Twin Centre Family Travel: How We Explore the World With Kids

🌍Twin Centre Family Travel: How We Explore the World With Kids

Friends often ask me, “How do you manage to see so much of the world with your children? Mine just want to play in the pool all day!” Don’t get me wrong — our girls love a pool too, and a few years ago that would have been their number-one holiday request.

But I’ve had the travel bug since I was a teenager, and I didn’t want becoming a parent to stop us exploring. Instead, I wanted the girls to experience the world with us. That’s when we discovered the perfect solution: twin-centre family holidays — a combination of culture and adventure, followed by the relaxing hotel-and-pool time the kids love.

This style of multi-centre family travel has been a game-changer for us. Here’s how we do it.

• Mum, Dad and the kids all get something out of the holiday by the time we are home again.

• Push the boundaries a little.

• Experience a new culture.

• Ensure there is still plenty for the kids.

• Elements of relaxation during the trip.

Here are a few examples of where we have been and what has worked well for us.

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Marrakech: Our First Ever Twin-Centre Family Holiday

Our first twin-centre trip was to Marrakech, when the girls were 7 and 4. We spent the first three nights in a traditional riad in the heart of the city, exploring souks, mosques, palaces and gardens. It was their first real taste of a completely different culture — new foods, new sights, new sounds and daily calls to prayer.

After our city stay, we moved a little outside Marrakech to a family-friendly all-inclusive hotel with pools, waterslides and activities — the perfect reward after busy days in the souks. We also took a day trip into the Atlas Mountains and Berber markets, which the girls still talk about years later.

Marrakech was the perfect introduction to cultural family travel.

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Istanbul & Izmir: A Family City Break Followed by Beach Time

The following year, we chose Istanbul for three nights, followed by a short internal flight to Izmir for the beach part of our twin-centre family itinerary.

Istanbul was our first experience of extreme heat as a family — 38 degrees! There was a bit of moaning (from me too!), but we found relief inside the city’s stunning mosques. One memory the girls still love is being allowed into the male-only prayer area with their dad while I stayed in the female-only space.

The souks in Istanbul were full of new smells, sounds and excitement, but the highlight for the girls was the cats and kittens everywhere. They played with them for hours and even convinced us to buy dangly toys for them. We now have our own cat named Ibby, after a kitten we met in Istanbul!

This trip cemented how well a city-and-beach family holiday works for us.

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Egypt: Our Most Adventurous Family Twin-Centre Trip Yet

Next came Egypt, our most challenging — but most rewarding — family adventure holiday so far.

We landed in Cairo to discover our bags had gone to Athens. So we spent two days in jumpers and joggers, in 30-degree heat, visiting the pyramids and the Egyptian Museum. There were a few tears, but the experience itself was unforgettable — the girls had studied Ancient Egypt at school, so seeing it all in real life absolutely blew their minds.

Cairo was wild, hectic and chaotic — no pavements, no traffic lights, constant beeping — but these are the moments the kids still talk about, not the pool or the mini disco. It’s the shared challenges that have really stayed with them.

After Cairo, we flew to Hurghada for an all-inclusive beach break, which was exactly what we needed after such an intense few days.

For us, this balance of city adventure followed by relaxing beach time is perfect — and the girls completely agree.

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🌟Why Twin Centre Family Holidays Work So Well

If you want to introduce your children to the world, multi-centre family travel is an amazing way to do it. Kids love knowing the pool is coming, and parents get the chance to explore a new culture without compromise.

Even trying one day of something more adventurous can open their eyes — and honestly, I think your kids will surprise you.