Fun Stuff Blog Posts
Tips for More Pleasant Bus Travel
By Noemi Gamel Growing up in the United States, we tend to view bus rides with trepidation. They are uncomfortable, slow, and rarely seem to run at the time or along the route we need. We knew that buses would be part of our around the world trip, but it wasn’t a form of transportation…
May 4, 2024
Temples and Shrines in Kyoto
By Noemi Gamel There is no shortage of temples and shrines in Japan thanks to the long and diverse history of Zen, Buddhism, and Shintoism. If you like history, comparative religion, or architecture, you can spend days contemplating these amazing buildings. If you are traveling with children, however, it is easy for them to…
April 20, 2024
Cherry Blossoms in Japan
By Noemi Gamel No one takes cherry blossom viewing as seriously as the Japanese people. They even have a verb to describe it: hanami, the art of viewing flowers. I was worried that we were not going to arrive in Tokyo in time for hanami, but fortunately that was not the case. We spent two…
March 25, 2024
What’s a Rafiki?
“Rafiki” means friend in Swahili! Did you know that each Thomson Family Adventure—with eight or more guests—is accompanied by a rafiki*? Our rafikis work with our guides; their main purpose is to enhance the overall trip experience, and especially to engage the children in their new surroundings. We used to call these companions “mentors,” but…
March 23, 2024
A Fishy Pedicure
By Noemi Gamel You know that nasty feeling you get when your feet are calloused, dry, and flaky? The Thais have found the perfect solution for this! All you have to do is dip your bare feet in a tank and little fish will eat away the dead tissue off your feet. Fish spas are…