I’ve heard other parents talk about relaxing family holidays, where the children spend all day in the kids’ club while mum and dad unwind by the pool and enjoy adults-only spas. But this has never been my experience, and I don’t think it ever will be. What I need is to know what makes the best wellness retreats and hotels, designed with children in mind, in the world.
My son was born with a chronic illness, and as he grew older, it became apparent that he also has autism and ADHD (auDHD). Downtime isn’t really something I’ve experienced over the past decade – at home or on holiday. But the more we travel together, the more I realise that it’s not just me missing out on some much-needed R&R. My son, despite his young age, needs wellness experiences in his life just as much as I do. Perhaps even more. On home turf, he’s been treated by osteopaths, acupuncturists, herbalists, chiropractors, homoeopaths, somatic therapists and even shamanic healers, just to help keep his mind and body in balance. Because he lives with this level of dysregulation as standard, travelling can be challenging for him. When we leave his safe spaces and routines behind, experience jet-lag and spend time away from our dogs and our home, overwhelm and anxiety set in, tics ramp up, and meltdowns can happen.
Kids’ clubs, however wonderful they might be, are never an option for us (apart from one time in the Ardèche – more about that below). So, if anyone is going to have wellbeing experiences, our trips need to be set up so that family wellness is the priority: all-encompassing family experiences, excursions and treatments that go beyond the standard spa. We need to check in somewhere where children are not just babysat but involved in the holistic healing and nervous system soothing practices that are so often just offered to adults.
Here, I’ve rounded up some of the best family wellness trips we’ve taken, and added a few that remain on our bucket list, too.
