SPECIAL OCCASION TRAVEL

 Celebrating a special occasion such as a 25th Wedding Anniversary, 50th Birthday party, Destination Wedding or a Family Reunion? 
More and more people are finding many reasons to head to far off places to celebrate their special occasions.  

Many parents are entertaining the same thought: "We must take a family holiday together".  That means parents, siblings, children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren. This is a common request nowadays. Groups can vary in size from 10 to 100.   Many family reunions are opting for all inclusive resorts in exotic locations.  A recent Wedding gathering brought 100 members from all over the continent including a beaming great-grandmother. Uncles, cousins, even friends and neighbours are travelling en masse to lodges, villas or resorts that sleep 20 or more. Not necessarily because of the destination but just to be together.  In fact, this coming together of families to reunite in interesting locales is the hottest trend in family travel today.  So popular that it has names: Sandals Resorts offer "Weddingmoons", Walt Disney World promotes "Magical Gatherings" and  Royal Caribbean International offers a multi generational "Royal Reunion" package. 
For those wedding couples, parents and grandparents contemplating such memory-making adventures, here are a few suggestions for your family reunion.   

DESTINATION WEDDING:
 Destination weddings allow couples to have intimate celebrations with just a few guests or a larger wedding with as many as 200 friends and family members. A destination wedding allows you to spend quality time with your guests in a relaxing setting over three or four days, making memories for years to come. Various wedding packages are available to suit your individual needs. Some resorts offer free weddings with a minimum number of guests booked. 

LODGES:

Costa Rica offers a wonderful family destination at the Paradisus Playa Concal Resort. Here, family members can take part in canopy tours, rafting,waterfall explorations and horseback riding.

CRUISING:

On board the ship there are varied activities offered sure to satisfy each and every family member. Dining options range from pizza parlours to white glove fine dining. Disney Cruises have special programs that let families plan activities for their own Magical Gatherings, on land or at sea. Some cruise lines offer perks such as personalized family t-shirts, group photos or cabin door decorations.

TROPICAL RESORTS:

All inclusive resorts have just about everything a multi-generational family might be looking for: children's club for the young ones, tennis or golf for the sports minded and spa services for those who want to be pampered. What most families want is a week in the sun, togetherness and activities to suit all ages.

Club Med, Superclubs and Beaches offer tropical resorts catering to families with rooms to accommodate singles, doubles and larger suites for parents and small children. They offer a variety of dining options and a variety of land and water sports, daily activities and nightly entertainment. Cycling tours, horseback riding, snorkeling, scuba diving and circus trapeze are just some of the activities that might be available.

ADVENTURE TOURS:  Some tour companies offer organized tours with a family focused theme. Trafalgar tours has a variety of theme tours to suit everyone's tastes; Italy: Gladiators and Gondolas, Costa Rica: Monkeys Jungles and Volcanoes, Peru: Conquistadors Sacred Valleys Inca Mysteries, England Scotland and Wales: Castles Crown Jewels and Harry Potter.

he tours are already planned, you simply have to pack for the adventure.