travel with kids Archives - AdventureCampitelli

Why Victoria, B.C. is the perfect family vacation

Traveling outside of Canada is still crazy with the ever changing rules, flight cancelations, testing and sometimes still having to quarantine. Staying in Canada for your summer plans may still be the best option. Victoria, B.C. is the perfect family vacation because it has the mildest climate in Canada, beautiful beaches, and loads of activities. It is known to some as Canada’s Hawaii!

With cool historic buildings, iconic tourist sites, stunning beaches, family-friendly activities, fantastic eats and treats, there is something for everyone! There are also plenty of types of accommodations in Victoria including forested campgrounds, hostels, stunning hotels, bed & breakfasts, and unique AirBnB’s. Our family has traveled the world, and in our opinion, Victoria is one of the most beautiful cities to visit.

Here are 5 family friendly activities to do while in Victoria:

1. Take a whale watching tour

Victoria is one of the best places in the world for whale watching. Many types of whales including humpbacks, gray, minks, and Orca (killer) whales can be spotted here. The whale watching season is from April to November, but summer is definitely the best months to see them. Victoria’s coastal waters are also home to dolphins, porpoises, seals, sea lions, otters, and much more!

There are many companies that offer whale watching tours in Victoria and most have good ratings. The tours are approximately 3-4 hours. Do your research to find which company is the best fit for you and your family.

2. Bike the Lochside Regional trail

This is one of our favorite trails! It’s a 33 km (20.5 mi) former railway line and multi-use trail that runs from Victoria to the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal near Sydney. What I love about this trail is the ever-changing landscape passing through beaches, farmland, wetlands, and rural roads.

We recommend you park in the parking lot located at 4050 Lochside Drive. The ride from here to Sydney is 21 km (13mi) which is quite far, especially if you have kids. Our recommendation is to ride as far as you are comfortable with and turn around.

One stop you’ll want to make along the way is Sweet Ashley’s cookies, a cookie stand along the trail, which has freshly baked cookies for purchase. We used this as a motivator for our kids and it was a nice treat along the way. The cookie stand is about 3km (1.86mi) north up the pathway from the parking lot and takes about 8-10 minutes to get there. Payment is on the honor system so be sure to bring some cash!

3. Go to Cadboro-Gyro beach

This is an ideal beach for families because it has one of the largest beach and play park areas in Victoria. The park was donated to the Saanich district in 1954 and had major renovations in 2014 including installations of new play equipment. One of the play equipment is called “Cadborosarus”, named after a mythical sea creature that was said to have been spotted in the 1930s. There are other unique play structures including an octopus, salmon, a ship, and a shipwreck. There is also a fun zipline that our kids enjoyed. This park has even been listed among 11 unique playgrounds around the world by Fodor’s travel.

The beach itself has typically calm waters, a pebbly shoreline, and some sandy sections. As with most beaches in Victoria, there is plenty of driftwood to create forts. We often go there to relax.

There is a parking lot, washrooms, picnic tables, and a boat launch at this beach. It is only about a 15-minute drive from downtown Victoria.

4. Visit the Malahat Skywalk

A 32m (105ft) cylinder shape structure with a spiral ramp leading all the way to the top sits at the edge of the forest, 250 meters above sea level. This sightseeing lookout gives stunning views of the Ocean including the Saanich Peninsula, Mount Baker, and the Coast Mountains. You can often see sailboats below.

The cool part of this structure is that there is a huge slide at the top that takes you down to the bottom. It’s quite the thrill ride as you go much faster than you think! I don’t think I’ve screamed that loud in a long time. Our daughter loved it and could have stayed all day. Getting there is fun too as you walk along a 600-meter (1969ft) raised boardwalk through the beautiful Arbutus tree forest to the Skywalk. Along the path, you will see some amazing driftwood art sculptures of animals made by artist Tanya Bub.

It takes about 35 minutes to get there from downtown Victoria and there is plenty of parking.

We’ve traveled around the world and this is one of the most spectacular sites we’ve ever been to!

5. See Niagara & Goldstream Waterfalls

These two beautiful waterfalls residing in Goldstream Provincial Park are easy to see in one day. Set aside about 3-4 hours to see both falls. It’s about a 25-minute drive from downtown Victoria.

Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls just outside Victoria, bearing the same name as the famous waterfalls in Ontario, stands at 47.5 (156 ft) and is just a short 15–20-minute hike from the parking lot. After parking, head north away from the picnic area, following the wide gravel trail. Turning left at the junction you will come to a bridge with a tunnel on your left that goes underneath the highway. Take the tunnel and then follow the trail to the waterfall. This tunnel is dry in the summer but filled with water in the spring and fall so if you are here during these seasons, you will have to park on the other side of the highway.

Upper Goldstream Falls

Goldstream Falls trail is a fantastic loop and a great hike to do with the family. The beautiful trail takes you through a serene rainforest of Cedars, Douglas firs, and ferns with a waterfall reward.

The hike begins at the Goldstream Provincial Park Campground near the gatehouse where you will park. The trail is 5.5km (3.4mi) long and fairly easy, taking about 1-1.5 hours to do. After hiking along the trail, you’ll approach a long set of stairs leading down into the canyon to the waterfall. Pouring into a natural pool at the bottom, the water is cold but is a popular place to take a dip in the summer. Bring your bathing suit and water shoes to enjoy this energizing experience.

We have written two detailed Victoria travel guides that include a fully customizable 2 Week Itinerary of fun family activities. The Active Family Guide details amazing hikes, walks, biking trails, and other awesome activities like whale watching and ziplining. The Family Guide details the best iconic tourist spots, must-see beaches, awesome family activities, and some of our favorite places to eat. These guides make your trip planning easy with expert advice from a local. Lots of options for the perfect blend of adventure and relaxation. You’ll see why Victoria, B.C. is the perfect family vacation!

We have also created a Free Itinerary Template to help make your trip planning easier. Simply add your activities and budget to customize your trip.

Visit our shop section to see all travel guides by clicking here.

BEST THINGS TO DO AND SEE ON KOH SAMUI THAILAND

Must see places with your Kids

When people think of Thailand many people think of Phuket, Thailand’s largest and most touristy island. Our family likes to travel to less busy places and we mostly stay away from over commercialized areas so Koh Samui was the perfect island for us. Ko Samui is Thailand’s second largest island located in the Gulf of Thailand off the east coast. It is only an hour flight from Bangkok making it a very accessible destination but not yet as busy as Phuket. Koh Samui is known for its beautiful beaches lined with palm trees, dense mountainous rainforest and luxury resorts and villas. It also has amazing food, markets, hiking and even a 12m-tall golden Big Buddha statue at Wat Phra Yai Temple, a local must see landmark.

Here are some amazing things to do on this island that has a little something for everyone! We stayed here for 7 days which we felt was a good amount of time to explore the island.

STUNNING BEACHES

You really can’t go wrong with any beach on this island but we had a few favorites:

Chaweng Beach

This beach is located on the East Coast and is the longest beach on Koh Samui. It is a very busy beach lined with many resorts and restaurants but when you see it you know why. The sand is soft, powdery and white and the water is a beautiful blue color. It is absolutely stunning! Be sure to walk the streets of the busy town of Chaweng which is packed with shops and restaurants. Lots of fun restaurants to try with delicious budget friendly Thai food.

Lamai Beach

Lined with fancy resorts, this beach is stunning with beautiful sand and calm warm water. We had to find parking outside of the resort along a narrow road and walk in but it was so worth it. The water here is clean and so is the beach. There’s also restaurants and cafes along this beach so it’s easy to grab a quick bite. We stayed in a Villa close to Bophut to keep costs down but if you’re looking for luxury resorts the ones here would not disappoint. It is much quieter than Chewang if you’re looking for a more peaceful place to stay.

Bophut Beach

This beach is located on the North part of Koh Samui behind the Fisherman’s Market. The sand there is more yellow and coarse but it is quite large and has water activities that you can do. There weren’t many people there so we found it very relaxing.

WATERFALL HIKES

Our family enjoys being active and a must-do at every place we visit is to find the best family-friendly hiking spots. We hit up two hikes on this island that are worth checking out.

Namuang Waterfall (Namuang I and II)

These two waterfalls (located close to each other) are accessible by car and there are parking lots for each of them and a fairly short hike. We chose to park at Namuang I, and did the short hike only a few minutes from the car park area. It is the most popular waterfall so it is quite busy and there is a market there to buy food, drinks, souvenirs, etc.

At these falls you are able to cool off in a creek at the bottom which can be perfect in the tropical heat. This waterfall is the most accessible if you’re wanting just a quick walk to see a waterfall.

For the second waterfall, Namuang II, you can either drive or walk there which will take you about 45 minutes. Once there it’s about a 1 km hike up from where you would park. Walking to the parking lot plus doing the hike was quite hard because of the heat and humidity. Our kids were troopers and managed it with lots of stops to drink water and rest in the shaded areas. This waterfall is far less busy than the other one which is great. There is even a waterslide that drops into a natural murky pool below but the slide wasn’t on when we were there. There’s also a huge drop off the waterslide so we didn’t think we’d let the kids go down it even it was open. And….what is in that murky water anyway?

BIG BUDDHA TEMPLE – WAT PRAH YAI

You can’t miss this guy which is located close to Bophut and Fisherman’s Village. You walk up a set of stairs to see the statue and you can look out and get a view of the neighbouring island Koh Phangan. It is a religious site so be sure to follow the dress code or they will not let you in meaning make sure your legs and arms are covered. There are sarongs you can borrow if you forget to bring one and there are people watching to make sure you dress appropriately. There are also many cafes, clothing stores and souvenir shops located near the temple so you can get some shopping in as well.

Unfortunately, we missed Big Smiling Buddha which looks incredible. We didn’t find out about it until after we left so I suggest you check that out.

Fun Facts: Did you know that “wat” means temple and “Koh” means island?

FISHERMAN’S VILLAGE

Located in Bophut, this is a must-see! It is a walking street with a market/shopping area lined with traditional old-style shops with modern cafes and restaurants that are right on the beach. Normally fairly quiet, it comes alive Friday nights as a market where you can buy clothing, jewelry, fabric and other unique market items. There are also food stalls with delicious things like pad Thai, spring rolls and banana pancakes for a taste of traditional fare.

AWESOME FOOD & SMOOTHIES

An important part of travelling is to experience the local cuisine and the food in Thailand does not disappoint! From traditional Pad Thai to fresh fruit smoothies made on the street, you will be in heaven. There are three notable places that we went to:

Had Bang Po – this was voted as the number one beach restaurant in the world in Travel & Leisure magazine. The Pad Thai and seafood were amazing but really, it was about the view. The tables are only about 10 feet back from the edge of the water and you bury your feet into the soft powdery sand while looking out over the ocean. The kids loved it as they could play in the sand while waiting for the food.
Hemmingways on the Beach – is located in Throng Krut which is on the south coast of Koh Samui. The tables are inside but the restaurant is located right on the beach. It is owned by an ex-pat and the food is incredible. It is pricier than most Thai food places, especially street food but they pride themselves on high cleanliness and food safety standards as well as the freshest ingredients. The fish gets caught in the morning and cooked that day!
Sweet Sisters Café – if you’re looking for vegetarian and vegan-friendly food, this is the place. It does have meat and also has something there for everyone. It’s a health food café and there is a health food store right next to the café. Their homemade and granola are. The café is clean but it is pricey.
Fresh fruit smoothies & shakes – you must try the roadside fresh fruit smoothies! Filled with tropical fruit like fresh coconut, mango, pineapple, bananas and other fruit grown locally and blended together, you are in smoothie heaven. Priced at about $2 Cdn for a large smoothie, you can’t get better than this. I will dream about these forever!

THAI MASSAGE

You cannot visit Thailand and not get a Thai massage! We found a place we loved in Bophut and it only cost about $20 for 90 minutes. We loved it so much that we ended up going here even with the kids. It was their first massage ever and the ladies that worked there were so professional and kind. I had a nagging shoulder injury that almost completely went away after my first appointment. I can’t rave more about having a Thai Massage.

How to Save for Travel – 9 Tips

Traveling extensively was a life-long dream for us and with lots of planning and saving we were able to make it happen. We didn’t want to wait for the “someday” when we retire to travel the world. We have met so many people over the years that were never able to realize their travel dreams due to illness, death or financial circumstances, including my own parents. It was also so important for us to be able to share this experience with our kids and give them World Schooling and the experience of a lifetime!

Everyone’s circumstances are different but these 9 tips can help you plan for your dream vacation or extended trip. They are exactly what gave our family the opportunity to travel.

SO WHAT EXACTLY DID WE DO?

For us, the bottom line was to Save, cut Costs a lot and be patient as it takes time. Having to pay for our wedding many years ago taught us how to save and budget for our dream travel journey.

Here are 9 Tips that we did to make our travels a reality:

1. Dedicated Bank Account

Make a dedicated travel account and put money into it every month using the “pay yourself first” principle, even if it is only $10 here and there; it adds up over time.

2. Cut Costs

We cut down our costs and made a budget. “The latte factor” is a popular cliché but the little things do add up. We scrutinized everything we were spending to find extra money and it’s amazing what you find if you just observe your spending habits. Cost-reducing measures that worked for us included:

We switched from picking up our lattes every morning out to making them mostly at home. This saved us at least $12 a day+ between the two of us plus any treats we would buy for the kids when they were with us..
We cut down on eating out. This included both bringing lunches to work every day and not eating out at restaurants as often on the weekends. This is good for the waistline too!
- We eliminated a lot of monthly banking fees. We opened an online no-fee banking account that has free Interac transactions, free e-transfers, and free checks. We also had another main account that we kept over a minimum balance that eliminated the monthly fee of $29.95. Banking fees add up!
- We cut our cable and saved over $100 per month.
- We reduced haircuts, beauty treatments and shopping which can add up quickly.
- I cut my gym membership and went to an online workout program. The workouts require minimal space and equipment. This reduced my costs from about $1000 per year to around $200.
Rack up the Points

3. Rack up the Points

Use points where you can. We have a Travel Visa and purchased everything on this card making sure we paid the balance at the end of each month avoiding any interest charges. This is a good way to rack up points for free flights and accommodations.

4. Offload your Debt

We paid off our car so we eliminated the loan payments while we were away. Had we travelled for more than six months, we would have sold the cars.

5. No shopping Sprees

We put any extra money we receive such as bonuses and/or raises into interest-earning or dividend-paying investments.

6. Embrace Minimalism even a little

We went through all of our belongings selling things we no longer used or needed for extra cash. It’s amazing what can be stored in the garage like bikes, ski equipment or other things that can free up extra money. We donated the rest to eliminate clutter and help a good cause.

7. Rent your House

We rented out our house while we were away and were able to cover all of our at-home expenses by doing this. We used a management company to find the tenants and look after our home so we didn’t have to worry about it while we were away.

8. Reduce Flight Costs

Flights are a huge expense so we did a few things to minimize the costs:

We visited fewer countries by travelling more slowly and staying in countries for a longer period of time. We stayed in a few of the places for up to a month which reduced flight costs significantly vs. travelling every week.
- We tried to fly on cheaper days of the week. When you travel long term the days of the week you fly don’t really matter so you can save significantly on flights. When booking flights, we regularly compared prices and costs on different days of the week.
- We extended a layover to sneak into another destination. Airlines will often allow a few days’ layovers in another country with no added costs.

9. Cheaper Accommodations

We mostly stayed in Airbnbs which is usually much cheaper than hotels in terms of nightly costs. Airbnb’s also have full kitchens and supplies available so you can cook your own meals and save a lot of money by not eating out as much. We even lucked out securing an Airbnb in a resort giving us access to all the facilities like a huge hotel pool and kids club. Although we didn’t have housekeeping every day we saved over $100 per night compared to what hotel guests paid.

Click here https://youtu.be/2JlfR4v5SE0 to see tips on one of our favourite places, Thailand.

Beautiful Split Croatia

Accommodations

The Airbnb we rented was just outside of Split in Podstrana and it was perfect for our family (and a good price at $85 Canadian a night). It was fully renovated, modern and had a nice workout space on a large patio. A beautiful view of the Ocean was the finishing touch. The host provided a welcome package including bread, cheese, meats and a bottle of wine. We highly recommend this place. Here’s a link to their page: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/16857130

Things to Do:

Krka National Park
Plitvice Lakes National Park
Marjan Hill Park
Diocletian’s Palace & Old Town
Klis Fortress
The town of Omis
Beaches

Krka National Park

This amazing place only took about 45 minutes from Split. This is one of the places in Croatia I saw photos of on Instagram (as well as Plitvice Lakes) and knew I had to go. Krka is a river that has 7 different cascading waterfalls where you hike on a well-marked path to various lookout points to see them. You can swim at the base of the first cascade until October 1^st and then you are not allowed (not sure why) until next summer. We went after October 1^st and tried to go in to get the shot but quickly got told to get out. We were there during the low season but found it super busy so I can’t imagine what it would be like during the summer. We spent about 2-3 hours taking in the magnificent beauty.

Adventure Campitelli Tip: There is Free Parking at the park but we didn’t find it until after. There are large signs leading into the park that say Free Parking but once we got in they told us it was the property of the restaurant so we had to buy something after our hike and show our receipt. We found free parking at the very end of the road right near the entrance.

Plitvice Lakes National Park

OMG….this place is stunning! The photos and videos you see do not do it justice. The place needs to be on everyone’s bucket list to visit. It is a large forest reserve with a chain of 16 lakes that are connected by waterfalls, divided into upper and lower lakes. This park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered one of the most beautiful parks in the world and we absolutely agree! It is crazy to imagine that this place even exists…I felt like I was in a fairy tale.

We read that the park can get up to 12,000 visitors per day with people walking shoulder to shoulder along the boardwalk lining up to take photos. We were there in mid-October and experienced hardly any crowds and it was super easy to get photos. There were far fewer people than in Krka Falls so this was a nice surprise. Being Fall, we got to enjoy stunning autumn colours of reds, oranges, yellows and remaining green leaves.

There are two entrances to this park: Entrance 1 and Entrance 2. Most of the tourists from the tourist buses go to Entrance 1 making it busier. We went to Entrance 2 and hopped on a boat to take across the lake so we could see the famous Veliki waterfalls at the beginning as we didn’t know how long we would stay. At the park, there is an electric bus/train that can take you to different jump-off points as well as small boats that can take you across one of the lakes to various points. We chose to walk the main trail to see some of the Upper and lower lakes. We packed a lunch and hiked for about 4 hours. Once again we were impressed by our kids’ endurance.

We decided to do a day trip from Split which took us about 2.5 hrs to get there. We left at 7am, spent 4-5 hours at the park and drove back. If we didn’t have the kids with us, we likely would have done the park over two days so we could have hiked more of it. One day is totally doable though and you can see a lot of the park in a few hours to get a good feel for it.

Adventure Campitelli Tip: Go in low season and if you can’t go early when the park opens at 7am. Take Entrance 2, which is less busy.

Marjan Hill Park

Our family loves to hike so that is the first thing we look for on our travels. When I searched on trails near Split, Marjan Hill came up and it is so spectacular to have something this beautiful right in the city. It kind of reminded me of a Mediterranean version of Stanley Park in Vancouver. Marjan Park is known as the “Green Lung” of Split as it is a beautiful natural oasis filled with Mediterranean Pine trees and the most spectacular view from the top. We walked to the bottom through the park at the start as we weren’t sure where to go and I’m so glad we did this as the trail is lined with small sandy beaches and clear aqua blue water. We saw several swimmers and people on their boats.

The park isn’t well marked and I guess we did the trail in reverse (with the stairs at the end leading back down) but this also made it less busy and crowded on our hike. Most people start from Old Town in Split and take a path past an outdoor café called Vidilica, which has a great view part way up before heading up the hill on a wide path of stairs.

The view from the top is absolutely amazing! You get an almost 360-degree view of Split and on a clear blue day (which is what we had), you couldn’t do any better.

This is a great hike/walk with kids as the paths are wide, not very technical and have a couple of parks along the way. This hike was a breeze compared to our Cinque Terre hike in Italy.

We liked this park so much that we came a second time to rent bikes. There are bike rentals at one of the entrances and they have bikes for the whole family. They didn’t have helmets though which made me nervous. Although the bikes weren’t of great quality, we had a lot of fun biking on the flat wide pathway that followed the coast so we could take in the scenery and stop to put our toes in the Adriatic Sea. This park is a must-do!

Diocletian’s Palace & Old Town

This place was so cool! It was built to be a retirement residence and military camp for the Roman Emperor Diocletian at the end of the 13^th Century. This place is huge and now lined with cool shops and cafes. Old Town is so different than the rest of Split with all the Roman Architecture. We also visited “Cathedral of Saint Domnius” Church and the Bell Tower where we climbed the steps of this 57-metre structure. The final staircase leading to the top made me extremely nervous because the handrails were wide open between the top and bottom and I was worried one of my kids would fall through to the ground (silly mom worries!). In some parts, the staircase is also very narrow. The view is spectacular and terrifying at the same time! I’m okay with narrow spaces but uneasy with heights.

The streets in Old Town Split reminded us of Italy with narrow cobblestone streets and colourful buildings. There are lots of apartments to rent here which makes it close to everything but we were lucky to have rented a car so we enjoyed being out of town in a quieter area.

Just in front of Diocletian’s Palace was the Split waterfront called Riva. It is very busy lined with restaurants and shops and it is the main harbour for taking boat tours. We walked up and down a few times to take in the scenery.

Adventure Campitelli tip: Do not eat in Old Town or Riva Harbour as things are very expensive. We paid $5 Cdn for a 12oz slushy for the kids and $9 for a watered-down smoothie. We found prices all over the map in Croatia with some things cheap and others really expensive. We ordered in Pizza one night and it was only $20Cdn for 2 pizzas including delivery.

Klis Fortress

Used as a set location in Game of Thrones, this Fortress is a must-see! It is located about 15km North of Split and is perched up on a mountain overlooking the city of Split. Klis is a medieval fortress that is over 2000 years old. It was occupied many times over its history from being a royal palace of Croatian Kings to a large fortress during the Ottoman wars in Europe and others in between. It is quite large with various passages and the views from the top are spectacular. There is a small entrance fee but it is worth it. We love to hike so you get a pretty good workout climbing up to the top.

Visit the town of Omis

This is a cute little peaceful coastal town about 25km South of Split that used to be the home of Pirates in the 13^th and 14^th centuries. Fun Fact: It is located by the Centina River so the Pirates would use the river to attack merchant ships and then escape back through the river where the ships were unable to pass through. Omis is a fun place to visit with the family with a few things to do:

Mirabella Fortress

This fortress is behind the center of town up the mountain. It is called a “Romanesque” fortress as it resembles Roman Ruins but it was actually used by the Omis pirates as a hideout. There is a lookout with narrow steps leading up and then you have to climb a ladder in a narrow space to reach the very top. The kids and Marco did this with no problem and I was completely terrified. The ladder was secure but I felt like I would fall to the bottom. I’m glad I did it as there was a spectacular view and it’s good to face your fears. There was a small fee to get in that worked out to about $5 CDN per adult and the kids were free.

Starigrad Fortica Fortress

This fortress is also close to the center of Omis and even higher up than Mirabella. We didn’t climb this one as it was a fairly steep climb, good shoes were recommended and Marco and I were wearing sandals. It looked really cool viewing it from the town as it is amazing to see these fortresses so high up in the mountains.

Other adventure activities: From Omis there is Zip lining, white water rafting and canyoning. We didn’t have enough time to do these activities but they are very popular here.

Beach Velika Plaza

This is a pebbly beach in the centre of Omis. It was so quiet when we went mid-week in the middle of October which was perfect! The water is calm, clear and shallow, perfect for the kids. There was a playground nearby as well as an outdoor fitness park which our kids preferred.

Go to the Beach

The beaches in Croatia are mainly made up of small pebbles but they are still very beautiful. The colour of the water is aqua blue and the water is crystal clear so you can see right to the bottom. What also surprised us is how calm the water is making it great for families. We visited 3 beaches:

Bacvice Beach

This is the main central beach in Split located close to Old Town and where all the tourist attractions are. It is a sandy beach and extremely busy so if you are looking for a quieter beach this is not the one. We didn’t stay long here as we found it dirty with cigarette butts all over the place and far too busy. It is fun to stroll along it though taking in all the action. There was also a children’s park close by which was good for the kids.

Strozanac Beach

This beach was close to our place in Podstrana (just outside of split). We ended up going there at the end of the day to take in the sunset and it was so beautiful. Calm, clear waters, and hardly anyone else on the beach. It felt like our own little haven.

You’ve got to Visit Lucca!

Accommodations

We rented an Airbnb right in central Lucca and it was awesome! It was a 5 minute walk to almost everything yet where it was located was very quiet. It was also two floors, two bedrooms and a decent kitchen. Everything we needed. There were cool black and white photos on the wall of the mother that used to live there. I loved that!

Falling in Love with Lucca

When researching places to visit in Italy, Lucca was high on the list. It is known for its Renaissance city walls completed in the thirteenth century to keep out invaders. Today it is an incredible almost 5km pathway around the city used by runners, cyclists and everyone in between. It is lined with trees and even has a couple of kids playgrounds along the way. There are a few access points to the path. It has many churches, a clock tower, Guinigi Tower that you can climb to get an amazing view of the city. Unfortunately, we ran out of time to do this but it was on our list. In Lucca, the streets are narrow and windy and the buildings are colourful and beautiful. I felt like I was in a movie.

Here are some Must Do’s in Lucca:

1. Rent a Bike and Cycle the Wall. There are several bicycle rental shops in Lucca and they also have options for families. Our 11 year old had his own bike and our 7 year old went on a tandem bike with Marco. We ended up doing 2 laps around the wall as the day was so beautiful and it was awesome to get a full perspective of the city by cycling all the way around it.

2. Walk the streets and take in the vibe. We walked everywhere in Lucca. It is small and that is how you get around. It is so interesting with so much going on. Narrow streets, interesting buildings, sculptures, historical monuments, restaurants, and buskers. If you go to Italy, Lucca is an absolute must! Watch our Lucca Video to see all the amazing things! (COMING SOON)>

3. Have Gelato of Course! We found the best Gelato to be in Lucca! It was better than the places we tried in Florence. The place we loved was called Boteggo and was off the beaten path in Lucca. We learned from a local that the good Gelato is housed in canisters to keep it at the correct temperature, not overflowing in containers, and visible. This Gelata we were told is also pumped with air to make it look fluffy. Botegga is known for their salted Pistachio which was to die for.

4. Visit the Park of Pinocchio. This park originated from the story of Pinocchio, the puppet wanting to become a real boy and whose nose grew every time he lied. It is in the town of Collodi (from the author of the same name). We took a train to Pistoia (nearby) and then a taxi to the park which was about a 10 minute drive. At first we thought the park was lame and creepy with a bunch of worn out Pinocchio puppets, old carousels and a lame park. The kids wanted to leave but we thought we’d walk a bit further and came across hanging bridges and a zipline for kids. The kids had to put on gear and make their way through various obstacles ending with a small but cool zipline. They loved it! Also – I did not know that the story of Pinocchio was from Tuscany. The actual story is of a more sinister tale which was then glamorized by Disney. I encourage you to look up the actual story.

Adventure Campitelli Tip

Eat outside of the Amphitheatre (a public square in the northeast part of Lucca, originally where gladiator games were held, now a tourist area full of restaurants and cafes) or buy your own groceries. In this area you are charged a “service or sitting fee” about 2 Euros per person. Take your latte to go or you will be charged this fee!

Hiking the Cinque Terre

Accommodations

We planned for 5 nights to hike the 5 Terre (a.k.a. Cinque Terre) and we stayed in a City called La Spezia. We booked an Airbnb close to the train station to make it easy to get around. The location was convenient but the area was a bit sketchy and our apartment was above a bar….#fail on this booking. The apartment was clean and modern but the loud music and people yelling all night was brutal. I will not be recommending this Airbnb. We were also told (after the fact), not to stay too close to the train stations as the area can be a little rougher.

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre means “5 lands” and it is made up of 5 towns on a stunning hillside on the Italian Riviera. It is a very popular travel destination which is known for it’s hiking trails linking the towns. You can access the towns by train, bus or even boat. For us, the plan was to take the train to the first town and hike the towns. By train, it was only a 15 minute train ride to the first town. We lined up at the train station to buy a combo Park Pass (as it’s a National Park) + train. The cost was 42 euros per day for a family and we purchased two days. At the tourist office where you buy the tickets they give you a map and tell you if any trails are closed. Unfortunately the hike between the first two towns were closed (Riomaggiore to Manarola) so we stopped at the third town Corniglia. The train station is at the bottom so we had to climb 400 stairs just to get to the start of the hike. You can take a bus to the top but we decided to give it a go. At the top you are greeted with nice cafes and places to get fresh juices. Although expensive for Orange Juice (4 Euro), we couldn’t resist. We also splurged on our morning latte and a couple of treats for the kids before we set out.

Starting the 400 stair climb to the start of the trail

OMG our 6 hour Hike!

Yes this title is correct. We hiked from the 3rd town to the 5th town Monterosso as we heard it had an amazing sandy beach. We were determined to do the entire hike instead of taking the trains between the towns. Had we known how difficult the hike was, we would have only hiked one town. The total distance was only 7.5km but it was rocky with very steep stone pathways, huge stair climbs and narrow dangerous paths. The total 6 hours does include our stop in the 3rd town Vernazza for a quick break but the hike was crazy! Way harder than I expected. I have to admit that we did love every bit though. The views were unbelievable and the scenery was spectacular so well worth it. We were so proud of the kids! Our youngest lead the pack the entire way and had energy after….we think our hiking in the Canadian Rockies had to have helped.

Our favourite town by far was Monterosso. We arrived there about 5:30pm and were too exhausted to explore the town so we took the train back there the next day and spent the entire day at the beach under a beach umbrella.

Adventure Campitelli Tips

It is extremely touristy here and expensive so you can save $ by staying outside of Cinque Terre such as La Spezia and take a short train ride in.
The food including the Gelato in the touristy part of the towns is not very good and it is very expensive. We ate breakfast at home, packed snacks and shared a small snack (Calamari) to get us through the day after we tried the food on Day 1.
Be prepared. Bring LOTS of water! There are fountains in each town to refill and in the heat you will drink a lot of water. Also pack good footwear…runners are fine. Bring snacks especially for kids. Don’t forget sunscreen and hats as the sun is very hot.
Follow the main trail which is called the “Blue Trail” or “SVA”. It is very well marked with red & white paint in spots all along the path.
If you love sandy beaches and want to spend time in the water make sure you save time for Monterosso, our personal favourite!

Our Guide to Florence

Accommodations

We rented an apartment on Airbnb in the centre of Florence and it was perfect! It was a close walk to almost everything that we wanted to see and just far enough outside of the main tourist areas to feel like we were living like locals. We paid approximately 100 euros per night ($150 CDN) which is decent for central Florence compared to hotels. We love renting apartments so we can make many of our meals (saving $) and of course, getting the extra bedroom for the kids.

Things to do with Kids

The Duomo

This is a must see for everyone! Located in the center of Florence, the Duomo is the 4^th largest Cathedral in the world. It actually took two centuries to complete which is amazing! Don’t be scared off by the long line ups to get in as the line moves quickly. Also, there is a dress code to go inside which is basically no bare shoulders and hemlines need to be at knee level. I brought a scarf with me. If you forget a scarf, there are people selling them on the street but best to bring your own. You will be awestruck by the size and beauty of this landmark. The outside is covered in a mix of green, pink and white marble and is made up of such intricate details. I loved seeing it at night and you get great instagram pics.

Gelato Yes Please!

Everyone talks about the Gelato being the best in the world in Italy and this is entirely true. Shops line the streets so you can get it anywhere. We preferred to go out of the tourist areas as the lineups were shorter and the prices lower. My favourite was Pistaccio and Dark Chocolate. You can usually pick 2-3 flavours. With a little bit of research and recommendation by a local, we are told the best Gelato is kept in canisters (lids on top of the Gelato so it is not visible) not piled into open containers to lure in tourists. The canisters keep the Gelato at a constant temperature where the other versions are pumped full of air….apparently the canister version is also of higher quality ingredients.

See our video on our 9 Italy Surprises which gives you some useful information to help you plan your trip. Link here.

Cafe lattes and treats

If you watch our videos you know that Marco and I love our lattes. We were so excited to try them in Italy and it did not disappoint. We are extremely fussy about our coffee and have a select few places we go to in our own city but in Italy we found the coffee to be good no matter where we went. We are also prefer soy milk to cows milk in our latte and most places had soy milk. We found the coffee to be so good it was almost indescribable….smooth, with no bitter aftertaste….molto bene! The coffee (aka latte) was also cheaper than the prices we typically pay in North American ranging from 1.30-1.70 Euros depending on where you go. For the kids, the treats are sure to please…different kinds of cookies and pastries always delighted their taste buds.

Food Glorious Food!

Another well known fact about Italy is their food and we fell in love with Italy’s food. Just like Gelato places and Coffee shops, the streets are lined with Bistros/Cafes that serve delicious sandwiches, pastas and different kinds of salads and pastries. Again, we found the best and least expensive places to be outside the main tourist areas. The food was definitely better as well. If the menus are in Italian and everyone is speaking Italian you’re gold. We made the mistake of going to one restaurant that had English on the menu and the prices were outrageous. We were even charged at the end for water and $11 euros “service charge”….a BS charge in our opinion. This doesn’t happen in the restaurants where locals eat we were told by Marco’s family who live in Florence. Lesson learned.

We were close to a Mercato where we bought groceries each day like fresh fruit, fresh veggies, pasta, bread and salad mix and snacks for the kids. The prices were very reasonable and our dollar seemed to stretch far. The produce is amazing here and tastes like it was just picked from the garden. I don’t know why, but everything seems to taste better in Italy….is it the air here? Who knows?

The Best View in Florence – Piazzale Michelangelo

Do not leave Florence without seeing the view of the entire city located in Piazzale Michelangelo. It was just a short 2km from our apartment so quite easy to get to on foot (although mostly uphill in hot temperatures). Just above the Plaza is a church called Santa Maria Novella Church that you can duck into which is a nice break from the hot sun. From here you can see a breathtaking view of the city of Florence with the Duomo in the centre and the mountains on the right.

The Beautiful Bobili Gardens (Giardino di boboli)

The Bobili Gardens is a historical park and is considered a museum as it houses many old sculptures, the Pitti Palace and other old fountains and buildings. It is one of Italy’s most famous gardens and is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. It was within walking distance from our place so we took the kids for an afternoon. It has beautiful flowers and lots of shade so we could take a break from the hot sun. There are cool paths between tall perfectly manicured trees almost like you are in a maze which was fun for the kids to run through. We packed a picnic lunch and enjoyed sitting and taking in the scenery. It cost us about 7 euros each and less for the kids.

Find a Swimming Pool

There is only so many monuments kids can see so we found it important to find something strictly for them. The Hidron is a recreation facility on the outskirts of Florence that has a beautiful outdoor water park and indoor pool with two water slides as well as a hot tub. It is quite busy but not too bad considering how busy Europe is. The cost was 36 euros for a family pass for a few hours. It also has a cafe that has surprisingly good food and also good coffee for a reasonable price.

There is also Costoli Pool in central Florence which is also supposed to be very good but we didn’t get a chance to visit this pool.

See our Video on Italy to get a good sense of Florence!

Paris in 3 Days

We LOVED LOVED LOVED Paris! We did some research ahead of time and visited a few cool spots that we think are great for families. We only had 3 days there so we made the most of our time.

The Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel tower is a must see…and actually enjoyable for the kids. It was fun to take in the view, snap some fun pics and then walk down to ground level where it is. I haven’t seen this in other photos but there is an old fashioned Carousel that the kids went on which cost 2.50 Euros for each child. We highly recommend this to keep the kids entertained. There is also a playground nearby for the kids to play in.

Adventure Campitelli Tip: There are many “peddlers” trying to sell you trinkets and they are quite aggressive so what I felt worked best is to not make eye contact and keep walking.

Les Deux Plateaux, (a.k.a. Colonnes de Buren)

The kids loved this place and did not want to leave! It is a courtyard in the Royal Palace in Paris (Palais Royal) made up of different size black and white polygons. The kids loved to climb on the different sizes and it was such a cool place to take photos. Plus….no cost to go there!

Le Louvre

This is one of the most famous art museums in Paris and is also a must see. This is where many paintings and sculptures are housed including the famous Mona Lisa.. The glass triangle shaped building on the outside is iconic and made famous in the movie La Davinci Code. Le Louvre is enormous and has several sections to visit. The cost to get in was $9 Euros for each adult and our two kids were free. We chose to only see the Mona Lisa as the kids did not have the patience to spend a lot of time there. Our “5 Things To Do in Paris” Video gives you a tip on when Le Louvre is FREE and what else the kids loved to see. (VIDEO COMING SOON)

Jardin du Luxembourg

This is a beautiful Palace that used to be the residence of the widow of King Henry IV of France, Marie de’ Medici. It is one of the most popular parks in Paris and has a large pond where kids can rent toy sailboats for 4 Euros for half an hour. It is so pretty and the kids loved running around the park.

Adventure Campitelli Tip: We booked an Airbnb very close to central Paris to make it really easy to get around and see all the attractions. We could walk or take the train, which was only a few short steps away, to see all the major sites.