be taking a quick taxi instead of walking. Saves lot of energy which can be better used at actual places of attraction
- Book hotels close to your next destination or public transport place. Minimize commute
- Plan for rest time consciously. While parents are more active than us in the early hours, they are done by 7 PM usually. Avoid strenuous activities late evenings
- Make use of early morning time. Sacrifice sleep and start early when they are in the best energy zone
- Carry comfort food from your place and snacks in case you find it difficult to spot a restaurant in time for lunch or dinner
- Include home country food often in between sometimes even if expensive. They find it difficult to survive on Western food 3 times a day
- Carry a kettle to make instant chai, ready to eat meals. These small investments pay off quickly
- Do not count the number of times they use a washroom or take breaks or spend small money. Let them find small comforts that don’t make a dent in your plans
Be with them as much as possible. The excitement, gratitude, happiness in their eyes when they discover a destination is invaluable! If customizing trip is not possible for lack of time, join them on group tours. You can get perspectives you have never heard before. You owe them a LOT this can be one small way of spending more time with them