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Each year our very talented product team come up with exciting new holiday destinations that we know you’ll love. This year is no exception and because these new holidays are so good we couldn’t wait to share them with you!

Here’s a peek at what’s new for 2017 with Activities Abroad:

With the festive season creeping up on us, it’s not too early to turn your attention to the February half-term holiday in order to make the most of this precious time with loved ones.

Take a look at this roundup of my favourite holidays departing during the next school half-term:

As parents ourselves, we can understand that safety when travelling is at the forefront of everyone’s minds and, in an increasingly turbulent world, it is understandable that travellers are eagerly seeking out destinations where issues such as political unrest are less prevalent.

Lapland has so much to offer families who are eager to experience a winter wonderland escape, but sometimes with its vast range of activities it can become the case of having too much choice of fun things to do during your stay. 

We’ve picked 3 great winter experiences that you must do this year:

And the winner is…

We love seeing what families get up to on our Activities Abroad holidays. From swimming with dolphins in the Azores to rock climbing on the Maltese island of Gozo, it’s always great to see our families having loads of fun together while experiencing a wide range of unforgettable activities and experiences.

This summer we asked you to share your favourite holiday moments with us to be in with a chance of winning a Go Pro Hero 4 - the ideal piece of kit for recording, and then, recalling, an active family adventure!

We’ve been running activity holidays since 2002 and there have been many, many occasions when parents have commented on how our trips had helped to build their children’s confidence and self-belief. This is something I have seen in my own kids over the years but I’ve never had a pictorial example of just how inspiring our outdoor activities can be. That was until a few weeks ago when the McLean family joined Activities Abroad’s family holiday in The Azores and I went mountain biking with my son.

Sete Cidades, ©Futurismo Azores Adventures

Sitting here in the office on a cold, wet Wednesday our minds at Activities Abroad are wandering to destinations we would rather be discovering. Maybe we are biased, but Borneo is one of the best long-haul vacations you could ever go on, period.

We could write some exciting and inspirational ‘travel prose’ for you, but instead, let’s mix it up a bit with an A-Z of why we’re absolutely head over heels in love with Borneo.

So, without further ado…

I’ve never really understood Kids’ Clubs. Why would you want to go on a family holiday (that's F-A-M-I-L-Y holiday) then pack the children off every day while the grown-ups do their own thing?

My philosophy, and it is one that I have always insisted that we adhere to here at Activities Abroad, is that a family holiday should be just that, a family holiday.

I see a lot of my kids. I see them when I am driving them to football or rugby or cricket or dancing or "Rock Project" or any number of activities. I also see them while they are playing football or rugby or cricket (but not dancing or "Rock Project"….Teenage Daughter would never allow a “PARENT!!!” to be present).

However, this is my point. Whilst I SEE a lot of my kids, like so many parents, I rarely actually DO anything with them. I seem to spend my life watching them rather than participating with them and I think that is a great shame. I'm not sure that the kids feel the same way but it is the reason that I believe a shared family holiday is so important. 

Our representative Katrina has been busy looking after our families staying in Harrinva, Jeris and Torassieppi this year. We caught up with Katrina to find out about her winter in Lapland.

What do families enjoy the most about Harriniva, Jeris and Torassieppi?

There are so many fun activities to enjoy especially for children. Children always love meeting the huskies. They enjoy the husky safaris and getting to cuddle the huskies. The reindeers are also very popular and a reindeer sleigh ride is a magical experience for the whole family.  The tobogganing is probably one of the most popular activities. It’s very fun and children don’t get cold as they are constantly running up the hill for another go.

Reindeer Sleigh Ride

Over the winter months our Activities Abroad representative Ben has been working in Nellim. As the season draws to a close we asked Ben to share his favourite experiences of the winter season.